Page 40 - Occupational Health & Safety, November 2017

FALL PROTECTION
Educating Your Labor Force
A workplace fall can happen to anyone, and when someone does fall, it affects everyone. As such, every member of your team must be an informed, active participant in increasing the safety of your organization. You can educate your team using:
■ OSHA training programs
■ Up-to-date safety handbooks
■ Robust safety orientation for new hires
But perhaps the most important part of education is culture. By
fostering a culture of safety in your company, you’ll inspire your employees to commit to their own safety as well as that of others. This means workers should feel comfortable reminding their man- ager or CEO of slip and fall hazards or insisting that they make use of fall protection devices. Workplace safety is not about hierarchy, it’s about community.
For employers, the social structure of safety is equally as impor- tant as the physical structure. Fall safety prevention devices aren’t the only necessities; safety training is just as essential. This includes train- ing on the safe use of and navigation around dangerous equipment and hazardous heights, as well as fall protection and prevention.
Employees, for their part, must participate in these trainings,
actively recognize unsafe practices as soon as they witness them, and feel comfortable reporting their concerns. They should also know which areas of their workplace present fall risks and be vigi- lant about limiting their exposure to this risk.
Keeping Your Staff Safe in 2018
A company is only as good as its employees, and employees can only be as safe as their work environment allows them to be. There- fore, it’s essential that you remain committed to and invested in fall prevention. By prioritizing fall and accident prevention educa- tion, creating a culture of safety, analyzing fall prevention methods already in place, and updating them to reflect new guidelines and innovations, you can keep your workplace as safe as possible. 2018 is the year to take your company’s safety culture to the next level. With the proper safeguards at your disposal, you can make sure everyone is safe under your watch.
Paul Sperling is a Senior Sales Engineer for Safety Products Group (BlueWater/Fabenco) based in Houston, Texas. Safety Products Group, backed by the strength of BlueWater and Fabenco, builds rooftop and in-plant safety products to the highest OSHA standards.
36 Occupational Health & Safety | NOVEMBER 2017
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