Safety
Safety Policy Statement
An excellent safety record is one measure of good management. Therefore, employees’ safety is a direct responsibility of all members of the management team. Line management is responsible for implementing, enforcing, and monitoring all Company policies and procedures, including safety regulations. Urgency is never a basis for disregarding, ignoring, or short cutting safety procedures or regulations. Any member of the organization who disregards safety procedures will be regarded as having committed a serious violation of Company policy. Line management is responsible for dealing with such violations and must take appropriate actions as they would when non-safety rules are ignored.
Responsibility
It is impossible to create a fool-proof physical environment or set of rules to prevent injuries. Personal safety depends on sincere safety mindedness and good judgement on the part of each person as an integral part of all daily activities.
Our safety program is based on the premise that responsibility for safety follows line organization. Supervisors are primarily responsible for their own safety and those individuals who report to them. This responsibility cannot be delegated. Supervisors should understand this responsibility to ensure that personnel are educated and supervised on safety and they must simultaneously demonstrate safety by example and insist upon it for their staff.
If there is any doubt in your mind that an action you plan to do is unsafe, don’t do it. Report any potential unsafe conditions/actions to your supervisor.
THE SAFETY PROGRAM
Since human errors cause or contribute to a great majority of accidents, Waterchem provides detailed/accurate safety related information, training, and equipment for personnel protection. When employees are convinced of Management’s sincerity they will fully cooperate on a personal basis.
Safety Information
Waterchem provides a complete, up-to-date set of Material Safety Data Sheets of all of our chemical products to customers.
Safety Equipment
Waterchem personnel are provided with protective equipment to safeguard against injury, i.e., safety glasses, safety shoes, ear plugs, hard hats, etc. Protective equipment is not always comfortable to wear because it is not primarily designed for style or comfort.
Experience shows that many injuries that have occurred could habe been prevented if adequate, correctly fitted equipment had been properly used.
Safety Training
Accident prevention would be readily accomplished if safety equipment and procedures did not involve human application. Therefore, safety awareness must be developed in each Waterchem employee and customer to the point where hazards are recognized, evaluated and actions taken to minimize the danger. Accidents often occur to people who were aware of the hazards involved, but chose to ignore them – no safety glasses, goggles, seat belts, running at stop sign, speeding, etc.
Safety training programs are regularly provided to Waterchem employees in at least two meetings per year and to customers to keep them constantly vigilant, and permanently endorse the safety rules.
Safety Rules for Handling Chemicals
- Know the product. Study the MSDS.
- Avoid or minimize bodily contact. Use safety glasses with side shields as eye protection for minimum hazards only. Chemical splash goggles are required for all materials hazardous to the eyes. Wear gloves and other protective clothing that is impervious to the chemical. In case of contact, wash eyes immediately for 15 minutes with water. Get medical attention. For skin contact, remove clothing, wash area with copious amounts of water and get medical attention if irritation develops or persists. If a respirator is required, be sure ti is appropriate for the material. Check the MSDS.
- Never mix chemicals or products unless you know positively that they are complatible. If unsure, don’t do it. Do not mix strong acids with strong bases. Do not dilute chemicals with water.
- Never pipette a chemical by mouth. Use an aspirator. If a chemical is accidentally swallowed, see MSDS for first aid.
- Never pressurize a drum or bottle to facilitate chemical feed.