by East Coast Risk Management on Sep 30, 2011
7 Things Employees Must Know About Safety and Their Job
Whether you're working in a metal fabrication shop or on an oil & gas site, all employees NEED TO KNOW these seven essential things about safely performing their work:
- Hazards - Employees need to know what could go wrong in their job and injure or make them ill. They need to be able to identify hazards, and they must know the steps they need to take to protect themselves against these hazards. They also need to know how to correct or report unsafe conditions that could lead to an accident.
- Safety Rules and Regulations that Apply to the Job - Your workers should be thoroughly familiar with all of your safety and health rules that apply to their job. If there are OSHA regulations that apply to their job as well, these should be explained so that employees understand what they need to do to ensure compliance.
- Required Job Skills & Knowledge - Employees must know how to perform their jobs properly. This means having the skills and knowledge required to do a good, safe job.
- Required Personal Protective Equipment - For any task where PPE is required, employees must understand how to select, inspect, use and maintain PPE. They should also understand the limitations of PPE and what to do with damaged or defective PPE.
- Safety Controls - If engineering controls, like ventilation or machine safeguards, are required for employees to perform their jobs safely, then they need to understand when and how these controls should be used. Administrative controls, like permits for confined spaces or time limits for working in areas with airborne chemical hazards should be understood and complied with.
- Proper Ergonomics - Most industrial jobs involve some ergonomic risks. Employees should understand these risks and the safe work practices required to prevent physical stress, strain and musculoskeletal disorders.
- What if Something Goes Wrong - Employees should know what to do in emergencies such as fires, chemical spills and accidents involving injuries. They should also know to whom emergencies should be reported and how to report them.