Shelves can be a convenient way to store all sorts of materials in your facility. Shelves come in all shapes and sizes. And they are a seemingly simple piece of hardware. However, improper use of shelving can result in injury, even death, and a serious release of hazardous materials. Fortunately, there are some obvious best practices you can adopt to avoid that fate. Follow them to ensure that you are completely “shelf-aware” in your workplace.
Of all the material that OSHA releases, the first one you should take a close look at before anything else is its annual Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations List, which comes out every year. It’s a handy guide for examining your facility to see where you might fall short in key areas with regards to the most commonly observed violations of workplace safety. Also, included in that report, are recommendations for dealing with them and getting into compliance.
Unfortunately, the typical way many think about the relationship between the government and industry is that regulators are unreasonable and out to get you… while the private sector is unwilling to follow regulations and will try to get away with anything they can.
The key to any successful relationship is communication. This goes for marriages, friendships… and even the working relationship between a client and their environmental consultant.
