Company Vehicle Safety Programs

 Driving a company vehicle is a privilege. Make sure you follow you company vehicle safety program.

What’s in a company vehicle safety program?
A company vehicle safety program should include 10 steps:
1. Management commitment and employee involvement.
2. Written policies and procedures.
3. Driver agreements.
4. Motor vehicle record checks for each driver.
5. Crash reporting and investigation procedures.
6. Vehicle selection, maintenance, and inspection procedures.
7. Disciplinary action system for violations of the program’s provisions.
8. Reward/incentive programs to promote safe driving.
9. Driver training and communication programs.
10. Regulatory compliance.

How can employees help the program?
Employees should be part of the program. Provide input as the program is developed and offer suggestions when it is reviewed.

The program will have many policies and procedures. Understand the program’s policies for seat belt use, reporting collisions and moving violations, restricting alcohol and drug use, driver eligibility requirements, vehicle inspections, collision investigations, disciplinary action, incentive programs, employee performance reviews, training program participation, etc. You may be asked to sign an agreement that you are aware of, understand, and will follow the vehicle safety policies and procedures.

Your employer may periodically review your motor vehicle record to make sure you are eligible to drive a company vehicle based on driver’s license restrictions, moving violations, accidents, etc. You must have a valid driver’s license.

You will be expected to inspect the company vehicle before each trip, and you must know how to report defects you notice while driving.

If you have moving violations,are involved in collisions, or if you violate the program’s policies, you may face disciplinary/corrective action. You could lose your driving privileges for certain violations of the program.

You should be rewarded for always driving safely or for otherwise helping the program be successful. Your driving performance might be part of your overall job performance evaluations.

When periodic driver safety training programs are offered, join in

Back Safety

 

Back disorders are listed in the "top ten" leading workplace injuries published by the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health. They account for 27 percent of all nonfatal injuries and illnesses involving days away from work. It's no wonder. Your back is a sophisticated piece of achinery made up of numerous muscles, bones, nerves, and supporting tissues. It's a machine you use every day, probably in ways you don't even notice. 

Just like the finest machinery, your back requires proper care to keep it working. If it's not working right, you'll suffer. An injured back affects your ability to move your limbs, your hips, your neck, and your head. 
Injuries to the back can be very debilitating, causing a lot of pain, time away from work, and often require physical therapy or even surgery. Everyone whose job involves stressful lifting or awkward postures is at risk for a back injury. Here are some tips to keep your back in optimum condition:

While lifting: 
• Don't bend over an object you are lifting. Bend your knees, squatting in front of the object to reach it. 
• Lift the object slowly and carefully, using your leg and arm muscles to lift, not pulling with your back. 
• Keep your head up and look straight ahead while making the lift. 
• While lifting, keep the object as close to your body as possible. 
• Keep abdominal muscles tight while making the lift. 
• Use the same techniques when you put the object down. 
• If the object is too big or too heavy to lift using these techniques, use mechanical assistance or get someone else to help. 

When reaching for objects: 
Do not reach for an object unless you're sure you're strong enough to lift it. 
• Use a stepladder to reach objects above shoulder height. 
• Avoid awkward stretches while reaching. These stress your back and could cause you to lose your balance. 
• Don't depend on structures to support you (e.g., a shelf support, a storage rack, etc.). These could easily give way if you pull or tug on them. 

Exercise also plays an important role in keeping your back strong, healthy, and flexible. A properly exercised back is less likely to be injured. Your physician, company medical personnel, or other heath-care provider 
can recommend the best exercises for you, taking into account your physical condition and the type of work you do. 

Always be alert for situations that could cause a back injury. Be kind to your back. Don't take unnecessary chances. By following proper lifting and reaching techniques and exercising properly, you'll help keep back 
problems behind you! 

Stay Safe on Portable Ladders

 

Overview 

Your ladder can be a great help on the job. It is uncomplicated and simple to use. But don't be fooled; you shouldn't take ladder safety for granted. As with any other workplace task, care is required on ladders to maintain your safety. The following points serve as guidelines for portable ladder use. 

 1. Use the ladder only for its intended purpose. Don't use step ladders as single ladders or when partially closed. Likewise, don't climb the back sections of combination ladders, when used as step ladders. 

 2. Don't use a ladder as a brace, skid, lever, guy or gin pole, gangway, platform, scaffold, plank, material hoist, or any other use for which it was not intended. 

3. Don't build makeshift ladders out of chairs, benches, or boxes. If the job calls for a ladder, take the time to find one. 

 4. Don't set up a ladder on a scaffold to gain extra height.

 5. Make sure there's only one person on a ladder at a time. 

 6. Don't move a ladder while anyone is on it. 

7. Check the ladder's condition before climbing. Don't use a ladder with broken or cracked rails or rungs or with rungs made slippery by grease or oil. The ladder should have safety feet and sit on a firm, level surface.

 8. Don't use ladders on ice, snow, or other slippery surfaces. 

 9. Don't place a ladder on boxes or blocks to make it taller. 

10. Inspect all ladders for defects before you begin climbing. 

11. Face front and use both hands as you climb. 

12. Don't overreach from a ladder. If your waist reaches past the uprights, you've gone too far—move the ladder. 

13. Set ladders up properly by using the 4 to 1 rule. The distance from the wall to the base of the ladder should be one-fourth the distance from the base of the ladder to where it touches the wall. 

14. Set up ladders so that the tops of the rails are supported equally. Avoid supporting the top of the ladder at a window or wall opening, but when you must, attach a support across the back of the ladder that is wider than the window opening. 

 15. Don't set up a ladder in front of a door, unless the door is locked or kept from opening. 

 16. Fully open stepladders so that spreaders are locked and the feet are level and firmly supported. 

 17. Set up extension ladders so that the top section rests on the base section, with the rung locks engaged. 

 18. Hoist tools or materials up to you after you reach the top of the ladder. You need both hands for climbing. 

19. Don't stand on top of a step ladder. Also be careful not to get too close to the top of an extension or straight ladder. 

20. Be careful when using ladders around electrical circuits. Keep the ladder from getting too near or hitting any energized circuit or conductor. 

21. When you use a ladder to climb onto a roof:

 • Make sure it extends 3 feet above the point of support at the roof line. 

 • Tie the ladder down to prevent slipping before climbing up.

 • Take care not to tip the ladder sideways and avoid having the base slide. Don't forget! Be careful when using portable ladders!

Reenergizing Equipment

 

 

Overview

If you operate or use machinery or equipment to which lockout/tagout is applied or work is an area where lockout/tagout is performed, you need to understand:

·         the procedures involved in lockout/tagout.

·         the reasons for lockout/tagout.

·         the dangers involved when interfering with lockout/tagout.

What is involved in the procedure? The procedure contains steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking, and securing machines or equipment to control hazardous energy. The procedure also includes steps for putting the equipment back into service. The reenergizing procedure When putting equipment back into service, it is important that proper reenergizing procedures occur, to ensure the health and safety of all workers. These include: ·         Only the person who applies a lock or tag may remove it and reenergize the equipment. ·         All tools are to be removed and safety guards replaced before the equipment is reener­gized. ·         All employees must be safely positioned or removed from the area before lockout/tagout devices are removed and the machine is reenergized.

·         Affected employees must be notified by the employer or authorized employee of the appli­cation and removal of lockout and tagout devices.

·         Notification must be given after the controls are removed and before the machine or equipment is started.