With 43.8 on-the-job fatalities per 100,000 workers in 2005, the scrap recycling industry is the fifth deadliest industry in
With this sobering statistic in mind, Gilstrap said management level employees must step up to see that safety procedures are implemented and followed. This involves more than just putting procedures in writing and holding the occasional meeting to review policy. Gilstrap said the key to a safe operation is elevating safety to the same level as profitability in a company’s goals—to “do things safely, or not at all,” Gilstrap said.
CEOs and managers must make safety a priority to validate a safety program, which includes positive reinforcement for following procedures and disciplinary action when those procedures are broken, Gilstrap said. Safety starts at the management level because management is in the best position to set a good example and keep control of a facility. “Nothing happens at your yard without your permission,” Gilstrap said.
One area where many companies fail is taking a proactive approach to safety, according to Gilstrap. “Every accident represents 1,000 near-accidents,” he said. Instead of treating near-accidents like the real thing, Gilstrap said the tendency is more to feel relief at a close-call instead of investigating why it happened and fixing the problem. “Manage near-accidents as accidents,” Gilstrap advised. “Don’t wait for the body to fall or the body part to be injured.”
Gilstrap also advised managers to get their employees involved in the safety process. He said managers should get input from workers on how to fix problems that can lead to an unsafe work environment. “Then it’s no longer you telling workers what to do,” he said.
The ISRI 2007 Annual Convention & Exposition was held April 18-21 in