Only What You Need When You Need It – 10/3/22

Safety E-QuickTips

U.S. Compliance Systems, Inc.

Monday Oct 3, 2022

Only What You Need – When You Need It

They were wrapping up the job for the day and everything was loaded on the truck and ready to go. Just as Joe was ready to hop in the truck, he realized they hadn’t secured a waterline cap down in the 8’ deep trench.

As he grabbed a wrench, he realized the trench box that they used for protection in the trench was 15 feet away from where he was going to be working, and he had no way to get it in place where he needed it without unloading the backhoe. The ladder he needed to access the trench was on the truck.

Realizing he could easily climb down into the trench without a ladder he thought, “This will only take a minute,” so he entered the trench and secured the cap. As he climbed out, he came face to face with an OSHA Compliance Officer. Wait until his boss hears about this.

It was 3 PM on Friday and Mary’s company had everything ready to start Monday on one of the largest jobs the company had every worked on when she received the call. It was from her client asking when she was going to get her company safety program over to them for review.

She advised them that she would bring it when they started work on Monday, only to hear that according to her contract, she was required to submit her safety program for review prior to starting the job.

Ben’s company’s insurance costs were getting out of control, so he called his insurance broker to see what could be done, only to hear that if he was looking for a lower premium he would have to jump through a few more hoops. Grudgingly he agreed.

The process seemed to last forever and when it looked like he was going to see some savings, he was told they needed him to submit one more thing – his company safety program. Realizing his program had been collecting dust on the shelf for years, he knew it would need to be updated if he wanted it to be accepted.

When it comes to safety compliance, “Only what You Need – When You Need It,” can be your best friend. It helps to keep you focused on what is important right now and it helps to keep your employees safe while meeting your specific requirements.

Have you just received your first Safety E-QuickTip or just want to look at past issues? Check out our Safety E-QuickTips Archive Page on our website.

Employee QuickTip

None of us wants to be told what to do, but when comes to our safety, it could be a good thing. Next time you are told you need to wear safety glasses, use a ladder correctly or anything else that protects you from hazards in the workplace, take a moment before you come up with a reason for not complying.

Employer/Management QuickTip

Compliance, often the last thing you want to hear about, helps prevent accidents in the workplace, protect your company’s reputation, and profits.

Have you received your first Safety E-QuickTip or just want to look at 500+ past issues? Check out our Safety E-QuickTips Archive Page on our website.

If you know of someone or a company that might benefit from receiving Safety E-QuickTips, please take a moment to share this with them so they can sign-up today.

Thanks for Reading and Please – Stay Healthy and Work Safe.