Safety in the Workplace

Workplace safety is very important for each and every employee. All workers desire to work in a safe and protected atmosphere that promotes the wellness of both employees and employers. Human loss is immeasurable. All industries have safety risks. Safety management is vital.

 

Several things can be done to help improve safety:  

• Safety begins at day one. Ensure safety requirements are clearly communicated and followed.
• Review and strategize what safety precautions are required to ensure your workers are safe at all times.
• Regular meetings to review safety rules and discuss prevention keeps safety at top of mind.
• Ensure employees feel comfortable talking about safety concerns. Inform your supervisor of unsafe conditions and hazards immediately.
• Comprehensive employee training is a must for preventing workplace injury. All employees should have access to safety trainings and information.
• Stay alert and be aware of your surroundings. Observe your surroundings and be aware of the particular hazards that could occur in your workplace. Awareness is the first step to reducing risk.
• Reduce workplace stress. Keep your supervisor informed of issues you are facing in your organization. Busy schedules, employee conflicts and long work hours can lead to illness or depression, affecting not only the professional life of employees, but their personal life as well.
• Wear the appropriate personal protection equipment as required. It is essential to wear the right equipment such as earplugs, hard hats, safety glasses, safety gloves, steel toe shoes, etc. to ensure your safety.
• Use tools appropriately. Take the proper precautions while using machinery and tools. Avoid shortcuts. Use the correct tools at all times.
• Ensure access to emergency exists are clear.
• Use mechanical assistance to carry or lift heavy items.
• Proper posture is essential. Keep your shoulders in line and back straight.
• Ergonomic screening to identify areas for high risk of employee injury.
• Utilize safety labels and signs and ensure employees know what they mean.
• Keep workspaces clean and organized. Avoid tripping hazards. Wipe any spills quickly. Keep tools and cords organized.
• Implement 5S to reduce clutter and improve organization.
• Regular equipment inspection can help prevent tool malfunctions. Ensure all equipment is cleaned, appropriately serviced and regularly inspected.
• Encourage employees to take breaks. Even five minutes can ease muscle tension and loosen joints. Breaks from repetitive motions can prevent injuries.
• Rewards are an easy way to encourage workplace safety. Giving small rewards to employees may help keep them engaged.

 

Safety at Douglas

 

At Douglas, our mission is to enrich lives by providing differentiated packaging automation and services. An important way we enrich lives is by keeping our employee owners, customers and other guests safe. Ensuring safety is accomplished by living out our company values of Unwavering Integrity and Continuous Innovation & Improvement. The value of Unwavering Integrity is demonstrated by doing what is right and refusing to compromise the safety or well-being of ourselves or others. The value of Continuous Innovation & Improvement is demonstrated by proactively initiating improvements in our safety processes, eliminating potential hazards, and creating and sustaining organized work areas.

 

Douglas has A Workplace Accident and Injury Reduction program (AWAIR). The objective of our AWAIR program is to reduce employee accidents, injuries and illnesses through:

1. Maintaining safe and healthful working conditions.
2. Ensuring that each employee is properly trained and instructed in job procedures prior to job assignments.
3. Ensuring that employees adhere to proper operating practices and procedures designed to prevent accidents, injuries and illnesses.
4. Creating safety policies designed to keep employees safe.
5. Complying with all federal, state and local safety regulations through policies documented in the Safety Management System (SMS).
6. Supporting an employee safety committee.
7. Creating Emergency Response Teams for all shifts and facilities. First Aid Kits are available and maintained.
8. Conducting accident investigations to determine the root cause of accidents and what actions are necessary to prevent future reoccurrence.
9. Near Miss reporting and investigations will occur to determine the root causes of the near misses and what actions are necessary to prevent future reoccurrence.

 

Although safety is the responsibility of every employee, the management of Douglas Machine is responsible for the implementation, maintenance and enforcement of safety and health policies and procedures. All employees are responsible for following safety rules at all times. Employees working at customer locations must also follow the additional rules at the customer’s facilities. Safety is included in every employee’s job description. Safety attitude and participation are also considered as part of all employee’s performance reviews. Personal safety is every employee’s responsibility. No schedule, supervisor, coworker, or customer can force you to perform an unsafe act or work in an unsafe condition.

 

Accident investigation is a key component of Douglas’ safety and health program. The purpose of accident investigations is not to place blame, but rather to determine the cause of the accident or near miss and eliminate the causative factors.

 

Douglas Safety Management System (SMS) is a database available to all Douglas employees. Employees can review the following information through the SMS:

• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Near miss program information
• Douglas safety goals and AWAIR program
• Safety policy and guidelines for employees
• Safety trainings and videos
• Written safety programs
• Emergency response team members
• Safety committee team members
• Incident reports
• Job hazard analysis

 

Douglas Improvement Projects (DIPS) are also part of our safety program. Employee owners have a goal to implement 500 safety improvements per year.

 

The employee owners of Douglas work hard to ensure that our customers and guests feel safe in our facility. We ensure customers and guests are given the appropriate PPE for their visit and safety rules are explained before moving from the office area to the production floor. We work hard to enrich our customers’ lives by providing a safe environment and differentiated packaging automation and services. Contact us today to learn more!