Safety

Question: How many occupational hazards can an experienced safety professional find within 30 seconds of walking into a waste/recycling plant?

If plant safety is not being properly managed, the answer is a whole lot.

To a trained eye, a quick visual assessment can reveal serious safety issues. For example, there are certain levels of housekeeping, cleanliness, and organization for recycling plants that indicate how well a plant is being run. If there are deficiencies in any of these areas, it is likely that safety is not being managed proactively.

Here are other safety issues that can be quickly scrutinized:

  • Faults in plant design
  • Positioning of sort stations
  • Slip and fall risks
  • Unguarded or poorly guarded machines
  • Potential lifting hazards

30 Seconds is Just the Beginning.

When safety inspectors see these issues it’s time to dive in deeper. During an actual inspection, the inspector looks more closely for problem areas that could trigger an Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigation.

For example, most recycling plants have mobile equipment on the plant floor, including forklifts and skid steers/loaders. If unmanaged, the continuous interaction between people and these machines on a plant floor can create hazardous conditions. So can servicing and maintaining machines. It is critical that plants follow lockout/tagout (LOTO) standards, such as using lockout or tagout devices to protect employees from unexpected releases of hazardous energy.

An inspector will look for proper lighting and ventilation inside the building. He will ask what the procedures are for managing spills, leaks, damaged goods, and hazardous waste. He will inquire about steps being taken to prevent combustible accumulations and dangerous chemical exposure.

Gear and Personal Equipment

Good personal protective equipment is essential. What are workers wearing? Do they have the right kind of gloves? Are they wearing earplugs, hard hats, safety glasses, and steel-toed boots? All of these safety items are the industry standard and should be firmly enforced by onsite operations managers.

Safety is for the health and benefit of your workers and organization. If you have safety concerns at your MRF, contact Leadpoint at 888-205-1511 for a complimentary safety audit.

 

14 Comments

  1. I’m looking for to work with you guys I use to work with you guys I have experience I’m trying to work over in Vancouver WA area please contact me back ASAP please and thank you

    I’m 23 years old look for long term job

  2. Hi, Alyameen. Thank you for your interest in Leadpoint. We’d love to talk to you about a job with our company. Please contact our recruiting team at recruiting@leadpointusa.com or call 855-801-1741 to speak with a recruiter. We look forward to talking to you!

  3. Thanks for your interest in Leadpoint. We cannot help you with a visa. All our employees must be legally eligible to work in the U.S. If you would like to apply, you can search our open jobs and apply online at leadpointusa.com. Thank you.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Post comment