As a safety manager, your primary concern is the health and safety of every employee in the facility. This department and responsibility covers everything from delivering the training to providing the necessary protective and safety equipment and ensuring that everything is installed correctly and that the proper signage is in place.
Personal equipment can involve work boots, breathing apparatus, protective coveralls, eyewear and other pieces that are used on the body. You also need to purchase storage lockers and cabinets for harsh chemicals, eyewash stations and emergency showers, spill maintenance products, extinguishers and the list goes on.
The quantity of stations that you will have in the work environment will depend on the size of the facility and the number of personnel that are working per shift.
There should be clear signs posted throughout the building so that everyone knows exactly where to go when something happens. This should also be included as part of the training presentation which should be mandatory for all employees and refreshed periodically. These are not optional items especially if your facility has a regulatory agency that sets standards and rules in this area.
Having protective and safety equipment can mean the difference between effectively controlling and handling an incident and having an employee casualty because it wasn’t available or was not handled in the correct manner.
Use a reputable supplier that specializes in this field and understands the importance of supplying top quality products at a reasonable cost especially when buying in bulk amounts.
Be aware of the specifications of the items that you need so that they address the specific risks and hazards that are dealt with on a daily basis. It is an investment in the future of your company not just something to check off of a list and the purchasing department should ensure that they have done their research before making any final purchases.
