Protecting our most valuable assets

With the increasing accident rates within the waste sector as a whole, our main concern is for all our staff to go home safe at the end of the day. The questions are how do we do this?

The key for me is that we can all learn from each other, we all have our own best practices and it may be useful to pass these on. The idea is simple, to try and make a difference to ensure that we keep our most valuable assets safe.

The ideas mentioned are not to insinuate we are doing anything better than anyone else, more a food for thought and or reflection.

The first topic is;

Pedestrian and Plant Segregation

Walkways and Barriers

To ensure there is a safe access from the first point a visitor enters your site boundary to the office, and from the office to the production area is key. It sets the tone for any visitor entering the site and provides a clear understanding of the position of that business. There are a multiple of companies out there whom offer this service, we use “A safe barriers”.

Walkways being painted a different colour, can offer a great visual deterrent  for all vehicles and plant on site. This shows that are to be well clear of the walkways. It offers a clear intention that segregation is key.

Pedestrian free areas are another idea, to completely remove the risk. The concept is to reverse engineer the outcome and work backwards through your process, is there any reason why pedestrians are in that area other than “ it’s always been done like that”.

• Can you restrict the hours that people are in that area
• Draw a site diagram showing the agreed areas of separation
• Ensure all staff and visitors sign the document and or any amendments made  
• Make sure the barriers are repaired If damaged

 To further assist you can look at textured flooring throughout or for any steps are on site.

Fence sections add an additional dimension to physical barriers separating people and plant. These are great for vehicle storage or material storage. This shows acknowledgment of a risk, which is being addressed.

Lighting areas on site is a must particularly where people and plant meet , it allows maximum visibility to both employees and visitors and in turn people and plant. LED lights offer a great costs saving in the long term but are significantly more expensive in the first instance. By covering all the key areas we reduce the likelihood of any collision. The lights can be via a photocell or a manual switch for ad-hoc usage

There are further topics that we can discuss in relation to pedestrian and plant separation, which I feel offer great value. They are   

• Proximity Sensors
• Internal and External Communication
• Site Lockdown and Barriers
• Loading Vehicles