Issue link: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/55968
WORLD FENCE NEWS • MARCH 2012 • 73 An Obligation for Safety BY CARL POTTER, CSP AND DEB POTTER, PHD What is the Obligation? Organizations have an obligation to make sure that they do not injure employees while in pursuit of profit. Likewise, employees are obligated to do everything they can to make sure that they do everything they can to not get hurt, create a work environment where others do not get hurt, and par- ticipate in the safety process. The opposite of these actions is to be part of the problem. There is no middle ground – you are either part of the solution, or you are part of the problem. Management consultant Price Pritchett, said, "The factory of the fu- ture will have two employees, a secu- rity guard and a watch dog. The guard is there to feed and water the dog and the dog is there to bite the guard if he tries to touch the machines." Workplaces are full of inherent risks for injury, but the intention is that apparent risks have a consequent mit- igation. The logical path to mitigation For an employer to mitigate risk, first the hazards must be recognized. Although that sounds simple, decades of experience clearly demonstrate that people see what they want to see. In high-risk industries, this applies to both employees and employers. During a walk-through at a plant prior to conducting our work, it is apparent that employees, supervisors, managers and owners tend to overlook obvious hazards that can cause serious injury. "Wow! How did we miss that on our inspections?" is a common state- ment during the walk-throughs. Inter- estingly, this individual will walk by without correcting or guarding the hazard. It is not unusual to find that this person has a high expectation for em- ployees and supervisors to make a demonstrated commitment to safety. Before we get too far in the walk- through, the question becomes, "So why are you leaving this in the same condition?" There is a gap between observa- tion and mitigation that we must over- come. To handle the day in and day out hazards that show up in the workplace, the organization must have a process much like the one OSHA uses after an inspection to ensure that cited (unsafe) conditions are taken care of within a set amount of time. This process must be one where every recognized workplace hazard is corrected and documented. Further, the safety management process (SMP) should include a root cause analysis to determine the source of the hazard. In the best SMP, there will be a constant mechanism for improving the situation. OSHA supports this type of process through ANSI Z10 and the Voluntary Protection Program. One of the key factors of the process is to conduct a Formal Hazard Assessment (FHA). Making the effort to identify Here's why such a specific, vali- dated hazard assessment is an essen- tial part of an SMP: Imagine building a fence around your entire plant. Whether you work in a manufacturer, service industry, or laboratory, the fence (even if it is imaginary) defines the boundary or scope of where to look for hazards. Once the assessment is completed, you can begin a systematic process to evaluate the hazards identified for the risk level and in turn make conscious decisions to mitigate the risk. The challenge is that many em- ployees, supervisors, managers and owners do not see the hazards. Conducting an FHA properly in- volves a significant number of people in the process to reduce the chances of missing hazards. The good news is that it is a black and white assessment or one might say, "The hazard exists, or it doesn't." Contrary to a perception survey, this type of survey is not a cause for alarm by employees; they become the providers of information about the hazards they face in doing their jobs. The result: Injury prevention The important concept to keep in mind with the FHA is that you now have specific information to use in pre- venting hazards from causing injury in your workplace. In addition, when OSHA comes knocking on your door, you will im- press them with your process. Because of the inherent risks that are involved with workplaces, targeting zero in- juries is a tough job. Nevertheless, if organizations con- tinue to just throw "safety stuff" at a perceived problem, they will never know how to prevent injuries. Each organization must be obliged to have an SMP that seeks to be spe- cific in identifying hazards that are in- herent to the workplace as well as those that pop-up daily so that every- one can go home every day without in- jury. For more information about con- ducting an FHA that includes NAFCA – An Association By The Contractor For The Contractor BECOME A MEMBER! 2012 is shaping up to be an exciting and rewarding year for the North American Fence Contractors Associa- tion and you owe it to yourself and your team to get in on the ground floor and experience all the benefits that this con- tractor-driven organization has to offer. Membership is open to all bona fide fence installers and vendors. Check us out! Join now in order to be able to take advantage of these exciting events coming up this year: • Arlington National Cemetery Fence Renovation Public Service Project, Arlington, Virginia, April 19-22, 2012. • Beginners Gate Operator Course, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, March 21, 2012. • NAFCA Gate Operator School, Training Milwaukee, September 13-15, 2012. • NAFCA Annual Pheasant Hunt, South Dakota, October 2012. NAFCA is all about networking, education, cooperation and camaraderie among its members for the benefit of all. Improve your bottom line! Join NAFCA today. Visit the web site for complete information or feel free to call. Contact us today for more information or an application! 770-757-9094 • http://www.4nafca.com/join-nafca.html 2631 Corporate Circle • East Troy, WI 53120-2581 Wisconsin, contin ued on pa g e 75