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Safety Goals—No One Gets Hurt
By Irene Boczek
No one gets hurt. That’s what we would all like to have happen at
SLAC. But people are getting hurt, at a higher rate than any other DOE
Science Laboratory. Because injuries don’t happen every day, we tend to
ignore their presence until they affect us personally. And even though
many injuries we see in the workplace can be fixed or cured, some have
the potential for long-lasting detriment to your health and lifestyle. A
small accident or injury now can lead to much greater pain and
disadvantage in the future.
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Indicates rate of accidents
requiring more than first aid at different laboratories. The DOE
HQ goal is indicated by the dotted line.
(Data courtesy of Irene Boczek) |
Here at SLAC we need to work together to
reduce the number of future accidents that occur. In fact we aim to
reduce accidents and injuries by 20 percent in the next year, as a first
step toward getting down to a lower baseline level. This is not to say
that any level of accident or injury is acceptable. By their nature,
accidents are unpredictable, but we can take steps to reduce the chances
of them happening. We need to aim for zero accidents and zero injuries.
What can you do to reduce your own personal risk of injury? First, and
most important, identify and control the hazards in your workplace. This
means ensuring that you are current with all necessary safety training,
can identify the hazards in your workplace and follow the safe work
practices required for your own work circumstances, use the proper
materials or tools for all jobs, and allow sufficient space to perform
all tasks.
What is SLAC doing to help? Our Lab-wide ES&H efforts are focusing on
accident reduction. The Associate Director of your division and other
management staff will work with you to identify what can be done to
enhance safety within the division as well as what you can do to enhance
your own safety. This year’s Talk, Walk program is centered on accident
reduction. You’ll be hearing more from us with simple ideas for reducing
your risks.
No one gets hurt. That’s our aim and we want to help you make
your workplace safer now for the benefit of your future well-being.
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