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Warehouse Safety Program Guidelines

prepared by: The Warehousing Research Center An Affiliate of the Warehousing Education and Research Council Miami University, Oxford, Ohio

prepared for Warehousing Education and Research Council June, 1990 Copyright ©1990, Warehousing Education and Research Council. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced in any manner without the expressed written permission of WERC's Executive Director.

About the Authors

Thomas W. Speh, Ph.D. is Director, and Cara Murray and Christine McCallum are Graduate Assistants, at the Warehousing Research Center, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio.

The Warehousing Research Center is a cooperative effort of the Warehousing Education and Research Council and Miami University. Its mission is to conduct research with results having practical application to the management of the warehousing function.

The authors wish to thank those Warehousing Education and Research Council members who assisted in the development of this publication through their critiques of the first draft. Appreciation is also expressed to Kathie Bradbury and Cathy Brown of the Research Center staff for their effort in preparing the manuscript. The Warehousing Education and Research Council is publishing these safety program guidelines solely as an informational resource for its members. The recommendations contained in the guidelines do not express the policy, have the endorsement, or reflect recommendations of the Council. As noted throughout the guidelines, users are advised to obtain guidance from local, state and federal agencies as well as competent legal counsel when implementing procedures for protecting employees, visitors, and the contents of their facilities.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1

WHY THESE GUIDELINES WERE DEVELOPED ...................................................1

SAFETY IS MULTIFACETED ..................................................................................1

SCOPE OF THIS PUBLICATION ............................................................................2

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP ....................................................2

GENERAL SAFETY PROGRAM GUIDELINES ......................................................3

SAFETY BEHAVIORAL FACTORS .........................................................................3

REGULATORY AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS ..................................................4

Occupational Safety and Health Act ..............................................................4

Hazardous Materials ......................................................................................6

ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT .......................................................................9

GETTING STARTED ...............................................................................................10

SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDIT ...................................................................................12

OUTLINE OF THE WAREHOUSE SELF INSPECTION SAFETY AUDIT ..............14

WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDIT FORMS . .............................15

SAFETY COMMITTEES .......................................................................................................64

THE NEED FOR A SAFETY COMMITTEE ............................................................64

SAFETY COMMITTEE TASKS ...............................................................................64

DEVELOPMENT TASKS ........................................................................................64

Safety Committee: Guidelines for Success ...................................................66

EDUCATIONAL TASKS ..........................................................................................66

INVESTIGATIVE TASKS ........................................................................................67

MONITORING TASKS ............................................................................................67

SAFETY COMMITTEE STRUCTURE ....................................................................68

COMMITTEE MEETINGS .......................................................................................68

Topics ............................................................................................................68

Types of Meetings .........................................................................................69

Meeting Agendas ..........................................................................................69

SAFETY COMMITTEE ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION .............................71

DEVELOPMENT TASKS ........................................................................................71

Establishing Safety Objectives/Goals .........................................................71

Developing Safety Rules/Policies ...............................................................72

Safety Manual .............................................................................................72

Incentive Programs .....................................................................................73

EDUCATIONAL TASKS ..........................................................................................75

Training ........................................................................................................75

Determining Training Needs .......................................................................75

Developing Individual Training Modules .....................................................76

Training Schedules .....................................................................................77

Training Recordkeeping ..............................................................................77

Evaluation ....................................................................................................78 Safety Indoctrination for New Employees. ...................................................79 INVESTIGATION TASKS.......................................................................................79 Accident and Near-Accident Investigation ..................................................79 Accident Investigation Process ...................................................................82 MONITORING TASKS ..........................................................................................82 Inspections ..................................................................................................82 Recordkeeping . ...........................................................................................88

EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN ........................................................................................86 PLAN DEVELOPMENT .........................................................................................88 PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN .............89 Creating A Framework ................................................................................89 Creating Plan Details ..................................................................................89 Implementing An Emergency Response Plan ............................................91 Mutual Aid Emergency Response Plans ....................................................93 Community Awareness of Emergency Response Plan ..............................93 Review, Update and Availability ..................................................................94 FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION ............................................................95 Physical Fire Protection ..............................................................................95 Components of Automatic Fire Protection ..................................................95 Components of Manual Fire Protection ......................................................96 Components of Passive Protection .............................................................96 FIRE PREVENTION .............................................................................................97 Housekeeping .............................................................................................97 Sprinkler Control Valve Supervision ...........................................................97 Fire Protection Equipment ..........................................................................97 Building Safety ............................................................................................98 Warehouse Security ....................................................................................99 Safeguards for Ignition Sources ..................................................................99

SOURCES OF SAFETY INFORMATION AND TRAINING .................................................101

WAREHOUSE SAFETY FORMS .........................................................................................130

Introduction

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Introduction

Providing a safe and healthful working environment for all employees and visitors should be a priority for every warehouse manager. The moral, legal, and economic dimensions of warehouse safety clearly indicate that it cannot be compromised. Because of this critical importance, a comprehensive, formal safety program should be the foundation of any warehouse management system.

This publication is designed to assist warehouse managers in the DEVELOPMENT, MAINTENANCE, AND UPDATING OF A COMPREHENSIVE WAREHOUSE SAFETY PROGRAM AND TO PROVIDE ASSISTANCE IN FINDING USEFUL SAFETY INFORMATION.

WHY THESE GUIDELINES WERE DEVELOPED

Moral, legal, and economic issues provide strong justification for the time and effort required for compiling a sound warehouse safety program. Morally, every employer should provide a work environment that shields employees and visitors from the possibility of injury. Legally, a vast array of federal, state, and local laws spell out an employer's specific responsibilities in regard to the safety of a facility. Failure to meet the requirements of these laws can lead to substantial fines and penalties. Finally, an effective safety program is profitable. Reduced insurance premiums, fewer workman's compensation claims, less time lost due to injury, and higher productivity associated with high levels of morale, can result from an effective safety program. Clearly, a strong safety program is important for employee protection, legal compliance, efficient warehouse operation, and a healthy working atmosphere.

The sheer volume of material related to warehouse safety makes it difficult to create and maintain an effective safety program. The numerous regulations promulgated by OSHA, state agencies, and municipalities are complex. Hundreds of organizations, associations, and private companies have produced and distributed films, slides, videocassettes, programs, self-instruction manuals, seminars, and training programs related to warehouse safety. These guidelines seek to provide a way to sift through all this material to discover what is useful and which regulations apply.

Because of the absolute necessity for a warehouse safety program and the wide array of safety information and regulations, the Warehousing Research Center has created "Warehouse Safety Program Guidelines." Almost every warehouse has some safety policies or some form of safety program, and this manual will help companies to upgrade them. Also, it will help warehouse managers to evaluate the comprehensiveness of their current safety program and determine whether there are more effective ways to administer it.

SAFETY IS MULTIFACETED

Warehouse "safety" has many elements, each of which must be addressed in the development of a comprehensive safety program. Some warehouse managers consider employee training in "safe" procedures to

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be the major ingredient of a safety program. To others, safety means providing employees with personal protective equipment. First-aid training, disaster response plans, safety committees, OSHA standards, ergonomics, safety signage, sprinkler systems, and hazardous material handling guidelines are additional elements that are essential to an effective "Warehouse Safety Program."

SCOPE OF THIS PUBLICATION

This publication identifies the major elements of a warehouse safety program and provides a checklist for evaluating a firm's existing program. In this way, the "Guidelines" are useful whether a firm is developing a new program or evaluating an existing one. The intent is to provide a roadmap for an effective safety program.

The warehouse safety program described by the guidelines consists of two primary elements. Prevention, the first element, concentrates on training, procedures, policies, etc., aimed at preventing injuries and accidents before they occur. The SAFETY COMMITTEE section will address the prevention elements. The second element, response, includes the programs, procedures, and policies for reacting to an accident, disaster, or injury after it has happened. The EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN section will focus on key response factors.

The SOURCES section is a guide to safety information and training material that is available through a wide range of sources, including key government agencies. This section summarizes the material and identifies how and where to get it.

The final section provides FORMS to be used in administering the safety program. These forms, described throughout this publication, may be reproduced for use.

MANAGEMENT SUPPORT AND LEADERSHIP

Management's attitude toward job safety and health will be reflected by the employees. If the "corporate culture" does not reflect a concern for preventing accidents, the work force is also likely to be apathetic toward safety. A natural outgrowth of a safety commitment is a concerted effort to identify and minimize risks -whether by upgrading equipment, creating training programs, or by establishing safety rules and practices. The employer always has the primary responsibility for protecting the employees and visitors.

In setting corporate goals, management makes decisions that ultimately influence warehouse safety. Managers need to demonstrate their personal concern for employee safety and health and the priority placed on them in the workplace. The result will be a high level of commitment to safety among the work force.

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GENERAL SAFETY PROGRAM GUIDELINES

An effective warehouse safety program is focused on accomplishing seven key objectives:

1. To ensure that the building, equipment, and products do not create safety hazards

for employees and visitors

2. To ensure that all employees are provided effective initial and on-going instruction on working safely, responding to all injury, disaster, and dangerous situations, and all applicable safety regulations

3. To provide adequate equipment, clothing, and gear to protect employees from injury

4. To provide a system for testing and observing that all safety rules, procedures, and

training are being followed by employees

5. To comply with all federal, state, and local laws relating to job safety

6. To provide for an effective system to report safety information, including accidents, injuries, training, and legal compliance

7. To provide information on all hazardous chemicals and materials in the warehouse.

In addition to the employers’ safety efforts, warehouse employees should be responsible for the following safety actions:

1. Become knowledgeable of all company safety rules and all applicable safety laws

2. Observe all safety rules and procedures while in the warehouse

3. Report injuries, unsafe conditions, and unsafe practices to management

4. Wear protective equipment and clothing required by the task at hand

5. Conduct work activities in a manner that will not endanger other people.

The safety program should clearly communicate these responsibilities to all employees.

SAFETY BEHAVIORAL FACTORS

The psychological factor in human accidents is complex. It is reflected in 1) the worker's motivation to perform safely; 2) the day-to-day work habits developed through observing peers or supervisors; 3) the worker's attitude toward himself and the people around him; 4) the worker's job skills; and 5) the state of alertness, boredom, or fatigue arising from a specific task, the length of work time and hours, or schedules of work. All these factors are part of the accident causation chain. Warehouse managers can reduce the impact of many of these behavioral factors on the incidence of accidents through:

Attitudes toward safety. In order to create positive attitudes toward safety, the importance of safety should be stressed during new employee orientation.

Reward policy. In establishing formal safety incentive systems, workers must be made to feel equitably rewarded or compensated for the amount of effort or skill required of them in following safety practices.

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Job assignment. Assignments should be based on compatibility of job requirements and the characteristics and skills of the worker. increased worker satisfaction and improved work quality and safety records will result. Employees should not be assigned to tasks for which they have not received safety training. Job stress. Conflicting or excessive job demands, worker uncertainty, extreme time pressures, etc., can lead to disruptions of job performance, and increase the probability of accidents. Methods for reducing worker stress include:

• clearly defined job roles • ensuring that equipment and machinery are reliable • performance reviews • monitoring worker stress • career advancement opportunities • worker grievance and conflict resolution • eliminating conflicting demands • stress control counseling • physical fitness awareness.

Worker Acceptance. Worker discussion groups can be used to establish or modify group attitudes about safety and to increase worker acceptance of new safety practices. Companies can use group discussion to develop group attitudes concerning safety which are more consistent with company objectives. The company safety committee, discussed in the third section, is an effective means for providing this opportunity. Job safety design. Companies should ensure that jobs are designed to minimize human-initiated errors and accidents. Safety, like quality, should be designed into the way a job is performed. Effective safety programs are not developed after-the-fact. Don't support unsafe behavior. In order to eliminate or reduce unsafe work behavior, management should evaluate whether peer pressure or pressure from management support unsafe behavior. If so, these pressures should be removed.

REGULATORY AND LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS

It would be impossible to address the numerous federal, state, and local regulations regarding safety in a publication of this size. Therefore, the goal will be to highlight the safety regulations with greatest importance to warehouse safety.

Occupational Safety and Health Act

The most far reaching legislation on workplace safety is the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970. The Act was passed to ". . . assure safe and healthful working conditions for working men and women . . . ." This act, which established the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the U.S. Department of Labor, provides for research, information, education, and training in the field of occupational safety and health, and authorizes enforcement of safety and health standards. The U.S. Secretary of Labor has the power to set standards for a safe and healthful work place and may send inspectors to businesses and issue warnings or citations of violations. An employer violating the Act is liable for various penalties, including possible closing of the facility.

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The Act requires employers to:

• Furnish a place of employment free of hazards which could cause illness, injury, or death to employees

• Comply with all standards adopted by the Secretary of Labor • Permit government inspectors to enter workplaces without delay

during regular working hours or at other reasonable times • Conduct periodic inspections for safety and health hazards, if required

by the standards • Post notices to keep employees informed of their rights and duties

including provisions of applicable standards • Maintain records of all work-related injuries, illnesses, deaths, and

exposure of employees to toxic substances and harmful physical agents

• Provide physical examinations for employees to determine the extent

of exposure to toxic substances or potentially harmful physical agents which have exceeded permissible limits

• Post copies of citations or violations at or near each place where a

violation occurred • Provide employees with personal protective equipment where required

by applicable standards.

These standards provide an excellent framework from which an effective warehouse safety program can be developed. This brief review of the Occupational Safety and Health Act is not meant to be exhaustive, but rather to provide the general intentions of the law. In addition, many of the standards set by OSHA will be reflected throughout the "Guidelines". Since OSHA standards change daily, a complete understanding of the Act and its application to the warehouse workplace can only be gleaned from legal professionals experienced in the law and from constant monitoring of ever-changing OSHA regulations. Regulatory Highlights. Certain critical regulatory factors related to workplace safety and health are highlighted below. However, for a complete understanding of safety law and regulatory requirements, further study and outside expertise are required.

State vs. federal regulation. Any state can assert jurisdiction over any occupational safety or health standard not covered by federal standards. It may also develop and enforce its own occupational safety and health standards for areas covered by federal standards if approved by OSHA. If approved, the state can operate under its own plan, following either federal standards or its own standards. Any area OSHA office will provide information as to which plans and standards are applicable in a given location.

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Training. Employers are required to train employees in the safety and health aspects of their jobs. "Certified, competent, or qualified." Certain job assignments must be limited to those employees who are "certified, competent, or qualified" to perform the job. Records. The employer, for its own protection, should keep detailed records of employee safety and health training so as to document the employee's ability to perform various tasks. Records should also be kept of every injury requiring medical attention. For some warehouses, records on hazardous materials will also be required. Inform employees. Warehouse managers are required to inform all employees of the OSHA standards applying to their workplace. Employee complaints. Employees have a legal right to complain to their employer, union, OSHA, or other government agency about workplace safety and health hazards without discrimination. Hazard communication. A warehouse that handles any hazardous chemical is required to abide by OSHA's Hazard Communication Standard. These requirements are outlined in the next section. On-site consultation. A free consultation service is made available by OSHA to help employers identify workplace hazards, improve safety management, and identify sources of further assistance. This service is delivered by state governments using well-trained professional staffs and is completely separate from OSHA inspection efforts, with no citations issued or penalties imposed. Users of the service must commit to correcting safety problems that are discovered.

These eight regulatory considerations are but a small part of the total program of federal, state, and local safety regulations. Each of these areas, as well as the vast array of laws and regulations, can be reviewed in more depth by consulting many of the OSHA references listed in the SOURCES section. Since this review does not provide a full treatment of all occupational safety and health regulations, appropriate legal counsel should be contacted in order to evaluate a company's legal position and compliance.

Hazardous Materials Warehouse managers desiring in-depth information regarding the storage and handling of hazardous materials are encouraged to consult the Environmental Protection Agency, OSHA and other references listed in the Sources section. As with OSHA regulations, the rules and regulations regarding the storage and handling of hazardous materials are too extensive and detailed to be fully covered in these guidelines. Therefore, only key considerations and broad parameters of these regulations are highlighted here. The main focus will be centered on Hazard Communication Labeling, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and Training.

Hazard Communication. OSHA's Hazard Communication and Right-to-Know Standard (HCS) requires all non-manufacturing employers with employees exposed to hazardous materials to provide information on these hazards to employees.

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According to information published by the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors, the HCS requires warehouses to:

• Create a written policy designed to cover all aspects of the hazard communication program,

• Assure that a labeling system is in use for hazardous substances,

• Maintain Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) accessible to employees

for all chemicals with which they work,

• Train all employees covered by the program in the use of MSDSs, how to recognize hazards, personal protection, emergency response, and labels.

In addition, warehouse companies must comply with the Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986. This act requires business facilities that must prepare or have available MSDSs under HCS to submit to the local emergency planning committee, the state emergency response commission, and the local fire department, the MSDS for each chemical, or a list of the chemicals. Also, such facilities must submit an Environmental Protection Agency inventory form containing an estimate of the maximum amount of hazardous chemicals present at a facility during the preceding year, an estimate of the average daily amount, and their location. Fines for HCS violations, coupled with worker and third-party liability concerns and insurability questions, make HCS compliance extremely important. HCS is a confusing and complex standard, and outside legal advice is warranted. Labels. Container labels are an essential information source and one of the key parts of a hazard communication system. All containers of hazardous chemicals are to be labeled or marked with the name of the chemical, the name and address of the manufacturer or importer, and the chemical's hazards. Some companies provide even more detailed hazard information on their labels. Many labels, for example, provide basic instructions for storing and handling the chemical, and explanations of the type of personal protective equipment required. The standard only specifies "what" has to be on the label. "How" it is to be labeled is up to the manufacturer. A variety of labeling systems have been developed and are in use. Since warehouses often store material from a variety of manufacturers, it is necessary to train employees in all the labeling systems that may be in use. OSHA requires all labels to be clear, legible and prominently displayed. Under certain circumstances, employers will be allowed to use signs, placards, or other means of communicating hazardous information to employees. Labels, however, have proven to be the simplest, clearest way to tag containers and warn employees of potential dangers.

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Material Safety Data Sheets. In addition to being labeled, all containers must be accompanied by a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). The MSDS has two purposes:

1. It documents information about all chemicals stored in a facility, 2. It gives employees access to this information whenever they have a

question about a certain chemical.

State and local emergency response agencies and local fire departments must be provided a list of hazardous chemicals stored in the facility. The list must include:

• A list of the hazardous chemicals for which an MSDS is required, grouped in categories of health and physical hazards,

• The chemical name or the common name of each chemical as it

appears on the MSDS,

• Any hazardous component of each chemical as provided on the MSDS.

MSDSs submitted to the local emergency planning committee must be revised within three months after an owner or operator discovers significant new information concerning any aspect of a hazardous chemical. Owners/operators required by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard to have MSDSs for hazardous chemicals must prepare and submit an emergency and hazardous chemical inventory form to the appropriate local emergency planning committee, the state emergency response commission, and the fire department with jurisdiction over the facility. Each inventory form must contain data with respect to the preceding calendar year as well as:

• An estimate, in ranges, of the maximum amount of hazardous

chemicals in each category present at the facility at any time during the preceding calendar year,

• An estimate, in ranges, of the average daily amount of hazardous

chemicals in each category present during the year,

• The general location of hazardous chemicals in each category.

Training. Employers must establish a training and information program for employees exposed to hazardous chemicals in their work area at the time of initial assignment and whenever a new hazard is introduced into their work area. An information program's discussion topics must include, at a minimum:

• the existence of the hazard communication standard and the

requirements of the standard,

• the components of the hazard communication program in the employees' workplaces,

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• operations in work areas where hazardous chemicals are present,

• where the employer will keep the written hazard evaluation procedures, communications program, lists of hazardous chemicals, and the required MSDS forms.

The employee training plan should consist of the following elements:

• how the hazard communication program is implemented in that

workplace; how to read and interpret information on labels and the MSDS; and how employees can obtain and use the available hazard information,

• the hazards of the chemicals in the work area. (The hazards may be

discussed by individual chemical or by hazard categories such as flammability.),

• measures employees can take to protect themselves from the hazards,

• specific procedures put into effect by the employer to provide

protection such as engineering controls, work practices, and the use of personal protective equipment,

• methods and observations - such as visual appearance or smell

-workers can use to detect the presence of a hazardous chemical to which they may be exposed.

Before embarking on a safety program for storing hazardous materials, consultation with outside experts is strongly advised.

ORGANIZATION OF THIS REPORT

This report has five major components:

• Warehouse Self-Inspection Safety Audit

• Safety Committees

• Emergency Response Plan

• Sources of Safety Information and Training

• Warehouse Safety Forms

A brief description of each section follows. Since the process of evaluating and upgrading a safety program begins with an audit of the warehouse's existing safety practices and procedures, these "Guidelines" provide a "Warehouse Self-Inspection Safety Audit." The Audit assesses where the existing safety program is and where it should be. The checklist can also be used periodically to monitor safety in the warehouse. The Self-Inspection Safety Audit is generalized to a "typical" warehouse environment and may require modification for a specific warehouse. The next section, designed to assist in the development and administration of a Warehouse Safety Committee, will specify committee activities and provide

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guidelines for implementing them. A Safety Committee carries out much of the warehouse safety program. Establishing detailed safety programs in such subjects as forklift operator training, safety signage, conveyor safety, ergonomics, dock safety, and accident prevention (and many others) should be the responsibility of the safety committee. This report does not specify the details of these types of specific programs, but highlights the assessment of them in the Self-Inspection Safety Audit. Specific guidelines for developing programs in these and many other safety subjects can be found in numerous references included in the Sources section of the report. Should a safety committee approach be infeasible, many of the activities can be assumed by individuals or by management. Thus, this section will be applicable regardless of how the company decides to implement a safety program. The section on organization and administration of an Emergency Response Plan (and Team) explains the major elements of an Emergency Response Plan and provides a detailed plan for response to a disaster/accident. The composition, organization and functions of the Emergency Response Team (ERT) are described, with emphasis on the steps necessary to make the ERT operational. Every warehouse should have some type of emergency response plan; however, conditions in a specific warehouse setting may make it necessary to modify the generalized plan presented. The section on Sources of Safety Information and Training can be used to obtain:

• extensive information on OSHA regulations

• updates on changes to OSHA regulations

• training programs and video presentations on safety

• information from the National Safety Council

• current information on regulations pertaining to the storage and handling of

hazardous materials • information and programs for administering Safety Committees and Emergency

Response Teams; information on ergonomics, personal protective equipment, fire protection and the like.

This section is particularly important in regard to OSHA and Hazardous Materials regulations because these two critically important safety factors are not treated in depth in this publication. In addition, the Sources section, which is organized by subject matter, is a guide to useful training materials including videos, pamphlets, brochures and speakers. A group of forms for use in administering a safety program are included in the "Forms" section of this publication. A portion of each form is shown in the text, while the complete form is included in the last section. These forms, which can be copied as is or modified, range from safety meeting agendas to accident reports. In some cases, both a blank form and a completed sample are provided.

GETTING STARTED

Ideally, every warehouse should have some formal means for dealing with warehouse safety. In reality, some warehouses have minimal formal safety

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programs while others may find they are deficient in just a few elements of warehouse safety. An effective means for either correcting safety program deficiencies or creating an entire program is to form a Safety Committee. This committee then assumes the lead role in creating the necessary safety programs and procedures. Concurrent with the formation of the Safety Committee is the creation of an Emergency Response Plan (and Team). These two groups then become the cornerstone for developing an effective warehouse safety program. (Warehouse management must play a strong organizational role and assume overall responsibility for the administration of the Safety Committee and the Emergency Response Team.)

Once formed, the Safety Committee can use the Self-Inspection Safety Audit to evaluate where safety program revisions are most necessary. The Audit may also be used to periodically review warehouse safety practices.

The cost of initiating and administering an effective safety program may be substantial. For example, costs for conducting a Self-Inspection Safety Audit on a regular basis may be considerable. However, these expenditures will be more than made up in reduced accident-related costs.

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Self-Inspection Safety Audit

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Self-Inspection Safety Audit

Before a program to control or eliminate warehouse safety hazards can be created and implemented, all current and potential hazards must be identified and current safety practices evaluated. This section deals with conducting a Self-Inspection Safety Audit for the purpose of:

1. examining and verifying the effectiveness of current safety rules,

2. establishing whether safety rules are being followed, and

3. identifying actual and potential warehouse safety hazards.

Periodic health and safety inspections (audits) help management evaluate current safety programs and identify new safety concerns that may develop with changes in the company's operation.

One of the key functions of a Warehouse Safety Committee is the administration of safety inspections. It is recommended that these safety audits include a wide array of company and union personnel, with particularly heavy representation from the rank and file. Individuals from all areas of the warehouse may be used as inspectors in an effort to expand the number of independent evaluations. On any given inspection, several individuals could each make separate evaluations. Such an inspection team might be composed of a warehouse manager, a traffic clerk, and a warehouseman. At the conclusion of the inspection process the "inspectors" can meet to discuss their evaluations and resolve any differences in their ratings. In this way serious safety issues will be highlighted and possible solutions developed.

By using a comprehensive checklist, such as the one included in this section, the safety auditor or inspector can be assured of a thorough and effective evaluation of the safety situation in the warehouse. Recording of both what was seen and not seen will help to establish approaches for improving the safety program. Self-Inspection records should be maintained and periodically reviewed by the Safety Committee and shared with those responsible for the areas in which safety deficiencies and violations were detected. Positive reinforcement can be provided to employees responsible for areas receiving favorable safety ratings.

The following outline shows the organization of the Self-Inspection Audit. The audit is divided into seven categories, and a variety of subcategories. Each subcategory has a checklist with between three and twenty questions and space for notes regarding corrective actions to be taken. On the back of the checklist is space for the inspector(s) to suggest actions to remedy problem situations, who is to be responsible for doing so, and a target completion date.

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The Self-Inspection Safety Audit is organized in the manner shown below:

ORGANIZATION OF THE WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDIT

A. DOCKS ......................................................................................................................16 I. Vehicle Restraint System ...................................................................................16 II. Wheel Chocking . ................................................................................................16 III. Dock Design ........................................................................................................18 IV. Dock Equipment .................................................................................................20 V. The Dock Area ....................................................................................................22

B. EQUIPMENT..............................................................................................................24

I. Vehicle Traffic .....................................................................................................24 II. Driver Safety .......................................................................................................24 III. Lift Equipment .....................................................................................................26 IV. Hand and Power Tools .......................................................................................28 V. Fuel and Battery Charging Areas .......................................................................30 VI. Conveyors ...........................................................................................................32

C. BUILDING .................................................................................................................34

I. Interior..................................................................................................................34 II. Lighting ...............................................................................................................36 III. Electrical ..............................................................................................................36 IV. Floors...................................................................................................................38 V. Stairs ...................................................................................................................38 VI. Signs ...................................................................................................................38 VII. Housekeeping .....................................................................................................40 VIII. Exterior and Grounds ........................................................................................40 D. PRODUCT STORAGE ......................................... ....................................................44 I. Pallets ............................................................. ....................................................44 II. Shelving/Rack ................................................ ....................................................44 III. Stacking .......................................................... ....................................................46 IV. Manual Lifting and Handling .......................... ....................................................48 E. PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT ................................................................50 F. SAFETY COMMITTEE...............................................................................................52 I. Committee Structure & Operation ......................................................................52 II. Accident Investigation..........................................................................................54 III. Record Keeping...................................................................................................54 G. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN ............................................................................58

TOPIC PAGE

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Warehouse Self-Inspection Safety Audit Forms

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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITDOCKS

Corrective Actions - consider possible changes in equipment, training, procedures, personnel, systems, facility. I. Vehicle Restraint System

1. Does the vehicle restraining system securely lock trailers into

place at the dock? 2. Is the vehicle restraining system adequate to prevent separation

of the trailer from the dock? 3. Does the vehicle restraining system accommodate all types of

trailers? 4. Does the vehicle restraining system operate effectively under all

conditions? 5. Have dock workers been trained in the proper use of vehicle

restraint systems? 6. Do underside guard vehicle restraint systems hold standard

I-beam ICC bars as well as round or oddly shaped bars? 7. Do communication devices clearly indicate when dock can and

cannot enter the trailer? 8. Do employees use the communication devices properly? 9. Are dock workers in complete control of trailer departures under

all loading/unloading conditions? II. Wheel Chocking 10. Are dock personnel responsible for wheel chocking?

11. Are all trailer wheels chocked?

12. Are chocks checked at least once during the course of loading/unloading?

13. Are enough chocks available to handle the daily workload?

YES NO

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Item #

Subject Actions Required

Person

Responsible

Target

Completion Date

SAFETY ACTION PLANNING FORM

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Corrective Actions - consider possible changes in equipment, training, procedures, personnel, systems, facility.

III. Dock Design 14. Is the dock approach well drained and free of potholes?

15. Are dock positions marked with yellow lines to help drivers spot trailers more accurately?

16. Are there stairs leading from the dock to the driveway?

17. Is adequate lighting provided? 18. Is the concrete landing strip for dolly wheels of sufficient width to

accommodate short and long trucks?

19. Do dock bumpers extend far enough down the dock face to keep even the lowest trailers from striking and damaging the building wall?

20. Is there adequate room for trailer maneuvering?

21. Do dock seals and shelters fit tightly? 22. Are doors at least 9'6" wide and ten feet high in order to service

larger trailers? 23. Are doors in the dock area designed to safely accommodate

warehouse traffic?

24. Do doors in the dock area operate properly? 25. Are safety restraints in place when doors are not in use?

YES NO

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YES NO IV. Dock Equipment

26. If dock seals are installed:

a. Are they designed to accommodate all sizes of trailers?

b. Is the seal tight-fitting?

c. Are seals in good condition?

d. Are damaged seals repaired promptly? 27. If levelers are used:

a. Are they equipped with proper safety devices?

b. Is a routine maintenance schedule followed? c. Do they accommodate trailers of all sizes efficiently and

safely?

d. Do they recycle to the floor after use?

e. Are floors under the dock levelers free of debris?

f. Do they seal completely to prevent migration of rodents into the building?

28. If portable dock plates are used:

a. Are specific rules established regarding their use?

b. Is there a method for enforcing use of the rules?

c. Are they used properly?

d. Are employees trained to use them properly?

e. Are they strong enough to carry the load imposed on them?

Corrective Action – consider possible changes in equipment, training, procedures, personnel, systems, facility.

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YES NO IV. Dock Equipment (continued)

f. Are they kept clean of oil, grease, water, ice, and snow?

g. Are they stored in a safe place when not in use?

h. Is the connection between them and the trailer checked at least once during loading/unloading?

i. Are they constructed to resist horizontal thrust from lift truck

traffic? V. The Dock Area

29. Is the dock clear of stored materials and other obstructions?

30. Is a traffic policy developed for the dock area?

31. Is there a method to enforce traffic rules?

32. Are employees in the dock area thoroughly trained regarding dock safety practices?

33. Are only trained personnel allowed in the dock area?

34. Is a procedure developed for handling emergencies?

35. Are employees trained how to react in case of an emergency?

36. Are employees trained in proper use of dock equipment?

37. Do only properly trained personnel operate equipment in the dock area?

38. Are records kept to document dock safety?

39. Have safe standing areas or walking routes been designated for

visitors?


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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITEQUIPMENT


I. Vehicle Traffic

1. Are traffic rules established for lift equipment driven in the warehouse?

2. Are employees made aware of traffic rules?

3. Do employees follow traffic policies?

4. Is there a method to enforce use of proper traffic rules?

5. Are traffic patterns clearly marked?

6. Are proper warning signs (e.g., STOP, SOUND HORN, PROCEED

SLOWLY), installed in appropriate locations? II. Driver Safety

7. Is there a training program for employees who will be operating powered lift equipment?

8. Does the training program comply with regulatory requirements?

9. Do employees complete the training program before being allowed

to operate lift equipment? 10. Do only trained personnel operate lift equipment?

11. Are records of safety training maintained?

12. Are specific guidelines for safe operation of powered vehicles

established?

YES NO

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II. Driver Safety (continued)

13. Are guidelines for safe operation included in the employee operator training program?

14. Are drivers following safe operation guidelines?

15. Is a schedule developed to periodically review employee driving

practices?

16. Are safety guidelines posted in the warehouse where they can be seen clearly by drivers?

17. Do safety guidelines comply with regulatory requirements?

18. Is a procedure developed to handle emergencies associated with

lift trucks?

19. Are personnel trained how to react in case of an emergency?

20. Is there a record-keeping system to document employee safety on powered lift equipment?

21. Are employee safety records on powered lift equipment

up-to-date?

22. Are equipment failures/defects reported immediately?

23. Are drivers forbidden to drive faulty lift equipment until it is repaired?

24. Are all trucks equipped with headlights, back-up alarm, fire

extinguisher, horn?

25. Is all repair and maintenance work documented? III. Lift Equipment

26. Is proper safety equipment installed on powered lift equipment?

27. Is a preventive maintenance program developed to keep powered lift equipment in safe operating condition?

YES NO

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YES NO III. Lift Equipment (continued)

28. Do only qualified mechanics conduct maintenance inspections on powered lift equipment?

29. Do only qualified mechanics make repairs on powered lift

equipment?

30. Are records of lift equipment maintenance kept?

31. Is a driver safe-operating checklist developed?

32. Do drivers check vehicles at the beginning of their shifts?

33. Do drivers report faulty equipment to proper personnel?

34. Is equipment scheduled for repair promptly after being reported?

35. Is structured feedback provided to drivers after equipment has been repaired?

IV. Hand and Power Tools

36. Are specific rules established regarding proper use of tools?

37. Is there a method to enforce proper use of tools?

38. Is there a program to train employees in the proper use of tools?

39. Is there a safety checklist for inspecting tools before use?

40. Do only authorized personnel conduct safety inspections on tools?

41. Are appropriate personnel notified when tools are in need of repair?

42. Do only authorized personnel repair tools?


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YES NO IV. Hand and Power Tools (continued)

44. Are employees only using tools that are in good condition?

45. Do employees wear proper protective clothing while working hand and power tools?

V. Fuel and Battery Charging Areas

46. Are employees trained in the safety aspects of battery charging? refueling?

47. Are fueling areas and battery recharging areas marked

adequately?

48. Are fuel cans safety approved?

49. Are fuel storage areas secured from outsiders?

50. Are fuel storage areas located in an open area, away from traffic?

51. Are "No Smoking" signs posted and abided by?

52. Are tools and other metallic objects kept away from the tops of batteries?

53. Are engines turned off during refueling?

54. Can the battery-charging area flush away and neutralize spilled

electrolyte?

55. Is protective equipment and clothing provided to personnel who service and charge batteries?

56. Is the protective clothing worn by individuals while servicing and

charging batteries?

57. Are showers and eye wash available in case of an electrolyte or acid spill?


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YES NO IV. Conveyors

58. Is there a training program for employees who will be operating the conveyor?

59. Do employees complete the program before operating the

equipment?

60. Do only trained personnel operate the conveyor?

61. Are guidelines established for safe operation of the conveyor?

62. Do employees follow the safety guidelines in operating the equipment?

63. Can the operator in the control station see and communicate with

everyone along the conveyor run?

64. Does a warning system alert employees when the conveyor is about to be started?

65. Are emergency stop buttons or pull cords located along both sides

of the run?

66. Are spill guards and roller hold-downs used?

67. Do conveyors within seven feet of the floor have crossovers or underpasses?

68. Are crossovers and underpasses properly guarded and marked

with warning signs?

69. Are lockable motor disconnect switches located in an accessible place near each motor?

70. Are conveyors, guards and warning systems checked and

maintained regularly?

71. Do belt conveyors have emergency stop cable extending length of the conveyor?

72. Are employees trained how to react in case of a conveyor

accident?


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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITBUILDING

YES NO I. Interior

1. Is there a building inspection program in operation?

2. Is building inspected on a regular basis?

3. Are potential safety hazards reported to proper personnel?

4. Do potential safety hazards receive prompt attention?

5. Are hazardous areas clearly marked?

6. Are exits checked regularly?

7. Are exits easily accessible?

8. Are exits clearly marked and lighted?

9. Are covers or guardrails in place around pits, tanks and ditches?

10. Are walking and working surfaces maintained in a clean, dry nonslip condition?

11. Are floor openings adequately guarded?

12. Are railings in place on platforms 4 feet or higher?

13. Do all platforms have toeboards?


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YES NO I. Interior (continued)

14. Are floor-wall junctures and floor joints properly sealed?

15. Do fire extinguishers meet local codes as to number and distance apart?

II. Lighting

16. Is proper lighting installed in all areas of the facility?

17. Is lighting adequate for each area of the facility?

18. Are all fixtures in good working condition?

19. Is a lighting maintenance program in use?

20. Are there provisions for emergency lighting in the event of a power outage?

III. Electrical

21. Do electrical installations comply with proper electrical codes?

22. Is a qualified electrician present to conduct a safety inspection of all electrical equipment?

23. Are electrical hazards reported to proper personnel?

24. Are electrical hazards repaired immediately?

25. Are all switches properly marked indicating their purpose?

26. Is all machinery properly grounded?

27. Are main disconnects identified and accessible?

28. Are there any bare wires or electrical boxes without covers?


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YES NO III. Electrical (continued)

29. Are employees trained to do lockout/tagout on equipment in the

facility?

30. Does a written lockout/tagout procedures manual exist? IV. Floors

31. Are floor hazards clearly marked?

32. Is floor damage repaired promptly?

33. Are vehicle traffic areas clearly defined?

34. Are areas designated for pedestrian traffic clearly marked? V. Stairs

35. Are stairways properly maintained?

36. Are stairways equipped with handrails where necessary?

37. Are defective stairs and handrails repaired immediately?

38. Are stair surfaces skid-resistant?

39. Are stairways kept free of clutter and debris?

40. Are stairways properly illuminated? VI. Signs

41. Is the warehouse checked periodically to ensure appropriate signs are posted where required?

42. Is a safety color scheme in use?


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YES NO

VI. Signs (continued)

43. Are warning signs visible where posted?

44. Are work areas clean and orderly? VII. Housekeeping

45. Are floors free from slipping and tripping hazards?

46. Are aisles, passageways, hose stations and fire extinguishers clearly marked?

47. Are aisles, passageways, hose stations, and fire extinguishers

kept clear?

48. Is adequate clearance maintained around equipment?

49. Is waste, scrap, tools, and unused equipment routinely removed?

50. Are employees aware of housekeeping safety hazards?

51. Do trash cans have covers?

52. Are employees trained in housekeeping responsibilities (from a safety standpoint)?

VIII. Exterior and Grounds

53. Are gutters or downspouts clogged or damaged?

54. Do canopies need repair?

55. Do security and warning lights require maintenance, cleaning, or replacement?


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YES NO

VIII. Exterior and Grounds (continued)

56. Are vehicle traffic areas free of hazards?

57. Are appropriate pedestrian traffic areas clearly marked?

58. Do any paved areas need repair?

59. Is there any equipment or pallets stored outside within 10 feet of the building?

60. Do pallets stacked outside need removal or restacking?


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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITPRODUCT STORAGE

YES NO


I. Pallets

1. Are pallets inspected on a regular basis?

2. Is there a method for dealing with damaged pallets?

3. Are guidelines established for storing pallets?

4. Are pallets stored according to storage guidelines?

5. If more than one pallet type is used, are drivers familiar with all the types in use?

II. Shelving/Rack

6. Is installed shelving in compliance with local codes?

7. Are shelving and racks adequate for the type of product stored?

8. Will shelving withstand impact from all types of equipment used for loading?

9. Are safety devices installed to protect shelving from damage in

fork lift traffic areas?

10. Are guidelines established for proper product storage on shelves?

11. Is product being stored according to safety guidelines?

12. Are aisles wide enough to accommodate servicing shelves?

13. Are pallet racks straight?

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YES NO II. Shelving/Rack (continued)

14. Are height limits established for pallet racks?

15. Can pallet racks withstand maximum force from moving vehicles?

16. If supports are used in storage rack, are any broken boards causing a potential hazard?

17. Are any storage rack bars or uprights bent or damaged to the

extent that replacement is necessary?

18. Are per pallet position load limits established?

19. Are racks marked for maximum weight capacity?

20. Are lift truck drivers knowledgeable about rack limits?

21. Do office personnel monitor inbound shipments so that pallet loads do not exceed rack capacity?

III. Stacking

22. Are materials stored in their properly designated areas only?

23. Are there any leaning stacks?

24. Are damaged products in the stacks?

25. Are materials piled closer than 18" to sprinkler heads?

26. Are top layers of pallet loads of case goods secured with tape, string, shrinkwrap, netting, or other means to restrict sliding or falling cartons?

27. Are materials stacked to prevent sliding or collapse?

28. Are there any bottom cartons crushed?


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YES NO

III. Stacking (continued)

29. Is all damaged product immediately isolated and repackaged?

30. Are storage areas inspected regularly?

31. Is any product stored in aisleways?

32. Are cylindrical materials properly blocked to prevent rolling?

33. Are materials stored so that they do not block exits, fire extinguishers and emergency medical equipment?

IV. Manual Lifting and Handling

34. Are ergonomic factors considered when conducting safety checks on equipment?

35. Are ergonomics considered when reviewing the design of work

stations?

36. Are accurate records maintained of injuries sustained due to ergonomic factors?

37. Are employees trained in proper lifting techniques?

38. Are employees using proper lifting techniques?


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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITPERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)

YES NO Corrective Action – consider possible changes in equipment, training, procedures, personnel, systems, facility.

1. Is appropriate PPE available to all employees who work in hazardous areas?

2. Is the necessary PPE provided in all areas where it is required? 3. Are guidelines regarding the use of PPE established? 4. Are employees wearing the required PPE? 5. Is there a method for enforcing the use of PPE? 6. Is a maintenance program established for PPE? 7. Are employees properly trained on how to use and maintain PPE? 8. Is appropriate PPE available to all visitors? 9. Does PPE conform to industry standards? 10. Do employees understand the limitations of their personal protective

gear?

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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITSAFETY COMMITTEE

YES NO


I. Committee Structure and Operation

1. Does a Safety Committee exist?

2. Are specific annual and monthly safety goals established and reviewed?

3. Is a meeting agenda for the year established to assure that

objectives are achieved?

4. Does the Committee monitor the warehouse to ensure that the current safety program is being followed?

5. Does the committee periodically review current safety policies?

6. Are periodic inspections undertaken to evaluate all aspects of the

warehouse and its operation?

7. Does the Safety Committee oversee the Safety Training Program to ensure that proper safety training is taking place on a regular basis?

8. Does the committee meet regularly?

9. Are safety awareness meetings with all employees held

frequently?

10. Are employees encouraged to help identify risks, assess the need for safety equipment, and recommend solutions to problems?

11. Are incentives and recognition established for workers who get

involved in safety awareness?

12. Is a safety bulletin board maintained?

13. Are written records of safety performance and accidents maintained?

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YES NO I. Committee Structure and Operation (continued)

14. Are all first aid, near-miss accidents, Workers' Compensation insurance payments and compensation awards reviewed?

15. Are accidents investigated thoroughly to determine their cause?

16. Is special attention given to recurring accidents and types of

injuries? II. Accident Investigation

17. Is an investigation undertaken for every accident?

18. Is the investigation conducted by the appropriate supervisor?

19. Does the safety committee do a supplementary investigation?

20. Is the investigation conducted on a timely basis?

21. Are the proper questions (who, what, when, where, why) asked?

22. Are appropriate forms completed after each accident?

23. Are accident records complete and up-to-date? III. Record Keeping

24. Are records of all safety training accurate and up-to-date?

25. Are Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) files comprehensive and up-to-date?

26. Are records for all equipment maintained?

27. Are accident and injury records accurate and up-to-date?

28. Are all injury records retained for at least one year?


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YES NO

III. Record Keeping (continued)

29. Is OSHA No. 200 form used correctly?

30. Have OSHA No. 200 logs been maintained at this location for 5 years?

31. Is all supplementary accident information recorded on OSHA No.

101 or Worker's Compensation reports?

32. Are accident and injury records reviewed periodically for patterns or repeat situations?

33. Are the cumulative totals on OSHA No. 200 posted on February

1st as required by OSHA?


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WAREHOUSE SELF-INSPECTION SAFETY AUDITEMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

YES NO

1. Does an Emergency Response Plan exist? 2. Has a member of management been assigned responsibility for the

plan and its revision? 3. Is the plan written? 4. Is the plan made available to all employees? 5. Does the plan address all of the potential disasters and

emergencies to which the warehouse is exposed? 6. Do the individual emergency response plans include consideration

of:

a. Alarms?

b. Communications equipment?

c. Communications procedures?

d. Evacuation procedures?

e. Shut-down procedures?

f. Emergency equipment, supplies, and first aid?

g. Security measures?


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YES NO

7. Are the plans revised on a periodic basis to account for changes in the warehouse environment?

8. Does an Emergency Response Team exist? 9. Has an individual been assigned to the position of Emergency

Response Team Coordinator? 10. Has a backup coordinator been assigned? 11. Are the team members properly trained in the following areas:

a. Fire fighting?

b. First aid?

c. CPR?

d. Shutdown procedures?

e. Evacuation procedures?

f. Chemical spill control?

g. Use of personal protective equipment?

h. Rescue procedures?

i. Use of emergency equipment?

j. Security? 12. Have local offsite emergency responders been contacted?


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YES NO

13. Have the offsite responders been made aware of building-specific information to assist them in their efforts, including:

a. Building location?

b. Floor plans?

c. Access route?

d. Special hazards?

e. Company fire equipment?

f. Security risks?

14. Are all non-response Team employees trained in emergency

response procedures? 15. Are emergency response drills held periodically? 16. Have the possibilities of Mutual Aid Emergency Response Plans

been explored with neighboring firms? 17. Has a community awareness Emergency Response Plan been

developed?


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Safety Committees

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Safety Objectives/

Goals

Safety Rules/

Policies

Incentive Programs

Training

Inspections

Record Keeping

Employee Attitude Survey

Evaluation

Accidents

Potential Hazards

Safety Committees

Safety management includes identifying potential workplace hazards, finding ways to eliminate or reduce those hazards, enforcing warehouse safety rules and measuring safety performance. A successful safety management program must encourage each employee to willingly accept responsibility for his/her own safety. In return, employees must know that their safety efforts are recognized and supported by management. Employees and management can work together by forming safety committees.

THE NEED FOR A SAFETY COMMITTEE The Safety Committee:

• Is a vehicle for developing, administering, and monitoring the safety program,

• Contributes to more efficient operations by helping to reduce accident frequency and severity rates,

• Assists in ensuring that the warehouse is in compliance with OSHA standards,

• Promotes employee and management interaction on safety issues. Current

safety programs and policies are reviewed, monitored, and updated. Future changes in government regulations, warehouse equipment/facilities, and work procedures are anticipated and discussed in relation to their impact on the safety program,

• Increases employee safety awareness and general morale by facilitating

communication and cooperation between management and workers. SAFETY COMMITTEE TASKS

Safety committee responsibilities encompass four primary tasks. An overview c each task will be presented in the following paragraphs, with details provided later in this section. Development Tasks The Safety Committee may be given the task of creating new safety policies and programs, including:

• Establishing safety objectives/goals, • Developing safety rules/policies,

• Creating and administering incentive programs to promote safety.

Development Tasks

Educational Tasks

Investigative Tasks

Monitoring Tasks

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Safety Committee: Guidelines for Success. An effective way to create and maintain a warehouse safety program is through a committee of management and warehouse personnel. If a Safety Committee will be used, management's first task is to organize the Committee. The following guidelines will help ensure success of the Safety Committee.

Top Management Support Because employers are legally responsible for providing a safe workplace, top management's support of safety programs is a necessity. This support establishes credibility and authority in the eyes of all warehouse employees. In addition, management defines the safety committee's authority to act, which is critical to its ability to get results. Widespread Involvement All crews/shifts/departments should be represented on the safety committee. In a union environment, union participation is strongly recommended as a means to enhance the safety program and further good union-management relations. To ensure maximum involvement, membership should rotate, with staggered terms of appointment so that the committee's composition changes slowly over the years. To enhance safety awareness and encourage participation in safety programs, company-wide safety meetings should be held frequently and at convenient places and times. A variety of media, including newsletters, leaflets, posters, and signs, should be used to create a comprehensive communication program. Contests and other incentives can be used to both publicize safety and to improve safety performance. Demonstrate Results An important ingredient to ensuring the effectiveness of the safety committee is to show that positive results are being achieved. Demonstration of the reduction in accidents will help to maintain employee cooperation and enhance the committee's credibility. A variety of vehicles including periodic reports, bulletins, posters, and table tents can be used to report on safety accomplishments such as: • a decrease in the number of accidents or accident severity, • improved workplace conditions, • reduced workman's compensation payments, • productivity enhancements related to safety improvements, • individual safety-related accomplishments, • improved employee/management relations. Documentation Written records are required by law for many safety-related issues. In addition, written records of safety meetings, training, and performance help to monitor the progress of the safety program and identify new risks and hazards.

Educational Tasks Before employees can be expected to work safely, they must be shown the safe way to do the job. While the training programs themselves can be conducted by an in-house specialist, an outside consultant, or an equipment manufacturer, it is the safety committee's responsibility to ensure that appropriate training programs ARE taking place on a regular basis. Training should be provided for:

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• Operation of forklifts, conveyors, and other equipment • Dock loading/unloading

• Use of personal protective equipment

• Emergency response procedures

• Basic first-aid and CPR

• Manual handling and lifting techniques.

Other specific types of training may be required as dictated by the particular situation in any given warehouse. A list of safety training resources is included in the SOURCES section. In addition, a copy of OSHA Publication 2201, the OSHA Safety and Health Standards Digest for General Industry can be distributed to all members of the Safety Committee and offered to all employees. This pocket-sized manual concisely explains about 90% of the basic applicable standards. Management and employee familiarity with this book will help promote knowledgeable and voluntary compliance with OSHA's workplace standards. Investigative Tasks In addition to monitoring the use and application of safety procedures and policies, the safety committee will be called on to investigate accidents and hazardous situations after-the-fact. The purpose of the investigative function is:

• investigation of all accidents to determine both the cause and the appropriate

methods of prevention,

• investigation of any potential hazards (as determined by employee input or inspections) and implementation of accident-prevention measures where appropriate.

Monitoring Tasks The process of monitoring requires addressing two questions: 1) Do conditions and practices within the warehouse indicate that the current safety program and policies are being followed? 2) How effective is the current safety policy? To answer these questions, a safety committee will be involved in: Conducting Inspections Regular jobsite tours help monitor general conditions. Over the course of a year, each significant warehouse activity and area should be inspected. Each inspection can be focused on one or two areas or activities, and by year's end the entire warehouse will have been reviewed. Spot inspections can be conducted to evaluate employee complaints or to monitor hazardous areas. In addition, follow-up inspections are necessary to ensure that identified hazards and unsafe conditions have been corrected. Management may also call on property and casualty insurance carriers to conduct a loss prevention inspection. These detailed inspections are usually provided without charge. Management must be prepared to rectify deficiencies noted by the inspectors.

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Record Keeping The committee should ensure that safety records are maintained, including accident reports, training records and other safety data. In addition, the committee should be responsible for regularly compiling and reviewing facility safety statistics. These statistics can be used to compare: the performance of the current program to past programs (historical performance); safety performance to the safety records of other warehouses; safety records against safety goals. Conducting Employee Attitude Surveys Employees should be polled periodically to evaluate their attitudes toward safety and safety programs. These polls can be used to tailor safety efforts toward employee needs and to expose current program deficiencies. The survey can be useful in highlighting many of the positive aspects of the safety program.

SAFETY COMMITTEE STRUCTURE

The Safety Committee should be chaired by a high level manager, such as the assistant general manager, who will oversee all aspects of committee organization, policy-making, and programming. The chairperson can function as the safety coordinator for the warehouse, be given special safety training, and act as the focal point for all aspects of the safety program. There are no fixed rules regarding the size of the Safety Committee. At least two representatives of management should be present, with the balance of the group composed of interested employees. Effort should be made to encourage employees from each area, shift, and function of the warehouse to participate. In unionized operations, union involvement in the committee at an early stage of its formation will help ensure the committee's acceptance and eventual success. Employees may be appointed or elected, or they may volunteer to serve. No one should be required to be a member. Only those who are genuinely interested in safety should be encouraged to join. On the other hand, it is necessary for supervisors and other management personnel to participate. Management seats on the safety committee may be assigned on a rotating basis and for limited time intervals in order to involve all managers.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS

The Safety Committee will probably meet at least 12 times during the year, cover a wide array of safety topics, and involve a variety of departments and personnel. This section provides a format for running the Safety Committee meetings over the course of a year. Topics The committee may meet alone to discuss a variety of issues and develop action-specific plans regarding warehouse safety policies and programs. At other times the committee will meet with a larger group such as everyone in the company, or only selected departments, or some smaller group therein. Topics, which may be covered in either setting, include:

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COMMITTEE SMALL GROUP/

MEMBERS ONLY COMPANYWIDE/DEPARTMENTAL • Safety statistics comparison • Instruction on a specific hazard • Formulate new safety objectives/policies • Motivational (e.g., the • Evaluate training courses announcement/explanation of • Review government regulations a new incentive program • Review insurance loss control • Review safety goals/policies recommendations • Current safety statistics discussion • Safety inspections • Recognition program • Plan safety incentive programs • Develop employee attitude surveys • Plan & critique emergency drills • Review accident investigations

Types of Meetings

When a Safety Committee meets with other warehouse employees (company wide meetings, departmental meetings, or functional group meetings), it will usually have one of two purposes. First, the Committee may want to hold an "instructional" meeting. This type of meeting is designed to address a specific hazard and the necessary precautions it requires. It provides vital information to employees on accident causes and types and will usually last only 15 to 20 minutes. Regular meetings of this sort are a good way to keep employees up-to-date on the hazards in their environment and what the company is doing about them. Second, the Safety Committee may hold a larger group meeting in order to cover several topics having application to everyone in the warehouse such as an update on current safety statistics, the explanation of a new safety contest or results from the current one, or recognition presentations. In short, this type of meeting is designed to be motivational as well as informative, and usually lasts longer than a purely instructional meeting. In either case, it is important that the meeting is well organized. In order to be effective, a safety meeting should:

• Be carefully planned in advance, • Address timely (current) safety issues, • Focus on a major topic and create tangible messages regarding that topic, • Stimulate interest using a variety of speakers and communication devices, • Follow a predetermined agenda and time table, • Be scheduled at appropriate intervals to avoid the dangers of becoming "dull routine", • Be documented with detailed meeting minutes that are summarized and recorded for

future reference.

Meeting Agendas Safety meeting agendas will vary according to the circumstances of each warehouse, but a general format is provided in SC FORM 1, a portion of which is shown below. The entire form and a completed example are contained in the "Forms" section. The agenda should include such basics as the "who, what, when, where, and why" of the meeting. Use of a timetable will help keep the meeting on track. To ensure that the meeting is productive, the discussion leader should be responsible for adhering to this timetable. In addition, a moderately detailed outline of topics will help focus and provide the necessary direction for the group's efforts.

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members: Bob Smitherson Terry Jacobs

A suggested plan for scheduling meetings over the course of a year is shown below.

NUMBER OF TOPIC MEETINGS

Safety statistics 2 Formulation of new policies/objectives 2 Evaluation of training courses 1 Review of government regulations 1 Review of insurance loss control records 1 Safety audits 8 Development of recognition/safety programs 2 Distribute/review employee attitude survey 1 Accident investigation review * Plan/critique emergency drills 2 *depends on the # of accidents

A review of safety statistics can be conducted by analyzing the OSHA forms 101, 200, or similar company-created forms. When using these forms, trends in the total number of accidents, lost workdays, and costs may indicate where additional safety training or measures need to be implemented. It is recommended that a meeting for the formulation of new policies/objectives occur twice a year: at the beginning of the year and at its mid-point. The second meeting is a check point to ensure that appropriate progress is being made on the original goals. Safety audits can be undertaken continually to monitor safety conditions; each audit may be focused on a different area of the warehouse. Several meetings should be directed toward discussing the results of these audits, and once the results have been reviewed, one person on the Safety Committee can be assigned the task of developing and implementing an action plan in response to the audit's findings. Emergency drills should be planned in conjunction with the Emergency Response Team and are an excellent means by which to refresh employees' safety skills as well as build awareness of the safety program. In addition, recognition/incentive programs should be assessed and even reformulated at least twice a year. Such programs may suffer from stagnation if they simply become "old hat". Rejuvenation must occur in order to keep employees interested and to maintain the effectiveness of such programs. The remainder of the subjects can be handled at least once a year and are self-explanatory. SC FORM 2., a portion of which is shown below, illustrates one way to

SC FORM 1. SAMPLE SAFETY MEETING AGENDA

Meeting date: December 12, 1989

Time: 10:00-11:30 am Topic: Forklift Training requirements for the Western Warehouse. Committee

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organize Safety Committee meetings for an entire year. The entire form is included in the "Forms" section.

SAFETY COMMITTEE ADMINISTRATION AND OPERATION

Once the Safety Committee has been organized, major functional responsibilities have been outlined, and meeting schedules have been sketched, it is necessary to develop the specific tasks of the committee. Each of the four functional areas of Safety Committee responsibility are explained below. Development Tasks The primary development functions of the Safety Committee are to formulate and communicate safety objectives/goals, develop and implement safety rules/policies, and institute incentive programs. Establishing Safety Objectives/Goals. Establishing safety objectives and goals is critical to the design and organization of an effective safety program. The Safety Committee is the logical body to set and communicate these points, working in conjunction with management and employees in long- and short-term safety planning. Objectives should be comprehensive and broadly stated and may include:

• Gaining and maintaining support for the program at all levels of the organization, • Motivating, educating, and training those involved in the program to recognize and

correct or report hazards located in the workplace,

• Ensuring that safety controls are in place in all work practices and equipment use,

• Providing a program of inspection and maintenance for machinery, equipment,

tools, and facilities,

• Complying with established safety standards.

Safety goals, on the other hand, should be more specific and limited in time frame. Yearly goals may prove to be the most effective for directing the Committee's efforts, focusing employee attention, and for measuring results. Specific, short-term goals allow the Committee to address current safety issues and gauge their performance over time. For example, if a warehouse has been having trouble with forklift accidents, the Committee may set a goal such as "reduce the number of forklift accidents from 10 to 5 over the next year". This goal will be more effective

SC FORM 2. SAMPLE YEAR-LONG SAFETY COMMITTEE MEETING SCHEDULE Meeting Topic Date Objectives Materials Speak

J New policies/objectives A Review of Safety Statistics N

1/1 1/15

Refresh/review/update Determine problem areas

F Review gov.regs/insurance E Plan Emergency drill

2/1 2/15

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than one which may simply state "reduce the number of accidents". It also lends itself more readily to measurement for comparative purposes. Goals may be based on previous accident experience, new situations in the warehouse, or weaknesses identified by self-inspection safety audits. Over time, goals must be updated, restated, and recommunicated. Developing Safety Rules/Policies. Once objectives and goals have been formulated, the next step is to adopt a formal safety policy statement. A written policy statement and Safety Manual should be available to all personnel. The policy statement should reflect:

• The importance that management places on the safety of employees,

• Management's commitment to safety,

• The emphasis the company places on efficient operations, with a minimum of

accidents and losses,

• The intention of integrating safety into all operations, including compliance with applicable standards,

• The necessity for active leadership, direct participation, and enthusiastic support by

the entire organization.

The following is an example of a policy statement:

Safety is of the utmost concern to management. Our commitment to quality performance can be achieved only through the combination of a safe work environment and safety conscious employees. Management will take the leadership role in establishing a safety program the objective of which is the efficient operation of this facility with a minimum of accidents and losses. Our safety policy also requires the active participation and support of all employees. By working together, management and employees can create a safe working environment for all.

After a safety policy has been established, it should be publicized so that each employee becomes familiar with it. The statement may be publicized through meetings, newsletters, and bulletin boards. It should also be posted in management offices to serve as a constant reminder of management's responsibility and commitment to safety. Safety Manual. The warehouse "Safety Manual" is a collection of rules and procedures which outlines the company's safety program and serves as the guideline for safe work practices. The form and substance of the manual will be specific to the individual warehouse and its situation. The manual can be personally explained to new employees by their supervisor. This approach will give new employees a chance to ask questions and clarify their responsibilities in regard to safety. According to the National Safety Council, a typical manual would include the following topics:

Company Policy Monitoring Programs Program Objectives Safety Rules Assignment of Responsibility & Authority Sanitation/Housekeeping Policy Safety Committees Standard Compliance Employee Orientation & Involvement

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Training & Education Accident Investigation Program Enforcement (Penalties associated with violations)

Incentive Programs. While safety incentive programs are no substitute for a strong accident prevention and training program, they can help stimulate interest in safety issues. The interest generated by incentives has direct value in reduced accidents, good publicity, and improved employee morale. The two most common forms of incentive programs are contests and recognition programs. Several Safety Committee meetings may be devoted to idea generation and planning of incentive programs. In addition to developing the program, the committee is responsible for organizing, announcing, and monitoring the program. A typical contest format is based on inter-departmental or inter-shift competition. Generally, contests are based on accident experience and are operated over a stated period, with a prize for the group with the best record according to the contest rules. Important considerations when developing a contest include:

• Conduct several contests rather than trying to sustain one contest over a long

period of time.

• Develop as much pre-contest publicity as possible. Prepare posters, make announcements over the public address system, post letters on bulletin boards and publish articles in the warehouse newsletter.

• Start and end the contest as announced. Make the awards as soon as possible.

• Keep all personnel posted on the progress of the contest.

• Provide worthwhile prizes.

• Publicize the winners.

The involvement of top management (in addition to the Safety Committee) in announcing the contest or presenting awards demonstrates real commitment to safety awareness and lends prestige to the contest. Some contests which have been successful in promoting safety awareness and reducing accident rates include: Stock certificate contest. Each employee in the warehouse is given a "share of stock" with a set maximum value. The share is cashed in at the end of six months. If the warehouse operates six months without a lost-time accident or "medical only" case, the share is redeemable for its full value. Each "medical only" case in the warehouse causes each share to drop 10 cents, and each lost-time case causes each share to drop $2.50. The injured employee loses $2.50 on his share for a minor accident, and the entire share for a lost-time case. Bingo Game. Games can make safety practice fun. The bingo game format has proven exceedingly successful for many warehouses. All employees are given a bingo card. Every day on which no accident occurs, a bingo number is called. Prizes are awarded for completing specified designs on the card. The game ends when all designs have been won or the game is cancelled due to an employee incurring a lost time injury. The next game begins the first day following the previous game's cancellation.

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For most warehouses, the game typically runs anywhere from six to nine weeks. Often, jackpots are accumulated by adding $10 a day. At this rate, most prizes range from $300-450. With cash prizes at these levels most employees participate enthusiastically, and start watching out for their fellow workers to insure that no accidents occur. Results of up to a 100% improvement in safety statistics have been reported with this contest. Safe Workdays Program. Groups (or teams) of employees earn points to reach a prize level based on the number of injury-free workdays they have accumulated. At each prize level employees may collect the prize or go on collecting points to reach a higher level. If an injury occurs all points accumulated are returned to zero. Interdepartmental Contests. Since workers tend to have a greater personal interest in the standing of their department than in the record of the entire operation, this type of competition is very popular for stimulating interest of both supervisors and workers. If a company operates more than one warehouse, departmental contests can focus on the comparison between each warehouse's loading dock workers. This approach can balance the competition since safety risks may not be spread equally across all departments. Raffles/Sweepstakes. Periodic raffles of merchandise or cash have also been used successfully to encourage and acknowledge safety efforts. Sweepstakes drawings, where eligibility for the drawing depends on a perfect departmental record, inspires workers to correct unsafe practices that may hurt their chances for winning. Supervisors can be included as well. This is by no means a complete list of the types of contests which may be effective. Each of these contests will have to be tailored to meet the unique requirements, budgets, and practices of individual warehouses. Or, it may be best to create a new contest altogether. It is important to remember that a contest is merely an aid to a safety program and not the program itself. The main objective, however it is accomplished, is to create a spirit of competition to promote the safety program. A potential problem inherent in safety contests is the possibility that employees may not report injuries or worse, avoid treatment. Careful monitoring of the contest is required to detect these problems. Recognition programs which award certificates to employees who have demonstrated safe work habits are another popular incentive method. For example, certificates may be given to those who have worked one, two, five, and ten years without an injury. Certificate holders may find them useful in obtaining promotions and even in seeking employment with other organizations. In addition, individual recognition raises both the safety awareness and morale of workers, and provides them a personal goal. While useful, this type of program tends not to be quite as effective as the monetary rewards associated with contests. Meaningful Awards. The value of an award lies in its appeal to factors such as pride, need for recognition, urge to compete, and the desire for financial gain. Money as an award is a popular, effective inducement, but should not come across as a bribe. Some warehouses determine appropriate dollar rewards by evaluating the average cost of an accident and using this amount as a cash prize incentive. Other warehouses have found that a $10/day investment in an incentive program is an effective method by which to produce successful results. For example, each day that the program runs, $10 is

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added to the jackpot; if the contest runs six weeks, $300 has built up. Such amounts of money have been found to significantly improve safety efforts on the part of most, if not all, employees. If other types of awards are used, they should be worthy of publicity, photograph well, and provoke conversation (such as plaques, decorative art, gift certificates, etc.). Posters. Poster messages should be brief and simple. Their purposes are to:

• Remind employees of human traits that cause accidents

• Impress upon employees the good sense of working safely

• Suggest behavior patterns that help prevent accidents

• Foster the attitude that accidents are mistakes and safety is a mark of skill • Remind employees of specific hazards

• Support special campaigns

Bulletin Boards. Bulletin boards should permit convenient change of posters and be placed where employees can see them when they are momentarily at leisure. A bulletin board should be used for only one safety display at a time, but need not carry safety posters exclusively. Educational Tasks The Safety Committee must create an environment of safety awareness and accident prevention by establishing processes to train and evaluate all employees in the safe use of equipment and proper work practices. Training. There are five steps in the safety training process. 1. Assign a training coordinator who will be responsible for:

a) determining the combination of in-house managers and professional trainers that will be used to conduct the actual instruction,

b) developing employee-oriented training that integrates real world safety issues

with regulatory requirements. 2. Make the training employee-specific.

c) Define the training requirements for each worker,

d) Keep an accurate, up-to-date training record on each employee.

3. Break the training down into modules (small units of instruction). 4. Outline each training session carefully. 5. Review the effectiveness of the safety training program. Determining Training Needs. The Safety Committee must decide what topics should be covered by the training program and how often these topics should be addressed.

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ST FORMS 1 AND 2 (portions of which are shown below) can be used as a guide to outlining the warehouse's overall training requirements. These two forms are included in the "Forms" section.

Developing Individual Training Modules. Once training topics have been determined, the content of the training modules must be addressed. Superior training programs are achieved when the training is broken down into small but comprehensive units (modules) of instruction. To be effective, a training module should:

• Define the training objectives,

• Outline the content in sufficient detail,

• List every task element covered,

• Indicate the type of presentation to be employed, including audio visual aids,

• Include appropriate performance evaluation criteria and techniques. The better defined the goals, content, management and teaching methods, the better the training will be. ST FORM 3., shown partially below, provides an outline which can be used to develop and organize a training module. ST FORM 3 and a sample of a completed training module content outline is provided in the "Forms" section.

ST FORM 3. SAMPLE TRAINING MODULE CONTENT OUTLINE Training Topic: Respirators Course Name: Breathing Safely Topic Objective: To control respiratory hazards by educating employees about the se care of the proper protective equipment. Content: There are two basic classifications of respirator devices: air purifying (negative pres ing (positive pressure). Air-purifying devices don't supply air, they simply filter the existing air. They don't protec

ST FORM 1. SAFETY TRAINING TOPICS Topics Frequency Training

I. Facility Operation and Maintenance

1. Equipment Safety 2. Materials handling

ST FORM 2. TRAINING MODULE EVALUATION

IS A TRAINER COURSE (In-house, ATTENDEES COUR OUTLINE safety expert, (Who will (1-2 TOPIC PREPARED? consultant, etc.) attend?) all d

1. 2.

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Training Schedules. To assure that the proper training takes place, a schedule indicating the names, dates, participants and planning requirements for each module can be developed. ST FORM 4., a portion of which is shown below, provides a suggested schedule. The complete form is found in the "Forms" section.

Training Recordkeeping. Like any other element of an effective safety program, employee training requires documentation. Training records provide a means for charting employees' skills, updating their knowledge base, and establishing evaluation criteria. Records can be referred to when investigating accident causes. They can also be used to measure the effectiveness of training programs. If, for example, several forklift mishaps occur, and the records show that the employees involved had "successfully" completed forklift training, then the effectiveness of current forklift training programs may require reevaluation. Two types of records are valuable to a Safety Committee in evaluating the efficiency and effectiveness of training programs. The Employee Training Record, used to document the progress of each employee, may prove especially useful when investigating accidents and evidence of proper training, or lack thereof, is sought. The Training Module Record provides a comprehensive record of training efforts conducted over several years. Examining the quantity and scheduling of training modules over extended periods of time will help the Safety Committee judge whether changes are required. In creating the Training Module Record, it may be necessary to track changes in the way a particular module is taught over time. If the course outline of a module changes, it may be useful to denote each method by a number. Each numbered outline should be filed along with the Training Module Record for future reference. ST FORMS 5 and 6 provide examples of an Employee Training Record and a Training Module Record. Portions of these forms are shown on the next page and the complete forms are contained in the "Forms" section.

ST FORM 4. SAFETY TRAINING SCHEDULE YEAR YEAR________

Month (list date)

Training Module Topic

Dept./Shift

Coordinator

Type of Presentation

January

ST FORM 5. EMPLOYEE SAFETY TRAINING RECORD Employee Name:__________________________________________________________________ Job Title and Code: Date of Employment

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Evaluation. The effectiveness of training programs is measured by management evaluation and employee evaluation. The Management Evaluation Form, ST FORM 7., shown partially below and contained in the "Forms" section, can assist the Safety Committee to assess the overall effectiveness of the training program. The Employee Evaluation Form (ST FORM 8.) is both an evaluation to be reviewed by the program manager and a record of training to be maintained in the employee's training or personnel file. An employee evaluation form can be completed by each employee before leaving a training session. A portion of this form is shown below and the entire form is in the "Forms" section.

ST FORM 6. TRAINING MODULE RECORD Training Module Name:

No. of employees Av- Last Date Given Format Instructor Length in attendance 1.

ST FORM 7. SAFETY TRAINING: MANAGEMENT EVALUATION FORM 1. Training Module:

_______________________________________________________________ 2. Are Employees’ safety training scores meeting management expectations? Yes ______ a. If no, why not? _____________________________________________________________

ST FORM 8. SAFETY TRAINING: EMPLOYEE EVALUATION FORM Employee Name: _________________________________________ ID#: _________________________________________ Employee Work Area: _____________________________________ Training Module: _____________________________________

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Safety Indoctrination for New Employees. Special efforts are required to train new employees in safety practices for both their position and the warehouse in general. Introduction to the safety program should be a part of the employee's first day on the job. Each new employee can be provided with a copy of the warehouse's Safety Manual and its Hazard Communication Program. Either the personnel department or the immediate supervisor should take the time to explain the company's safety policy because an employee is more likely to engage in safe work practices when the reasons for them are understood. In addition, new workers must receive formal instruction in the safe use of any equipment or hazardous materials they may come into contact with during the performance of their job. Instruction should include the company's method of hazard reporting, safety program enforcement policies, and the Emergency Response Plan.

Investigation Tasks The Safety Committee must investigate accidents that occur in the warehouse as well as potential hazards which may be brought to their attention. Accident and Near-Accident Investigation. Both accidents and "near-accidents" should be investigated. A near-accident is an "unscheduled event that does not cause personal injury, property damage or equipment damage, but, could have so resulted if the circumstances were different." [National Safety Council]. It is an accepted fact that almost every accident that causes injury or major damage has been preceded by a number of accidents which have resulted in only minor injury or little damage. In turn, minor accidents have been preceded by "near-accidents" which have resulted in no injury or damage. By analyzing near-accidents and correcting the causes, major injuries/damages may be avoided in the future. AI FORM 1. is a suggested Near-Accident Report Form. A portion of the form is shown below and the entire form is in the "Forms" section.

Accident Investigation Process. For simplicity, the term "accident", as used in the following discussion, is meant to include both accidents and near-accidents. Purpose: The purpose of an accident investigation is to determine the cause of, and develop a solution for, a safety problem.

AI FORM 1. NEAR-ACCIDENT REPORT LOCATION: ___________________________________________ DATE: _________________ REPORT NO: ___________________________________________ TIME OF DAY:___________ A. Building or operation in which near-accident occurred:

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Objectives: Questions that must be answered include:

• When did the accident happen? • What actually happened? • Who was injured; who was responsible; and was there a witness? • What were the nature and extent of the injuries? • Where did the accident happen? • How did the location contribute to the accident? • What equipment was involved? • What preventative measures could have been taken?

Value: An accident investigation leads to the development of safer procedures, points out training needs, contributes to a broadened understanding of how and why accidents happen, helps evaluate supervisors, and demonstrates a genuine concern for and commitment to employee safety. Who: The accident investigation should be carried out on two levels. A supervisor or foreman should make an immediate report of accidents involving injury requiring medical treatment as well as other accidents he/she may be directed to investigate. Because a supervisor is on the scene, he/she probably knows more about the accident than anyone else, and it is the supervisor's responsibility to put into effect whatever measures may be required to prevent similar accidents. The Safety Committee should also conduct an investigation. Responsibility for accident investigations can be assigned to a small committee on either a permanent or rotational basis. An investigation by the Safety Committee serves as a "check" on the activities of supervisors by ensuring that proper corrective measures are taken. In addition, it is the role of the Safety Committee to piece together the entire safety "picture" by becoming aware of and analyzing safety issues on all levels. A thorough understanding of accident causes can become a powerful tool in the hands of a proactive Safety Committee. When: An investigation should be made as soon after the accident as possible. A delay of only a few hours may permit important evidence to be destroyed or removed, intentionally or unintentionally. Also, the results of the investigation should be made known quickly, as this increases their publicity value in safety education. Process: Guidelines for conducting an accident investigation are detailed in AI FORM 2., a portion of which is shown below. The complete form is contained in the "Forms" section.

AI FORM 2. CONDUCTING AN ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION

Step 1: Get the facts. Interviews should be conducted at the scene of the accident, if possible. Interviews should be conducted with the injured party if possible and any witnesses. Witnesses include those who saw events leading up to the accident as well as those who saw the accident itself. Witnesses should be allowed to describe, in their own words, what they saw happen and how they believe it happened.

Step 2: Get it on paper Photograph sketch or diagram the accident scene for future

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An important measure of the impact injuries and accidents have on the warehouse is the total dollar cost related to an accident. AI FORM 3 provides a step-by-step procedure for estimating the cost of an accident. A small part of the form is illustrated below and the full form is in the "Forms" section.

When formulating a solution to the safety problem suggested by the accident, reference should be made to the appropriate department or individual. If the accident is an equipment or facilities-related one, the Safety Committee should work with the maintenance department to ensure proper maintenance procedures are in place. If the accident is employee or work-procedures related, the Committee should work with supervisors and employees to ensure proper training exists and is being followed. If the accident is due to an employee's own neglect, the information should be noted in his personnel file. Depending upon the nature, degree of seriousness and frequency of the safety violation(s), workers may receive a written warning, fine, or possible suspension. AI FORM 4. is an accident reporting form which will help lead the investigation through the appropriate steps. Once the report is complete, copies should be submitted to the injured party's immediate supervisor and other appropriate managers. The report should be reviewed during the next Safety Committee meeting, with the member who conducted the investigation assigned to monitor that appropriate corrective actions are taken. A portion of the AI FORM 4 is shown below and the entire form is in the "Forms" section.

AI FORM 3. ACCIDENT COST ANALYSIS Injury/Accident ________________________________ Date __________ Name of Injured _______________________________ Dept. ____________

TIME LOST 1. How much time did other employees lose by talking, watching, or helping at accident? Number of employees _____ x hours =

A1 FORM 4. SUPERVISOR'S ACCIDENT REPORT (To be completed immediately after accident/illness)

ACCIDENT CATEGORY Injury______Illness______Property Damage______Fire______Other______ Company name and address ____________________________________________________________ Facility location (if different from above)

Name and address of injured (or ill) person _________________________________________________

_________________________________________________SSN______________________Age______

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Monitoring Tasks The primary monitoring tasks of the Safety Committee are inspections, recordkeeping, and employee surveys. Inspections. The purposes of periodic safety audits/inspections are to review the effectiveness of current safety rules and work practices and to uncover any new hazards. Safety audits can be instrumental in identifying potential safety problems, such as faulty equipment or inadequate worker training in specific job tasks, and in directing management's attention to the implementation of preventative measures. Once safety needs have been identified, the Safety Committee can formulate an action plan and delegate responsibility for its execution to one of its members. A plan to correct safety hazards will most likely include one or more of the following actions:

• Eliminating the hazard from the machine, the method, or the warehouse structure, • Abating the hazard by limiting exposure or controlling it at the source, • Training personnel to be aware of the hazard and to follow safe work

procedures to avoid it, • Guarding against the hazard by prescribing personal protective equipment for

employees. The Safety Committee should follow up to ensure that the recommended preventative measures are implemented. Recordkeeping. Records track safety objectives, progress made toward these objectives and the final results of such efforts, and help meet federal regulations. Good records make it possible to compare safety performance from year to year and demonstrate any reductions in accident rates or lost-time injuries. They can also aid in detecting accident trends which may indicate problems requiring correction. Therefore, documentation efforts are necessary for both review and external regulatory purposes. Responsibility. The Safety Committee can be responsible for keeping accurate and up-to-date safety records. An effective approach is to delegate recordkeeping responsibility to one person, perhaps the assistant warehouse manager or one of the clerical staff. The record keeper automatically becomes a default member of the safety committee so that record keeping responsibility is clearly demarcated, yet easily accessed by other members of the committee. Some safety records are required by law and others are maintained at the discretion of the warehouse. The Safety Committee will be involved in maintaining both the required and discretionary records. Required Reports. The purpose of OSHA record keeping is to store factual information about accidents. When the facts have been determined, causes can often be identified, and control procedures can be instituted to prevent a similar occurrence. Reports required by law are:

a. A log and summary (OSHA Form No. 200 or equivalent) of all recordable injuries and illnesses (resulting in a fatality, hospitalization, lost workdays, medical treatment, job transfer or termination, or loss of consciousness). Each recordable event must be entered no later than six working days after receiving the information (OSHA Form 200 is included in the "Forms" Section). If the

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complete log and summary records are maintained somewhere outside the warehouse, a copy of the log should be available at the warehouse and it should be current to a date within 45 calendar days. b. In addition to the log of occupational injuries and illnesses, each warehouse should have a copy of OSHA Form No. 101 (or equivalent) on file within 6 working days of the occurrence of an accident/injury. A copy of Form 101 is in the "Forms" section. c. An annual summary of occupational injuries and illnesses compiled from the collected Forms 200 must be posted by February 1, and remain in place until March 1. d. The log and summary (Form 200), Form No. 101, and the annual summary must be retained in each establishment for five years following the end of the year to which they relate. Records shall be made available, as authorized, upon request. e. Within 48 hours after its occurrence, an employment accident which is fatal to one or more employees or which results in the hospitalization of five or more employees shall be reported by the employer, either orally or in writing, to the nearest OSHA Area Office.

Legal counsel may be required to assure that all required documentation is in order. Recommended Reports. Warehouses may wish to maintain some or all of the following files and reports:

a. Incidence Rates. This standard safety industry performance measurement for serious accident frequency can be used to make comparisons across facilities and across companies. Incidence rates can be determined using the following formula:

# of injuries + illnesses x 200,000 = Incidence Rate

Hours worked by all employees

The formula reflects the fact that incidence rates are based on the exposure of 100 full-time workers using 200,000 employee-hours as the equivalent (100 employees working 40 hours per week for 50 weeks per year). A comparison of current incidence rates in a given facility with those of other company facilities, similar companies and with those of the industry as a whole will provide management with a reliable evaluation of company safety performance. b. Medical Alert File. A list of required or prohibited medicines should be available for a physician's reference if an employee is unconscious or incoherent. A good way to record this data is to maintain a loose-leaf binder with one page for each employee. c. First Aid Record. This report can be prepared using a 4 x 6 card at the time an injured person receives treatment. A report should be prepared for each case, whether minor or serious. The First Aid report can be useful in identifying repeating injury patterns which may be a signal that something is amiss in particular departments or jobs. SR FORM 1., one type of first aid report, is partially shown below. The complete form is included in the "Forms" section. A completed example of SR FORM 1. is also provided.

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d. Employee Injury and Illness Record: This "report" can be recorded on a 4x6 card and used for establishing patterns of injuries among employees. It should be filled out by the supervisor or member of the Safety Committee who is responsible for the accident investigation in which the employee was injured. These patterns may indicate the need for either retraining in safe work practices or the elimination of workplace hazards. SR FORM 2., a portion of which is shown below, can be used to track employee injuries and illnesses. The entire form and a completed example are contained in the "Forms" section. e. The Safety Committee should also maintain copies of Accident Investigation Reports, Self-Inspection Audits, and insurance company or fire department inspections. f. Monthly Summary. A monthly summary of injuries and illnesses shows the current status of accident experience including monthly and cumulative totals and OSHA incidence rates. SR FORM 3 can be used to prepare such a summary. Part of the form is shown below and the entire form is included in the "Forms" section. Space is provided for yearly totals and rates. Individual report forms that were processed during the month or OSHA Form 200 can be used as a basis for compiling this report. Information from this report permits comparison between time periods, departments, facilities, and companies during the same period.

SR FORM 1. FIRST AID REPORT

Date _______________________ Name _____________________________________________ Department __________________

SR FORM 2. EMPLOYEE INJURY AND ILLNESS RECORD

(Name) (Employee Number)

Occupation ___________________Department ______________Date Employed_____________

SR FORM 3. MONTHLY SUMMARY OF INJURIES AND ILLNESSESCompany ________________________________________________________ Plant ______________________________ Z16.1 CASES Average Number of Disabling Injuries and Illnesses Time Charges COSTPeriod Number of Man-Hours Employees Worked Fatal, Permanent Temporary Total Frequency Fatal, Permanent Temporary Total Severity Other Permanent Partial Total Z16 Rate Permanent Partial Total Z I6 Rate

Total Cases Total Charges Jan

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The Safety Committee can also use the Monthly Summary to compare safety statistics across time. This review can help reveal accident trends such as where injuries are occurring, what types of injuries are occurring, the equipment that is typically involved, as well as recurring causes of accidents and the cost of accidents due to lost work days and compensation payments. In effect, this record can help to identify high risk areas which may require immediate attention.

Employee Attitude Survey. The safety committee as a whole, or a subcommittee thereof, can develop a list of questions for employees regarding their attitudes toward, and concern with, the current safety program. This survey can be conducted yearly to keep in touch with individuals who are hesitant in presenting their input in a more visible manner. Anonymity may help illicit truthful and constructive comments.

One common method used to gauge attitudes is the five-point rating scale: 1 indicating the lowest rating, 3 the average, and 5 the highest. An example of such a questionnaire is SR FORM 4., a portion of which is shown below. The entire survey is contained in the "Forms" section.

If the answer to any of the questions on the survey is "average" or lower, the subject probably warrants Safety Committee attention. An attitude survey should be tailored to the specific needs and environment of an individual warehouse. Some outside assistance in developing such a questionnaire may be required. As this chapter has indicated, the responsibilities of the Safety Committee can be extensive and they definitely are vital to developing and maintaining a safe warehouse work environment. The tasks specified here can be tailored to the situation in an individual warehouse. It is strongly recommended that the Safety Committee become the focal point for all warehouse safety efforts and programs.

ST FORM 4. EMPLOYEE SAFETY ATTITUDE SURVEY

1 2 3 4 5__ Poor Fair Average Good Excellent

Question Rating (circle)

1. How do you rate the training you have received in all of the safety procedures that relate to your job? 1 2 3 4 5

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Emergency Response Plan

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Emergency Response Plan

An emergency response plan specifies the designated actions employers and employees must take to ensure safety during warehouse emergencies ranging from such natural disasters as tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods to fires, strikes, and hazardous chemical spills. Development of an emergency response plan is not a luxury, rather it is good insurance. Since emergencies can arise at any time and from many causes, planning is necessary to minimize employee injury and property damage. Some of the obvious benefits from an emergency response plan are reduced injuries and diminished property loss. Indirect benefits include lower insurance costs, higher morale, and reduced workers' compensation rates. Simply stated, an emergency response plan makes good business sense. The elements of an ideal emergency response plan are outlined below. This outline can be used to evaluate an existing plan or create a new one.

I. Warehouse Emergency Organizational Structure

A. Emergency Response Team Coordinator 1. Qualifications 2. Duties

B. Emergency Response Teams 1. Recruitment 2. Training 3. Duties

II. Emergency Equipment and Supplies

C. Alarms D. Communications E. First aid

III. Emergency evacuation procedures

A. Warehouse map indicating: 1. Escape routes 2. Emergency assembly areas

B. Shutdown procedures C. Method to account for all employees D. Security measures

IV. Emergency training for all employees

A. Elements B. Timing C. Drills

V. Local offsite emergency responders

A. Who they are and what to provide them 1. Fire Department 2. Police Department 3. Ambulance service 4. Civil Defense/Red Cross

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VI. Mutual aid emergency response plans

A. Setup B. Elements

VII. Community Awareness A. Setup B. Elements

VIII. Review and Update

PLAN DEVELOPMENT

Responsibility for the development of an emergency response plan rests with warehouse management which must decide upon a plan which best fits the company's needs and budgetary constraints. However, management should seek input and support from all employees including union leaders. Legal counsel should review the plan before implementation. The emergency response plan should be succinct and made available to all personnel in manual form. Also, the plan should be reviewed and updated as required to reflect changes in personnel and the workplace. Initial Steps Risk assessment. An emergency response plan should address all potential risks and the related emergency situations that could arise in the warehouse. Once management thinks in terms of risks and is continually evaluating these risks, emergencies can be anticipated and appropriate response plans designed for them. Effective risk assessment recognizes dangerous conditions and builds a first line of defense against them. The next step in evaluating risks is to identify and list the specific types of disasters which pose the greatest threat to the warehouse and its location. Some of the disasters to be considered are:

Manmade Hazardous-material accident Fire Major gas and water main breaks Pipeline explosions Terrorism Strikes

Natural

Extreme cold Fire from lightning or spontaneous combustion Flood Earthquake Earthslide or mudslide Snow and ice Storm surge High winds Hurricane Tornado Sand and dust storms

Disaster/Vulnerability Analysis. A disaster/vulnerability analysis, conducted after the potential disasters are identified, helps emergency planners to develop realistic response plans based on concrete disaster data. Several sources of information specific to the local area (weather records and disaster statistics) can be obtained from the local library, U.S. National Weather Service Office, and fire department.

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There are two primary purposes of a disaster/vulnerability analysis: to examine the likelihood of disaster, and to examine the likelihood of major damage and injury from disaster. The likelihood of disaster focuses on the frequency rate for each disaster. If the frequency rate of the disaster is high, as it is for tornadoes in the Midwest, a full emergency response plan should be structured for it. If the frequency rate is low or uncertain, as it is for earthquakes in the Midwest, the disaster should still be taken into consideration, since it could produce major damage and injury. However, instead of structuring a full plan for these types of low frequency/high damage disasters, a small scale contingency emergency response plan should be developed. This analysis will provide a list of disasters for which detailed emergency response plans should be developed. Once management is comfortable that all significant disasters have been identified, the process of creating the specific plans can begin.

PRIMARY COMPONENTS OF THE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN

Creating A Framework After categorizing each disaster as to high/low frequency and high/low damage and injury, an emergency response plan can be created. The elements included in the plan were outlined earlier in this section, and reference can be made to that outline. The components of that outline are detailed in ERP FORM 1., which can be used to develop the elements of a plan for each potential disaster. A portion of ERP FORM 1 is shown below and the full form is included in the "Forms" section.

This worksheet can be used to analyze the primary components of the Emergency Response Plan needed for each type of disaster. Then, by comparing and contrasting how the Plan components should be utilized for each type of disaster, a set of generalized responses should emerge. All responses which are similar in nature can be incorporated into a general Emergency Response Plan framework. Other responses which are specific to a particular disaster should be incorporated into separate appendices for those disasters. The development process will result in a generalized warehouse Emergency Response Plan for any disaster as well as several contingency plans for specific disasters. Creating Plan Details Alarms. Since alarms alert employees to evacuate or take other action, alarms currently being used should be evaluated to determine whether they are capable of being seen or

ERP FORM 1. EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN WORKSHEET

Disaster: ______________________________

Primary Components Function Location A. Types of Alarms

1. ___________________ __________________ ____________________

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heard by all people in the warehouse. Police and fire departments may be called in to evaluate the current number and configuration of alarms in the warehouse. In addition, an auxiliary power supply should be available for cases in which electricity has been affected by the emergency. Communications Equipment. When alarms are activated, employees should also be given evacuation instructions through the public address system or intercom. During a disaster, communications equipment such as portable radio units and battery operated P.A. systems are needed to determine outside conditions and communicate to employees. Also, amateur radio systems can be used to contact offsite emergency responders. Police and fire departments can advise if additional communications equipment should be used by the warehouse. Emergency Evacuation Procedures. Floor plans or work area maps clearly showing escape routes should be posted in key areas where employees would readily see them. These should indicate the nearest shelter areas (e.g., locker rooms, cafeterias) and the best routes for escape. Someone should be designated the responsibility of accounting for all employees after evacuation and informing the Response Team of any missing personnel. Shutdown Procedures. Before evacuation, employees should turn off their own operating equipment, such as forklifts and conveyors. Employees responsible for shutdown of critical facility systems such as electric, gas, etc., must complete these procedures before evacuating. In addition, designated employees must secure all truck, rail, and dock doors before evacuation. Emergency and First Aid Supplies. Designated individuals should bring emergency supplies to their assigned shelter area. These supplies are to be stored in the immediate work area, packaged in a kit-like form, kept fully stocked, and used for emergency purposes only. Supplies should be checked monthly to ensure their reliability and availability. At a minimum, the following items must be included: portable radio with spare batteries and flashlights with spare batteries. Also, designated individuals with a medical background or training should be in charge of bringing first aid supplies to their assigned shelter area. As with emergency supplies, first aid supplies should be stored in the immediate work area, packaged in a kit, and checked on a monthly basis to ensure that all items are present and in good working order. A physician should be consulted as to what medical supplies are essential, however, the following items may be included: bandages, antiseptics, special medicines, blankets, and a first-aid handbook. Security Measures. An Emergency Response Team member with knowledge or experience in security should be appointed to handle security after an emergency. This individual should compile a list of security problems that can take place after a disaster, including looting of inventory, theft of company records and documents, and prevention of further accidents to onlookers and employees in unsafe areas. Security efforts should be coordinated with community law enforcement personnel. ERP FORM 2. illustrates a completed Emergency Response Plan for a tornado. This form is included in the Forms Packet and shown partially below. This form can serve as a model for organizing a plan for any type of disaster.

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Implementing An Emergency Response Plan An effective method for implementing an Emergency Response Plan is to assign that responsibility to an Emergency Response Team (ERT) with an appointed leader and members including warehouse personnel trained in emergency procedures. Emergency Response Team Coordinator. A responsible, cool, and quick-thinking individual should be designated Emergency Response Team Coordinator. This individual should be able to withstand the arduous duties required in an emergency. The duties of an Warehouse Emergency Response Team Coordinator include:

• Assessing the situation and determining whether the emergency requires the activation of the Emergency Response Plan,

• Directing the implementation of the Emergency Response Plan, including the

evacuation of personnel and the minimization of property loss,

• Activating required security procedures,

• Developing and implementing mutual aid emergency response plans if the warehouse shares facilities with other companies,

• Establishing and maintaining the community awareness program of the

warehouse's Emergency Response Plan.

An alternate Emergency Response Team Coordinator, with qualifications and authority similar to the Emergency Response Team Coordinator, should be appointed and trained. Emergency Response Teams. Personnel should be recruited who are physically capable of performing duties assigned to them by the Emergency Response Team Coordinator. Ideal team members would already have training and experience in responding to emergencies, such as volunteers on local fire, rescue, and first aid squads. Emergency Response Teams should be trained in the following emergency procedures:

• Fire fighting • First aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) • Shutdown procedures • Disaster evacuation procedures (tornado, flood, explosion, etc.)

ERP FORM 2. SAMPLE EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN FOR A TORNADO DUTIES/FUNCTIONS WHO WHERE

1) One employee to have total responsibility for responding to this emergency.

Reg.: Emergency Response Team Coordinator.

Alter.:

2) Determine severity of weather: watch versus warning. If warning, proceed to Step #3.

Reg: Alter.:

1)Notify man about threater 2) Mgr/Super. Mgr.'s office. 3) G M

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• Chemical spill control procedures • Use of personal protective equipment, including respirators • Search and rescue procedures

All team members should be informed about special hazards such as flammable materials, toxic chemicals, radioactive sources, and water-reactive substances. Emergency Response Team members should be assigned duties in preparation for, and during an emergency. Assignments should be based on members existing knowledge or training. However, each team member should know all of the basic emergency procedures in the event a fellow team member is absent or is disabled by the emergency. ERP FORM 3., partially shown below, illustrates a sample breakdown of each team member's duties. The complete form is included in the "Forms" section. Local Offsite Emergency Responders. A survey of the location and services of local offsite emergency responders should be made. These agencies can also inspect warehouse areas to provide further suggestions. Information that should be provided to each of these agencies follows.

Fire Department • the location, construction, and arrangement of all buildings • accurate floor plans of each warehouse building • knowledge and acquaintance with all special hazards such as flammable gases,

liquids, and materials • on-site fire equipment: type, location • access routes in and around the warehouse

Police Department • the location and arrangement of all warehouse buildings • accurate floor plans of each warehouse building • traffic patterns in and around the warehouse • potential security problems

Ambulance Service(s) • the location and arrangement of all warehouse buildings • accurate floor plans of each warehouse building • access routes in and around the warehouse • hospital locations

Civil Defense (if local community maintains civil defense or emergency preparedness office)

ERP FORM 3. EMERGENCY RESPONSE TEAM MEMBER DUTIES A. Team member in charge of Emergency Equipment and Supplies.

1. Conduct monthly inspections of alarms and communications equipment (portable radio units, etc.) to ensure they are in good working order.

2. Make recommendations to management if additional alarms or communications equipment

are required.

3. Consult with local offsite emergency responders (fire, police, etc.) to determine appropriate emergency equipment. Initiate purchase of these items.

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• the location and arrangement of all warehouse buildings • accurate floor plans of each warehouse building

Employee Training. Employees should be trained in procedures to follow for each type of emergency. Proper training reduces the chance of panic and confusion. Training should include: • Types of potential emergencies • Evacuation plans • Alarm systems • Reporting procedures • Operating equipment shutdown procedures

Training programs, administered by the Safety Committee, should include Emergency Response Training. Training should be scheduled:

• Initially when the Emergency Response Plan is developed, • For all new employees and transfers, • When employees' responsibilities under the plan change, • When new equipment, materials, or processes are introduced, • When procedures have been updated or revised, • When drills and exercises indicate that employee performance requires improvement, • At least annually.

A most important aspect of training is practice drills, which ensure that employees know where to report and what their duties are in an emergency. They should include all personnel and, when possible, local offsite emergency responders. Drills should be held at random intervals at least four times per year. Employees and departments should be evaluated as to their drill performance. Evidence of ineffective emergency response procedures should be noted and investigated by management, with follow-up drills scheduled to observe if past problems have been corrected. Mutual Aid Emergency Response Plans Mutual Aid involves neighboring companies exchanging aid (knowledge, equipment, and/or personnel) during an emergency or disaster, thereby increasing a company's chance of survival and recovery. Emergency plans should include a provision for exchanging aid with other companies in the industrial community. The Emergency Response Team Coordinator should determine whether the warehouse's neighboring facilities are interested in a Mutual Emergency Response Plan. If so, and if a plan currently exists for each neighboring facility, a new plan should be drafted incorporating the basic emergency responses for all facilities, including:

• standardization of procedures and equipment, • listing available equipment and medical supplies (for each firm), • listing facilities that can be shared in an emergency, • cooperative test exercises, • mutual training sessions.

Community Awareness of Emergency Response Plan The warehouse must inform the local community of its plans for emergencies and advise nearby residents of actions they should take in the event of an emergency at the

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warehouse. The Emergency Response Team Coordinator is responsible for devising and implementing a community awareness plan. How can the community become aware? First, prepare a written community relations plan with goals and a schedule. Then compile a list of local organizations, groups and individuals who should be directly involved in emergency response planning or kept current on its status. A standard briefing paper describing the warehouse, its place in the local economy, the status of its emergency plan and the company's involvement in integrated community emergency response planning can be developed.

Convey the status of emergency planning through meetings with local civic, business, and public interest groups. Finally, develop contacts with the various media and provide background information and news releases on the emergency response plan. Review, Update and Availability To keep an Emergency Response Plan in good working order, an individual should be assigned to review and update it at least annually. Revised versions of the plan should reflect the results of drills and tests. The emergency response plan manual should be kept in the offices of the general manager and Emergency Response Team Coordinator and be easily accessible to employees. Once the Emergency Response Plan is completed, ERP FORM 4. provides a checklist for assuring the key elements have been included. This form can be used to develop a skeleton for a full-fledged plan. It is organized in a fill-in-the-blanks format to facilitate the development of an extensive outline of the plan. A portion of the form is illustrated below. The entire form is contained in the "Forms" section.

ERP FORM 4. ELEMENTS OF AN EMERGENCY RESPONSE PLAN I. Emergency Response Plan:

A. List the Emergencies for which plans should be developed. 1. _____________________________________________ 2. _____________________________________________ 3. _____________________________________________ 4. _______________

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FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION

A plan should be developed for response to a warehouse fire, including all elements of the emergency response plans previously described. In addition, general approaches for fire protection and prevention should be evaluated. Because fires are the most common and most devastating hazard to which a warehouse will be exposed, special attention should be directed to fire protection and prevention. Although the development of such a plan is beyond the scope of this manual, a brief overview follows. Property insurance carriers, the National Safety Council and the National Fire Prevention Association can provide additional fire prevention information. This review of the major elements of fire protection will focus on active and passive protection devices. The final section reviews fire prevention, highlighting housekeeping, fire response plans and safeguards for ignition sources. Much of the material contained in this section was provided by Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation. Their publication, "Warehouse Occupancy: The Effects of Change," (see SOURCES section) is an excellent resource for effective warehouse fire protection techniques. Physical Fire Protection Physical fire protection takes two forms: active and passive. Active protection helps to control and extinguish a fire with automatic or manual equipment. Sprinklers constitute automatic equipment, while fire extinguishers and small hoses constitute manual equipment. Passive protection contains a fire through the use of fire walls, fire doors, and the building construction. Components of Automatic Fire Protection The automatic sprinkler system is the most effective line of defense against fire in a warehouse. This is verified by statistics that translate into dollars and cents. According to the Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation, in the period from 1983-1987, the dollar loss from fires in warehouses without adequate sprinkler protection was five times greater than for warehouses with adequate sprinkler protection. Adequate sprinkler protection means that sprinklers are provided where needed, none are missing, plugged, or blocked, and the system design matches the fire challenge. Each automatic sprinkler system is designed for a specific occupancy. The sprinkler protection needed in a particular warehouse is determined by the type and amount of combustibles and the storage arrangement. It is necessary to consult sprinkler installation companies and insurance carriers to make an effective assessment of the sprinkler requirements for a specific warehouse. Advantages of automatic sprinklers are:

• Always "on guard": sprinklers are there 24 hours per day. • Prompt action: sprinklers operate while the fire is controllable. • Sends an alarm: locally, or to a constantly attended location. • Operates only over the fire area: sprinklers away from the fire area do not

discharge water. • Prewets nearby combustibles: keeps them from igniting.

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• Less water, less water damage: sprinklers discharge less water, at lower pressure than the hoses used to control fire in an unprotected building.

Components of Manual Fire Protection Fire extinguishers and small hoses are active forms of fire protection; however, unlike sprinklers, their operation is manual and not automatic. Since most fires can be put out by employees using extinguishers and small hoses, employees must be properly trained in their use. Extinguishers should be immediately accessible and conspicuously located where they can be clearly seen in the warehouse. In a small, unattended warehouse area, locate extinguishers where they can be reached quickly, such as entrances. In a large warehouse, place fire extinguishers 100 to 200 ft. apart. All extinguishers should be clearly marked with signs to direct attention to their location. In comparison to extinguishers, small hoses provide an "unlimited" supply of water and cover a greater range. Small hoses should be located so that all areas of the warehouse can be reached with hose length at each station not exceeding 100 ft. Because both of these protection methods are used in the early stages of a fire, maintaining them is critical. Components of Passive Protection Building Construction. For best fire resistance, a warehouse should be of either reinforced concrete or concrete panel construction. The next best option for fire-resistance is heavy plank-on-timber, which does burn, but has a collapse resistance of 45 to 60 minutes. However, these two types of construction are expensive, and are not commonly seen in new warehouses. The most common warehouse construction is exposed steel. However, even though it is relatively easy to build with and it doesn't burn, exposed steel will deform when exposed to fire and will be susceptible to collapse. Sagging steel can cause sprinkler piping to break, which can over tax water supplies and allow the fire to burn uncontrolled. To protect against collapse, sprinklers are sometimes needed adjacent to steel support columns to keep them cool. Some type of fireproofing of the columns is another option. Fire Walls. A fire wall is, in effect, a fire stop. It is usually constructed of reinforced concrete and acts as a barrier to prevent fire from passing from one part of the building to another. It also minimizes heat, smoke, and water damage to the non-fire area. A fire wall which subdivides major facility areas during an uncontrolled fire is termed a Maximum Foreseeable Loss (MFL) fire wall. MFL fire walls have a four hour fire resistance. These fire walls are distinct from commonly defined fire walls which usually have lower fire resistant capabilities. A fire wall has greater effectiveness when it has fewer openings. Thus, if at all possible, avoid openings to accommodate conveyors, piping, or doors. However, if this cannot be avoided, the following prescriptions help enhance fire protection:

• Conveyors should be protected by sprinklers and an electric eye, which, if it senses fire, shuts down the conveyor and closes fire shutters over the opening.

• Openings around piping should be sealed. • Door openings should be protected with approved and labeled fire doors.

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Fire doors. The purpose of fire doors is to protect openings in fire walls. When a fire breaks out, a fire door is designed to close automatically, isolating the fire from the rest of the warehouse. A fusible link is generally used to trigger the door closure.

Where fire doors are necessary, a variety of different types may be used:

• Swinging doors may be equipped with a closing device to cause the door to close and latch.

• Horizontal and vertical sliding doors move on tracks and should be provided with a

counterweight. They usually protect large openings for heavy traffic. When triggered, they slide closed automatically on rollers set on or in a track.

• Rolling steel doors have a housing and triggering mechanism located above the

opening and are composed of a curtain of interlocking metal slats that coil around a barrel. Mounted at the top of the door opening, the barrel is provided with a torsion spring mechanism to counter balance the weight of the curtain.

FIRE PREVENTION

Fire damage is often a reflection of how well warehouse management has trained its employees to respond in a fire emergency. Survival of the building and its contents is often dependent upon the employees. Fire prevention programs can help reduce the risk of serious loss. Housekeeping Housekeeping has an important role in loss control. Paper and debris can act as an ignition source or fuel for a fire. Loading docks, aisles, or spaces in between racks should be regularly cleared of trash by all warehouse personnel. Storage in the aisles, or storage too close to sprinkler heads, should be eliminated. Sprinkler Control Valve Supervision Sprinkler control valves control the water flow to the automatic sprinklers and should be locked in the open position to ensure adequate flow. As a general rule, Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation recommends that valves be visually inspected weekly and physically tested monthly. Fire Protection Equipment Automatic and manual fire fighting equipment should also be checked regularly. Portable fire extinguishers should be examined to see that they are full, adequately charged, and that the seal, pin and hose are present and in good condition. Fire doors should be inspected weekly for proper closure, and doorways should be visually inspected for potential obstructions, which would prevent proper closing. Check door mechanisms and guides to ensure they have not been damaged. It may be necessary to install barriers to protect door mechanisms from physical damage caused by warehouse traffic. The head of the Safety Committee should be immediately notified of defects in

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fire protection equipment. To keep the equipment in good order, a preventive maintenance schedule should be established and an inventory of equipment and parts should be maintained. An inspection form will facilitate the inspection process. It should be completed and signed by the inspector and reviewed and signed by a supervisor or member of the Safety Committee. These forms can serve as a reference for comparing past and current storage conditions. Insurance carriers are an excellent source of information regarding the inspection process

Building Safety Building safety requires a swift response to any fire situation. The Emergency Response Team must be well-trained in the details of handling the fire emergency. Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation suggests the roles and duties shown below be assigned to the Team in their efforts to respond to a fire: 1. Chief

• Manages the emergency until the Public Fire Department arrives • Is responsible for the staffing and training of the emergency organization

2. Emergency Notifier • Notifies Public Fire Department and Police Department of emergency • Contacts all other ERT members • Maintains current phone list

3. Sprinkler Valve Operator • Manually "tries" valve to make sure that it is open • Remains at valve to ensure that it stays open until the fire official authorizes closure • Works with pipefitter after an emergency to restore normal sprinkler protection •

4. Fire Pump Operator • Checks the pump to make sure that it has started and, if not, starts it • Makes sure suction and discharge valves are open (In cases where a facility has a gravity tank rather than a fire pump, this task alone would be one of the four basic ERT assignments.)

5. Pipefitter

• Cuts off potential fuel supply to the fire (flammable liquids, gases) and any systems that may interfere with fire fighting (steam, coolants)

• Sees that piping systems that have been shut down remain so until directed by a fire official

• Keeps drainage systems operating • Works with valve operator to replace sprinkler heads after emergency to

ensure continued fire protection 6. Electrician

• Cuts off power which can contribute to an emergency • Controls ventilation system to: - Limit air to the fire -Stop fire's spread

through ventilation ducts - Limit smoke damage • Rigs temporary light/power system after a loss • Checks operation of emergency lighting

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7. Salvage Squad Leader

• Works with ERT leader to establish salvage priorities and plans, including repairing emergency supplies and arranging for emergency services

• Assigns, trains and maintains readiness of Salvage Squad 8. Fire Squad

• Extinguishes fires while still in their incipient stage - that is, while still readily and safely controllable

• Is trained to use portable fire extinguishers and small hoses Warehouse Security Guarding against arson is particularly important because it is one of the principal causes of fires in warehouses. One of the main functions of security personnel is to conduct verifiable guard checks of all accessible and inaccessible areas of the building to make it more difficult for an arsonist to strike the warehouse. In order to limit the fuel available to an arsonist, flammable liquids should be locked in cutoff rooms. Security can also keep watch for fires that may have been started by a carelessly dropped cigarette or other means. Safeguards for Ignition Sources Recognizing potential causes of a warehouse fire can help protect against the start of a fire. Common warehouse ignition sources include, in addition to arson, improper cutting and welding procedures and careless smoking. Statistics show that improper cutting and welding can be a costly problem; although its frequency of occurrence is among the lowest, its costs are proportionately among the highest. Factory Mutual Engineering Corporation's answer to controlling cutting and welding is the cutting and welding permit. This multi-part-card describes the steps to be followed when conducting such operations. This system is used to control and minimize the risk of cutting and welding as an ignition source. The system should apply to all personnel including outside contractors. It can also be applied to any other type of ignition source. An example of this system is as follows: Steps Description 1 Appoint a Fire Safety Supervisor to be responsible for authorizing cutting and welding work, issuing Permit Cards, and ensuring that operations are carried out safely. 2 Before issuing a Permit, the Fire Safety Supervisor must: • Make sure that cutting and welding equipment is in good repair. • Inspect the proposed work area and check or implement the precautions which appear on the back of the Permit. 3 To alert personnel and remind welder of precautions, the Permit Card is

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posted in the area in which the work is to be done. 4 Two to four hours after the work is completed, the Fire Safety Supervisor (or another authorized person) inspects the area and retrieves the Permit Card. Similar systems can be created for the control of any flame source. Thus, "hot work" permits should be issued for any activity which involves any type of ignition source. Smoking Controls. No-smoking regulations in hazardous areas that contain flammable liquids, combustible storage and combustible dusts should be strictly enforced and management's attitude toward this hazard should be well publicized. At the entrance to each hazardous area, "no smoking" signs should be posted and ashtrays provided for the disposal of smoking materials. Where smoking is permitted, safe ash receptacles should be available to minimize the chance of unsafe disposal of smoking materials. In conclusion, a detailed fire safety and response plan is a necessity for every warehouse. The fire response plan should follow the general prescriptions set forth for any type of warehouse emergency. In addition, special attention should be focused on fire prevention efforts.

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