WEEKLY SAFETY MEETING All Euramax Subsidiaries WALKWAY SAFETY. Safety Meeting Contents. Meeting Notice. Leaders Guide. Employee Handout.

Transcription

1 Safety Meeting Contents Meeting Notice Employee Handout Employee Quiz Meeting Sign-In Sheet Employee Puzzle PRIOR TO THE WEEKLY MEETING: - Post the meeting notice by the timeclock - Read through the and Employee Handout to familiarize yourself with the topic for the week - Make copies of the employee handout (one for each employee) - Make copies of the employee quiz (one for each employee) - Make copies of the weekly puzzle (one for each employee) AT THE SAFETY MEETING: - Pass around the meeting sign-in sheet ensure all employees present at the meeting print and sign their names - Pass out the employee hand-out - Pass out the employee quiz - Pass out the weekly puzzle - Keep the meeting simple - Encourage discussion and questions

2 NOTICE THIS WEEK, OUR SAFETY MEETING WILL COVER TIME: DATE: PLACE:

3 EURAMAX PROCEDURE REFERENCE: L-1.0: Emergency Action Plan MEETING OBJECTIVE: While falls from heights are a leading cause of death, most falls occur when people have both feet on the ground. Obstructions, slippery surfaces, uneven surfaces, and unguarded floor openings cause many slips, trips, and falls. In addition, failure to pay attention to post warnings and take commonsense precautions on stairs contribute to the problem. The purpose of this meeting is to make your employees aware of the issues involved in walkway safety and to enlist their assistance in keeping work areas aisles, and stairways safe for everyone. MEETING PREPARATION: Read the Euramax procedure, understand the contents, and ensure compliance. Tour your facility and make a list of actual or potential walkway hazards. Bring this list with you in the meeting. If possible, take photographs of hazards and bring these with you to the meeting, too. Review the employee handout to see if there are any other materials you wish to bring to the meeting. Use a flip chart during the discussion to write key points and employee responses. This technique visually reinforces your instruction. MATERIALS CHECKLIST: List and photographs of walkway hazards Flip chart and marking pens MEETING INTRODUCTION Euramax has made every effort to eliminate walkway hazards. Some hazards are inherent in the design of the building, and we ve done our best to minimize these. Others are caused by wear and tear on floors and floor coverings. Still other walkway hazards are created by our own carelessness. Whatever the cause of these hazards, you always need to keep alert to protect yourself and others from slips, trips, and falls. Today, we re going to talk about how we can make our walkways safer and keep them that way to prevent accidents. Page 1

4 Many walkway problems can crop up in the course of any working day. Equipment can malfunction and leak, creating a slip hazard. People can accidentally drop debris, creating a trip hazard. Tools and supplies may be left in the wrong spot. Flooring may become damaged. That s why everyone needs to remain alert at all times for changes that could lead to an accident. Review the list of walkway hazards (or potential hazards) you uncovered on your facility tour. If you ve taken photographs, use them to highlight the discussion. How can we prevent walkway accidents caused by slips, trips, and falls? Keep walkways clear and dry Watch for changes in floor levels Keep an eye out for damaged flooring Stay alert to dangerous floor openings Watch for warning signs and blocked off areas Be careful when using stairs Wear the right footwear for the work areas How do slips occur? Slips are generally caused by a combination of slippery surfaces and wearing the wrong footwear. In normal walking, two kinds of slips can occur. One occurs as the heel of the forward foot touches the walking surface and the front foot slips forward, causing the individual to fall backward. The other occurs when the rear foot slips backward. As the rear heel is lifted to move forward, the weight shifts from the heel to the sole of the shoe. If the sole slips, the person may fall. The primary thing that keeps you from slipping is traction. Concrete sidewalks typically offer good traction, while freshly-waxed linoleum floors do not. The amount of traction a person has depends on the floor surface and the soles of his or her shoes. Let s start with keeping walkways clear and dry. How can you do that? Keep walkways free of obstacles, such as tools, materials, and debris. Store these items in their proper place or dispose of them right away. Clean up spills immediately. Even if you don t slip, the next person might. Page 2

5 Notify any supervisor if you re not authorized to conduct a cleanup, as in the case of a hazardous material spill. Block off the area and post signs until debris or spills can be completely removed. What are the right soles for your safety shoes? Providing dry walking and working surfaces and slip-resistant footwear is the answer to slips and their resulting falls and injuries. Obviously, high heels with minimal heel-to-surface contact, taps on heels, and shoes with leather or other hard, smooth-surfaced soles lead to more slips, falls and injuries. Shoes with rubber-cleated, soft soles and heels provide much better traction. In addition: Hard rubber soles work best on greasy concrete and wood Soft rubber soles work best on dry surfaces Crepe soles work best on rough concrete surfaces, either wet or dry Neoprene soles can be worn safely on most wet and dry surfaces. What about changes in floor levels? What should you look for there? Watch for sloping surfaces that may ascend or descend. Watch for hidden steps, especially near doorways, stairs, and drains. Watch for unevenly spaced steps that could trip you up. Damaged flooring can cause trips, falls, and other accidents. What action should you take to protect yourself against this hazard? Watch out for protruding nails loose tiles, splinters, and loose floor boards. Watch out for worn or torn carpeting, mats, and traction tape. Be very careful where the flooring changes (for example, from concrete to tile or tile to carpet). Report any tripping hazards immediately to any supervisor or to maintenance. Page 3

6 Floor openings should be covered, attended, or protected by railings. But sometimes people make mistakes. What should you watch out for? Beware of an opening in the floor, no matter how small. Report any uncovered or unguarded openings immediately to any supervisor or maintenance. Don t wait for someone else to do it. The next person to come along could be injured. What about blocked-off areas? Look for A-shaped floor-stand signs or safety traffic cones that mark off areas where hazards exist. Don t enter these areas unless authorized. Areas may also be blocked off by cones in combination with warning chains or black and yellow caution-strip tape. Stay out of these areas until the walkway hazard has been repaired or removed. Common warning messages you might come across include Caution: Watch Your Step, Wet Floor, Wet Paint, or Slippery, Trip Hazard. Keep alert for warnings and obey them. Stairs can pose special hazards. What are commonsense rules for using stairs? Walk, don t run. Take stairs one at a time. Hold on to the railing, just in case. Don t obstruct your view of the steps. (For example, if you are carrying something, make sure you can see over it to the steps beneath your feet). Open doors at the top and bottom of a stairwell slowly. Someone might be on the other side. If there s a window in the door, check first to be sure no on is there. Report loose stair treads immediately. Page 4

7 Report burned out light bulbs. Good illumination helps prevent trips and falls. How do trips occur? Trips occur when the front foot strikes an object and is suddenly stopped. The upper body is then thrown forward, resulting in a fall. As little as a 3/8 rise in a walkway can cause a person to stub his or her toe, resulting in a trip and fall. The same thing can happen going up a flight of stairs only a slight difference in the height of subsequent steps and a person can trip and fall. Another type of fall is the step and fall. This happens when the front foot lands on a surface lower than expected, such as when unexpectedly stepping off a curb in the dark. In this type of fall, the person normally falls forward. A second type of step and fall occurs when one steps forward or down, and either the inside or outside of the foot lands on an object higher than the other side. The ankle turns, and one tends to fall forward and sideways. What about footwear? How can that improve walkway safety? Slip-resistant soles can provide traction on slippery floors. Shoes with metal insoles can prevent puncture wounds from protruding nails, sharp tools, materials, or debris. Electrical footwear offers protection against certain voltages of electrical current, while conductive footwear prevents the buildup of static electricity. SUMMARY: Walkway safety is something that too often is taken for granted. We may think someone else will come along and clean up the spill or pick up something lying on the floor. We may think it s the job of the maintenance crew to find hazards and fix them. But the fact is that we re all responsible for keeping our walkways safe. Today, we ve talked about what s involved in preventing accidents because of unsafe conditions. Remember what you ve learned here and take the appropriate action immediately the next time you spot a walkway hazard. Page 5

8 EMPLOYEE HANDOUT: A. Employee Handout B. Walkway Safety Quiz C. Walkway Safety Puzzle QUIZ ANSWERS: 1. b 2. Slippery surface and wearing the wrong footwear 3. Traction. Hard rubber soles work best on greasy concrete and wood. Soft rubber soles work best on dry surfaces. Crepe soles work best on rough concrete surfaces, either wet or dry. Neoprene soles can be worn safely on most wet and dry surfaces. 4. Trips occur when the front foot strikes an object and is suddenly stopped. The upper body is then thrown forward, and a fall occurs. 5. One of the best ways to prevent trips is to practice good housekeeping. Keep things off the floor that don t belong there. This way there are fewer things your feet can bump into. 6. This happens when the front foot lands on a surface lower than expected, such as when unexpectedly stepping off a curb in the dark. In this type of fall, the person normally falls forward. A second type of step and fall occurs when one steps forward or down and either the inside or outside of the foot lands on an object higher than the other side. The ankle turns, and one tends to fall forward and sideways. 7. Reporting slips, trips, and falls gives the company an opportunity to take corrective action to prevent a recurrence. 8. Answers may include: Keep all aisles, stairs and walkways free of clutter. Keep desk and file cabinet drawers closed when not in use. Turn on the lights before entering a room. Also, report any burned-out bulbs as soon as possible. Always use handrails on the stairs, and take one step at a time. Report broken stairs or loose stair coverings immediately. Make wide turns around corners, so you can see who s coming If you see a spill, clean it up or report it to someone who can. Page 6

9 PUZZLE ANSWERS: Slip Trip Fall Climb Friction Gravity Momentum Ladder Scaffold Harness Don t Fall For Bad Safety Habits Page 7

10 Employee Handout What You Should Know About Slips, Trips, and Falls Because nearly everyone is at risk, slips, trips and falls are among the most difficult accidents to prevent. We must all be diligent in following common sense rules in order to prevent an incident. Slips, trips, and falls account for nearly 20 percent of all work-related injuries. More than 1,000 workers die each year as a result of falls. Slips are generally caused by a combination of slippery surfaces and wearing the wrong footwear. In normal walking, two kinds of slips can occur. One occurs as the heel of the forward foot touches the walking surface and the front foot slips forward, causing the individual to fall backward. The other occurs when the rear foot slips backward. As the rear heel is lifted to move forward, the weight shifts from the heel to the sole of the shoe. If the sole slips, the person may fall. The primary thing that keeps you from slipping is traction. Concrete sidewalks typically offer good traction, while freshly-waxed linoleum floors do not. The amount of traction a person has depends on the floor surface and the soles of his or her shoes. Providing a dry walking and working surface and slipresistant footwear is the answer to slips and their resultant falls and injuries. We ll do our best with the floors, but the shoes are up to you. Choose The Right Footwear Wear the right shoes for the job, and keep the soles clean for better traction. Hard rubber soles work best on greasy concrete and wood. Soft rubber soles work best on dry surfaces. Crepe soles work best on rough concrete surfaces, either wet or dry. Neoprene soles can be worn safely on most wet or dry surfaces. Trips occur when the front foot strikes an object and is suddenly stopped. The upper body is then thrown forward, and a fall occurs. One of the best ways to prevent trips is to practice good housekeeping. Keep things off the floor that don t belong there. This way, there are fewer things your feet can bump into. Another type of fall is the step and fall. This happens when the front foot lands on a surface lower than expected, such as when unexpectedly stepping off a curb in the dark. In this type of fall, the person normally falls forward. A second type of step and fall occurs when one steps forward and down, and either the inside or outside of the foot lands on an object higher than the other side. The ankle turns, and one tends to fall forward and sideways. The best way to prevent the step and fall? Pay attention. Some Specific Pointers Let s review some tips: Wear the proper footwear for your work and environment. All slips, trips, and falls, with or without injury, should be reported, recorded and thoroughly investigated. This way we can take corrective action to prevent a repeat occurrence. Keep all aisles, stairs, and walkways free of clutter. Keep desk and file cabinet drawers closed when not in use. Turn on the lights before entering a room. Also, report any burned-out bulbs as soon as possible. Always use handrails on the stairs, and take one step at a time. Report broken stairs or loose stair coverings immediately. Make wide turns around corners so you can see who s coming. If you see a spill, clean it up or report it immediately to someone who can.

11 Employee Quiz How much do you know about walkway safety? Do you know how to prevent slips, trips and falls? Select the best response to the following statements. 1. Slips, trips, and falls account for about percent of all work-related injuries. a. 10 b. 20 c. 40 d Slips are generally caused by a combination of and. 3. What is the primary thing that can prevent a slip? 4. Good traction depends on the walking surface and the shoes you are wearing. There are several types of soles that are designed for specific walking surfaces. Name some of them. 5. How do trips occur? 6. What is the best way to prevent trips from occurring? 7. Explain how a step and fall occurs. 8. Why is it important to report all slips, trips, and falls, regardless of whether there was an injury? 9. Provide three tips for preventing slips, trips, and falls.

12 Meeting Sign In Sheet LOCATION MEETING DATE MEETING CONDUCTED BY CONTENTS OF MEETING (Attach Handouts, etc.) ATTENDEES: Name (Print) Signature Name (Print) Signature

13 Employee Puzzle