Safety Plan Sample Document

Safety Plan for Beeker Garden Center

Beeker Garden Center has developed this safety plan for two reasons. The first and most important reason is to keep our staff and our customers safe. Reason number two is that in the event that an accident occurs, we may need to prove that we took precautions to prevent it.

There is no one-size-fits-all safety plan; each must be tailored to fit the specific work situations that may be encountered at a workplace. The owners of Beeker Garden Center have worked with state Labor and Industry experts and other consultants to create a safety plan that is customized to the Beeker Garden Center’s particular needs. We rely on all Beeker Garden Center employees to do their part in keeping our environment safe. If you see a potentially hazardous situation or notice that something is missing from this booklet, please speak up so we can remedy that problem.

The management will never regard this as criticism but view it as taking the initiative to do your part. That’s our promise to you. Beeker Garden Center needs to address the following situations that we routinely encounter in our workplace.

Safety rules for working with hazardous materials. Safety rules for working with heavy equipment, such as our backhoe and our forklifts. Safety rules for moving and lifting heavy objects such as large pots, heavy bags of soil and fertilizer, and large plants. Safety rules for working with electricity in wet environments.

Our objective is to protect two groups of people. The Beeker Garden Center staff, and the customers who visit our center. To meet these needs, we developed this safety plan.

Rules and practices mentioned here were developed in accordance with WA State Labor and Industry standards. The objectives of this safety plan are twofold. 1) to keep our employees and customers safe, and 2) to protect our company from liability.

To accomplish those objectives, we need to focus on the following. Use best practices around heavy equipment. Follow the rules listed for use of forklifts and backhoe. See the Safety Plan page for details.

Use safety equipment provided by the company whenever appropriate. Gloves, masks, respirators, and hard hats are needed in certain situations. See the Safety Equipment page for more information.

Use caution around hazardous materials. Fertilizers and insecticides may contain toxic chemicals. Learn what to do in the case of a spill. See the Safety Plan page for details.

Maintain a safe, clean workspace. Always be aware of your surroundings. Speak up to head off dangerous situations and keep us all safe and healthy.

We consider all Beeker Garden Center staff to be part of our safety team. Please familiarize yourself with all regulations in the sections below, paying special attention to the situations in which you most commonly work. Working with the forklift Our forklifts are used to lift pallets of plants, pots, and bags of soil and fertilizer. Only personnel trained and certified to use the forklift may operate it.

Before starting the forklift, block off the work area with traffic cones and caution tape to keep other employees and customers out. If you will be crossing a big area, enlist another employee to keep watch while you work. A hardhat must be worn at all times while driving the forklift.

The backup beeper on the forklift must be functional during forklift operation. The maximum weight capacity and lift height listed on the front panel of the forklift must never be exceeded. The forklift must never be left running while unattended.

Working with the backhoe Our backhoe is used when we need to dig holes, build dirt ramps, move large stones, or lay water lines. Only personnel trained and certified to use the backhoe may operate it. Before starting the backhoe, block off the work area with traffic cones and caution tape to keep other employees and customers out, making sure to mark off the entire area that the backhoe arm may extend into.

If you will be crossing a big area, enlist another employee to keep watch while you work. A hardhat must be worn at all times while driving the backhoe. The backup beeper on the backhoe must be functional during backhoe operation. The maximum weight capacity and lift height listed on the front panel of the backhoe must never be exceeded.

The backhoe must never be left running while unattended. Working with hazardous materials Many of the fertilizers and insecticides we work with or sell contain hazardous materials that must be handled properly. Before using any chemical product, familiarize yourself with the ingredients and any warnings listed on the label. Do not use any material from a container that is not properly labeled.

Use all materials only for their intended purpose. Store all materials in ventilated, cool, dry areas. Wear protective equipment gloves, masks, protective clothing as needed when the product labels suggest you should. Refer to the MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet notebook as needed to be sure you understand the hazards and precautions to take.

The MSDS notebook is kept in the supply room. Learn the emergency procedures and equipment to employ in the event of an accident. Lifting and moving heavy objects Large plants, bags of fertilizer and soil, and huge pots may be too heavy for one person to safely lift.

Do not attempt to lift any object weighing more than 40 pounds by yourself. Enlist the help of another employee or ask for the forklift operator to lift the object. Do not move loads that are too big for you to clearly see the path ahead. When lifting by yourself, use both arms and bend your knees and squat to begin, rather than bending at the waist to pick up the object.

Working with electricity in wet areas We routinely water plants and hose down cement floors in our garden center, so we must be extra careful about our use of electrical outlets and power cords within these areas. Never spray water over an area crossed by an electrical cord. If possible, disconnect and remove the electrical cord before spraying the area.

Never spray water over an electrical outlet or switch. Never lay an electrical cord over a wet area. Never touch an electrical cord, plug, outlet, or switch with wet hands or while standing on a wet surface. General practices It is everyone’s job to keep our workplace safe.

Pay attention to your surroundings. Make sure your work area is clean and safe at all times. If you see a customer or employee who is currently or may soon be in danger, issue a warning and guide that person to safety.

If you observe a situation that seems currently hazardous or may develop into an unsafe situation, it’s your duty to tell management. Memorize the emergency procedures to use in the event of an accident, and be sure that you understand your role in the procedure. These rules may be revised as necessary, and additional rules may be added. Employees will be advised of rule changes and additions.

Listed below are the procedures we propose to follow in the event of an emergency. Please review them carefully and commit them to memory. We want to head off developments before they become emergencies, but sometimes accidents happen.

In the event of an accident, make sure you know what to do. Injury to employee or customer Although we do our best to prevent them, injuries can happen in our workplace environment. Containers may break, objects may be dropped, collisions can occur in the parking lot.

If injury happens

Make sure the area where the injury occurred is safe for others to enter. Cordon off the area if needed to protect personnel. If the injury is clearly minor i.e., a scratch or minor bruise , report the injury to your supervisor, and then use the first aid kit as needed to disinfect and bandage the wound. If the injury seems serious, the first employee on scene should remain with the victim and call 9-1-1 if a cell phone is in the employee’s possession.

If no cell phone is present, assign another employee to make the call. The first employee on scene should report the incident to a supervisor, or if unable to leave the scene, assign another employee to make that report. Render aid as directed by 9-1-1 dispatchers until help arrives.

After the victim has been attended to by responding medical personnel, all employees in attendance at the time of the injury should write a description of what happened and give it to the owners to file. Hazardous material spill Containers of fertilizer, insecticide, and cleaning agents may break or spill. Make sure the area where the spill occurred is safe for others to enter. Cordon off the area if needed to protect personnel.

Report the spill to a supervisor. Review the product label or MSDS sheet in our MSDS notebook to determine protective equipment gloves, respirator, protective clothing needed. Put on appropriate protective equipment.

If spill is very large or considered hazardous to health, call 9-1-1 and request a hazmat cleanup. If spill is relatively minor, use cleanup procedures as specified on the product label or MSDS sheet. After cleanup has been completed and the spill area made safe for all personnel, employees in attendance at the time of the spill should write a description of what happened and give it to the owners to file.

Dangerous electrical situation In the event of an electrical emergency such as a cut electrical cord or a sparking cord in a wet area. Make sure the area where the electrical problem occurred is safe for others to enter. Cordon off the area if needed to protect personnel.

Report the electrical situation to a supervisor. Call 9-1-1 if needed to shut off power and safely remove damaged electrical cords or outlets. After the incident is concluded, write a report and deliver to the owners.

Earthquake In the case of an earthquake. As soon as the earthquake is detected, move all personnel outside if possible or under heavy tables or desks if not. Protect all personnel from falling debris as best you can. When the shaking stops, evaluate the situation.

If any structures or shelving may be damaged or dangerous, evacuate the area and call 9-1-1. Make sure all personnel are accounted for. If possible, turn off electrical power, gas, and water supply to the area until it has been checked and deemed safe to use again.

After the incident is concluded, write a report and deliver to the owners. Fire In the case of a fire breaking out. Call 9-1-1 immediately.

Secure the area and evacuate personnel as needed. If possible, use fire extinguisher to extinguish the fire. If fire is distant from fire extinguisher, have one person watch the fire while another goes to get the fire extinguisher.

Obey the instructions of fire department personnel after they arrive. After the incident is concluded, write a report and deliver to the owners. Electrical failure blackout If the electricity goes out during daylight hours, the only danger is that we will not be able to use our electronic cash registers and may have to forego sales.

If the electricity goes out after dark. Locate a flashlight. Flashlights are kept in strategic locations throughout the property.

See the map on the break room wall. Secure the area and escort personnel to the parking lot as needed. Make sure everyone has evacuated the building. Report the blackout to the power company.

If blackout lasts longer than 30 minutes, close and lock the building and go home. Dangerous or threatening personnel on site We don’t ever expect to have an employee experience a breakdown or erupt in violence, but we cannot control the customers who enter our business. There’s always a possibility that we may experience a robbery attempt.

In the event that you see any individual behaving in a violent or threatening manner. If you are personally threatened with armed robbery, follow the intruder’s instructions. Do not try to be a hero.

Money can be replaced; lives cannot. Inform others as quickly as possible. Hide if necessary and possible.

Call 9-1-1 as quickly as possible. Do NOT assume that someone else is making the call. Follow the instructions of the 9-1-1 dispatcher.

After incident is over, write a report and give it to management. Cooperate with authorities as requested. We can’t possibly foresee every emergency situation, so in many instances, you must use your best judgment. Always keep in mind that it is everyone’s responsibility to act in a safe manner and protect others.

In the event of an accident or other emergency, please contact at least one of the following people. Beeker Garden Center stocks the following safety devices for the use of its employees. Gloves We have gloves of all types and sizes to protect your hands.

When working with sharp objects, use leather gloves. When working with wet materials or chemicals that are potentially hazardous, wear heavy duty latex-coated gloves. Hardhats We have a variety of hardhats in stock.

Size is adjustable by tightening or loosening the headband. Hardhats must be worn at all times while operating a forklift or backhoe, or when retrieving items from overhead shelves. Plastic aprons and sleeve protectors If you need to be working with wet or very dirty materials, please wear a plastic apron and or sleeve protectors to protect your clothing and skin.

Safety masks and respirators We have a variety of surgical masks in stock—take advantage of them whenever you work with slightly dusty materials. When working in a very dusty or hazardous environment, wear one of our three industrial respirators. The instruction book is stored with the respirators in the supply room. Eye and ear protection Wear safety glasses whenever you are working with anything that might scratch or splash into your eyes.

Earplugs are stocked in the break room for noisy situations such as using the leaf blower or another power tool. Fire extinguishers Fire extinguishers are stored in every room. See the map in the break room for locations. If you use a fire extinguisher or notice that the pressure gauge reads low, please tell a supervisor so we can recharge the extinguisher.

First aid kit and defibrillator A fully stocked first aid kit is available in the break room. Please use it as needed, and inform your supervisor so we can restock supplies as they are used. We also have a defibrillator in the break room, and we will have periodic lessons on its use.

Beeker Garden Center provides this safety equipment for its employees. Please use it. In order to track the effectiveness of our safety program, the following evaluation plan will be used. Incident reports will be completed after every accident or injury, and kept on file in the management office.

Every six months, we will evaluate our safety record, based on the incident reports collected. If we have multiple accidents of the same type over the course of a year, or if the number of accidents is increasing, we will revisit our safety plan to see what needs to change. Our safety record and any changes will be reported in our company newsletter and announced at the monthly employee meetings.