Tagged with 'job site safety'

If you randomly asked someone what workplace safety entails, the average person might imagine things such as high visibility gear, hard hats and danger signs. Others may cringe at the memory of attending safety training classes, having to follow seemingly ridiculous procedures on the job and acquiring copious amounts of useless safety pamphlets and papers.
 
Everyone has their own position on workplace safety. Some take it very seriously, while others understand the dangers but tend to occasionally cut corners. Depending on the job and the situation, many are willing to completely ignore certain safety practices in an effort to get the job done. Some people ignore safety procedure under a circumstance where it could only put themselves at higher risk, while others completely disregard the safety of co-workers and/or the public.
 
When I talk about "people" I mean workers, employers, contractors, inspectors, officials, etc. Safety applies to each and every person involved in a project, a jobsite, a manufacturing plant, or a warehouse. Whether you're surveying land for a potential project, purchasing an insurance policy for a massive industrial project or fitting pipe on an offshore rig, you have a certain responsibility when it comes to safety. There's the physical safety of yourself, the safety of those working around you and the safety of others who might be working there years down the road. Also, the safety of the general public, the environment and anyone or anything else who might be serviced or affected in any way as a direct result of the work you're involved with.
 
Could your decisions in regard to safety procedures result in someone being injured in the future while trying to make repairs or adjustments to something you've worked on? Is "good enough for now" really good enough? Think about that for a moment.
 
From another angle, let's say you ALWAYS follow procedure. You'd rather not be responsible for an accident and you want to perform your job in flawless fashion. Maybe you're the type to take additional steps that aren't required, just as an extra measure to increase safety or the quality of your work. While that's a respectable position to be in, ask yourself where you draw the line for yourself?
 
Aside from your own decisions at work, there are many others who make decisions that affect safety. All kinds of different decisions. From repouring an unsafe concrete wall to stacking heavy parts on a damaged pallet. From an old faulty electrical cord to highly caustic chemicals, from a machine's intentionally bypassed safety switch to a simple signature of approval on a construction inspection.
 
Are you willing to work without a respirator if your employer won't provide them? Are you willing to save money by not providing respirators to employees while risking possible health issues in the future? If a replacement part is needed but the proper part isn't readily available, would you substitute one that isn't rated for the proper strength? Are you going to climb up on a decaying scaffolding because you know you're employer isn't willing to purchase new equipment, or are you going to verbalize your right to a safe work environment?
 
Everyday, safety procedures and best practices are ignored. While many accidents are avoided and prevented, many still occur due to nothing other than neglect. From a gravel truck with dangerously worn tires to a simple leaky valve on a high pressure tank, there are always accidents waiting to happen - but for what? To save time or money? To bet against the odds or to assume the probability of an accident is low? Because you assume an accident "probably won't happen"?
 
As employees, you have a job to do. Your responsibility is to work so you can provide for yourself. You should take pride in your skills and abilities and consider them important. Equally, you should value yourself and your safety on the job.
 
As an employer, you have the responsibility to provide a reasonably safe working environment for your employees. After all, without them you cannot profit. And is cutting a corner or two at the risk of worker safety really worth it when that unexpected accident happens and you're the one who's responsible? Do you want to be the contractor responsible for a structural failure because a larger profit margin was took precedence over safety regulations?
 
Whatever your situation is, understand that you can only prevent or reduce accidents in the workplace by making responsible decisions. A few minutes more or a couple of extra dollars is a small price to pay for enhanced safety and a job done right. Failure to make the right decision or an unwillingness to make small sacrifices in the workplace can result in a lifetime of regret and hardship for both yourself and others. While mistakes will happen, there is never a legitimate excuse for neglect.
 
Next time a situation arises and you have a decision to make in regards to safety, consider perceiving it as a serious precaution - not just another standard procedure.
 

If you work in a dangerous or risky environment, you're probably no stranger to high visibility gear. At the very least (and depending on your job requirements), you probably don a simple safety vest on the job. Alternatively, if you're working with certain chemicals or in hazardous environments, you might be required to wear non-ANSI protective gear.
 
Regardless of what you're protecting yourself from on the job, there's always certain standard requirements that must be met. This could be reflectivity, chemical resistance or fire retardant properties - and along with these requirements comes different levels of protection (depending on the work environment) and therefor different standards that are required to maintain compliance.
 
As an example, ANSI Class 2 requires a certain level of reflectivity which is rated by the actual amount of reflective material the garment contains. ANSI Class 3 uses the same principal, yet requires a higher amount of reflectivity meaning an increased amount of reflective material is required to meet compliance.
 
The concept is pretty easy to understand, especially if you've been working in your field for a while and are familiar with the specific safety requirements of your job. But what about when those requirements change?
 
In some fields, there are multiple standards of compliance depending on the duty being performed. Many times these are ignored or met with confusion and while it may not be intentional, many workers risk their safety each day without actually realizing it.
 
A common situation is when certain areas of a job site require a lower standard of protection than other areas, yet there are many workers who travel throughout the site performing different duties. They might be required to wear high visibility or non-ANSI safety vests in one area, while workers in higher traffic areas require ANSI Class 2 gear to meet compliance standards. The misconception in this situation is that workers from the lower traffic areas might assume they're protected for their specific job description, but their safety gear doesn't actually meet the requirements for the higher traffic area of the job site, regardless of the duty they're performing. While this sort of scenario might not seem to be a big deal, it puts the workers at greater risk by decreasing their safety and increasing the chances of an accident.
 
Road workers are another one of the many professionals whose safety requirements change on the job. If they're working long hours into the night, they're going to have to meet the ANSI requirements for night time road work, regardless of whether or not they normally work at night. So in a situation where construction is running behind and long hours or overnight shifts are required, you might have workers out there who aren't used to wiring after dark and aren't equipped with gear that meets the minimal safety standards.
 
What about your job? Are there certain times when your duties, even if rarely, require a different level of safety than the typical or most commonly performed duties that you partake in? Are there times when even if for a shirt period, you're in a situation where your safety gear doesn't meet the standards for that particular task or environment? If so, you're only putting yourself at risk.
 
Think about it, and think about the importance of safety on the job. After all, it's a job. Do you really want to risk serious injury or death while at work? The whole point of work is to be able to support yourself so you can enjoy life, and neglecting safety on the job is like neglecting the importance of your life.
 
If you work in changing environments, consider picking up the extra gear to ensure that you can always meet the minimal safety standards. If possible, consider purchasing gear that meets the highest requirements available or gear that's a level above what's required to ensure that you're always meeting and exceeding the standards instead of occasionally falling below them.
 
HiVis Supply carries a complete line of high visibility safety gear and apparel from the top brand names to meet any level of compliance necessary. From safety vests, hard hats and gloves to rain gear, winter gear and more. We have the top quality products you need to remain visible, safe and comfortable on the job, including all classes of ANSI/ISEA 107 compliant gear. Visit our website now to check out our massive inventory and save with our guaranteed everyday low prices. Your safety can't afford to wait, it should always be the top priority.