Seven Basic General Industry Safety Rules Meeting Kit

SEVEN BASIC GENERAL INDUSTRY SAFETY RULES

Keep work areas clean. Proper housekeeping alone can go a long way in preventing injuries. Injuries such as slips, trips, falls, lacerations, sprains, strains, etc. can be reduced from keeping work areas organized and clean.
Use the proper tool for the job. Avoid the first impulse to use whatever tool (or object) is around you to get a work task done. Using the wrong tool for the job can result in an injury or damage to the tool which can lead to an injury in the future.
Always wear the proper PPE for the work task. The lack of PPE, or the use of improper PPE, leads to many injuries in the workplace. PPE is the last line of defense when protecting yourself from the hazards of your work. If you come into contact with a hazard when not wearing the correct PPE the injury will be more severe than if you were wearing it.
Never work on live equipment. Working on energized equipment is an unsafe act that can result in serious injuries or fatalities. Always follow proper lock out tag out procedures prior to performing any maintenance or repair work on equipment.
Make sure chemicals are properly labeled and stored. OSHA issues many citations regarding the hazard communication every year. Improper labeling and storage can lead to injuries or property loss due to fires, corrosion, etc.
Communicate hazards to other personnel. Never assume that a coworker understands the hazards of a task especially if they are new or new to the task. When work plans or conditions change take the necessary time to inform others of the impacts the changes have on safety.
Stop work when needed to address hazards. Always stop work to take the time to get hazards addressed to make it safe to continue the task. Whether you need to involve other personnel such as a supervisor or you need to take time to get the right tool for the job, always take the time to do so.

Workplace safety matters to every industry

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics , the top three causes of workplace injuries accounting for at least one day away from work in 2015 (the most recent statistics available) were:

Slips, trips and falls
Overexertion in lifting (such as a strain or sprain caused by lifting something too heavy)
Contact with an object or equipment (being hit by something)

While some injuries might be unlikely in an office or other relatively low-risk environment, certainly a slip-and-fall or lifting injury is possible anywhere.

Reducing hazards as much as possible and training employees about the risks can go a long way toward prevention.

BASICS OF SAFETY

Research in the field of accident reconstruction, have concluded that there are specific reasons why accidents occur. They found that worker safety is dependent on worker behavior and human factors. They developed ten safety rules that are worth repeating.

STAY ALERT – and stay alive. The more awake a worker is, the less likely he or she is to get hurt. If you are unsure how to operate equipment or perform a task, ask your supervisor. Don’t guess and muddle through. Make sure you know in advance the correct, safe way to do it.

WEAR THE RIGHT CLOTHES – work clothes should fit properly. Anything that can catch in machinery or trip you up is hazardous. Wear protective clothing and equipment as required.

USE THE RIGHT TOOLS – if you need a hammer, get a hammer. It may be handier to use a pair of pliers, wrench or screw driver, but you are more likely to get injured.

LEARN HOW TO LIFT – Lifting takes more than muscle; it is an art. Don’t try to show how strong you are; you may end up in a hospital. Get help to handle anything that is too heavy or cumbersome for you.

DON’T BE A PRANKSTER – practical jokes and horseplay can be dangerous, especially around heavy machinery. If you feel the urge to play, resist it until after work.

BE TIDY – Good housekeeping reduces hazards in the workplace or your home. Always put away tools when they are not in use. Keep the floors clean, pick up scraps and wipe up spills. A slip or trip can be fatal.

REPORTING IS IMPORTANT – Never fail to report accidents, defective equipment and or unsafe conditions.

GET FIRST AID IMMEDIATELY – if you’re hurt – even if it seems minor. Neglect of an injury may lead to serious infection, weeks of lost time, and possibly permanent injury.

BACK YOUR SAFETY PROGRAM – If you have an idea you believe will reduce accidents, tell your supervisor about it. Set an example by obeying safety rules. Cooperate with your safety committee.

NEVER TAKE A CHANCE – Next to sheer carelessness, short cuts are probably the biggest killer of all. To save a minute or two, you may lose a lifetime. Whatever you are doing, if you are not doing it safely, you are not doing it right!

FINAL WORD

Safety never takes a holiday not even for a split second!!! One moment of distraction or inattention can cause life long consequences that impact the lives of worker particularly in the rough and tumble construction operations.