Safety Meetings

[Davebones]

Have noticed with the new " LEAN" environment and the need to eliminate waste that safety seems to being pushed to the wayside . Have heard companys are not doing safety meeting's like they used to . Had one supervisor tell me if it does not add valvue to the bottom line they no longer do it . Just wondered if this is the new norm now on safety ?

 

[jim dungar]

Have noticed with the new " LEAN" environment and the need to eliminate waste that safety seems to being pushed to the wayside . Have heard companys are not doing safety meeting's like they used to . Had one supervisor tell me if it does not add valvue to the bottom line they no longer do it . Just wondered if this is the new norm now on safety ?

NFPA 70E effectively requires a safety meeting for every project involving contract employees, 110.1(C), and for every internal project, 110.3(G).

 

[cornbread]

I'm lucky working for a chemical company...they stress safety. Too often we see the results of problems on the evening news.. most recent the Texas plant fire and explosion. It will be interesting to see what the investigators find as the root cause of the problem.

With the above said I have worked in factories where safety took a back seat... you could do what ever you wanted and if no one got hurt... it was safe.. Kind of like speeding....not really speeding if you don't get a ticket.

 

[xformer]

I think this is a sad way to look at Safety. I understand the need for profit by a contractor or business, but, safety should always come first. Usually on the first day of employment with an entity, papers are signed by the employee which legally require the employee to uphold the companies safety guidelines. If people don't follow what they sign for, that gives the employer an "out" so to speak from being legally responsible for the safety of the employee.

 

[jumper]

My company is doing that "LEAN" thing, but Safety is part of the "5S" program also. Gotta do the ISO stuff also. What a PITA.

 

[Blaer]

If idiots were flowers, some managers would always be in season.

Bottom line? I refer all to the experience of Alcoa had a new CEO turn around a failing concern, with an emphasis on but one thing: safety. Amazingly enough, the entire operation reformed, with substantial improvements in quality and production (not to mention profits) Here's one link to the story: http://www.businessweek.com/2001/01_06/b3718006.htm

Otherwise, it might be worth a visit to the billing office of the local hospital. Ask for an accounting of something basic, such as a broken arm. How would such a loss impact the bottom line? Bet that amount would buy a lot of harnesses!

Personally, I am sick and tired of management trolls who will instantly spend tens of thousands of dollars to air-condition a single PLC - yet expect their 'human capital' to happily work in apalling conditions. Sometimes I think we spend half our effort fighting the weather, lighting, trash, mud, and access obstructions.

 

[Davebones]

To Jumper who said they are doing lean . Good luck with that . Some of it is good but I have to say one thing I've seen in Manufacturing is they eliminate positions and just pile that persons job on someone else . Have seen a lot of turnover as a result . They reduce the " FOOTPRINT " and people don't even have the room they should have for working . High dollar product being built ( Job Shop ) and a lot of the people on the floor have better work area at their house then what they get on the manufacturing floor . Continually moving and re-positioning equipment in the name of " KAIZEN " .

 

[Fulthrotl]

To Jumper who said they are doing lean . Good luck with that . Some of it is good but I have to say one thing I've seen in Manufacturing is they eliminate positions and just pile that persons job on someone else . Have seen a lot of turnover as a result . They reduce the " FOOTPRINT " and people don't even have the room they should have for working . High dollar product being built ( Job Shop ) and a lot of the people on the floor have better work area at their house then what they get on the manufacturing floor . Continually moving and re-positioning equipment in the name of " KAIZEN " .

the problem isn't the kaizin.

any good craftsman does that without even knowing it.
a process of continual refinement in a workflow.
good managers listen to worker bees, and suggestions
by the little guys get acted upon.

the problem is the whole "lean" approach to everything.
for half bright souls in middle management, it amounts to this....

lay off 25% of the production force (excluding oneself, of course).
spread the tasks among the survivors.

my wife's department has gone from 7 employees to 4.
the workload has, however, increased 20%.
some stuff on the todo list can't get done.....

welcome to lean manufacturing.

i see it in the supply system for everything.
phone calls don't get returned.

your call for pricing and availably ALWAYS goes to
voicemail.

you walk into a store, and there are 10 customers in
line, 15 checkstands, and one of them open.

you walk into a 40,000 sq ft showroom for tile, and
there are three employees operating the entire facility.
and there are over a dozen customers in the store.

safety meeting:

"ok, anyone got anything about safety to say today? no?
well, make sure you are wearing your hard hat, and let's be
safe out there, ok?"

 

[petersonra]

What I see that is disturbing is companies hiring an EHS guy and dumping all the issues on him. Most times these guys are pretty clueless about electrical safety issues, and often not much better on any of the other things they are supposed to deal with.

They learn to fill in the right forms and that is about it.

 

[ken44]

The other side of the coin:
My observation over many years has been that safety meetings in and of themselves do not necessarily make anyone safer, and done frequently enough, some employees just begin to make a mockery out of the whole process as they become bored with hearing repetive information. It is the companies responsibility to follow safety guidelines and procedures per codes and per specific conditions, machinery and situations but the employees must also do their part to ensure their own safety and others for that matter. I can tell to wear PPE as appropriate but they have to actually put it on when required because I dont chase them around and look over their shoulder but the fact is that too many times, I have walked up on an employee unanounced and observed them not using gloves or safety glasses when they should have or standing too high on a ladder. This seems to happen regardless of how many safety meetings I hold and how many times that I tell them. I just remind to wear the proper PPE at all times. But if they cant do something as basic as wear their glasses or gloves, it does not give me much hope or encouragement that they will make the right decision when things are more complex. Just as important as safety meetings is the continual supervision of personnel in the field to ensure that they are wearing the proper PPE.