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Some Things to Consider in Facility Safety Programs
Combustible dust considerations. Some processes create combustible dusts that pose risks in the air or after settling on surfaces. These are not always on a facility’s radar. OSHA has a National Emphasis Program (NEP), revised in 2023, and the NFPA has several standards about this. Some describe fundamentals including conducting Dust Hazard Analysis (DHAs).
Warehouse and logistics center considerations. OSHA has a current NEP on this topic as well (see CPL 03-00-026). The focus is on hazards common to those operations. Forklift issues, as well as rack damage and integrity, are cited frequently.
Workplace violence prevention. This is a leading cause of death on the job in the U.S. Facility design, physical tools, proactive assessments and emergency procedures can influence this. Organizations should be sure they are addressing this adequately.
Spread of infectious diseases. The country is likely to face infectious disease pandemics again. There are standards that facilities staff should be aware of and use appropriately. These include ISO 45006:2023, a management guideline about preventing and managing infectious diseases at work, and ASHRAE 241, a standard about Control of Infectious Aerosols describing airflow requirements in various building types.
Is Someone Handling This?
Sometimes it can be easy to presume that certain hazards are being handled by others. Verifying those assumptions can be important.
For example, one organization had processes with the significant potential to generate high levels of carbon monoxide. Area sensors were present. However, checking found that sensors had not been calibrated in many years and that output was not monitored.
Summary
Facility safety considerations can be nuanced and are important. Organizations should use intentional approaches to identify, stay on top of, and control related hazards and risk. Many options are available. Certainly, organizations need to identify applicable regulations and ensure compliance, but they should also think about how they choose to manage safety beyond that. The method is important. The integration of facility safety considerations with other management processes can help ensure compliance as well as create other improvement opportunities.
This article originally appeared in the September 2024 issue of Occupational Health & Safety.
About the Author
Greg Zigulis, CIH, CSP, is President of Sixth Sense Safety Solutions. He has over 30 years of OHS experience to include within several types of manufacturing, construction management, and consulting. Greg works with organizations to help them reach their greatest occupational safety and health potential. He is an active member of the ANSI/ASSP Z10 committee on Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems. You can reach him at [email protected].