Environmental Health and Safety

Be Aware of Your Surroundings

For most of us, multitasking is an everyday reality.  There are phone calls to make, emails to answer, and texts which need answering - and we often do these things while performing other tasks.  How many times have you answered your cell, checked your email, or even sent a text while walking or driving?
 
While we view these things as necessary, they distract us from our primary activities.  How many times are videos of people walking off a sidewalk or tripping over something while talking on the phone or texting uploaded to YouTube or featured on "Funniest Home Videos" programs?  When we become distracted, we lose focus on our surroundings and injuries from slips, trips, falls, and coming into contact with objects are more likely to occur.
 
Here are some tips to help raise your awareness:
 
Survey your work area before you do anything:
  1. Ensure that you have enough space to do your work
  2. Identify any lockout/tagout needs for any work on energy sources
  3. Check the condition of the flooring and lighting
  4. In mechanical spaces and crawlspaces, look for low overhead hazards, sharp edges or surfaces, standing water, non-insulated pipes, exposed wiring, and unguarded equipment
Walk the route you will be following when transporting materials:
  1. Look for uneven surfaces, trip hazards, objects you will need to maneuver around, foot traffic, or any other obstacle
  2. Pay attention before entering elevators: the floor of the elevator may not be even with the floor of the corridor
  3. Check the stairways:  condition of stairs and landings, uneven stair heights, and obstacles
Do not create new hazards:
  1. Don't run extension or power cords through high traffic areas
  2. Do not block emergency egress or exits
  3. Clean up when you are done:  remove all your tools, clean up debris, replace machine guards and electrical covers, etc.
  4. Consider the building occupants when scheduling your work: you may need to schedule work when there are fewer people in the building/area
  5. Put up barriers and signage to alert building occupants to avoid hazards and stay clear of the immediate work area
  6. Report hazards to Facilities and/or Environmental Health and Safety 
Also be aware that "familiarity breeds contempt."  In other words, we tend to overlook hazards in familiar work and home settings. Don't fall into the mindset of "But it's always been that way!"
 
Here are some other resources designed to help bring awareness to the importance of being aware: