Family get-togethers and fireworks are a highlight of every summer, but for many companies around the country it will be business as usual – particularly in 2018 with the holiday landing on a Wednesday.
With Independence Day quickly approaching, here are 3 handy safety tips for warehouse and construction managers to help you get through the holiday…without incident.
Schedule Your First Aid Certified Employees
Undoubtedly, some of your employees will be taking advantage of their time off benefits for part, if not all, of the July 4 week. It’s worth taking an inventory of which persons on your staff are Red Cross First Aid certified and try to ensure you have at least one trained employee in-house each day.
If this is not possible, then it may be time to plan ahead and find additional employees willing to volunteer for Red Cross, OSHA-compliant training. Having staff trained in First Aid and CPR can greatly improve workplace safety so be sure you have certified staff covering all shifts.
Review your safety policies and procedures to make sure you’ve taken holidays into account when considering adequate numbers of certified employees; if your plan doesn’t, consider revising it. Every facility will have unique safety needs. Review your plan and make sure it’s tailored to meet your needs.
Check Your First Aid Kits
While you’re checking up on schedules for your First Aid certified employees, now is also an appropriate time to make sure your first aid kits are up to date. The content required for first aid kits is detailed by OSHA here. Make sure each kit is in the correct location, all items have been restocked and any expired items are replaced. It’s also vital that your employees are aware of the location of all First Aid kits. Now is the time to review their locations and contents with employees – particularly newer employees who haven’t been with your organization long.
Prepare for Non-typical Traffic
Outside of the warehouse or constructions zone, the Fourth of July holiday can cause issues for your drivers. Holidays means more people on the road which also means higher numbers of distracted drivers. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), every year hundreds of people are expected to lose their lives in traffic accidents over the July 4 holiday. To reduce preventable deaths, they recommend the following tips for greater safety:
Always wear a seatbelt
Get plenty of sleep and take breaks to avoid fatigue
Never use a cell phone when driving
Be up-to-date on the vehicle’s safety systems
While all of these suggestions are pretty simple, they could make a very big difference under the right circumstances. It doesn’t take much to turn an average day into a safety emergency. But with some planning and preparation, many situations can either be avoided completely or handled in the case of a true emergency.
We hope your July 4 week is nothing but smooth sailing and festive!
Have a few questions or need some guidance regarding warehouse equipment safety? Our material handling experts are here to help. Contact us or give us a call at 800.441.2624!
EMAIL US AT: info@malark.com
4th of July Safety – 3 Handy Tips for Warehouse & Construction Managers
The Fourth of July is just around the corner!
Family get-togethers and fireworks are a highlight of every summer, but for many companies around the country it will be business as usual – particularly in 2018 with the holiday landing on a Wednesday.
With Independence Day quickly approaching, here are 3 handy safety tips for warehouse and construction managers to help you get through the holiday…without incident.
Undoubtedly, some of your employees will be taking advantage of their time off benefits for part, if not all, of the July 4 week. It’s worth taking an inventory of which persons on your staff are Red Cross First Aid certified and try to ensure you have at least one trained employee in-house each day.
If this is not possible, then it may be time to plan ahead and find additional employees willing to volunteer for Red Cross, OSHA-compliant training. Having staff trained in First Aid and CPR can greatly improve workplace safety so be sure you have certified staff covering all shifts.
Review your safety policies and procedures to make sure you’ve taken holidays into account when considering adequate numbers of certified employees; if your plan doesn’t, consider revising it. Every facility will have unique safety needs. Review your plan and make sure it’s tailored to meet your needs.
While you’re checking up on schedules for your First Aid certified employees, now is also an appropriate time to make sure your first aid kits are up to date. The content required for first aid kits is detailed by OSHA here. Make sure each kit is in the correct location, all items have been restocked and any expired items are replaced. It’s also vital that your employees are aware of the location of all First Aid kits. Now is the time to review their locations and contents with employees – particularly newer employees who haven’t been with your organization long.
Outside of the warehouse or constructions zone, the Fourth of July holiday can cause issues for your drivers. Holidays means more people on the road which also means higher numbers of distracted drivers. According to the National Safety Council (NSC), every year hundreds of people are expected to lose their lives in traffic accidents over the July 4 holiday. To reduce preventable deaths, they recommend the following tips for greater safety:
While all of these suggestions are pretty simple, they could make a very big difference under the right circumstances. It doesn’t take much to turn an average day into a safety emergency. But with some planning and preparation, many situations can either be avoided completely or handled in the case of a true emergency.
We hope your July 4 week is nothing but smooth sailing and festive!
Have a few questions or need some guidance regarding warehouse equipment safety? Our material handling experts are here to help. Contact us or give us a call at 800.441.2624!