TABLE OF CONTENTS
Section
Page Number (s)
Introduction
1-5
Chapter One-Staffing the Safety Program
6-10
Chapter Two-What Will My Duties Be?
11-18
Chapter Three-How Prepared Am I?
19-23
Chapter Four-A Few Safety Fundamentals.
24-58
Chapter Five-Elements of a Safety Program
59-75
Chapter Six-Elements of a Security Program
76-82
Chapter Seven-How to Start a Program
83-95
Chapter Eight-How to Continue an Established Program.
96-107
Summary
108-110
Glossary
111-122
Bibliography
123
Appendix A-The Scope Of The Professional Safety Position
A-1
Appendix B-Organizational Addresses.
B-1 THRU B-3
Appendix C-Example Safety Program Budget
C-1 THRU C-2
Appendix D-Example Facility Hazard Assessment
D-1
Appendix E-Safety Program Evaluation Checklist
E-1 THRU E-3
Appendix F-Bloodborne Pathogens Program Checklist
F-1
Appendix G-Confined Space Entry Program Checklist
G-1
Appendix H-Control of Energy Source Program Checklist
H-1
i
Appendix I-Ergonomics Program Checklist
I-1 THRU I-2
Appendix J-Hazardous Communication Program Checklist
J-1 THRU J-2
Appendix K-Motor Vehicle Accident Prevention Program
Checklist
K-1
Appendix L-Personal Protective Equipment Program
Checklist
L-1 THRU L-6
Appendix M-Fire Prevention and Protection Program
Checklist
M-1 THRU M-3
Appendix N-General Safety Inspection Guidelines.
N-1 THRU N-7
Appendix O-Inspection Survey Questions.
O-1
Appendix P-Example Safety Policy Letter.
P-1
Appendix Q-Example Accident Report Form
Q-1
Appendix R-Example Hazard Log.
R-1
Appendix S-Example Risk Assessment Matrix.
S-1 THRU S-2
Appendix T-Security Program Checklist
T-1 THRU T-2
Appendix U-Ergonomic Measurements
U-1 THRU U-3
Appendix V-Suggested Reading List.
V-1
ii
INTRODUCTION
I wrote the second edition of this book to update and expand the concepts and
ideas put forth in the first edition. The original edition was written for two reasons.
These reasons are as current today as they were when the first edition was published.
The first reason is that full time safety
professionals to help educate and train collateral and
additional duty safety representatives can use this
book as a tool. This book can be used as a guide or
workbook. Of course this book is not meant to be a
complete course in safety and occupational health.
However, it can give the safety representative a base
from which the safety professional can recommend
further training to develop the safety representative to
a point where the organization gets a solid return on
its investment dollar. With this initial information
these representatives can quickly become
contributing members of the safety team at your
organization. I have heard from readers who used
this book in just that way and were satisfied.
In the event that an organization does not have a full time safety professional on
staff, the second reason is to give the collateral or additional duty safety representative
the information they need to succeed. Throughout this book I will use safety specialist
instead of collateral or additional duty safety representative to make it easier to read. I
also want to stop safety specialists from reinventing the wheel repeatedly as so many of
us have done. Here the safety specialist should use this book as the first step in a
training program to give them the knowledge to do the additional duty properly. After
reading this book they should follow up by completing the proper training. With that in
mind let us begin the process that will make the new safety specialist a success.
So you are the new safety specialist for your organization. This may be your only
duty or like so many others this will be in addition to your regular duties and perhaps
several other additional duties. Now that you've been told to run the safety program
your first response may be; "OK, but where do I start?" The first thing to remember is
that you are not alone. This happens to people in all kinds of industries. In fact, after
you have moved on, someone will take your place. You may know very little about
managing a safety program or you may have a good solid background in some safety
practices and procedures. Either way it does not really matter because many
organizations are out there to help you.
In fact, that is the purpose of this book. I want to give you a basic understanding
of how the safety program in your organization should be run. One thing you need to
remember is that you cannot learn it all at once. It will take some time, how much time
depends on the support you get. I have set the book up so that each chapter discusses
one subject. You can use this as a reference later to look up specific information by
going straight to the chapter you want. Each chapter is intended to be a self-directed
lesson in that subject area. I have included question highlights or things to remember at
the end of each chapter and space for you to write down things you need to do now or
later. “Things to Do Now“ are short-term goals and “Things to Do Later” are long-term
goals. Looking at goals right here in the introduction and carrying that habit throughout
the book is best. A place for goals is at the end of each chapter as a reminder to help
you focus on what goals goes with what chapters. This should make it easier for you to
go back to a specific subject and remember what you wanted to do about it. What you
write down in these spaces is for you and you do not need to share it with anyone.
Nevertheless, keeping a record of your thoughts is important for you as you read so you
can go back over them and apply what is recommended in this book.
This book will be more effective if you highlight things you want to remember.
Underline, make notes in the margin and complete the "Things to do" sections at the
end of each chapter. A Glossary will give you the meaning of words used in the Safety
Profession. You may not be familiar with some of these words and I recommend you
look at the Glossary at the end of this book and familiarize yourself with the word and its
meaning before you read the book. This book is a tool for you to use and if you apply
only a couple of things out of this book you will be well on your way to being a success.
To begin with you must understand what is required of you. The safety specialist
is a staff position with authority from the director or executive officer to direct necessary
action to prevent or reduce personal injury and property damage within the organization.
Any directives you issue are in the name of the director or executive officer in line with
his or her policy guidance. Primarily you are an administrator and diplomat, balancing
the need to reduce accidents while accomplishing production or other organizational
goals. In his book the “Safety Coach’” David Sarkus has outlined seven Cs for worldclass safety performance. Working towards developing a world-class safety program is
what this book is all about. I hope I can provide you with enough information to get you
started on that journey. Mr. Sarkus’ book is good reading prior to developing a safety
program, see appendix V – Suggested Reading List.
The best definition of the scope of a professional safety position is found in the
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) pamphlet "Scope and Function of the
Professional Safety Position." This scope is intended for the full time safety
professional. However, it applies to you as a safety specialist who performs safety
duties as an additional duty or part time basis. The only real difference is you will do
your duties on a part time basis. I cannot recommend a better source of information
than this pamphlet and it can be found at Appendix A. Please read this before you go
on to the rest of this introduction.
You must also determine what you need. "How do I do that?" you may ask. Well
you have to talk to people and look over the organization, both the administration and
operational areas. Then you have to put this information into perspective. You will
analyze problem areas and SET PRIORITIES. You will conduct Risk Management to
decide which problem areas are to be corrected first, second and so on, based on the
severity of loss should the worst case accident occur. Also, you must decide who has
the responsibility for making corrections.
While you are doing all this, you have to keep the boss informed. Who the boss is
depends on your organization. The higher on the organization ladder the better. You
should work for the director or chief executive officer in your capacity as the safety
specialist. When I refer to the boss within the book, I am referring to the person you
must answer to for safety responsibilities in your organization. Approaching him or her
for policy guidance on those areas where outside assistance is needed is best. If it is
something to be corrected locally, develop a plan with concurrence of the responsible
individuals and set realistic completion dates and take this package into the boss for his
or her approval. Do not forget to follow through and monitor the plan of action for
adequacy and make necessary changes to keep the plan on target. Again, Keep the
Boss informed.
All this should be done in a way that improves the organization and its processes.
The worst error you can make is accident prevention only for compliance with laws and
standards. You must always remember that safety does not exist in a vacuum. It is
supposed to support the mission or the reason the organization was developed in the
first place. It should also support management and labor so that both believe they are
getting the best bargain for the effort in which they are putting. Once you have taken
the route of safety for compliance people will realize you are just filling a square and
they will do just enough to get by. What you really want and what is most beneficial is
accident prevention for continuous improvement. You want safe behavior to be a part
of the culture of the organization. This will help show that safe behaviors are important
to the organization and encourage the work force to make safe behaviors an integrated
part of the processes. “You are indeed the agent of positive change – make it happen
(Sarkus106).”
You must also involve supervisory personnel by encouraging them to show greater
interest in the welfare of their subordinates, and thus encourage greater concern for the
success of the organization's safety program. “Safety leadership flows down from the
top management, but it is reflected in the words and actions of first-line supervisors
(Tompkins 171).” This is important to integrating safety into the organization's culture.
The functions of the safety specialists are many. You must detect potential
problem areas and set priorities recommended courses of action. You must also keep
the boss advised of the status and adequacy of the organization's accident prevention
efforts. Furthermore, you must achieve the desired balance between accident
prevention and mission requirements. “Then, a health and safety staff person would be
held accountable for providing accurate information on health and safety to line
management and for advising, counseling, influencing and assisting them (Tompkins
44)”
To give you the best information on the functions of a safety professional I must
again refer to the pamphlet, "Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position,”
from the ASSE. In this pamphlet the functions are laid out as major areas relating to the
protection of people, property, and the environment (Scope and Functions of the
Professional Safety Position, ASSE). Remember the only difference between these
functions and yours is you do them on a part time basis. In your position you will still be
a safety professional and the time and effort you put into the program will directly affect
the operations of your organization. This is why I believe that professionalism is a very
important part of your function and in that regard this pamphlet will put you on the right
track to doing the best job you can. You may also receive your own copy of this
pamphlet from the ASSE by writing to their address at Appendix B and requesting a
copy.
The major areas as quoted from the pamphlet are:
a. Anticipate, identify and evaluate hazardous conditions and
practices.
b. Develop hazard control designs, methods, procedures and
programs.
c. Carry out, administer and advise others on hazard controls and
hazard control programs.
d. Measure, audit and evaluate the effectiveness of hazard controls
and hazard control programs.
TABLE 1-MAJOR AREAS OF THE ASSE SCOPE AND FUNCTIONS OF A SAFETY PROFESSIONAL
This book should not be used as a substitute for the OSHA Standards and any
other regulations or laws. This book is meant for your information only.
So what will all this extra, work get you? Your most likely reward will be seeing
workers doing their job to standard and not sustaining injuries or property damage. You
should also see improvement in organizational processes. Your rewards may not be
tangible, but you will have the satisfaction of knowing that maybe, just maybe, you have
made someone aware enough that they did not injure themselves or someone else.
Perhaps more importantly you will be an active member of your organization's efforts to
improve the quality of its operations and the quality of life experienced by the workers.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Why do I need this book?
2. What are my expectations for reading this book? This is a good question to look
back on when you are finished reading this book.
3. When do I want to set aside time to read this book?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER ONE
“Staffing the Safety Program”
There are two aspects to staffing the Safety Program. First are the resources
that are needed to make a program work. Secondly, are the resources that
management is willing to provide. These are not necessarily the same. It is the job of
the safety specialist to identify needed resources and then to justify those needs within
the budget processes of the organization. “Safety pays, and it is good investment for all
concerned. It eliminates suffering and lost wages. It also improves production,
maintains efficacy, reduces waste and generally provides a sense of well being for all
employees and their families (Della-Giustina 3).”
Who would not want to adequately staff a program that could do all that? Many
people do not believe that quote to be true. If they believe it they somehow don’t
believe they can afford it. It will be your job to make them believe that not only can they
afford it they cannot afford not to have the program. The first step is human resources.
How many personnel are needed to implement and maintain the safety program for the
organization. This can be done using only collateral duty, full-time, or a mixture of
collateral and full-time personnel. The decision is up to management as to how this
program is operated.
If the organization chooses to use only collateral duty personnel there should be
a ratio of one collateral safety specialist for five hundred employees. This ratio works
for a collateral duty individual that spends at least 8 hours per week on safety duties.
The more time an individual spends on safety the less personnel you need. In contrast
the less time an individual spends on safety the more personnel the organization needs.
This can be modified so that a collateral duty safety person is assigned from different
sections. For example, an organization has three shifts with three lines or blasts. Even
though there are only three hundred workers it would benefit the organization to use
three collateral safety specialists instead of the one determined by the ratio. The ratio is
simply a starting point and should be modified to meet your organization needs.
The organization leadership may choose to use only full-time professionals. In
this case the individual has a full forty-hour week to do safety and can do a great deal
more work than a collateral safety specialist. In this situation in is common for a fulltime safety professional for each plant or organization. This ratio is done without much
regard for the number of employees. Another approach is to have a full-time safety
professional for each 3,500 employees if you prefer a ratio to employee strength.
In addition, the organization’s leaders may decide to use a mixture of both
collateral and full-time personnel. In this case it seems to work best if there is a full-time
safety person at the headquarters level with collateral duty personnel assigned at a ratio
of one collateral safety specialist for every one thousand employees or one per line or
blast.
Along with human resources there is a need for fiscal resources or money to
make the program work. The amount of money is dependent upon the type of
organization you have and the quality of the safety program you desire for that
organization. Typically this money is broken down into major categories. Typical major
categories consist of salary, training, travel, awareness material, incentive awards, and
hazard corrections.
Salaries are based upon the number of collateral and full-time personnel that are
being used. After all the time they are spending on safety is time they are not doing
their primary job of production or service. The actual amount of time an individual
spends on safety duties should be added up and compared to the amount of money
management decides it can afford. This is a cost that is often overlooked. As with all
programs the safety program must be determined to be value added to the bottom line
by saving costs.
There must be a training program that is funded to make sure all personnel within
the organization are properly trained to do their jobs safely. This money often remains
with the human resources department who allocates it as requested. However, the
collateral safety specialist in charge should be providing input to the training based on
organization requirements as well as the applicability of the course. This will ensure
that the appropriate personnel receive the appropriate training saving the organization’s
money and effort.
Travel is also related to the payment for travel related expense for personnel to
attend training as well as sending personnel to conferences and trade shows. Both of
which are very important to benchmark your safety program with other successful and
assertive programs. The networking that can be done at these conferences and shows
can provide your personnel with resources that they can call upon in the future to
provide assistance to your organization, usually for free. In addition, new products and
services can be seen that your organization may need in the future and may not know
about if not for this opportunity.
Awareness materials are needed for all organizations. This is material that is
used in the form of posters, brochures, handouts, buttons, etc, to get the word out about
hazards within the work areas and measures that can be taken to prevent accident from
occurring or lessen the severity if they do occur. There should be approximately fifteen
cents spent for each employee within the organization. This is a formula that works
very well. If you have a high hazard organization this amount should be fifty cents per
employee. The key is to effectively spend the money on the hazards that are affecting
your processes and personnel. It is also important to follow up on awareness material
used to ensure it is well received by personnel within the organization. If you have
bilingual or non-native English speaking employees it is essential to provide some
awareness material in the language they speak naturally. My experience proves that
providing material in the language a person speaks can not only help them know more
about the safety program but also gives them some incentive to become an active
supporter of safety. There is also a need to look at the different age groups of
employees. Younger employees seem to like active busy posters and awareness
material while older employees seem to like straightforward single message material.
Focus your material to a broad audience to reach all or most of your work force.
There has been a lot of discussion and even some arguing about the
effectiveness of an incentive awards program. Over nineteen years of safety
experience I have found that these programs can work if they are done right. They
cannot be handled haphazardly or without clear intent. This program should actually
consist of an incentive awards and earned awards program. Both programs
complement each other and together form a solid program that keeps the safety
program positive while gaining employee support. The incentive awards should be used
to garner support for the program. These should be low cost items that can be given to
employees when they do something right. This is very effective. Too many times we
tend to catch employees doing things wrong. This process allows management to catch
them doing something right. The second part should be an awards program that
requires the individual to earn the award through some defined criteria. This can be
working some many hours without an accident or driving some many miles without an
accident. The criteria can also be for lost time accidents. This allows the organization
to maintain an effective accident-reporting program. These awards must be kept
separate and not given out for small or nonexistent safety effort. The incentive awards
are normally kept to $5.00 or less while earned awards should come in five different
levels that have a progression for an employee to strive for. Furthermore, the award
should be provided to an employee in a manner they feel comfortable with. There are
some employees who do not wish to receive an award before a big group. Do not
embarrass these employees. Award their items in front of their section. All personnel
receiving an award should be noted in newsletters or company bulletin boards.
Hazard correction is an area that demonstrates to the work force that safety is
taken seriously and management is not afraid to put their money where their mouth is.
The hazards should be identified through inspections and work reports of unsafe or
unhealthful working conditions. After these hazards are identified there should be a risk
assessment code assigned to each hazard. Hazards are then prioritized based on the
risk assessment code so that money can be spent on the hazards that are most likely to
cause an accident that will results in injury or property damage. See appendix S for the
matrix that can be used to assign the risk assessment code. All high hazards should be
corrected before moderate and all moderate should be corrected before the low.
If the safety program for your organization is to be successful there must be
some money applied to it. The amount of money is based on the size and complexity of
the organization. The resources must be clearly identified and money or manpower
assigned to them. This money does not have to go to the safety specialist but rather it
needs to go to the individual who will fulfill the duty and now have the resources to do it.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Why does the Safety Program need resources?
2. What are management’s expectations for resourcing the Safety Program?
3. What resources are identified?
4. What resources will need to be requested?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER TWO
"What Will My Duties Be?"
The first thing you will want to do is to speak to the person who appointed you to
this position. Whether this person is the Chief Executive Officer, Vice President, or
Division Chief. You will want to get this person's vision of what the safety program
should be and what they expect from you. They should also give you some information
to help you develop goals and objectives that you can mold into a plan for the safety
program. If you work for a person below the chief operating official you must also
discuss your duties with the chief operating official and your supervisor. The safety
program has got to be run from the top in line with organizational goals.
During this meeting the topic of your duties and responsibilities should be
discussed in great detail. The duties that are normally given to an additional duty safety
representative are:
1. Serve as the director's representative on all aspects of safety.
2. Interpret safety policies and procedures for the director, line managers and
supervisors.
3. Conduct periodic surveys and inspections.
4. Conduct follow-up to verify hazard abatement has been completed.
5. Maintain records of surveys and inspections.
6. Investigate major accidents and assist supervisors in investigating minor accidents.
Note: Major is usually defined by loss of life, permanent or partial disability, or property
damage that causes the loss of an entire system.
7. Follow up with the director on major accidental injuries and property damage
immediately. Do not include incidents of a minor nature (i.e. minor injuries such as cuts,
bruises, and scratches, or minor property damage such as bent mirrors or broken tail
lights). Accidents are reported by supervisors through line management, do not change
this. You only follow up and assist when needed.
8. Collate accidents, injuries, and property damage reports. This is usually done
quarterly and is in the form of a written report. Near misses can be included.
9. Provide information to line organizations about trends and seasonal hazards.
10. Coordinate required training with the personnel Office.
11. Prepare for Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspections.
12. Coordinate with the personnel office to ensure that the OSHA Log and workman's
compensation reports are being done correctly and on time.
13. Coordinate an early return to work program for injured workers.
14. Some organizations may also require the duty to provide oversight of a physical
security program for the organization.
Your primary duties involve management of the safety program. You cannot take
responsibility for safety training, hazard correction, or investigation and reporting of all
accidents. These responsibilities belong to line management and that is who should
fulfill them. Your job is basically to identify, assess, and recommend control measures
to reduce hazards. Your duties will revolve in a circular fashion and should be done in
this order. You should begin with hazard recognition so that you are working to correct
a problem that exists. This is a practical application of the accident prevention process
that will give you very good results.
Hazard Recognition
Administrative Duties
Hazard Assessment
Control M easures
Hazard Abatement
Verify Hazard Abatement
FIGURE 1 CYCLE OF SAFETY REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES
Following are the duties broken down into categories:
HAZARD RECOGNITION-- Identifying hazards that exist through inspections or
employee reports. This includes:
Reviewing accident reports, construction drawings, employee physicals, and reports.
Conduct inspections, surveys, job analysis, and equipment and purchase reviews.
HAZARD ASSESSMENT--Determination of how much risk is involved with the hazard.
This includes:
Hazard severity.
Probability of occurrence.
Health and environmental exposures (heat, cold, and light).
HAZARD ABATEMENT--Procedures that are implemented to reduce or eliminate the
risk to prevent the accident from occurring or to control the severity. This includes:
Engineering repairs
Wear of personal protective clothing and equipment
Administrative controls
- Training
- Employee reassignment
- Standard operating procedures
NOTE: This is the order of hazard correction you should use. It is better to eliminate a
hazard by engineering methods than to control the hazards. This is because
engineering methods should eliminate the hazard while other types of correction will
only control the hazard while requiring a continuous effort to maintain that control. This
means a lot of extra work.
VERIFICATION OF HAZARD ABATEMENT--Without verifying that a hazard has been
corrected it can be left uncorrected and may cause an accident in the future. Verifying
that hazards are corrected also builds confidence in the safety program because it helps
demonstrate that the safety program can get things done and is not just a paper work
program that only documents hazards. In the final ruling published in the Federal
Register, Volume 62, No. 61, OSHA requires employers who have received a citation
from OSHA to certify in writing that they have abated the hazardous condition that the
citation was issued for. The more serious the violation the more documentation will be
necessary to prove abatement has been accomplished.
CONTROL MEASURES--Measures taken to control the risk, employee exposure to the
risk or severity of an accident should one occur. This includes:
In addition to the options of abatement.
First-Aid Kits.
Disaster preparedness plans.
Changes in operational procedures.
Tighter supervision.
Employee training on control options.
Employee briefings on control options.
ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES:
Conduct safety council meeting.
Prepare periodic reports.
Assist in negotiations.
Brief Supervisors.
How many of these duties you do will depend on how much effort the director
requires and how much you want to put into the program. Remember, you can't do it all
yourself. You must keep the organization involved, or there will not be a real safety
program. I cannot stress how important it is to keep supervisors, managers, and
employees involved and doing their jobs. If you try to do it all yourself you will be limited
in how much you can get done and you will have a program outside of the organization.
The employees and supervisors normally know more about hazards and how to
correct them than you. Use this knowledge by motivating for change and improvement.
Getting people involved will integrate the program into the organization and give
everyone ownership of the solution. It is also important for management and labor to
understand what your duties and responsibilities are and what services they can expect
from you.
The extent of your duties will also be dependent upon where a full-time safety
professional is located within your organization and what duties they perform. If you are
in a small organization there will most likely be no full time safety professional and you
will be expected to do all the work to manage the program.
In some small organizations the safety specialist is the boss. This is a great
situation because it solves the big problem of communication. However, it means a lot
of work for someone who is trying to manage a business.
Many larger organizations will have a full time safety professional at each plant,
division, or perhaps at the main headquarters. In each case the higher the safety
professional is located the more work will be expected of you. That is why I will
continue to remind you that you manage the program. It is not yours and line
management has most of the work to do to prevent accidents; but you will help to keep
it going.
Now the big questions (answer them right here if you can).
Do you understand what your responsibility is for each one of these duties?
Does your boss expect you to do the duty or oversee its completion?
How will you report personnel or work situations that do not meet the company
policy?
You will need to clarify these questions before you can feel comfortable with what is
being expected of you. The one way you can be successful with these new duties is to
communicate with your boss and make sure you understand what is expected of you
and what the boss expects to see happen. These new duties are like any other in that
there is a certain amount of politics involved and you will need to overcome them by
communicating with the boss. Write down your new duties in table two.
What are your new duties and responsibilities? Take a few minutes and
write them down right here and now.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
TABLE 2-YOUR NEW DUTIES
Remember, it is the organization's safety program and the boss leads the organization.
Whatever the circumstances make sure that you and your supervisor understand
your new duties and responsibilities as well as how much time will be involved. This is
essential to your ability to succeed. In most cases your supervisor will not be the
person in charge of the organization. So you will normally be reporting to your
supervisor on a daily basis and the director or CEO periodically for safety matters. This
is coupled with informing management and labor about your duties. Getting all this
understood up front will get you off to a good start with open and clear communications
and expectations.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Why is it important for me to understand what is expected of me?
2. What exactly is expected of me? This may seem redundant but it will help make
sure you really understand.
3. Does my supervisor know how much time these new duties will take?
4. What quality of work does my supervisor expect me to deliver on these new duties?
5. What unresolved questions do I have about my new role, duties, and the time I can
spend on them? Take the time to write them down now and later speak to the boss
about them.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
Write the answers to the unresolved questions in the following space when you get
them.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
6. Why is hazard verification so important to eliminating hazards?
7. How can I perform this duty in
addition to my full time position?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER THREE
"How Prepared Am I?"
Now that you are sure you know what is expected of you. You should determine
your ability to manage a safety program. You will have to ask yourself several
questions. Go ahead and answer a few of them right here and now. They are:
1. Have I worked in safety before?
2. Have I done this additional duty before?
3. Have I had an additional duty similar to this in the past?
4. Do I have specific education or background that deals with safety?
5. Do I have a desire to make a difference in my workplace?
Based on your answers to these questions you can compare the skills you already
have with the skills you need to do this job. If you are very lucky you may have been a
safety person in a previous job or had the additional duty before. If you aren't that lucky
maybe you took some safety courses in college perhaps in your present job or in the
military. If not you may be lacking a lot of the knowledge and skills to do the job right.
Don't let this stop you. Skills and knowledge can be gained!
Where do you go to get this knowledge and skills? There are a lot of agencies
available to help you. Here are just a few that I have found helpful. Please refer to
Appendix B for addresses and phone numbers.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
The Occupational
“Safety and Health Act of 1970 was signed by President Nixon on December 29, 1970,
and became effective on April 28, 1971 (Della-Giustina 3).” “This was landmark
legislation that had never existed in this form before. The Act authorized the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
to regulate private employers in the 50 states, the
District of Columbia, the Virgin Islands, American
Samoa, Puerto Rica, Guam and the Trust Territories of
the Pacific Islands (Della-Giustina 3).” OSHA is under
the Department of Labor. It is a government
organization that publishes the Safety Standards in the
Code of Federal Registry. Its headquarters is in
Washington D. C. with regional offices spread over the
United States. OSHA enforces the safety standards
through compliance inspections that are conducted by
an OSHA employee called a Compliance Officer. This
person is a highly trained safety professional who will conduct an inspection of your
facility or organization and write citations for the safety standards that have been
violated. OSHA will help you long before an inspection is conducted if you simply
contact them and tell them what help you need. They can conduct assistance visits,
provide training and publications (free or at a low price), and they can give advice and
answer questions right over the phone. The best thing about using them as a source is
that they are the people inspecting you. They are also a low cost option.
National Safety Council (NSC). The NSC is an organization dedicated to protecting
life and promoting health. It provides a number of services that can assist you in your
new position. One of its divisions is the Safety Training Institute that can provide you
with the training you need to succeed. The NSC holds the National Safety Congress,
an international trade show and conference, every year. They also sell safety books
and literature.
American Society for Industrial Security International ASISI). The ASIS is an
organization of security professionals that work toward a safer and more secure work
place for industry.
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE). The ASSE is an organization of
safety professionals that work toward a safer and healthier work place.
American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Is an
organization that strives to improve the quality of life for workers by identifying and
recommending control measures for health hazards.
American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA). Is another industrial hygiene
organization that strives to improve the quality of life for workers by anticipating,
recognizing, evaluating and controlling workplace hazards. The AIHA and the ACGIH
have cosponsored the American Industrial Hygiene Conference and Exposition.
Note: The ASSE, ACGIH, and AIHA offer conferences and training that should meet
your needs. They also sell safety books and literature. Members and nonmembers can
get services, with discounts and special services for members.
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. This organization is part of
the Center for Disease Control and Prevention under the Department of Health and
Human Services. The NIOSH conducts research into occupational safety and health
issues.
Local sources can include colleges, universities, and vocational schools. Another
good local source can be companies that specialize in consulting and training. They
can target training to your specific needs. This will require you to do a little research to
find such organizations.
Your insurance carrier is also a valuable source. If your state has its own safety
program they may offer training as well as literature and books. So with a little effort
you should be able to find the training you want within your price range.
You may want to send off for an information packet from these organizations to get
a current picture of the services they offer. You will need knowledge or training in the
following areas to perform your duties, write under each area whether you have taken a
course in this subject. If you have not taken the training and don't have the knowledge
write down when you make arrangements to take the training, see table three.
Required Knowledge
-Fundamentals of accident prevention
-Inspection procedures
-Accident investigation and reporting
-Risk management
-Hazard recognition techniques
-Lock Out/Tag Out Procedures
-Employee Compensation
-Hazardous Material
-Chemistry
TABLE 3-REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE
Got It
Need It
First answer the questions at the beginning of this chapter and those above. Then
compare your knowledge and skills with the training requirements and contact training
sources to make up for the shortcomings. You must also inform the person who
appointed you that you have these training weaknesses and that you have found
sources that will train you. The person who appointed you will normally approve training
and may ask you to coordinate with the personnel office to ensure scheduling and
payment for training is correct. You can usually complete most of this in 40-hour
classes. You do not need a specific training course for each of these items. Many
courses cover one or more of topics.
Your first duty may be as a student! This is not unusual. There is a learning curve to
every new job. However, the skills you gain from this duty can benefit you long after
you've moved on to other duties, priorities and tasks. You must work for an
understanding of how accidents occur and how you in your new position can prevent
these accidents from occurring. In this way you can make a major contribution to your
organization as well as your reputation as a conscientious and proficient employee. I
believe this is an opportunity for you as a person and employee to grow and better
yourself.
This is a very short but nonetheless important chapter in this book. If you do not
get the training you need you will never be able to perform the duty correctly and in the
long run this opportunity could end in damage to your career and perhaps injury for your
colleagues.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Am I prepared to fulfill the duties of this position?
2. Have I reviewed all my previous training?
3. Have I identified training weaknesses and scheduled training?
4. Have I contacted some of the resources to get information packets?
5. Am I feeling anxious about all this new information at one time? If the answer to this
one is yes take a little time away from all this extra work, perhaps over a good weekend.
Then you will be better prepared to start again the next week.
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER FOUR
"A Few Safety Fundamentals."
THEORY
There is a world of knowledge out there that relates to the fundamentals of
preventing accidents and property damage. What I would like to do here is to put some
of that data into this chapter so you will know what you need to begin your new duties.
This is by no means the end of the story. My hope is that you will get some training and
read a few of the books that I have recommended at Appendix V so you will be able to
do this duty properly.
First of all what is safety? The Second College Edition of the American Heritage
Dictionary defines Safety as: a noun that means freedom from danger, risk, or injury.
That same dictionary defines safe: as an adjective that means not apt to cause or incur
danger or harm; unhurt; or free from risk. Well if you take these definitions to heart, as
many do, this will be your first mistake. In real terms this definition is not only
improbable it is not affordable. As much as people don't want to admit it money has a
say in everything. An organization can only be as safe as it can afford to be. Otherwise
it would go out of business and wouldn't need to be safe. So as you read about safety
and making something safe remember that any measure of safety needs to have a
financial pay back.
“The best definition I have seen for safety is that safety is the control of accidental
loss (Bird and Germain 8).” “The explanation goes on to say that it is neither
economically feasible nor administratively practical to prevent all accidents or to create
a risk free environment (Bird and Germain 8).” So we are left with a dichotomy. To be
safe we think we should eliminate all hazards and yet we are in business to make
money that at times causes hazards. The major goal of a safety program should be to
reduce the hazards faced by workers to the extent possible consistent with current
technology and knowledge while still achieving the production we need to realize a
profit. This may seem like a cop out at first. Yet, I don't believe that it is. You can be so
safe you would probably go out of business. Then again we don't have risk or hazard
free lives when we are away from work. We should accept a certain level of risk. You
never want to run a safety program with a zero defect goal (no accidents). This will only
lead to people lying about having an accident or covering up. Neither one actually
reduces the risk to the work force.
COMPLIANCE OR SAFETY
So what can you do? Or perhaps, what choices do you have? Both are very good
questions. OSHA requires you to correct hazards. They are a compliance-oriented
organization. However, my experience has been that compliance is not necessarily a
win-win proposition for anyone. You can correct everything only to have it go right back
to the way it was.
Let's look at safety as an overall subject. To do that we look at the basic element
of safety, which is the unsafe act. This is an act or omission that creates a hazard that
has the potential to create an incident or accident. What is an incident? An incident is
an unplanned event that has the potential to cause an injury; illness or property damage
yet does not. Then what is an accident? An accident is an unplanned event that results
in injury, illness or property damage. So incidents are close calls and accidents result in
an injury, illness, or property damage.
What causes an incident or accident? They are normally caused by human error.
This is not to blame the person that directly causes the accident. It may or may not be
his fault. However, human error is to say that somewhere at some time a human set
the sequence of events into motion that lead to this incident or accident. In fact, if you
investigate an accident you may hear some people say that they knew it was going to
happen sooner or later. This prior knowledge is often not acted upon and the accident
occurs.
H.W. Heinrich first explained an accident as dominos stood up near each other
and when one fell it would knock the rest of them down. This is an excellent description
of an accident. Because the person that knocks over the first domino may be nowhere
near the accident in space or time. Yet their actions were the root cause of the
accident. Heinrich proved that the employee is not usually to blame for the accident.
Before he presented this theory most accidents were blamed on the employee being
lazy, uncaring, lacking in intelligence, and many other excuses. This was an important
issue because if it were the employers’ fault that the accident occurred the employer
would have to pay for the injury or illness.
A SYSTEMS APPROACH
Later we started to look at accidents as an event occurring within a system. The
system being the process you use at work to accomplish your goal of production or
services to stay in business.
MATERIALS
PROCESSES
AND
PROCEDURES
GOODS OR
SERVICES
FIGURE 2-SIMPLE SYSTEM
This figure represents how a simple system would work. You have the input or
resources then the work or processes done to give you the results you are in business
for. This whole thing is the system and the more complicated your work the more
complicated the system. It is important to remember that as Heinrich described it the
whole system can be affected by just one thing or by any one individual. So the cause
of the accident may have occurred days or weeks earlier in another part of your
organization. This is where I see the disconnect in blaming the employee who had the
accident. In a lot of cases the employee is set up to fail by actions taken by
management. This is not to blame management. They too are often set up. It is not
really productive to blame anyone. It is important to identify who caused the accident
and what steps can be taken to prevent a reoccurrence. It is also imperative to look at
the system when correcting safety hazards. Correcting a hazard in one part of the
system can mean the correction is only temporary due to changes in other parts of the
system or you can create a hazard in another part of the system. Both situations can be
avoided when looking at the system and not individual parts of the system.
HUMAN ERROR
So accidents are caused by human error or human actions within the system.
What does this mean to you or your colleagues? It means that the way to stop an
accident is to locate its root cause and correct that. When we investigate accidents or
even near misses we see trends start to develop. These trends allow us to see inside
the system and to identify what systemic errors have occurred that allowed this accident
or near miss to happen. So we not only want to know who caused the accident but
what part of our system failed to spot the problem before something went wrong.
First let's take a closer look at human error. Why do people make mistakes?
There are several reasons for human error. Table four lists a few. There are many
others but, these are the main ones. This is why in chapters seven and eight we ask
you to look at a number of different areas within your organization to identify possible
deficiencies that may lead to these causes of human error. For example, were
employees screened first to see if they were mentally and physically capable of doing
the job? This doesn't mean management should not hire them. It does mean that they
should be hired for jobs they can do.
- Improper or no training.
- Little or no motivation to do the job right.
- No standards for performance.
- Management did not enforce standards.
- Physical or mental handicaps.
- Improper machines or equipment.
- The job or task exceeds human capabilities.
TABLE 4-REASONS FOR HUMAN ERROR
Have employees been properly trained? I don't mean just safety training. Proper
job training that identifies hazards and ways to control or eliminate them gets better
results than specific safety training. Job training makes safe behavior part of the job,
not an add on. “More than 100 OSHA safety standards mandate some form of training
to bring the new or transferred worker into compliance with the safety standards for the
new job. Other OSHA standards make it the employer’s responsibility to limit certain job
assignments to employees who are certified, competent or qualified, meaning that they
have had special, previous training to perform particular job duties (Tompkins 89).”
Have performance standards been developed for each job? If not, what level of
performance is expected from an employee and how do they know what these
expectations are. If management communicates performance standards the employee
will know what is expected of them for job completion, quality, safety performance,
cleanliness, work hours and time off. All this information leads to a better-informed work
force that knows what management expects.
After ensuring that each employee understands what the standards are
management and more specifically supervisors must enforce the standards.
If standards are not enforced the employee will believe they are not important and will
not take the time nor effort needed to conform to the standard.
Have employees been given the proper tools or machines to do the job? If not
management may be teaching the employee how to do the job incorrectly. This puts
the employee in a bad position especially if she is a hard worker who wants to do a
good job. They will try very hard and in the end probably causing an accident and be
held accountable for only trying to do a good job. Lastly, have we looked at the
processes we have asked the employee to do and ensured that they do not exceed
human capabilities? If not, the body will eventually suffer damage and require medical
care or even worse an accident may occur and someone will get hurt or property will be
damaged.
A good example is the case of a worker who was using an overhead crane to
move containers of parts from the machining area to the hardening area. There had
been a problem with the cable on the overhead crane and a maintenance worker was
sent to repair or replace the cable. It was determined that the cable would be replaced
and as part of the work the hook would be replaced because it appeared to be worn.
Maintenance reported the hook repaired and ready for work. It had been two weeks
since the crane was repaired and it had operated correctly. On the second shift a
worker connected the crane to two bins of parts to save time. He had been instructed
when he was first trained on this job that this was not to be done routinely but that the
crane was rated at five ton and the parts bins would be no more than 1 ton each. The
employee having connected the bins raised the load and was moving it to the hardening
area when the hook failed and the load dropped damaging both bins and spilling
thousands of parts all over the machining, hardening, and grinding work areas. The
investigation revealed that the replacement hook was rated at one ton. During the
previous two weeks work the crane had not lifted in excess of one ton and the hook had
not failed. When two tons was attempted it failed. Management stated that the primary
cause of the accident was that the worker who installed the hook was at fault because
he had installed a one-ton hook on a five-ton crane and he was dismissed.
The problem was that management did not look any further than the immediate
mistake. What about the tool room that issued the hook? What about the maintenance
supervisor and his review of work? What about a system in place to inspect high
hazards like this where replacing the wrong hook could have resulted in loss of life or
damage to a major piece of equipment in the plant? Human
error existed here beyond the maintenance worker who
installed the wrong hook and if no corrections are made to
improve this process it could happen again or a situation like it
because there are problems with the maintenance program in
this plant. To look at the hazard identification and correction
process you would look at the immediate cause of the accident,
which was the installation of the one-ton hook on a five-ton
crane. Then you would go back to the maintenance worker and
find out why he installed the hook. Was he properly trained?
Was he authorized to work on overhead cranes? Was he motivated or perhaps a
problem employee? Based on these answers you when then look at the maintenance
supervisor to see about his training, his motivation.
Your next stop would be to identify who should have performed quality control of
the maintenance work and identify problems and issues there. Don't forget the worker
who loaded the crane. What duties did he or she have and should they have done
before operations checks on the crane to verify the proper hook was installed? These
answers will help you identify problems in your system that first allowed this hazard to
take place and secondly to not identify and prevent it from causing an accident.
So if you look at human error as a cause of accidents that impacts on the system
you need to find out how to identify human error. We begin by conducting a good
inspection of the work. We identify all the hazards we can find, big and small. A hazard
may be physical, environmental or process related. You may find pieces of equipment
that have hazards created by the way the machine was built which may cause
accidents. You may also see temperatures, poor quality air, or poor lighting that may
cause an accident. You take those hazards and look for trends. You look at all the
hazards identified with lifting for example. You may find that there are very similar
hazards associated with lifting throughout the plant. You then look at these hazards as
a whole and ask yourself "What could have caused all of these hazards?" After you
know that you ask the second question "Why didn't someone notice and correct this
problem earlier?" This is where you really find out what is wrong with the system. So
now there are two things to correct. The root cause of all the lifting problems and the
systemic error that allowed the root cause to exist. This is the best and longest lasting
way of correcting a hazard. This was just an example and in life it will not be that easy.
It may take days or weeks to get to the bottom of a root or systemic cause. However,
this is where the biggest cost benefit can be found.
After you find all of these hazards, which ones are you interested in fixing now,
later, or perhaps in a few weeks? This is a question of risk. After you have identified
the hazards and before your look at systemic causes you need to look at the amount of
risk involved. Risk is normally a product of the seriousness and probably of a hazard
leading to an accident.
You will have to use a risk assessment to identify the high hazards, then moderate
then low. Next you will want to rank order each category based on a comparison of the
danger involved, people exposed and the cost to correct. The boss will not be
interested in fixing all problems. She simply won't have money for everything. There is
usually money to fix the high hazard items. Perhaps if you look around you may even
find money to fix moderate and low hazards, but you must prove that the hazard and
exposure justify the cost.
Human behavior is also a part of Human Error. People often want to take the
short cut or what appears to them to be the path of least resistance. We can't change
this person’s beliefs and reasons for doing this, because it would be much to time
consuming and too expensive. However, I believe we can demonstrate to them what
good behavior is and require them to follow that behavior. This can be very tricky.
Supervisors are often too busy or reluctant to point out to workers when they are not
performing to the organizational standard. When supervisors act this way the workers
belief that the rule is stupid or not needing reinforcement. A big part of reducing human
error is to emphasize the important role that supervisors have in enforcing
organizational standards. You can even carry this a step further by requiring all
employees to enforce organizational standards. Employees can cause a great deal of
the problems due to peer pressure. If you can turn the peer pressure from doing what
the employees want to what the organization has set as standard you can get it to work
for you. In some career fields I have worked with I've seen positive peer pressure work.
Firefighters and pilots both rely on teamwork and the team normally enforces the
standards on its own members. This works well than when management is forced to
make workers comply with the standards. The key is to work towards changing the
employee’s behavior not the employee.
STANDARDS
There are a lot of rules and regulations out. How do you know which ones you
need to be familiar with? I hope to give you just a little information about each of the
major ones and then help you decide which ones you need based on your situation.
Each organization is different and the rules and regulations may or may not apply. Do
not forget about state and local laws. I cannot cover them here, however you must be
aware of them.
Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 1910.
Is the OSHA standard for general Industry. It covers a very wide spectrum of work
practices. It is updated each July and the updates can be found as they are made in
the Federal Registry. This is referred to as a horizontal standard and applies to most
industries across the board.
Code of Federal Regulation (CFR) 1926.
Is the OSHA standard for the construction industry. It works just like the standard
1910 except that it covers one industry. It is updated the same. This is referred to as a
vertical standard and applies to construction.
National Fire codes.
These are not federal standards. They provide accepted guidelines on fire
prevention and are normally performance based. Local authorities and some
government agencies make these guidelines mandatory. The National Fire Protection
Association publishes the codes. The codes cover all aspects of fire prevention and
protection.
Life Safety Code 101.
This is not a regulation. It is the standard for protecting life in the event of a fire. It
is actually one of the National Fire Codes, no. 101. It is a stand-alone document that
deals with matters pertaining to life safety in fire prevention.
Threshold Limit Value and Biological Indices.
The American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists publishes this
little book. It provides exposure limits for chemical and other sources to protect human
health and life.
American National Standards.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) publishes these standards.
They are CONSENSUS standards and are not regulatory in nature. Organizations use
them voluntary. They do carry the weight of a standard when referred to in the CFRs.
If you were in a typical manufacturing organization I would have a copy of the CFR
1910 for General Industry and the ANSI standards for specific work operations. If you
work in construction you will mainly need the CFR 1926. This will give you the basic
information. If your organization works with chemicals you will also need to have the
ACGIH and the Fire Codes. I also recommend getting the regulations on CD ROM if
you have the computer equipment to do this. This will allow you to do research and
verify standards with relative ease. This ease will save you a lot of valuable time. The
OSHA standards can be used on OSHA’s web site at www.osha.gov.
INSPECTIONS
The purpose of any inspection you conduct will be preventive. You will be trying to
identify hazards before they cause an accident. This is what they mean by being
proactive. You will want to look for conditions, procedures, and practices that if left not
corrected may result in an accident. “Primarily, inspections that are well planned and
thoroughly executed are used to identify hazardous conditions before they result in an
accident (Blake 92).” However, you can make an inspection more successful if you
identify not only hazards but their systemic causes as well. “But, by identifying the
systemic causes of the hazards, you may eliminate the reasons the hazard occurred
(Fanning 94).”
First of all you should have a schedule of when you are going to inspect what
facilities. This will be discussed further in chapters seven and eight. You should send
this schedule of inspections out so everyone can have a head start on planning. Take
your schedule and notify the supervisor or division
chief at least six weeks ahead of time so he or she will
have plenty of time to make him or herself available
and locate the keys and people you need to see. You
should do this by sending out a letter announcing the
inspection and asking for a commitment to the date
you have listed or ask for a date that is better for them.
You also ask that you be given a few minutes of the
supervisors or division chief’s time for an informal
in-briefing and out briefing. You may think we are just
giving them time to get ready for us. So what is wrong
with that? This is your organization and you should be trying to help identify what is
right and how to keep it that way.
Secondly, you want to sell the safety program and to do that you have to
demonstrate that the program cares about the workers safety and health and
management's need to get the job done. If your approach is helpful rather than harmful
you will establish credibility for yourself and the safety program. You can do no notice
walk through inspections to keep them on their toes. One important thing to remember
is that you do not want to waste your time waiting for people, keys, or other things that
get in the way of your conducting a thorough and yet timely inspection.
Now that the people know you are coming. You will need to get yourself some
personal protective equipment for the particular work places within your facility or
organization. You must lead by example and wear this personal protective equipment
when you are in a hazardous area. Along with this personal protective equipment you
will want to get the infamous clipboard, pencils, erasers, a 12' tape measure, and a few
pieces of test equipment. The kinds and types of test equipment will depend on your
training and experience. At the very least you can get a testing device that will check
the wiring and a device that will tell you when electricity is present. Many people are
now using palm pilots or note book computers to do inspections. If you can get them
use them. Every time saving device helps.
You will need to make sure you are familiar with the operations and equipment
that is used in the shop. You must also know if they use hazardous chemicals, and if
any of the workers are on a health-monitoring program. You can find out about
hazardous chemicals from the supply section. Simply ask them what chemicals this
section orders. You can also talk to the people in personnel about health monitoring. In
fact this is a list you should be getting copies of on a regular basis.
Next you will want to go through the safety files and look for past inspections. If
you have none this inspection will be the beginning. However, if there are previous
inspections go over them to see what the inspector found and make a note of items you
may want to look at during your visit. Some people even take a copy of the inspection
report with them to verify that the corrections have been made.
You will also need to go over workmen's compensation claims that have been
submitted for that work area and do the same thing you did with the inspections. See
who, where, how and why the accidents occurred. Remember if the cause of the
accident or workman's compensation claim is left uncorrected or ignored it can cause
another accident. You can also get a look at an individual person or work station that
may be causing a number of accidents. Along with accident reports and workman's
compensation claims you will want to look at all documents that relate to first-aid given
in the work area. First-aid cases can be near misses that can do more damage next
time.
You must look at repairs to equipment and facilities resulting from damage. This
will often be the result of an accident. It probably was not reported. Look at the awards,
hiring, and firing experiences in the section over the last year to see if any trends stand
out. Make a special note of anyone who was fired, or moved to this shop from another
shop. In both cases the problem may not be over. Don't forget about the good news.
Make a note of any safety awards that were presented to personnel in this section and
see how they perform and what their work area looks like. You may be able to solicit
the supervisor to let the worker talk to the other workers and help them come up to the
standard.
Now that you are prepared, make it to the appointment on
time and make sure you talk to the person who is in charge of
the section you are inspecting. Hopefully this person will want to
come along but, if not you have gotten to speak with them first.
The in-briefing is just an informal briefing to give you an
opportunity to let them know what you are going to do and how
you are going to do it. Now, no matter who leads you around the
area you have gotten the person in charge involved. Since this
will be a learning process for you and the supervisor or division
chief start out with the most obvious; cleanliness. Getting the place clean and orderly
will clear up a number of "small" deficiencies. You will see cleanliness referred to as
housekeeping in most books and regulations.
Getting the work place in order can do two things for you: first, the supervisor and
perhaps even your boss will see some positive action taken right away and everyone
will benefit from the visible improvements in the work place. This first impression will
be important later when you want to try to tackle harder issues and problems.
Secondly, a clean orderly work place promotes efficiency, and enhances pride among
those that work there. All of which can lead to a reduction in the number of accidents
experienced in this work area.
Along with looking at cleanliness you can use a checklist to make sure you
remember everything you wanted to look at. You can make your own check list or use
the example I have provided at Appendix N. I have also included program checklists at
Appendices D-M and T. Either way your inspection will turn out better if you use a
checklist. The more inspections you do the better you will become at recognizing
hazards. As you go along try to make it a learning experience for all the workers by
pointing out what you are looking for and when you find a hazard discuss with them why
it is a hazard and how they may correct it.
You will also want to ask some workers about their work section. I have provided
some questions at Appendix O that may be helpful. This is not a time for the workers to
squeal on their boss but rather an opportunity for them to tell you of any hazards or
accidents they know about that others may not have recognized. They can also give
you some pretty good ideas on the easiest way to correct some hazards.
As you find a deficiency note it on a log that includes the building and room
number along with the OSHA or other standard that was violated. I have included an
example at Appendix R, which you may find useful.
As you finish the inspection make sure to answer any questions the supervisor
may have and give him a draft copy of the deficiency log. Remember, you are there to
help him and if he can get a few things corrected before his boss sees the report it will
help your cause, which is to reduce hazards. Then get back into the office of the
supervisor, if he didn't go with you, and tell him what you found both, good and bad, and
leave with a promise to help him solve these problems. Remember not to promise to
solve them, only to help him solve them. You must leave the out briefing with the
supervisor knowing what is wrong, where it is wrong and what they must do to correct it.
Make sure he understands he owns the problem not you.
After the inspection is completed you must also collate all of the individual
deficiencies to see if any systemic problems are involved. For example you may have
found a fire extinguisher here and there that was discharged. Singularly this may not
seem like a big problem. However, when you add them together you may find out that
the contractor who was hired to service these extinguishers is doing a substandard job.
If you report them separately it is possible that no one will notice there is a problem.
They will normally call the contractor to fix the problem. There is a big pay off to fixing
systemic problems. For example it may be cheaper for a person or contractor to repair
several light switches at one time than it is to come out and fix each one as you find
them. Systemic repairs also keep the system in check to make sure it is working.
If your inspection program is designed to help your organization it will benefit your
processes. If you use inspections to catch people doing things wrong there will be little
or no benefit to your processes. No matter what type of inspection you use and no
matter who does the inspection the information gained about the condition of the
program can be priceless. Inspections have a place within the organization and can
provide complete coverage of the processes and facilities.
A follow up inspection should be conducted within 90 days to keep the section
working towards correcting the hazards and to see if there is some assistance you can
provide to help them succeed. This does not have to be a complete inspection. It is
just a follow up and should focus on the problems you identified in the first inspection.
However, if we do not conduct the follow up to correct the systemic problems within
the organization we will simply be doing the same work over and over again. Perhaps
more importantly management will be telling the work force that it is too busy with other
issues to implement a permanent solution to this problem so we will continue to fix it
whenever it comes up. Once the work force catches on to this attitude of management
it will learn to work with the hazards around them and focus on what management
demonstrate is important, and it isn’t safety.
A special kind of inspection that has a significant impact on the system is the Job
Hazard Analysis. This analysis is a systematic and thorough review of the work process
as it is being planned or being executed. By identifying the individual steps within the
process of the job we can look to see if the steps are properly sequenced, correct tools
are provided, if the job requires the operator to be standing or seated, if personal
protective equipment is needed, have anthropometric requirements been addressed
and lastly does the process get us the product that we want. Anthropometries are
measurements of the human body. This must be considered to make sure that the task
to be done does not exceed the human capability. For example, switches and buttons
should not be outside the reach of the average employee or benches should not be set
at the height of the shortest worker so that tall workers must bend over all day. After we
have identified the hazards within the process we can then apply solutions to correct the
hazards and improve the entire process (Accident Prevention Manual 164). This
analysis can take a significant amount of time. However, if done properly it should
provide reduced risk for the job reviewed until changes are made.
RISK MANAGEMENT
After you have identified the hazards you will need to determine how much risk is
involved through the use of Risk Management. This can also be used to determine a
Risk Assessment Code (RAC). You do this by comparing the seriousness of the hazard
with the probability that it will cause an injury, illness, or property damage. This will be
determined through the use of a matrix that will compare probability and severity to give
you a measure of risk. “The RAC should provide a valid basis for determining the
acceptability or risks, prioritizing risks, and allocating resources to reduce risk
(Stephenson 44).
First let’s look at the possible severity of a hazard. Most hazards are considered
low, medium or high. A low hazard will normally result in a first-aid injury or minor
property damage. A medium hazard will normally result in an injury that will require
medical treatment, property damage of medium value, and may cause an occupational
illness. High hazards are the most severe and can cause:
- partial or permanent disability
- death
- significant damage to a tool or piece of equipment
- the loss of the whole system
- serious illnesses that may lead to disabilities or death.
Now lets look at the probability that an incident or accident will occur. This can
often be a matter of chance. For example I could repeat the same event over and over
again until I injured myself. This injury could occur on the third time I did the event or
the 33rd time. I may not know on which one it will occur. Employees often use this
unknown chance an excuse to cut corners. They may say I have been doing it this way
for ten years and have not been hurt yet. They will normally be telling the truth.
However, the very next time they do it they could get hurt. So what you need to do is
make a decision as to how often this event may occur in the lifetime of the process.
The terms used are normally low, medium and high. Low is used to represent that the
event may or may not occur in the lifetime of the event. Medium means that the event
will occur during the lifetime of the process and high indicates that the event will occur
several times during the life cycle of the process. You now compare the probability with
hazard. A chart to help you might look something like appendix S. There are many
examples of matrices and you should choose the one that fits your needs best.
Let's look at oil spilled on a floor. How much risk is involved? Well, look around to
see how a person might fall and what type of surface they will fall on. In this case there
are machines to fall on and the floor is concrete. So if the person does fall they may hit
a machine or the concrete floor. This would normally cause a broken arm or elbow and
may cause a minor head injury. So this would be a medium hazard. Now think about
how often a person would fall after stepping in the oil. First of all is the floor smooth or
rough? Is the oil in the direct path or to one side? Do personnel have slip resistant
soles and heels on their shoes? In this case the floor is smooth concrete the oil is in the
direct path and our employees do not have slip-resistant soles or heels on their shoes.
So the person would probably slip several times in the life cycle of the process. The
process in this case is how long the oil will stay on the floor. So the probability is high.
We have a medium risk with a high probability. This should give us a medium risk
overall. You may refer back to Appendix S as you go through this example to make
sure you understand how it works. Now you must do this for each of the deficiencies
you have found. Then compare the risk. Now recommend that the higher risk items be
fixed first and then work down the list to the lowest risk. This is the worst first process.
You are fixing the hazards that are most likely to cause an accident first thereby
reducing the risk to employees. Don't forget to look at systemic causes and correct
those as well for a permanent fix. The risk assessment process is very subjective and
most people know this. You will get better at it as you go along. You may even seek
the advice of a Safety Professional to help you get a feel for an assessment.
HOW TO CORRECT HAZARDS
Correcting hazards is a very important part of any accident prevention program.
The real issue or question is what to correct and how? At first this might seem
straightforward, just fix the things you found wrong. However, few things in life are ever
that simple. First there must have been a thorough inspection conducted to identify all
the hazards no matter how big or small. You will have to correct any life threatening
hazards immediately. Most of the other hazards can wait while you review them for
trends and systemic errors.
There are two ways you can correct hazards. Both work to some extent and both
will meet regulatory standards. However, one way is normally temporary and doesn't
change the organization but the other does.
The fastest way to correct a hazard is to fix exactly what is wrong to meet the
standard. Do not look at systemic problems or root causes. This normally corrects the
hazard faster and will put you in compliance with the safety standards. This will also
seem to be the cheapest method. However, the costs can be misleading. In most
cases the hazard will occur again and again and it will cost you to fix the item each time.
However, some organizations want this type of program and if that is what your
organization wants you may be left with no choice but to provide it.
The best way to correct a hazard is the systemic method I spoke of earlier in the
inspections section. This is basically a program where you repair things within a
system. This is done by gathering deficiencies that are alike or appear to have the
same cause. A root cause is identified which in turn will prevent the deficiencies from
occurring again. Then the individual deficiencies are corrected. You must be careful
not to repair one thing only to break or change another. Money can be saved on this
approach because you can repair a number of things at one time and you can repair the
actual system. This method is used for systemic deficiencies and not individual
deficiencies that do not fit into the system. This is the preferred method of hazard
correction and will have longer lasting affect on the system. It will also keep you in the
loop for improving the process not just telling management when things are not right.
HAZARD CORRECTION RESPONSIBILITY
Next you will need to determine who should fix the hazard or
systemic defect. You should not be fixing hazards and systemic
defects that you found during an inspection. The person
responsible for that item or operation should fix it. Often times it
will be the supervisor or engineering. The point is to find out who
should fix it and let them know how to fix it. Better yet, let them
know what it looks like when corrected and the chances of it causing an accident or
illness if left uncorrected.
FOLLOW-UP
Now you will need to follow up at a later date to ensure the hazard was fixed. If it
was a high hazard you will need to follow up quickly to make sure it gets fixed. The
longer the hazard exists the more chance it has of causing an accident. In most cases
you should conduct a follow up inspection within 90 days to check all deficiencies. If an
item is not fixed ask the supervisor what she is going to do to fix it and what steps she
has taken in the mean time to reduce the hazard.
You can also send out short lists of the most common deficiencies found so that
other supervisors can look to see if they are occurring in their work areas.
ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION AND REPORTING
Accident Investigation and Reporting is an important element of any safety
program. The purpose of accident investigation and reporting is to support the
identification and correction or control of hazards. Investigation and reporting does not
exist on its own and serves no purpose outside the prevention of accidents. They are
often used for other purposes. When this occurs they are not accident investigations
and reports. This may seem like play on words but if your purpose is really accident
prevention you will approach the investigation and report from that perspective.
The initial responsibility for accident investigation and reporting belongs to the
supervisor. This is the key to any successful program. This does not mean the
supervisor will do all the investigations and reports. It only means they start the whole
process. What's the difference between an accident and incident? If you go back to the
"Compliance or Safety" section of this chapter you can go over the definitions again.
This is important because people often focus only on what is a problem now, not what
could be a problem in the future. It is more important to control the causes of incidents
than to focus only on the accidents that cause harm. It is even more cost affective to
stop something before it causes harm.
Let's look at general responsibilities in your organization:
-Employees must report all accidents and incidents to their supervisor. This
includes accidents and incidents happening to themselves as well as co-workers. The
employee also serves as the initial source of information on the incident or accident.
-Supervisors receive reports of incidents and accidents. They decide within the
constraints of company policy what incident and accidents to investigate and report to
the director and you.
-Middle Managers and Directors review accident data and implement measures to
reduce or eliminate hazards identified in reports and investigations.
-Safety Specialists support the work of the supervisor in reporting and
investigating accidents and incidents. You provide trend information to employees,
supervisors and management. You make recommendations for corrective measures to
reduce or eliminate hazards. You develop policies and procedures to maintain an
effective accident reporting and investigation program. Most importantly you will look at
the experience as a whole and look for systemic problems. Problems within the system
or systems that your organization is made up of have the potential to affect more than
the person who had the incident or accident. This is where the big pay off for safety is.
Improving the system is long lasting and improves your organization.
-CEO or Chief Operating Official provides a vision and support for this program.
-Unions keep employees involved in the safety program, review accident
experience and solicit employee support to help implement measures to reduce or
eliminate hazards identified in reports and investigations
OSHA Requirements
First OSHA requires accident reporting and record keeping based on the number
of full and part time employees that you have in your organization and the Standard
Industrial Classification (SIC) of your organization.
All organizations that employee eleven or more people in the SICs in table five
must complete and maintain on file injury and illness records. These organizations
must complete and maintain on file the basic OSHA forms. First, is an OSHA Form No.
300, which is the Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses or an
equivalent form. Second, is an OSHA Form No. 301, which is the supplementary
record, filled out on each injury or illness on the OSHA Form No. 300. The example
accident report form at appendix P when filled out will provide all the needed data to
properly fill out the OSHA Form No. 301.
These records should be maintained at each workplace and authorized
government officials shall be provided access to them. If your organization has no
regular workplace records shall be maintained at a central location. You must also keep
the records for five calendar years after the calendar year they covered.
SIC CODE
01-02 AND 07-09
13
DESCRIPTION
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fishing
Oil and Gas Extraction
15-17
Construction
20-39
Manufacturing
41-42 and 44-49
50-51
Transportation, Communication and Public Utilities
Wholesale Trade
52
Building Materials, Hardware, Garden, Supply and Mobile
Home Dealers
53
General Merchandise Stores
54
Food Stores
70
Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps, and Other Lodging
Places
75-76
Repair Services
79
Amusement and Recreation Services
80
Health Services
TABLE 5-SIC CODES FOR ACCIDENT REPORTING
What about all the organizations not listed in figure five or with less than eleven
employees? Unless the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has notified your
organization in advance that they have been selected to participate in the mandatory
Annual Survey of Occupational Injury and Illness (OSHA Fact Sheet 93-05) your
organization is normally exempt from the record keeping requirements I have just listed.
There are two requirements all industries, regardless of number of employees or
the SIC Codes must meet. These requirements are:
- Display either the OSHA or state poster containing information for employees.
- Report to the nearest OSHA office within 8 hours all accidents resulting in a work
related fatality or the hospitalization of five or more employees.
These are only the OSHA Federal requirements and your state may have
additional requirements that you must meet. You must contact them and find out what
their requirements are.
You as the safety specialist must be trained to conduct accident investigations and
reports. You will then in turn train personnel within your organization. Next you will
have to develop a program that fits the needs of your organization. This program must
provide information that improves the workplace processes and controls or eliminate
hazards. You want a program that will give just the right balance of work to keep it
going and effective information coming out. This is often difficult to do. Most line
managers are already extremely busy and don't really need another task. After you
develop this program you will need to staff it with the organization and get the director to
approve and sign it. Accident reporting is perhaps the most cumbersome task. I have
included an example accident form at Appendix Q. It is essential that employees report
all accidents to their supervisor. It is also beneficial if other employees report accidents
they see and hear about as well. This is hard to do because we are taught as children
that this is ratting and for some adults it is still important not to tell on each other. The
unfortunate part is that these employees that won't report an accident may have to see
other employees injured by the same cause. This may not have happened if the
employee who knew about the accident had taken the initiative to report the accident or
incident as soon as they knew about it.
After an accident has been reported the big question that needs to be answered is,
what accidents should be investigated? Your organization should have a policy on what
accidents and incidents should be investigated. In most cases the limit is usually based
on monetary costs or injury severity. I don't believe this is the best way to decide what
accidents should be investigated. You should also include accidents to systems that
are critical to the operation of your processes. These are systems or operations that if
disrupted could shut down or significantly degrade your entire organization's efforts to
make products or provide services. This may help to keep the company going if you
can spot a problem early and work to resolve it. You may also want to address
accidents to key personnel within your organization. These are people who need to be
at work to keep the organization going. Who if they were out of work would significantly
degrade the organization's ability to provide products or services. The main point is that
you must have a company policy on what gets investigated.
What is an investigation? It is an in-depth look at the causes of the accident with
an eye towards making corrections within the system that will prevent the accident from
happening again. The in-depth part is as you might expect very flexible. For some
accidents a review of the pre-accident facts, employee background, and a review of
company policy may tell you everything you need to know. On the other hand you may
need to review a number of other elements in addition to the things I have just
mentioned. You may want to compare policy with human capabilities, trace an
employee’s accident history, and look at past years inspections. This is a very
subjective process. As the investigator you must make the decision on how much
information is enough to identify the cause and prevent the accident from happening
again. There is also a cost benefit to accident investigation. It is hard to justify a $500
investigation to fix a $20 problem. Management will resent this approach very quickly.
Unfortunately, you may not know it is a $20 problem until you have spent $500.
Who should investigate? As I have said over and over again you must keep line
personnel involved in the safety program. If not, the program will suffer because you
cannot do it alone. This is a good place for supervisors, employees, safety committees,
process action teams and the like to get involved. The important thing to remember is
that investigating requires training and knowledge to enable a person to be effective. Of
course you should be trained and you should get some experience in conducting
investigations. The question now is whether your organization is willing to spend more
time and money to train more people? This is something you must discuss with the
CEO or director. The important thing is to strike a balance that will allow you to conduct
the investigations your organization needs with the proper amount of trained personnel.
There must be a format for the investigation and a review process that will get
management involved in the process of ensuring a proper investigation was done,
feasible corrective measures have been recommended and management buy in as the
solutions are determined. Once you have achieved this the reporting and investigating
program will be a benefit to your organization. There is one last thing about
investigating. Do not think that you should only investigate accidents. You can and
should investigate certain incidents. Remember that it is easier and more profitable to
solve a problem before it has cost your organization a large sum of money. The
process to investigate or an incident is the same. The only thing missing is the damage
or injury.
ACCIDENT ANALYSIS
It is very important to know what the accident experience is for your organization
and what that experience is telling you. If you look at all the accidents and incidents
occurring in your organization you should notice some similarities among them. You
may also analyze the accidents by asking a serious of questions and then analyze the
answers. The questions are:
Was there one place where a large number of accidents occurred?
Was there one section with a large percentage of a specific type of accident?
Was there one employee who was involved more than any other?
Was there a piece of equipment involved more than any other?
In addition to this type of analysis there are some statistics you can use to evaluate the
effectiveness of the safety program in general. It is important to compare like items.
You cannot compare high hazard operations with low hazard operations. The exposure
is different as well as the probability of an accident. It is best to compare sections with
themselves during similar periods of time. This will compare the accidents occurring in
a period with the accidents occurring in a second period. This will not specifically
demonstrate that programs you or the organization implement have caused the
reduction. This statistical comparison will show when accidents raised or lowered and
you must go to the trend analysis to identify why the changes occurred. This is not an
exact science but it can give you and your organization valuable information into
eliminating or controlling hazards.
For personnel injuries I like to get the rate per hundred or thousand workers.
These formulas are the number over the line divided by the number under the line. The
first formula gets you the rate of accidents per 100 employees and the second formula
gets the numbers of accidents per 1000 employees.
Number of Accidents X 100
----------------------------------------------Number of employees in section
Number of Accidents X 1000
----------------------------------------------Number of employees in section
FIGURE 3-PERSONAL INJURY RATE FORMULAE
If you have a large organization you can use a formula for personal injuries that will give
you a rate per 200,000 man-hours worked. Switch 200,000 for 1,000 in the formula in
figure three to get this rate.
Number of Accidents X 200,000
------------------------------------------------------Number of total hours worked in plant
FIGURE 4-OVERALL ACCIDENT RATE FORMULA
There is also a rate for motor vehicle accidents that will give you the rate per million
miles driven.
Number of Accidents x 1,000,000
--------------------------------------------------Actual miles driven
FIGURE 5-MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT RATE FORMULA
For machine related accidents you can get a rate per 1000 hours of operation.
Number of Accidents x 1000
---------------------------------------------Hours machine was operated
FIGURE 6-MACHINE ACCIDENT RATE FORMULA
I always like to do a cost per capita comparison that can tell you about the severity of
accidents by also comparing costs. This will give you the average cost of accidents in a
given section and compare that with the average cost from a previous quarter. If the
cost per capita goes up the accidents are more severe on average. If the cost goes
down the severity goes down. The formula is:
Total cost of accidents
--------------------------------Number of accidents
FIGURE 7-COST PER CAPITA FORMULA
These statistics may be good to present to the safety council meetings if members
understand the subjectivity they hold. Many things can skew the statistics like the
Hawthorne Affect so you may not get a correct picture of what is really occurring. If you
are trained in statistics you can do much more than I have outlined here. My focus was
on the person filling these duties with little or no training or experience in statistics. My
hope was to give you enough information to get started in accident analysis. “Terms
such as incident frequency and severity rate may be terms used daily by safety
specialists but may not be meaningful to a company’s business leaders unless they
understand how those statistics affect the bottom line (Tompkins 40).” That is true for
the formulas I have shown you here. You must be able to translate this data into
information that management can use. This can be done by coordinating your data with
the resource management personnel within your organization and reflecting injury and
accident data in what it is costing the organization or what costs could be saved by
preventing accidents in terms of manufacturing or services provided.
Fire Prevention
There are a number of things about fire prevention that you will need to know. I
can only tell you about basic information in the context of this book and encourage you
to get some training. Fires can and do strike organizations causing serious damage
and even loss of life.
Fire prevention is a tool that can be used to prevent a fire from occurring and to
reduce the potential loss of property and personnel. However good the fire prevention
program is, your organization will still need a fire protection plan. Fire protection is
normally considered the firefighting and rescue after a fire has started. So you focus on
preventing a fire while at the same time making sure someone is available to fight a fire
should one occur.
Fire normally results from a fuel source that has been
exposed to an ignition source or has caught fire from internal
combustion. Ignition sources can be sparking wires, a carelessly
tossed cigarette, or a mechanical part of a machine that has
overheated. Internal combustion is caused by a chemical reaction
that is created by a substance that allows it to burst into flames.
An old stack of oily rags that have parts cleaning solution would be
one example. “Almost 6 percent of industrial fires are caused by
portable cutting and welding equipment (Della-Giustina 62).” It is
important for you to know the types of fires.
There are four different types of fires, class A through D. The classes are described as:
- Class A is made up of combustible material like paper and wood.
- Class B is oil or petrochemical products.
- Class C is electrical.
- Class D is metal.
Each class of fire has a different type of extinguishing agent or type of fire extinguisher
that will put the fire out. Class A is put out by water. Class B and C are put out by a dry
chemical or Carbon Dioxide fire extinguisher. Class D is put out by a special fire
extinguisher with an agent for metal or one of the dry chemical models that is designed
for Class D fires.
Fire fighters fight fires with different chemicals and
water. The entire subject is beyond the scope of this
book. Your focus will be on what the organization does to
prevent fires by identifying fire hazards and dealing with
them. It is best if you can have an outside source take a
look at your facilities and review your fire protection plan.
If that is not possible you will need to get additional
training to do the work that will leave your organization
protected.
Fire hazards are a lot like safety hazards and can be dealt with as safety hazards.
This is the way I recommend looking at the fire hazards. However, there are some
additional requirements for fire prevention that are distinct from safety.
First you must ensure that all employees are notified of a fire. This is done by the
use of a fire alarm. Fire alarm systems are a must and you will need to decide what
system is installed in your facilities. There is a local alarm system that only rings in the
facility where the fire is located. If this is the system your organization is using then
there must also be a procedure in place to call the fire department and
report the fire. There is also a centralized system that rings locally and
sends a message to the fire department automatically. One issue very
seldom addressed is how the alarm is received locally. If it is a ringing
sound alone employees using hearing protection may not hear the alarm
and delay their departure from the facility. In addition, you may have
deaf employees working at your site who could not hear the alarm. The
other option is for a visual alarm. This is usually a flashing light that employees can see
and understand to be a fire alarm. This has its weaknesses to and may not be seen by
all employees in the facility due to the concentration on their work or a high level of light
in the facility. Either alarm method can be used or you can use both together. The
decision is based on the situation at your facility and should be made by a professional.
Hopefully, this system has already been installed and is correct for the situation.
It is not enough to notify employees you must also give them a way out of the
facility. Installing the correct number of exits and providing paths to those exits that are
free from obstruction or anything that will slow down the movement to the exit do this.
An important part of each exit is a way to prevent the doors from being locked for
security. This has been implicated in a number of fires throughout history. If security is
a problem then special doors can be installed with outside locks and inside panic
hardware or an alarm can be installed on the door to sound if it is opened. The cost of
these items is offset by the reduction in the possible cost if a fire occurs and employees
die from the exits being locked. OSHA has published a plain language standard for this
hazard and one provision it allows is that if you have met the Life Safety Code 101 for
2002 then you meet the OSHA standard. This plain language version is very helpful
and much easier to comply with.
You have got to get people to use the exits. You can do this by developing a fire
exit plan. “Evacuation routes and exits should be posted in
each work location (Della-Giustina 59).” This information is
often displayed on a fire exit plan. This plan describes the
routes used to exit in the event of a fire. Fire drills are then
used to validate that the plan works. A graphic representation
of this plan should be posted where an employee could read it
on the way out of his or her area and on the way to an exit.
The plan should be simple and easy to read and also indicate
where fire extinguishers and fire alarms are placed on the
route they are to take out of the facility. Include the meeting place so you can account
for all.
You will also want to make sure that your fire extinguishers are placed along this
route so that an employee would not have to put themselves at risk by going into a
corner or blind spot to get an extinguisher. I have included a program checklist at
appendix M to help you evaluate this program.
Personal Protective Equipment
You should never use personal protective equipment as a first choice to protect
workers. In chapter two I listed the different ways to abate (reduce or eliminate) a
hazard. Engineering repairs should always be your first choice for correcting a hazard,
personal protective equipment your second choice and administrative controls your third
choice. You can also use personal protective equipment to control the hazard
temporarily until an engineering repair can be made.
The first step to control hazards by personal protective equipment is to conduct a
survey of the workplace. With the assistance of staff personnel within your organization
determine which hazards can be corrected by an engineering repair and assist
maintenance or facility personnel in implementing the engineer repair. Next identify
through a task assessment (Job Safety Analysis) those hazards that can be corrected
or reduced by protective clothing and equipment. List this category in two columns.
Column one is for applications where personal protective equipment will be used as a
temporary measure and the second column where they are the permanent control
method. The CFR 1910, Subpart I, app B notes “consideration should be given to the
basic hazard categories: impact, penetration, compression, chemical, heat, harmful
dust, and light.”
You will want to review the CFR for information on different types of personal
protective equipment. The major Subparts you may want to look at are listed here in
table 6, CFR Subparts for Protective Equipment.
1910.132
General Requirements
1910.133
Eye and Face Protection
1910.134
Respiratory Protection
1910.135
Head Protection
1910.136
Occupational Foot Protection
1910.137
Electrical Protective Devices
1910.138
Hand Protection
Table 6 - CFR Subparts for Protective Equipment.
The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) provides guidance and
information about the different types of personal protective equipment and only those
products that are ANSI approved should be used. The proper item should be selected
that protects against the specific hazard present. You will need additional assistance in
deciding what items are right for what hazards. The supply or procurement personnel
in your organization can assist you in determining what products are available for the
different hazards.
Fashion is also a consideration. Clothing and equipment that is unattractive or
crude in appearance will cause a reaction similar to ill-fitting items. Fashion should not
be the driving force for choosing an item but it should be a consideration to help raise
compliance of usage among workers.
After selecting personal protective equipment it is imperative that the item properly
fit the individual who will wear and use it. Workers will find ill-fitting items cumbersome
and uncomfortable and may neglect to wear them. Proper fitting items, on the other
hand, should not detract from the wearers work habits. With a little motivation and
enforcement the workers will wear the items that fit properly.
After the hazards have been identified and the proper piece of clothing or
equipment has been chosen the worker must be trained on the proper wear and care of
the item. In addition, to this training a proper place for storage of the items must be
provided to the worker. A bad storage place is the worker’s toolbox or tool bench.
Items stored in toolboxes become scratched and broken and will not be worn by the
worker. The same fate awaits items stored on benches. Furthermore, workers must
not only keep the items from becoming damaged and unusable they must also keep the
item clean. This is a major consideration in selecting a storage location. Original boxes
and packages are helpful in keeping items safe and clean. If original containers are not
available a locking food storage bag will do the trick.
With all that behind you management still has to encourage and motivate the
employees and they must also enforce the standard of wear and use. Your goal should
be to maintain a usage level of 100%. This may sound unreasonable but, the closer
you get to the goal the more injuries will have been reduced or prevented by the
protection. This is often the hardest part of the program because you must impact on
the beliefs and behaviors of the workers within your organization. Supervisors will also
need to keep spare items on hand for visitors and management who come through the
hazardous areas. It is hard to require compliance and not include everyone. I have
included a program checklist at appendix L to help you evaluate this program.
Compressed Gases
Compressed gases create a special set of circumstances for any safety program.
These gases are stored in a compressed state in tanks and cylinders both portable and
fixed. The most common is the metal cylinder we see used in some shops that hold
Oxygen and Acetylene.
All compressed gases have one thing in common; they are a gas placed in a
container under pressure. This makes the transportation, use and storage of a filled
container a primary hazard. The pressure of the contents is held in place by a valve on
the container. Any damage to the valve could result in the contents discharging with
high pressure. If the container is portable as in a metal cylinder it can create a missile
like projectile. These discharging cylinders have been known to go through a block
wall. They can damage equipment and injure personnel. Workers have been killed by
the impact of the cylinder.
The second hazard associated with compressed gas containers is the hazard of
the gas inside the container. Each gas has its own characteristics and chemical make
up. Some, like Acetylene may be a high hazard while others like Helium, are a medium
hazard. Oxygen has its own set of circumstances. A worker can get too much Oxygen
and the release of Oxygen increases the potential for fire or an explosion. If a fire
occurs and Oxygen is released it will increase the size of a fire increasing the risk of
injury and property damage.
What is your role as an additional duty safety representative? This is a very
dangerous area and you will need to get some help. First you must locate all the
compressed gases in your organization. Next you must identify the contents in each
container and obtain a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on each gas. You should
categorize the different gases by the hazard they create; e.g. flammable, poison,
corrosive, oxidizer, etc. Then check to see if the containers have been inspected in the
past and check with the supply or housekeeping section in your organization to
determine the frequency of inspection.
The hazard of damaging a valve can be reduced and virtually eliminated by
ensuring that all protective metal caps are screwed on to cover the valve. Containers or
cylinders that are stood upright must always be fastened to a wall or support to prevent
the container from falling and breaking the cap and valve. Containers or cylinders
stored on there side must have the valve protected so that a heavy object or vehicle will
not drive onto the cap breaking the cap and valve. If it is a large fixed tank workman
working around the tank must be extra cautious about tools, equipment or workers
damaging the valve.
Some containers come with a pressure relief valve. If your containers are so
equipped you must ensure that a knowledgeable person has inspected the valves and
certified that they will operate properly when required. The relief valves operate when
the pressure increases in the container. A good example is an outside tank of propane.
In the heat of summer the gas may expand and the pressure relief valve would activate
and release the pressure. Thus avoiding a bigger hazard of the tank being over
pressurized.
If there are containers with pressure relief valves you must consider the hazard of
the gas released into the atmosphere or work area when the relief valve activates. If
the gas is flammable you must ensure that no ignition sources are present. If the gas is
poisonous you must ensure that no workers are near the area. It is always best to
ensure that the gas being released does not violate any Environmental Protection
Agency Regulations. In the case of propane the gas dissipates into the atmosphere
when released by the relief valve and becomes a minimal hazard.
Firefighting is more difficult for organizations with compressed gases. To ensure
the fire department will be prepared to fight such a fire you must notify them where
compressed gases are stored, by building and room number, and the type of gas. You
must also train employees working in the areas on what procedures to follow in the
event of a fire. If we go back to the propane example a fire would increase the
temperature of the tank that would activate the relief valve and provide propane fuel for
the fire. In some cases the gas coming out of the relief valve can ignite resembling a
torch. To prevent this flashback a flame (flash) arrestor should be installed on all vents.
Personnel must also be trained to avoid the hazards of working with the gas. An
example is CO2 or Carbon Dioxide which when released into a room can displace the
Oxygen and may cause an employee to suffocate. Another example is the Acetylene
bottle. If this bottle is stored on its side you must stand it upright for a specified time
period to avoid the hazard of the liquid itself leaving the container through the valve
instead of the gas. So specific training must be provided on each gas and the container
it is stored in.
Confined spaces significantly increase the hazard of the compressed gas within
the container or cylinder. The limited space can magnify the release of any gas and
may lead to an injury, fire or explosion. This area requires more expertise than you will
have so prohibit all compressed gases from use in confined spaces until an expert can
review the procedures and hazards.
Containers or cylinders that are portable are normally inspected prior to refilling to
ensure they are defect free and that the threads for the valve and the cap operate
properly. Cylinders are given a test every few years called a hydrostatic test to ensure
the cylinder is strong and not likely to contain a defect. The cylinder that passes is then
marked as having passed and refilled and sent to a customer. Cylinders that fail are
marked and removed from service. This is done for your CO2 fire extinguisher
cylinders.
For compressed gas cylinders attached to cutting and gas torches and welding
sets there is the additional hazard of the torch being used to burn the gas as it is
released through an orifice. There is always the hazard of the flame flashing back into
the hose and causing a fire or explosion. All cutting torch assemblies must be equipped
with a flashback arrestor in the lines to prevent just such an incident. There must also
be some oversight by management to ensure the arresters remain in the lines.
The best source for hazards and general information about compressed gas can
be found in the Compressed Gas Association Pamphlets C-6-1968 and C-8-1962. Both
of which are referred to in CFR 1910.101. For construction you may refer to the CFR
1926.350.
Have workers treat all compressed cylinders as if they could explode and injure
your organization’s workers and damage property, because they can. By looking at it
from that perspective you and your organization’s employees can avoid being
complacent and allowing an accident to occur.
Hazardous Materials
Within many organizations industrial processes require the use of hazardous
materials to make the work easier, more efficient, and often within profit margins. The
use of these materials although essential must be limited and controlled. The best and
most effective method for reducing the hazards of hazardous chemicals and substances
is to use a less hazardous substitute that can do the job just as well. This may mean a
little research and maybe even some trade offs. However, the end result can be worth
it, processes that have minimal hazards, which costs the organization less due to
prevention of injury and illness.
Hazardous material is defined as “any material possessing a relatively high
potential for harmful effects upon persons” (The Dictionary of terms used in the Safety
Profession 26). This definition goes on to give specific
examples of the materials.
In chapter five of this book the Hazard
Communication Program will be addressed. This program
is designed to reduce or eliminate the hazards of dealing
with hazardous chemicals and substances. I won’t go too
deeply into the program here, but rather provide you with a
warning about what is addressed here is part of that
program.
There are many different types of hazardous materials used today. Here I would
like to briefly focus on two. As you go through your training and while performing your
duties as a safety specialist you will learn much more.
Flammable and Combustible Liquids
First let’s look at flammable and combustible liquids. OSHA in CFR 1910.106
provides specific guidance for working with flammable and combustible liquids. In the
CFR and in real life they are tied together by many similarities. However, for simplicity
let’s look at them separately here.
Flammable liquids are the ones you are probably most familiar with. In CFR
1910.106, (a), (19) flammable liquids are defined as liquids having a flashpoint below
100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) except any mixture having components
with flashpoints of 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) which makeup 99
percent or more of the total mixture. Flammable liquids are known as Class I liquids
and are dangerous when used or stored improperly.
Also in the same section of the CFR at (a) (14) Flashpoint
is defined as the minimum temperature at which a liquid gives
off vapor within a test vessel in sufficient concentration to form
an ignitable mixture with air near the surface of the liquid.
There is much more to the definition, but for our purpose here
this will suffice.
So a flammable liquid is one that when the temperature is
below 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) will give
off vapors that can mix with the air and cause a mixture that
will ignite if an ignition source comes in contact with it. Room
temperature on most days is enough to cause the vapor to
release from the chemical. The flashpoint differs with the
chemical.
As a safety specialist you are concerned with two things. The risk of fire should be
your first concern. These chemicals can catch fire easily and continue to burn as more
vapors are given off until the surrounding materials are on fire. Your second concern is
that these chemicals are a hazard to the human body.
Each flammable liquid must have an MSDS with it or you can get one from your
organization’s supply or housekeeping section or the manufacturer. This MSDS will
give you the information you need to store and work with these chemicals safely. The
flashpoint as well as other important data will be on the sheet.
Flammable liquids can be stored in above or below ground tanks as well as cans
and other product containers. Each storage method has its own hazards and hazard
control methods. In your position you will most likely see flammables in small
containers. You will be interested in reviewing the storage of these containers to ensure
they are in fireproof cabinets, with self-closing doors, a vent, and spill pan at the bottom.
Your primary concern is to prevent these chemicals from catching fire. The storage
cabinet is your first line of defense followed by prohibiting ignition sources. “Specially
designed metal storage cabinets are available for storing up to 60 gal in small
containers (Fire Protection Handbook 3-244).
Flammable liquids should never be stored or used near open flames, arc or gas
welding, torch cutting, or grinding operations. All spills must be cleaned up immediately
and clothing removed when soiled by the liquid. When transferring flammable liquids
you must use proper grounding and bonding techniques. That means that the container
you’re pouring from must be grounded and the tank you‘re pouring to must be bonded
to the container you’re pouring from to avoid static electricity from creating a spark or
arc. I have included the definition for grounding and bonding in the glossary. An
electrician should check grounds to ensure they are effective. Manufactured grounding
and bonding cables with clamps can be purchased. Lastly, flammable liquids create a
Class B fire and the appropriate fire extinguisher should be located nearby to extinguish
a small fire or to help employees escape.
Your second concern, as I said earlier, is the health effects of exposure to the
flammable liquids. The eyes, mucous membranes, armpits and genital areas are
sensitive and can be damaged by contact or prolonged exposure with these liquids.
The normal skin on other parts of your body can also be damaged not just as easily as
the sensitive areas. These liquids tend to remove oil from the skin causing it to dry and
crack. The liquid may also seep into the skin causing an irritation or rash.
If flammable liquids are ingested consult a poison control hot line and get medical
assistance immediately. If the liquid gets into the eyes, flush them with water
immediately and seek medical attention. When the liquid is spilled onto the skin wash it
off with non-abrasive soap and water and if irritation develops seek medical attention. I
am talking about small spills in this section. Larger spills would require much more
attention to include a spill clean up to prevent environmental damage. If you have large
containers of flammables or tanks you must consult a professional to provide your
organization with a plan to prevent and control accidental spills.
In chapters seven and eight I will talk about the safety program itself but for now is
important to list those things you can do to reduce the risk caused by these liquids. See
table seven.
Identify all flammable liquids.
Ensure an MSDS is available for each.
Identify less hazardous chemical that does the same quality work.
Ensure proper personal protective equipment is used to reduce hazards.
Use engineering controls as first choice to eliminate hazards.
Train workers on the ways to control and eliminate hazards.
Procure and use the proper storage cabinets for flammable liquids.
Provide an eyewash.
Provide an emergency shower in areas where a worker might have large
quantities spilled on them.
Table 7 - Flammable and Combustible Liquids Hazard Control Measures
Combustible liquids are often confused with flammables, yet they are distinct.
Combustible liquids are defined by OSHA in the CFR as any liquid having a flashpoint
at or above 100 degrees Fahrenheit (37.8 degrees Celsius) and they are divided into
two classes II and III. Combustible liquids are normally less hazardous than flammable
liquids because the flashpoint is normally above room temperature except during very
hot seasons or when the liquid is heated. The liquid may be heated unintentionally in a
part cleaner by a worker accidentally dropping a part into the liquid they have been
grinding or in an engine using the liquid as a lubricant. When these situations occur the
liquids are easier to ignite and are normally handled as a lower or more hazardous class
of liquid.
Combustible liquids can be found in many operations and the hazards that are
associated with flammable liquids all apply here. The main difference is the probability
of fire. With a higher flashpoint the liquids do not as readily give off vapors to mix into
an ignitable mixture. So the likelihood of ignition is reduced. This does not mean that
you should work with these liquids as if they were harmless. I believe they should be
treated like flammable liquids. This type of policy will eliminate the possibility that a
worker will mistake a flammable for a combustible and create a fire.
The health hazard is much the same and combustibles should be treated as I
outlined for flammables. Storage is another issue. Combustibles should be stored
separately from flammables. First this will separate the liquids by the two biggest
categories. The flammables with a lower flashpoint will not increase the risk for the
combustible liquids. Secondly, you will not take up valuable space in your flammable
storage cabinet for less hazardous liquids.
Radioactive Sources
In the safety specialist position that you are in I see your involvement with
radiation safety as very limited. Radiation safety or more commonly known as radiation
protection is normally the responsibility of a professional with a science or more
specifically a physics background. I did not include those responsibilities or training
requirements in chapter three. In this section I want to give you general information
about radiation protection and some of the requirements out of the CFR.
When you talk about radiation in general you are talking about alpha, beta, and
gamma rays. These are referred to as ionizing radiation. That means they give off
radiation as they decay. When workers are exposed to this radiation they will absorb it
and become ill from the effects radiation has on a cellular level. Normally this is not a
quick illness unless there has been an extremely high exposure. These extreme
exposures are normally not found in general industry. What you could see is cancer
and a few other illnesses.
Exposure to radiation is measured in REMs. OSHA in 1910.96 defines REM as a
measure of the dose of ionizing radiation to the body tissue in terms of its estimated
biological effect relative to a dose of 1 roentgen of X-ray. OSHA has set dose rates for
annual exposure and workers shall never exceed those dose rates except under
specific guidelines also in CFR 1910.96.
Each type of radiation has its own hazard. Alpha particles are very small and can
be stopped by this page or clothing. The particles do not travel very far. Alpha particles
must be ingested to cause a problem or create a health hazard. Beta particles are
stronger and require protection. They can travel through some materials and will travel
in the air. Gamma rays are strong and can go through most material. These rays can
go through the skin causing severe damage. Gamma particles can travel for longer
distances in the air. All three types can be found in nature and we are exposed to
different types and amounts each day. The radiation around us in the environment is
called background. When measuring radiation levels it is important to know what the
background reading is so you can obtain correct readings when using a measuring
instrument.
Methods of controlling radiation hazards are focused on distance, time and
shielding. Each method has its own strong points depending on the particles and the
processes involved. Distance is achieved by staying far enough away from the
radiation source so that exposure is minimal or non-existent. Time is the second
method and involves working with a source for a very short time period to reduce
exposure to the radiation coming from the source. Reduce the time the worker is
exposed and you reduce their exposure. Shielding is the third method and is achieved
by placing a material or layers of material thick enough to block the particles and the
rays of radiation from coming through to the worker. All three methods can be used to
get to a point where the exposure to the radiation from a source is as low as reasonably
achievable. This is called ALARA, as low as reasonably achievable. That means that
we strive to never allow a worker to be exposed unnecessarily even if it will be below
the annual limit.
X-rays are another type of radiation and the one we are most familiar with. If you
go to the doctor or dentist they will often take an X-ray to look into the body to diagnose
an injury or illness. Each time you are given an X-ray you have been exposed to
radiation. This is normally not a problem for a typical person and may help to
demonstrate that each of us is exposed to certain amounts of radiation and live normally
lives.
There is a second category of radiation and that is called Nonionizing radiation.
These sources do not involve the ionization process and include radio waves,
microwaves and LASERs. These Nonionizing sources have a different type of radiation
hazard that exists only when the piece of equipment that is producing the source is
turned on. For example a LASER is harmless unless it is turned on. Then a LASER
light is emitted creating a hazard. This makes control of these sources easier than
ionizing sources. That is because ionizing sources can’t be turned off and only
weakens over time, often thousands of years.
In OSHA CFR 1910.96 radiation is defined as including alpha rays, beta rays,
gamma rays, and X-rays, neutrons, high speed electrons, high speed protons, and other
atomic particles; but such terms does not include sound or radio waves, or visible light,
or infrared or ultraviolet light. OSHA also addresses microwave radiation in 1910.97
and it is referred to as Nonionizing radiation.
There are a number of requirements when dealing with a work area for radioactive
material. There are dose limits which means that the employer must measure the
amount of radiation a worker is exposed to and document that exposure. There are a
number of devices that when worn on a worker can measure the exposure. There are
film badges, pocket dosimeters, and pocket chambers just to name a few. Every area
must be identified that contains radioactive material and signs must
be posted, see figure eight.
Figure 8 - Radiation Symbol (symbol is magenta with a yellow background).
A risk assessment should be done to determine the risk of
exposure and the operations classified as high, medium or low. A list must then be
developed of every employee that works in that area. Each employee must be given a
base line physical so exposure and damage to the human body can be determined at a
later date. Personnel must be properly trained in working with radioactive material and
each must be issued a device to measure exposure.
There must be an emergency notification and evacuation plan that will notify
workers and outside emergency response agencies when an emergency exists.
“Developing emergency action plans in writing, if you employ 11 or more workers,
required by OSHA standard CFR 1910.38 (Tompkins 60).” A procedure must be set up
to get the workers out of the hazardous area and decontaminated, if necessary. It is
best to coordinate with all agencies involved early so that the procedures will be in place
and validated when a real emergency happens. All these agencies must be told the
building, room number and type of radioactive source so they can be prepared to
respond.
Shipping and handling is an even larger area of working with radioactive material.
I will not discuss the specifics here, but CFR 49 is published by the Department of
Transportation and is the best reference. Don’t forget to review state laws governing
the transportation of hazardous material. In addition, all workers involved in the
shipping and handling must receive special training to include a driver if shipped by
truck.
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulates some employers and they are held
to the standard in 10 CFR part 20. I will not address those employers here.
Remember that your role should be very limited if your organization works with
radioactive sources. There should be a professional to do the work. This person may
be an employee or may be a contractor. The most important thing is that they be
trained and qualified to provide oversight for a radiation protection program.
Training
You will be required to provide safety training for the employees and managers of
your company. There are references in the 29 CFR part 1910 that will apply to the
operations your company performs. There will be training provided for personnel who
are required to wear PPE, involved in the Bloodborne Pathogens program, respiratory
protection program, and first aid providers just to name a few. Providing safety training
may be a difficult task if you are not prepared. Attending safety classes can often be
boring and with no apparent purpose for the attendee. That is unless you prepare
yourself and your class properly. “A good approach with safety training is to constantly
remind your audience that the whole purpose of the training is to help them do their job
more safely, which ultimately protects their health and well-being (Cantonwine 7).”
Your first task will be to determine what training is required for your organization.
Secondly determine how much if any of this training that you or someone else in your
organization can do. You will need to contract the training you cannot do. For the
training you can do you will need to determine how to conduct the training. There are
nine possible ways to conduct this training. “Nine possible methods include: lecture,
discussion, demonstration, structured exercise, case study, role playing, in-basket,
games and brainstorming (Cantonwine 59).”
Signs
There are a number of signs that are required in the 29 CFR 1910 and 1926. It is
important for signs in your organization to inform people of the hazards within their
workplace. “Signs, labels, markings and instruction manuals are used to promote safety
and health by modifying and guiding human behavior (Bresnahan, Lhotka, and Winchell
2).” Therefore signs must be understandable, consistent, and visible. If you have
visually impaired employees you may have to devise other methods in place of signs.
Signs come in many shapes and forms. However, the size can directly affect the
ability of your employees to read the sign. One particular area of interest is in the
Hazardous Communication program. “OSHA Code of Federal Regulations 1910.145
establishes rules for signs and tags, and CFR 1910.1200 (Hazard Communication)
provides for information on labels and other forms of warnings to alert employees to the
presence of hazardous chemicals and how to handle them (Bresnahan, Lhotka, and
Winchell 13).”
After you conduct your workplace assessment you can identify where signs are
needed and how they should be placed. Many signs can be purchased and all you
need to do is place them where they belong. In a few cases you may need to make
some signs of your own.
Summary
In this chapter I have tried to give you the basic information about safety that you
will need to begin. This is not the end. You have just barely begun. Now it is up to
you to take the next step and get some training that will elaborate on what I have done
here. I hope I have given you the information you need to keep you going until you get
training.
A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Do I want a program for compliance or process improvement?
2. How important are hazard identification and assessment?
3. What is the difference between an accident and an incident?
4. Why does a systemic fix provide longer lasting solutions?
5. How can Human Error affect accidents in my organization?
6. What accidents or incidents do I want to report?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER FIVE
“Elements of a Safety Program."
There are a number of programs that you need to know about. Each of these
programs is actually an element of your organization's safety program. In reality not all
of them will apply, depending on your operation. It is important to include those that do
apply in your program. Your program may include security, some do. I will address that
subject in its own chapter to provide more room for elaboration.
Hazard Communication Program
This program or what was formerly known as the Right To
Know Law applies to processes and operations that work with
chemicals that are hazardous. This program requires that any
person that works with or may come into contact with
hazardous substances be told what the hazards are, what
personal protective equipment is needed to protect themselves
from the hazards and how hazardous exposure can be
avoided.
The program is required by CFR 1910.1200 and begins with the manufacturer of
the chemical. They must identify all the hazards associated with the use of the
substances. This information is then passed on to the purchaser who in turn passes it
on to their employees.
“A business should determine what hazardous materials are used and maintain a
current list of the kinds and amounts (Della-Giustina 14).” Each employer must first
determine if they use hazardous substances. You can do this by reading the labels of
the products you use. The label will identify hazards. If you have hazardous chemicals
you must develop a written program that describes how you will implement this
standard. Chemicals that are poisonous, carcinogens (cancer causing), skin hazards,
breathing hazards all fit this category of chemicals requiring the implementation of this
program.
You will then want to take an inventory of all the chemicals and substances in your
organization. This list must be kept in the work place and made available to the work
force upon request.
You must ensure that chemicals are labeled according to the standard. Within the
standard there are some provisions to reduce the amount of work required to comply.
You must also maintain a Material Safety Data Sheet on each chemical. If you do not
have the Material Safety Data Sheet you may contact the supply person or purchasing
department for your organization and they can request one from the manufacturer of the
product or the distributor.
The Material Safety Data Sheet is a very important part of the process. It is a
document developed by the manufacturer and required by OSHA. It must be provided
to buyers of hazardous substances. In addition to this document there are a number of
software and automated packages that will provide you with a computer generated
document. There are also subscription services that work as well. The point is that you
must have a Material Safety Data Sheet in the work place for all hazardous substances
and it must be available to the work force. The document itself will tell you about the
hazards of the substance, first aid, protective measures, transportation instructions, fire
fighting instructions, and personal protective equipment that may be required.
You must now teach your employees about the program and how to work with the
chemical safely. This means that an initial briefing must be given to anyone before they
work with a hazardous substance. This initial briefing will tell them their rights and
obligations under this program. Formal training must then follow that will teach this
person how to work with this chemical or substance safely.
After that you will need to determine what items of personal protective equipment
must be worn and teach employees how to wear them. The Material Safety Data Sheet
is the first place to start to look for hazards and help in identifying personal protective
equipment to be worn. The OSHA Standards is the other place to go to for help.
Personal protective equipment must only be worn if you cannot control the hazard with
an engineering fix. An engineering fix would be an exhaust system, or protective glass,
or a filtering system. You as the safety specialist must also survey the work place and
determine the personal protective equipment that must be used and notify the
supervisor in writing. The organization must provide the proper personal protective
equipment to each employee.
OSHA Booklet No. 3084, dated 1994 (Revised) is a good resource outside the
CFR to get a quick overview of this program. I highly recommend this booklet. You can
receive a copy of this booklet by writing to the nearest OSHA office at the address at
appendix B. I have included a program evaluation checklist at Appendix J.
Confined Space Program
This is another OSHA program intended to reduce the injuries and deaths of
workers who must perform work inside a confined space. “A confined space is one
having limited or restricted means of entry or exit, is large enough for an employee to
enter and perform assigned work, and is not designed for continuous occupancy by the
employee (Permit-Required Confined Spaces 1).” This program is regulated by CFR
1910.146 and has requirements and procedures for general industry.
First you have to decide if you have confined spaces. “Some examples may be
underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, pits and dike areas, vessels and silos (PermitRequired Confined Spaces 1).” If you have spaces that fit the definition you must
determine if they require a permit. “A permit-required confined space is one that meets
the definition of a confined space and has one or more of the following characteristics:
(1) contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere, (2) contains a
material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant, (3) has an internal configuration
that might cause an entrant to be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls
or by a floor that slopes downward and tapers to a smaller cross section, and or (4)
contains any other recognized serious safety and health hazards (Permit-Required
Confined Spaces 1).”
The flowchart on page three of OSHA booklet 3138 will help you sort out the
process. This is another booklet you should request from OSHA. However, this is not
an area for amateurs. This is definitely a situation where I would recommend your
organization hire a contractor to evaluate the work spaces and identify which ones are
confined spaces and which ones are permit-required confined spaces. In addition I
would get their assistance to set up the program.
If it turns out that you have permit-required confined spaces you must inform
endangered employees of the existence, location and danger of the spaces. You can
do this by a sign or some other means that is as effective as the sign. If you don't want
employees to enter these spaces you must take positive measures to prevent their
entry.
However, as in most cases you may need employees to enter. If so, you will need
to comply with the requirements of the standard. In most cases you must develop a
written program that meets the requirements outlined in table 8. This plan must be
evaluated and updated annually.
Permits verify that pre-entry procedures have been done and the space is safe to
enter. The permit must be posted at the entrance or made available to employees who
will enter in some other manner as equally effective as posting. The permit is good only
for the time of this particular work assignment. When canceled, permits must be kept
on file for one year. These permits require specific information so you will need to refer
to the CFR for the requirements.
Employers must also provide training for employees who work in permit-required
confined spaces before their initial work assignment. In addition they must properly
train an employee in his or her duties. Employers must ensure the employee has
obtained the understanding, knowledge and skills needed to perform the duties. This
can be done through an examination and hands on test. Further training must be
provided when duties change, permit program changes, operation presents new hazard
or when employee's work performance is deficient. Rescue personnel must also be
trained in CPR and First-Aid. All training must be certified. This can be done by
awarding certificates to employees upon completion of training and verification of
understanding, knowledge, and skills with a written examination and hands-on test.
An attendant must be on duty outside the space in case of an emergency to call
for help. This person should not enter the space.
To control emergency situations rescue procedures must be established in
advance and tested annually. Employees, in some cases may need to wear a harness
with retrieval line for evacuation. A retrieval device may also be required.
Identifies and evaluates hazards.
Tests conditions and atmospheres.
Prevents unauthorized entry.
Establishes and implements means to eliminate or control hazards to provide
safe entry.
Explains employee’s duties.
Requires Personal Protective Equipment.
Explains attendant requirements.
Requires coordination for entry if multiple employers are involved.
Explains rescue procedures.
Implements a permit system.
TABLE 8-PERMIT REQUIRED CONFINED SPACE ENTRY REQUIREMENTS
If chemicals are involved the MSDS or similar document must be kept at the work
site and made available to treating medical facility.
I must stress again that this is not a program I would recommend you do if you are
an additional duty or collateral safety person. It is very complicated and dangerous and
above the requirements for additional or collateral duty personnel. If you are full time
you should attend the appropriate training to allow you to run a program of this
complexity. If you have confined spaces you will have to do something to reduce the
risk. So I have tried to give you a basic explanation of how the program works so that
you will be better prepared to hire a professional to implement the program at your
organization. When looking for someone look for a Certified Industrial Hygienist or a
Certified Safety Professional.
My experience with confined space testing is that it is often complicated and
should only be done by a qualified person. I have also known of serious accidents that
resulted from personnel in attendant status or by-standers going in to rescue a down
employee only to die themselves. I have included a program evaluation checklist at
Appendix G.
Bloodborne Pathogens
If your organization is involved in health care or public safety then your
employees may be occupationally exposed to Bloodborne Pathogens. You may have
heard of the two most obvious dangers of being exposed to blood and certain other
body fluids is the possibility of contracting human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and
Hepatitis B virus. This exposure occurs when contact with the products through needle
sticks or pricks, mucous membranes, and other sources making contact with broken or
cracked skin of the worker.
“CFR 1910.1030 regulates this program and its goal is to
reduce the risk of occupational exposure to Bloodborne
diseases. The rule applies to all workers occupationally
exposed to blood or other potentially infectious material
(Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens-3).” The
standard also helps you determine who may be exposed and
how to reduce that exposure.
If you have workers who are potentially exposed your organization must develop a
written exposure control plan. This plan must include the items in table 15.
Exposure determination.
Procedures for evaluating circumstances of exposure.
Schedules and methods for implementing sections covering compliance.
Vaccinations.
Exposure follow-up.
Communication of hazards.
Record keeping.
TABLE 9-EXPOSURE CONTROL PLAN ELEMENTS
The plan must be reviewed and updated annually, when new tasks and procedures
affect exposure. Your organization must also make the plan available to employees.
When you do an exposure determination the exposure is based on exposure
without personal protective equipment. Job classifications should also be reviewed
within the work environment. You should list exposures in two different groups. The
first group should include job classifications where all the workers are exposed. The
second group includes job classifications where employees are exposed some of the
time. On the second list the specific tasks and procedures must be listed.
Employees exposed to these hazards must receive information and training upon
initial assignment and annually thereafter. Further training is required when tasks
change or new tasks are assigned. Training must be specific and follow the standard. “
There are two types of employee-related records required by the bloodborne pathogens
standard, medical records and training records (Martin 33).
Standard controls are needed to reduce the risk. In addition, OSHA requires what
they call universal precautions be observed. Universal precaution means that the
employer and employee assume that all human blood and specified body fluids are
infected with HIV, HBV and other Bloodborne diseases.
There are a number of specific requirements for this program that are spelled out
in the CFR so don't depend on this chapter to tell you all you need to know. One area
of particular importance is the use of gloves. “Gloves should be worn when it can be
reasonably anticipated that the employees may have contact with blood, or other
potentially infectious materials, mucous membranes, non-intact skin, and when handling
or touching contaminated items or surfaces (Della-Giustina 148).”
If your employees could be exposed it is essential to identify these potential
exposures and control them. There must be a plan to evaluate and follow-up on
exposures. Although this program is limited in the kinds of employees who may be
affected the results of exposure can be very serious. You should also ensure that
personnel providing first aid to your employees has this training as well as first aid kits
that provide protective items such as gloves and mouth guards. In addition, your
vehicle operators should have the same items in their first aid kits. It is essential that
medical personnel be involved so that the program is accurate and effective. I have
included a program evaluation checklist at Appendix F.
Control of Hazardous Energy
One program that has wide application is the control of hazardous energy in the
Lockout/Tagout program. This standard (CFR 1910.147) protects
workers by preventing them from contacting hazardous energy
while performing services or maintenance on machines and
equipment. The standard requires practices and procedures to
shut down machinery or equipment and install energy-isolating
devices, then lock out or tag out machines and equipment before
work is performed. This prevents the worker from being exposed
to the energy. Whether it is electrical, mechanical, hydraulic or
any other type.
“The primary tool for providing protection is an energy-isolating device, a
mechanism that prevents the transmission or release of energy and to which all locks or
tags are attached (Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)-6).” Lockout means
locking the energy out of the machine normally by shutting the energy off, putting a blind
in place and padlocking the handle in the off position. Tagout is much the same as
lockout except no padlock is used. Instead a tag is used to tell other workers the
energy is turned off and should remain that way as long as the tag is in place.
“This standard applies to the general industry. It covers the servicing and
maintenance of machines and equipment in which unexpected start up or the release of
stored energy could cause injury (Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)-2).”
As with most programs the employer is required to develop a program to isolate energy
sources and specify the use of lockout/tagout procedures. In addition, all employees
must be trained on the use of blinds, locks and tags to control the energy. This will help
prevent other workers from energizing the equipment mistakenly. The employer should
also conduct periodic inspections to ensure the program is working. In addition, the
written program must be reviewed and updated annually or when procedures change.
CFR 1910.147 provides specific requirements for implementing this program.
However, there are lockout/tagout requirements contained in a number of other
standards within CFR 1910. It is essential to review the standards before beginning any
program. I have included a program evaluation checklist at Appendix H.
Early Return To Work Program
Every organization can benefit from having injured workers return to work at the
earliest possible time. This is just common sense. However, it is not as easily done as
you might think. If you are interested in returning employees to the work place it will
take some effort on your whole organization's part to make a program work.
What exactly is an early return to work program? It is a program that identifies
employees who have experienced an injury or illness at work
and are out of work recovering. This program works when an
employee is recovered significantly from their injuries to return
to work with the organization in some capacity. Or it may mean
that a worker who was not seriously injured and cannot do their
regular job can be put to work somewhere else in the
organization
First of all the organization must commit to returning these
workers to a productive job where the person can work their
way back to their old job. This must be done at the employee’s
old pay. First, the personnel office must identify positions that
may be used for this purpose. These should be positions that require little physical
effort and or training to do the job. Secondly, a job description must be written to outline
the physical requirements so that a physician can decide if an employee can do the
work. The supervisors of these jobs must agree that the injured workers could fill them
with their support.
Furthermore, there must be a plan to stay in contact with injured workers to
identify when they may be ready to return to work. Then an organization representative
should contact their physician and provide them with job descriptions of possible
temporary jobs.
Once all this is approved the person must be contacted about the position or
positions they can fill. Once the person agrees they will report to their new job and a
plan will be developed between the employees, the new supervisor, personnel office,
and a physician as to how soon they return to their old position when they are fully
healed or healed enough to do the old work.
Employees will see this as a positive way that they can stay at work where their
colleagues and their old job are. They also see that their employer cares and is trying
to work them back into the old job. This may not work for everyone, but it can help
employees who are interested and willing to give it a try.
Employers must fulfill their commitment and return the employees to their old job
or the program will lose credibility. If an employee is unable to return to the old job
because they cannot do the old work another solution must be worked out. Return to
work early programs are only temporary employment opportunities.
What benefits does this have for the organization? When an employee stays at
home a lot of bad things can happen. They can become complacent, lose interest in
their work, or may suffer stress from fear they may lose their job. In addition, if an
employee is at home for a long period of time they may feel the organization just doesn't
care anymore unless someone from the organization stays in touch with them. This all
has the potential of causing the employee to stay at home longer than necessary
causing the organization to lose money and be without a trained employee. It will also
be harder to reintegrate the employee back into the work place the longer they are out.
A lot of employers like this program because the employee is being paid anyway
and now they can get some productive work out of them while at the same time
maintaining a constructive relationship with labor. This can be a win-win situation.
Preventing Motor Vehicle Accidents.
It seems that no matter what business you are in your organization is involved with
some kind of motor vehicle operations. Motor vehicle accidents can be the leading
cause of accidental injuries and property damage in your organization as it is in most
other industries. From 1980 to 1992, motor vehicle crashes were the leading cause of
work-related deaths in U.S. workers. During this period, traffic-related motor vehicle
crashes accounted for the deaths of 15,830 workers – or 20% of al fatal workplace
injuries (NIOSH Alert 1). So whether you have a trucking company or just a few
company cars any effort that is put into a motor vehicle safety program is money well
spent.
There are a number of factors that were identified
by NIOSH in its 1998 alert. This data showed that
males were more likely to be involved than female
drivers. Drivers were most often between 30-34 years
old and most of those that died as a result of injuries
from the crash were drivers. Lastly, over half of those
that died were not wearing a seat belt. This information
can provide us with information to compare to your
organizations. That your drivers who are male,
between 30-34 are more likely to die from vehicle
crashes. In addition, all prevention programs must include emphasis on wearing seat
belts.
Three major areas require emphasis; the physical condition of the vehicle, driver’s
training, and motivation of drivers. The vehicle must meet minimum standards. These
standards should be checked during an annual vehicle inspection and periodically
throughout the year. The driver must check out a minimum of items before they depart
with the vehicle. These can include the items listed in table 16.
Working lights
Working windshield wipers
Correct fluid levels
Correct air pressure in tires
Clean windows
Working horn
Table 10-Driver Checklist
A background check must be done on all applicants before they are allowed to
drive for your organization. This background check may include a license search, credit
check, police check, and employment history review. Do not hire a driver only to find
out after an accident that he or she had a list of crashes as long as your arm. This
could cost the organization much more than the driver could have ever been worth.
Prior to implementing this background check get guidance from a lawyer as to what you
can and cannot do. Once implemented submit all applicants to this process.
The training and motivation of the driver is also a major area. All drivers should be
trained to operate the vehicle they will be operating. In addition they should receive
defense driving training and some training in driving in inclement weather. Then you
should follow up with ways to motivate the driver. One of the best ways is to establish a
minimum standard for driving. Then require all drivers to meet this standard, no
exceptions. Items included in minimum standard can be found at table 11. For
commercial motor vehicles there is additional guidance. “At the direction of the U.S.
Congress under the Commercial Motor Vehicles Safety Act of 1986, national standards
were developed for every individual driving commercial motor vehicles in the country.
The regulations (49 CFR Part 383) were finalized by the Federal Highway
Administration on July, 1, 1988 (Della-Giustina168).”
A program I believe was started by American Telephone and Telegraph (ATT) and
is very good is to place an orange traffic cone to the rear of vehicles with limited
visibility. This requires the driver to remove the cone before getting into the vehicle and
he or she is able to see if anything is in the way before backing. Another program is to
use headlights whenever you are driving day or night.
You should also have a road conditions plan for vehicle operations. This can be
as easy as color-coding the conditions. Green is good, dry roads with good visibility;
Amber with wet or snow covered roads with poor visibility; Red with wet and or snow
covered roads that are icy or melting, and very poor visibility; and Black with ice covered
roads, blowing snow, greatly reduced visibility. What ever plan you set up make sure
you have rules for allowing your personnel to drive. Most organizations should not drive
in Black road conditions. However, if your organization provides emergency response
this may be required. Then again is it really cost effective to drive in red road conditions
to get some small errands done? Only your organization can answer that question.
No speeding tickets
No vehicle accidents
No reports of reckless driving
No damage to vehicle
Proper maintenance done each time
Periodic maintenance done.
Proper cleanliness
No excess wear and tear on the vehicle
Table 11-Drivers Standard
You should have an awards program for drivers that drive for a minimum period
without a traffic accident or moving violation. This will provide further incentive to do
their job correctly.
The last thing and perhaps the most important is to have a realistic idea of how far
a driver can drive without suffering from excessive fatigue. The practice of speeding
and driving too far may in the short run save some shipping time. However, in the long
run it may result in property damage and lost lives of company personnel and the
general public. By stopping or controlling this practice you can save money through
reduced insurance premiums, lost work due to accidents, property damage, and
damage to your company image. Unfortunately, some companies make it so sweet for
a driver to speed and drive more hours in a day than they can do safely. Some
companies offer bonuses to get a load in early. While others may offer penalties for
being on time or what they may call late. This practice not only puts the company at risk
it unnecessarily risks innocent people on the road. A lot of people at the management
level I have talked to say this practice does not exist. However, I've talked to drivers
and gotten a much different picture. It is easy to compare the amount of time it should
have taken for a run to be completed and the actual time it took. When I have made
this comparison I have been extremely disappointed in the amount of risks taken. If
your organization does not follow this practice my hat is off to you. It is worth the time to
check into and also worth the effort to control the hazard of driving too fast, too far. I
have included a program evaluation checklist at Appendix K.
Off-The Job Safety and Family Safety
Even though employees are not specifically required to protect themselves after
work hours an off-duty safety program can help reduce the amount of time employees
spend away from work because of injuries occurring at home, in traffic, or any other
places one may go when not at work. A disproportionate number of accidents happen
to employees and their families in their own home and communities.
The biggest hazard faced away from work is posed by motor vehicle operations.
Each year thousands of people are killed, disabled and injured in motor vehicle
accidents. Employees from your organization could be among them. If they are this
could mean the worker may not be able to come to work. They may also come to work
but they may be impaired physically or preoccupied with injured family members or
financial losses from an accident. One important area is the loss of injury of a child.
Every day, children sustain serious injuries and die in traffic accidents. Many of these
tragedies could be avoided with the correct use of child safety seats and seatbelts
(Davis and Fanning 01). Emphasis should be placed on encouraging employees to
place all children in child safety restraints appropriate for their age. Whether it is the
employee or a family member that is killed or hurt the organization loses time and
productivity.
You may also have the same problems at work from employees or family
members who are injured on slips, trips and falls in and around the home. These falls
don't have to be from great heights. A simple fall from a chair can seriously injure a
person and cause them to be off for days or even weeks. The last major category is
back injuries. Many people suffer from back injuries due to over exertion, improper
lifting, or improper body movements. Any of these injuries can mean an employee may
lose a lot of work or will suffer with pain for years. This can affect your organization's
profit. An employer can't dictate how an employee lives their life or change the amount
of risk they decide to take. What you as a safety specialist can do is develop a plan that
will allow the safety program for the organization to provide the employees and their
families with information about hazards away from work. Especially with motor vehicles
and the home.
The organization can provide the employees and their families with information
booklets on the hazards they may face. You can include articles in the company
newsletter. In addition, your organization's health insurance company can address
prevention issues. Local fire departments and police can offer visits to the workplace at
organizational activities. It is even in the best interest of your organization to use local
newspapers and radio to get the word out about your safety efforts.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the study of work. What does this have to do with safety? Good
question. There are a number of hazards that are created by the people who design the
systems, operations, and equipment because they do not
consider the limitations of the human body. There are also a
number of illnesses and diseases that occur when we do not
consider the limitations of the human body. The goal here is
to identify hazards that are created by the work that
employees must do. Then steps must be taken to reduce the
stress or eliminate the hazard. “Ergonomics attempts to "fit
the job to the man" rather than to "fit the man to the job"
(Oborne 4).” OSHA does not have a specific standard for
Ergonomics and the “General Duty Clause” is used to cite
Ergonomic hazards.
There are a number of hazards associated with ergonomics from lighting,
heating, reach, height, to work station measurements and more. Two very big hazards
are found in lifting and keyboard operating. Due to the number of injuries and the
emphasis on these two sources I will address them here. You should not stop with
these two. Any work you put into reducing ergonomics hazards will improve the work
processes your organization does. The most hazardous and the one, which costs the
most money is lifting injuries. If you are interested in reducing lifting problems you will
need to review the lifts done each day. Decide what lifts need to be done by workers,
machines or not done at all. Review employees medical files to ensure workers with
medical problems that would be aggravated by heavy lifting or perhaps people with a
previous back injury are not now asked to lift. Then implement a training program for
those workers who must lift. Supervisors must follow up and enforce the requirement to
lift properly. See Appendix U for more information on lifting requirements.
Keyboard operating is another area where there can be significant pay off for
improving the work situation. First the worker must have a workstation. Do not
overload the worker or force them to work in an uncomfortable position. Refer to
Appendix U for the proper measurements for a workstation. The best solution to most
workstation hazards is to provide the worker with an adjustable workstation so they can
make it fit their body. Lastly get medical care immediately for all workers complaining of
physical pain or numbness especially in the wrist or elbow.
In chapter three in the section on conducting inspections I introduced you to a
special kind of inspection called a Job Hazard Analysis. This analysis is prefect for
identifying ergonomic hazards. If you have any experience with flow charting, fault tree
analysis, or any other form of laying out a process you can use this to lay out the
process and look at the individual steps and then list the potential hazards associated
with each step. After that you develop control measures to reduce or eliminate the
hazard. If the process is already being done you can use employee and supervisor
questionnaires to find out what hazards exist and their impact. You may also use a
video camera to tape the process to find out just what is happening. This beats the old
clipboard and watch technique I was originally taught. You stand by the person doing
the process and with a watch and a clipboard document what he does and how long he
does each step. In the margin you write down hazards that you see with each step.
Later you can go back over the document and add potential hazards that you did not
witness, but are probable. With videotape you can go back over what is being done and
take second looks at steps of the process. More importantly you can point out to the
employee what they where doing and how they could modify the process to reduce
hazards.
One part of any process you must be very familiar with is the amount of
repetitions the employee is asked to do. This can lead to increased hazards if the
employee is ask to increase the number of repetitions of work done above the amount
that can be done without causing damage to the human body. Always review
processes when management wants to increase repetition or the speed of each
repetition. The initial production gains may be offset by injuries and accidents.
One interesting aspect of this hazard is that it can be directly related to job
fulfillment. I have seen workers report injuries more before lay offs, cut backs or job
shifts. This is an area that should be addressed early in every process that adversely
affects the employees. You can even notify the personnel office of the impact that
injuries may have when a reduction in force or lay offs take place. This impact can be
monitory as well as production slow downs or possibly a disabled worker on long-term
workman's compensation. Don't forget to look further at this type of hazard. This is an
outstanding opportunity to train the supervisors and workers to spot ergonomics
hazards and then you can work with them to solve or control these hazards. This will
give them a part of the solution and a certain amount of buy-in to the program. It will be
their program too, not just yours. I have included a program evaluation checklist at
Appendix I.
Voluntary Protection Program
This program is as its name implies a voluntary program where an employer
goes beyond the minimum standards set by OSHA. “The program requires an
employer to establish a program that demonstrates improvement towards better
employer commitment, employee participation, quality analysis program, hazard
prevention and control programs, and comprehensive training for employee program
(All About OSHA-31-32).”
The employer must apply for the program with the nearest OSHA office. OSHA
will then review the application and conduct a site visit. If the site is approved OSHA
will present a certificate and flag at a ceremony honoring the employer. Re-evaluations
are done periodically. What does your organization get for this extra work? Besides the
obvious savings from fewer accidents and property damage the processes in your
organization will also improve. In addition, OSHA will not schedule your site for
program inspections. OSHA will however, visit your organization for employee
complaints, serious accidents, and chemical spills. This program helps get your
organization away from compliance and into process improvement. The safety program
will then be a big benefit to the organization.
This is where the safety program can help the bottom line of your organization
and at the same time improves the quality of life of the work force. The additional
positive publicity doesn't hurt either.
Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines
OSHA has been working on a set of guidelines to voluntarily get employers to
implement a Safety and Health Management Program much like the one I have been
describing in this book. OSHA has found, through its workplace inspections and visits,
that employers who have implemented a Safety and Health Management Program have
a lower rate of occupational injuries and illnesses. Through OSHA’s experience with
employers involved in the Voluntary Protection Program indications are that when a
program is in place and managed properly that workers moral and productivity may also
improve.
OSHA’s guidelines are focused on encouraging an employer to put in place a
management system to manage the safety and health program for that employer. This
program appears to focus on reducing injuries and illnesses through the effective use of
management principles and not just standards, rules and regulations. That would mean
an employer would implement a management program for safety like they do for most
other applications. This provides a foundation for safety and takes it from a series of
applications to reduce accidents and moves it towards something that management
provides oversight and responsibility for. The safety program should then develop goals
and objectives like other programs and measurements will be taken to move towards an
almost continuous improvement of the processes used by the employer.
OSHA indicated in the Federal Register Notice that certain provisions must be
included for an effective program. These provisions include:
- Systemic hazard identification
- Hazard evaluation
- Hazard prevention
- Hazard control
One interesting note added to these provisions is that they must not only work for job
hazards that currently exist but also for potential hazards as well. This is a significant
step forward from standard compliance. This focus on management of safety and
health would not relieve an employer of the responsibility to comply with the standards,
rules and regulations that exist but through the application of a management approach
to safety and health these standard, rules and regulations would not only be complied
with the performance of the employer would be better than that required by compliance.
OSHA has listed four major elements that must be included in an effective
management program. These major elements are:
- Management commitment and employee involvement
- Worksite analysis (present hazards and potential)
- Hazard prevention and control
- Safety and Health training for all
In addition to the major elements OSHA also lists a number of actions they
believe an employer must take to implement the major elements. These actions range
from establishing clear goals and objectives to holding managers and supervisors
accountable for meeting their responsibilities.
The guidelines encompass such things as proper maintenance of facilities and
equipment, planning for emergencies, and establishing a medical program. All of which,
although not directly related to safety, can have a significant affect on the success or
failure of any safety program.
The implementation of a management program for safety and health is the only
real way to improve an entire organization. I believe that is why OSHA is trying to go
beyond compliance and get into the implementation of safety management practices.
Practices I learned of the first time I read a safety book. The approval and
implementation of this guideline as voluntary or as a standard will have the potential of
getting beyond compliance and onto a focused effort to prevent accidents and illnesses
where they start in the application of management programs.
Hearing Conservation
Noise can cause damage to your employees hearing as well as cause stress in
the workplace. You must first determine what noise levels exist within each work area
and determine the noise exposure over an eight-hour period. If, that noise exposure is
85 decibels or more you will need to provide a hearing conservation program. “An
estimated 14 million workers in the U.S. are exposed to hazardous noise (Noise Control
7).” The processes used to produce a product or a service creates noise. That noise
can cause damage to the inner ear that can result in a temporary loss of hearing. Some
hearing will return after a period without noise. However, this can be deceiving and
should not affect your hearing conservation program. The higher the noise for the
longer the period the more damage can be done. When employees sustain a loss of
hearing this should be recorded on your injury log.
As part of the initial hiring physical an employee should take a hearing test. This
will make note of their hearing as of the date they start to work for you. If this employee
is exposed to 85 decibels or more an annual hearing test is required. Employees
exposed to noise must also be provided earplugs or muffs to prevent the noise from
entering the ear. It is best for these plugs to fit properly and provide the amount of
noise reduction necessary. “It may be possible to: use quieter work processes, alter or
enclose equipment to reduce noise at the source, use sound-absorbing materials to
prevent the spread of noise by isolating the source (Noise Control 7).”
Summary
I hope this chapter has given you some insight into elements of a safety program
that can really help your organization have a program that addresses the needs of the
organization while still looking at the employees needs.
THINGS TO REMEMBER
1. What elements should be included in my organization's safety program?
a.
b.
c.
2. How do these elements fit into the safety program?
3. How can I fit these elements into a program?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER SIX
“Elements of a Security Program”
In addition to the safety program many safety specialists are in effect collateral
duty safety and security personnel. There are many aspects of safety and security that
can be handled the same way. Security does however have some differences. With
security you are not looking for an unplanned or unforeseen event. You are looking at
events that are done on purpose to either take something from your organization or to
damage it. In either case it is a great benefit if these incidents can be avoided.
“Today, these specific functions of security are grouped into the following three
categories: physical security, personnel security, and information security (Security
Management 3).” An organizations security program must include all three to be
effective. In addition, there is synergy that develops from the three categories that
makes the total implementation more powerful than each by itself. The Occupational
Safety and Health Administration is also concerned with security when it comes to
employee injury. “In 1993, the General Duty Clause was extended to include security
violations when a $5,000 penalty was proposed against an Illinois hospital. OSHA
alleged that the hospital failed to protect persons on the premises from violence
Security Management 7).”
There are many ways to develop and implement a security program for your
organization. The one that I favor is to conduct a threat assessment that will identify the
threats against your organization and then conduct a vulnerability assessment to
identify your weaknesses to those threats. This approach will provide you with a
comprehensive look at your organization and make controlling hazards a lot easier. It
will also help you focus your effort so that you achieve the greatest benefit for the
money spent.
THREAT ASSESSMENT
The threat assessment is a survey of the threats to your organization based on
your location or industry. Each organization has a unique position in their industry and
the threats can risk this position causing damage to the organization or its customer
base. These threats can come from inside or outside the organization. The employees
of the organization can do great harm to the organization by taking or damaging
property. They can also take ideas and concepts from the organization’s process and
give them to competitors. After the fall of the Berlin wall “countries appeared to improve
relationships with each other, economic espionage by foreign governments became a
concern for domestic business (Security Management 7).” This type of industrial
espionage normally involves the selling or trading of organization secrets.
In addition to espionage there can be troubled employees within your
organization who can injure fellow coworkers or managers because of a perceived
injustices. There may also be sexual harassments and domestic problems that drag
themselves over into violence. All of which not only jeopardize your company and its
employees it may also provide unwanted damaging publicity. These personnel have
fairly easy access to your employees and in many organizations can just walk in and
have their way.
Within your company there will always be the threat of theft of property. This can
be a very expensive loss to your organization. It is much easier for your employees to
steal from you than for an outsider to. Your personnel have a great deal of insight into
how your organization operates, what property is available, the properties worth. All of
which is very important to a thief. In addition, your employees have ample opportunity
to steal from you. They are on the premises at least nine hours a day for five days a
week. This provides a great deal of opportunity.
Outside of your organization there may be personnel who may be working to gain
access to your organizations secrets, equipment, and manufactured items. These
personnel may be from competitors or just freelance. In either case these personnel will
be capable of using your own employees, literature, web sites, and open houses
against you. This does not mean that you have to lock down and keep everyone out. It
does mean that you should identify what can happen and how likely it is to happen.
As with the safety program the team approach is best. A team that consists of
managers, supervisors, employees, union officials and representatives of local law
enforcement agencies should do the threat assessment. This team should meet to
identify potential and reasonable threats against your organization and its employees.
These can be determined through brainstorming, historical information, known threats
or accusations, as well as the results of employee and contractor background checks.
This threat assessment consists of two basic parts the identification of hazards and then
an assessment of hazards. First you must identify the hazards that exist to your
organization. This information can be obtained by speaking to law enforcement
agencies, insurance companies, industry groups, and an assessment of your facilities
by personnel from your organization
The threat assessment should look at the threats that exist and that can be made
against your organization. One source is police reports. Through these reports you can
see what crimes have been committed in the physical area of the town in which your
organization exists. It is also important to look at what crimes have been committed
against organizations similar to yours, which may indicate that your organization could
fall victim to the same crimes. For example many may remember the violent crimes
done to Medical Clinics that conduct abortions. These crimes put all such organizations
on alert for the same crimes being committed against them.
“No company or facility is immune to sabotage. However, the types and targets
for sabotage can be predicted. The person doing the sabotage will look for a target that
is easy to access, is critical to the operation of the facility and at least partially self
destructible. The person doing the sabotage is likely enemy agents, disgruntled
employees or individuals who are mentally ill (Della-Giustina 79).” With this in mind
sabotage must be considered an evaluation of how sabotage has affected your industry
and the local area. Sabotage can result in loss of markets and of reputation. Most of us
can remember the Tylenol tampering that resulted in a significant loss of profits to the
company. This can happen to any organization or product.
“Terrorism is a covert and criminal act that provides problems for management
and emergency service personnel. A lot of these acts of terrorism deal with bomb
incidents, bomb threats and taking of hostages. In order to be prepared contact must
be made with the local enforcement agencies, the FBI and bomb disposal units. This
allows for the assistance of more experienced personnel (Della-Giustina 79).” These
threats may not be against your organization but rather using your organization to
achieve their goals. One example is the theater take over in Russia to gain a peace
agreement with a state of Russia. The loss of life as well as fear of future patrons can
cost a significant amount of money. Again it would be naive to believe this could never
happen to your organization. The simple truth is that it has happened to many times to
too many organizations.
VULNERABILITY ASSESSMENT
The vulnerability assessment is used to identify areas within your organization
that are vulnerable to attack or advantage. This is follow-on to your threat assessment.
In this assessment you take each of the threats that is credible against your
organization and determine how vulnerable you are to those threats. As you go through
this threat assessment it is best to use the Risk Management process used for
accidents. This process will help you determine the probability and severity for each
hazard identified during the assessment.
One example would be how vulnerable are we to employee theft? By looking at
the security of your facility, ability of an employee to carry out your product, and the
results of background checks you can determine if your organization is at risk. Next
might be the ability of your employees to cooperate with an outside individual to take
your property or leave doors or windows open to allow access to your facility. This will
give you some insight into how your employees could help other persons.
Your task is to follow up on each of the threats and determine your vulnerability.
This is another area where industry groups, police, and insurance companies can
provide information. Assistance may be provided in the form of an evaluation of your
facilities by one of these professionals. Their input could be invaluable.
HAZARD CONTROL
Now that you have identified the possible threats to your organization and
conduct an evaluation of your vulnerabilities you have a pretty good idea of what could
happen to your organization. Now you must follow up and determine ways to control
those threats by eliminating your vulnerabilities or at least reducing them. There are
many ways to do this and each will be as unique as your organization. This hazard
control is done much in the same way as the control of safety hazards. By using the
risk management process and assigning a risk assessment code to each hazard you
can determine which are highest risk, moderate risk and low risk. You then work on the
worst first. It is also good to track the improvements to each of these hazard control
methods. As with safety it is good to conduct a follow up evaluation at about 90 days
and conduct annual inspections. I have included a security program checklist at
appendix T.
PERSONNEL SECURITY
Background checks should be conducted of each employee and contract
employee within your organization. This should not be a quick look but a through
search of a person’s background. Through this process you can identify employees
with violent backgrounds, criminal history, mental illnesses, connections to criminal
organizations or terminations for stealing company secrets. This is also not as one-time
exercise. Background checks should be conducted periodically throughout the
individual’s employment history. There are circumstances and incidents that may occur
to your employees that you are not aware of that can identify potential problems.
“Once a substance abuse testing program for new hires is set up the word gets
around – active drug users seeking work do not apply for jobs at these companies
(Tompkins 71).” “Establishing company policies on the use of alcohol (for example, not
reimbursing drinking costs through expense accounts) can also communicate
messages about acceptable behavior beyond the workplace. Clear policies restricting
the use of alcohol during lunch hours, in company entertaining and at company
functions convey that organization’s culture (Tompkins 71).” Substance abuse can
cause a normally loyal and hard working employee turn to stealing and selling your
companies secrets to pay for their drinking or drug habit. With the total numbers of
persons who are using drugs now days it is hard to believe that an organization could
not have a problem with this area.
Access to your organization must be restricted to those persons who have a
need to be there. As I stated earlier it is very easy for personnel to walk into some
organization. The easier it is to enter your facilities the easier it is for someone to come
in and do your employees harm. There can and if possible should be a locked door
between your work areas and the public. An administrative person or a locked door
with a code or card required to enter can control this area. There should be a buzzer for
visitors to push to ask for entrance. Many people believe this kind of security is not
needed but it is only not needed if you have conducted the threat assessment and this
is not seen as a problem for your employees. It is also important to provide security for
your personnel in the parking lot, especially at night. The use of lighting and security
cameras can provide the level of security you need. In some areas you may want to
have a security guard walk your female employees to their car if late at night. Parking
garages are also a great asset and one that can be controlled by your organization. It
all comes down to cost and the threat you see facing your employees.
PHYSICAL SECURITY
It is essential for your organization to have a physical security plan for the facility
and operations. This physical security plan should require locking of doors and file
cabinets when not in use. It should require a limited access to rooms and files to only
those who need and have a right to the room or file. In addition, the facility itself must
be locked both from inside and out. It is essential that each exit have an alarm installed
to tell you when someone is leaving your facility. You should then check to see why
each person has left. Never lock exits in an effort to control theft. This method will
leave you employees vulnerable in the event of a fire. One way locks and alarms are
the best method.
Physical security also includes the parking lot and surrounding area. This will
give you what is called stand off from a perpetrator. In addition, you can use barriers to
prevent people from driving right up to your facility. This is called access control. When
you incorporate both these applications you begin to control the ability of a person to
gain easy access to your facility.
INFORMATION SECURITY
One area that is quickly gaining a lot of publicity is information security. Each
organization uses automation to cut costs and speed up operations. Unfortunately this
automation can leave your information vulnerable to attack and theft. The evening
news reports often contain information about hackers breaking into web sites and
gaining customer information from a company or damaging the company web site.
Each of these can cost the organization valuable money and customers.
First of all if your organization has a web site you are vulnerable to attack. If you
store sensitive information on this web page or an intranet it can be lost or stolen. You
must build an information security plan to eliminate access to those not authorized and
to check access to those you have authorized. First your organization can use firewalls
and a good solid password program. Firewalls can stop most outside threat. While a
solid password program will force your employees to use passwords that are harder to
break. Many employees use passwords that are easy to remember. Unfortunately they
are also not hard to figure out. There should be an ambiguous method of password
use.
Trash is another source of information about your organization. Do you control
it? Do you know is often included in your organization’s trash? If not there could be
valuable information being provided to anyone who is willing to collect it. Part of your
information security plan must be to determine what items should not be thrown away.
These items should be shredded. This will prevent items from getting into the wrong
hand.
Do you know whom your employees have contact with outside your
organization? Do you know what information they are sending over the e-mail system?
These are two very important questions that must be answered. Key and essential
information should never be sent through e-mail. It is too easy to get hold of someone’s
e-mail or it may accidentally be sent to the wrong person.
Lastly is the use of cell phones to pass information to other members of the
organization. Cell phone transmission can be picked up easily and therefore present a
significant hazard for the loss of information. The use of telephone connected through
lines is much safer. The problem with cell phones is they are too convenient and make
it too easy to stay in touch. They also invite conversation that may include sensitive
information.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. What security hazards does my organization have?
2. How vulnerable is my organization to outside theft?
3. Do we have a plan to provide physical, information and personal security?
4. What do we know about our employees?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER SEVEN
"How to Get Started."
First you spoke to the person who appointed you to receive your new duties.
Hopefully, through chapter two you now understand these new duties. Next you went
over your skills and identified weaknesses. Chapter three should have helped you and
the training you need should already be scheduled. In chapter four I went over some
safety fundamentals to get you started. Now you can do one of two things. If you are
replacing someone who has left within the last 6 months you will want to start by
reviewing his or her program.
If this is your situation skip this chapter and go on to chapter eight for you lucky
ones. On the other hand if you are just beginning a program or there has been a long
lapse, of more than six months, between you and your predecessor you will want to
continue here in chapter seven and skip chapter eight. “Any existing, informal incident
prevention activities that are working should first be reviewed and assessed for
effectiveness (Tompkins 36).” This is a real time saver. Anything already in place
should be added to the safety program and improved upon.
Policy Letter
First put together a memorandum or letter for the director's signature that will spell
out the safety policy for your organization. If your
duties include security include this subject in the policy
letter as well. This document should be a vision not indepth guidance. You should coordinate with
management and labor and once completed it should
be posted for all to see. This document should be
used as a blue print or time line describing where the
safety program is going. It will also set the tone for the
conduct of the program and should not be signed by
anyone but the highest-ranking person in the
organization. I have enclosed a sample at appendix P.
This will give you some idea where to start, but don't
limit yourself to what is in this example.
After you've gotten the letter published and posted you will need to compile a
complete list of all of the facilities and operations that are covered by the safety
program.
Facilities List and Assessment
A good place to go for help on this facility list is the facility maintenance or
housekeeping section. They can tell you what belongs to your organization. You will
then need to look at the operations that are conducted in these facilities and determine
which ones have the potential to cause a serious accident resulting in a personal injury
or property damage. Hopefully, you can obtain some introductory safety training before
you do a hazard assessment on your facilities, but if you don't you will need to do the
assessment any way.
Since this will be a learning process for you start out with the most obvious,
hazardous material. Make a list of all the facilities, which use hazardous materials in
their work. The hazardous materials can be flammable, poisonous, explosive,
corrosive, or carcinogenic (cancer causing). How do you determine if a substance is
hazardous? By simply reading the label or referring to the MSDS. An MSDS is a
document that provides basic information about the health hazards, fire, first-aid
measures, protective clothing and equipment, and transportation requirements for the
hazardous substance being used. The manufacturer of the hazardous substance
develops the MSDS. If the product has neither one of these you can contact your
logistics or supply office and ask them to get the label or Material Safety Data Sheet
from the manufacturer.
After you've done this go on to identify those facilities or processes that require the
use of presses, cutting tools, welding, drilling, smelting, or overhead cranes. These all
have the potential for serious personnel injuries and property damage.
Next identify those facilities or operations that have a health risk present. Health
risks involve things like high levels of noise, LASER lights, use of gases, confined
spaces, and painting.
If your duties involve security now is the time to conduct the threat assessment as
part of the hazardous assessment of the organization. Remember to include
information from law enforcement agencies, insurance companies, and industry
associations.
Now take your list of facilities and identify all those facilities or operations that
involve a high hazard. These will be classified high risk and require more attention. If
you remember from chapter three high hazards may cause a partial or permanent
disability or may even lead to death. High hazards may also cause significant damage
to a tool or piece of equipment or may cause the loss of the whole system. In addition,
high hazards may cause serious illnesses that may lead to disabilities or death.
Then make a second list of facilities or operations that involve medium hazard
operations. A medium hazard will normally result in an injury that will require medical
treatment, property damage of medium value, and may cause occupational illnesses.
Lastly, make a list of low hazard operations and facilities. A low hazard will
normally result in a first-aid injury, minor property damage and no illnesses. See
appendix D for an example. You can classify your facilities and operations again later
as your get better at this.
You will now want to schedule some time to look at each of the high hazard
facilities or operations first. You will then want to determine how much risk is involved
and the chances of an accident occurring. You may again refer to chapter three to
determine the risk involved. By putting the facility on the list, as high, medium or low
hazard you have done the first part of the risk assessment now you need to determine
what the probability of the hazard occurring is. The terms used are normally low,
medium and high. Low is used to represent that the incident or accident may or may
not occur in the lifetime of the event. Medium represents that the incident or accident
will occur a few times in the lifetime of the process and high indicates that the incident
or accident will occur several times during the life cycle of the process. You now
compare the probability with the hazard. The chart to help you might look something
like appendix S.
After confirming the risk make a schedule that will allow you to inspect high risk
areas twice a year and the medium and low risks once a year. This should not be the
only inspection done. Supervisors should conduct inspections of the areas they are
responsible for. These should occur monthly or every two months. They should
provide you with the results of these inspections. Employees should also conduct
inspections of their work areas daily to ensure a constant review of the process, not just
safety.
Safety Committee
The next thing you'll need to do is set up a safety committee. This is a very
important step. What is a safety committee? It is a group of people from your
organization who are appointed to serve as members of a
council that helps you and the director manage the safety
program. The members attend meetings, and assist in the
development of policies and procedures to control hazards.
Members may also serve on sub-committees that work on
special projects for the committee. Guidelines for a committee
are listed in table 8. I took these out of Code of Federal
Regulation (CFR) 1960 for Federal Agencies but they make
sense for all committee as well as councils.
Some people wonder "why a safety committee?" To fulfill requirements is not an
acceptable answer. The safety committee’s role can include periodic site and/or area
inspections, assistance in accident investigations, and facilitate employee hazard
notifications (Della-Giustina 43).” The real reason is to get management and labor
involved in conducting the safety program. Safety committees can be an excellent
management tool and can be used as sounding boards for management to keep in
touch with activities that affect the welfare of the organization and the workers who keep
it going.
- Have equal representation of management and non-management
employees.
- Establish a regular meeting schedule, at least quarterly.
- Furnish advance notice of committee meetings to members and post for
employees.
- Maintain written minutes of each committee meeting and distribute a copy to
each committee member, and post for employees to see.
TABLE 12-SAFETY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES
Committees can be used as a type of open door policy that lets workers and labor
representatives get to the director on issues they feel are important to worker's safety
and health and can also serve to guide the safety program.
Let's consider a properly organized and functioning committee. The director will
serve as the chairperson. In addition, he or she will appoint members to the committee
who are committed to making a positive impact on worker safety and health and
improving the processes of the organization through prevention of accidents and
property damage.
You should develop a list of names for the director to consider. You must
determine if these personnel have the ability to become leaders and have the maturity
needed to work in a positive direction. Suggestions for possible candidates:
-Representative from building maintenance or housekeeping. They will normally
correct the hazards.
-Representative from procurement. They purchase the hazard materials, machinery,
safety equipment, and spare parts.
-Representative from personnel. They hire and provide training of personnel. They
will also be part of the system that provides pre-employment physicals and workman's
compensation for employees.
-Representative from section with worst safety record. They need the help.
-Representative from high hazard area. They have the most to lose.
-Labor representative. They can get labor involved and use their influence to motivate
workers to act in a safe manner.
-Individual workers who want to contribute. They are the heart of the program, if you
can't convince them it won't get done. They also know where most of the problems are
anyway.
You should never serve as a representative or chairperson for the committee. It is
not your program, it is the organizations and the director runs the organization so they
should chair the meeting. You should serve as the secretary to the committee since
you will do most of the administrative work for the committee anyway. You can also
have technical experts who can assist the committee or its sub-committees. If the
organization has a health nurse this would be a perfect example or perhaps a welder to
work on welding issues. This must be done on a case-by-case basis and the committee
should let you know when a technical expert is needed.
As the secretary you will do the administrative work to set up the meetings,
develop an agenda, put together accidents and exposure statistics and coordinate a set
of minutes after each meeting. You will also need to ensure the minutes are posted
where all can see them. For your role in providing accident statistics it may be best to
go back to chapter four and review that section. You should provide statistics over the
reporting period since the last committee meeting with averages over the last two or
three periods. You will also have to provide a trend analysis describing the accident
experience and provide some control measures to reduce the risk. An area that is
difficult and requires a good deal of knowledge is to forecast where accidents will occur.
This can be done if you have a good background in safety. If your background is weak I
would not try this. It can cause more problems than it is worth. However, as a tool it
can help management focus its efforts on risk reduction. It is impossible for me to
provide you with a full explanation of how to perform a forecast of where risks and
accidents will lead to problems. However, you can look at where accidents have
occurred and where risks have been high and this is a good place to focus your energy.
The meetings should be held quarterly and can be added to the end of another
meeting or be a separate meeting. There should be an agenda prepared, approved by
the chairperson, and distributed to members at least five working days before the
meeting. You will want to solicit input for the agenda from management and labor so
that current issues can be addressed. It is also a good idea to post the agenda so
workers can see that the council is working and what issues they plan to address.
It is important for you to reserve an appropriate room or facility to hold the meeting
in. You will provide supplies that are needed and make sure equipment is working.
This may include slide or overhead projectors, paper, pencils, photographs or reports
and statutes.
You will develop a set of minutes of the proceedings of the meeting. The minutes
should include decisions reached and individuals or groups tasked to take actions. Any
suspense for work or research should also be included. You will also want to make
sure that suspenses are realistic and can be met. Provide a copy to each member,
foreman, and post copies for workers to see. If your organization is subordinate to
another you will want to send a copy to them. Lastly, you will want to keep a copy on
file for continuity and inspection purposes.
Allied Personnel
You will need to determine who else in the organization is providing safety or
health services. There may be other additional duty personnel. In most small
organizations contractors will likely perform these other duties. The larger the
organization the more likely it is that these people will be working full-time for the
organization. They may be located at a higher headquarters or parent office. You
should be concerned with the following services:
Industrial Hygiene.
Occupational Health.
Occupational Health Nursing.
Occupational Health Physician.
Medical Services.
Pre-placement physicals.
First aid treatment.
Periodic physicals and medical testing.
Safety Engineering.
Fire Prevention.
First of all are Industrial Hygiene services. This is a must for any organization that
has physical or chemical health hazards. Such things as noise, exposure to chemicals
or asbestos, and ergonomics problems are their specialty. A qualified Industrial
Hygienist should provide these services. Now what does that mean? It means different
things to different people. My recommendation is to contract with a company that you
can verify the quality of services with other companies in the same or similar business
as your organization. It is also recommended that the person conducting the work be a
Certified Industrial Hygienist. A Certified Safety Professional may also adequately
perform some of the services. The main thing is that the person be qualified to do the
work you need done.
Occupational Health Nurse or Occupational Health Doctors normally provided
Occupational Health services. These are specific services that will work in conjunction
with a local physician. These services will probably be contracted out as well. You will
need this service to ensure your personnel are given proper pre-employment physicals.
You will also need these personnel to help you establish and maintain an early return to
work program.
A local doctor normally provides medical services and is paid for services
provided. This is the person who conducts the pre-employment physicals. They can
also help you by treating injured workers. In addition, they can recommend articles for
first-aid kits and conduct periodic testing of employees as recommended by the
Industrial Hygienist and Occupational Health Physician.
Fire Prevention is a very important subject area and you should speak to the local
fire authorities to see if they have any information about your organization. Then
determine who is conducting fire inspections and maintaining fire alarms and sprinkler
systems. Many people mistakenly believe that the municipal fire department is taking
care of this area for them. In most cases municipal fire departments are overwhelmed
and may not be able to provide you with the services when and as often as you need
them. In addition, the inspections should be done by your own organization. It is cost
effective to contract this work out to fire prevention professional.
ALLIED PERSON
COORDINATED WITH (check when done)
Industrial Hygienist
Occupational Health
Nurse or Physician
Medical Service
Provider
Safety Engineer
Fire Prevention
Personnel
TABLE 13-ALLIED PERSONNEL COORDINATION CHART
After you have located each person who is performing an allied function you will
need to speak to each one. As you do this check them off in table 13. You will
especially need to speak to the individual conducting the Industrial Hygiene services
and compare their high hazard list with yours and verify that required testing has been
done. If there is no one performing these duties you must speak to the boss and make
a recommendation that a contractor be hired to perform at least the essential tests.
Teams
After you have identified who these personnel are it is important that a team be
formed of yourself and these allied personnel working for your organization to move all
work in one direction and set up an agreement where each of you will assist the other.
The inclusion of contract personnel providing allied safety support may be possible but
perhaps more work than you have to give. The formation of a team will allow each
member to draw on the knowledge and experience of the other members. It is best for
each member to take a turn at being the team leader and that members do not exercise
supervision or control over each other, except for the supervision used by the team
leader.
If your organization is not using teams this is a good place to start. Speak to each
person whose duties are allied with yours and solicit his or her support on building at
team. You should then go to the Chief Executive Officer or highest ranking person
responsible for the safety program and solicit their support for a team approach to the
organization's safety program. The team will need at least an introductory lesson in
team building and you should arrange for this training through the personnel office. I
have included two good books in the list at Appendix V. Both are good starters to help
you build the team. I must caution you that you cannot force the use of the team on the
allied professions. You must sell each member on the idea and get him or her to buy in
on the team concept. This will help later on when you need their help to make the
teamwork.
If your organization is using teams or are at least in the initial phases of moving to
the use of teams you can take the work already completed and use it to recommend the
use of teams for safety.
So what can a team do that you can't? The team can accomplish much more work
together than each member could separately. Secondly, teams tend to integrate their
work and solutions into the organization better. Most importantly teams share
knowledge and experience with the members that not each member would normally
have. All this will allow you as the manager of the organization's safety program to have
a better safety program that is integrated into the processes that make up the
organization. Most full time safety professionals could not do all this work by
themselves and if you are in an additional duty position it would be nearly impossible.
Teams also provide an added benefit in that they can use the systematic approach
to accident prevention by looking at each area they represent and recommending
hazard control measures that eliminate or control the hazard without significantly
impacting their part of the system where the hazard was found. When control measures
are done individually you run the risk of creating other hazards while correcting the one
your working on. As I stress in this book the systemic control or elimination of hazards
pays big benefits to your organization. In addition, the implementation of systemic
controls will help to improve processes. Steps taken in this manner are extremely cost
effective. Teams do just this and I believe they are cost effective.
What about Process Action Teams? Process Action Teams are a real boost to
any safety program if safety is included in the evaluation and improvement of the
processes. The members of the safety committee and safety team will more than likely
serve on these teams. They should look at process improvements from their
perspective and make recommendations. You should also serve on teams for
processes reviews, but this does not mean that the safety team should become a
Process Action Team. I have found that safety is not really a process, but rather a part
of each process that your organization uses. In that capacity it should be treated as just
another element and the contributions of this element can be changed to reduce
hazards and improve the process at the same time. You should not direct a Process
Action Team as the safety representative. You should only serve on the teams. You
will probably have to explain the importance of your serving as the safety
representative. I have found as you serve on a couple of process reviews the team
members begin to see your worth. The whole organization will begin to move to an
integrated hazard control program through the improvements made by the teams.
Medical Evaluations
Armed with the list of facilities by hazard you must now get a list of all employees
by occupation. You should work with the Industrial Hygienist and your list of high
hazard facilities to identify those workers who work in high-risk areas and who have
high exposure. The Industrial Hygienist in coordination with the Occupational Health
Physician or Nurse should tell you what physicals and medical testing should have been
conducted on these personnel. Then you will need to check with the personnel office or
medical doctor to see if it has been done. If it has been done you're finished with this
part. If not you should speak to your boss and apprise him or her of the situation and
work with the personnel office to ensure the personnel get the physicals and tests they
need.
Training Requirements
You should review OSHA Booklet number 2254, Training Requirements in
Occupational Safety and Health Administration Standards and Training Guidelines.
This booklet will tell you what training each employee needs based on his or her
occupation. Compare your list of employees with this booklet and make a list of what
training is required. Give this list to the personnel section and ask them to compare it
with any training records available for employees. The personnel office should then
coordinate any additional training that is needed. You may be called upon to conduct
some of the training however, this is not your responsibility.
Product Safety
You'll need to speak to the procurement office to see who is reviewing new
purchases of chemicals, manufacturing equipment and protective clothing and
equipment. This is a must to ensure you are controlling the risks by providing safe
chemicals, equipment and personal protective equipment. If a person is already doing
this duty you should check on their training and ability. If no one is doing it you may
make a recommendation to the boss that someone from supply or engineering be
trained to handle this responsibility. Supervisors are also a good choice for this duty.
This review must be made so that we do not introduce hazards into the system.
Accident Reporting
You will also need to check with the personnel office to see if there is an accidentreporting program. Most organizations are required to complete and maintain an OSHA
Form No. 300 "Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses” and OSHA
Form No. 301 “Supplementary Record of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses”.
Employees who have eleven or more employees in specific SIC classifications outlined
in Chapter 4 in Table 5. The personnel office will normally handle the workman's
compensation program and may also be handling accident reporting. At the very least
they will be handling the OSHA 300 Log. You will need to look at all this information. If
they are not maintaining the log it is best to set up a program where supervisors
investigate and report accidents. Recommend to the director that the personnel
department maintain the OSHA 300 Log. You can provide technical assistance to them
and may even want to investigate the big or serious accidents yourself. Just remember
to keep the supervisor engaged in the process. I have a form at appendix Q that is
short and to the point. This should be filled out on all accidents not using a workman's
compensation form. Don't duplicate by making supervisors fill out an accident report
and a workman's compensation form. Just use the workman's compensation form. You
will also need to recommend to the boss what accidents should be reported and to
whom. This is a real tricky problem. You may want to hear about all accidents but that
is not really cost effective. You may recommend that all accidents or potential accidents
be reported to the supervisors who can keep track of these and discuss the trends with
you on a weekly or monthly basis. You can use the accident report forms for property
damage, get a copy of first-aid records and workman's compensation forms so you can
look for trends and identify hazardous areas, times or workers. As a follow on to
accident reporting you should do some statistical analysis. For basic information on
statistics and analysis go back to Chapter 4.
Administrative Duties
You will also need to set up a small filing system for yourself. You will need to
file:
- Inspection reports
- Statistical analysis
- Accident reports (not workman’s comp forms),
- Minutes of committee meetings.
- OSHA inspection reports
- High hazard list
- Inspection schedule
Now, if your company already has some or all of these files you don't need to duplicate
them. Just know where they are and see if they are being kept up-to-date. You don't
need to physically keep the files they can be kept centrally as long as you can get to
them when you need to and they can be kept current. A summary of things you will
need to do can be found at table 14. Hopefully, you have checked them off right here
and now. If you weren't able to check them off spend a little time on them each week
until you get them done.
ITEM
CHECK WHEN
COMPLETED
Know your duties.
Publish policy letter.
Develop list of facilities and operations.
Take quick look at each facility and operation.
Determine risk of each facility and operation.
Develop and inspection schedule.
Get record of supervisor and employee inspections
Set up safety committee.
Get list of employees.
Identify exposed employees.
Identify employee-training requirements.
Review or develop accident-reporting program.
Establish file system.
TABLE 14-QUICK SUMMARY OF THINGS TO DO
Now that doesn't seem too bad. Well, maybe it does. It sounded pretty bad
when I realized that I had to do all those things. In fact, when I moved into safety fulltime I still had to do much the same work. Every place I seem to go the program was
lacking and I went back to these basics. Take a few minutes and go over table 14 and
check items off as you complete them.
You may feel like most of us did when we started, overwhelmed. However, if you
just do one thing at a time and keep at it you can do it. Always keep the others in your
organization involved. Remember, it is not your safety program it belongs to everyone.
Now take a breather and answer the following
questions. Remember, the answers are for you. But,
they can only help you if you use them. By the way, how
many notes have you made in the margins? Have you
been highlighting things? This is your book.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Why should my organization publish a safety policy?
2. Why should my organization conduct a safety council meeting and why should my
director or Chief Executive Officer chair the meeting?
3. Why should I develop a list of facilities and assess the risk involved in them?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOURSHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
CHAPTER EIGHT
"How to Continue an Established Program."
In this chapter I would like to walk you through a review of the current program at
your organization. If at any time you find that you are missing a whole element or it
doesn't look like I have described it refer back to that section in chapter four for an
explanation of what the element is and how it works.
Predecessor Support
If you are continuing a program after someone else the first thing you need to do is
to talk to the person who had the duty before you. This will be more help than you can
ever imagine. The first thing you will want to know from
your predecessor is what his or her duties were and how
they worked out for them. Did the boss really give them
enough time and were the duties accurate? If not what
changes would they have made? Next you will want to
know where any paperwork or files are located so you
can review them.
You especially need to know where their list of
facilities is and how they assessed the risk for each. You
will also want to see their schedule of inspections. Lastly,
get a commitment from this person to let you ask them
more questions from time to time. A simple question like-"May I call you later if I have
any more questions?" or "Would it be possible for me to speak to you later as more
questions come up?" will work. Either way if you let the person know up front you need
their help most people will give it to you. I have included a checklist at appendix E to
help you evaluate the program.
What if you can't get hold of the person or they don't want to talk to you. Then you
can count on a lot more work to get the program back up and running. How much work
depends on what you can find and how well the duties were performed in the past. The
sad truth is that your predecessor may not have cared about this job and may not have
had enough time to do it right. The truth may also be that no one ever told them how to
do it right. All this doesn't amount to a hill of beans when it comes to helping you get
back on track but it often works out this way.
So if you can't get information from your predecessor then you need to go through
the files and speak to your boss and other supervisors about what she or he did. It will
take some time but you will eventually put the pieces back together and be off and
running. Just a little note here, if the person you replaced ran off with all the paperwork
you can forget about piecing a program together and just go to back to chapter seven
with my heartfelt sympathies. This happens all too often, but there is not much you can
do.
You will want to go over the duties your predecessor had and discuss them with
your boss and change those that need changing and make sure all are correct before
you and your boss consider this part done.
Policy Letter
Next review the safety policy letter to ensure it is current and meets the needs of
the chief operating officer. If not make the changes and have it published again. One
mistake that is often made is to allow the policy to remain posted with the signature of
the old executive operating officer. After the policy is published post it on all bulletin
boards and make sure the union, managers, and supervisors get a copy of it.
Facility List and Assessment
You will then need to go over the current list of
facilities and ensure that it is correct. The best way to
confirm this is to go to the facilities maintenance or
housekeeping to double check it with their lists. The list
is only good if it is current. Take a moment while at
these offices to meet the people who work there and
introduce yourself and mention that you are the new safety specialist and you will be
contacting them later to keep the program working.
If the list of facilities was correct, or nearly so, you're in luck and can go on. If not
you need to identify the hazard of each facility. You will need to look at the operations
that are conducted in these facilities and determine which ones have the potential to
cause a serious accident resulting in a personal injury or property damage.
Start out with the most obvious, hazardous material. Make sure the list shows all
facilities that use hazardous materials in their work. These hazardous materials can be
flammable, poisonous, explosive, corrosive, or carcinogenic (cancer causing). How do
you determine if a substance is hazardous? By simply reading the label or referring to
the Material Safety Data Sheet. A Material Safety Data Sheet is a document that
provides basic information about the health hazards, fire, first-aid measures, protective
clothing and equipment, and transportation requirements for the hazardous substance
being used. The manufacturer of the hazardous substances develops the Material
Safety Data Sheet. If the product has neither one of these you can contact your
logistics or supply office and ask them to get the label or Material Safety Data Sheet
from the manufacturer. Then make sure those facilities or processes that require the
use of presses, cutting tools, welding, drilling, smelting, or overhead cranes are also on
the list. These all have the potential for serious personnel injuries and property
damage. Next identify those facilities or operations that have a health risk present and
make sure they are on your list. Health risks involve things like high levels of noise,
LASER lights, use of gases, confined spaces, and painting. If any of these facilities is
not on your list you must add them to keep the list up to date.
Now review the list of facilities to ensure all facilities or operations that involve a
high hazard are identified. There should also be a second list of facilities or operations
that do not involve high hazard operations. See Appendix D for an example. Hopefully
the old list has at least this information. It should have the high, medium, and low
facilities listed. If it does not you can update the list later. High hazard facilities and
operations require more attention. If you remember from chapter three high hazards
may cause a partial or permanent disability or may even lead to death. High hazards
may also cause significant damage to a tool or piece of equipment or may cause the
loss of the whole system. In addition, high hazards may cause serious illnesses that
may lead to disabilities or death.
The list should include facilities or operations that involve medium hazard
operations. A medium hazard will normally result in an injury that will require medical
treatment, property damage of medium value, and may cause occupational illnesses.
Lastly, the list should include the facilities or operations that have a low risk. A low
hazard will normally result in a first-aid injury, minor property damage and no illnesses.
Next you will need to schedule a visit to each facility or operation to conduct an
inspection and to revalidate the hazard assessment. Consider schedules and previous
visits made by your predecessor. Remember to coordinate this schedule with the
managers and shop supervisors to ensure you will not cause a disruption to production
or that significant changes will not be made right after the inspection. Remember your
job is to help prevent accidents through the managers, supervisor, and employees of
your organization. Don't alienate them now by not asking for their input or they won't be
there when you need them most. A new schedule should be developed every year for
visits.
Safety Committee
You'll need to see if there is a safety committee. This is a very important step.
Check to see if the committee has those things listed in table 15.
The real reason for a committee is to get management
and labor involved in the conduct of the safety program.
Safety committees can be an excellent management
tool and can be used as a sounding board for
management to keep in touch with activities that affect
the welfare of the organization and the workers who
keep it going. If a committee is active it should have
this goal in mind. The committee should be used as a type of open door policy that lets
workers and labor representatives get to the director on issues they feel are important to
workers safety and health and can also serve to guide the safety program.
- Equal representation of management and non-management employees.
- A regular meeting schedule, at least quarterly.
- An advanced notice of committee meetings is furnished to members and
posted for employees.
- Written minutes of each committee meeting are developed and a copy is
distributed to each committee member and posted for employees to see.
TABLE 15-SAFETY COMMITTEE GUIDELINES
In a properly organized and functioning committee the director serves as the
chairperson and appoints members. You should review the members currently serving
on the committee to ensure they are the right people with a commitment to advancing
process improvement. If they are not the right people you should develop a list of
names for the director to consider. Suggestions for possible candidates are
representatives from:
-Building maintenance or housekeeping. They will normally correct the hazards.
-Procurement. They purchase the hazard materials, machinery, safety
equipment, and spare parts.
-Personnel. They hire and conduct some training of personnel. They will also be
part of the system that provides pre-employment physicals for employees.
-Section with worst safety record. They need the help.
-High-hazard area. They have the most to lose.
-Labor, they can make sure labor is involved and can use their influence to motivate
workers to act in a safe manner.
-Individual workers who want to contribute. They are the heart of the program, if you
can't convince them it won't get done. They also know where most of the problems are
anyway.
Do not serve as a representative or chairperson for the committee. It is not your
program it is the organizations and the director leads the organization so he or she
should chair the meeting.
The committee should have a list of technical experts who can assist them. A
health nurse or perhaps a welder would be two examples. This must be done on a
case-by-case basis and the committee should let you know when a technical expert is
needed.
You will normally serve as the secretary and perform the administrative work to set
up the meetings, develop an agenda, put together accidents statistics and coordinate a
set of minutes after each meeting. For your role in providing accident statistics it may
be best to go back to chapter four and review that section. You should provide statistics
over the reporting period since the last council meeting with averages over the last two
or three periods. You will also have to provide a trend analysis describing the accident
experience and provide some control measures to reduce the risk. An area that is
difficult and requires a good deal of knowledge is to forecast where accidents will occur.
This can be done if you have a good background in safety. If your background is weak I
would not try this. It can cause more problems than it is worth. However, as a tool it
can help management focus its efforts on risk reduction. It is impossible for me to
provide you with a full explanation of how to perform a forecast of where risks and
accidents will lead to problems. However, you can look at where accidents have
occurred and where risks have been high and this is a good place to focus your energy.
You will also need to ensure the minutes are posted where all can see them. Review
minutes of previous meetings to see if these requirements are being met.
In a functioning committee the meetings should be held quarterly and can be
added to the end of another meeting or be a separate meeting. There should be an
agenda prepared, approved by the chairperson, and distributed to members at least five
working days before the meeting. You will want to solicit input for the agenda from
management and labor so that current issues can be addressed. It is also a good idea
to post the agenda so workers can see that the committee is working and what issues
they address.
It will also be important for you to reserve an appropriate room or facility to hold
the meeting in. You will also provide supplies that are needed and make sure
equipment is working. This may include projectors, overheads, paper, pencils,
photographs or reports and statutes.
The minutes should include decisions reached and individuals or groups that
haven't taken action or are tasked to take actions. Any suspense for work or research
should also be included. You will also want to make sure that suspenses are realistic
and can be met. You will want to provide a copy to each member, foreman, and post
copies for workers to see. If your organization is subordinate to another you will want to
send a copy to them. Lastly, you will want to keep a copy on file for continuity and for
inspection purposes. You should find the minutes for at least the last year and review
them. If your organization doesn't have a committee or it is not functioning like this take
the time to start one and set it up right.
Allied Personnel
You will need to determine who else in the organization is providing some type of
safety or health service. Hopefully, your predecessor has a list, if not you can find these
people by doing a little investigative work. There may be other additional duty
personnel. In most small organizations a contractor will likely perform these duties.
The larger the organization the more likely it is that these people will be working full-time
for the organization. They may be located at a higher headquarters or parent office.
You should be concerned with the following services:
Industrial Hygiene.
Occupational Health.
Occupational Health Nursing.
Occupational Health Physician.
Medical Services.
Pre-placement physicals.
First aid treatment.
Periodic physicals and medical testing.
Safety Engineering.
Fire Prevention.
Contact each of these personnel to see what work has been accomplished and
pending. It is also important to see how they interface with your duties. After you have
spoken to them check them off in table 16.
Industrial Hygiene services are a must for any organization that has physical or
chemical health hazards. Such things as noise, exposure to chemicals, asbestos
exposure, and ergonomics problems are their specialty. A qualified Industrial Hygienist
should be providing these services. Now what does that mean? It means different
things to different people. My recommendation is to contract with a company that you
can verify the quality of services with other companies in the same or similar business
as your organization. It is also recommended that the person conducting the work be a
Certified Industrial Hygienist. A Certified Safety Professional may also perform some of
the work adequately. The main thing is that the person is qualified to do the work you
need done.
An Occupational Health Nurse or Doctor normally provides Occupational Health
services. These are specific services that will work in conjunction with a local physician.
This service will probably be contracted out as well. You will need this service to ensure
your personnel are given proper pre-employment physicals. You will also need these
personnel to help you establish and maintain an early return to work program.
A local doctor normally provides medical services and is paid for services
provided. This is the person who conducts the pre-employment physicals. They can
also help you by treating injured workers. In addition they can recommend articles for
first-aid kits and conduct periodic testing of employees as recommended by the
Industrial Hygienist and Occupational Health Physician.
Fire Prevention is a very important subject area and you should speak to the local
fire authorities to see if they have any information about your organization. Then
determine who is conducting fire inspections and maintaining fire alarms and sprinkler
systems. Many people mistakenly believe that the municipal fire department is taking
care of this area for them. In most cases municipal fire departments are overwhelmed
and may not be able to provide you with the services when and as often as you need
them. In addition, the inspections should be done by your own organization. It is cost
effective to contract this work out to a professional.
You will need to speak to the individuals conducting the Industrial Hygiene
services and compare their high hazard list with yours and verify that required testing
has been done. If there is no one performing these duties you must speak to the boss
and make a recommendation that a contractor be hired to perform at least the essential
tests.
ALLIED PERSON
COORDINATED WITH
(check when done)
Industrial Hygienist
Occupational Health Nurse or Physician
Medical Service Provider
Safety Engineer
Fire Prevention Personnel
TABLE 16-ALLIED PERSONNEL COORDINATION CHART
After you have identified whom these personnel are check them off in table 16. It
is important to determine if a team was formed to move all work in one direction and to
provide a platform for each of you to assist the other. The formation of a team will allow
each member to draw on the expertise and experience of the other members. It is best
for each member to take a turn at being the team leader and that members do not
exercise supervision or control over each other, except for the supervision used by the
team leader.
Teams
If your organization is not using teams this is a good place to start. Speak to each
person whose duties are allied with yours and solicit his or her support on building at
team. You should then go to the Chief Executive Officer or highest ranking person
responsible for the safety program and solicit their support for a team approach to the
organization's safety program. The team will need at least an introduction lesson in
team building and you should arrange for this training through the personnel officer. I
have included two good books in the list at Appendix T. Both are good starters to help
you build the team. I must caution you that you cannot force the use of the team on the
allied professions. You must sell each member on the idea and get him or her to buy in
on the team concept. This will help later on when you need their help to make the
teamwork.
If your organization is using teams or are at least in the initial phases of moving to
the use of teams you can just take the work already completed and use it to recommend
the use of teams for safety.
So what can a team do that you can't? The team can accomplish much more work
together than each member could separately. Secondly, teams tend to integrate their
work and solutions into the organization better. Most importantly teams share
knowledge and experience with the members that not each member would normally
have. All this will allow you as the manager of the organization safety program to have
a better safety program that is integrated into the processes that make up the
organization. Most full time safety professionals could not do all this by themselves and
for you as an additional duty position it would be nearly impossible.
Teams also provide an added benefit in that them can use the systematic
approach to accident prevention by looking at each area they represent and
recommending hazard control measures that eliminate or control the hazard without
significantly impacted the their part of the system where the hazard was found. When
control measures are done individually you run the risk of creating other hazards while
correcting the one your working on. As I stress in this book the systematic control or
elimination of hazards pays big benefits to your organization while helping to improve
processes so anything you can do to help in that process is cost effective. Teams do
just this and I believe they are cost effective.
What about Process Action Teams? Hopefully your organization is using them
and you as the safety representative are asked to serve as a member. Process Action
Teams are a real boost to any safety program if safety is included in the evaluation and
improvement of the processes. The members of your safety team will more than likely
serve on these teams. They should look at process improvements from their
perspective and make recommendations. You should also serve on teams for process
improvement, but this does not mean that the safety team should become a Process
Action Team. I have found that safety is not really a process but rather a part of each
process that your organization uses. In that capacity it should be treated as just another
element and the contributions of this element can be changed to reduce hazards and
improve the process at the same time. You should not direct a team as the safety
representative. You should only serve on the teams. You will probably have to explain
the importance of you serving as the safety representative. I found as you serve on a
couple of teams members will begin to see your worth. The whole organization will
begin to move to an integrated hazard control program through the improvements made
through teams.
Medical Evaluations
You will need to find the list of employees by occupation. This list should have
been coordinated with the Industrial Hygienist and the list of high hazard facilities to
identify those workers who have a high exposure. The Industrial Hygienist in
coordination with the Occupational Health Physician or Nurse should tell you what
physicals and medical testing should have been conducted on these personnel. Then
you will need to check with the personnel office or medical doctor to see if it has been
done. If it has been done you're finished with this part. If not you should speak to your
boss and apprise him or her of the situation and work with the personnel officer to
ensure the personnel get the physical and tests they need.
Training Requirements
You need to locate the list of required training for employees. You should review
OSHA Booklet number 2254, Training Requirements in Occupational Safety and Health
Administration Standards and Training Guidelines. This booklet will tell you what
training each employee needs based on his or her occupation. Compare your list of
employees with this booklet and make a list of what training is required. Check with the
personnel officer to see if they have compared the list of employees with required
training. Employee training records are a good source of information. The personnel
officer should be coordinating additional training that is needed. You may be called
upon to conduct some of the training however, this is not your responsibility.
Product Safety
You'll need to speak to the procurement office to see who is reviewing new
purchases of chemicals, industrial machines and protective clothing and equipment. If a
person is already doing this duty you should check on their training and ability. If no
one is doing it you may make a recommendation to the boss that someone from supply
or engineering be trained to handle this responsibility. Supervisors are also good
persons for this duty. This review must be done so that we do not introduce hazards to
the system from substances and equipment purchased.
Accident Reporting
You will also need to check with the personnel office to see if there is an accidentreporting program. Most organizations are required to complete and maintain an OSHA
Form No. 300 "Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses” and OSHA
Form No. 301 “Supplementary Record of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses”.
Employees who have eleven or more employees in specific SIC classifications outlined
in Chapter 4 in Table 5. The personnel office will normally handle the workman's
compensation program and may also be handling accident reporting. At the very least
they should be maintaining the OSHA 300 Log. If they are not recommend to the
director that they do. You must be able to review this information. If not it is best to set
up a program where supervisors investigate and report accidents. You can provide
technical assistance to them and may even want to investigate the big or serious
accidents yourself. Just remember to keep the supervisor engaged in the process. I
have a form at Appendix P that is short and to the point. This should be filled out on all
accidents not using a workman's compensation form. Don't duplicate by making
supervisors fill out an accident report and a workman's compensation form use the
workman's compensation form. You will also need to recommend to the boss what
accidents should be reported and to whom. This is a real tricky problem.
You may want to hear about all accidents but that is not really cost effective. You
may recommend that all accidents or incidents be reported to the supervisors who can
keep track of these and discuss the trends with you on a weekly or monthly basis. You
can use the accident report forms for property damage, get copies of first-aid records
and workman's compensation forms so you can look for trends and identify hazardous
areas, times or workers.
Administrative Duties
You should know by now where all the files are kept and what information is in
each one. However if there are no files you need to set up a small filing system for
yourself. You will need to file:
- Inspection reports
- Statistical analysis
- Accident reports (not workman's comp forms),
- Minutes of safety committee meetings.
- OSHA inspection reports
- High hazard list
- Inspection schedule
You can include these files in your company filing system instead of duplicating their
work. Just know where they are and see if they are being kept accurate.
Quick summaries of the things you should have reviewed and determined their
adequacy are at table 17. Hopefully, you have checked them off right here and now. If
you weren't able to check them all off spend a little time on them each week until you
get them all done.
ITEM
CHECK WHEN
COMPLETED
Know your duties.
Publish policy letter.
Develop list of facilities and operations.
Take quick look at each facility and operation.
Determine risk of each facility and operation.
Develop and inspection schedule.
Get record of supervisor and employee inspections
Set up safety council.
Get list of employees.
Identify exposed employees.
Identify employee-training requirements.
Review or develop accident-reporting program.
Establish file system.
TABLE 17-QUICK SUMMARY OF THINGS TO DO
That is the amount of work it normally takes. However, the total amount of work
depends on how much was done by your predecessor and how well they did it. Now
take a breather and answer the following questions. Remember, the answers are for
you. But, they can only help you if you use them.
THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Is the organization's memorandum on the safety policy correct and up-to-date?
2. Does my organization have a safety council meeting and does the director or chief
officer chair the meeting?
3. Is there a correct list of facilities and have the risks involved in them been assessed?
4. Does my organization have a safety program in place for me to start with?
5. Have I found the records for the safety program and do they record what I have been
told was done for the safety program?
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER DATE, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
SUMMARY
Accident prevention is achieved by identifying and eliminating hazardous
conditions, operations, and procedures; controlling hazards which can not be
eliminated; establishing and enforcing safe operating practices consistent with mission
requirements; and motivating and training workers to perform safely, both on and off
duty.
Safety Management consists of planning, organizing, directing, and controlling
accident prevention efforts at the organizational level. Security Management consists of
planning, organizing, and controlling security efforts at the organizational level. The two
together comprise a loss control program that can save your organization money, lost
time and reputation. The director or supervisor is responsible for safety and security in
his or her organization. He or she may never delegate this responsibility. However,
they can delegate the authority to a safety specialist to administer the safety program,
identify and correct accident producing conditions and recommend education and
training of personnel in safe habits, practices and skills.
Even the most skilled and aggressive safety specialist will be hampered if he or
she lacks the director’s support. For this reason, they must keep their director fully
informed on the progress of the safety program and engaged in the execution of that
program. This can be done through monthly reports, staff briefings, safety council
meetings, and when seeking endorsements of recommendations to control hazards.
You are in a position to conduct a vigorous effort to prevent needless waste, injury,
and death through accident prevention. You have the responsibility of demonstrating
safe performance through you own actions. As a leader, you cannot ignore safety and
expect others to follow you.
The amount of effort that the director demonstrates has a direct correlation to how
successful the program will be. I cannot say it strongly enough. You cannot run a
program just for the sake of compliance. This will not even allow you to achieve the
minimum standard. You must work towards a change in the culture of your
organization. The culture must be influenced by yours and the director's actions to
include safety in the way the organization does business. It cannot be an add on or
after thought.
I have heard people say that safety does not make money for an organization. I
must reluctantly admit that this is true. However, it can be an essential part of reducing
and controlling the cost of doing business and thus allow you to make more profit by;
reducing operating and litigation costs, limiting down time of processes due to accidents
and last but certainly not least in can greatly reduce the costs of insurance and
compensation.
If you approach this new task with the goal of achieving these results for your
organization you will act more positively towards the challenges that lie ahead. You must
remember that it won't be easy. In fact, you may at times not believe you are really
making a difference. At these times look to the individual workers and if they are
performing more effectively and safely you can take credit for part of that.
You can also talk to the foremen and middle managers and listen to how they talk about
safety and the attitude they have about this subject. If this is more positive then it is partly
your doing. This is not to give you an overblown impression of yourself. It is meant to help
you keep going and to know you are making a difference.
If you started out at the beginning of this book and
worked your way through you should have a good start
on an effective program. You must also get some
training. This will make you much more effective in this
position.
I hope I have provided you with valuable
information to get you started. In addition, I hope I have
given you some resources for help. The one thing I
could not do is make you read this book. If you have
done that you have demonstrated the motivation to
keep learning. I recommend that you look at this whole
safety experience as just another step in the learning
process. A process I believe will last your whole
lifetime.
You’re a winner, now go out and have a great day every day!
A FEW THINGS TO REMEMBER?
1. Did I need this book?
2. Were my expectations for reading this book met? This is a good question to answer to
ensure you time was well spent.
3. Did I set aside enough time to read this book?
4. Did I make good use of notes and points in the margins?
5. Are there any chapters I need to go back over? If so set aside time on your calendar to
re-read them.
THINGS TO DO NOW, YOUR SHORT TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
THINGS TO DO AT A LATER, YOUR LONG TERM GOALS?
1.
2.
3.
Glossary
There are many terms used in safety that you may not be familiar with. As with any
profession a language has developed around the descriptions of procedures, objects and
events. In this glossary you will find the most common words and definitions. I hope this
will help you to understand the text and your new duties. The best single source of
definitions of words used in the safety profession can be found in “The Dictionary of terms
used in the Safety Profession-third edition” published by the American Society of Safety
Engineers. See appendix A for the address in you would like to purchase a copy for your
use. I took these definitions from that dictionary.
Accident - An unplanned and unintended event or series of events that may (a) result in
death, injury, loss, of or damage to a system or service; (b) cause environmental damage;
(c) adversely affect an activity or function.
Accident Experience - One or more indices describing accident performance according to
various units of measurement (e.g. disabling injury frequency rate, number of lost-time
accidents, disabling injury severity rate, number of first-aid cases, or dollar loss. A
summary statement describing accident performance.
Accident Investigation - A determination by one or more qualified persons of the
significant facts and background information relating to an accident, based upon
statements taken from involved persons and inspection of the accident site, vehicles,
machinery, or equipment involved, etc.
Accident Potential - Behaviors or conditions, or any combination thereof, which a trained
person would recognize as having a probability of causing an accident, thus requiring the
review and improvement of existing hazard control measures.
Accident Prevention - The application of countermeasures designed to reduce accidents
or accident potential within a system, organization, or activity. Programs directed toward
accident avoidance.
Accident Rate - Accident experience in relation to a base unit of measure, commonly
used to indicate the frequency or severity of motor vehicle, railroad, and aircraft accidents
(e.g., number of accidents based on miles operated or passengers carried, number of
deaths per 100,000,000 miles of vehicle travel, etc.). Occupational accident experience
also may be expressed in such terms as number of accidents per 100,000 employee-days
worked per 100 employees, etc., although an injury rate is more commonly used.
Accident Reporting - Collecting information for, and/or preparing and submitting to a
designated individual or agent, an official report of an accident.
Accident Statistics - Descriptive or inferential data which providing information about
accident occurrences.
Anthropometry - The measurement and collection of static and dynamic body
measurements for use as design criteria to improve the ease of functioning, efficiency, and
safety of the human in a system.
Approved - Said of a code, standard, device, or item of equipment that is sanctioned,
endorsed, accredited, certified, listed, labeled, or accepted by a duly constituted and
nationally recognized authority or agency as satisfactory for use in a specified manner.
Attention - Focusing on a task all of the personal abilities (both mental and physical)
necessary for the safe accomplishment of that task. The human characteristic of giving
sufficient heeds, or observing and perceiving with sufficient care, to avoid accidents. A
readiness to respond to stimuli in a safe manner.
Bonding - Electrically connecting the elements of an installation to each other, utilizing the
conductive, non-current -carrying parts (metal conduit, fixture shells, etc.) or special
bonding cable to minimize differences in the electrical potential between such elements.
Also, connecting items of mechanical apparatus together and grounding them to prevent
accumulations of static electricity.
Carcinogen - Any substance that, under certain quantified exposures, produces cancer in
animals or humans.
Certified Safety Professional (CSP) - An individual who has met all of the requirements
for certification by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals and who recognizes and
assumes responsibility to the safety profession for maintaining (a) professional
competence by remaining abreast of the technical, administrative, and regulatory
developments in his/her chosen field, and (b) professional integrity that reflects the highest
standard of ethics in his/her relations with clients, associates, and the public.
Chemical Spill - An accidental dumping, leakage, or splashing of a harmful or potentially
harmful substance in a laboratory or industrial complex, or on a highway, railroad,
waterway, or in or from an aircraft.
Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) - The annual codification of general and permanent
regulations of federal executive departments and agencies; organized under 50 titles, each
representing a broad area subject to federal regulation, such as Title 10 - Energy; 14 Aeronautics and Space; 20 - Employees’ Benefits; 23 - Highways; 29 - Labor; 40 Protection of Environment; 42 - Public health; and 49 - Transportation. Published by the
Office of the Federal Register, National Archives and Records Administration.
Combustible Liquid - Any liquid that has a flash point at or above 100 degrees
Fahrenheit (37.7 degrees Celsius).
Combustion - Any chemical process that involves oxidation sufficient to produce light or
heat.
Compensation - Indemnity paid to an employee for disability sustained in an occupational
accident.
Computer - An automatic data processing device (electrical or electronic) with capabilities
of speed, accuracy, and memory that enable it to perform substantial and complex
programmed computations without human intervention.
Confined Space – According to 29 CFR 1910.146, a space that meets all three of the
following (1) is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and
perform assigned work; (2) has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (e.g., tanks,
vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that might have limited
means of entry); and (3) is not designed for continuous human occupancy.
Constraint - A restriction or a compelling force affecting freedom of action; forcing into or
holding within close bounds. An operational condition, which may necessitate work
performance in less than an ideal safe environment (e.g., in building construction).
Controls - In general, measures (including devices) used to regulate a machine,
apparatus, system, or action within prescribed limits or standards of safety and operational
effectiveness.
Damage - Loss in value, usefulness, etc., to property or things. Harm causing any
material loss.
Danger - Generally, the liability or potential for producing harm.
Data - Symbolic representation of information (e.g., letters, numerals, or the record of
signals received from a sensing device). Items of information collected or presented for a
particular purpose.
Death - In relation to an accident, an injury that terminates fatally and is causally related to
the accident.
Defect - Any characteristic or condition of a tool, item of equipment, structure, vehicle, or
product (including faulty or inadequate design) that tends to weaken its strength, integrity,
or function, or has a negative influence on its safety.
Disability - The result of an injury or illness, temporary or permanent, that prevents a
person from carrying on his or her usual activities.
Disabled Person - Any person with severe visual or physical impairments, including
partial paralysis, limb amputation, chronic heart condition, emphysema, arthritis,
rheumatism, or other debilitating condition, which greatly limits mobility as well as
capability in performing various tasks.
Disease - Any deviation of the body from its normal or healthy state, or a particular
disorder with one or more specific causes and characteristic symptoms.
Ear Muffs – Hearing protection designed to reduce the effects of excessive noise in such
work environments as factories, missile launching sites, airports, artillery ranges, etc. The
design is such that they can be worn under or attached to hard hats, welding helmets, and
face shields.
Engineering Control - Any physical means of controlling hazards, such as through
equipment design or re-design (e.g., machine guards), environmental system (e.g.,
ventilation, lighting, nonskid stair treads), or process designed and modification.
Ergonomics – An involving science that endeavors to “fit the job to the person” by
developing workstations, tasks, tools, machine and equipment controls, lighting,
temperature, and work methods that are within the workers’ capabilities and limitations.
Methodologies used include anthropometry, physiology, engineering, and their
interrelationships.
Exhaust System - A ventilating system used in an interior environment where the health
of workers requires the air to be cleared of chemical contaminates. Such a system
consists of branch pipes connected to hoods and enclosures, one or more header (main)
pipes, an exhaust fan, means for separating solid contaminants from the air flowing in the
system, and a discharge stack to the outside. In a motor vehicle, a system designed to rid
the engine of the residues of burned fuel.
Exit - An escape route from a building or other structure.
Experience - In relation to accidents, data describing past events (i.e., the number,
frequency, or severity of accidents that have occurred within a specified time period). In
insurance, a record of premiums and losses the basis upon which future rates (or costs)
can be based or the past record of losses evaluated.
Explosion - A rapid increase of pressure in a confined space followed by its sudden
release due to rupture of the container (vessel, structure, etc. ). The increase in pressure
is generally caused by an exothermic chemical reaction or over pressurization of a system.
Exposure – (1) The quantity of time involved and the nature (quality) of involvement with
certain types of environments possessing various degrees and kinds of hazards. (2)
Proximity to a condition which may produce injury, death, or property damage from
chemicals, radiation, high pressure, noise, fire, explosives.
Eye Protection - A device that safeguards the eye in an eye-hazard environment.
Federal Register (FR) - A publication issued each federal work day to make available the
regulations and legal notices issued by departments and agencies of the federal
government, including documents having general applicability and legal effect, those
Congress requires to be published, and others of public interest.
Fire - Rapid oxidation of material or substance with the evolution of heat and light.
Fire Alarm - A device or system (visual, auditory, local or transmitted to other locations,
etc.) that signals the presence of a fire to occupants and/or to those who will provide
assistance.
Fire Door - A door tested and rated for resistance to various degrees of fire exposure and
utilized to prevent the spread of fire through horizontal and vertical openings. Fire doors
must remain closed normally or be closed automatically in the presence of fire. The degree
of resistance required is determined by the anticipated fire exposure and the resistance of
the structure in which the door is installed.
Fire Extinguisher - A device having characteristics essential for extinguishing flame. Fire
extinguishers may contain liquid, dry chemicals, or gases (water, dry chemical, carbon
dioxide, etc.). They are tested and rated to indicate their ability to handle specific classes
and sizes of fires, as follows:
Class A extinguishers - for ordinary combustibles, such as wood, paper, and textiles,
where a quenching/cooling effect is required.
Class B extinguishers - for flammable liquid and gas fires, such as oil, gasoline, paint,
and grease, where oxygen exclusion or a flame interruption effect is essential.
Class C extinguishers - for fires involving energized electrical wiring and equipment,
where the nonconductivity of the extinguishing agent is of prime importance.
Class D extinguishers - for fires in combustibles metals such as magnesium,
potassium, powdered aluminum, zinc, sodium, titanium, zirconium, and lithium.
Fire Prevention - Measures or actions specifically directed toward preventing the
inception of fires and minimizing the severity of fires should they occur.
Fire Protection - In its broadest interpretation, all measures in the prevention, detection,
and extinguishment of fire; relates to the safeguarding of human life and the preservation
of property. In a strict interpretation, it refers to the methods of providing for fire control or
fire extinguishment.
Flammable - Said of any substance that is easily ignited, burns intensely, or has a rapid
rate of flame spread. Flammable and inflammable are identical in meaning; however, the
prefix ‘in’ indicates negative in many words and can cause confusion. Flammable is
therefore the preferred term.
Flammable Liquid - A liquid having a flash point below 100 degrees Fahrenheit and
having a vapor pressure not exceeding 30 pounds per square inch absolute at 100
degrees Fahrenheit. Such liquids are divided into two classes: Class I, those with flash
points below 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and Class II, those with flash points between 100
and 140 degrees Fahrenheit. Liquids with flash points above 140 degrees Fahrenheit are
known as combustible liquids. A flammable liquid does not itself burn the vapors from the
liquid burn.
Flashback Arrestor - A device used in welding operations to stop a flashback flame in the
welding torch or hose and extinguish it before it reaches the regulator. A heavy-duty valve
prevents gas from flowing in the wrong direction, while a cutoff valve stops the gas flow
after a flashback.
Ground – (noun) The conductive surroundings of an electrical system or circuit, usually
assumed to be earth. Surroundings may also consist of the piping systems, the structural
metal frame of a building, or a metallic enclosure, frame, or chassis. Arbitrarily assumed to
be at zero potential (voltage). (verb) To connect all of the enclosures of an electrical
installation together and to the grounding point at the source of the system. This
equipment grounding connection is established so that when an accidental fault occurs
from an energized conductor to its enclosure, the ground fault current will follow this
established path. Effective grounding will open the circuit breaker or fuse, preventing
dangerous voltages on the enclosures. Also, to connect one of the current-carrying
conductors of a system to ground.
Guard - A person, armed or unarmed, who provides security services. Also an enclosure
that prevents entry into the point of operation of a machine or renders contacts with any
substance or object harmless.
Hard Hat - A helmet worn by a worker to provide head protection when the worker is
subject to the hazard of falling or moving objects. Special hard hats for electrical workers
protect also against electrical shock.
Hazard Assessment - A qualitative evaluation of potential hazards in the
interrelationships between and among the elements of a system (personal, equipment,
software, facilities) on the basis of which the probability of each identified hazard occurring
is rated from A through E and its likely severity is rated from I through IV. A given hazard,
for example, might be rated DI, indicating a relatively low probability of its occurring but a
very high degree of severity if it should occur.
Hazard Communication Standard - A rule issued by the Occupational Safety and health
Administration (OSHA) that sets forth controls over chemicals in the workplace, including:
hazard evaluation by chemical manufacturing and importers; a comprehensive hazard
communication program in which chemical containers must be labeled, material safety
data provided, and employees informed and trained regarding chemical hazard; and
provision for dealing with trade secrets in medical emergencies and nonemergency
situation.
Hazard Control - A means of reducing the risk due to exposure to a hazard. Such means
may include ergonomic design of work task, stations, and equipment; arrangement,
guarding, and interlocking of machinery; barricading of pedestrian and vehicular traffic
routes; process controls to limit exposure to toxic materials; ventilation and exhaust
systems; prescribed work practices, including the wearing of personal protective
equipment; and visible and/or audible warning devices.
Hazardous Area - Any area of a structure, a building or part thereof, or an open storage
are used for purposes involving highly combustible, highly flammable, or explosive
products or materials that are likely to burn with extreme rapidity or that may produce
noxious fumes or gases.
Hazardous Material - Any substances or compound that has the capability of producing
adverse effects on the health and safety of humans. The term is often shortened to
HAZMAT.
Health Hazard - A chemical or other substance for which there is scientifically valid
evidence that acute or chronic health effects may occur in exposed workers or other
persons. The term includes chemicals that are carcinogens, toxic agents, reproductive
toxins, irritants, corrosives, sensitizers, heptotoxins (cause injury to the liver), nephrotoxins
(cause injury to the kidneys), neurotoxins (affect the nerve cells), agents that act on the
hematopoietic system (the human blood-forming mechanism), and agents that damage the
lungs, skin, eyes, or mucous membranes.
Hearing Conservation - Preventing or minimizing noise-induced hearing loss through the
use of hearing protection devices and the control of noise through engineering methods.
Hepatitis - Inflammation of the liver resulting from a virus of toxic origin. Usually
manifested by jaundice and, in some instances, liver enlargement. Fever and other
systemic disorders are usually present.
Housekeeping - Cleanliness, neatness, and orderliness of an area, with the designation of
a proper place for everything and everything in its proper place.
Human Error – Any member of a set of human actions that exceeds some limit of
acceptability. An out-of-tolerance action, where the limits of acceptable performance are
defined by the system. An inappropriate or undesirable human decision or behavior that
reduces or has the potential for reducing effectiveness, safety, or system performance.
Human errors can be ones of omission, commission, sequence, or timing; they can be
operator-induced, system-induced, or design-induced.
Illumination – The amount of light flux, a surface receives per unit area. Also termed
illuminance. May be expressed in lumens per square foot or in foot-candles. The rate at
which a source emits light energy, evaluated in terms of its visual effect, is spoken of a
light flux and is expressed in lumens.
Incidence Rate – An injury/illness rate based upon 200,000 employee-hours,
approximately the hours worked by 100 employees during 50 weeks at 40 hours per week;
used by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in reporting occupational injury and illness
statistics developed by OSHA-required recordkeeping and by industries and organizations
following this system.
Incident - An undesired event that did or could have resulted in personal harm or property
damage; any undesirable loss of resources. Includes events such as a near- miss, when
two aircraft pass too near each other. In the area of security, an incident could result in the
loss of property through theft. The accidental release of a hazardous substance is often
called an incident.
Industrial Hygienist - A person having a college or university degree or degrees in
engineering, chemistry, physics, or medicine or related biological sciences who, by virtue
of special studies and training, has acquired competence in industrial hygiene. Such
special studies and training must have been sufficient in all of the above cognate sciences
to provide the abilities: (a) to anticipate and recognize the environmental factors and
stresses associated with work and work operations and to understand their effects on
human well-being; (b) to evaluate, on the basis of training and experience and with the aid
of quantitative measurement techniques, the magnitude of these stresses in terms of their
ability to impair human health and well-being; and (c ) to prescribe methods to prevent,
eliminate, control or reduce such factors and stresses and their effects. The industrial
hygienist is trained to anticipate, recognize, evaluate and control health hazards in the
occupational environment, particularly the injurious effects of chemical and physical
agents. Also called occupational hygienist.
Injury - Physical harm or damage to a person resulting in the marring of appearance,
personal discomfort, infection, and/or bodily hurt or impairment. Note: The definition of
this word is frequently determined by the organization or government organization using it.
Injury Rate – See incidence rate.
Inspection - The art or process of looking upon, viewing closely and critically, examining,
or scrutinizing and evaluating.
Job Hazard Analysis - Breaking down any method or procedure into its component parts
to determine the hazards connected with it and the requirements for performing it safely. A
method for studying a job in order to (a) identify hazards or potential accidents associated
with each step or task and (b) develop solutions that will eliminate, nullify, or prevent such
hazards or accident potential. Also called job safety analysis.
LASER - Acronym for Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation. Light from
a laser beam travels in only one direction and is all at the same wavelength, so that it
reinforces itself. It is known as coherent light. Laser beams are of three types: (a) the
solid state, of which the ruby crystal is the most common; (b) the gaseous state, of which
the Helium-neon is the most common; (c ) the semiconductor or injection type. Light from
a laser entering the eye is concentrated 100,000 times at the retina. Because of this
focusing effect, the eye is by far the organ of the body most subject to damage from
exposure to laser beams.
Lockout/Tagout Procedure - A procedure similar to tagging that also involves locking so
that no one can inadvertently actuate the circuit, system, or equipment that is temporarily
out of service. Procedure that ensures control over a system at a zero energy state.
Log and Summary of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses - A cumulative record that
employers (generally of more than 10 employees) are required to maintain showing
essential facts of all reportable occupational injuries and illnesses.
Material Safety Data Sheet - A non-mandatory form (OSHA 174) designed to provide in
English and in a concise manner the identification information of a potentially harmful
substance together with its hazardous ingredients, physical/chemical characteristics, fire
and explosion hazard data, reactivity data, health hazard data, precautions for safe
handling and use, and control measures. Material safety data sheets (either Form OSHA
174 or similar commercial forms giving the same information) are the required means for
chemical companies to inform their customers about chemical product hazards and for
employers to inform workers about the hazards of chemical products they may encounter
in the course of their employment. Also called product technical data sheet or chemical
release sheet.
Motor Vehicle - Any mechanically or electrically powered device (except one moved by
human power) not operating on rails, upon which or by which any person or property may
be transported on a land highway. The load on a motor vehicle or trailer attached to it is
considered part of the vehicle. Tractors and motorized machinery are included while being
self - propelled in transit or used for transportation. Also included are motor scooters and
motorized bicycles.
Motor Vehicle Accident - Any accident involving a motor vehicle in motion that results in
death, injury, or property damage. However, motion of the motor vehicle is not required
when it is in a collision with a railroad train, streetcar, or another motor vehicle.
Motor Vehicle Safety - The performance of motor vehicles and components thereof in
such a manner that the public is protected against risk of accidents occurring as a result of
their design, construction, or performance, and also against unreasonable risk of death or
injury in the event an accident does occur. Includes nonoperational safety of motor
vehicles and their components.
Off - The - Job Safety - Accident prevention programs associated with activities not
related to the workplace or employment.
Permanent Disability - A permanent impairment of a bodily function or loss of use of a
body part due to an occupational injury or illness. An enduring, nonfatal physical or mental
impairment of functions of the body, or part thereof, regardless of any preexisting disability
of the injured member or impaired body function.
Permanent Partial Disability - Any injury other than death or permanent total disability
that results in some loss, or complete loss, of the use of any member or part of a member
of the body, or any permanent impairment of functions of the body or part thereof,
regardless of any preexisting disability of the injured member or impaired body function.
Permanent Total Disability - Any nonfatal injury that permanently and totally
incapacitates and prevents an employed person from following any gainful occupation, or
which results in some loss, or the complete loss, of the use of any of the following in a
single accident: (a) both eyes; (b) one eye and one hand, arm, leg, or foot; or (c ) any two
of the following not on the same limb: hand, arm, foot, or leg.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - Any material or device worn to protect a worker
from exposure to or contact with any harmful substance or form or energy.
Program - An organized, directed effort that uses specified resources to achieve desired
objectives. In automatic data processing, a set of instructions in a form applicable to a
computer, prepared in order to achieve certain results.
Protective Clothing - Clothing worn to protect a worker from exposure to or contact with
harmful substances or forms of energy.
Respirator - Any of several kinds of personal protective devices designed to clean or
provide clean breathing air to workers in areas contaminated or subject to contamination
by gases, vapors, fumes, mists, or dusts; used in workplaces where engineering controls
(e.g., effective ventilating systems) are not yet in place or are not feasible. More types are:
 air line - connected to a source of compressed breathing air delivered continuously
or intermittently.
 air purifying - uses chemical cartridges to remove specific gases and vapors from
the air, or a mechanical filter or cartridge to remove particulate matter.
 atmosphere - supplying - provides breathing air from a source independent of the
surrounding atmosphere.
 pressure- demand – a positive pressure atmosphere-supplying respirator that
admits respirable gas to the face piece when the positive pressure is reduced inside
the face piece by inhalation.
 self- contained breathing apparatus - consists of air supply carried by the wearer, a
hose, a regulator valve, and a face piece. Provides clean air to the wearer
regardless of the type of atmosphere in which it is used.
Right - To - Know Law - Popular name for the hazard communication standard issued in
1983 by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Also any law under
which the residents of a community are entitled to know what hazardous substances are
transported to or from, stored at, and used by any organization within the community.
Risk - A measure of the combined probability and severity of potential harm to one or
more resources as a consequence of exposure to one or more hazards. Mathematically,
risk is the simple product of severity and probability that one or more hazards will impose
upon one or more resources. In insurance, a person or thing insured.
Risk Assessment - The process of determining the degree of threat that is posed by one
or more hazards to one or more resources, or the product of that process. Risk May be
assessed either subjectively (i.e., nonquantitatively) or numerically.
Risk Management - The professional assessment of all loss potentials in an
organization’s structure and operations, leading to the establishment and the
administration of a comprehensive loss control program. Related to and dependent upon
an ongoing program of accident prevention, risk management encompasses the selection
of purchased insurance, self - insurance, and assumed risk. Its goal is to reduce losses to
an acceptable minimum at the lowest possible cost.
Safety Program - An administrative and procedural plan for placing loss - prevention and
hazard - control systems into operation and maintaining their effectiveness. An orderly
arrangement of interdependent activities and related procedures which facilitates the safe
performance of tasks and processes and maintains control of risk due to hazardous
exposure, including human error. The elements of a safety program include:
 establishing management safety policies and defining safety objectives.
 providing required resources (personnel, budget, facilities, equipment, training, etc.)
for performing safety management tasks and functions.
 establishing and/or adopting safety design and performance standards, rules,
regulations, etc.
 establishing procedures for collecting and analyzing data to identify problems.
 determining and implementing specific countermeasures (e.g., designing and
installing hazard and human – error controls) to resolve identified problems.
 continuing countermeasure effectiveness through motivation, enforcement of safety
rules and standards (including use of personal protective equipment), training, and
maintenance of all safety support systems.
 measuring and evaluating program and countermeasure effectiveness in terms of
defined objectives as well as reductions in deaths, injuries/illnesses, and property
damage.
 initiating and sustaining management actions to remedy specific problems and
maintain loss controls within acceptable tolerances.
Smoke Detector - A device that senses visible or invisible particles of combustion and
responds by sounding an alarm.
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) - A system that categorizes all U.S. economic
activity into 99 groups in conformance with the existing structure of American industry.
Groups 20-39, the manufacturing category, include establishments that typically use power
- driven machines and materials - handling equipment to mechanically or chemically
transform materials into new products. These groups are frequently cited in literature on
occupational safety and health. The SIC classification is now widely used by business and
research organizations as well as trade and professional associations that compile
statistics.
Supervisor - Any individual held responsible for the behavior and production of a group of
workers.
System - A set or arrangement of components so related or connected as to form a unity
or organic whole. A set of facts, principles, rules, etc., classified or arranged in a regular,
orderly form so as to show a logical plan linking the various parts. A method, plan, or
classification. An orderly arrangement of interdependent activities and related procedures
that implements and facilitates the performance of a major activity or organization. A set of
components - humans, machines or both - which has certain functions and acts and
interacts, one in relation to another, to perform some task or tasks in a particular
environment or environments. Any configuration of elements in which the behavior
properties of the whole are functions of both the nature of the elements and the manner in
which they are combined.
Systemic - Spread throughout the body; affecting all body systems and organs; not
located in one spot or area.
Traffic Accident - Any accident (collision or crash) involving one or more motor vehicles in
motion on a roadway.
Vapor - The gaseous phase of a substance which is a liquid at normal temperature and
pressure.
 density - the weight of a vapor per unit volume at any given temperature and
pressure.
 pressure - the force exerted at any given temperature by a vapor either by itself or
in a mixture of gases. It is measured at the surface of an evaporating liquid.
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Butterman and Heinemann, USA.
NIOSH Alert, Preventing Worker Injuries and Deaths from Traffic-Related Motor Vehicle Crashes,
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: USA, 1998.
Noise Control, National Safety Council: USA, 1996.
Oborne, David, Ergonomics at Work, 2nd ed. Chichester: Wiley, 1967.
Occupational Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens-OSHA 3127, Department of Labor, Occupational
Safety and Health Administration: USA, 1992.
Permit-Required Confined Spaces (Permit Spaces)-OSHA 3138, Department of Labor,
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: USA, 1993.
Sarkus, David J., The Safety Coach, Championship Publishing: USA, 2001.
Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position-Form SF-10/M/M-M-2/96, American
Society of Safety Engineers, USA, 1996.
Stephenson, Joe, System Safety 2000, New York, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991.
Supervisor's Safety Manual, 9th ed. National Safety Council: USA, 1997.
The Dictionary of terms used in the Safety Profession, 4th ed., American Society of Safety
Engineers: USA, 2001.
Tompkins, Neville C., Basics of Safety and Health, National Safety Council Press, USA 2001.
General OSHA Recordkeeping Requirements - OSHA Fact Sheet 93-05, Dept. Of Labor, OSHA;
USA, 1993.
Graphics were produced on COREL Draw 7.0 Computer Software.
APPENDIX A
THE SCOPE OF THE PROFESSIONAL SAFETY POSITION
To perform their professional functions, safety professionals must have education,
training, and experience in a common body of knowledge. Safety professionals need to
have a fundamental knowledge of physics, chemistry, biology physiology, statistics,
mathematics, computer science, engineering mechanics, industrial processes, business,
communication and psychology. Professional safety studies include industrial hygiene and
toxicology, design of engineering hazard controls, fire protection, ergonomics, system and
process safety, safety and health program management, accident investigation and
analysis, product safety, construction safety, education and training methods,
measurement of safety performance, human behavior, environmental safety and health,
and safety, health, and environmental laws, regulations and standards. Many safety
professionals have backgrounds or advanced study in other disciplines, such as
management and business administration, engineering, education, physical and social
sciences and other fields. Others have advanced study in safety. This extends their
expertise beyond the basics of the safety profession.
Because safety is an element in all human endeavors, safety professionals perform
their functions in a variety of contexts in both public and private sectors, often employing
specialized knowledge and skills. Typical settings are manufacturing, insurance, risk
management, government, education, consulting, construction, health care, engineering
and design, waste management, petroleum, facilities management, retail, transportation,
and utilities. Within these contexts, safety professionals must adapt their functions to fit
the mission, operations and climate of their employer.
Not only must safety professionals acquire the knowledge and skill to perform their
functions effectively in their employment context, through continuing education and training
they stay current with new technologies, changes in laws and regulations, and changes in
the work force, workplace and world business, political and social climate.
As part of their positions, safety professionals must plan for and manage resources
and funds related to their functions. They may be responsible for supervising a diverse
staff of professionals.
By acquiring the knowledge and skills of the profession, developing the mind set and
wisdom to act responsibly in the employment context, and keeping up with changes that
affect the safety profession, the safety professional is able to perform required safety
professional functions with confidence, competence and respected authority.
Reprinted here from the pamphlet "Scope and Functions of the Professional Safety Position,"
American Society of Safety Engineers, form SF-10/M-M-2/96. You may request a copy by writing the
ASSE at the address in appendix B.
A-1
APPENDIX B
ORGANIZATIONAL ADDRESSES
OSHA REGIONAL OFFICES:
Region I serves Connecticut, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Rhode Island,
and Vermont. Their telephone number is (617) 565-7164 and their address is:
133 Portland Street
1st Floor
Boston, MA 02114
Region II serves New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. Their phone
number is (212) 337-2378 and their address is:
201 Varick Street
Room 670
New York, NY 10014.
Region III serves Washington, D.C., Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and
West Virginia. Their telephone number is (215) 596-1201 and their address is:
Gateway Building Suite 2100
3535 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Region IV serves Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South
Carolina, and Tennessee. Their telephone number is (404) 347-3573 and their address is:
Peachtree Street N.E.
Suite 587
Atlanta, GA 30367
Region V serves Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Montana, Ohio, and Wisconsin. Their
telephone number is (312) 353-2220 and their address is:
230 South Dearborn Street
Room 3244
Chicago, IL 60604
B-1
Region VI serves Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. Their
telephone number is (214) 767-4731 and their address is:
525 Griffin Street
Room 602
Dallas, TX 75202
Region VII serves Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska. Their telephone number is
(816) 426-5861 and their address is:
911 Walnut Street
Kansas City, MO 64106
Region VIII serves Colorado, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah, and
Wyoming. Their telephone number is (303) 844-3061 and their address is:
Federal Building, Room 1576
1961 Stout Street
Denver, CO 80294
Region IX serves American Samoa, Arizona, California, Guam, Hawaii, Nevada, and the
Trust Territories of the Pacific. Their telephone number is (415) 744-6670 and their
address is:
71 Stevenson Street
Room 415
San Francisco, CA 94105
Region X serves Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington. Their telephone number is
(206) 442-5930 and their address is:
1111 Third Avenue
Suite 715
Seattle, WA 98174
B-2
AMERICAN CONFERENCE OF GOVERNMENTAL INDUSTRIAL HYGIENISTS:
Kemper Woods Center
1330 Kemper Meadow Drive
Cincinnati, OH 45240
AMERICAN SOCIETY OF SAFETY ENGINEERS:
1800 E. Oakton St.
Des Plaines, IL 60018
Telephone 1-847-699-2929
NATIONAL SAFETY COUNCIL:
1121 Spring Lake Drive
Itasca, IL 60143-3201
Telephone 1-630-285-1121
AMERICAN INDUSTRIAL HYGIENE ASSOCIATION
2700 Prosperity Avenue, Suite 250
Fairfax, Virginia 22031
Telephone 1-703-849-8888
B-3
Appendix C
EXAMPLE SAFETY PROGRAM BUDGET
Program Area
Budget
Forecast for
Next Year
$4,500.00
Shortages
$4,500.00
Actual
Expense
$3,750.98
Personnel
Training
Conferences
Awareness
Material
Publications
Periodicals
Salaries
Contracts
Safety Awards
Personal
Protective
Equipment
First Aid Kits
Security Alarms
Maintenance
Fire Alarm
Maintenance
Security Guards
Automation
$5,000.00
$1,200.00
$5, 235.67
$1,200.00
$5,500.00
$1,200.00
$235.67
None
$600.00
$450.00
$121,657.90
$5,000.00
$2,500.00
$9,000.48
$597.89
$289.09
$121,656.45
$4876.59
$2,480.67
$9,000.00
$600.00
$300.00
$121,657.90
$5,000.00
$2,500.00
$9,000.00
None
None
None
None
None
None
$659.40
$35,000.00
$659.40
$34,989.50
$690.40
$37,000.00
None
None
$47,468.39
$47,456.99
$49,000.00
None
$69,000.00
$8,000.00
$67,398.09
$7,298.45
$72,000.00
$8,000.00
None
None
None
Notes:
For training there should be $1,500.00 per person involved in the safety program per year.
This will allow for one training class per year for each person.
When using only collateral duty personnel there should be a ratio of one collateral safety
specialist for five hundred employees. This ratio works when the collateral duty individual
at least 8 hours per week on safety duties.
When using only full-time professionals with a full forty-hour week to do safety there should
be one full-time safety professional for each plant or organization. Another approach is to
have a full-time safety professional for each 3,500 employees.
When using a mixture of both collateral and full-time personnel there should be one fulltime safety person at the headquarters level with collateral duty personnel assigned at a
ratio of one collateral safety specialist for every one thousand employees or one per line or
blast.
C-1
For awareness materials the amount needed is fifteen cents for each employee within the
organization. For a high hazard organization this amount should be fifty cents per
employee.
Incentive awards are normally kept to $5.00 or less while earned awards should come in
five different levels that have a progression for an employee to strive for.
C-2
Appendix D
EXAMPLE FACILITY HAZARD ASSESSMENT
Primary
Hazard
Risk
Category
Overall
Risk
2112 Fabrication
Welding Fumes
Ultraviolet Light
Heavy lifting
High
Medium
Medium
High
2112 Plating
Chemicals Fumes
Fire
Frequent Bending
High
Medium
Medium
High
2112 Shipping
Heavy Lifting
Frequent Lifting
Poor Posture
Noise
Medium
Medium
Low
Medium
Medium
2112 Administration
Repetitive Stress
(Typing)
Slipping/Tripping
Medium
Medium
Low
2112 Supply
Frequent Lifting
Poor Ventilation
Excessive Heat
Overhead Storage
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Medium
2112 Parking Area
Slipping/Tripping
Poor Lighting
Low
Low
Low
2134 Warehouse
Overhead Storage
Poor Lighting
Frequent Lifting
Storage in Aisles
Medium
Low
Low
Low
Medium
2134 Loading Dock
Fall From Edges
Frequent Standing
Frequent Carrying
Frequent Lifting
Medium
Medium
Medium
Medium
Medium
2134 Shipping Office
Poor Chairs
Poor Lighting
Low
Low
Building
Section
D-1
Low
APPENDIX E
SAFETY PROGRAM EVALUATION CHECKLIST
This checklist can be used to check the safety program for the organization in
general. For specific programs or hazards please refer to the other checklist at
appendices to this booklet. A quick review of the table of contents can point you to the
appendix you need. This list is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Does the Supervisor or Division Chief
review the accident experience of the
organization?
2. Are significant safety factors included in
the agendas of staff meetings, planning
conferences, and management meetings?
3. Are accident prevention rules and
standards integrated into operations orders,
training orders, directives and publications?
4. Is prompt and appropriate action taken
on safety measures directed by higher
headquarters?
5. Are actions taken toward eliminating or
controlling recognized accident producing
conditions?
6. Do assigned safety duties and functions
conform to regulatory guidance?
7. Is there a safety committee established
and functioning at the directorate level and above?
8. Have minutes been developed for safety
committee meetings and forwarded to
headquarters?
9. Are internal safety inspections being
conducted by organizational personnel?
E-1
Item
Yes No
______________________________________________________________________
10. Are safety promotional and educational
material available and displayed?
11. Are newly assigned personnel briefed
on the hazards of their new work area and
given training required by OSHA?
12. Are supervisory personnel oriented and
trained on their accident prevention
responsibilities?
13. Are all drivers of motor vehicles and
material-handling equipment trained, tested
and licensed to meet organizations standards?
14. Is remedial drivers training provided
for those personnel who have demonstrated a
lack of motivation or skill in driving,
experienced an accident, or been issued a
citation for a traffic violation?
15. Are all accidents reported IAW organization
policy no matter how severe?
16. Are all accidents that involve a lost work
day or property damage properly investigated?
17. Are all accidents that involve a death,
permanent partial disability, or hospitalization
of five or more personnel reported immediately
to headquarters and on to OSHA?
18. Have supervisors who use hazardous substances
developed a list of hazardous substances and
procured a Material Safety Data Sheet on each
substances?
19. Do supervisors train their personnel who
work with hazardous substances?
E-2
Item
Yes No
______________________________________________________________________
20. Do personnel who work with hazardous
substances receive a base line physical before
working with the hazardous substances?
21. Are personnel required to wear a respirator
properly trained, fit tested, and monitored by
medical personnel?
E-3
APPENDIX F
BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Bloodborne Pathogens program only. This list
is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Are all operations reviewed to identify exposure to
Bloodborne pathogens?
4. Is a list made of all work areas where exposure may occur?
5. Is a list made of all employees who may be occupationally
exposed?
6. Are procedures in place to provide for emergency care
and treatment of personnel who may have been exposed to
Bloodborne pathogens?
7. Are all fluids treated as if they were infected?
8. Are employees trained on their specific duties and
responsibilities?
9. Are supervisors trained on their duties?
10. Is the proper Personal Protective Equipment
provided to employees?
11. Is there an evaluation program in place to check
this program for effectiveness?
F-1
APPENDIX G
CONFINED SPACE ENTRY PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Confined Space Entry program only. This list
is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
changes occur?
3. Are all operations reviewed to identify confined spaces?
4. Is a list made of all confined spaces?
5. Is a list made of all permit required confined spaces?
6. Are procedures in place to provide for emergency rescue
and treatment of personnel injured in a confined space
operation?
7. Are employees trained on the specific duties they hold
during a confined space operation?
8. Are supervisors trained on their duties?
9. Are rescue teams appointed and trained?
10. Is the proper Personal Protective Equipment
provided to employees?
11. Are supervisor provided with adequate test
equipment to test for hazards within the confined space?
12. Are the requirements for obtaining a permit spelled
out in the program document?
13. Is there an evaluation program in place to check this
program for effectiveness?
G-1
APPENDIX H
CONTROL OF ENERGY SOURCE PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Control of Energy Source program only. This
list is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Are all operations reviewed to identify operations
where the energy source must be controlled during maintenance
operations?
6. Are procedures in place to provide for tagging or locking-out
of the energy source before maintenance begins?
7. Are employees trained on the specific duties they hold
during maintenance operations, to include the importance
of not energizing a machine that has been tagged or locked-out?
8. Are supervisors trained on their duties?
9. Is the proper tagging and lockout items made available to
employees?
10. Is there an evaluation program in place to check this
program for effectiveness?
H-1
APPENDIX I
ERGONOMICS PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Ergonomics program only. This list is not allinclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Are all operations reviewed to identify operations
where Ergonomics hazards exist?
4. Are workplaces reviewed annually to identify hazards?
5. Are procedures in place to provide for elimination or control of
Ergonomic hazards before injury or illness is caused?
6. Are employees trained on their responsibility to identify and
and report Ergonomic hazards in the work place?
7. Are supervisors trained on their duties?
8. Are physical examinations conducted to determine the
physical limitations and capabilities of potential employees?
9. Is the examination also used to identify past injuries to
serve as a base line for injuries?
10. Is a medical evaluation program in place to review
employee claims of injury or illness?
11. Is the Job Hazard Analysis used to review present work
procedures as well as future work procedures?
I-1
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
12. Are workers rotated as often as possible in high-risk work
places to reduce the exposure to the hazard?
13. Are workers switched to temporary duties not involving
high-risk after reporting an injury or illness and until the injury
or illness is validated or disproved?
14. Are human capabilities and measurements considered
when developing new machines and work procedures?
15. After hazards are identified are abatement plans with dates
developed?
16. Is there an evaluation program in place to check this
program for effectiveness?
I-2
APPENDIX J
HAZARDOUS COMMUNICATION PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Hazardous Communication program only.
This list is not inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Does each element within your organization have a
complete list of hazardous substances used or stored
within the workplace?
2. Is the list maintained in the workplace?
3. Is the list made available to employees of the work
area upon their request?
4. Is the list updated when hazardous substances are
added or subtracted from the workplace?
5. Are all containers of hazardous substances labeled?
6. Are containers without labels set aside and not used
until the proper label can be attached to the container?
7. Are secondary containers properly labeled
after substances are poured into them from primary
containers?
8. Are Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) available
on all hazardous substances in the work place?
9. Are the MSDSs maintained in the workplace?
10 Are the MSDSs provided to employees of the work
place upon request?
11. Are MSDS added when a new hazardous substances
is added to the workplace?
J-1
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
12. Are less hazardous substances substituted for
more hazardous ones when ever possible?
13. Are employees who may come into contact with the
hazardous substance provided with training on their
rights and obligations under the Hazard Communication
Program?
14. Do employees receive specific training on the
hazards of the specific substance they are working
with as well as the proper method of working with the
substance.
15. Is Personal Protective Equipment and Clothing
provided to employees to control exposure to hazards?
16. Do employees receive training on the use and
maintenance of the PPE?
17. Does the organization have a written document
that addresses all elements of this program?
18. Is this document or standard operating procedure
reviewed annually and updated when changes occur?
19. Does the employer have an evaluation program
in place to check this program?
J-2
APPENDIX K
MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Motor Vehicle Accident Prevention program
only. This list is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Are potential drivers required to pass a physical?
4. Are drivers properly trained and licensed on the vehicle
they will be hired to operate?
5. Do employees complete a defensive driving type course?
6. Do supervisors evaluate driver’s performance?
7. Are drivers with traffic violations or accidents counseled?
8. Are drivers retrained when a training weakness is identified
and not as punishment?
9. Is an awards program in place to reward good and safe
drivers?
10. Is an awareness program in place to raise driver
awareness for specific hazards?
11. Is there an evaluation conducted by management to
evaluate the effectiveness of this program?
K-1
APPENDIX L
PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Personal Protective Equipment program only.
All items that address the personal protective equipment includes the requirement to meet
the American National Standards Institute standards for the piece of clothing or the
equipment. This list is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
GENERAL:
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Have all facilities and operations been inspected?
4. Have hazards that need an engineering correction been
identified and preparations made for correction?
5. Have engineering corrections that require more than a
few days to implement been identified for temporary
personal protective equipment abatement?
6. Have hazards requiring permanent abatement by
personal protective equipment abatement been identified?
7. Have specific items of personal protective equipment
been identified to reduce or eliminate the hazard?
GENERAL EYE PROTECTION:
IMPACT PROTECTION:
8. Have hazards been identified that require protection for
the eyes from projectiles?
9. Have impact protection goggles or glasses been identified
for use to protect the eye against the projectiles?
L-1
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
10. Have styles and sizes that promote proper wear been
purchased?
11. Have the goggles or glasses been fitted specifically to
the worker?
12. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the goggles and glasses?
CHEMICAL OR VAPOR PROTECTION:
13. Have hazards been identified that require protection from
splashing chemicals or vapors?
14. Have goggles or glasses been identified for use to protect
the eye against the splashing chemicals or chemical vapors?
15. Have styles and sizes that promote proper wear been
purchased?
16. Have the goggles or glasses been fitted specifically to
the worker?
17. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the goggles and glasses?
ARC WELDING PROTECTION:
18. Have hazards been identified for protection of the eyes
against the hazards of Arc Welding?
19. Has a style and size that promotes proper wear been
purchased?
20. Has a protective hood been fitted specifically to the worker?
21. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the hood?
L-2
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
22. Has the worker also been fitted and issued a proper pair of
impact protection goggles or glasses to protect against the slag
removal? See section on impact protection for specifics.
LASER LIGHT PROTECTION:
23. Have hazards been identified for protection of the eyes from
the hazards of LASER lights?
24. Have proper protective goggles or glasses been identified
for use to protect the eye against the light?
25. Have styles and sizes that promote proper wear been
purchased?
26. Have the goggles or glasses been chosen with the proper
Optical Density for the particular LASER light?
27. Have the goggles or glasses been fitted specifically to
the worker?
28. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the goggles and glasses?
GAS WELDING PROTECTION:
29. Have hazards been identified for protection of the eyes from
the hazards of Gas Welding?
30. Have proper protective goggles or glasses been identified
for use to protect the eye against the light?
31. Have styles and sizes that promote proper wear been
purchased?
32. Have the goggles or glasses been fitted specifically to
the worker?
33. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the goggles and glasses?
L-3
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
HEAD PROTECTION:
34. Have hazards been identified that require protection
against the hazards of objects falling or being dropped onto
the head?
35. Has a proper protective helmet or hat been identified
for use to protect the head against the falling or dropped
object?
36. Has a style and size that promote proper wear been
purchased?
37. Has the helmet or hat been fitted specifically to
the worker?
38. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the helmet or hood?
FOOT PROTECTION:
39. Have hazards been identified that require protection
against the hazards of objects falling or being dropped onto
the feet?
40. Has a proper shoe or guard been identified
for use to protect the feet against the falling or dropped
object?
41. Has a style and size that promote proper wear been
purchased?
42. Has the safety shoe or guard been fitted specifically to
the worker?
43. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the shoe or guard?
L-4
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
HAND PROTECTION:
44. Have hazards been identified that require protection
from cold and hot temperatures, abrasions, cuts, vibration or
chemical exposure to the hands?
45. Have a proper pair of gloves been identified for use to protect
the hand against these hazards?
46. Has a style and size that promote proper wear been
purchased?
47. Have the gloves been fitted specifically to the worker?
48. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the gloves?
BODY PROTECTION:
49. Have hazards been identified that require protection for
the body from extreme cold and hot temperatures?
50. Has proper clothing (pants, jacket, gloves, and hood) been
identified for use to protect the body from these hazards?
51. Has a style and size that promote proper wear been
purchased?
52. Have the clothing been fitted specifically to the worker?
53. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the clothing?
NOISE PROTECTION:
54. Have hazards been identified that require protection for
the ears from extreme noise?
55. Has proper ear muffs or plugs been identified for use to
protect the ear from noise?
L-5
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
56. Has a style and size that promote proper wear been
purchased?
57. Have the muffs or plugs been fitted specifically to the worker?
58. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the muffs or plugs?
RESPIRATORY PROTECTION:
59. Have hazards been identified that require protection for
the respiratory tract (lungs, throat, sinuses) from hazards?
These hazards should be identified and quantified by an
Industrial Hygienist or a Certified Safety Professional.
60. Is there a respiratory protection program within the
organization?
61. Has the proper respirator been identified for use to
protect the respiratory tract? The respirator should be
chosen by an Industrial Hygienist.
62. Has a style and size that promote proper wear been
purchased?
63. Has the worker passed a physical certifying they are
able to wear a respirator?
64. Has the respirator been fit tested specifically to the
worker?
65. Has the respirator fit test been conducted by a person
certified to fit test?
64. Has a record been made of the fit test?
53. Has the worker been trained in the proper maintenance
and cleaning of the respirator?
L-6
APPENDIX M
FIRE PREVENTION AND PROTECTION PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Fire Prevention and Protection program only.
This list is not all-inclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Have fire prevention inspections been made of all facilities
and operations?
4. If fire prevention inspections have not been made have fire
prevention and protection been included in safety
inspections of all facilities and operations?
5. Is there a plan to correct the fire hazards noted during the
inspections?
6. Has the need and location for all fire extinguishers been
determined?
7. Have the proper fire extinguishers been purchased and
positioned where they are required?
8. Have employees been trained on where fire extinguishers
are located and how to operate them?
9. Is there a plan in place to maintain and refill fire extinguishers?
10. Have the proper amount and type of fire exits been designated?
11. Have all employees been informed as to the location and use of
fire exits and the routes that get them to the exit?
M-1
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
12. Are fire drills conducted regularly to ensure the routes and
exits are correct?
13. Are exits and the routes to the exits kept clear and free from
obstructions?
14. Are stairwells part of the route to the exit?
15. Are these stairwells of the appropriate fire rating?
16. In enclosed stairwells are the doors kept shut to
ensure the integrity of the route?
17. Is there a plan in place for the maintenance and
repair of fire doors on stairwells?
18. Are fire alarm systems installed and inspected
and tested periodically?
19. Have employees been trained on the use of fire
alarms?
20. Has the need for visual or audible signals been
reviewed and the proper signal installed?
21. Is the fire alarm a local or central alarm system?
22. If a local alarm, is a plan in place for notification
of the fire department?
23. Are flammable substances stored in flame proof
cabinets or rooms?
24. Are ignition sources prohibited near combustible
or flammable substances?
25. Are smoking areas kept to a minimum and located
away from combustible or flammable sources?
M-2
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
26. Are electrical wiring and appliances inspected
periodically to prevent electrical shorts?
27. Is the use of hot plates, coffee pots and other heat
producing devices held to a minimum and kept in areas
away from combustibles and flammable substances?
28. Have arrangements been made for fire protection
and firefighting services to respond to your organization
in case of an emergency?
29. Have arrangements been made for emergency
medical services to respond to your organization in case
of fire?
30. Have outside fire hydrants been located and paths
cleared for fire trucks to connect to them in case of a fire?
31. Have fire doors been installed on stairwells?
32. Have fire doors been installed in warehouses
to limit area susceptible to a fire?
33. Are fire doors installed in hallways separating
areas of differing hazards?
34. Are lighted exit signs posted to alert personnel in the
event of a fire?
M-3
APPENDIX N
GENERAL SAFETY INSPECTION GUIDELINES
The following items, if overlooked, can cause hazards in the work place. The list is not all
encompassing, nor will all items pertain to everyone. This information is provided only to
aid you in identifying hazards and items may appear more than once.
SUBJECT
REQUIREMENT
Housekeeping
-Conditions are orderly and
sanitary.
-Floors, aisles and work areas
are clean and dry.
-Trash and containers are
sanitary and covered.
-Cleaning materials are provided.
Exits
-Free and unobstructed.
-Clearly marked.
-Are the correct size for the
building occupancy.
-Unlocked or panic hardware
installed.
-Lighted signs are used where
needed.
Stairs
-Handrails are used where there
are four or more stairs.
-An offset handrail is used for
winding stairs.
-Stairs are in good physical
condition with non-slip surface
on edge of tread.
Portable Ladders
-Are in good physical condition.
-Have a non-skid base on legs.
-Are not left exposed to weather.
-Have all rungs in place.
-Periodic inspections of ladders is
conducted.
-Users are trained to properly use
ladder.
N-1
SUBJECT
Flammable Liquids
Fire Prevention
REQUIREMENT
--General
-Only approved containers and
cabinets are used.
-Bonding and grounding is used
when transferring Class I liquids.
-Combustible waste is in covered
containers.
--Storage Rooms -Walls and doors are of fire
resistive materials.
-Doors are self-closing.
-There is a four-inch sill at each
door.
-There is a single switch for the
light and fan motor.
-Electrical wiring and switches are
approved for flammable storage
areas.
-Approved fire extinguishers are
properly placed.
-Signs prohibiting smoking and
open flames are posted.
-A written fire prevention plan in
is available.
-An emergency exit plan is posted
in each room.
-Fire drills are conducted
periodically to ensure the
emergency exit plans will work.
-Fire extinguishers are accessible
and properly maintained.
-Fire extinguishers are the correct
type for the hazard.
-Fire extinguishers are inspected
and weighed at least yearly.
-Fire extinguishers are
hydrostatically tested depending
on type.
N-2
SUBJECT
REQUIREMENT
Fire Prevention (cont.)
-A visual fire alarm will be used in
work areas where employees
must wear hearing protection.
Electrical
-Main disconnect switches are
legibly marked.
-Fixed and portable equipment is
grounded.
-Flexible cords are used only as a
temporary measure.
-All electrical outlets and
switches are in good working
order.
Material Handling
-Fork-lifts are correct for the
hazards of the location they are
used in.
-Fork-lifts are in good working
order.
-Operators are trained and
licensed.
-Forks are lowered when left
unattended.
Compressed Gas
-Inspected on receipt and prior to
cylinders use.
-Stored in a safe location.
-Stored upright and fastened to a
fixed object so they will not fall
over.
-Separated by gas type.
-A safety relief valve is
installed when necessary.
-A protective cap is installed.
Air Compressors
-Belt is guarded.
-A pressure gauge is installed.
-Safety relief valves are tested
regularly.
-Fluid is drained from the tank
daily.
N-3
SUBJECT
REQUIREMENT
Cranes
-Rated load is marked on side of
boom.
-Trolley stops are used to limit
travel.
-Guards cover moving parts.
-Electrical equipment is enclosed.
-All equipment is inspected prior
to use.
-A thorough inspection is
conducted annually.
-Test reports are maintained.
Dip Tanks
-Mechanical ventilation to safe
outside location is used.
-Overflow is collected.
-Automatic and manual closing
cover.
-Portable fire extinguisher is
nearby.
-Explosion proof electrical
fixtures are used.
-Non-flammable solvents are
used when practical.
-Signs prohibiting smoking and
open flames are posted.
Ventilation
-Ventilation is used for welding
operations.
-Ventilation is used for grinding,
buffing, and polishing
operations.
-Ventilation is used for spray
paint operations.
-Ventilation is verified by an air
velocity meter reading.
-Ventilation will be used to
remove carbon monoxide from
vehicle maintenance operations.
-Respirators will be used in place
of proper ventilation only as a
temporary measure.
N-4
SUBJECT
REQUIREMENT
Personal Protective
Clothing and Equipment
(PPE)
-All work areas requiring PPE
have been verified in writing
by a safety official
-All PPE is provided by the
employer at no cost to the user.
-All PPE will meet American
National Standards Institute
standards for the particular
piece of equipment and its use.
-PPE will properly fit the user.
-Personnel required to use PPE
will be properly trained in its
use.
Hearing Protection
-Noise hazard areas are
identified.
-Signs are posted to notify
personnel of the hazard.
-Personnel working in a noise
hazard environment will be
given a base line hearing test.
-Personnel working in a noise
hazard environment will be
given training and PPE to
reduce the hazard.
Machine Guarding
-Original guards are in place and
operational.
-Instruction manuals are reviewed
to ensure machines requiring
guards have them installed and
operational.
-Machines that have cutting
edges, blades, pinch points,
compression points, moving
parts, belts and pulleys need
guards.
-Machine operators are trained
on proper installation and
maintenance of guards.
-Supervisors enforce guard use.
N-5
SUBJECT
Ergonomics
REQUIREMENT
-Jobs high in repetitive tasks or
fast speed of repetition is
reviewed for risks.
-Operational controls are
measured to ensure average
employee can reach all controls
without straining.
-Work benches are set up for the
tallest employee and steps are
used to raise shorter employees
to work bench level.
-Employees do not lift objects
over 35 pounds when possible
(the NIOSH lift formulae should be
used to determine actual weight to
be lifted).
-Employees lift with their legs and
not their backs.
-Lifting devices are used
whenever possible to eliminate
employee lifting.
-Employees will not lift objects
above their shoulders.
-Employees work standing only
when sitting arrangements can't
be made.
-Employees will not pick up
objects from below their knees.
-Work places are properly lighted
so employees can see all
controls and devices properly.
-Control knobs and handles
operate with minimum force.
-Standing employees will be
provided with anti-fatigue mats
for floor.
-Awkward body movements
especially to the fingers, hands,
wrists, elbows, knees, and
ankles should be avoided.
N-6
Ergonomics (cont.)
-Temperatures will be controlled
to eliminate extremes of heat
and cold.
-If temperatures can not be
controlled proper protective
clothing and equipment will be
provided.
Control of Energy Sources
-Operating procedures in place to
control energy sources during
maintenance operations.
-Employees are trained on the
use of tags and lockouts.
-Tags and lockouts are used to
control energy sources during
maintenance on machines and
equipment.
-Only personnel who install tags
and lockouts remove them.
N-7
Appendix O
INSPECTION SURVEY QUESTIONS
1. Were you given a medical examination before starting your present job?
2. Were you given initial training before starting your present job?
3. Were you issued personal protective equipment and clothing before starting your
present job?
4. Were you given training on how to maintain and wear this personal protective
equipment?
5. Are you aware of your obligation to report hazards?
6. Have you reported a hazard in the past?
7. Are you aware of any accidents occurring in the section?
8. Where do you think the next accident will occur?
9. What work procedures would you change?
10. How would you describe your company's safety program?
11. What is your role in that program?
12. If you could change anything about this program what would it be?
O-1
APPENDIX P
EXAMPLE SAFETY POLICY LETTER
ABC Corporation
1211 Upward Road
Anywhere, Georgia 28374
Company Policy Letter No. 456
SUBJECT: Company Safety Policy
It is the responsibility of each and every employee here at ABC to take an active
role in the prevention of accidents. Our company is about building quality products and
providing quality services to our customers at a reasonable price. We cannot do this if
we suffer from accidents that result in property damage or personal injuries to our
employees.
As the Chief Operating Officer for this company I take responsibility for safety as
one of my many jobs. However, this does not lessen the responsibility for each
manager, supervisor, and employee to identify hazards, and help to develop ways to
reduce, control, or eliminate hazards. It is not acceptable in this company to let hazards
go unchecked. We may not be able to correct each and every one, however we can
control them.
The collateral safety representative for this company is Mr. John Smith and he has
my full support in implementing a safety program that will fit in with the processes that
we do for a living. He will coordinate with managers, supervisors and employees to
make this happen. This program will not exist outside the normal way we do business.
I am not interested in a program just to meet some regulatory guidance. I am interested
in a program that will deliver on the bottom line. This will be a program that helps us
conduct our process with the least amount of risk for the least amount of cost.
Linda J. Myers
Chief Operating Officer
P-1
Appendix Q
EXAMPLE ACCIDENT REPORT FORM
Who Had the Accident?____________________________Date:___________
Time:________Location:__________________________________________
Section Worker Assigned To:_______________________________________
Equipment Involved:______________________________________________
Other Personnel Involved:_________________________________________
Persons Injured:_________________________________________________
Work Days: Lost:_____Restricted:_____Hospitalized:_____
Property Damages:_______________________________________________
What Happened?_________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Was person properly trained? Yes_____No_____
Corrective Action Taken:___________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
_______________________________________________________________
Signatures:
Individual Who Had Accident:____________________________Date:_____
Supervisor of Same Person:_____________________________Date:_____
Q-1
Appendix R
EXAMPLE HAZARD LOG
Item
Deficiency
Standard
Risk
Date
No.
Location
Noted
Violated
Assessment Corrected
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|_______________ _|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
_____|___________________|________________|____________|_____________|_________
R-1
APPENDIX S
EXAMPLE RISK ASSESSMENT MATRIX
PROBABILITY
MEDIUM
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
HIGH
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
SEVERITY
MEDIUM
LOW
MEDIUM
LOW
LOW
LOW
Probability-how likely the event is to occur or how often will it occur.
High-the event will occur numerous times over the life of the operation.
Medium-the event will occur occasionally over the life of the operation.
Low-the event is not likely to occur or will occur only a few times in the entire life of
the operation.
Severity-how serious it will be when it does occur. It is broken down into three
categories:
High-normally causes serious injuries that result in partial or permanent disabilities
or death, significant property damage to the tool or equipment or loss of the entire
system, debilitating occupational illnesses that result in partial or permanent disabilities
or death. May result in the loss of company secrets that could cost the company its
share of the market or cause the loss of life or severe damage to facilities or equipment.
Medium-normally causes an injury that will require medical treatment, property
damage of medium value, and may cause occupational illnesses. May result in loss to
the company that is serious but does not threaten the existence of the company or its
market. May result damage to the facility or equipment that costs in excess of
$50,000.00 or hospitalization of an employee or customer.
S-1
Low Hazard-normally causes first-aid injuries, minor property damage and no
illnesses. May result in minor damage to equipment or facility and minor bad publicity.
Now when you go into the matrix you find that you have a high probability that the event
would occur and a low hazard. You put your finger on the column for high and run it
down the column to low on severity and you find the block medium. Now you can look
at the descriptions for severity and that is what the event is likely to result in. What you
are doing is estimating the amount of risk a hazard poses to your personnel and
operations by comparing the probability that the hazard will cause an accident with the
severity of the injury or property damage resulting from that accident. It is essential to
do a risk assessment so that you can determine which hazards are actually higher in
risk than others. You later use this information to correct the highest hazards first then
the medium and last the low. This will allow you to reduce the risk to your employees
and operations by controlling the highest risks first. Then if a lower hazard causes an
accident why you are correcting the high hazards the result would be less injury and
property damage than if the situation were reversed and the low hazard was being
corrected and a high hazard caused an accident. Let's look at an oil slip on the floor.
Go back to chapter three and look at the oil spill again while using this matrix.
You're probably thinking that this is very subjective and you are right. The more
you do risk assessments the better you will be at them but, you will never take the
subjectiveness out of them. This is also a simple matrix. There are many others out
there and most are more complicated. However, I have shown you this one just to give
you an introduction to identifying a risk through a risk assessment. I highly encourage
you to take a course that covers risk assessments as well as risk management. I also
recommend reading Joe Stephenson's book entitled System Safety 2000 it is an
excellent reference tool for risk assessments, see the suggested reading list at
appendix T. Remember the risk assessment matrix that you choose to use should fit
the needs of your organization and should not be any more complicated that it needs to
be to quantify risk.
S-2
Appendix T
SECURITY PROGRAM CHECKLIST
This checklist is for an evaluation of the Security program only. This list is not allinclusive, but is a good place to start.
Item
Yes
No
______________________________________________________________________
1. Is there a written document that outlines this program?
2. Is this document reviewed annually and updated when
when changes occur?
3. Are all operations reviewed to identify exposure to
criminal activity?
4. Is a list made of all work areas where exposure may occur?
5. Is a list made of all employees who may be occupationally
exposed?
6. Are procedures in place to provide for emergency care
and treatment of personnel who may be harmed?
7. Are all security lights operative and properly directed?
8. Are security cameras real and taping what they view?
9. Are supervisors trained on their duties?
10. Are employees trained on their duties?
11. Is a background check conducted prior to new
employees beginning work?
12. Is a background check conducted periodically for
employees working in high-risk areas?
13. Is there an evaluation program in place to check
this program for effectiveness?
T-1
APPENDIX U
ERGONOMIC MEASUREMENTS
LIFTING MEASUREMENTS
A-Only lift the box as high as you have to. Use a table, roller device, or lifting device when
necessary.
B-Keep the box as close to your body as possible. The farther the box is away the more
strain and pressure it may put on your back.
C-Keep your back as straight as you can.
D-Lift with your legs not with your back.
E-Do not lift heavy objects. In most cases 35 pounds is more than enough to lift. But the
weight really depends on the amount of times you lift the object. Try to have a hand hold on the
object it will make the lift easier and safer.
F-Try to pick up objects between your knee and shoulders and try not to lift objects over
your shoulders.
G-Don't pick up the object from the floor. Even a few inches off the floor is an
improvement.
It is essential to provide any employees that lift with the proper training to prevent stress
and strain that often leads to injuries. All situations where employees lift should be considered
hazardous. Employees don't need to have a major injuries they could be suffering the stress
and strain that could cause a serious back injury. Always take employee complaints about back
pain seriously and either prove or disprove them.
U-1
ERGONOMIC MEASUREMENTS
COMPUTER WORKSTATION MEASUREMENTS
Screen should
tilt back
15 degrees
19.7"-29.5"
3.9"10.2"
35.5"
18.9"-20.5"
23.6"
27.5"-33.5"
from floor
to center
of keyboard
Front edge
turns up
4-5 degrees
31.5" to
any back
wall or
surface
Seat surface 15.7"-17.7"
across and 15.0"-16.5"
from front to back
Chair leg should be
five leg design
These measurements are not exact and represent some of my work and study on
what an adjustable workstation would look like. Where two measurements are indicated
they represent the two extremes of adjustability of that particular portion of the
workstation. I believe these measurements are a beginning and will help you to procure
an adjustable workstation that will reduce the stresses faced by your organization’s
employees daily.
U-2
ERGONOMIC MEASUREMENTS
COMPUTER WORKSTATION REQUIREMENTS
The key to reducing injuries and illnesses associated with computers or automated
data processing equipment often rests on the quality and adjustability of the workstation
used. Second is the environment the workstation is located in. Following are a few
recommendations that can reduce the risks while improving the quality of life for your
employees.
a. The operator must maintain correct posture.
b. The workstation must be adjustable to fit the majority of operators.
c. If an operator spends 25% of their time at a workstation an adjustable
workstation is not normally provided.
d. If an operator spends 25-49% of their time at a workstation an adjustable
workstation may be provided.
e. If an operator spends more than 50% or more of their time at a workstation
then an adjustable workstation should be provided.
f. A proper chair is also important and should be adjustable was well nor matter
how long an employee is ask to sit in the chair.
g. The seat of a chair should be large enough to fit the employee and should roll
down in the front edge.
h. The back support should be adjustable with a lumbar support, that means a
part of the bask rest pushes your lower back in to keep your posture correct is looks like
a bulge in the back of the chair.
I. The chair must have five legs to make it harder to tip over by accident.
j. The employees feet must able to set flat on the floor when the seat is adjusted
properly, if that is not possible then a foot rest should be provided to keep the feet from
hanging.
j. Never make an employee face into a window to look at a computer screen put
the screen at a right angle to the window.
k. Do not put an employee to the back of a monitor instead put the two computers
back to back.
U-3
APPENDIX V
SUGGESTED READING LIST
Accident Prevention Manual for Industrial Operations, 11th ed. National Safety Council: USA,
1997.
Accident Prevention Manual for Business and Industry Security Management, National Safety
Council, USA, 1997.
Basics of Safety and Health, Neville C. Tompkins, National Safety Council Press, USA, 2001.
Commitment, by Frank E. Bird, Jr, and George L. Germain, Institute Publishing, 1987.
Ergonomics at Work, 2nd ed., by David Oborne, Chichester, published by Wiley, 1967.
Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health, National Safety Council: USA, 1985.
Industrial Safety, 3rd ed., by Roland P. Blake, published by Prentice-Hall, Inc. , 1963.
Loss Control Management by Frank E. Bird Jr. and Robert G. Loftus, Published by the Institute
Press, 1989.
Managing Safety and Health Programs, by Ray Boylston, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold,
1990.
Practical Loss Control Leadership, by Frank E. Bird Jr., and George L. Germain, published by
the International Loss Control Institute, 1990.
Safety and Health Essentials for Small Business, by William Martin and James Walters,
Butterworth and Heinemann, USA, 2001.
Supervisor's Safety Manual, 9th ed. National Safety Council: USA, 1997.
System Safety 2000, by Joe Stephenson, published by Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1991.
Team Building-An Exercise In Leadership, by Robert B. Maddux, published by Kogan Page,
1990.
The One Minute Manager Builds High Performing Teams; Kenneth Blanchard, Ph.D., Donald
Carew, Ed. D., Eunice Parisi-Carew, Ed. D., 1990.
The Safety Coach, David Sarkus, Championship Publishing, Donors, PA, 2001.
V-1