Strategic Plan to Control Workplace Slips, Trips, and Falls - Essay Example

? STRATEGIC PLAN TO CONTROL WORKPLACE STF due Executive summary Slips, trips, and falls (STF) in the workplace is the number cause of major injuries. Examples of major injuries brought about by STF include muscular skeletal disorders and or falls from height. Majority of STF incidents are avoidable by proper risk assessment and management control. Rudd Corporation is a small manufacturing company that deals with the manufacture of automotive and heavy machinery parts. The company suffers vastly due to lack of effective preventive maintenance; resulting to machine breakdowns and lack of proper production within the affected departments. In the year 2009, the company employees experienced several issues related to machinery breakdowns, slips, trips and falls. 15 incidents of injury in 2009 out of which 6 were due to slips; amounting to $106,322.86 as the total expenditure of all STFs. An employee slipped on a rung catching his chin between the upper and lower metal rung; he fractured his leg he is expected to face permanent disability. In this report, developing strategies to reduce accident numbers in Rudd Corporation will be discussed; in regard to the terrible accident situation. Goal objectives, a research budget, and STF management will be addressed. 2. Assessment of past records and goals Rudd Corporation uses petroleum lubricants, the coating line can be wet at times; 15 fixed ladders and 300 feet of concrete surface are adjacent to the work areas. The work areas are prone to becoming wet, thus slippery from petroleum lubricants during work activities; this is the main cause of STF in this facility. According to past records, six injuries came from slips associated with the permanent fixed ladders around the company. Total money spent for all STFs amounted to $106,322.86. STF’s resulted to days off work, surgeries and rehabilitation services that the company was liable of. This accounted to a loss in company revenue. In regard to the case concerning a situation leading to the permanent disability of a worker from a slip, and fall at slippery area near his annual income range was $36,000.00 annually inclusive of 11% allowances. Evaluation of the past records and goals will lead to the development of an effective plan (MBO) to control the STFs at work and address the situation at hand. 3. Objectives Short-term goal To have a proper STF management control program within Rudd Corporation. Objectives for meeting this goal include: A. To reduce the STF rate incidents by coming up with effective strategies. The safety team is responsible for this objective implementation. B. To create safe working environment to the employees; as well as a safety culture in the organization. This is important in making the employees feel safe and take part in initiating self- safety. 4. Specific objective planning Specific objective planning includes the implementation of safety programs within Rudd Corporation. This includes duties for employees in control of workplaces to assess risks (including STF). They also require appropriate arrangements for organisation, planning, monitoring ,control, and review of any measures to protect the health and safety of employees. The following safety programs will be effective with dealing with SFT’s. a. Construction of proper flooring Every floor in the work areas has to made suitable in accordance to the respective area. It is important to note that the floor should be evenly shaped so as to reduce any exposure to a slip, or fall. This is to encourage safety. b. Proper Housekeeping Proper cleaning and inspection of the area cleaned is essential. a well cleaned area under the normal standards leads to prevention of accidents. proper housekeeping entails a clean dry floor. This is necessary in order to control the occurrence of slips, trips and falls. All floors must be kept free from any substance (petroleum lubricants) which may cause an employee to slip, fall, or trip. All the wastes should be cleaned well. c. Proper safety Footwear The company must implement proper factory footwear for all workers. All employees within the facility must wear safety boots; the company must provide this footwear. The use of this footwear will limit chances of STF’s in the facility. As the company must use petroleum, the employees should be encouraged to wear appropriate footwears that resist in the slippery surface. d. Training Other than effective footwear, proper housekeeping, and construction of appropriate flooring, the company must involve all employees in training. This will help in the increase of safety knowledge among the employees. Training provides an efficient safety culture in the workplace; promoting health and safety thus avoiding all causes of preventable STF’s. e. Safety ambassadors programs As a safety strategy, the company must adapt a safety ambassador of the month program. This program will enable effective safety within the workplace. Employees will be rewarded for upholding and reporting any safety issue to the management. The more points an employee gets, the more he/ she will make to be the safety ambassador of the month. All hazards reported have to credible. f. Proper documentation of injuries A key part of any claims defense is good accident investigation. With regard to STF’s, it is important all accidents are recorded including the current condition of the floor, what the person was doing, quality of lighting, the environmental conditions, and footwear worn. 5. Return on investment analysis With proper guidance and the introduction of the STF’s tool, a structured risk managed approach will be developed within Rudd Corporation. If followed, this should lead to improvements in accident rates and improved management systems to allow defense of claims that develop in the future. Injury incurred amounting to $ 106,322.86 is expected to be avoided via this investment plan. Resources necessary for the investment analysis include; safety gear (boots, reflectors, hard hats), and training for employees. This will protect the company from attaining any future losses. The company is expected to invest $ 133,000 so as to close the financial gap incurred. The return projection is 0-5% injury rate. Strategy to close the financial gap is based on effective training and a safety culture. In the year 2009, $142,322.86 was lost due to safety issues in the company, the investment plan is expected to reduce such financial strains to the company. In regard to the case whereby the employee was injured and is permanently disable; the company will be expect to fully compensate this individual as per OSHA guidelines. This is because the employee was hurt while working and it is the fault of the company as no safety precautions were put in place. Prevention of such expenses in the future can be made possible with the use of proper implementation of safety plans. The company is expected to invest $133,000 in the implementation of this plan; as per the estimated STF implementation plan below: Date Steps to be Taken Budgeted cost 01 December 2013 Inspection by hiring OSHA contractors $1,000 20 December 2014 Meeting for reviewing the plan before implementation $1,500 07 January 2014 Licensing and other formalities of plan $20,000 07 January 2014 Floor constructions $1,500 10 January 2014 Introducing training programs to the workers (one program quarterly) $9,000 25 January 2014 Purchasing safety tools and gadgets for employees; special footwear $100,000 Total = $ 133,000 Reference Highlights. (n.d.). Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from https://www.osha.gov/ Read More