Workplace Safety, Fire Protection and Prevention

Companies have the responsibility to provide a safe and healthy workplace for their employees. The government agency tasked with managing the workplace safety rules and regulations is called the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA). This government agency operates on a federal and state level, creating mandates and administering audits and reviews at a local level. Every business that employs workers falls under OSHA’s jurisdiction. In order to be proactive, many companies have workplace safety programs to identify safety risks or potential hazards and take active steps to mitigate these hazards to improve the work environment. Companies set goals to decrease workplace injuries and accidents and take active measures to improve safety conditions around their business. These safety programs often include hazardous materials handling, lock out tag out procedures, fire protection compliance and reducing risk factors which might cause injury.

Safety committees typically comprise of management and employees whose primary goal is to review incidents, accidents, near misses and potential hazards in the workplace. This takes place through internal audits and research of the latest safety guidelines issued by OSHA. Typically, safety committees recommend training for employees based on the work they do and the jobs they perform. The safety committee will review work areas to determine ways to do jobs easier and more safely. They might recommend personal protective gear for various jobs and review duties to establish work procedures to reduce risks. Managers train forklift drivers and employees who operate complex machinery to ensure employees know how to operate equipment in a safe manner. Safety committees also recommend locations for eye wash stations and MSDS cabinets. They establish protocols for fire protection and evacuation plans if the fire protection plan fails.

Workplace safety is imperative to be an employer of choice. From ergonomic improvements to office space to proper lifting techniques for warehouse personnel, every worker in the United States benefits from OSHA’s oversight of workplace safety. The working conditions of the past generations set the stage for employers to take proactive measures in creating a safety and healthy place for people to work. Working conditions in the past were abysmal. Ventilation and lighting was poor. People worked too many hours for not enough pay. Companies took advantage of people desperate for work. Employers took too few steps to rotate workers which lead to repetitive motion problems as people injured a specific part of their body by performing the same job day after day for their entire careers. Companies would ignore practical standards to save money and pad their profits. They would forgo improvements to machinery and facilities to the detriment of their employee base. Fires and explosions were the result of egregious errors in decisions by companies.

Today, working conditions have improved immensely. As more companies are run by corporations, working conditions improved to attract talent to jobs. As the workforce gained education, they required companies to provide them with working conditions. With technological improvements, mundane, repetitive jobs have become automated. Best practices in business have lead companies to cross train team members to add variety to the type of work an employee performs daily. Companies increase productivity and output through technology improvements which also created better working standards for the employees. As safety awareness programs have become more commonplace, employees are educated about how they can stay safe at work. Safety programs continue to teach fire protection, injury prevention, and safe work standards. It is also necessary for companies to keep employee safe to attract talented, motivated people to work with their company. Safety programs seek continuous improvement and have a voice to ensure employees have a safe, happy, healthy work environment every day.