Preparing for New Site Safety Practices

Some people travel the country, working a few months here and  there on one project after another. Despite frequently encountering the unfamiliar, many of these people retire after decades of never getting hurt on the job. What is their secret?

In many cases, they must go through a safety orientation before being allowed to work on the site. But in other cases, there is no such orientation. The safety orientation doesn’t cover everything, and without even that, how can you stay safe? Here are some tips to put into practice:

• Go to bed early the night before. Being rested and alert is your first line defense when facing a new and unknown set of safety challenges.
• Dress for safety. Wear serviceable work shoes (or boots) that are electrically rated. At the very least, wear shoes that have an EH rating.
• Don’t wear jewelry. No piercings, watches, rings, or necklaces.
• Find out ahead of time the protocol for site access. Where do you park, and how do you get badged? Will you have an escort? This will avoid your being rushed and feeling harried, a situation that leads to inattention.
• If you bring your own tools, test equipment, and/or PPE, ensure they are suitable to the anticipated tasks and the environment of use.
• If going through a safety orientation, give it your undivided attention. If no safety orientation is provided, ask for one.
• Assume all equipment is dangerous until proven otherwise. This is especially important if you are visiting as part of a troubleshooting effort.
• Don’t try to build rapport and work at the same time. The inattention can prove fatal. Aside from polite greetings, build rapport during breaks and/or with an after-work activity or two.
• When entering an area, stop. Observe what’s going on, where the exits are, where the fire extinguishers are, and where the eyewashes and emergency showers are. This can be socially clumsy when walking with someone, but insist on it. You have to get your bearings, and you need time to do that.
• Before working on any equipment, review the relevant drawings, manuals, and (if possible) maintenance history. Where practical, discuss the equipment operation with the responsible party (systems engineer, maintenance supervisor, operator, etc.). Get a job briefing. Especially important is to determine the correct process for coordinating with production / equipment operators.