Health and Safety: National Retailer Fined $75,000 for Health and Safety Violations

On a national retailer’s loading dock, a 450 pound compressor was being unloaded from a truck when the dolly on which the compressor was riding fell on a worker’s leg. The employee suffered a broken leg and a dislocated ankle. A safety inspector’s report showed that the retailer failed to ensure that material, articles or things, including the compressor, required to be lifted, carried or moved, shall be lifted, carried or moved in such a way and with such precautions and safeguards, including protective clothing, guards or other precautions as will ensure that the lifting, carrying or moving of the material, articles or things does not endanger the safety of any worker; a failure to obey safety regulations was issued. The court agreed with the investigation and found the retailer guilty and fined it $75,000.

What could have been done to prevent this accident and court proceedings? A working health and safety plan. Health and safety plans and procedures only are effective if they are practiced. A daily, documented inspection of this dolly and loading procedures would have prevented this accident. ABB Safety Net provides aid in maintaining a health and safety program. E-mailed notices are provided as reminders of up and coming events to keep a health and safety program legal. Proper documented training and a daily safety log of the dolly would have prevented this case from a fine and would have diminished the accident from occurring in the first place.

A working program will:
1) Improve employee morale-shows care in their well being
2) Reduce revenue loses-fewer accidents keeps employees working and reduces insurance premiums and also can lead to rebates on insurance
3) Give a boost to the customer-having fewer accidents means all employees are available for work

Writing a health and safety program is a huge and frustrating task. Where to start? ABB Safety Net can help. ABB Safety Net will issue a written plan with your company’s name for your company. Secondly ABB Safety Net will provide a self hazard assessment for your company (nobody knows your company better than you). Further ABB Safety Net will research requirements for your region to make your program complies with legal requirements such as: “do you need a formal committee?”, “need first aid training?”, “what needs to be posted?”, or even being “certified?”

Now, the written plan is ready what’s next? You must live and maintain the plan. Documentation is everything for your and your employee’s protection. ABB Safety Net will provide an employee’s safety manual and a form to sign. ABB Safety Net will also provide simple forms for daily start-ups, monthly walk-throughs, quarterly meetings, and annual meetings. To aid in maintenance for your health and safety plan, ABB Safety Net will e-mail these forms as a reminder of the occurrences when they are due. ABB Safety Net will even e-mail a random fire drill to test for fire safety.

What happens when an accident does occur? With a working plan in place you will have all needed forms and you will have all documentation in place. You will even have an investigation procedure in place to aid in preventing the accident from occurring again. In case an accident does occur, an investigation would have taken place by you and not by the safety inspector. You would have come to the conclusion first and would have the report ready before the safety inspector stopped by.

Now, how would you answer these questions from a safety inspector “Where is your health and safety plan?” “Here is our plan that we are very proud of and our accident rate has almost become zero.” “Where is the safety documentation of this injured worker?” “Here is all of the safety documentation of training. It was a misfortune that this accident did occur. Here is our accident investigation report and our conclusions on how to prevent this from occurring again.”

Give ABB Safety Net a call at (416)276-0017 or drop us an e-mail at ABBSafetyNet@gmail.com for help in your health and safety plan and maintenance today.