Bill Coombs, Safety Consultant, FRSA-SIF
When I ask companies what is the first thought that comes to mind regarding safety, the answer is usually something like Fall Protection or OSHA Citations. Although these are important areas of concern, there are so many other things that are critical to a successful safety program. Who, what, where, when, why and how are the components that we need to address.
WHO: Who benefits from a strong safety program? Everyone. Workers, their families, the company, the customer and the community. Who is responsible for job site safety? According to OSHA “the Employer shall furnish to all employees a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that have potential or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm. In addition, the employer shall comply with all occupational safety and health standards promulgated under The Williams-Steiger
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.” This act also states that “Each employee shall comply with occupational safety and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this Act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.” Ultimately, the responsibility falls on the employer to make sure that employees follow the rules and requirements. Employees that refuse to follow the instructions of the employer, and the regulations from OSHA should be retrained or their employment terminated.
WHAT: What are the safety hazards that workers are exposed to? As employers, we need to look at every potential area of concern where a worker could get injured and address it before work begins.
What do you need to do? List all hazards, fall issues, Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), chemicals, electrical, ladders, burns, weather, etc. and review your records to make sure that all workers have been properly trained to do the job safely. If there is a void in your training it needs to be addressed before workers start the job, not after someone gets injured. It is not enough to hand a worker a bucket and say, “here’s your fall protection,” you must stress to them the importance as well as train them on the proper
use of the equipment and when it is required.
WHERE: Where are workers exposed to hazards? Take a good look at your entire operation, evaluate your program and determine if you have any “holes” that need fixing. Workers can be exposed to hazards in the warehouse, driving vehicles, on the job site, equipment operation and many other areas. Make sure you address concerns today; tomorrow may be too late. Use checklists to help make sure you cover all hazards and educate workers.
WHEN: When must you address safety concerns? In order to have a successful safety program you must address concerns prior to beginning work. Proper orientation of new workers explaining what you expect from them and how being safe is critical. Whenever there are changes in operations, equipment, location, products, personnel or job site hazards, you must educate your workers on how to do the job safely. Don’t ever assume that they know it and make it a point to train them.
WHY: Why is safety so important? No one wants to get, or plans to get hurt, but it happens. FAST. Many people say that safety is common sense, but how do you gain common sense? Common sense is gained through training, experience, education and shared knowledge from other people’s experiences. The five minutes you spend going over safety requirements with workers could save them from injury and you hours of time and expense. Definitely, time well spent.
HOW: How do you make sure your program is the best? Evaluate and update it on a regular basis. It will require some time and research on your part but, for every minute spent training and every dollar spent on safety the return will be worth it. You are not on your own for this task, use available resources such as the Internet, OSHA, safety consultants and your workers’ comp carrier to assist you in making your safety program successful. One very important factor to remember; if you want your safety program to be successful, everything must start at the top and work down through the ranks. Management must believe in and support the safety program and provide the proper training and equipment to workers. Proper direction and reinforcement from top management will help to assure a successful company safety program.
Previous Article