10 Ways to Prevent Accidents at Work

By Victoria R Leah

1. 1. Ensure you have had a good nights sleep and are awake and alert at all times. Lack of concentration can easily cause you to have an accident whilst at work.
2. Wear the required uniform and protective wear. If you have not been given the correct uniform or protective wear to carry out your job, speak to your employer. It is their duty to make sure you are working within a safe environment.
3. Participate in any emergency drills that take place and be aware of how and why they are being carried out. Emergency drills are also enforced to prevent accidents occurring.
4.  If you cause or spot any spillages or obstructions on the floor, clean them up straight away to prevent any slip, trip or fall accidents.
5. If you have not received the relevant training if necessary, speak to your employers or supervisor. Do not use any form equipment that you do not know how to use.
6. Be aware of the safety program within your workplace and ensure that you adhere to it.
7. If you see any electrical appliances that might look faulty, make sure you inform your employer.
8. Safety signs & posters should be highly visible within the workplace, be aware of these in order to avoid a personal injury from occurring.
9. A first aider is also responsible for monitoring possible hazards at work. If you have had an accident, make sure that record this is the accident book. This for your own safety and to prevent others from having the same accident as you.
10. It's your employers duty to ensure the health and safety of their employees to prevent accidents occurring and potentially making an accident at work compensation claim with a personal injury solicitor.

7-Minute Safety Trainer

Here's everything you need to deliver effective, customized, 7-Minute Safety Training from one CD-ROM. "Click and print" dynamic, customized handouts, overheads, and outlines. You'll deliver effective safety training faster and easier than ever before.

 

Key Topices Include:

• Confined Spaces
• Electrical Safety
• Fire Safety and Emergency Response
• HAZCOM
• Machine Safety and Other Equipment
• Material Handling Safety
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Personal Safety
• Safety Awareness
• Safety and Security Measurest
• Workplace Hazards

Free quarterly updates first year.

• This safety software delivers complete safety training on every OHSA required training topic like electrical safety, hazard communication, emergency preparedness, and workplace safety.
• When you use 7-Minute Safety Trainer, you can be sure that your employees will pay attention and retain the training information.
• You select from over 50 key safety topics, prepare your materials, and print out your presentation.
• Each trainer outline is designed to comply with specific OSHA safety regulations.

Find more about this program from Safety Training Media

Need an Extra Right Arm? Arm Yourself with a Safety Committee

What safety professional would say no to an extra right arm? Well-trained, purposeful safety committees can significantly augment a safety manager's capability, and boost a company's overall success.

Safety committees are common in companies of all sizes in virtually all industries, both unionized and not. Although they got their start in auto manufacturing, committees are everywhere today.
Although they are not required, safety committees are admired by OSHA. The state of Oregon mandates them for many businesses, and in Pennsylvania, certified committees can earn employers rebates on the cost of workers' compensation coverage. In California, committees may serve as a legally required means of communicating with workers about safety and health.

Learn more about safety committee training resources from Safety Training Media

What Is WHMIS?

By Paula C. Anderson

Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) is a requirement for proper labeling of hazardous materials in Canada. It is a national system that has been implemented since 1988 and combines federal and provincial legislation, namely the Controlled Products Regulations and the Hazardous Products Act. The two introduced the new national standard on how hazardous materials should be classified.
The main objective of the WHMIS regulation is to set the criteria for chemical hazards while ensuring the protection of Canadian workers from adverse hazard effects, such as acute and chronic health conditions. This is because some of the hazardous materials may lead to skin sensitization, carcinogenicity, and even respiratory tract disease when improperly used. Suppliers of hazardous materials are required by the Federal and provincial occupational safety and health legislation to provide MSDSs and label products as a condition of their sale and importation.

With the application of WHMIS, employers will be able to protect confidential and important business information on the processing of used resources, and at the same time keep their employees in the loop about the information, warnings, and trainings they need to be aware of. Possible appeals and claims that may arise can also be solved with the help of the provided mechanisms and guidelines of WHMIS.
Another benefit of WHMIS is to ensure hazardous and controlled materials are not misused by businesses in their workplace in order to protect the health of Canadian workers. In terms of adverse effects, WHMIS is one of the largest information providers on hazardous materials.

One thing to consider about WHMIS is that it strives to bring awareness to all the interests of the stakeholders while reaching out a consensus agreement to the workforce, industry, and agencies of the government. The consensus agreement is considered by all involved parties as a shared responsibility to preserve the environment and promote safety in workplaces.

The agreement introduced the National WHMIS Compliance Policy, which outlines the principles of fair and consistent government enforcement. The policy establishes the responsibilities and roles of organizations, employees, and the government that also require support and buy-in from all parties involved.

Canadasafetycampus.com offers certified affordable WHMIS Training and TDG Training.

Safety Training Pays Off Every Minute

With millions of job-related accidents annually, someone is injured on the job in the United States about every 8 seconds. Most injuries are minor, and workers soon recover. However, some are permanent and heartbreaking—loss of sight or hearing, amputated fingers, toes, or hands, paralysis—injuries that can ruin a person's life. In addition to being a crippler, a serious injury snatches money out of a worker's wallet because disability income is less than full salary. And a disabling injury can mean permanent reduction in earning power or a complete loss of pay if the worker can never be able to perform the same job again. OSHA Training System offers dozens of completely prewritten, affordable programs to handle your OSHA-mandated training needs. Try it at no cost. Get the details. Paint a Safer Picture As dark as that picture is, inattention to workplace safety training can paint a darker one still—every day 15 American workers die from work-related injuries or illness. This grim fact touches not only the victim. What about the consequences for others? On-the-job injury, illness, and death weave a web of grief and anger. The web snares families trying to cope with their losses as well as co-workers experiencing a loss of confidence in management that allowed the accident to happen. Once goodwill is gone, morale may slip, resulting in a loss of productivity, increased turnover, and eventually an impact on the bottom line. The best way to handle accidents on the job is not to let them happen in the first place. And the best way to do that is through effective, comprehensive, and ongoing safety and health training for all employees. Try OSHA Training System for a complete solution to your mandated training needs. You can do so at no cost or risk. Read more. Ready-to-Use Training It's no exaggeration to say that safety training pays off every minute—and keeps paying off day after day. That's certainly true of the OSHA Training System. As the name implies, this complete training system is specially designed to meet your full safety and health training needs. All the materials are prepared in advance, so no prep time is required. All you do is reproduce what you need and put it to use. Materials include:  32 complete safety units, meeting every key OSHA standard. Each includes full background for trainers, a ready-to-use safety meeting, and follow-up handouts. View a Table of Contents. Quizzes, handouts, and copies of 27 different employee booklets, coordinated to the safety meetings. (Booklets can be bought in any quantity at a discount.) A complete training recordkeeping and tracking system that tells you which employees need what training, and then tracks your program to ensure they get it. Quarterly updates, included with the program. You receive at least 4 new safety units every 90 days, covering new OSHA standards and training needs. If you share the common problem of never having enough time or the right materials for training, we'd suggest you examine the OSHA Training System program.

Safety Meetings for Every OSHA Training Standard ... in One Program! Delivering on a promise like the one above takes more than a haphazard collection of materials ... it takes a system! OSHA Training System, to be exact. One binder includes more than 32 separate, prewritten safety meetings that address every current OSHA training standard. What if OSHA creates a new standard? You get additional materials automatically, every 90 days so long as you're in the program! Separate, ready-to-use reproducible meetings for... —Asbestos Safety —Back Injury Prevention —Basic Safety —Bloodborne Pathogens —Chemical Hazard Labels —Confined Spaces —Electrical Safety —Emergency Response Guide —Fire Prevention Plan —Forklift Safety —Hazard Communication Standard —Hazardous Materials —Hazardous Materials Spills —Hazardous Waste —Lockout/Tagout —MSDSs —Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) —And more! Try OSHA Training System at no cost or risk for up to 30 days. If it is not all we say, just return it and pay nothing—not even return shipping. Your satisfaction is assured. Download Table of Contents Download Product Sample To get more info or to start your no-cost, no-risk trial now!

Recent Enforcement Actions Prove Costly to Employers

Imperial Sugar Company has agreed to pay more than $6 million in a settlement with OSHA. The case stems from a 2008 combustible dust explosion at Imperial's Port Wentworth, GA, plant and from safety and health violations the agency subsequently discovered at the company's Gramercy, LA, facility. The 2008 explosion killed 14 workers and seriously injured dozens of others. In the agreement, Imperial Sugar will pay $4,050,000 in penalties for the 124 violations found at its Port Wentworth plant after the explosion, plus an additional $2 million for 97 violations found at its Gramercy plant. OSHA says this agreement requires Imperial Sugar to make extensive changes to its safety practices, and it underscores the importance of rigorously addressing workplace safety and health hazards.

BP North American Inc. and BP-Husky Refining LLC have been cited for 42 alleged willful violations at BP-Husky's Oregon, OH, refinery. Proposed penalties total $3,042,000. "OSHA has found that BP often ignored or severely delayed fixing known hazards in its refineries," says Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis.

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Milk Specialties Company of Whitehall, WI, has agreed to pay $535,000 in penalties as part of a settlement resulting from OSHA citations alleging willful, repeat, and serious violations. Problems at the facility included combustible dust hazards, untrained employees working in dangerous areas, and lack of confined space permits.

New Jersey Transit will pay an employee who filed a whistleblower complaint with OSHA more than $500,000 for retaliating against the worker by disciplining him for reporting a work-related illness.

Driver's Ed 101: Training Workers to Drive Safely

Whether their driving your vehicles or their own, you want your employees to be safe on the road and avoid accidents.

Here are four key safe driving issues that should be included in safety meetings and training sessions concerning driving safety.

Collisions

Collisions are common, especially at intersections, where it's estimated one-third of all two-car crashes occur. Use these safety tips when training employees to prevent collisions:

• Head-on—Drivers should keep alert and look down the road for possible problems, like an oncoming driver passing another vehicle.
• Rear-end—To avoid being hit, drivers should signal intentions, slow down gradually, and check mirrors for tailgaters. To avoid rear-ending another vehicle, drivers should maintain a 2- to 4-second distance from the vehicle ahead and watch for brake lights and turn signals.

Passing

When passing, drivers should:

• Pass only in a passing zone
• Check oncoming traffic to make sure no one is coming
• Check mirrors to make sure someone behind you isn't moving out to pass
• Never pass unless they can see enough clear space to do it comfortably

When being passed, drivers should slow down if the other vehicle needs extra room to pass safely.

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Road/Weather Conditions

Drivers should adjust their driving to road and weather conditions. Road construction, traffic, slippery roads, and other hazardous conditions contribute to many accidents. But these accidents can be prevented if drivers take precautions such as:

• Slowing down
• Increasing following distance
• Being prepared to stop
• Turning on headlight to be more visible
• Avoiding distractions and focusing all attention on driving
• Keeping calm in heavy traffic
• Knowing how to handle a skid (take your foot off the break and turn in the direction you want the front of the vehicle to go)

DUI

You can't overemphasize the hazards of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. According to one recent report, 1 in 5 drivers admits to drinking and driving. Every year more than 20,000 people are killed by impaired drivers, and 50,000 are injured.

Drinking impairs all the faculties that prevent traffic accidents:

• Ability to determine distance
• Reactions
• Judgment
• Vision

Don’t Fold on Scaffold Safety

by Chris Kilbourne

Scaffolds provide necessary access to certain jobs—and require necessary training to work on them safely. OSHA general industry standard on scaffolds (29 CFR 1910.28-29) emphasize specifications that are very precise about everything from the spacing of the poles to the size of the planking. No matter what its type, a scaffold has to be strong enough for its load. It also must be designed so that:

1.  The people on it won't fall off.
2.  The people below it won't be hit by a falling scaffold, tools, materials, etc.

The first step to staying safe on scaffolds is to select the scaffold designed for the task and make sure it meets OSHA's specifications. While you or your employer may pick the scaffold that employees use, take time to review the key specifications with your employees. Scaffolds should be made of strong metal or stress-grade lumber. Here are some of OSHA's main requirements:

• A scaffold must be able to support at least four times its maximum intended load of people and equipment.
• A suspension scaffold designed for a 500-pound load can hold no more than two people.
• A suspension scaffold designed for a 750-pound load can hold no more than three people.
• A suspended scaffold's rope or wire must be able to support six times the maximum intended load.
• While in use, a scaffold must be secured to the building or structure.

Give your employees these OSHA scaffold safety requirements that focus on preventing workers on the scaffolds from falling. Scaffolds must have:

• Sound, rigid footings able to hold the intended weight. You can't use boxes or barrels or other movable objects.
• Guardrails 2 x 4 inches wide and 3 to 3½ feet wide.
• Guardrail supports every 10 feet on all open sides.
• Toeboards 4 inches high on all open sides.
• Screens between the guardrails and toe boards on scaffolds over areas where people will be walking.
• Poles, legs, or other uprights that are plumb and secured.
• Planks that extend 6 to 18 inches over the end supports on wooden scaffolds.
• Cross braces on metal scaffolds.

Train employees how to inspect scaffold equipment before each use. OSHA's construction regulations require a "competent person" to perform these inspections. Nevertheless, still make sure employees inspect scaffolds to make sure that:

• The equipment can handle up to four times the anticipated load (up to six times the load for a suspension scaffold's rope or wire).
• The equipment is in good condition.
• Any damaged equipment is removed from service.
• Required personal protective equipment (PPE) in good condition is available for workers.

Tell workers which assigned safety equipment they must wear to prevent scaffold accidents. Employees who work:

• On or under a scaffold should wear a hard hat and sturdy shoes with nonskid soles.
• On a swinging scaffold should wear a safety belt that's attached to a secure line or structure, not to the scaffold itself.
• With tools should use safety nets to catch tools and debris so they don't have to carry them, and so they don't fall on the people below. A safety net designed to catch tools and materials is not, however, designed to catch a person. It's not a substitute for a secure scaffold and safe work procedures.

Finally, train employees to follow safe work procedures when working on scaffolds. For example:

• Don't overload a scaffold.
• Check that the scaffold and any personal fall protection system is firmly secured.
• Stay off scaffolds during storms or high winds.
• Don't work on a scaffold that is covered with snow, ice, or other slippery material. If you're assigned to clear that material from the platform, be sure you are properly equipped and extra careful.
• Shield scaffold ropes from corrosive substances or processes that produce heat.
• Don't stand on a box or barrel or other makeshift device while on a scaffold platform.
• Know when people are walking or working under the scaffold.
• Avoid letting debris accumulate on a scaffold platform.
• Keep tools and materials away from the scaffold platform edge.
• Keep only the materials you need on a scaffold.
• Remove all materials from the scaffold at the end of the day. there's no cost or obligation.

Why It Matters

• In a recent study, scaffold accidents accounted for about 9 percent of the construction industry's annual fatalities.
• IScaffold accidents also accounted for about 2 percent of annual work-related injuries.

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Fall Protection for Construction - DVD Training

Fall Protection is the most-cited OSHA standard for construction companies. And according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 35% of all fatalities at construction sites were fall related in 2006.

Fall Protection for Construction training program can help you comply with the regs, and keep your employees safe.
 
This training program covers OSHA's general fall protection requirements, steel erection fall protection, fall protection for tower erectors, and ladder and scaffold safety. Learn more about this program...>

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Show Workers What They're Risking If They Don't Wear Their Hearing Protection

by Chris Kilbourne

Hearing loss is a big problem in many workplaces. Noisy equipment and processes can damage sensitive structures in the ear. Hearing loss usually takes place over time, and once the damage is done, it's irreversible.

Hearing aids can help, but the physical damage to the ear cannot be repaired—at least not yet. Maybe some day. In the meantime, we have to rely on PPE to protect employees' hearing.
According to The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), approximately 22 million workers are exposed on the job to noise levels that could harm their hearing. Workers are affected in industry sectors such as manufacturing, construction, mining, transportation, agriculture, and the military.
NIOSH cites these key facts about hearing loss:

• 1 in 4 people exposed to excessive noise or other toxicants while on the job will develop permanent hearing loss.
• Approximately 11.4% (13.9 million)
• Hearing loss may impede some individuals' ability to be gainfully employed.
• Hearing loss is not inevitable and can be prevented.

If you have a noise problem in your workplace, OSHA requires you to provide appropriate hearing protection and to develop a hearing conservation program.

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Think you have no time to train? Think again. The 7-Minute Safety Trainer helps you fulfill key OSHA-required training tasks in as little as 7 minutes. Try it at no cost and see!

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Try NIOSH's Hearing Loss Simulator

To help employees understand the impact of noise in the workplace and the importance of using hearing protection, NIOSH has developed a Hearing Loss Simulator.
The Simulator is a software training and communication tool that demonstrates the effects of noise exposure on a worker’s hearing without exposing the person to harmful noise levels or toxic materials. The software considers several factors including age, gender, level of exposure, and years of exposure, and then simulates human speech that is degraded to reflect the estimated hearing loss.

Human speech is considered the most complex and important sound most workers need to perceive, so the Simulator allows the user to combine speech with common background noises to demonstrate hearing loss.
Employees choose either a male or female voice to demonstrate different sound frequencies and can choose from a variety of background noises, including recorded worksite sounds.

Workers can record and upload their own custom foreground and background noises, and they also have the ability to control the speech-to-background noise ratio to illustrate how increasing background noise interferes with understanding speech that is present in the foreground.

In addition, users can manipulate sound and frequency levels allowing results of an actual hearing test to be entered into the software.

NIOSH says that the real-life scenarios of this software have the potential to raise awareness, increase motivation for hearing loss prevention, and reduce the number of workers who suffer from hearing loss.
You can download the NIOSH Hearing Loss Simulator free at www.cdc.gov/niosh/mining/products/product47.htm.

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Can you picture safety training in effective, 7-minute sessions? Get the details.

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E-Z Training at a Phenomenal Price

To help train employees in a broad range of safety and health topics, including hearing protection, savvy safety professionals have for years relied on the BLR^® 7-Minute Safety Trainer. This essential training resource allows you to provide concise, memorable training easily and effectively in just a few minutes. Materials are ready-to-use, and each session supplies a detailed trainer's outline as well as a handout, quiz, and quiz answers to get your points across quickly—and cost-effectively.

All told, this "trainer's bible" contains 50 prewritten meetings covering almost every aspect of safety you'd want or need to train on, in a format designed to be taught in as little as 7 minutes. Major topics include:

—Confined spaces
—Electrical safety
—Fire safety and emergency response
—HazCom
—Machine guarding and lockout/tagout
—Material handling
—PPE use and care
—Housekeeping/slips, trips, and falls
—and dozens more

Just make as many copies as you need of the included handouts and quizzes, and you're ready to train.
Equally important is that the program ships new meetings every quarter to respond to new and changed regulations. This service is included in the program price, which averages just over $1 a working day. In fact, this is one of BLR's most popular safety programs.

CAUTION! Watch Out for Most Commonly Cited Lockout/Tagout Violations

The lockout/tagout regulations are perennially ranked among OSHA's top 10 violations. Last year, for example, there were more than 3,000 violations of the standard, with penalties mounting to nearly $4 million.

These are the sections of the lockout/tagout standard that were most often cited last year:

§1910.147(c)(4)(i) Lockout/tagout procedures
703 violations
Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.

§1910.147(c)(6)(i) Inspection of energy control procedure
521 violations
The employer shall conduct a periodic inspection of the energy control procedure at least annually to ensure that the procedure and the requirements of this standard are being followed.

§1910.147(c)(1) Energy control program
516 violations
The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative.

§1910.147(c)(7)(i) Employee training
379 violations
The employer shall provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by employees and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of the energy controls are acquired by employees.

Think you have no time to train? Think again. The 7-Minute Safety Trainer helps you fulfill key OSHA-required training tasks in as little as 7 minutes. Try it at no cost and see!

§1910.147(d)(4)(i) Role of authorized employees
174 violations
Lockout or tagout devices shall be affixed to each energy-isolating device by authorized employees

§1910.147(c)(4)(ii) Details of procedures and enforcement
161 violations
The procedures shall clearly and specifically outline the scope, purpose, authorization, rules, and techniques to be utilized for the control of hazardous energy, and the means to enforce compliance.

§1910.147(c)(6)(ii) Certification of periodic inspections
124 violations
The employer shall certify that the periodic inspections have been performed. The certification shall identify the machine or equipment on which the energy control procedure was being utilized, the date of the inspection, the employees included in the inspection, and the person performing the inspection.

§1910.147(c)(7)(i)(A) Training requirements for authorized employees
105 violations
Each authorized employee shall receive training in the recognition of applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, and the methods and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
Can you picture safety training in effective, 7-minute sessions? Get the details.
Where Do You Stand?
What shape is your energy control program in? Does it include the following elements?

• A list identifying all energy sources that required lockout/tagout
• Procedures to ensure that energy is fully drained before powered equipment is serviced or maintained
• Procedures to prevent machines from being turned on or restarted accidentally
• Assignment of lockout responsibilities to specific, authorized employees
• A plan to test procedures annually and correct any problems

Are your employees divided into three different categories and does each group receive appropriate training?

• "Authorized" (qualified) employees must receive thorough training and are the only ones permitted to perform lockout procedures or remove locks or tags.
• "Affected" employees are those who work with and around this equipment. They must be trained to know the purpose and use of the energy control procedure and to call authorized employees for any maintenance or repair.
• "All other" employees are those who may be in the area. They must be trained to understand the purpose of lockout/tagout and that they must never remove or ignore lockout/tagout devices.

Safety Training in Just 7 Minutes Flat! The 7-Minute Safety Trainer program can impart a full, prewritten safety meeting in about the time it takes to brew coffee. This means more information is retained by banishing the fatigue of long, boring presentations. Your workers are going to love it! And more important, they will learn from it! Program includes: —50 prewritten meeting modules on virtually every OSHA-required and key workplace safety topic —Reproducible, illustrated safety handouts, ready to use —Safety quizzes and answer keys —Easy-to-use recordkeeping system —Training tips for successful safety meetings And because training needs change, you receive new meetings every quarter, included in the program price, as long as you remain a subscriber. Try it at no cost or risk! Click for more info or to start your no-cost trial.

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Safety Training Advisor Best Sellers

Here's what your colleagues are snapping up to make their jobs more efficient and easier.

Safety Audit Checklists
This handy book of checklists helps you easily perform a safety audit. Get your employees and safety committee ready for unexpected OSHA visits, quickly and easily with this checklist system. Helps you uncover problems before you're cited or fined. Learn more

7-Minute Safety Trainer
Now you can stop worrying and procrastinating about OSHA safety meetings. Here's the resource that's done all the hard preparation for you, 7-Minute Safety Trainer. It delivers complete 7-minute meetings - from outlines... to quizzes... to reproducible handouts.

Safety Meetings Library
This unique library of training materials has been helping safety professionals deliver high-quality training for over 10 years. But now with new features and even more meetings, it's even easier to give OSHA required safety training to every type of employee in your organization.

Ready-Made Checklists

If you need assistance assessing safety needs and planning training, then you need Safety Audit Checklists. In fact, this comprehensive safety and health resource provides a whole lot of very useful information about assessing and planning training.
For example, among other materials, Safety Audit Checklists provides you with a sample safety training planning grid and a sample safety training planning calendar that you can copy and use as is or customize for your training programs. In addition, you get a training needs assessment checklist and a training planning checklist.

All told, this best-selling program provides you with more than 300 separate safety checklists keyed to three main criteria:

• OSHA compliance checklists, built right from the government standards in such key areas as HazCom, lockout/tagout, electrical safety, and many more.
• "Plaintiff attorney" checklists, built around those non-OSHA issues that often attract lawsuits.
• Safety management checklists that monitor the administrative procedures you need to have for topics such as OSHA 300 Log maintenance, training program scheduling and recording, and OSHA-required employee notifications.

Make as many copies as you need for all your supervisors and managers, and distribute. What's more, the entire program is updated annually. And the cost averages only about $1 per checklist.
If this method of ensuring a safer, more OSHA-compliant workplace interests you, we'll be happy to make Safety Audit Checklists available for a no-cost, no-obligation, 30-day evaluation in your office.

Celebrate Diversity!

January 17 is Martin Luther King Jr. Day, which makes it a great time to celebrate diversity in your workplace. For safety's sake, you need your employees to learn to respect each other's differences so they can understand each other, communicate effectively, and work together safely.

Discuss all the ways employees can be diverse. For example, workers are diverse:

• By race—but keep in mind that members of the same race can be very different from one another;
• By gender—gender differences are particularly noticeable in jobs that traditionally have been all male or all female, but now increasingly include both sexes;
• By physical appearance—such as height, weight, and hair color;
• By age—age and generational differences are likely to be more noticeable as the number of older Americans in the workforce increases;
• By education—educational differences can affect the way different people approach the same job;
• By cultural background—this may reflect race or country of origin, but it may also reflect how we celebrate different holidays or what language is spoken at home; and
• By physical abilities—these take into account both special talents and special needs, including physical disabilities.

There's no doubt that diversity can lead to challenges in the workplace, so make these points with your employees:

• Differences among people are OK. Keep in mind that being "different" doesn't mean "better" or "worse"—it just means "different."
• Coordinating different styles of working can be challenging because not everyone approaches a task in exactly the same way.
• Learning to communicate across cultural and language differences can also present difficulties. Clear and open communication is essential to working successfully in a diverse group.
• Developing flexibility is another important ingredient to dealing with diversity. It's important not only to listen to new ideas, but also to implement different approaches.
• Finally, be willing to adapt to change. This includes both changes in the workforce itself and changes in the way we approach our daily tasks.

Diversity also brings positive opportunities. Discuss the following points with your employees:

• A diverse workplace helps attract and retain high-quality people from a variety of backgrounds.
• Morale increases when everyone feels that he or she is welcome and appreciated, regardless of background.
• Productivity improves as morale increases.
• Accepting and encouraging diversity reduces discrimination and the risk of lawsuits.
• Decision making is improved when there is a diversity of approaches present in the workplace.
• Our organization's profile and reputation in the marketplace improves when our workplace becomes known for encouraging diversity and treating all employees fairly.

Finally, give your employees practical steps for working safely and effectively in your diverse workforce.

For example:

1. Learn co-workers' names and use them.
2. Don't make assumptions about co-workers.
3. Treat male and female co-workers equally.
4. Avoid sexist comments and remarks.
5. Don't make assumptions about the personal identity or affiliation of any individual.
6. Take advantage of life experiences and share them.
7. Respect differences.
8. Understand how a physically challenged person wants to contribute to the team. Don't assume that a disability limits participation.
9. Do not condone tasteless jokes or comments.
10. Think inclusive, not exclusive.

In addition to hazard identification, your workers have other safety responsibilities. Here are the "Top Ten":

1. Know and follow safe work procedures.
2. Avoid obvious unsafe acts, such as running through the work area or tossing tools.
3. Keep the work area clean and uncluttered. Keep aisles and stairways clear, clean up spills, properly dispose of flammable scrap, and take other steps to eliminate items or conditions that could create a hazard.
4. Report accidents, injuries, illnesses, exposures to hazardous substances, and near-misses immediately.
5. Report situations that don't seem right even if you're unsure they're hazards. This is especially important if you're working with hazardous chemicals; where symptoms that appear to be minor, like a headache or red skin, may be the first indicator of overexposure.
6. Cooperate with internal inspections and job hazard analyses.
7. Follow company safety rules. They combine government laws and regulations with the experience of many people in this company and this industry.
8. Look for ways to make the job safer. Do your part to improve safety by voicing your observations and making suggestions.
9. Participate in safety training. Apply what you learn and help co-workers when they're unsure of what to do.
10. Treat safety as one of your most important job responsibilities. Your job is not only to perform particular tasks and get particular results: It's to do those things safely.

Why It Matters

• In today's American workforce, nearly one-third of workers are minorities, nearly one-half are women, and more than 10 percent are aged 55 or older—so it's already relatively diverse.
• By the year 2020, the percentage of minorities in the workforce is projected to increase by more than 40 percent, and the percentage of older workers is expected to go up as well.
• By the year 2050, nearly half of workers are expected to be minorities, and the percentage of workers over the age of 55 will increase to almost 20 percent

Find Out How Gallo Winery Cultivates a Safe Workplace

The E & J Gallo Winery is the largest family-owned winery in the world and the largest exporter of California wine. It's also a company that is dedicated to employee safety and health.


In the late 1990s the company set out to improve safety and health by adopting the behavior-based (BBS) approach developed by Behavior Science Technologies (BST).


"We were looking for a lightning rod of culture change and a way to get employees involved," Derrick C. Jarvis, CSP, director of corporate safety and health told BLR's OSHA Compliance Advisor a few months ago. According the Jarvis, the experiment has proven quite successful.

Part of the Job

The behavior approach involves Gallo personnel at all levels. Line employees, team leaders, supervisors, managers, and top executives are all trained to conduct peer observations.
"Employees run and manage the process," Jarvis explains. "Goals and objectives are established by local steering teams. The biggest challenge is to make BBS integral to the job, not something separate."
Jarvis says this requires strong leadership out on the floor to ensure that employees understand the importance and value of the observations. The message at Gallo is that observing is as important as other job duties.

Risk-Based, Not Rule-Based

When and how many observations employees are expected to perform varies. Workers coordinate with their supervisors to find the 15 to 20 minutes (for example, during a quiet part of the shift) to conduct an observation. Typically, observations are planned, not conducted without notice.


An employee will approach a peer and say, "I'd like to conduct an observation. Are you familiar with the process?" If necessary, the steps are reviewed and the session gets under way.


Overall, says Jarvis, the process is risk-based, not rule-based. This means that observers look for behaviors that could result in injury rather than for strict adherence to rules. A critical behavior checklist helps identify the desired behaviors.


Beyond the checklist, the conversation that takes place between the observer and the observed is the essence of the exchange. This is where feedback is delivered and the real learning takes place. Gallo emphasizes a positive tone. That means safe behaviors are discussed first before moving on to any at-risk behaviors.


The conversation also focuses on factors contributing to any at-risk behaviors observed. These can be system- or management-related issues, or training and awareness problems. They can also be employee habits so engrained that the worker does not realize he or she is doing them.
This high-value feedback is conveyed to the steering committee and, ultimately, to management. Data from the observations help justify requests for changes or expenditures.


In one recent year employees completed over 6,000 observations. "That means there were 6,000 peer-to-peer safety conversations," Jarvis notes. "It's clear to me as a safety professional that there's a very high value to these. Without blame, we're working to uncover barriers that we can address." Tomorrow, we'll highlight three critical strategies for improving safety culture.

Health and Safety at Work

By Andreas Becker

Providing a comfortable work environment for workers is part of providing a healthy and safe workplace. This is not always practical but all reasonable efforts should be made to make the workplace as comfortable as possible.

Either sitting or standing for extended periods can be uncomfortable. Seating must be provided if it is reasonable for workers to carry out their work while seated. The type of seating should be designed in a way that is appropriate for the task at hand and should provide both comfort and stability. If it is necessary to perform the work standing seating can normally be provided for breaks.

Employers have a responsibility to provide workers with a smoke free environment. The laws relating to smoking in the workplace are the responsibility of the Ministry of health. The ill effects of smoking and passive smoking are well recognised. It is wise to develop a smoke free policy. This can then be referred to during recruitment, in employment agreements and other workplace policies. The policy and smoke free signs can be printed and displayed in prominent places around the workplace. All contractors should be notified of the smoke free policy. All employees should receive education and training about the smoke free policy and managers and supervisors should be trained in ways to manage breaches. If steps are not taken to provide a smoke free workplace employees are entitled to lodge a complaint with the Ministry of Health.
There are no maximum or minimum temperature set in law at which work must stop. This is because there are many factors that influence how much we are affected by air temperature. How hot we feel can be influenced by external factors such as air temperature, humidity and wind. This can be exacerbated by having to wear protective clothing, strenuous work, level of acclimatisation and insufficient breaks. It can be uncomfortable to feel hot and this can lower productivity and morale and as such the above factors should be controlled as much as possible. In extreme cases excessive exposure to heat can result in heat exhaustion and in some cases fatal heat stroke. All practicable steps need to be taken by both employers and employees to ensure that the level of heat exposure does not reach dangerous levels.

An employee can also experience stress when exposed to low temperatures. This can happen when they are required to work outside in the cooler months, at high altitude, in wet weather or in refrigerated environments. Wind chill factor needs to be taken into account even at moderate temperatures. It is important that employers ensure that employees wear appropriate protective clothing and that appropriate measures are taken. Some effects may be minor and result in only discomfort but greater cold stress can have serious consequences including death. When a worker is feeling the effects of cold stress they experience stiff joints, reduced muscle strength, loss of dexterity and is less mentally alert. As a result he will be more prone to accidents. Direct health effects of exposure to cold temperatures are those that affect the extremities such as frostnip and the more severe frostbite and those that affect the body's core such as hypothermia. Women are regarded as being at greater risk of cold injury as they are less able to increase their temperature by shivering or exercise. Other factors which affect the level of cold injury are increased age, fatigue, some drugs, alcohol and smoking.
Making sure that the working environment is comfortable is an important aspect of ensuring the health and safety of employees.

To find out some more information about OSH NZ. Come visit our website today. For more information on occupational safety hazards in New Zealand please visit our homepage for some great resources: Health and Safety NZ

 

An Accident at Work Happened - Are You in Charge?

By Matthew Sorrow

The workplace is not quite a safe place. But you can't avoid being there. You have to work and it is almost as natural a fact that accidents happen at work. Of course it depends on the work and level of risk that it needs, more often or not. But who is in charge of that: you or your manager?

There are special regulations of Health and Safety law. And training must be proceed to every working man in the company. The accidents wouldn't happen so often if people acted according to those rules. But sometimes they are not even aware of the danger that is waiting for them. They don't think about the safety but only the work being done. This is quite often the thoughts of employers and employees.

If the accident happens to you you feel very uncomfortable and usually you might be in great pain. When the pain is letting go a little bit you are starting to wonder: ''What have I done that caused this accident? Is it my fault? What an embarrassment! What I will do later with feeding my family and myself!'' Those thoughts might appear when a person was really bad injured and...is only the feeder in the family.

Of course, you have to report the accident to a supervisor. It's not a subject that you can take easily! It's a very serious matter. Probably the accident might happen because of your mistake. Probably, but not sure. And this is an area that must examine by specialists. Maybe you did something wrong, but what if the company that you are working in didn't make sure that you are safe at your work?

If the company made a mistake it's a lot more serious matter than you suppose. You might be not the only person who could be injured there or even died. But only a special investigation will tell you what exactly happened. If it's your employers fault you should make an accident at work claim or personal injury claim.

Not sure about that?

Many people are hesitate before taking this step. They have a lot of objections. They are thinking what their colleagues will say when they get to know that he is 'against' his company. They are also worried about their future in this work - will they be fired or not. But all of those things are not important. Most important is yourself - your health and a pain that you were given.

Surely, if you were a victim of road accident or an accident committed by a doctor you would make a road traffic claim or a medical compensation claim. So why not in this case?
Whether you are in charge or the company - you can't tell that without a special investigation. But surely is that you should claim your rights in a proper way.

Read also about team development and management training

Writing Up a Safety Incident Report

By Jim Bain

The responsibility of writing up a safety incident report is usually the job of the management "Head of Safety" department, but in a smaller company any member of management may be assigned the task. Additionally, in a "Union Shop" the union will have an authorized person to also write up a report.

These reports are no small matter as to remain within compliance of OSHA standards and regulations, these forms must be completed and kept on file for an OSHA investigation or review.

Maintaining compliance with the law not with standing, the real issue is there has been an accident and an injury to an employee. Technically any injury is an OSHA recordable, even if it's not actually work related. For instance should an employee buy candy from the break area's vending machine and subsequently breaks a tooth chewing it, it is an OSHA recordable.

The steps pertaining to writing a detailed and accurate safety incident report, unless there's a catastrophic failure resulting in multiple injuries or death, are not really that difficult, especially if you have pre-printed forms and are only required to fill in the blanks. Without any forms a logical " 5 whys?" approach is quite sufficient. Why did the accident happen? Where did the accident happen? Who did the accident happen to? What can be done to prevent the accident from happening again? What has been done to correct the hazard?

For a normal incident, answering the five questions accurately and in as much detail as you reasonably can, will suffice.

Here is a typical hypothetical response to an accident without serious injury and no remaining danger being posed to anyone.

Go to the accident scene and calmly review the area, looking for obvious signs of the accident and where it occurred. Interview the person(s) involved in the accident. Do not act like the Gestapo while performing this investigation or else you'll never get the truth of what happened. You're not there to judge or issue punishment, you're there to insure the employees are alright and to prevent this type of accident ever occurring again.

After interviewing the accident victims, interview any witnesses to the event. Ask for written statements from everybody involved, but don't expect much new information. Most people will verbalize more information than write.

Finish reviewing your notes and take one final review of the accident scene before going back to the office to write the incident report. Write the report, even if it's a rough draft, immediately while facts are fresh in your mind. You may not think you'll forget anything by tomorrow, but I can just about guarantee you, you will.

Answer the 5 why questions.

* Who was involved. Joe Smith; fork truck driver
* What happen? Driver backed into a hole exposed because a floor grate was missing.
* Why did this happen? Maintenance forgot to replace the grate when finished working on the pipes below.
* What will correct this hazard? Reinstruct maintenance personnel to always replace floor grates when finished working.
* What has been done to correct the hazard? The floor grate has been reinstalled.

For a standard safety incident report this type of investigation and reported results would fulfill any requirement posed by law.

Hello, my name is Jim Bain, former minor league baseball player and Coach. Since retirement I have dedicated my life to teaching baseball and have developed a website packed with Baseball information and tips. http://www.learn-youth-baseball-coaching.com/

OSHA's Top 10 Safety Violations for 2010

By Henry Wilter

This year OSHA issues over 94,000 citations for safety related violations. At the National Safety Council's 2010 Congress and Expo, OSHA announced the top 10 safety violations, which accounted for nearly half of the total violations, for the year. While this year's list is nearly identical to last years, with the big four (scaffolding, fall protection, hazard communication, and respiratory protection) remaining unchanged, it still serves as an invaluable resource for the public workforce. Read through the list and decide whether or not you have been guilty of the following safety violations.
OSHA's Most Cited Safety Violations of 2010

1. Scaffolding: 9,093 violations - Scaffolding violations and accidents are most commonly attributed to improper use that results in the plank giving way, the employee falling off, or an object falling on top of the person.
2. Fall Protection: 6,771 violations - Fall protection violations occur whenever a person is 4 feet above the ground without proper safety measures. Fall protection must be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction.
3. Hazard Communication: 6,378 violations - Manufacturers and movers of hazardous materials must evaluate, label, and provide MSDS for each product.
4. Respiratory Protection: 3,803 violations - Respirators help to protect against unhealthy breathing environments. This can be caused by insufficient oxygen, dust, vapors, gasses, fiberglass and more.
5. Ladders: 3,072 violations - 8 percent of all occupational fatalities are due to falls.
6. Control of Hazardous Energy - Lockout/Tagout: 3,321 violations - "Lockout-Tag out" refers to locking the on/off power switch while working with high current electrical devices.
7. Electrical - Wiring Methods: 3,079 violations - Electrical hazards are present for those who work directly and also indirectly with or near dangerous electrical lines.
8. Powered Industrial Trucks: 2,993 violations - Many employees are injured by driving powered industrial trucks off of loading docks, into ditches or by being struck by trucks while working.
9. Electrical - General: 2,556 violations - Working with electricity is always hazardous. Many employees are injured during routine electrical maintenance and install.
10. Machine Guarding: 2,364 violations - Any machine part, function, or process that may cause injury must be labeled and safeguarded.

That concludes our list of the top 10 OSHA violations and their causes. OSHA 10 hour training is an excellent way to to prevent hazards and maintain safe, compliant working conditions.

Henry Wilter is an on-site safety trainer with Easy Safety School, a provider of online and on-site OSHA training courses.

 

 

The 5 Rules of Workplace Safety Management

By Peter L Mitchell

There are certain rules of human behavior that must be taken into account when developing a process of safety management. If you violate these rules, you will fail in your objective to develop a safer workplace. The rules themselves are pretty simple, however, don't be deceived because they have a great influence on human behavior.

Repetition To get your message across it is necessary to use repetition. Repetition will ensure that your safety message is at the top of every employees' consciousness. Safety management is a process not an event. One of the ways to create this consciousness about safety is to hold five minute safety briefings at the beginning of each shift. This is very similar to a game plan which is discussed before a sports team takes the field. If you make the safety briefings relevant, interesting and valuable, you will find that staff members will contribute readily.

Consistency The concept of consistency applies to many situations and has a profound effect on human behavior. We trust people who are consistent, we believe their message, in turn we will tend to be more trustworthy and consistent. Consistency is demonstrated. For example, if, at a safety briefing you mention that there will be no blame should an accident occur, the statement has to be backed up by your behavior and the behavior of others in the event of an accident.

Involvement Involvement is the key to safety management. To gain control, you must give control. The people who are ideally situated to develop safe working practices are the people doing the job. This is in contrast to the normal prescriptive safety management process where somebody, somewhere creates rules and regulations without the experience of doing the job. Every single person on any work site should be able to contribute to safe working practices. If you avoid this basic principle, you will find that the imposed "safe working practices" will be ignored.

Positive reinforcement The number one tool in safety management is positive reinforcement. If you are serious about creating a safer workplace, make sure that you recognize safe behavior. Every day, go on a mission to find people who are working safely and tell them that you have noticed what they are doing. This is harder than it sounds. Try it and find out for yourself. But remember, the results are well worth the effort. Catch your people doing it safely and they will continue to do it safely.

Common sense It has been said that sense is not that common. This is relevant when considering workplace safety management. If the safety rules and regulations don't pass the common sense of the people at risk, they will not comply. That's why the involvement of the staff in safety management is so important.

Thank you for reading this article. Peter L Mitchell invites you to visit his web site where you will discover a wealth of resources such as free downloads, ideas, articles, information and books, This site is updated nearly every day. Click here http://plmitchell.com/.

Why Fire Safety Training Is Essential These Days

By Tom Billmore

Fire safety training has become an essential part of the average person's life so he can be well equipped to deal with any fire situation, wherever he is.

Fire safety training is no longer restricted to only firefighters specialized for fire hazards for the simple reason that a fire can break out possibly anywhere and under any situation. Having the basic knowledge of safety can help you prevent major accidents and in some cases, even save lives!

One tends to think a fire can only break out in high-rise buildings. But that is not true. Apart from buildings, cars, schools and offices can also catch fire, as can theatres, stores and homes. Learning about safety will keep you alert in a fire situation and your presence and knowledge could prevent a disaster from happening. However easy it seems, using the extinguisher needs proper training and one must know all about ways to fight fire and evacuation in case a fire breaks out.

There are plenty of affordable fire fighting schools that you can enroll into. Online options for fire safety courses are also freely available. However, the only disadvantage of these online courses is that you miss out on the practical training. Nevertheless, the basic training that you acquire in these courses also comes in handy in case of a fire situation.

Fire safety training comprises of safety in different situations. Fire extinguishers have become a necessity and are found placed everywhere we go, be it schools, offices, movie theatres, shopping centers and even in our homes. Using the fire extinguisher is one of the main subjects of any the safety training. It is important to know about the different kinds of extinguishers present and how to use them. The course also informs you about the classification of fires and the use of the correct extinguisher according to the fire.
The training course also educates the participants on outdoor fires that can break out. Special sections in the training program also cover safety in homes and while traveling. These include tips on how to stop the fire at home and what to do in case a fire breaks out when you are in a hotel while traveling.

Fire Safety is now a common training program that provides the average man with the knowledge and skills required to combat fires, whether big or small.

 

Safety Culture - Six Basic Safety Program Elements

By James Roughton

If you run a small business, sometimes it is hard to keep up with all the rules and regulations. However, there are some very basic elements that must be implemented into a management system. One example is Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA's) Proposed 'I2P2' Rule.According to OSHA, the proposed rule will "require employers to develop and implement a program that minimizes worker exposure to safety and health hazards."

No one really knows what the proposed rule will look like, but we can usually make a good guess. So, to help with some these Safety program elements, OSHA's "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines", published on January 26, 1989 provides some limited guidance that you can follow.
In many of the voluntary programs, OSHA outlines five elements that will help you to create a successful management system. From my standpoint, although management and employee participation is complementary and forms the core of an effective safety and health program, I want to make sure that there is a clear and distinct difference between management of the operation and employee participation. It will be easier to implement a management system if you understand what OSHA is considering a model system and then expand on the model to fit the organization. The following are the core elements of an effective management system:

• Management leadership
• Employee participation
• Hazard identification and assessment
• Hazard prevention and control
• Information and training
• Evaluation of program effectiveness

An effective management system addresses work-related hazards, including those potential hazards that could result from a change in workplace conditions or practices. In addition, it addresses hazards that are not regulatory driven by nature. The best advice is to not wait for an inspection or a workplace injury to occur before workplace hazards are addressed. If you do not already have a plan in place, then you should immediately create a plan for identifying and correcting hazards, and then implement the elements of the plan.

The key is to have employees participate in the development and implementation of the plan.

It is a good practice to implement and maintain a management system that provides systematic policies, procedures, and practices that are adequate to protect employees from safety hazards. In other words, an effective system identifies provisions for the systematic identification, evaluation, and prevention or control of workplace hazards, specific job hazards, and potential hazards that may arise from foreseeable conditions.
No matter if a safety program is in writing or not is less important than how effective it is implemented, managed, and practiced. It should be obvious that as the size of the workplace, the number of employees, or the complexity of an operation increases, the need for written guidance will increase. The program should help to make sure that there is clear communication to all employees with consistent application of policies and procedures.

Management Leadership

Management leadership from the top down is the most important part of any process. "Lip service", is not going to work and does not demonstrate commitment. Management demonstrates this commitment by providing the motivating force and the needed resources by including at least the following:
· Establishing the roles and responsibilities for managers, supervisors, and employees at all levels of the organization and holding each level accountable for carrying out their assigned responsibilities.
· Providing managers, supervisors, and employees with the authority, access to relevant information, training, and resources needed to carry out their responsibilities.
· Identifying at least one manager, supervisor, or employee to receive and respond to reports about safety conditions and, where appropriate, to initiate corrective action.
Just to make it clear, demonstration means "do as I do" and not "do as I say." This is an important concept, no matter what you are tying to accomplish, always "walk-the-walk, and talk-the-talk". If you say that you are going to do something, do it!

Employee participation
Employee participation provides the means for employees to develop and/or express their commitment to themselves and/or their fellow employees. Therefore, in any successful system, employees should be provided an opportunity to participate in establishing, implementing, and evaluating the safety system. To fulfill and enhance employee participation, management should implement some form of the following elements:

• Regularly communicating with all employees concerning safety matters.
• Providing employees with access to information relevant to the safety system.
• Providing ways for employees to become involved in hazard identification and assessment, prioritizing hazards, safety training, and management system evaluation.
• Establishing procedures where employees can report work-related hazards promptly and ways they can make recommendations about appropriate solutions to control the hazards identified.
• Providing prompt responses to reports and recommendations.

It is important to remember that under an effective safety system, management encourages and supports employees to report safety hazards and making recommendations about associated hazard, or participating in the corrective actions for hazard as noted.

Hazard Identification and Assessment

A practical hazard analysis of the work environment involves a variety of elements to identify existing hazards and conditions as well as areas subject to change that might create new hazards. Using management techniques coupled with employee participation and continually analyzing the work environment to anticipate and develop programs to help prevent harmful occurrences will help to identify hazards. The following elements are recommended to help identify existing and potential hazards:

• Conducting a baseline workplace assessment, updating assessments periodically, and allowing employees to participate in the assessments.
• Analyzing planned and/or new facilities, process materials, and equipment.
• Developing routine job hazards analyses and training employees on the hazards noted.
• Assessing risk factors of ergonomics applications to employee's tasks.
• Conducting regular site safety inspections so that new or previously missed hazards are identified and corrected.
• Providing a reliable system for employees to notify management about conditions that appear hazardous and to receive timely and appropriate responses. This system utilizes employee insight and experience in safety and allows employee concerns to be addressed. And the most important, the employee should be encouraged to use this system without fear of reprisal.
• Investigating injuries, "near misses," and loss producing events so that their causes and means of prevention can be identified.
• Analyzing injury trends to identify patterns with common causes so that they can be reviewed and prevented

Hazards that employees are exposed should systematically be identified and evaluated. This evaluation can be accomplished by assessing compliance with the following activities and reviewing safety information for example:

• The establishment's injury experience.
• The OSHA 300 logs
• Workers' compensation claims (Employers First Report of Injury)
• Nurse and/or first aid logs
• Results of any medical screening/surveillance
• Employee safety complaints and reports
• Environmental and biological exposure data
• Information from prior workplace safety inspections
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS's)
• Results of employee safety perception surveys
• Safety manuals
• Safety warnings provided by equipment manufacturers and chemical supplier
• Information about safety provided by trade associations or professional safety organizations
• Results of prior incidents and investigations
• Evaluating new equipment, materials, and processes for hazards before they are introduced into the workplace
• Assessing the severity of identified hazards and ranking those that cannot be corrected immediately according to their severity

It is also important to evaluate other regulatory requirements that may impose additional and specific requirements for hazard identification and assessment.

Hazard Prevention and Control

Effective planning and design of the workplace or job task can help to prevent hazards. Where it is not feasible to eliminate hazards, action plans should be implemented that can help to control unsafe conditions.
Elimination or control should be accomplished in a timely manner once a hazard or potential hazards are identified. The following are some suggested measures:

• Using engineering techniques where feasible and appropriate
• Establishing safe work practices and procedures that could be understood and followed by all affected employees
• Providing personal protective equipment (PPE) when engineering controls are not feasible
• Using administrative controls. For example, reducing the duration of exposure
• Maintaining the facility and equipment to prevent equipment breakdowns
• Planning and preparing for emergencies and conducting training including emergency drills, as needed, ensuring that proper responses to emergencies will be "second nature" for all employees involved
• Establishing a medical surveillance program that includes handling first aid cases onsite and off-site at a nearby physician and/or emergency medical care to help reduce the risk of any injury that may occur

Once identified, an action plan should be developed to help solve the issues or can be used to come into compliance with applicable requirements. These plans can include setting priorities and deadlines and tracking progress in controlling hazards.

Information and Training

Training is an important part of any program to ensure that all employees understand the requirements of the safety programs and potential hazards of the operation. This training should address the roles and responsibilities of both the management and the employees. It will be most effective when combined with other training about performance requirements and/or job practices. The complexity depends on the size and the nature of the hazards and potential hazards present. The following information and training should be provided to all levels:

• The nature of the hazards and how to recognize them
• The means to control these hazards
• The protective measures that can be used to prevent and/or minimize exposure to hazards
• The provisions of applicable requirements

Anyone who has responsibilities for the information and training should be provided the level of training necessary to carry out their safety responsibilities.
The following provides a brief explanation for some specific-level training. You should review your operation and expand on the brief summary.

Employee Training

Employee training programs should be designed to ensure that all employees understand and are aware of the hazards that they may be exposed and the proper methods for avoiding such hazards.

Management Training

Management must be trained to understand the key role they play in safety and to enable them to carry out their job duties effectively as follows:

• Analyzing of the work under their supervision to anticipate and identify potential hazards
• Maintaining physical protection in their work areas
• Reinforcing employee training on the nature of potential hazards associated with their work and on protective measures. The reinforcement is done through continual performance feedback and, as necessary, through enforcement of safe work practices
• Understanding their roles and responsibilities

Note that some compliance standards impose additional, more specific requirements for information, training, and education. Make sure that you read specific training requirements.

Evaluation of Program Effectiveness

The management system should be evaluated to ensure that it is effective and appropriate to specific workplace conditions. The system should be revised in a timely manner to correct any deficiencies as identified by any program evaluation. It is important that system elements be reviewed at least annually to evaluate their success in meeting the goals and objectives so that deficiencies can be identified and the program and/or the objectives can be revised when they do not meet the goal of an effective safety process.
The key to developing a management system is to provide visible top management involvement in implementing and sustaining the management system so that all employees understand that management's commitment is serious.

Resources: OSHA's "Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines", published on January 26, 1989
"Developing an Effective Safety Culture: A Leadership Approach" by James Roughton

James Roughton, CSP, Six Sigma Black Belt is very passionate about developing social networking strategies for Small Businesses. I am on a journey of discovery and want to spread the word about how to develop and maintain effective social networking strategies to maximize exposure on the internet. I am a Certified Safety Professional, Six Sigma Black Belt, an Inbound Marketing Certified Professional, Inbound Marketing Educator, freelance author, blogger, Social Media Marketing Strategist, Technical Trainer, Safety Professional, on-line entrepreneur, and social networking guru. I love to help individuals and small businesses develop WordPress Websites that can navigate and explore the Social Network Jungle one step at a Time. You can visit my blogs at: Job Hazard Analysis James Roughton