General Safety: 7 Things Employees Must Know

What must we know about safety and our job?

7 Things Employees Must Know About Safety and Their Job

No matter what your job, all employees need to know seven essential things about safely performing their work. 

1. Hazards – Know what could go wrong in your job to cause injury or to make you or your coworkers ill. You need to be able to identify hazards, and what steps you need to take to protect against the hazards.

2. Safety rules and regulations – Be familiar with all of the safety and health rules and regulations that apply to your job. Spend the time to review the appropriate Procedure and ASK QUESTIONS if you are not sure how to perform a task safely. 

3. Required job skills and knowledge – You must have the knowledge and training required to do a good, safe job. If you are unsure of a skill or task – ASK! 

4. Required PPE – For every task, you must understand what PPE is required, and you must understand how to select, inspect, use, and maintain your PPE. 

5. Safety controls – If engineering controls, like ventilation or machine safeguards, are available, make sure you understand how these controls are used. Administrative controls, like permits for confined spaces or lock out tag out, must be understood and complied with. 

6. Proper body positioning – Most jobs involve some ergonomic risks, so you must understand these risks and the safe work practices required to prevent physical stress and strain.

7. What to do if something goes wrong – You must know how to respond and how to report an emergency. Don’t forget to review emergency procedures and protocols.