After attending 8 Miami Valley Safety Council Meetings and 3 Safety Workshops, I have a new understanding of the importance of a job safety analysis. A properly drafted and instituted safety program can not only protect employees but their jobs as well. Show me a company which ignores safety and I’ll show you a company who is shedding jobs in their downward spiral to bankruptcy. On the flipside, a company with safety protocols in place will be ready for the inevitable accidents which will occur.
Safety analysis begins with the management team finding the root core of previous accidents. Management should identify the source of common injuries and institute the appropriate solutions. Injuries are not necessarily the equipment’s fault, 8 in 10 accidents are caused by human error. Proper employee safety orientation and training is essential to any good program and should be conducted by a Safety Supervisor. Here are a few questions to ask everyone. Do you take shortcuts at work? Is your work station a mess? Do you ignore safety procedures? You know the saying, “Don’t bring your work home.”, well in reverse, “Don’t bring family issues to work with you”. Being proactive with your safety program on a daily basis, can prevent a tragic circumstance from ever happening.
According to the Business Insurance website, the top 5 worker’s compensation injuries account for 72% of direct workers comp costs:
- Overexertion injuries like pulling and lifting. These injuries are most common and the most expensive.
- Slipping/Tripping injuries on wet floors or from something lying on the floor.
- Falling from Heights as in a roof, ladder, or stairway.
- Reaction Injuries caused by slipping and tripping without falling. Muscles injuries are very common in this type.
- Falling Object injuries can be diminished with the proper PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) like a hard hat.
In 2013, the Occupational Safety & Health Administration’s (OSHA) most cited standards were fall protection, hazard communication, scaffolding, respiratory protection, electrical, forklifts, ladders, control of hazardous energy (Lockout/Tagout), electrical systems design, and machine guarding. The importance of installing safety guidelines for everything under a companies roof can not be stressed enough. One willful citation from OSHA can lead to a fine between $5000 and $70,000 for a company, so get rid of those extension cords.
]]>
