Dear all, I got an excellent article about role in promoting safety. Maybe these ideas can implement at your site . Should there be anything to discuss, please let me know Best Regards, DQ
---------------------------------------------- > 1: Your Role in Promoting Safety > > Security supervisors often find themselves wearing an additional hat - > that > of safety manager. Even if you aren't playing a dual managerial role, you > probably are expected to play an active role on your facility's safety > team > or committee. The ultimate goal of such committees is keeping workers > safe, > but the specifics of how you're going to achieve that may not always be > apparent, especially when your specialty is Security. > > When you are asked to join a safety committee, there are a number of > things > you can do to play an active role: > ** Build relationships. Talk with other members of the committee or with > the safety manager in your building. > > ** Declare your commitment. Let the team or manager know that you > consider > safety a critical workplace component and that you will do your part to > make the facility safe. > > ** Make safety a priority. Conflicts can develop with other departments > when dangerous conditions and practices that need to be changed run smack > into the need to get things done. Work together to resolve such conflicts, > keeping safety as the ultimate goal. > > ** Keep an open-door policy. You and other members of the safety team > should be available to... > - Listen to employees' concerns about safety > - Coach employees and each other in appropriate safety techniques > - Provide relevant safety information that may affect other > departments > > ** Conduct a safety audit. When you become a safety committee member, > take > a facility tour with other committee members. During this tour, conduct a > safety audit of the facility. > > ------The Audit------ > The purpose of a team audit is to offer fresh perspectives. There may be > safety violations you or your guards come across in daily patrols that you > hadn't been aware of until joining the safety team. The audit helps the > committee focus on areas in the building that need improvement. It should > include these areas: > > 1. Hazard Identification. The following physical hazards are all factors > that can lead to unsafe actions on the part of company employees: > * Blocked exits and exit signs that aren't visible > * Unsafe floor conditions > * Unsafe storage areas > * Poor lighting > * Poor housekeeping > * Excessive heat and noise levels > * Offensive odors > Also plan on spending some time just observing things that have an impact > on safety. Make note of such things as... > * The rate at which people are working. Is it too fast to be safe? > * The range of motion being used. Is it likely to cause injury? > * The use of appropriate personal protective equipment. Is it in > place > and in good condition? > * Adherence to safety rules. Is it constant and consistent? > > 2. Hazard Documentation. When conducting an audit, supplement your > note-taking with a video record. Replay the tape later so that the safety > committee can revisit the problems, discuss what conditions were present, > and determine what changes need to occur. > > 3. Hazard Correction. It's not enough to simply identify hazards and then > create a to-do list that gets stuffed in a file drawer and forgotten. > Correcting the hazards you identify is the key point of the audit process. > > For example, if you discover unsafe behaviors during the audit (such as > failure to stack materials appropriately), that may signal a need for > refresher training in some departments. If you discover unsafe conditions > or physical hazards such as clutter in the aisles, you may be able to > immediately correct them or request that the proper department correct the > problem. > > Above all, make sure that those responsible for making the corrections are > clearly identified and that the tasks have sufficient priority to ensure > that they'll be completed in a timely manner. Then, as benchmark dates get > closer, check on progress. When items are corrected and can be taken off > the list, acknowledge those departments. > > 4. Follow-up. Once an issue has been corrected, the committee should > periodically revisit it. If it has returned to its previous, unsafe state, > more concerted action is necessary. > > ------Training------ > Becoming a safety committee member gives you a new perspective on keeping > the entire facility safe and secure. You can use this knowledge to enhance > training of newcomers to your department. > > When you conduct orientation sessions for security guards and officers, be > sure to include a section on safety. Often it will overlap with security > procedures, such as emergency evacuations and fire protection. If you're > in > a manufacturing plant, there are also safety issues security personnel > should at least be made aware of, such as the meanings of safety signs, > tags, and labels; equipment safety; and personal protective equipment. > > Safety is not a project that begins and ends with a committee meeting and > an audit. It's a continuous cycle, and all departments should be conscious > of it. Taking this approach improves safety and performance throughout the > company. >