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SAFETY SOLUTIONS: When You’ve Been Handed the Responsibility for Safety
Too often in the workplace, someone is "appointed" the safety person for the company. Can you imagine how you would feel if this burden suddenly fell into your lap? Let’s discuss some of the important issues you need to be made aware of. Your mission is to reduce workplace risks, but to do this you must establish a plan which must become part of daily operations. To develop this plan you must first evaluate the workplace by performing a comprehensive survey or audit and performing an assessment of existing safety and health programs.
An initial survey or audit encompasses several factors:
- An evaluation of workplace conditions with respect to mandatory requirements and regulations, as well as industry accepted safety and health procedures.
- An evaluation of what, when, where and how hazardous materials are used.
- Direct observations of employee work habits and practices, or standard work procedures.
- Discussions with employees and supervisors reference safety and health problems they have experienced.
What areas should be considered "top priority"? Hazard Communication is by far the most frequently cited OSHA standard, so it should be a high priority. Employees have both a need and right to know about chemical hazards and the chemicals to which they are exposed. When addressing hazard communication focus on the following aspects;
a) a written program; b) employee information and training; c) container labeling and d) Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS).
The next areas of major concern should be the following; identify training needs; understand the injury and illness records; evaluate machine guarding; and determine the need for medial treatment and first aid.
Understanding the General Duty Clause has become increasingly important to employers in the last few years. OSHA has begun to use this clause in more of its penalty and enforcement actions. Section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act requires that every working person must be provided with a safe and healthful work place. The section states:
"…each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees."
In simple terms, this means that an employer, must protect employees from recognized hazards in the workplace even if no OSHA standard applies to the situation or if hazards still exist after compliance with a standard. In effect, the General Duty Clause obligates employers to take additional steps toward safety if employee well-being is in jeopardy.
If you are the person designated to be the company safety specialist, your responsibilities may seem overwhelming when you first accept the challenge. If you are able to follow a systematic process and utilize the following guidelines, you will become a safety hero!
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ACTION |
PLAN TO ADDRESS SAFETY CONCERNS |
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Plan for Safety & Health |
Establish a plan to eliminate injuries/illnesses. |
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Organize Compliance Activities |
Base activities on frequency, severity and probability of occurrence. |
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Develop a Plan of Action |
Plans define where you are in terms of compliance; where you need to be; and how you can get there. |
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Make Hazard Communication a Priority |
Inform employees about chemicals at your facility. |
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Identify your Company’s Training Needs |
Trained workers have fewer accidents and are more productive. |
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Become Familiar with Company Records |
Use records to track injuries/illnesses. |
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Evaluate Machine Guarding Protection |
Protect your employees from moving parts and points of operation. |
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Determine the Need for Medical Treatment First Aid |
Consider how you will handle injuries and accidents |
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Recognize the General Duty Clause |
Provide employees with a safe and healthful workplace. |
This column welcomes your safety and health questions. If you are the person that has recently assumed the Safety and Health responsibilities for your co-workers and your company and you have specific questions or concerns, please contact Jack Podojil at jpodojil@charter.net
For more information, click on the authors biography at the top of this page.
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