Business safety practices and regulations are more important now than ever. Employees will not be willing to work for companies that do not prioritize their safety, and consumers care more about environmental impact now than ever before. It’s not uncommon for many businesses to utilize hazardous chemicals and products. However, these do pose a potential risk for employees and companies alike. Properly managing these products in the workplace can go a long way in mitigating that risk. Here are four of our best strategies that you can implement to better manage your hazardous stuff. Have a designated, clearly labeled area, implement inventory management, train your employees properly, and appoint a safety coordinator. By following these tips, you will be able to safely manage hazardous chemicals and products in your facility.
Have A Designated Area That Is Clearly Labeled
The first step to manage hazardous chemicals and products is to make sure you have a set space to manage them in. The basis of any hazardous material management plan is to designate a specific area for these items. They need to be kept free from equipment hazards and out of the way of activities that don’t need to utilize the materials. This area should be clearly labeled so that anyone walking into the building knows that the materials are hazardous and should be handled with care.
Implement Inventory Management
Be sure to implement proper inventory management software. When it comes to managing your hazardous chemicals, not all of this job is hands-on. Rather, having an SDS software program that keeps track of your inventory is a must. This type of program will track your inventory, automatically order more when you reach your threshold, and keep all product records in an easy-to-use interface.
Train Your Employees
A key part of any good management program is training your employees. Far too often, employees learn by word of mouth or by watching others. This can lead to gaps in their knowledge about specific hazardous products and how they should be handled. Instead, start with training all of your employees on how to safely handle and manage hazardous chemicals and products. Regular retraining is also a good idea to ensure that safety is instilled as a top priority for your workplace environment.
Appoint A Safety Coordinator
Hazardous materials are not something that you want to be left to the wayside at your workplace. Rather, you should make it a priority to appoint a safety coordinator for the hazardous materials that your employees deal with. This coordinator will be in charge of tracking, checking computerized inventory against the actual inventory, and constructing safety protocols for employees. This person will be the one that anyone at the company goes to when it comes to questions or concerns regarding hazardous materials.
Managing your hazardous materials is a necessity to ensure the safety of your employees and mitigating your risks. You should consider implementing all of the four key strategies above to enhance the management of hazardous materials at your business.
"Brooke Chaplan is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives and works out of her home in Los Lunas, New Mexico. She loves the outdoors and spends most her time hiking, biking and gardening. For more information contact Brooke via Twitter @BrookeChaplan."
