EMPLOY BETTER HOUSEKEEPING TO DANGER-PROOF YOUR WORKPLACE

Oftentimes the smallest hazards can be the most dangerous ones in the workplace. From slippery floors and loose boards to protruding nails and cluttered walkways, there might be potential threats everywhere you turn at your office or jobsite. However, if you follow a few simple guidelines, you can easily remove these dangers and keep your workplace safe for your employees.

Disorderly = Dangerous

A cluttered and untidy workplace can lead to countless employee injuries and illnesses. For example, employees can slip on wet or poorly maintained floors, trip over boxes and other clutter in hallways, or bang their head on overhanging objects or badly stacked pallets. An unkempt workplace can also result in employees having a negative attitude toward safety in general. After all, if their employer doesn’t seem to care about safety, why should they?

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According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), “All places of employment, passageways, storerooms, and service rooms shall be kept clean and orderly and in a sanitary condition.” As the employer, you are responsible for ensuring that the floors in your workplace are safe, tripping hazards are removed from walkways, and any other threats, such as nails, splinters, holes or loose boards, are repaired.

A clean workplace is a safe one

To make your workplace safer and your employees happier, follow these general good housekeeping tips:

• Make common housekeeping tasks part of every employee’s job. Everyone should pitch in to ensure a safe workplace.
• Always keep walkways clear of boxes, debris, tools and equipment.
• Ensure that all pallets are stacked properly.
• Remove any hazardous overhanging or protruding objects, especially in walkways and common work areas.
• Thoroughly check the workplace for any tripping hazards, including slippery floors, badly placed rugs, damaged carpet, holes and loose boards. Remove or repair these dangers immediately.
• Ensure that no aisles or exits are blocked with boxes, equipment or other obstructions.
• Keep floors well-maintained and clean. Always place “wet floor” signs on recently mopped floors.

In addition to these general housekeeping tips, you should also educate your employees about fire prevention. Ensure that your staff is aware of the following fire safety facts:

• An over-crowded storage area can cause a fire to spread more rapidly and can also block the spray from fire extinguishers or water sprinklers, making a fire more difficult to extinguish.
• Blocked aisles can also contribute to the spread of fire and can prevent fire fighters from reaching and extinguishing the blaze.
• Fire extinguishers and other fire-fighting equipment should never be blocked.
• Never obstruct heating equipment, vents, lighting and electrical equipment.
• Workplace fires are often caused by oil or debris that has collected in corners or other areas. That’s why it’s important to keep even rarely used areas clean and clear of clutter.

If you follow these simple good housekeeping steps and educate your employees about fire and safety hazards, you’ll be well on your way to a safer workplace. Not only will workplace accidents be much less likely, but your employees will be happier and more comfortable on the job.

ENSURE YOUR WORKERS’ SAFETY IN THE TRENCHES

There’s no question that working in the trenches can be a bit risky at times. However, every excavation jobsite doesn’t have to be a danger zone. With the proper safety guidelines in place, you can ensure that your workers remain secure and enjoy a safe working environment.

Make the rules crystal clear

The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) offers explicit rules for excavation work. If you follow these regulations to the tee and enforce the rules with your employees constantly, you’ll be confident that your workers will stay safe in the trenches:

• Before allowing workers to enter the trenches, you must clear all surface hazards and move the spoil pile back two feet.
• Locate and protect, support, or remove all underground utilities and other hazards before workers enter the trench.
• Provide a safe means of entry and exit from excavations that are more than four feet deep.
• If you suspect hazardous atmospheres might exist in the site, you must test for these conditions. If hazardous atmospheres are detected, you should eliminate them before workers enter the trench.
• If your team is working in an excavation site more than four feet deep with the potential for hazardous conditions, you must provide emergency rescue equipment. Depending on the particular jobsite, this emergency equipment might include a breathing apparatus, a safety harness and line, and a basket stretcher.
• Provide adequate protection for workers in a trench where water could accumulate or where loose rocks or soil could fall or roll from the excavation face.
• Your workers must be trained to know when to leave an excavation and how to respond to an emergency.
• Employees must know how to properly use all provided equipment and protective gear.
• All workers must maintain safe work practices at all times.
• Employees should be trained to immediately report unsafe conditions to their supervisor.

Designate a safety leader

OSHA also recommends that employers designate a “competent person,” who can continually enforce safety rules. This competent leader should be responsible for:

• Daily inspection of the trench, nearby areas and protective systems. The worker should look for any evidence of potential cave-ins, protective system failures or any other hazardous conditions.
• Inspection of the excavation site after every rainstorm or other occurrence that could increase the odds of a hazardous situation.
• Immediate removal of workers from the trench if any hazardous conditions exist.
• Provide safe walkways where workers can cross over the excavation.
• Protect workers from potential cave-ins by providing a protective system designed in accordance with OSHA regulations. This might include support, sloping and benching or shield systems.

Without the proper safety procedures in place, an excavation site can easily become a death trap for workers. Protect your workers with a comprehensive set of safety regulations. You should also train your workers on these safety protocols and constantly reinforce these regulations. Although it might require some extra time and effort on your part, a strict safety system will definitely pay off for you and your workers.

USE EYE PROTECTION AND TRAINING TO REDUCE EYE INJURIES

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that up to 1,000 occupational eye injuries occur every day in the U.S. workplace. This costs American employers roughly $300 million a year in Workers Compensation claims, production loss, and medical expenses.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics reported in a 1980 survey that three out of five workers who sustained an injury were not wearing personal eye protection when the injury occurred. Another 40% of workers injured were wearing some eye protection, such as protective eyeglasses, that did not include a side shield. The BLS survey also revealed that roughly 70% of eye injuries resulted from flying particles or sparks. Exposure to chemicals accounted for another 20% of eye injuries.

It is estimated that more than 90% of all eye injuries could have been avoided with the use of the appropriate eye protection.

Simple Steps to Reduce Eye Injuries

Reducing eye injuries in the workplace is a relatively simple matter. Here are some suggestions and ideas that you as an employer and worker can employ to reduce damage to this very precious sensory organ:

• Know the Dangers — Every employer should conduct a hazard assessment of their workplace. Hazards vary from minor dust, high impact particles to chemical splashes. It is not enough to provide eye protection; it is equally important to supply the right eye protection to suit the employment circumstances.
• Train Your Workers — Many workers simply don’t bother with wearing any eye protection at all. Almost half of injured workers said their employer neglected to tell them when to wear eye protection let alone the correct type of eye protection. By taking the time to educate your workers on the dangers posed in their jobs and enforcing protective measures, you can dramatically reduce unnecessary and avoidable eye injuries.

Using the Correct Eye Protection

Different jobs and trades require different eye protection. Here is a brief description of available eye protection:

• Safety Glasses which have side guards offer the least amount of protection. They are best used in minimal exposure areas with low amounts of dust, or limited exposure to flying chips or particles. There are different types available ranging from glass to plastic, but the latter is not very scratch resistant.
• Goggles/Glasses Hybrid offer superior protection from the affects of dust or impact particles because they possess a seal of either rubber or foam which prevents particulates from otherwise breeching exposed eyes. Workers who wear prescription eyeglasses which have non-safety lens are best advised to wear goggles.
• Face Shield Protection provides additional protection to the face and is especially valuable in guarding the entire face against chemical splashes, particles and chips. Face shields do NOT provide primary protection against eye injuries. They should almost always be used in conjunction with either goggles or safety glasses.
• Filtered Helmets or Goggles are best used when working with either laser or welding equipment. As many of these workers will need to lift these protective helmets frequently, it is also recommended that they be wearing either goggles or safety glasses to avoid eye damage from nearby workers such as grinders for example.

Preventing costly and needless eye injuries can easily be achieved simply by taking a little extra care and time to spot the dangers, educating your employees, and providing the right eye protection to suit the job.