Consider this statistic: 80 out of every 100 accidentsare the fault of the person involved in the incident.Unsafe Acts cause four times as many accidents &injuries as unsafe conditions.
Accidents occur for many reasons. In most industriespeople tend to look for "things" to blame when anaccident happens, because it's easier than looking for"root causes," such as those listed below. Considerthe underlying accident causes described. Have youbeen guilty of any of these attitudes or behaviors? Ifso, you may have not been injured-but next time youmay not be so lucky.
Taking Shortcuts: Every day we make decisions we hopewill make the job faster and more efficient. But dotime savers ever risk your own safety, or that ofother crew members? Short cuts that reduce your safetyon the job are not shortcuts, but an increased chancefor injury.
Being Over Confident: Confidence is a good thing.Overconfidence is too much of a good thing. "It'llnever happen to me" is an attitude that can lead toimproper procedures, tools, or methods in your work.Any of these can lead to an injury.
Starting a Task with Incomplete Instructions: To dothe job safely and right the first time you needcomplete information. Have you ever seen a worker sentto do a job, having been given only a part of thejob's instructions? Don't be shy about asking forexplanations about work procedures and safetyprecautions. It isn't dumb to ask questions; it's dumbnot to.
Poor Housekeeping: When clients, managers or safetyprofessionals walk through your work site,housekeeping is an accurate indicator of everyone'sattitude about quality, production and safety. Poorhousekeeping creates hazards of all types. A wellmaintained area sets a standard for others to follow.Good housekeeping involves both pride and safety. Ignoring Safety Procedures: Purposely failing toobserve safety procedures can endanger you and yourco-workers. You are being paid to follow the companysafety policies-not to make your own rules. Being"casual" about safety can lead to a casualty!
Mental Distractions from Work: Having a bad day athome and worrying about it at work is a hazardouscombination. Dropping your 'mental' guard can pullyour focus away from safe work procedures. You canalso be distracted when you're busy working and afriend comes by to talk while you are trying to work.Don't become a statistic because you took your eyesoff the machine "just for a minute."
Failure to Pre-Plan the Work: There is a lot of talktoday about Job Hazard Analysis. JHA's are aneffective way to figure out the smartest ways to worksafely and effectively. Being hasty in starting atask, or not thinking through the process can put youin harms way. Instead, Plan Your Work and then WorkYour Plan!
"It is better to be careful 100 times than to getkilled once." (Mark Twain)
BASIC MACHINE SAFETY
BASIC MACHINE SAFETYIt's tough to imagine modern society without machineshard at work all around us. New and improved machineryleads to increased productivity, higher quality, andmore affordable production. But misused machines canbe as harmful as they are helpful. Machines that cutmetal can cut off fingers. Machines that punch throughsteel can punch through flesh. Such injuries can causecareer-ending disabilities as well as severe pain andsuffering.
Be alert to these areas when working around oroperating machinery:
The point of operation: That is where the work of themachine takes place. It's where the pressing, cutting,punching and boring takes place. It's a place where nopart of the body should be. If any part of the body isin the way at the point of operation, the force of themachine can cause a serious injury. The point ofoperation may also produce sparks or fragments thatcan fly toward the operator. Safety glasses areimportant for this type of work.
The power train: That is where energy is transferredthrough moving parts like gears, shafts, belts,cables, hydraulic or pneumatic cylinders. No bodyparts should be in these areas either. When working onthis type of machinery, always follow thelockout/tagout procedures and replace all guards whenrepairs are complete. Employees should report anymissing guards to their supervisor before operatingthis equipment.
Workers must control machines carefully. In additionto avoiding the power train and point of operation,employees should always:
Make sure machines are anchored securely to prevent"walking," tipping, excessive vibration or othermovement that could be hazardous.
Never reach blindly into areas that may containenergized parts.
Be sure there is enough lighting to clearly see allpoints of operation.
Keep conductive items -- watches, rings, steel wool,belt buckles -- away from exposed electrical parts.
Never plug or unplug electrical equipment with wethands.
Follow all lockout/tagout procedures. Always wear the proper protective equipment for eachjob.
Material handling equipment: Power lifts, forklifttrucks, etc. are not considered to be productionmachinery, but their points of operation and powertrain can be just as hazardous. Employees must beproperly trained in the operation of this type ofequipment before they are allowed to use it.
Mechanical hazards may come from many different areasand have potential for serious injury. Beware of the danger zones located within your operation and respect the power of machinery.
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