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STAYING SAFE AT WORK—YOUR #1 PRIORITY

By Cas Rogala, Wooster Operations Administration—Safety

I’ve worked in Safety and Engineering throughout most of my career. Throughout the years, I have
witnessed accidents and injuries, fires, chemical spills, and a lot of other incidents that resulted in
injured employees. According to the National Safety Council, an employee is injured on the job
every seven seconds. No one wants to get hurt, but sometimes we neglect best safety practices
because it takes extra time and effort. A little extra time is always worth it to avoid an injury. As a
GOJO team member, following safety protocols are in you and your coworkers’ best interests. Here
are a few tips to keep yourself and your coworkers safe.

1. INFORM SUPERVISORS OF UNSAFE CONDITIONS
If you see something that could potentially hurt someone, remove or clean up the safety concern, if
you can do so safely. Otherwise, inform a GOJO supervisor. Since your supervisor is obligated to
keep you and your fellow employees’ working environment safe—they must take action.

2. USE EQUIPMENT PROPERLY
Misusing tools and machines is the most common cause of workplace injuries. When using
equipment, make sure that you are using each piece of equipment for its intended purpose and are
using it correctly. Additionally, regularly clean and inspect equipment to ensure that it is safe.

3. WEAR PROPER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT (PPE)
When working, always be sure you wear the proper safety equipment. Making sure you wear the
proper safety equipment and checking that your safety equipment is undamaged significantly
decreases your likelihood of getting injured.

4. PREVENT OBJECTS FROM FALLING
To keep objects from falling, use protections such as nets, toe boards, and toe rails. Keep stacked
objects out of the way of aisles and work areas.

5. USE CORRECT POSTURE WHEN LIFTING
To avoid injuring your back when you are trying to pick up an item, keep your back straight, use
your legs to lift, and pick up the item without stooping or twisting.

6. TAKE BREAKS
Many work-related injuries occur when an employee is tired and cannot adequately observe
dangers in their surroundings. By taking your regularly scheduled breaks, you are able to stay more
alert when working.

7. PREVENT SLIPS AND TRIPS
As the second most prevalent cause of nonfatal occupational injuries, it is vital to ensure that aisles
are clear and spills are cleaned to prevent employees from tripping or slipping. Clean up any spills
immediately to keep conditions safe. Also, check your workplace to make sure there are no
obstructions on the floor. If there are, ensure it gets resolved by correcting it yourself, if possible, or
contacting your supervisor or Safety.

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