Safety At Work

Imagine...  if safety was something we did regularly  if safety was a pattern we followed  if safety was almost involuntary Imagine if safety was a habit! Habit – an acquired behaviour pattern regularly followed until it has become almost involuntary Safety first!

 Make it a habit to Listen Up!

The more you know, the safer you’ll be. Make it a habit to gather all the information you will need to stay safe:  Expect training  Ask questions  Learn all you can

 Your boss has a responsibility to provide training  If training isn’t offered, request it  Training is an excellent time to:  Soak up new information  Ask questions until you understand  Try out new skills while supervised  Develop new safety habits

Plan your safety questions  “How does this work?”  “When do I get training?”  “Where is the emergency exit?”  “Who do I talk to if I have other questions?” Plan your safety questions, and ASK them

Knowledge is power. Learn all you can by:  Talking to friends and family  Talking to co-workers  Visiting  Joining the Safety Committee at work

Use some of the words below to create three great safety questions: What Where Who How When Why

 Make it a habit to Check it out!

There are hazards in every workplace. Check out the hazards in yours. (And you can practice by checking for hazards at home and at school.)  Ask about hazards  Learn to spot hazards

What could this do to me? What if this splashes in my eyes? What if my sleeve gets caught? How can I get hurt here? Could this tip over? Can noise damage my hearing?

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In the photo find 5 hazards. For each hazard, explain why it is a hazard, and what should be done to correct it. Worker could hurt herself by awkward posture. Worker should get training for proper bending and lifting.

Photo reprinted with the permission of WorkSafe Magazine, and WorkSafeBC

 Make it a habit to Put it on!

All sorts of jobs require personal protective equipment (PPE). PPE is required if your job puts you at risk of injury.  Use PPE when it is required  Get trained to use it properly  Take care of the PPE you use

 There is PPE for your hands, feet, legs, back, face, eyes, ears, and lungs – whatever part of you is at risk!  Your supervisor will tell you if you need to use PPE, and if it IS required – it is NOT an option And if you aren’t told about PPE, you may want to ask about it.

Match up the task in List A to the appropriate PPE in List B. TASK Gathering grocery carts Cutting grass PPE Orange safety vest for increased visibility Ear muffs to reduce noise

 Make it a habit to Say, “No” when you should!

So –  You’ve been trained  You know about the hazards  You’ve got the PPE But... what if it’s still not safe? You can refuse unsafe work.

You have the right to refuse any work you think could hurt you or make you sick:  Step 1 - Talk to your supervisor  Step 2 - Talk to your Safety Committee  Step 3 - Talk to the Occupational Health and Safety Division of the WCB

 New tasks or equipment with no new training  Not enough supervision or support  No safety gear  Someone else has refused  Broken equipment  A “bad” feeling Hmm, I have a bad feeling about this...

Choose one of the following and add 3 or 4 sentences to start a talk you could have with your supervisor when you need to say, “No.” Do you have a few minutes? Is there a safer way to do this? I’m a little worried about something.

We can help you make safety a habit.   Youth Education Consultant Clare Waddell (902)