As the adage reminds us: “prevention is better than cure”. If we apply that pearl of wisdom to our routines in the industry, we must remember that the training of operators and those who visit our facilities is not a negligible issue to which we pay attention every now and then. On the contrary, safety training merits constant time and effort to help us anticipate potential accidents caused by lack of knowledge or precaution.
In order to take care of those who visit our facilities we first must understand that we need to instil that preventive mindset we talked about in everyone at work. It’s essential to remind them constantly that the safety of the people present in our facilities is a central concern for everyone and that, therefore, we are all involved in this task.
During their visit, we suggest you allocate a space to provide a thorough and extremely clear explanation of the potential hazards that can be faced when moving around industrial facilities, manoeuvring areas and heavy loading and unloading areas, amongst others. While designed for visitors, these recommendations also apply to operators who join the company although their training period may vary according to the responsibilities and tasks to be performed.
During that initial training time – and if necessary – we must show visitors the type of personal safety equipment that should be used during the visit, clearly explaining its correct use. Unfortunately we very often see visitors taking off their helmets and exposing themselves to very high risks without being aware of it.
Visitors should stay with your guide at all times, and everyone should be clear about the risks involved in not doing so or getting away from the group. Also, if possible, it is recommended to have someone with a solid knowledge of first aid principles among those who accompany visitors during their stay in your facility. This person should be prepared to act in the event that some type of accident or unforeseen health event occurs.
Another very important aspect of your visitors’ training is to inform them about the main traffic signs they should be aware of and which are the evacuation routes of your facility. Remind them also when are they allowed to take pictures or videos and when and where can they smoke.
By paying attention to and following safety guidelines, we are all contributing to prevent and reduce accidents in industrial facilities.