SAFETY
contractor safety Recently one of our project managers attended a contractor safety program sponsored by a major client. He reported back that it was a very useful and informative event. Even though he has worked in the industrial arena for many years, he still learned a few things about safety when working on site. The fact is 2/3 of all lost time accidents happen to outside contractors, not the owners’ employees! The employees ‘live and breath’ safety at their facility, but those of us that are in different plants periodically don’t have the same familiarity in our daily routines. We all get into a safety routine…hard hat, boots, safety glasses…we’re ready to go. But, in fact, those are only part of our protection program. For instance, any jewelry (wedding rings, bracelets, watches, ear rings) often must be removed. Long sleeve shirts should be worn, ear plugs are not required in every area, but should be accessible when you need them. Other safety precautions most of us don’t think of include car headlights should be on while in the plant. We can’t use our cell phone while driving in the plant. Believe it or not, we are not allowed to use our cell phone while walking in the plant. When you stop and think about it, all these ‘rules’ make sense and remove the possibility of
injury. Accident prevention is at the very heart of many safety programs. Our manager witnessed the effectiveness of their HIRAC (Hazard Identification, Risk Assessment & Control) Form. It was very impressive how effective the form was to plan tasks, anticipate and control problems, all just using a simple form that forces you to think about your task. Another very important issue concerns the environment. There are very stringent EPA regulations imposed on industrial plants today. A spill of any liquid must be reported to the plant safety personnel. Anything that could end up in the outfall is important to the plant environmental personnel. So, even if we don’t think it is significant, let them decide, report the spill. R.E. Warner will be hosting a lunch for our employees to watch the client supplied safety video that covers some of the basic safety procedures of modern industrial companies and review the environmental brochure. We hope you find this information insightful. Let’s all make the commitment to actively encourage each other to practice safety on and off the job 24/7. EXCELLENCE BY DESIGN - WINTER 2014
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