If your daily operations require handling dangerous chemicals, you must optimize the work environment and processes to ensure safety. Thankfully, overseeing a responsible workplace that handles hazardous materials is possible—but it requires careful preparation. Read through these four tips to protect your workers from dangerous chemicals consistently.
Properly Train Employees
When employees must handle dangerous chemicals, providing them with thorough training is always necessary. Novice mistakes can have dire consequences, but a good training course can prevent them from happening.
For example, we provide companies with various bulk handling equipment and systems. Still, personnel on-site should know how to use this equipment to keep everyone safe and workflow productive. Likewise, employees must know how to properly handle and store chemicals through every step of the process. Train employees on what personal protective equipment (PPE) they need, how to use it, and how to tell if it’s fit for use in the field.
Obtain the Necessary PPE
Providing PPE to your employees is invaluable to their safety—but it isn’t something your team buys at a local store. Instead, employers must provide ample PPE for daily operations. So, be thorough with your search, ensuring the PPE meets your standards and requirements for all applicable tasks. Additionally, make sure to have backup PPE. If any goggles or gloves have signs of damage, the employee must swap them with a better option before proceeding.
Have First Aid Kits Ready
As mentioned above, providing proper training and PPE to employees minimizes the chance of accidents occurring greatly, but slipups can still happen. So, always have first aid supplies ready and within reach. This sounds simple, but keep in mind that every facility must accommodate unique conditions. Since the individual chemicals present in any given facility vary, choose supplies that can successfully accommodate your unique workplace hazards. That way, if an accident strikes, your team will be ready to act responsibly.
Clearly Label Dangerous Chemicals
One of the essential tips to protect your workers from dangerous chemicals is using clear, concise labels. When your team moves around the workplace completing tasks, clear labels ensure everyone can quickly find what they need. Suffice it to say that this makes operations much more efficient.
However, it also prevents employees from grabbing a dangerous chemical without their knowledge, resulting in a dangerous accident on the work floor. Labels should contain information such as what chemical is inside and what hazards it poses. Clearly labeling chemicals is a simple step that will significantly improve workplace safety and productivity.