Free Safety Information
Enforcing the Rules - Your Responsibility
How do you handle it when people don't or won't wear the right personal protective equipment or follow your safety rules and procedures? Do you ignore it hoping the problem will go away? Or do you put a memo on the safety notice board encouraging (pleading?) employees to wear their gear and follow the rules?
What do you do, for example, when you notice one of your people using a grinding wheel but not wearing eye protection, or if you see someone working on a machine which has not been properly isolated and tagged out?
In both these examples basic safety rules are being broken and you know it! Where do you stand?
Sure, employees are responsible for following the rules and procedures for their own protection and the protection of others. In some cases you may have also required them to sign a document stating that they have read, understood and agree to comply with the organisation's safety rules and procedures. Unfortunately, this does not get you off the hook.
If you are aware that safety rules are being broken and do nothing about it you could be in trouble for condoning unsafe work practices i.e. you have seen something unsafe going on and you failed to take action.
As an example, consider the following court case:
The court heard that the employer had provided personal protective equipment (PPE) and had made it clear through wall notices and instruction from supervisors that wearing PPE was expected. However, when workers refused to comply management failed to enforce the policy.
The court said that in the face of resistance, the employer should first have been more persuasive, then firmer in its direction to the point of insistence. Finally, if all else failed, it should have threatened dismissal and, if necessary, dismissed the worker. "The worker's refusal to obey cannot justify the employer permitting a dangerous situation to continue," the court said.
Pretty clear, isn't it? So what does your organisation do and what do you do as a responsible representative of your organisation?
So if you have written rules and procedures you are expected to enforce them - because it's part of your job as a manager or supervisor. From the organisation's point of view, safety is not an extra part of your job, it's an integral part of it. And if you don't enforce the rules you are simply not doing the job for which you are being paid.
Your responsibility for safety is a continuing responsibility. Telling someone once or warning them is not enough - if the rules continue to be broken and you are aware of it you may need to take the next step - Disciplinary Action.
AchieveSafety - www.achievesafety.com
