We have found that our water treatment business is similar to many businesses out there, so we are happy to share our safety checklist. Whether your business is small or large, we highly recommend having some kind of safety protocol in place. Even if your employees are not laborers or technicians, it is still a worthwhile endeavor. It may even make sense to contact your insurance company to get feedback on your safety procedures; they are usually happy to provide the advice and many times adopting their recommendations can save you tons of headaches down the line. In this respect, the old adage is very true: An ounce of protection is worth a pound of cure.
If your business is similar to ours, employees should certainly be trained in several aspects of PPE (personal protective equipment). This includes when PPE must be worn; what type of PPE is appropriate for the job at hand; how to properly don, wear, adjust and remove the PPE; limitations of PPE in use; care and maintenance of the PPE; and useful life and disposal of PPE. In addition, hazardous work areas should undergo a hazard assessment any time there is a significant change in the process, when new equipment is used or when accident statistics suggest that it is a problem area.
Once you develop your company’s safety and health policy, make sure you post it for all of your employees to see. It is important that you involve all employees in policy making on safety and health issues. Everyone should take an active part in your company’s safety activities. Remember: If incident goals are not set at zero, you may be sending a message to your staff that incidents are acceptable.
Management leaders that demonstrate a personal commitment and genuine interest to safety can have a substantial impact on any organization. The concept of “zero incidents” must be agreed upon and understood by management first, so that it can be worked into the overall culture of your company. This coupled with active employee participation and management support is the key success factor to any safety program. You must adopt a safety culture that fits the needs of YOUR organization.
In part two of this post, we will share some of the most important aspects of our safety checklist as it relates to the industrial and institutional water treatment industry. Thanks for reading!
