June is National Safety Month and nowhere is fostering a culture of safety more important than at MPW Industrial Services, where every employee is required to submit a safety observation and a solution every month. Safety observations are a critical component of MPW’s safety program and culture. By identifying potential hazards and risks, these observations can lead to policy, procedure and training upgrades, as well as improvements for a safer w
orkplace.
Employees, operational leaders, and safety professionals can take corrective actions to address safety concerns and reduce the risk of accidents and injuries. These observations can also be used to identify trends, such as recurring safety issues, allowing for specialized committees to address these issues and for enhanced training.
For example, there was an increase in safety observations related to concerns with employees working alone on specific sites. As a result, a specific training course was created on the topic, which improved awareness and communication regarding the company’s working alone policy. Similarly, MPW’s Chemical Safety Subcommittee was created as a direct result of increased observations on the topics of compatibility, labeling and preventive maintenance.
MPW’s safety observation program is extremely valuable because it offers all employees a sounding board for their ideas and concerns. The company’s culture of safety, leadership, processes and training have kept MPW employees safe for more than 50 years. It’s up to each MPW employee to create a safe work environment by never hesitating to point out an unsafe situation or to take steps to eliminate a hazard.
See something, say something, do something!