By Jeff Yeaw
Director, Risk Operations & Safety
With summer already here, it’s important to take a moment to review your safety program to ensure you aren’t overlooking certain risks your employees may be exposed to. The advent of summer usually ushers in changes that employers need to act upon to prepare themselves for safety and production challenges, such as seasonal increases in business demand, employee scheduling as time off requests increase, and of course, the weather.
Heat: An Ongoing Issue
Summer brings a host of weather-related issues to prepare for, especially heat. According to the National Safety Council, heat-related illnesses in the United States were the cause of 783 worker deaths and nearly 70,000 serious illnesses between 1992 and 2016. These cases were often outdoor workers exposed to high heat in agriculture, construction, and other outdoor trades.
Indoor heat illness can also be problematic for workers in warehouses that aren’t air conditioned, and for those working in facilities with ovens, furnaces, or boilers. In addition to ambient temperatures outside, the radiant heat from these other sources can make work uncomfortable and even dangerous.
Heat Illness Prevention
OSHA is currently in the rulemaking stage for a uniform standard that addresses outdoor and indoor heat issues. There are a handful of states that already have standards in place, but all employers are still required to provide a healthy and safe workplace for employees through the General Duty Clause, so it’s important to protect employees from the seriousness of heat illness exposure.
Start by reviewing your written heat illness prevention program (HIPP). If you have not developed and implemented a written HIPP, < a href="https://afinidarisk.com/our-company/" target="_blank" style="text-decoration: underline;">Afinida Risk Management can certainly help you with that. OSHA does have a generic HIPP template for businesses to customize also.
Since we’re already into June, now would be a great time to start training all management in the requirements of the HIPP so that implementation details can be considered. Supervisors or Operations Management are usually tasked with ensuring that the HIPP effectively supports a safe work environment for employees. You’ll then want to train all affected employees that will be following the requirements of the HIPP.
Important elements of the HIPP include:
- Water: cool, always available, and replenishment plans in effect.
- Rest: employees will need rest breaks, more often during high heat or heatwaves.
- Shade: shade must be provided if it is not available, and accessible for rest breaks.
- Acclimation: new employees must be acclimated to working in high heat, which can take 4–14 days. All employees may need to acclimate to sudden heatwaves, defined as at least 80 degrees Fahrenheit, and at least 10 degrees hotter than the average of the five preceding days.
- Emergency Response Procedures: immediate first aid and when to call 9-1-1.
- Training: all employees must be trained on the HIPP.
Sprucing Up Through Housekeeping
Speaking of sprucing things up, summertime can bring situations where increased attention to housekeeping is needed. Increased business demand often brings an increase in raw materials to facilities and jobsites. Peak levels of employment can also impact the housekeeping in facilities, storage areas, and employee breakrooms. Poor housekeeping will increase the risk of workplace injury in many ways.
For example, trip hazards abound. Additionally, the risk of manual material handling strain can increase as employees attempt to lift, lower, push, and pull materials needed while working in unorganized areas. In other words, employees moving items in order to get to other items can increase the risk of injury. Employees being struck by things can also increase as employees run into or bump body parts against items that are taking up space. Lastly, poor housekeeping can take a toll on the morale of employees.
It’s best to not wait until housekeeping becomes an issue. Calling on a risk prevention services provider or organizing in-house work groups to clean up different areas can be very effective. You might consider having casual competitions for departments to have the most improved housekeeping. The bottom line is that however you decide to accomplish improved housekeeping, it will pay dividends. Employees tend to enjoy working in tidy, organized workplaces and accordingly, the risk of injury will naturally decrease. You may even find that employee production increases as the improved housekeeping improves efficiency in the workplace.
The International Appeal of 5S
Several industries have found success with improved profits from implementing a process referred to as 5S. 5S originated in Japan and is a foundational part of Lean and Kaizen methodologies dedicated to creating a clean, organized, and efficient workplace to reduce waste and improve productivity, safety, and morale.
-
Sort
Eliminating unnecessary items from the workplace.
Keeping only what is needed for the job. -
Set in Order
Arrange necessary items so they are easy to find and use.
Create designated places for tools and materials. -
Shine
Clean the workspace regularly to maintain standards and identify issues early.
Make cleanliness a part of daily work. -
Standardize
Develop standard procedures and practices to maintain the first three S’s.
Create visual controls and routines. -
Sustain
Make 5S a habit through training, discipline, and continuous improvement.
Encourage responsibility and involvement at all levels.
Many organizations also add a 6th S for Safety, making it 6S.
The aerospace, manufacturing, and defense industries in the U.S. have all adopted 6S with great success.
Pro tip: start small with tidying and organizing things. Dedicate your efforts toward constant improvement so things don’t go back to the way they were!
Workplace Safety in Summary
Increasing workplace safety is essential for protecting employees, reducing the risk of accidents, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations. A safer work environment boosts productivity, lowers costs related to injuries or insurance, and builds employee trust and morale. Prioritizing safety isn’t just good practice—it’s a smart investment in your people and your business.
Get started today! Want to simplify your workplace safety protocols and normalize happy, healthy employees? Afinida Risk Management’s team offers a systematic approach to analyzing and addressing various types of workplace risks that allow you to proactively manage them while minimizing their impact.
