Practicing Safety Week All Year Long
August 14, 2018
By Tim Hare, General Manager
At NSTAR Global Services, “Think Safe, Work Safe, Be Safe” are words we live by every single day. But because our employees are placed at high-tech manufacturing sites around the world, best practices in safety may differ from customer to customer. So, we created our own on-site safety protocols to make sure our employees understand they are responsible for ensuring not only their own safety, but the safety of those around them. Safety Week 2018 provided the perfect launchpad to demonstrate these 10 protocols at all our customer sites.
How did we make this happen simultaneously at all locations? Just like everything else we do: through careful planning and execution. We held meetings at our corporate offices in Garner and also sent our managers into the field to divide and conquer at select customer sites around the U.S. We also created a flyer featuring these 10 safety tips, which was delivered to all remote locations, with corporate employees available by phone to answer any questions.
It helped that we had a full week to pull it off. Bruce Schulte (Northwest Operations Lead) Lance Reynolds (Key Account Coordinator) and I hosted lunch meetings in Boise, Idaho, and then Bruce headed to other site meetings in Utah. Antoine Marion (Western Region Operations Manager) visited our customer sites in Texas. Milford Tansmore (Site Operations Manager) handled lunch meetings in both California and Arizona.
10 Safety Tips
As you can see from the list below, we believe safety protocols extend beyond hazard and accident prevention to keeping everyone’s health and well-being top of mind. We also believe it is everyone’s responsibility to keep the workplace safe.
Following these 10 tips will keep your workplace safe for yourself and your co-workers. Remember, safety starts with you. Download the complete flyer here.
- Inform supervisors of unsafe conditions
- Use equipment, materials and tools properly
- Wear safety equipment
- Prevent slips and trips
- Keep work areas and emergency exits clear
- Eliminate fire hazards
- Avoid tracking hazardous materials
- Prevent objects from falling
- Use correct posture when lifting
- Take work breaks from time to time
Key Takeaways
Safety week participants declared the event a success across the board, from interaction with NSTAR managers who visited, to the safety badge tag they received. Many attached it proudly to their lanyard. We, as managers, were especially pleased with the discussions about complacency: how it is a common problem, and what can be done to eliminate it. Taking what we learned throughout the week and applying it in our daily lives is a big step everyone can take to live safely at work and at home. At NSTAR, we are committed to providing a safe work environment.
