NEW YEAR, YOU AND SAFETY!

Each new year brings new resolutions.  We all struggle with that one meaningful resolution for ourselves.  

For safety professionals, the success of work-related resolutions could be the difference between a life and death situational hazard in the workplace.  One’s safety and health should always come first when thinking about our New Year’s resolutions.  But how is the best way to do that?

According to an article by HealthSafety.com, by resolving to act on improving the health and safety in the workplace will not only ensure personal safety, but it will also make the environment safe and ideal for others as well.

Here are some resolutions to focus on for workplace safety in the New Year:

1. Look back on the past year.  Blindly making resolutions for the New Year without considering the events that happened in the previous year will only result to half-baked goals.   Review the accidents of the year that just ended.  Have there been any documented health hazards? How about slips and falls due to construction safety problems?  Were safety trainings sufficient throughout the year, or could this have been improved upon and thereby have prevented the accidents from occurring? Use the happenings from the year before to create better resolutions regarding safety at the workplace.
    
2. Review company policies on health and safety.  Take some time to look through the company policies, and review health and safety rules and regulations.  Know your rights as an employee, and find out if the company that you are working for has provided sufficient information on keeping safe in the workplace.
    
3. Ask questions.  Some tasks may be too dangerous, or too difficult for one single person to perform.  When in doubt about the safety of a certain job, do not be afraid to speak out.  Asking questions opens the line of communication between the worker and the management, and may prompt the higher ups to modify safety rules and regulations should one task be found to put health or life at risk.
    
4. Inspect personal safety equipment and gear.  The holiday season preceding the New Year is a great time to check safety gear and equipment.  Is the safety vest still properly fitted, or have the boots lost their non-skid ability?  Do the safety glasses still allow clear vision, or does the helmet need replacement?  Don’t skimp on this resolution!  Ensure that all your safety equipment and gear are in tip-top shape before starting work on the New Year.  Out  with the old, and in with the new!.
    
5. Acknowledge distractions – and throw them away.  Activities that distract from tasks that need to be accomplished are distractions that should be thrown away along with the year that just ended.  These distractions take away the concentration that should be poured into the task at hand.  One seemingly small slip may have serious repercussions in the form of health risks, or worse, loss of life.  Keep these distractions at bay when working, and focus on the job that needs to be done.
    
6. Know who to call in an emergency.  For any workplace safety-related concerns, knowing who to call or approach is as vital as knowing how to avoid hazardous situations.  Emergency situations call for immediate action, so it is best to find out beforehand who to turn to for those times when safety is compromised at work.

While it is the legal obligation of the company or the employer to provide a safe working environment to its employees, there is no harm in taking that extra step to ensure personal safety at work.  Becoming better informed about health and safety policies governing the workplace is a good start. 

To read this article in its entirety, please visit Workplace Safety Resolutions for the New year.

Please be Safe!

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12/22/2020