Risk management strategies and emergency preparedness are essential for workplace safety. A risk manager should identify hazards, determine likelihood, and implement necessary actions. Building safety methods and background checks can also protect against threats. HVAC controls and procedures for handling suspicious mail are also important.
One of the best ways to protect workplace safety is to use risk management strategies. The individual responsible for safety and health in an organization must be able to detect risks and find and implement ways to reduce or eradicate those risks. Protecting workplace safety through risk management involves following a clearly defined set of steps.
A risk manager should be experienced in identifying hazards and the consequences that could result from these hazards. He or she should determine the likelihood of an event occurring and whether action is needed to prevent it. This person may also be responsible for implementing any necessary action and figuring out if that action was the appropriate one.
Another useful method to protect workplace safety is emergency preparedness. Workplace emergencies can include floods, fires, exposure to toxic gases or chemical spills, and terrorism. Not many people are able to think rationally during a crisis. Therefore, contingency planning can help employees identify the appropriate techniques needed to manage their duress. Emergency planning strategies include imagining and confronting worst-case scenarios, applying actions that reduce the chances of an emergency occurring, and educating employees about contingency planning.
Facilities such as airports, nuclear power plants, tunnels and bridges, schools, financial organizations and government agencies are likely targets for acts of terrorism. Companies can protect workplace safety by implementing a variety of building safety methods. These may include prohibiting public access to mechanical areas or access to the roof of the building; keep lobbies, mailrooms and storage areas isolated; and limit access to the construction operations system granted to off-site personnel. An organization that feels threatened may choose to install CCTV and alarm systems and may hire security guards.
Some companies run background checks on employees as a way to protect workplace safety. They can implement access controls to a building and provide shipping and receiving access only to approved customers. Escape routes can also be planned in case a threat occurs.
If an air contamination event occurs, the building’s heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system controls would need to be reconfigured. To protect workplace safety, it’s important to double-check your HVAC controls. This process includes finding the local area drain, detecting any system faults, and checking for faulty equipment.
To protect workplace safety in the United States, Occupational Safety and Health (OSHA), the Center for Disease Control (CDC), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) have implemented procedures for workers and the public when contact with suspicious mail. Protective measures for general mail handling include searching for and opening suspicious mail and opening all mail with a letter opener or other method that reduces skin contact. Mail clerks are encouraged to use little motion to open mail and to refrain from blowing into envelopes or touching their faces during the mail-opening process. They should also wash their hands after opening the mail.
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