The safety director’s primary goal is to prevent illness and injury. Increasingly, though, we are being called on to protect the company’s other assets, including its property and the very viability of its business in case of disaster. That’s why auditing, emergency preparedness and response are so important.

Protecting Property Also Protects Workers

Protecting company property is in large degree driven by economics—done to satisfy the company’s insurance carriers and secure lower premiums and operating costs. But while it might feel less admirable than preventing injury, in my view, protecting a company’s property is part and parcel of protecting its workers. Disasters that damage property are also likely to inflict injury. Preparing for disaster thus serves to protect both property and life.

Also keep in mind that people’s livelihoods are at stake. Disasters that inflict serious property damage can disrupt a business and even put the company out of business altogether. Helping companies prevent, withstand and recover from these losses preserves jobs. Although loss of a job isn’t as serious as loss of life or limb, it still causes human suffering.

Creating a Property Protection Program

A property protection program is basically an inspection and training program that encompasses elements of audits and emergency action planning. How do these aspects come together? When you audit, develop and implement disaster plans and in the inception of a property protection program, develop and implement internal emergency response teams, you complete a circle of protection that’s self fulfilling. You’re protected from regulatory enforcement disasters, you’re prepared for natural disasters and you have recovery plans in place.

In my previous article, I talked about about auditing and inspection. Now I’ll talk about the Property Protection Program. Such programs should consist of elements that address:

• Flammable liquid handling and storage;
• Inventory and customer product storage;
• Sprinkler protection;
• Fire prevention inspections;
• Red Tag sprinkler alert systems;
• Welding and cutting permit programs;
• Internal Emergency Organization plans;
• General housekeeping from the fire prevention perspective; and
• No smoking policy programs

Many of the response elements of your overall emergency planning program can also be included. Some of these elements of a property programs are available through insurers and brokers and may even be a required part of your basic insurance coverage requirements.

Implementing a Property Protection Program

Property protection may or may not be administered under the safety program. In many organizations, the program is overseen by the engineering or maintenance departments or a combination of the two.  The safety department is, however, in the best position to integrate and ensure compliance with many, if not all of these programs.

To help you develop your own programs, I’ve included in the TOOLS section of SafetyXChange samples of inspection forms and procedures related to fire prevention and the development of facility Emergency Organizations, including model forms for:

• Fire Prevention Inspection Procedure (TOOL 1);
• Fire Prevention Form (TOOL 2);
• Facility Emergency Organization (TOOL 3);
• Sprinkler Impairment Procedures (TOOL 4); and
• Cutting and Welding Procedures (TOOL 5).

Conclusion

In sum, auditing, inspecting and property protection planning are basically different aspects of the larger health and safety process. The next phase in the process is post-injury management. I’ll be back to talk to you about that stage and how it ties to the others some time soon.

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