Safe operating procedures employee involvement

This is a process used to check how effective your safe operating procedures are and if there is a need to make changes to control the hazards of the job. Before the start of any task or operation, the designated competent or company authorized person should evaluate the task or operation to identify potential hazards and to determine the necessary controls. This assessment should focus on actual worksite conditions or procedures, which differ from, were not anticipated, or were not related to other hazard analyses. In addition, the competent person shall ensure that each employee involved in the task or operation is aware of the hazards related to the task or operation and of the measures or procedures to use for protection. Note that the job safety assessment is not intended to be a formal, documented analysis, but instead is more of a quick check of actual site conditions and a review of planned procedures and precautions. 

Initial and periodic refresher re-training (at least every 3 years) are required by the OSHA and EPA standards. This training is to ensure that each employee involved in operating a process (1) understands and adheres to the current operating procedures of the process (including emergency shutdown) (2) understands the specific safety and health hazards (3) can perform the safe work... 

CFR1910.119(g)(l)(ii) 4.5.1.2 In lieu of initial training for those employees already involved in operating a process on May 26, 1992, an employer may certify in writing that the employee has the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely carry out the duties and responsibilities as specified in the operating procedures. 

All employees, including maintenance and contract employees, involved with highly hazardous chemicals must understand all associated safety and health hazards. A trained workforce is an effective deterrent against unsafe incidents. Employees of a process must be trained in the overview of the process and its operating procedures. Training must include specific safety and health hazards, emergency operations, and safe work practices. Refresher training is required every three years. 

Many laboratories conduct operations which do not require the use of radioactive materials, in the same space as those in which radioactive materials are employed. In many of these instances, different personnel are employed in the two programs. Nonusers of radioisotopes should be made sufficiently aware of the procedures required for the safe, legal use of radiation so that they will neither inadvertently violate any safety requirements for the use of byproduct radioactive materials, nor misunderstand any actions of the employees involved with radiation. While the licensed users of radioactive materials are present, they can and must take precautions to avoid exposing the other persons in the laboratory unnecessarily to radiation, but when they are not present, the nonusers need to be aware of the areas where radioactive sources and waste are stored and areas they should avoid if there is any possibility of contamination. If proper security procedures are followed, the latter should theoretically not be possible. Any area containing radioactive materials should be clearly marked with signs bearing the radiation symbol and the label ... 

Along with the chemical safety guidelines and safe work and handling guidelines provided below, it is important for every employee, before begriming any operation involving the use or handling of chemicals, to ask What would happen if... The answer to this question will be dictated by the hazardous properties of the material and its intended use. Moreover, for the employee to answer this question, he or she must not only understand the hazards associated with the chemicals but also the equipment and procedures involved. 

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