Toolbox Talk
Emergency Preparedness
Identifying Potential Hazards
As with most safety-related issues, the first step
toward emergency preparedness is identifying the
most obvious risks in your work area. For
example, one thing that we can all be on the
lookout for is electric hazards.
Electrical problems are among the main sources of
workplace fires. As a rule of thumb, always check
electrical equipment before you use it. If you spot
a problem, have it corrected immediately.
Some other common hazards are related to
chemicals. Be familiar with any substance in you
work area that might be:
Flammable - I f there are flammables in your
area, make sure you know the circumstances
which may cause them to ignite.
Explosive - Certain vapors and dusts can cause
serious explosions when they come into contact
with other substances you should know about
them already, but let me know if you have any
questions.
Reactive - Some substances are safe until they
come into contact with others. Make sure you're
familiar with the types of reactions that could
cause problems in you work area.
These are just a few of the things you need to be
concerned with. I just want to get you thinking
about potential problems and how to guard against
them.
MSDS's
One of your best weapons against the hazards
we're discussing is the Material Safety Data Sheet.
MSDSs, as well as chemical labels, can tell you a
lot about what you're dealing with. But you've got
to read them.
Take a good look at them until you're very clear
on all of the potential hazards as well as what to
do should an accident occur. This goes for the
chemicals you work with as well as those used by
others in your vicinity.
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Don't be satisfied with a quick read. It's important
that you become somewhat of an expert in dealing
with the chemicals in your area, because in a real
emergency, you won't have time to look in a
manual for instructions on what to do.
If An Accident Does Occur
Because no two accidents or accident situations
are exactly alike, I can't give you complete details
on what to do in every emergency. Sometimes
common sense applies. But what I can do is give
you some general pointers about what to do in an
emergency.
First, make sure you know how to report an
emergency. This could be a fire, a chemical spill,
an explosion or some other type of incident.
If someone else spots the emergency, you've got
to know how to react to the alarm.
A true emergency calls for evacuation. Make sure
you now how to get out of the building safely and
help others to do the same. Once you're out, it is
very important that you go directly to your
assigned meeting place.
Some of you may also have specific jobs in
emergencies.
We're counting on you to stay in control and
perform these tasks before getting out of the
building.
Concluding Remarks
Remember - even if spills or fires are unlikely in
your immediate area, these and other types of
emergency situations can arise. If you have any
questions or concerns about hazards in your area,
let me know.
Beyond that, you need to know how to prevent
these risks from becoming accidents and know
how to respond if prevention fails.