Safety Programs

     Customer and employee accidents and injuries can be one of the most costly liabilities for a company.  Aside from the financial cost, companies can lose employee morale and public reputation.  The thing about safety is that in many instances, accidents can be avoided and losses minimized if not eliminated.  A good safety program can assist in minimizing these losses and should contain the following elements:

  1) An aware and concerned management team
  2) An employee safety team
  3) A monthly safety inspection
  4) A safety check-off list for the safety inspection
  5) Empowered employees
  6) Monthly testing of safety devices such as fire and burglar alarms
  7) Yearly service inspections of service equipment such as fire extinguishers, elevators and escalators
  8) A good relationship with local authorities such as fire departments and police departments
  9) A list of reliable and reputable locksmiths, alarm companies, glass repair companies, etcetera
10) Established and written safety procedures

     These are the basics.  This list can be extended and broken down into a much more complex plan but this is an excellent start to minimizing, if not eliminating, this type of cost.  Here is an overview of what some of the elements listed above should / could include:

     Employee Safety Team:
This can be as simple as having several employees who are given permission to meet once a month to help with the safety inspection and to discuss safety issues.  These employees should be given an "open door" policy to communicate with upper management honestly and directly about safety hazards without fear of retaliation or punishment.  Volunteers generally make better team members than appointed members and a rotating position can be utilized to keep perspectives fresh.

     Monthly Safety Inspection: 
A physical walk-through the employee and customer area of the physical property as well as the non-employee and non-customer areas.  This should be done with a critical eye.  Changing the starting point and varying the path every time may help in noticing concerns by preventing the walk from becoming habit or predictable.

     Safety Check-Off List:
This should be a check off list that outlines each item to be inspected, what condition it is expected to be found in, what the standard is (example:  all outlets in the fitting rooms will have child safety caps inserted), an evaluative section for each item (did it meet the requirement or not), a place for notes (items that need to be followed up on), a date for when the items not meeting the standard was corrected, the date of the walk and a signature line for the person completing the walk.  This report should be filed away for future reference and can be useful as defense in litigation.

     Established and Written Safety Procedures:
This can include activities such as handling cash, making bank deposits, leaving work late at night, selling expensive items, protecting employee personal information (such as last names, work schedules, etcetera), severe weather procedures, power outages, robberies, shoplifting (it is highly recommended that procedures for robberies and shoplifting include specific instructions for employees to not resist or detain anyone but to comply with directions given for everyone's safety), etcetera.

     Monthly Testing and Yearly Service Inspections:
Service machinery such as elevators and escalators are probably required by local authorities to be inspected yearly.  Calling a local contractor who is an authorized inspector by the manufacturer of the equipment should be used for these inspections.  Always allow them to make corrections and repairs as needed to keep the equipment working properly.  These inspection reports should be filed away to be used as defense in any pending litigation resulting from an injury sustained by the equipment.  Monthly testing of alarms will help identify problem areas, will ensure that your system has not been compromised and will ensure that you are getting what you are paying for.  It is HIGHLY recommended that you advise your local fire and police departments BEFORE and AFTER testing your alarm.  False alarm calls may result in a costly fine to your business by these entities.

Allan Biggins Consulting