Newspapers / Amco News (High Point, … / Nov. 1, 1995, edition 1 / Page 9
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November 1995 Making This a SAFE Place to Work Page 9 By Robin Koricanek Manager, Division Safety Adams-Millis’s basic safety training program is called Safety Awareness For Everyone (SAFE). It is in tended to provide the new or transferred employee with the skills, knowledge, and train ing required by Federal and State safety regulations and generally aceepted industry standards. The purpose of SAFE is to educate the em ployee to recognize potential hazards and to instill safe working habits. Certain other employees receive job spe cific training, according to their assignment. At a recent meeting. Rich Noll, chief executive officer, made these comments: “It is our obligation and policy to provide a safe working environment. But to be effective, each of us must take respon sibility for safety — the commitment has to be there each and every day by each and every one of us. Only then can we have a safe working environment.” The key points from the Safety Awareness For Every one (SAFE) video are listed as a reminder to reinforce our commitment to your safety. • A confined space has an invisible danger — no oxy gen. Do not go into areas with any sort of warning signs, such as “DANGER,” “DO KORICANEK NOT ENTER,” “AUTHO RIZED PERSONNEL ONLY,” or “TRAINED PERSONNEL ONLY.” • Hearing protection is re quired in areas where the noise levels are 85 decibels or more. You will be notified of all testing results, the effects of repeated noise, and how to use and wear ear protection properly. • All machines or equipment must be locked and tagged before any cleaning, repair, servicing, or maintenance. Only certain people are autho rized to perform these proce dures. Do not operate any ma chine or equipment which is tagged. The lock and tag can be removed only by the per son who put it on. Never work on any machine or equipment unless you are trained and authorized. • Know how to report any emergency, where your near est exit is at all times, and act quickly if there is an emer gency. Your supervisor will show you the emergency showers and eye washes. • Lifting can be done safely if you don’t pick up more than you can handle, keep feet slightly apart, load close to your body, push with your legs, don’t use your back to pull, and bend knees when lowering the load. Get some one to help when necessary or use a hand truck. • Good housekeeping is good policy. Keep aisles free and clear. A clean house is a safe house. • Signs, tags and labels tell something. Red is for danger, meaning an immediate haz ard. Yellow is for caution, meaning a possible hazard. Blue is for general safety in structions. All containers must be labeled of their con tents, any health hazards, and how to protect yourself in an emergency. • Leave horseplay to the horses. That moment of laughter isn’t worth the pain ever-after. • Hazard communication is another way of saying you have a right to know about the chemicals you are working with or may be around. Most of the chemicals in our plants are the same chemicals you have at home, but we have them in larger sizes and maybe in stronger concentra tions. Hazard communication consists of a list of chemicals, a container labeling system, training, and a book contain ing material safety data sheets or MSDS. An MSDS will list very technical information but the most important parts of the MSDS are the employee pro tection and emergency sec tions. Your supervisor can answer any questions. Safety is your responsibil ity. Accidents are usually caused by disregarding safety standards or procedures, tak ing chances or short cuts, be ing lazy or in a hurry, faulty attitude, poor concentration ... the list goes on and on. Make a commitment each day to work safe. The segment in our safety video with the supervisor who almost lost his hand is real; the video was made by Sara Lee only for its employees. It makes two good points: 1. Pay attention to what you’re doing. If you don’t know what you’re doing, get someone who does. 2. Set a good example . . . watch out for your neighbor. It doesn’t always happen to someone else. In addition to the SAFE presentation, your supervisor will discuss the following safety points with you which are specific to your depart ment. • Hazard Communication — specific chemicals, symptoms of overexposure, protection and prevention, MSDSes. • Housekeeping — a clean house very seldom burns. • Fire Prevention — a clean house very seldom bums. • Eating, Drinking and Smoking areas. • Emergency Reporting, Exit Locations and Evacuation Plan. • Department Safety Stan dards and Cardinal Rules. Ergonomics Process Is Underway More than 800 Adams- Millis employees have par ticipated in classes on ergo nomics and how it relates to the work environment. The process has been in troduced at Mount Airy, Kernersville Distribution and Kernersville Knitting and will be introduced dur ing the next few months at other Adams-Millis loca tions. The training program has included Spanish-language videotapes and English-to- Spanish translators to serve the large number of Span ish-speaking employees, and an interpreter has helped communicate the program to Vietnamese employees. “Ergonomics gives us a way to adjust the work en vironment to suit each employee’s individual needs,” says Stephen Smith, who is manager of ergonomics. “What may be comfortable for one em ployee may pose a risk of injury for someone else. Ergonomic Tip #1 Roll your shoulders forward three times, then backward three times. “Our goal is to help em ployees become alert to situations in the workplace that present potential prob lems. If a tool or procedure is hindering a person’s ability to do his or her best or may cause injuries, we want to hear about it. We want employees to look, listen and observe and re port these situations to their managers. “Early detection is im portant because it allows us to change methods or pro cedures before small prob lems become big problems. We have an occupational health nurse who is trained to recognize work-related physical disorders and to work with us on changes in the work environment.” Smith says that there is a sincere commitment to make the ergonomic pro cess work. “Our manage ment has been very in volved in identifying and developing alternatives to eliminate risk exposures and investigating options to improve the work envi ronment.” Each facility has a Plant Ergonomic Team (PET) and a Management Ergo nomic Steering Committee (MESC). The PET, which includes someone from each department, meets weekly and works on as signed ergonomic projects. Each PET member is as signed to be a project leader and coordinate individual projects. The PET also meets monthly with the MESC, a group that includes the plant manager. Human Re sources manager, plant nurse, training/safety man ager, industrial engineer and the maintenance man ager. Team members at various locations include: Mount Airy: PET — Sherri Forrest, Britta Bobbitt, Wanda Byrd, John Smith. Brenda Kirby, Wayne King, Ina Alderman, Debbie Easter and Brenda Zagurski. MESC — Doug St. Louis, Larry Hopkins, Margaret Harmon. Lena Bruner, Harold Mooney and Gary Leftwich. Kernersville Knitting: PET — Leigh Martinez, Sheila Morris, Joyce Montgomery and My Vong. MESC — Glenn Hawkins, Carlton Brady, Sandra Hall, Greg Williams and Bobbie Mullies. Kernersville Distribution: PET — Robert Whitaker, Janice Thomas, Jackie Jones and Darlene Dotson. MESC — Doug Streetman, Carlton Brady, Greg Williams, Sandra Hall, Bobbie Mullies and Darvon Alley. • Personal Protective Equip ment. • Infection Control Program. • Emergency Eye Washes and Showers. • Report all unsafe condi tions/acts. • Notify supervisor, safety manager, or any member of management immediately of an accident or medical condi tion, no matter how slight. • Request and complete the Employee’s Report, at time of accident or medical condition. • The company directs medical care for job-related conditions. • Take responsibility for own safety. There is no substitute for plain of common sense. • Observe all warning signs, lockout tags, posters, etc. • Non-compliance for safety. If you have a concern, com ment, or question regarding safety, fire, or health, please call the Adams-Millis Safety Line. The voice mail number in High Point is (910) 454- 7575. Please leave a detailed description of any concern, with any recommendation to solve the concern, and include your plant and department. If you would like an immediate and personal response, leave your name and number. If re quested, your name and any other information will not be released under any circum stances. The Adams-Millis Safety Line should not be the first line of communication — first allow plant management the op portunity to address any issues. Ergonomic Tip #2 Neck side stretch. Sit upright. Place your right hand on top of your left shoulder. Hold that shoulder down as you tip your head fully away to the right. Keep your face pointed forward, or even turned slightly to the left. Hold this stretch gently for 10 seconds. Repeat on the other side.
Amco News (High Point, N.C.)
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Nov. 1, 1995, edition 1
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