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Lessons Learned By Ginny Whelan ginny@araeducation.com
Team Efforts – Safety Super Hero C
onnecting safety intelligence to your auto recycling facility combines best- in-class training, assessment, and im- proved results through superior employ- ee decisions. Motivating an employee to become Safety Super Hero not only helps enhance your company’s safety environ- ment but strengthens the respect between employer and employee. Encouraging employees to participate in a safety program is one thing, having them think safety and maintain a work- place safety culture can be lifesaving. Helping them see the bigger picture increases buy-in. A safety partnership between you and your employees can ensure compliance, performance, man- agement and safety program adoption with game-changing results.
It starts with housekeeping and a safe- ty hot list of employee responsibilities. The recycler’s safety training list must include: company safety rules, emer- gency response, first aid, fire prevention, hazardous material handling, personal protection equipment, back injury pre- vention, facility electrical safety, tools, driv- er safety, vehicle lift safety, accident investigation, and fork lift safety training. Your company safety program is a mir- ror of the company and its employees. Set safety goals, just as you would sales goals. Find innovative ways to make safety com- pliance meaningful. It is important to get employee feedback to improve perform- ance. Encourage employees to report safety concerns and management to respond to safety concerns.
Safety compliance is an important part of running a safe auto recycling facility. Setting up a safety program is not as dif- ficult as it may seem once you identify the necessary steps. Using the ARA Certified Automotive Recycler (CAR) program’s basic safety standards offers guidance to a step-by-step safety compliance. A four- part video resource can be found on www.arauniversity.org/CAR.
18 Automotive Recycling | July-August 2015
Motivating an employee to become Safety Super Hero not only helps enhance your company’s safety environment but strengthens the respect between employer and employee.
A safety program must have a specific individual in charge of holding regularly scheduled safety meetings, training ses- sions and safety inspections.
What To Do:
1. Prepare and maintain a written haz- ard communication plan. 2. Designate a safety supervisor 3. Compile and update SDS (former MSDS) sheets for all chemical products stored on-site.
4. Conduct regularly scheduled safety meetings (monthly) covering safety stan- dards and important safety topics. Log training events and maintain up-to-date records on site.
5. Conduct and log regular (bi-annual) safety inspections.
Resources for Safety Training The Automotive Recyclers Association
provides quality professional safety train- ing resources.
• The ARA University (found at ARAUniversity.org) offers safety and com- pliance courses at minimal enrollment fee and an online log of your employee safety and compliance training. • ARAU also partners with ARA Affiliate (State) associations to offer safety cours- es to their members. Contact ginny@ arauniversity.org for more information on these programs.
• Environmental Compliance for auto recyclers (ecarcenter.org) published a
comprehensive Hybrid Vehicle Dismant- ling Guide with valuable safety informa- tion for recyclers who are dismantling hybrid and electric vehicles. This guide is available from ARA.
• The ARA Safety committee provides safety newsletters,workplace posters, webi- nars and safety tips. Contact betsy@ a-r-a.org to receive safety news.
Watch Out for the Top 10 Every year the National Safety Council
(NSC) and Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reveal the top 10 most commonly cited viola- tions year to year. Here is the 2014 list: 1. Fall protection
2. Hazard communication 3. Scaffolding 4. Respiratory protection 5. Powered industrial trucks 6. Lockout/tagout 7. Ladders
8. Electrical: wiring 9. Machine guarding 10. Electrical: systems design Implement a Safety Program today to correct current safety issues, and ensure a safe working environment in the future for the workforce with whom you have been entrusted.
Ginny Whelan, an ARA Past President, is Man- aging Director of the ARA Educational Founda- tion and founder of the ARA University, the leading Web-based training resource in auto re- cycling education. Visit www.arauniversity.org.