At Georgia Power, protecting lone workers is serious business, according to its safety and health general manager.
Hamilton Hardin, safety and health general manager, says that Georgia Power makes every effort to ensure that lone workers, like all employees, are treated like "prized assets." Among other things, that means they get comprehensive safety training and opportunities for engagement in the safety process.
Shift changes provide a daily way to share concerns and best practices. The information shared is a valuable safety tool, says Hardin.
Solo workers also attend monthly safety meetings that cover core compliance and regulatory requirements. During these meetings workers also have a chance to review incidents and best practices.
A dedicated safety committee for lone workers also ensures that they get the opportunity to participate like other employees.
Hardin says that employee engagement is an increasingly important component of the Georgia Power safety program. Management encourages involvement and assigns overtime to backup personnel who cover for those attending safety meetings.
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Checklists Help Protect All Workers
BLR’s 2013 edition of Safety Audit Checklists provides safety and health checklists on more than 50 essential workplace topics to help you protect all your workers from the hazards of their jobs.
Each Safety Audit Checklists section contains:
- A review of applicable OSHA standards
- Safety management tips
- Training requirements
- At least one comprehensive safety checklist
The company also helps lone workers stay healthy. They participate in SouthernLifeStyle, the company’s wellness program and are encouraged to stretch three times a day to avoid strains.
Hardin emphasizes that you can never be satisfied when it comes to worker protection. “We challenge lone workers to always respect the job, to never get too comfortable.”
Alone But Not Unprotected
Make sure that like Georgia Power you are doing all you can to keep solo workers safe:
- Assess the work. Conduct a risk assessment to determine the safety hazards solo workers may face. .
- Choose wisely. Acknowledge that not everyone is cut out for lone work. When hiring employees for such jobs, evaluate their ability to follow safety rules without a supervisor present. At Georgia Power, only seasoned employees with long-time exposure to the company’s safety culture and programs are allowed to work alone. .
- Train. Remote workers need to spend as much time training as on-site employees. Don’t neglect them just because they’re out of sight. .
- Make reporting easy. Develop an easy-to-use system to help them report hazards and incidents.
- Plan for emergencies. Make sure distant workers can reach emergency responders quickly in the event of an injury or other incident.
- Supervise with care. Don’t skimp on supervision just because these workers aren’t within sight. Visit periodically to discuss work and safety concerns. Inspect tools, equipment, and the environment to make sure they are as safe as those working at your primary facility.
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Many sections also contain a compliance checklist, which highlights key provisions of OSHA standard. All checklists can be copied and circulated to supervisors and posted for employees.
All told, this best-selling program provides you with more than 300 separate safety checklists keyed to three main criteria:
- OSHA compliance checklists, built right from the government standards in such key areas as HazCom, lockout/tagout, electrical safety, and many more.
- "Plaintiff attorney" checklists, built around those non-OSHA issues that often attract lawsuits.
- Safety management checklists that monitor the administrative procedures you need to have for topics such as OSHA 300 Log maintenance, training program scheduling and recording, and OSHA-required employee notifications.
Make as many copies as you need for all your supervisors and managers, and distribute. What’s more, the entire program is updated annually. And the cost averages only about $1 per checklist.
If this method of ensuring a safer, more OSHA-compliant workplace interests you, we’ll be happy to make Safety Audit Checklists available for a no-cost, no-obligation, 30-day evaluation in your office. Just let us know, and we’ll be pleased to arrange it.