7 WORKPLACE SAFETY TIPS

Safety is one of the concepts that is so important to human existence but so

difficult to define. It is usually experienced daily and is often not appreciated
until it is lost even if for a brief period. The consequences of its absence can
be fatal and/or lifelong.

Safety is a condition of being safe. It can be described as an important means

of preventing accidents or injury. Just as absolutely efficient system is not
attainable, absolute state of safety in the workplace is not possible. The goal
of organizations therefore is to attain an acceptable level of safety as
stipulated by appropriate statutory bodies responsible for safety standards.

To attain the acceptable level of safety in the workplace, three essential

factors must be considered. They are;

i. The operational Environment.

ii. The operational equipment and tools.

iii. The personnel.

These are interrelated and are examined below.

1. Safety First Safety first is a common saying in all environments.

Professional bodies also include it in their code of conduct. However this
belief is sometimes compromised for various excuses and this often result in
one group or person blaming the other. Rather, it should be agreed that
workplace safety is the responsibility of all. Therefore, all hands must be on
deck. It should be ensured that safety rules are not just for the notice boards,
necessary books, requirements for promotion but are meant to be understood
by all and practiced by all at all times.

2. Clean and Orderly Work Area. Cleanliness is next to godliness so goes

the saying. A cluttered, disorganized and messy work area does not promote
productivity, neither does it promote efficiency. To make matters worse it is
contrary to good health and safety in the work environment. Walkways
should not have slippery surfaces and liquids should be kept off the floors
and walkways. Let every material have its rightful place and keep it there.
This will assist you in attaining a good level of equipment safety from theft.

3. Employees should be fit. Even in workplaces with high degree of

automation, human effort is still required. It is therefore important that the
operators should be mentally, emotionally and physically fit for the job they
are expected to carry out. An unfit worker is an accident waiting to happen.
Fatigue affects mental coordination; emotional disturbances can affect ones
ability to concentrate; lack of physical fitness can also affect the workers
ability to manage some equipment. All these can lead to error in human
judgment and decision making all of which can be fatal both to the personnel
and the organization they work for.

4. Visits by non authorized personnel should be avoided. Visit by non

employee or unauthorized personnel to operational area constitute a serious
offence in some organization but some still bypass this rule. It should be
known as stated earlier that these rules are meant to be kept for the good of
all. Unauthorized visit not only waste resources of the organization it also
possess serious hazards against which the victims are not insured.

5. Maintaining the machinery in good order. Due to financial constraints,

funds for equipment maintenance or replacement may be slow in coming.
This is particularly true in some third world countries where safety rules are
not are not strictly enforced. Unknown to many, this is simply a case of
being penny wise, pound foolish. Compensating for machine defect can lead
to unpleasant consequences like permanent damage to the equipment,
outbreak of fire, polluting the environment and permanent injury to the
operators. Also, appropriate tools should be provided to reduce operational
hazards.

6. There is no real life superman. The concept of ‘superman, batsman etc’

are all fictional characters. Unfortunately, some assume this role in real life
situation and subject themselves to unnecessary risks. Please ensure that
safety devices like protective wears are kept and used as instructed. Also,
mechanical guards and engineering solutions like time tested automation
software are employed wherever possible. All members of staff must
continually look for new methods; materials and equipment that can help
reduce or eliminate the hazards that workers are exposed to.
 These findings and observations should be reported in the appropriate
manner to the appropriate authority and approvals obtained before these new
tools are employed.

7. Give clear-cut instruction on what to do in case of emergency.

Hard as we try to maintain safety, emergencies do occur. Thus it is
imperative to know what to do when they occur. Basic fire drills should be
practiced regularly. First aid boxes and fire extinguishers should be kept in
appropriate location and should be maintained. Lastly, Health safety and
Environment (HSE) week should be an annual program of every
organization. This will help to train and create the necessary awareness
needed in the workplace.

It should be noted there may be variation in the safety requirement of

various industries. However, it is hoped that these seven tips will be of help
in setting up a platform on the safety policy of any organization.

This article is from Lawal Olayinka . I am an electrical engineer with over ten years
experience in radio broadcast engineering, industrial safety, computer networking. I was
certified CCNA in 2001 .I am presently with Lagos State Radio Service in Lagos ,
Nigeria. My e- mail address is ruhamahola@yahoo.com