Emergencies and disasters can strike at any moment and you never want to be unprepared when this happens.
According to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the most frequent causes of evacuations in the U.S. each year are fires and floods. In addition, a wide variety of emergencies, both man-made and natural, may require a workplace to be evacuated. These emergencies may include explosions, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, hazardous/toxic material releases, radiological and biological accidents, civil disturbances and workplace violence.
Make a Plan & Educate Employees
Preparing before an incident is vital to ensuring you and your workers have the necessary equipment, know where to go and how to stay safe when an emergency occurs. The best way to protect your workers is to “expect the unexpected” and carefully develop an Emergency Action Plan (EAP) to serve as a guide when immediate action is necessary. Almost every business is required to have an EAP, which helps organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. In general, you’re required to have an EAP if your workplace provides or requires fire extinguishers and if anyone will evacuate during an emergency.
Uneducated Workers = Danger
What should workers know before an emergency occurs? The mission of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is to keep all people safe in the workplace, so here are some tips and tricks to getting #PreparedNotScared:
- Be familiar with the worksite’s emergency evacuation plan
- Know the pathway to at least two exits from every room and area at the workplace
- Recognize the sound/signaling method of an evacuation as well as other alarms and their different meanings
- Understand who to contact in an emergency and the specific procedures they are expected to use
- Know where the fire and evacuation alarms are located and how to use them
- Report damaged or malfunctioning safety systems and back-up systems
- Report changes in health that may affect the ability to safely evacuate, to a supervisor
Count on Runyon for Personal Protective Equipment
When contractors and their workers use proper safety and personal protective equipment (PPE), serious injury can be prevented and minor incidents never have a chance to snowball into catastrophic events.
The two most important aspects to staying safe on the job are 1) situational awareness and 2) adherence to proper safe operating procedures. Statistics from OSHA and the Bureau of Labor support the importance of PPE:
- Only 1% of workers who sustained face injuries wore face protection
- Only 16% of workers who sustained head injuries wore hard hats
- Only 23% of workers who sustained foot injuries wore safety shoes or boots
- Only 40% of workers who sustained eye injuries wore eye protective equipment
A majority of workers who were injured were performing their normal jobs at regular worksites.
Count on Runyon Surface Prep for contractor essentials, protective garments and equipment that satisfies all jobsite PPE requirements. The experts at Runyon can also help you with setting up an Emergency Action Plan for job sites and assist with all OSHA documentation needed.
Runyon Surface Prep Rental & Supply is a full-service sales and rental facility uniquely dedicated to the concrete polishing industry. Our uniqueness comes from providing our customers with a diverse equipment, product and supply portfolio. We offer training and support, such as technique workshops on prep, polishing or removal, and maintain a well-stocked inventory of consumables ready for your projects at a moment’s notice. Rather than perform contract work, we consult on job sites when necessary. With the backing of our vendors, Runyon Surface Prep offers support at any level, to assist in helping you get things done. We can deliver or ship wherever you need, or you can pick up from our facility.