Is Your Loading Staff Trained to Safely Use Your Fall Prevention Equipment?

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Is Your Loading Staff Trained to Safely Use Your Fall Prevention Equipment?

A wide variety of safety and fall prevention equipment exists to help companies in various industries keep their workers safe while doing their jobs. Loading and unloading equipment, for instance, can be a dangerous job, especially at heights. Whether unloading from trucks, ships, rail cars, or planes, staff needs to be able to safely do their jobs. Correct use of fall prevention equipment will enable them to do that.
Safety equals productivity as well. Today’s safety equipment isn’t constricting. In fact, it’s usually quite the opposite. Safely doing a job with ergonomic equipment can help things happen at a smooth and steady pace.

It’s imperative that companies do their due diligence to ensure they meet safety regulations where they live and operate in terms of buying the right fall arrest equipment but it’s also imperative that the company’s employees are trained on how to work safely with that equipment. Safety equipment used incorrectly in terms of installation and application could result in serious injury.

Ensure You’re Compliant
It’s vital that companies ensure they’re compliant with local safety laws, such as with OSHA compliancy. A safety audit can help you ensure that you’re compliant before an inspection occurs and consequences result if you are not. You can do a safety audit yourself or hire a consultant to help you.

-Doing it yourself requires appointment of a safety committee, getting knowledgeable about guidelines, and being ready to implement changes if warranted.

-Hiring a professional auditor will result in the auditor taking a look at a combination of your safety and fall prevention equipment, your policies and procedures, and how closely your employees follow safety rules, policies, and procedures. Then, you’ll be given recommendations on either becoming compliant and / or staying compliant on an ongoing basis. Training could be an important part of that equation.

Safety and Fall Arrest Training
There are many different pieces of fall arrest safety equipment options that may need specific training, including: elevating loading platforms, truck access enclosures, access gangways, and more. By taking a three-step approach to compliancy, you can ensure that your workplace is as safe and productive as possible.

Three steps are:
1. Determining compliancy requirements for your area
2. Assessing any gaps or infractions on the part of your company
3. Working to provide a safe work environment on an ongoing basis through training and education and utilization of the right safety and fall arrest equipment.
Due Diligence – Is Your Company Taking Fall Prevention Seriously Enough?

Tank trucks, most commonly referred to as petroleum trucks, have a ladder on them. This may lead to a false sense of safety for those that need to access the top of the tank for a variety of reasons. Just because there is a ladder leading to the top of the tanks on these trucks does not mean that anyone can safely use that ladder for any purpose.

OSHA requirements in the U.S dictate that companies must provide a safe work environment for their employees. Companies must make efforts to keep employees safe. Areas like training and fall arrest equipment utilization are important. Safety compliance involves taking fall prevention measures very seriously. As an example, in terms of loading, unloading, and maintenance on trucks, trains, planes, and ships, it’s vital to assess existing safety equipment and policies and determine whether or not upgrades are necessary.

Fall Protection Responsibility
Where fall protection starts and ends for a company depends on your company’s particular operation. It’s important that you:
• Understand occupational safety and health rules,
• Educate those that work for you about safety;
• And that you regularly inspect your equipment and your processes.
The OSHA has set forth guidelines that help to minimize potential injuries and companies need to familiarize themselves with those guidelines. Many countries have set similar guidelines but it’s vital that companies know their role and responsibility according to where they live.

Fall Prevention outside the U.S.
In terms of fall prevention, the UK government has an initiative running until December 31, 2009 that allows companies to receive a trade in discount for ladders that may be unsafe to apply to the purchase of new ladders. This initiative stems from the statistics of over 35 fall-related worker fatalities in 2008 and 2009. Canada, in 2009, had a “Get a Grip” fall prevention blitz aimed at the construction industry to help spread the word to companies about fall prevention initiatives. Some Canadian industries also require a fall arrest training as well. Wherever your company is based, there are likely governing bodies and consulting firms that can help you do your due diligence to protect your employees as well as protect your reputation in your industry

USA OSHA and Accountability
The OSHA assigns accountability to companies for keeping workers safe and infractions can result in serious penalties. Sadly, it often takes a serious injury or death for the OSHA to be alerted to a company that’s not following safety guidelines. The Washington Post wrote on December 7, 2009 about an Ohio company that was fined $28,500 in penalties after a worker’s death, which occurred during the painting of an interstate bridge. Fall prevention was not made enough of a priority by that company. Do your due diligence now, before there’s a problem is wise and you don’t have to figure it out all by yourself.

The OSHA and other similar governing bodies in other countries work to help companies keep their workers safe and work to provide clarity with rules and regulations. This is done through inspections and consequences when infractions are reported but it’s also done proactively to help educate companies so that it doesn’t take an accident to force change. Utilize the resources available to you to ensure that you’re able to thwart safety problems before they arise either causing a penalty, an injury, or even a fatality. A one-day training session or an upgrade to your fall prevention equipment could save lives.

You can never be too early or too often in terms of analyzing your existing safety equipment and best practices where fall prevention and other employee safety issues are concerned. It is possible, however, be a day too late.
Ref: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/07/AR2009120702624.html

Article Source: http://depositarticles.com/

Large Equipment and Industrial Employee Safety Specialists www.carbis.net Watching out for your employee's safety

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