Page 44 - Occupational Health & Safety, December 2018

FIRE & EMERGENCY TRAINING
Safety Beyond the Basics: What Can We Do to Be Prepared?
If we can allow employees adequate time to plan, review technical information, practice, and check available resources, together
we can reduce the workplace fatalities each year.
BY BRIAN WELCH
When it comes to safety, the top prior- ity for any employer, at a minimum, is to comply with the OSHA standards. Many companies have come to the re- alization that safety is not a hindrance, but rather an opportunity to stand apart from the other companies they are competing against. Unfortunately, there are still a few companies that have not seen the light and still hurt or kill employees. Most of us have seen the
statistics highlighting that more than 5,100 workers died on the job in 2016 and which industries are the severe violators. I know I have used that data in a few courses I have taught over the years. There are many areas that we as safety professionals can work on to help raise awareness of the low frequency/ high haz- ards tasks in our workplaces.
For several years, I had the pleasure of helping numerous companies comply with the required
40 Occupational Health & Safety | DECEMBER 2018
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