I get a lot of questions on how to properly set up a safety procedure. Today’s blog entry is all about the layout and setup of a proper procedure. Each procedure developed in this way can be used all together to create your safety manual. It’s pretty easy to create a safety manual when you break it down like this. Let’s get into it now…
The Safety Procedure Heading Box
I like having the heading box as this gives your procedures a more polished and professional look. This heading will allow the employee to quickly see what the procedure is about, its document number, issue dates, any revisions, and the next review date. As a small or medium-sized business, you may just have a safety manual that is pretty generic in each of the categories that will satisfy regulators during an inspection but doesn’t actually help when it comes to being safe.
When you first start out, you usually just want to put minimum effort into the safety program. Please don’t think this way. It is important to start a safety program the right way from the start. Yes, these are basically just pieces of paper and mean nothing if they are not implemented. That is why you should take the time to create these safety procedures the correct way right from the start. Building a solid structure as I will show in this blog post will take your safety program to the next level. I will continue to use Abrasive Blasting as my example throughout the remainder of this post. It’s good to have continuity right?
Purpose, Scope, & Key Responsibilities
I intentionally use a basic purpose to explain my procedures. It is the easiest way to get the procedure’s point across. If you do a search on the internet, you will find a lot of example procedure purposes written this way. It’s clear, concise, and says exactly what the procedure’s purpose is.
The scope is the legal zone and that is where I like to address some of the primary legal points of the procedure. In the case of abrasive blasting, all employees involved will be held to the Threshold limit values of airborne contaminants 1970. This part of the document should be pretty short and concise. I like to try and keep my scope to only one paragraph, maybe two at most.
The next block of information is key responsibilities. This is the area you need to really make sure you get right. It doesn’t have to be perfect considering it is a live document and can be revised at any time. But, you should still take a lot of time and make sure you are assigning key responsibilities to those who are going to be responsible to do the job safely.
The Procedure – The Meat & Potatoes
This next section goes into the details of the procedure and will cover the specifics in accordance with what your jobs are. In my example, you would start with a general section that covers a couple of paragraphs that lay the groundwork. Then you will move into the specifics. Here is a breakout of my procedure for abrasive blasting to show some of the areas I cover:
Equipment Handling
Follow these guidelines when moving blasting equipment to prevent back strains and crushing injuries:
- Use a forklift, crane, or another type of lifting device for transporting a blast machine; always use a lifting device when the machine contains abrasive.
- Never manually move a blast machine where abrasive has been spilled on hard surfaces or on a wet or slippery surface.
- Never attempt to manually move a blast machine containing abrasive.
- Always disconnect hoses from machines to avoid interference during moving.
Air Compressors
- Air compressors must be located in a well-ventilated area. It must be able to contain large volumes of clean, toxicant-free air. This means the compressor must be placed upwind from the blasting operation and out of the range of dust and flying abrasives.
- Due to the high pressure that air compressors create, precautions must be taken to prevent unleashing of strong forces that can cause serious bodily injury.
- Air for abrasive blasting respirators must be free of harmful quantities of dust, mists, or noxious gases and must be inspected daily, prior to use, and comply with CFR 1910.134(I) (Respiratory Protection).
- Never adjust the pressure setting on a compressor above the blast equipment’s maximum working pressure rating. The maximum working pressure rating is indicated on the manufacturer’s metal identification plate.
Blast Pot
- Position blast pots and/or compressors on level ground. Machines operate best when they sit on level surfaces.
- For communication purposes place the blast pot between the compressor and the surface to be blasted. This will enable the pot tender and operator to make visual contact.
- All couplings and pipefitting on the blast pot, compressor, and hoses must be airtight.
- Blast pots must be inspected daily prior to use.
Hoses and Connectors
- Couplings must have safety wires in place and be secure as required by federal safety regulations. The operator shall be responsible to ensure that each coupling has safety wires in place.
- Whip checks must be installed at bull hose connections.
- Operator should hold onto the blast hose until the air pressure from the nozzle drops off to zero.
- Do not use hoses with soft spots.
- Never use tape to repair a blown-out hose.
- Immediately replace a hose if a blowout or leak occurs.
- Hose ends must come into contact with coupling gaskets to prevent leaks and maintain static electricity conductivity.
There are several other areas regarding abrasive blasting, but I think you can get what the procedure section should be like. I do have to mention that this is the section where I will also discuss things like personal protective equipment, environmental controls, operator signaling, and other specifics. The procedures section should cover all aspects of the job. Some procedures though will also require a checklist and other addendums.
In the case of abrasive blasting, I have a checklist that I also add to the procedure that operators can take and use to make sure they are in compliance with regulatory procedures and in compliance with the abrasive blasting procedure. Here is an image of what that looks like:
UPDATE: So, I went ahead and created a video that discusses some of the details in this blog post today. The video is only a compliment to the post, not really a stand-alone. However, you can just watch the video and still have a good idea as to how to create procedures quickly. Enjoy!
Okay, now that we’ve discussed this procedure, I figured I might as well allow you to download the procedure for use. You can get it by adding your email below: