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Make sure workers are protected from more than heat and moving parts.
Articles during the summer months often focus on safety — be it on the job, around the rig, in the trench, wherever. I want to jump on this bandwagon as well but focus on a few other things on my mind that relate to safety.
Let’s focus on safety that we don’t often see or know about because we don’t always ask our employees. It is the safety of unseen issues.
New hires (and even your long-time hires) may be dealing with a lot more than you know about outside the job. Personal life, social issues, and other things can take a huge toll on each of us.
Make sure you take some time to do the following:
Educate yourself on knowing the signs of mental health stress and struggles. What do the sudden mood swings say? Is an employee suddenly reserved and quiet?
- § Reach out to these employees, asking them if everything is alright. Is there anything they need?
- § Realize that these are your employees and they need support.
Also, think about other unforeseen items. We all know that our industry’s preferred method of fixing a wound in the field is a rag and tape, but do you know where the nearest pharmacy is to your jobsite? What about an ER?
Have you made sure your first aid kit is stocked with the necessary items, and up-to-date items? Make sure the items dad put in there 30 years ago have been changed out!
Finally, make sure you know the protocol for specific safety issues.
Does everyone know what to do if there is an epileptic episode with a worker? What do you have in place if that happens?
What about a Type 1 or Type 2 diabetic attack? Do you know the difference? Does the employee have a First Alert tag on them? Have they told you what to do?
We have to be safe — and not just from heat and moving parts. We have to make sure we take care of all of our employees, both those in the field working and those back working in the office.
DAVE SCHULENBERG
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, IAGP
