Let’s discuss overcoming 5 common facility safety mistakes. These tips and reminders will help you create a safer work environment for you and your employees.
Watch the ‘Overcoming 5 Common Facility Safety Mistakes’ video!
1 – Proper use of safety cabinets
One of the leading causes of industrial fires is the improper storage and handling of flammable liquids. Safety cabinets help you safely store fuels, chemicals and solvents to reduce the risk of fire, and protects life and property. It is necessary to ground a safety cabinet if you are dispensing liquids from containers inside the cabinets, and the potential of an ignitable vapor is possible. Make sure you’re using your cabinets properly.
2 – Bilingual facility identification
If your facility consists of employees who speak Spanish as their primary language, and English as a secondary, provide facility identification in a bilingual method. Proper signage can communicate important instructions, reinforce safety messages, and can warn employees who may be exposed to hazards. And actually it’s more than just signs…facility identification can be labels, scoreboards, tags, posters and more. Don’t let your safety messages get lost in translation.
3 – Lockout/Tagout training requirements
Lockout/tagout is consistently in OSHA’s annual top 10 list of most violated standards. These procedures protect employees from machinery whose energy sources may unexpectedly start, or release energy, during maintenance. For this type of work you must have an energy-control program and your employees must be property trained. The two largest groups of trained employees are either authorized and affected. So, here’s a question for you. Can an authorized employee lockout the equipment if he/she is not working on it? (Check below at the very end for the answer.)
4 – Preventing falls on walking surfaces
Most slips, trips and falls occur in a wet or contaminated floor condition that can be prevented by the use of proper floor matting. Floor matting can drain water, prevent fatigue, remove debris and can be a first defense in preventing slips. Floor matting can also be custom cut and designed for your workspace. Of course don’t forget to give attention to good housekeeping habits, removing obstacles from your walking surfaces and to properly cover electrical cords and cables.
5 – Testing emergency eyewash and showers
ANSI states emergency stations must be accessible within 10 seconds (or roughly 55 feet) of hazardous areas. Units must also provide 15 minutes of continuous flushing. Plumbed units are to be tested weekly for activation, water flow and duration of activation. It’s also recommended to test your accessibility of obstacle free travel to the station. So go dust yours off and give it a good test today!
Okay so we just reviewed our 5 common facility safety mistakes and how to overcome them. In summary, the best way to increase safety and minimize injuries at your facility is to evaluate, plan and prepare. Join us in working together to make America safe!
#3 Answer:
Yes! A worker is considered an authorized employee if they either: (1) lock out or tag out machinery/equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance, or (2) implement a lockout and/or tagout system procedural element on machines or equipment.