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Eight Ways to Improve Shop Safety | Great West Casualty

Written by Great West | 11/9/23 2:11 PM

A maintenance shop is full of hazards that can lead to a serious injury or illness. Below is a brief list of safe work practices to follow when working in or around the shop. Read this information and consider putting the list items into practice to help protect yourself and others.

Shop Safety

Avoid Distractions

  • Be attentive to your surroundings.
  • Watch for slip, trip, and fall hazards. 
  • Focus on the task at hand. 

Communicate Hazards

  • Use signage to warn others of hazards. 
  • Follow lockout/tagout procedures. 
  • Report hazards immediately to management. 

Keep Areas Clean

  • Remove trip hazards from walkways. 
  • Clean slip hazards immediately. 
  • Properly store equipment when not in use. 

Utilize PPE

  • Wear personal protective equipment. 
  • Use fall protection in elevated positions. 
  • Ensure visitors wear required PPE. 

Inspect Areas

  • Conduct daily inspections. 
  • Report hazardous conditions. 
  • Implement corrective measures. 

Obey Shop Rules

  • Utilize three points of contact. 
  • Do not horseplay in the shop. 
  • Focus on the task at hand. 

Label Chemicals

  • Use properly labeled containers. 
  • Store flammables in approved cabinets. 
  • Maintain Safety Data Sheets for all chemicals. 

Maintain Supplies

  • Ensure first aid kits are stocked. 
  • Replace outdated equipment (ex. air filters).
  • Keep fire extinguishers full and accessible. 

The information in this article is provided as a courtesy of Great West Casualty Company and is part of the Value-Driven® Company program. Value-Driven Company was created to help educate and inform insureds so they can make better decisions, build a culture that values safety, and manage risk more effectively. To see what additional resources Great West Casualty Company can provide for its insureds, please contact your safety representative, or click below to find an agent. 

© Great West Casualty Company 2023. The material in this publication is the property of Great West Casualty Company unless otherwise noted and may not be reproduced without its written consent by any person other than a current insured of Great West Casualty Company for business purposes. Insured should attribute use as follows: “© Great West Casualty Company 2018. Used with permission by Great West Casualty Company.”

This material is intended to be a broad overview of the subject matter and is provided for informational purposes only. Great West Casualty Company does not provide legal advice to its insureds, nor does it advise insureds on employment-related issues. Therefore, the subject matter is not intended to serve as legal or employment advice for any issue(s) that may arise in the operations of its insureds. Legal advice should always be sought from the insured’s legal counsel. Great West Casualty Company shall have neither liability nor responsibility to any person or entity with respect to any loss, action, or inaction alleged to be caused directly or indirectly as a result of the information contained herein.