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38 MMS June 2014 mmsonline.com competing ideas Columnist As much as we preach the need to work safely and raise the level of safety awareness in our companies, workplace accidents do occur. The reasons are extensive and can stem from work- ers simply not paying attention, taking dangerous and unnecessary shortcuts, and even applying temporary fixes to equipment to keep it running. Many believe that safety is either embedded in a company's culture or it is not. This is evident from the commitments made and the actions taken by the company with regard to safety. Yet, irrespective of a company's approach to safety, we can take personal responsibility for our own safety through a few simple actions, both in the workplace and beyond: • Really pay attention to your surround- ings. Take the time to look around and see if any thing is out of place or just does not look right. Often, jobs get interrupted and things are left incomplete, creating a potentially hazardous condition. If possible, work with others to remedy this condition until the job can resume. Also, seek out obvious problems in the area, such as frayed wires, misplaced hoses or other trip haz- ards, fluid leaks coming from equipment, spills, missing or damaged safety equipment/guards, or poorly stacked material or supplies. Being aware of your surroundings is the first step to recognizing any threats that may be present. • Don't assume. Assuming that certain things have been done (and done properly) by others can put us at risk. For example, assuming a machine has been powered down by someone else and not verifying this before starting a repair is dangerous (and probably a violation of your company's lock-out/tag-out protocol). Likewise, assuming that all tools have been properly tight- ened or that material has been properly secured each present unacceptable levels of risk. Taking a few minutes to verif y conditions, rather than simply accepting them, is time well-spent in the course of maintaining a safe work area. • Dress properly. There are reasons that dress codes dictate what should and should not be worn in the workplace. These reasons can be for personal safety, or for the protection of the products we make or the equipment we use. Regardless of the reason, dress codes need to be clearly communicated, understood and fol- lowed without exception. • Follow all exist ing safet y protocols. Similar to dress codes, safet y protocols are established to promote safety in the workplace. Wearing personal protection equipment such as safety glasses or goggles, hearing protection, safety shoes, helmets, masks, or ventilators may b e re q u ire d in d e s i g n ate d a re a s. O p e rating equipment with proper safety guards in place is a standard protocol geared to preventing oper- ator injur y. Ignoring these protocols not only creates personal risk, but also is a violation that can (and should) result in disciplinary action, as companies must protect themselves as well as their employees. Safety in the Workplace and Beyond Even if your company doesn't promote a culture of safety, you need to be personally responsible for your own. WAYNE S. CHANESKI New Jersey INstItute of techNology Contact Wayne Chaneski on MMS Online at mmsonline.com/ experts/chaneski.html. 0614_MMS_competingideas.indd 38 5/13/2014 4:28:00 PM