AVOIDING ON-THE-JOB ACCIDENTS WITH HAZARD RECOGNITION & SAFETY TRAINING
Companies that work with hazardous materials are subject to a number of guidelines created by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Workplace hazard recognition and training is an effective way to ensure OSHA compliance and safety of employees and consumers.
Hazard Recognition and Safety Training Prevents Workplace Accidents Involving Dangerous Materials
According to OSHA regulations, before transporting or working with hazardous materials, employers and their employees must receive proper safety training. The very nature of hazardous materials means that those working with them are more susceptible to workplace accidents and injuries. However, with accurate and detailed instruction, identifying potential hazards before an accident occurs can keep employees and customers safe from harm.
Preemptive measures and proper safety guidelines and policies can be developed with comprehensive hazard recognition and safety training. SEA Inc. offers OSHA compliance and safety training courses for working with, transporting, or disposing of hazardous materials. The next SEA hazard recognition training course is scheduled for November 6 and has a registration fee of $65 per person. The session will explain potential workplace dangers and give participants the opportunity to ask questions to verify their understanding of the class material.
Identifying Workplace Hazards
The SEA certified trainers will make sure that each participant can properly identify workplace hazards. For example, the trainer may ask them to identify situations or areas that could be dangerous and the consequence of that danger. Trainers will also help identify the likelihood of a hazardous situation occurring and factors in the workplace environment that could contribute to it.
Safety Requirements
Every business should create and implement a safety strategy whether or not there are hazardous materials present. Once a plan has been put in place, the information should be distributed to all employees. Any reference material, such as material safety data sheets, should be easily accessible. For information about specific HAZMAT regulations, read “What You May Not Know About Chemicals in Your Facility: Hazardous Materials Management Might Be Required.” After a safety plan has been put into place, select a qualified employee to complete a daily site evaluation to determine potential hazards and initiate prevention methods. To protect your employees, OSHA requires you to have a control program that includes a site work map. The map should display work zones, communication areas and the nearest medical aid location. The businesses safety plan should also discuss the proper steps to follow in the event of an emergency and include any emergency contact numbers that are specific to your industry.
Avoid OSHA Citations
The importance of creating a safety strategy and training your employees to effectively follow procedure cannot be overstated. A citation by OSHA for a safety violation can be detrimental to a business’s reputation and finances. All violations are public record and are easily accessible to customers or investors through the OSHA website. In essence, a violation could cause you to lose the trust, and ultimately the business, of current or future clients. The financial penalties from OSHA citations vary depending on the severity of the violation and frequency. However, six- and seven-figure fines are not uncommon, and there are few business that could stay afloat after such a penalty, which is why it is imperative that a business remains OSHA compliant.
The Benefits of Proper Training
SEA Inc. offers hazardous material training for OSHA and HAZMAT safety standard compliance. Our course covers personal and general safety methods for various industries and will equip participants with proper knowledge of industry safety standards and practices. View our full list of safety training services and register for an upcoming training event today, or contact SEA for more information on any of our safety training courses.
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Each year, as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases its list of the top 10 workplace safety violations, a pattern emerges that begs a question: Are these frequent violations a sign that employers continue to struggle with the same safety issues, or does it reflect a disposition among OSHA inspectors to focus on areas where they are trained to focus? The Persistent Issue of Repeated Findings The repetition of certain violations year after year might seem surprising, but it underscores a significant challenge in workplace safety management. The top violations tend to be those that are most visible and easiest to spot during inspections, such as fall protection and hazard communication. This consistency suggests that while awareness is high, practical implementation and adherence to safety practices lag behind. Top 10 Most Cited Health and Safety Standards of 2024 1. . Fall Protection, General Requirements: 6,307 violations For the 14th consecutive year, fall protection tops the list of OSHA's enforcement priorities. This emphasis is not arbitrary; OSHA has designated fall protection as a national emphasis area, making it a primary focus during inspections. It's often one of the easiest violations to spot without extensive investigation skills. The OSHA standard 1926.501 mandates that employers must provide fall protection systems like guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems for workers at risk of falls of six feet or more in construction and four feet in general industry. Often, the major factor in these violations is human behavior. Many offenders might think, "No one is watching, and this will only take a moment, so it's no big deal." However, this mindset can lead to non-compliance with critical safety measures, putting worker safety at significant risk.