Safe operating procedures employees

All employees, working with highly hazardous chemicals must understand the safety and health hazards (29CFR1910.1200 - the Hazard Communication Standard) by knowing the properties of the chemicals with which they work, safe operating procedures, work practices, and emergency action. 

B) Employee members of TSD facility emergency response organizations shall be trained to a level of competence in the recognition of health and safety hazards to protect themselves and other employees. This would include training in the methods used to minimize the risk from safety and health hazards in the safe use of control equipment in the selection and use of appropriate personal protective equipment in the safe operating procedures to be used at the incident scene in the techniques of coordination with other employees to minimize risks in the appropriate response to over exposure from health hazards or injury to themselves and other employees and in the recognition of subsequent symptoms which may result from over exposures. 

The risk of injury and damage inherent in the use of electricity can only be controlled effectively by the introduction of employee training, safe operating procedures (safe systems of work) and guidance to cover specific tasks. 

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. 

The global "percent safe score" does not provide direction regarding which particular behaviors need improvement, but it can provide motivation to a workforce that wants to improve (Williams and Geller, 2000). It is an achievement-oriented index that holds employees accountable for things they can control. This assumes, of course, that the workers know the safe operating procedures for every work task. 

For most employees, the issue is not a matter of knowing what is safe. They periodically perform all of the safe operating procedures called for on the job. The problem is consistency or fluency. They do not follow the safe protocol every time. These people need supportive intervention to keep them safe. 

D. Task-specific hazard analyses must lead to the development of written standard operating procedures (SOPs) that specify the controls necessary to safely perform each task. Detailed hazard analyses conducted for each site task and operation provide the basis for developing SOPs to protect employees from safety and health hazards. Written SOPs provide a mechanism for informing employees of procedures that ensure their safety and for enabling management to enforce hazard control procedures. 

Training for process maintenance employees are trained by the employer in maintaining the integrity of proces.s equipment. This training includes an overview of the proces.s, its hazanls and the procedures for safe operation. 

When the employee begins working, the focus should turn to the safe operation of equipment and proper materials handling and spill cleanup procedures. Techniques should be demonstrated for minimizing the amount of material allowed to escape and the human exposure to it. Employees should also be taught the signs and methods of detecting the release of toxic material into the work environment. 

The next element is Operating Procedures [29 CFR 1910.119 (f)]. This requires that the operation of a covered process be directed by written operating procedures that are accessible to and used by the employees who operate that process. They must be up-to-date and must cover normal operations, start up, emergency shutdown, temporary operations, and start up after a maintenance turnaround. They must cover safe operating limits for the critical process parameters as well as how to prevent the process from operating outside those limits (and what to do if the limits are exceeded). These procedures must be certified annually as accurate and up-to-date, have the input of the operators, and they must be trained in their use. ... 

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. 

Develop and implement safe standard operating procedures for the activities conducted within the facility. These should be written and maintained in a suitable form to which the employees would have ready access. 

Lessee s training plan includes procedures on verifying that employees received training on operating procedures, safe work practices, and emergency response and control measures. 

Safe or standard operating procedures describe tasks to be performed, data to be recorded, operating conditions to be maintained, samples to be collected, and safety and health precautions to be taken. The procedures must be technically accurate, understandable to employees, and revised periodically to ensure that they reflect current operations. Operating procedures should be reviewed by engineering staff and operating personnel to ensure that they are accurate and provide practical instructions on how to actually carry out job duties safely. 

It is also good practice to have a training program to instruct employees on safe methods of machine operation. Supervision should ensure that employees are following safe machine operating procedures. A regular program of safety inspection of machinery and equipment should exist that will ensure all machinery and equipment is kept clean and properly maintained. 

Meetings will be scheduled whenever new operations are introduced into the workplace to ensure that all employees are familiar with the safe job procedures and requiranents for performing the job safely. 

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