General
Workplace Safety Program - Health and Safety Policies
Purpose
This chapter covers general policies that may not be
covered under other safety programs. Our company's policy is
that all employees be provided with a safe and healthful
place of employment. Identification of hazardous conditions
may be accomplished at the planning and design stage, as a
result of workplace inspections, or by employee reports. All
recognized safety and health hazards shall be eliminated or
controlled as quickly as possible, subject to priorities
based upon the degree of risk posed by the hazards. The
preferred method of hazard abatement shall be through
application of engineering controls or substitution of less
hazardous processes or materials. Total reliance on personal
protective equipment is acceptable only when all other
methods are proven to be technically and/or economically
infeasible.
Responsibilities
Management, supervisors and employees are responsible for
following all safety program requirements and safety
practices. If procedures or practices are identified
as needing changes, these changes shall be accomplished
through normal management review practice
Hazard Control
Substitution. The risk of injury or
illness may be reduced by replacement of an existing
process, material, or equipment with a similar item having
more limited hazard potential Some examples include: brush
painting instead of spray painting to reduce inhalation
hazards, welding instead of riveting to reduce noise levels,
use of safety cans instead of bottles to store flammable
liquids, etc. Care must be exercised in any substitution to
ensure that the substitute materials are technically
acceptable and to avoid introducing a new or unforeseen
hazards.
Isolation. Hazards are controlled by
isolation whenever an appropriate barrier or limitor is
placed between the hazard and an individual who may be
affected by the hazard. This isolation can be in the form of
physical barriers, time separation, or distance. Examples
include machine guards, electrical insulation, glove boxes,
acoustical containment, and remote controlled equipment.
Ventilation. The control of a
potentially hazardous airborne substance by ventilation can
be accomplished by one or two methods: diluting the
concentration of the substance by mixing with uncontaminated
air or capturing and removing the substance at its source or
point of generation. Local exhaust ventilation is generally
the preferred and more economical method of hazard control.
However, dilution ventilation can be very effective for the
removal of large volumes of heated air or for the removal of
low concentrations of non-toxic or low toxicity contaminants
from minor and decentralized sources.
Administrative Control. This method of
hazard mitigation depends on effective operating practices
that reduce the exposure of individuals to chemical or
physical hazards. These practices may take the form of
limited access to high hazard areas, preventive maintenance
programs to reduce the potential for leakage of hazardous
substances, or adjusted work schedules which involve a
regimen of work in high hazard and low hazard areas.
Adjusted work schedules are appropriate only when the hazard
is recognized as having a limit below which nearly all
workers may be repeatedly exposed without adverse effect.
Personal Protective Equipment. This
method of hazard control is least preferred because personal
protective devices may reduce a worker's productivity, while
affording less effective protection against the recognized
hazard than other methods of control. Nevertheless, there
are instances where adequate levels of risk reduction cannot
be achieved through other methods, and personal protective
devices must be used, either alone or in conjunction with
other protective measures.
Hazard Control
Principles
Hazardous conditions in the workplace may be prevented
through appropriate actions when facilities are designed,
when operating procedures are developed, and when equipment
is purchased. Once hazards are identified, whether through
inspection or complaint, immediate action shall be taken to
avoid unreasonable danger.
Design Reviews. Safety and occupational
health issues shall be considered, designed, and engineered
into all facilities. Projects that involve potential health
hazards such as toxic material, radiation, noise, or other
health hazard shall be designed in accordance with
established principles of good safety and industrial hygiene
engineering.
Operating Procedures. Standard operating
procedures or similar directives developed by the supervisor
that are issued to direct the manner in which work is
performed shall include appropriate health and safety
requirements. Supervisors are encouraged to submit standard
operating procedures. Recommendations for changes/additions
to the procedures for safety and health purposes shall be
submitted in writing to department managers.
Purchasing Procedures. Many hazards can
be avoided by incorporating appropriate specifications for
purchased equipment/material and contracted efforts that
involve work at company facilities. Employees
responsible for purchasing or developing specifications for
purchases should coordinate with the safety office for all
new material or equipment purchases to ensure safety and
health considerations have been addressed. Contracts
that require work to be performed by contract personnel at
company facilities shall follow the Contractor Safety
Program.
Interim Hazard Abatement Measures.
During the time needed to design and implement permanent
hazard control measures, immediate, temporary measures are
needed. Where engineering controls are not immediately
applicable, administrative controls and/or personal
protective equipment are appropriate for use as interim
hazard abatement measures.
Permanent Hazard Abatement. Engineering
control methods are the preferred method of hazard control,
followed by administrative control and personal protective
equipment. Feasible engineering controls shall be used to
reduce hazardous exposure, even when only partial reduction
of exposure is possible through engineering methods.
Authorized employees - many operations and tasks
that require specific safety training are to be conducted
only by trained and authorized employees. Examples of
these include:
- Forklift / Manlift Operations
- Chemical use
- Electrical repairs
- Facility Maintenance
- Grounds Work
- Use of power tools
Hazard Control
Development
The following possible actions will be considered when
recommendations are developed for prevention or reduction of
hazards:
- Avoiding, eliminating, or reducing deficiencies by
engineering design, material selection or substitution;
- Isolating hazardous substances, components, and
operations from other activities, areas, personnel, and
incompatible materials;
- Incorporating "fail-safe" principles where
failures would disable the system or cause a catastrophe
through injury to personnel, damage to the equipment, or
inadvertent operation of critical equipment;
- Relocating equipment/components so that personnel access
during operation, maintenance, repair or adjustment shall
not result in exposure to hazards such as chemical burns,
electrical shock, electromagnetic radiation, cutting edges,
sharp points, or toxic atmospheres;
- Providing suitable warning and notes of caution
concerning required personnel protection in operation,
assembly, maintenance, and repair instructions;
- Providing distinctive markings on hazardous components,
equipment, or facilities;
- Requiring use of personal protective equipment when
other controls do not reduce the hazard to an acceptable
level;
- Monitoring exposure to insure that engineering controls
effectively reduce the hazard; and
- Training employees to recognize hazards and take
appropriate precautionary measures.
Hazard Reporting
Identification and reporting of potentially unsafe or
unhealthful working conditions is the responsibility of all
employees. All employees are encouraged to report unsafe or
unhealthful working conditions to their immediate supervisor
who will promptly investigate the situation and take
appropriate corrective actions. Supervisors will contact the
Safety Office for assistance as necessary. Supervisors will
keep the reporting employee informed of all actions
taken. Any employee may submit a written report of an
unsafe or unhealthful working condition directly to the
Safety Office.
Signs and Tags
Signs and tags are not intended as substitutes for
preferred abatement methods such as engineering controls,
substitution, isolation, or safe work practices. Rather,
they are additional safety guidance and increase the
employee's awareness of potentially hazardous situations.
Tags are temporary means of warning all concerned of a hazardous conditions,
defective equipment, etc. Tags are not to be considered as a complete warning
method, but should only be used until a positive means can be employed to
eliminate
This is the FIRST part of
this document
The rest of this document can be found in the Members Area
You can join for only 79 cents a day!
|
