{"id":881,"date":"2021-09-14T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2021-09-14T04:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/compliance-signs.local\/repeated-safety-hazards\/"},"modified":"2022-07-28T10:44:56","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T14:44:56","slug":"repeated-safety-hazards","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.compliancesigns.com\/blog\/repeated-safety-hazards\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Identify Repeated Safety Hazards"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Everyone has done it. There\u2019s some little workplace hazard that you forget about until it gets you once again. It could be as small as a loose door threshold that trips you up a little every so often or reports of a ladder with a broken rung. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It doesn\u2019t seem like a big deal and may even be the source of some humor in the workplace – u<\/span>ntil something happens that\u2019s not funny at all. Someone trips on that door threshold and hits their head on the floor. Another employee forgets about that bad rung on the ladder and takes a nasty spill.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThose who forget the past are doomed to repeat it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the world of workplace safety, little commonly repeated safety hazards have the potential to become much bigger issues at any time. Don\u2019t shrug them off, identify and then fix them for good.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Identify Repeated Safety Hazards<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The first step to fixing these ticking time bombs is to identify them. The key is to look for patterns, whether it\u2019s on paper or on the production floor. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Past Incident Reports<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Every business should have records of past incidents. Find them and look them over. See if you can spot any patterns. Are there certain work areas, machines, or tools that have caused repeated problems? If so, was the true issue ever fixed? If not, it\u2019s time to assess the issue and determine a legitimate, long-term fix so it doesn\u2019t show up in any incident reports in the future. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Do a Walk Through<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Put a team together and do a facility walk through. If you find issues such as missing guardrails or broken tools, find out how long it’s been an issue. If you\u2019re finding safety hazards that have been around for awhile, you need to improve your safety program so that issues get reported as soon as possible. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ask Employees<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

No one knows what hazards and issues are lurking in your facility better than the employees that spend their days working in it. Ask them what safety issues they deal with on a daily basis. Don\u2019t discount seemingly minor things like a loose tile or rough edge on a table. What may start out as an annoyance could lead to a bigger issue. It\u2019s always better to tackle right away. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Encourage \u201cNear Miss\u201d Reporting<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Encourage your employees to report their close calls and near misses. Many of them might be rare instances that aren\u2019t significant, but repeated issues could mean trouble. If you start to see patterns, you know you have a true safety hazard that you need to address.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Ounce of Prevention\u2026<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s time to bite the bullet. The issues we\u2019re talking about here are ones that didn\u2019t just pop up. They\u2019ve probably been around for a while, but since they haven\u2019t caused any serious issues, they just keep falling down your priority list. That’s a pattern you have to break. Don\u2019t keep reliving those close calls, instead, make the right call and fix the issue. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides, you\u2019ll save yourself future headaches. We all know of a small project we put off and put off until we have to deal with it. Then, it turns out the fix was a lot less work than was trying to live with the issue.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stop ignoring the safety red flags you see popping up in your facility. Stop reliving dangerous scenarios and build a safer work environment. It’s an investment in your people. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

More Workplace Safety Resources:<\/h3>\n\n\n\n