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A Talk for Earth Day
There's been more focus than ever on climate change and personal responsibility for the environment. Since Earth Day is this week, here's a safety talk to share with your workers on some of the basic habits they can adopt to do their part.
You can supplement this talk by reviewing the recycling practices in place in your facility and also by visiting the US Environmental Protection Agency (http://www.epa.gov) and Environment Canada (http://www.ec.gc.ca/envhome.html) for more information and ideas. (And if you'd like to save paper, you can show your crew a PowerPoint presentation of this safety talk.)
Safety Talk: Protect the Environment
Companies are responsible for conducting their operations in a way that minimizes harm to the environment and health. As an employee, you share in this responsibility and need to perform your job accordingly.
Just how employees fulfill their responsibility to work in a way that's environmentally sound varies by industry. In many work situations, good environmental habits may be quite similar to the ones you would practice off the job. In other industries that use large amounts of resources or produce large quantities of hazardous waste, there may be a lot more to learn about safe environmental practices.
10 Habits for Environmentally Friendly People
Still, there are some general principles of environmentally responsible work that are basically the same across all businesses and industries. Here are 10 habits to try to cultivate.
- Reduce the amount of natural resources you use, including materials and energy.
- Reuse materials and energy.
- Recycle as much as possible.
- Practice safe waste management, making sure that materials, products and waste don't harm health or the environment.
- When you travel (even to and from work) practice fuel efficiency and help reduce auto emissions:
- Drive steadily and don't speed;
- Use carpools and public transportation if feasible; and
- Encourage the use of fuel-efficient, well-maintained vehicles in the workplace.
- Do your part in recycling programs. This may include separating your trash in the lunchroom. It may also include separating job-related materials and supplies as directed. Be sure to carefully follow instructions about how to separate and store materials.
- At work, encourage the substitution of less hazardous substances wherever feasible.
- Be alert for opportunities for your company to exchange waste materials with other companies.
- Encourage better disposal practices for hazardous materials. Large quantities of hazardous waste may need to be incinerated, or treated chemically or physically, either on the site or elsewhere. Small quantities need to be treated with equal respect. Do not just toss unused quantities or empty containers into the trash, and do not dump hazardous substances down the drain. Dispose of them according to company policy and manufacturers' directions.
- Be aware of your company's environmental responsibilities, and your individual responsibilities as well.
Conclusion
There is a direct link between environmental protection and your personal safety. Chances are that the procedures and materials that are safer for the environment will also be safer for you in the long run.
THE SAXCIES™
Celebrating Leaders in Workplace Safety
As you know, we're currently accepting nominations for the 2009 Saxcies. But what does a Saxcie™ winner look like? Would your safety program make the list of finalists? Here's a look at the 2006 & 2007 Saxcies™ winners for Safety Program of the Year.
Category: Safety Program of the Year
Criteria: The Safety Program of the Year is awarded to a company for excellence in its health and safety efforts.
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| 2006 Safety Program of the Year |
2006 Winner: NorthStar Communications Group, Inc.
Profile: Safety excellence is about organizational commitment, hard work and follow-up. NorthStar exhibits these qualities in spades. Some highlights of its safety program:
- Full-blown training and safety screening not just of employees but of contractors and subcontractors;
- Complete reporting and monthly analysis of incidents, including near misses;
- Active involvement by management including routine site visits; and
- A VPP-style collaboration among workers, middle managers and corporate management to ensure health and safety.
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| 2007 Safety Program of the Year |
2007 Winner: Parkway Products, Inc. of Atlanta, Georgia
Profile: Safety is a team effort at Parkway Products, Inc.. Each of the 30 employees and contractors has an individual and team goal to work safely and prevent injuries. From the moment a new employee walks through the door, safety training begins. Employees are involved in auditing, equipment safety training, the HSE committee, incentive programs and facility certifications. And they're proud of their safety record - their last LTA occurred 12.5 years ago and as of March 2007 had earned 1,307,022 safe hours.
But the most telling sign of the team commitment to safety is this note we received from Teresa Mackey after she returned home from the Saxcies ceremonies:
"This was an awesome honor for Parkway and I was so honored to have been given the opportunity to accept the award on behalf of my fellow co-workers. I went directly from the airport to the plant and made the presentation to them Wednesday afternoon. Words can't convey the expression on their faces when I displayed the helmet. They were blown away! They so deserved this award and we thank you again for this great honor."
Read more about the 2006 winners and the 2007 winners. Then submit your Saxcies nomination today.
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