Safety Is in Your Hands

Do your share for a safer workplace

When you think about workplace safety responsibilities, you probably think about all the regulations and all the requirements OSHA puts on management to identify hazards and protect you and your co-workers. And it’s true that management does have a big share in the responsibility for workplace safety.

But OSHA also gives you a share of responsibility for safety on the job. In return for the right to a safe workplace, OSHA assigns certain specific responsibilities to you and your co-workers, including the responsibility to:

• Obey OSHA standards. Follow workplace safety and health rules.
• Use assigned personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Participate in required safety training.
• Report hazardous conditions to management so they can take swift corrective action.
• Report job-related accidents, injuries, and illness to your supervisor and get medical attention.
• Cooperate with OSHA inspectors if they come to inspect our facility.

In addition to these OSHA-assigned safety responsibilities, you are also expected by your employer to take responsibility for learning everything you need to know about your job and work area so that you can always work safely.

This includes:

• Avoid taking risks and engaging in any unsafe acts.
• Talk to your supervisor any time you have a question about your safety.
• Cooperate in our safety inspection and hazard analysis programs.
• Participate in safety committees and other safety initiatives.

Look for ways to make your job and the workplace safer and make suggestions about how to do that. If we all do our share and take responsibility for our safety and the safety of co-workers, we can’t fail in our mission to prevent accidents, injuries, and work related illness.

Sure, it’s a big job, and we have to remain vigilant and strive every day to hunt down and eliminate hazards. But together we can do it!

Stop slipping!

Take precautions to avoid slips, trips, and falls

• Practice good housekeeping, such as:
• Clean all spills immediately.
• Plainly mark spills and wet areas.
• Sweep or mop debris from floors.

Remove obstacles from walkways and keep them free of clutter. Secure any mats, rugs, and carpets that do not lie flat. Close all file cabinets and storage drawers consistently and cover cables placed over walkways. Keep working and walking areas well-lighted. Report burned-out bulbs and faulty switches.

Choose the right footwear and regularly inspect, maintain, clean, alternate, and replace items. Don’t wear shoes with hard plastic or leather soles and heels, and avoid smooth soles. Choose appropriate tread patterns; some tread patterns trap liquid and add to the risk of slips.

Take your time and pay attention to what you are doing. Adjust your stride and pace to the walking surface and task. Walk with your feet pointed slightly outward (“like a duck”) on wet or slippery surfaces. Use a flashlight when entering a dark, unlighted space. Make sure you can see over any loads you are carrying or pushing.