When choosing safety equipment for your facility, the stakes are far too high to trust a one-size-fits-all approach. In order to reduce your company’s risk exposure and maximize value, it’s best to work with a consultant or vendor who has the necessary expertise to tailor a safety solution to your unique situation.
There are many ways to evaluate your safety equipment needs, from reviewing your processes and operations with a variety of stakeholders to more rigorous methods, according to an OSHA publication on hazard analysis. Here are three approaches to consider:
- Perform A Job Safety Analysis Or Job Hazard Analysis
Identifying your safety equipment needs starts with assessing your facility’s safety concerns, including any concerns that could arise in upcoming initiatives. To gather this evidence, conduct a standard step-by-step job safety analysis or job hazard analysis (JHA). If you face particularly complex or dangerous safety risks, OSHA recommends several in-depth methodologies.
By gathering empirical evidence about safety hazards, you’re able to show measurable justifications for each of the safety issues you’ve identified. For example, you might use the number of breakdowns in the plant over a month as evidence of a specific safety issue. - Focus On Value, Not Cost
When evaluating your safety equipment needs, it’s important to look beyond the cost of solving problems and consider how your facility could benefit by upgrading your equipment. To do this, make sure your assessment includes all known safety hazards as well as issues that aren’t necessarily negative.
For example, you might consider how specific safety equipment and services would help your company achieve certain goals, such as adopting higher safety standards or becoming compliant with new internal standards.
Investing in the right safety equipment makes good business sense. It helps lower the risk of costly citations. It also helps reduce downtime due to accidents, which could drive additional productivity and throughput. Focusing on value instead of cost helps your company make sound decisions about safety equipment and determine the true value of investing in a comprehensive safety solution. - Consider Your Employees’ Best Interests
From a business perspective, it’s important to calculate the costs of your current safety issues in hard numbers. You might express these costs in terms of lost productivity, such as, “This equipment failure is costing us X number of dollars per month,” or, “Workplace injuries are costing us X number of employee hours per month.”
But it’s important to take a step back from the numbers and remember that reducing or eliminating safety issues is about protecting the health and lives of your coworkers. No company wants to cut corners that could result in safety hazards, accidents or even deaths. A safe work site is an expression of the value of the people working there – and the values of the company.
Evaluating your safety issues early on makes it easier to communicate with a consultant or vendor, as you collaborate to develop the right safety solution for your company’s specific needs.
Does your current safety equipment put employees and your business at risk? Download this industry guide from Carbis Solutions to discover strategies for a safer, more efficient workplace.
