Page 88 - Occupational Health & Safety, July/August 2019

FACILITY SAFETY
Training should be extensive, and employees should participate in regular refreshers.
To supplement training, businesses also should foster a culture of safety. No one, whether they’re an employee or an executive, should walk by a safety hazard without addressing it, and everyone should constantly be looking for hazards as they go about their day.
Additionally, it’s advisable for organizations to establish on-site safety teams that can continually enforce and reevaluate facility safety guidelines. For larger companies, hiring a safety staff, com- prised of a manager and team, is a great way to provide oversight and gain insight into how best practices can improve. For smaller companies, appointing employees to a safety committee is a more feasible but still very effective option.
Make Sure Not to Overlook . . .
One of the easiest mistakes that companies can make when it comes to facility safety management is assuming their work is done after the best practices are put in place. The key next step is inviting third- party experts to come in and conduct a risk-free audit. Businesses will then be able to gauge not only how effective the safety practices are, but also how well they are being enforced and followed.
It’s important to note that auditing should not be a one- and-done process, even if companies pass with no violations. Audits should be ongoing and routine, and companies should continually reassess their safety practices based on the findings
of each audit. Both safety issues and corrective actions should be documented.
Another often overlooked aspect of facility safety is that there are so many reasons why injuries can occur. While unattended tools/blades and inadequate eye/skin protection may seem like ob- vious hazards and therefore the easiest to avoid, they are actually leading causes of injuries every year. Trips, falls, cuts, and UV or chemical exposure also remain incredibly common.
Workplace violence is also a frequent cause of injuries. Disputes and aggressive behavior should always be addressed and defused immediately; and if behavior doesn’t improve or is particularly egregious, dismissal should be considered.
Last, but certainly not least, there are three critical policies companies should put in place to protect workers: sign in/sign out, mandatory drug testing, and a mandatory dress code (e.g., safety shoes, no jewelry, and long hair secured). In addition to being useful in internal recordkeeping, sign in/sign out is espe- cially important in the event of an emergency evacuation. First responders need to be able to ensure that all employees have exited the facility.
As for the latter two policies, companies should keep in mind that by enforcing drug testing and a dress code, they’re not make a social statement—they’re making a safety statement. When it comes to making sure everyone goes home at the end of the day, failing to adhere to either policy is not to anyone’s benefit.
CORPORATE PROFILE
FALL PROTECTION FOR LIFE AND COMPLIANCE
Safety Rail Company
www.SafetyRailCompany.com
4244 Shoreline Drive Spring Park, MN 55384
Toll Free: 888.434.2720 | Fax: 888.471.4931
82 Occupational Health & Safety | JULY/AUGUST 2019
www.ohsonline.com
WeareSAFETYRAILCOMPANY,amanufacturingcompany comprised of in- novators, engineers and problem solvers. The SRC team is dedicated to part- nering with you to provide high quality fall-protection solutions coupled with exceptional service and support.
Our approach eliminates confusion and ambiguity associated with OSHA compliance and project specifications. From start to finish, we offer concise planning, cost-effective products and professional support.
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