Production Department
Element 1- Safety Orientation
Every employee will go through safety orientation to be done by their immediate supervisor and the safety experts in charge of their specific facilities.
The orientation will cover the following items:
1. A description of the accident preventing program:
We have a formal written accident prevention program as described in WISHA regulations (WAC 296-800-140).
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
It consists of this safety orientation and a safety committee that is described in Element 2 below.
We also have basic safety rules that all employees must follow. They are:
Every employee should have safety gear, glasses and clothing on when within the facility.
Every employee working around large moving machinery is not allowed to have loose clothing on or dangling jewelry.
Every employee working around large moving machinery should have their hair tied up or back in a way it cannot be accidentally stuck to the machinery.
All tools must be returned and stored in the appropriate storage area; they must not be left where they are not in need or use.
All machinery, equipment and tools must be clean always after use, be in full working condition and any defects must be reported to the maintenance team immediately.
Every employee operating any machinery must have and read the instruction manuals before starting operations.
Any machinery that is not in use must always be shut down.
Safety guards installed by the manufacturer must be available for all machinery.
Equipment and machinery will undergo modification only done by an employee trained in the specific technical aspects of the equipment.
Always wear gloves that are appropriate when handling chemical containers in the assumption that the containers are contaminated.
Work areas should be properly lit when people are working.
Work areas must be well ventilated.
Work areas should be kept organizes and clean at all times.
Heed to all safety warning signs.
Firearms are not allowed within the company.
No one should be working under the influence of drugs and alcohol and once caught the only action taken will be termination (Rebecca Shafer, 2012) .
2. How and when to report injuries. Where first aid facilities are located.
If injured or become ill on the job, report it to your immediate supervisor or any other that is available.
First aid kits are available behind every door.
We require all supervisors to have first aid or CPR training.
Emergency phone numbers are also posted at all exits doors in the facility.
Report injuries to third parties or visitors in the facilities immediately.
3. How to report unsafe conditions and practices.
Report any unsafe activity done to the safety committee or your immediate supervisor.
If someone is working in an unsafe manner immediately report it to the available authority.
Be conversant with the company's procedures and processes to avoid causing a false alarm.
4. What to do in an emergency including how to exit the workplace.
Fire emergency
Pull the nearest fire alarm immediately.
Locate a fire extinguisher as you warn anyone not aware of it.
Try to fight the fire if it is small, however, if it grows do not continue to fight it.
Look for the nearest exit.
Before opening the doors, feel for heat to confirm there is also no fire on the other side.
In case of thick smoke in the air, try to stay or keep your head low on the ground to reduce inhaling it as you try to crawl your way out.
Once you are safe make sure to contact emergency units.
Go to the assembly area for further instructions (UA Little Rock, 2012) .
Chemical exposure
Get to the safety shower and remove the contaminated clothing immediately.
Wash the area completely and do not wear back the contaminated clothing.
Call the emergency team to evaluate the situation and get you to the emergency room if need be (American Industrial Hygiene Association, 2018) .
Earthquake emergency
Duck under the nearest object and hold on avoiding the windows, heavy cabinets, machinery and chemical containers that can spill, fall or shatter.
Stay covered until the shaking stops so as to leave the building.
When you feel it is safe: you may come out, make sure to stabilize any chemical container that could cause further damage such as fire.
Look out for broken gas pipes and turn them off at the main in case of leakages and also open the windows.
Avoid downed power lines or objects in contact with them.
In case of serious injuries do not move the people until the emergency team arrives unless there is more danger in waiting.
Exit the building for emergency responders or supervisors to evaluate the damage caused and await further instructions (University of California, 2016) .
5. Identification of hazardous chemicals used at this location
Being a chemical producing company it is expected of you to have protective gear at all times.
You will receive induction on all extremely hazardous chemicals before beginning work and how to handle them appropriately.
Please read instructions engraved all over to identify hazardous chemicals especially in the laboratories.
The supervisors will always be available in case of any enquiries or clarification.
6.Use and care of required personal protective equipment (PPE).
You are required to have your personal protective equipment on whenever you are in the laboratories.
They must be worn and used accordingly following instructions provided.
You will receive orientation on the importance of personal protective equipment, factors that limit their performance, how to recognize defects in your personal protective equipment, how to obtain replacements and how to test before use.
You will also receive orientation on the operation and performance of personal protective equipment with demonstrations and also how to properly store them.
Maintenance of personal protective equipment is very important since it will ensure that it performs the work it is built for without failure. Maintenance involves cleaning, frequent examination, performance testing and defects repairs. What is expected of you is only the cleaning, all others will be done on a routine basis by those in charge of this.
No employee is expected to carry their personal protective equipment out of this premises: each employee will receive a storage unit for their personal protective equipment after orientation.
Ensure that you store the personal protective equipment accordingly and specifically in the way they are handed to you and from the demonstrations you receive during orientation (Healthy Working Lives, 2016) .
7. On-the-job training about what you need to know to perform the job safely.
Every employee will receive detailed explanation with demonstrations from the immediate supervisor on the task assigned along with specific safety instructions of the task.
You are expected to only begin the task when you have received both the instructions and your PPE.
Do not operate any equipment that you are not fully conversant with.
Element 2- Safety Committee
Our committee will have a total of 50 members: 2 Board members, 2 management representatives, and 33 production facilities representatives one from each, 5 office employees’ representative and 8 safety experts.
The 33 production facilities will elect among themselves a representative that they all agree and accept to be on the board (not necessarily the facilities supervisors).
The 50 members of the committee will also elect among themselves the chairperson.
There will be regular meetings of the committee to be agreed on during the first meeting which the dates will be communicated.
On that same date, one of the members will also be selected to document the happenings of the meetings through official minutes.
Employee Safety Meetings
There are frequent compulsory meetings on safety usually held on the last day of alternate months.
The meetings are held on shifts of groups rotational during the next meetings.
Topics to be discussed will be communicated by the committee chairperson prior to the meeting.
In the event of new safety measures introduced by regulatory bodies, we get experts to help on the topics.
Employees are always expected to be fully co-operative and supportive on this.
Some of the meetings are usually held on our online platforms: you will be provided for with your personal log in details so ensure you are logged in in time for the meeting.
References
American Industrial Hygiene Association. (2018). Lab Safety Chemical Exposure Incidents . Retrieved from Protecting Worker Health: https://www.aiha.org/get-involved/VolunteerGroups/LabHSCommittee/Incident%20Pages/Lab-Safety-Chemical-Exposures-Incidents.aspx
Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. (2017, August 1). Operational Excellence System . Retrieved from Operational Excellence Policy: http://www.cpchem.com/en-us/ehs/documents/oepolicystatement.pdf
Healthy Working Lives. (2016, April 24). Personal Protective Equipment . Retrieved from Personal Protective Equipment: http://www.healthyworkinglives.com/advice/work-equipment/ppe
Rebecca Shafer, J. (2012, April 19). 14 Safety Rules to Better Manufacturing Facility Safety . Retrieved from AMAXX: http://blog.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/2011/04/14-steps-to-manufacturing-facility-safety/
UA Little Rock. (2012). UA Little Rock . Retrieved from What to Do in Case of a Fire: http://ualr.edu/safety/home/campus-safety-links/fire-safety/what-to-do-in-case-of-a-fire/
University of California . (2016, November 1). Emergency Procedure-Earthquake . Retrieved from Office of Emergency Services: https://oes.ucsc.edu/emergency-management/preparedness/procedures/earthquake.html.
