Industrial Hygiene

I was fortunate enough to read an article by John V. Currie about industrial hygiene. He works on the basic premise that there are six steps to successfully managing hazmat safety on a work site. It is not just a matter of responding to an industrial accident but making a concerted effort to prevent illness and injury in the work place.

Currie’s six steps:
1) Develop a written policy manual, which is endorsed by management, included specific goals to achieve, and the resources to maintain the plan.
2) Establish accountability on all levels of management. He states that it is important not to overburden with so much work that he or she is not able to maintain the high standards required to maintain a healthy and safe work environment.
3) Train employees continually and consistently. Curries states that regulatory compliance should be taught consistently and suggests that several employees be trained which then become in-house trainers.
4) Allocate sufficient resources to safety compliance. Some companies do not have adequate staff so depend on outside consultants to assist them in staying within compliance. Other companies use a comprehensive computer database system, which tracks everything from inventory, transportation, to proper labeling.
5) Never become complacent about maintaining the highest standards of safety. All employees should be held accountable for their actions: even if that means reflecting poor performance standards for allowing hazardous materials to be transported without the appropriate precautions.
6) Document consistently as if you were to be audited at any time.
Currie makes many valid and important points that can be of utmost importance to maintaining a safe work environment, which ultimately could save lives and money because of workers’ compensation claims or penalties for non-compliance.

Source:
http://www.nsc.org