Inspections from the occupational health and safety administration are necessary for any industrial or fabrication industry. Safety is the number one priority, and OSHA will make regular inspections to ensure the safety of your entire team. How can you be sure your shipyard can stay compliant when inspection time comes around? Here are some tips to get you started.
Focused Inspections on Common Hazards
While you want to ensure that your environment is thoroughly safe, it’s essential to know that an OSHA inspection will focus on specific issues that are common hazards. That means you can ensure general safety but focus on the most important aspects.
Falls
A variety of hazards can cause falls. In an environment as reliant on water as the shipbuilding industry, slips can be a concern if not address. Falls can also happen from heights such as platforms, rigging, roofs, and other surfaces. Provide the proper safety to prevent falls from happening and train employees on how to spot hazards.
Striking Hazards
The term from OSHA is a “struck by” hazard. It’s defined as an accident that can occur when a heavy object strikes an employee. This is primarily a concern in workplaces such as shipyards where large and heavy materials are hoisted by machinery. Increased safety training and precautions around these situations are imperative.
Caught Between
Like “struck by,” OSHA is also concerned by what they refer to as “caught between.” This is, essentially, any sort of accident that includes crushing between or under large, heavy materials. Similar to struck by accents, this hazard can be prevalent in a shipyard environment. Safety training and inspections can help mitigate risk and keep employees safe.
Electrical
While fire may be the most pressing concern with electrical safety, there are a lot of things to be concerned about. Again, the proximity to water does make electrical safety a bit more complicated. The right staff in place to work with electrical systems and proper safety training for fire or shock hazards is imperative.
Are you ready for your next OSHA inspection? Contact Hutco today to learn more about safety initiatives.
