Happy New Year! As we kick off the New Year, now is the best time to have an open discussion on why

safety is so important to you.  This week we will discuss ways to keep our workplace safe by caring and sharing with our coworkers, keeping up with inspections, and sharing our safety resolutions with our coworkers.

Monday – New Year’s Resolution

Do you have a safety resolution set for 2023?  Most resolutions don’t make it past February, but try to keep these tips in mind when setting your goals for workplace safety.

•      Always start with small achievable goals rather than large unachievable ones.

•      The same idea applies to behavior, make one behavior change at a time and focus in on the actions that will most likely contribute to the unsafe practices.

• Goals and resolutions are more likely to happen when you talk about them.  Effectively
  communicate what your goal is and how you plan on achieving it.  This is why safety action teams work well.  Setting goals and putting a plan in place to achieve those goals.

Tuesday - Caring and Sharing

Our behavior based safety system called Safety First has four training modules, and the fourth module discusses ways employees care, share, learn from each other.  It’s a continuous improvement process when everyone works together and ties into a culture of building your own workplace.  Whether you’re a manager, supervisor or an employee, anyone should be able to warn someone to be safe.  It is so important to look out for one another’s safety and is a true sign of a dedicated working environment.

Here are some questions to think about when it comes to keeping your coworker safe:      

• Have you approached a coworker on safety and are you willing to?
• Have you guided a coworker on the safe way to complete a task?
• Are you afraid of confrontation?  If so is their safety worth that fear?

Wednesday – Annual Inspections – Facility

Keep your checklist of mandatory inspections on hand but adding other inspections will help facilitate a safer workplace.  Inspections that are mandatory include fire extinguishers/hoses, cranes and lifting devices such as slings, emissions equipment, machine guarding and forklifts.

Here are a few other facility inspections you can include to help create a safer workplace such as housekeeping, 5-S, emergency lighting and exit routes, preventative maintenance routines, ladders and stairs, electrical panel obstruction and general safety.

Thursday – Inspections – Forklifts

Did you know that forklifts are the most dangerous piece of equipment in general industry?  Most of the injuries that occur on forklifts are due to improper use, faulty conditions or poor maintenance.  When it comes to forklift compliance, inspections and training are the two most critical items to track.

•      Inspections:  OSHA requires pre-operation inspections (1910.178(q)(7).

Keep a record of pre-op examinations for critical items such as:

• • Tires: n significant damage and all lugs are present on all wheels
  • Warning devices: all wrking properly such as horns and lights
  • Lifting mechanisms: free frm deficiencies
  • Seat and seat belt: present and wrking properly
  • Power: properly maintained, such as fluids for LPG engines, and batteries kept in working order
  • All brakes: wrking properly

• Training: the most important thing when it comes to forklift safety; operator competency can significantly impact your safety record.
  • Review peridically operator needs for training and ensure the required refresher evaluatin is done every 3 years
  • Have a skill matrix fr your operators on which equipment they are authorized to operate. All equipment will require competency training to see who can operate what

Friday – Free Speech Friday: What’s Your New Year’s Safety Resolution?

It is good practice to start your new year with making safety resolutions and communicating it to others. Go around the room and discuss how you are going to resolve to make your workplace safer, and what will you do to ensure your resolution sticks?

  CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD A PDF VERSION OF THIS SAFETY BRIEF