At what point do protective measures begin to increase the risk of the work environment?
By David Miller
From time to time, I find myself suggesting to a customer that they are over-protecting their workers and losing money as a consequence. More often than not, the person I’m suggesting this to is a manager who has overseen workers who have suffered injuries. After witnessing first-hand the pain and suffering of an injured worker and having their eyes opened to the costs related to the incident, many managers take bold steps to make sure that this will never happen again under their watch.
Lest anyone take my words out of context, I believe in the employers’ sacred duty to protect their workers, and it is morally offensive to me to take shortcuts that would endanger workers just to increase profits.
Reactive Management
However, I have witnessed businesses using safety practices that are so restrictive and broad that they wind up introducing unintended risks to workers. There is no virtue in throwing money at a problem when what is called for is a thoughtful risk analysis that tailors a safety plan to the specific needs of each worker.
Take for example the MRF that mandates needle resistant gloves for every worker on the line following a needle stick incident. There’s every reason for workers who are presorting the waste stream to protect themselves from this sort of hazard. They should be using gloves that provide full hand protection against needle puncture, not just palm and fingers. No expense should be spared for the best protection available considering the risks faced. But what about the workers further down the line?
In most MRFs that I have seen, the workers on the back end of the stream face far fewer risks than those on the front. It does not make sense to provide needle resistant gloves to any but the most upstream workers. Needle resistant gloves not only costs $35 per pair or more, but they aren’t much fun to wear. The protection against needle sticks comes at a cost of lost tactility and dexterity. It’s actually safer to put a less restrictive glove on the workers further down the stream, because hands that can feel what they are handling are better able to stay out of trouble. Workers will be less fatigued and frustrated, which also contributes to enhanced safety.
The Virtue of Thoughtful Problem-Solving
The best time to address safety policy is before an incident happens. It should be monitored and reviewed on a regularly scheduled basis. If you do experience the misfortune of an accident, it is critical that you respond to it with a methodical approach. Were the current rules in place being observed? If the rules already in place were not being followed, adding more rules isn’t likely to prevent future incidents.
If you determine that changes in the policy are warranted, consult with a safety professional about best practices. Policies must be practical and sustainable or they will be sidestepped as soon as the pall of the recent incident fades away. If something goes south, take an objective look at what happened and make needed changes, if necessary. Invite the input of your safety supplier.
David Miller is the Waste Industry Manager for HUB Industrial Supply. He is a Certified Safety Professional and works with managers to effectively implement and manage PPE and MRO programs in the waste industry. He may be reached at [email protected]. HUB Industrial Supply is an Applied MSSSM company.