I recently had a long, frustrating meeting with my director. I want to put a small first aid kit in each one of our company's vehicles. She is insistent that because it's not required by OSHA, she's not going to spend the money. While I appreciate the need to stay within our budget, I'd like to think of regulatory requirements as the starting point for our safety program, esepcially when we're dealing with relatively small expenses to move beyond them.

Does anyone have any advice on getting past budgetary objections? I'm tempted to pay for the kits myself.

     These things can be frustrating when you feel you've a good idea. If you haven't already, do some analysis of the problem. How many vehicles? How many times in the last year has the need for a first aid kit arisen? How much money would it have saved the company in emergency medical costs? How much danger do the employees face while in and about company vehicles each day? Are the kits comprehensive enough to treat the type of injuries encountered in the past year?

     Put this and more into a report and try again. Good luck!

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Lonnie

Are you talking to your Safety Director?

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Tracy A. Hanes
10 & 30 Authorized Construction Trainer
Primier Online Training Solutions
www.safetyleader.360training.com
1030@safetyleader.ws

I am, and I think I'm making progress because it's not a huge amount of money and it makes good sense to try to protect our folks out on the road.

Now, about that raise...!

 

 

Question for you, are all of your company vehicles BMW's?  Probably not.  Would the sales force (or whomever) really like to drive BMW's?  Probably.  Problem--it's not required so they're not going to spend the money.  However, if your sales force determined that not driving BMW's was costing the company 10X the price of BMW's in lost revenue, the BMW's would be in the parking lot next month.

Now, let's bring this to your situation.  Have you had any injuries in the vehicles where a first aid kit would have been handy?  Any of your road warriors had to spend time in a minor emergency center?  How much did that cost.  That's how you sell it to your manager.

The problem is we safety people are basically employee advocates.  Lots of us don't do well selling ideas to the bean counters.  You have to think like a bean counter.  Here's what you do.  Put together a proposal that lists the cost of the first aid kits vs. the cost of a trip or two to the minor emergency center.  Include the $ value of the time spent waiting in the MEC.  Then do a cost justification.  If you need help, check with the people who do projects in your company, they can do these in their sleep.  Find out what ROI % is needed to get a project funded. (If you don't know what ROI means, ask the project guys.)

Good luck!

Dave McGill, CIH, CSP

Can you try asking some of the drivers if they would feel better and safer having the first aid kits with them in the car.  Then you could go back and say "based on the # number of people asked, # had said they would prefer the first aid kits."  My guess is that the ratio would be pretty big.  And by that point, you've already built some momentum for the initiative.

I agree with your thinking and also the fact that "we" are employee advocates. When trying to approach a manager/supervisor, I attempt to qualify the safety concern myself (you lose your "respect" in a matter of speaking, when you personally don't know what you're talking about. In other words, you are unable to describe the situation with sufficient firsthand knowledge). Once the safety "hazard" is qualified (by myself if at all possible) it makes it easier to voice it and avoid not having the answers when management attempts to minimize/diminish/discount  the problem. Its important to actually have the rules and regulations in writing so that there can be no confusion.

I always try to access the situation from both the employee mindset and management in that when I alert them about a situation I always look for a "fix" when applicable. In this way you're not always the person thats "a complainer", but the one that brings up a potential situation before it becomes an accident that would in essence cost the company far more money to ignore it rather than fix it immediately. Hope that helps someone. Its a struggle to remain positive sometimes when it seems like management ignores the safety regulations but it's more important to "do the right thing" for everybody's sake....Take care.

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USPSKAT

Don't forget to look at DOT regulations. Dana

I would suggest that the OSHA rules be looked at again.  First Aid supplies are required to be readily available under paragraph §1910.151(b).  Now, the idea of a first aid kit IS non-mandatory by OSHA standards, but I would go to the bean counters with the following:

The costs associated with putting a kit together vs. buying a completed kit.  The kit would need a container (Labled with First Aid), as well as every little item required by OSHA.

The fact of the matter is, every employee must have access to a readily available First Aid station.  The station must also be suited to the needs of the duties performed by the employee.  If you have a welder in the field (working off a truck) he is required to have some form of eye wash station and extra burn care items, where a salseperson should only require bandages and gauze. 

Just because someones duties are considered labor and others are not, or if they drive a vehicle on the road or work in a warehouse, that first aid station must be readily available.

Rich

First and foremost, do not allow the situation between you and the director to get out of hand.  The absolute key to safety in the workplace is teamwork.  One of the biggest dangers we face in the workplace today is the hazards of workplace violence.  With that said, let's look at finding a way to fund the first aid kits.  They could not be that expensive if you were willing to go out and buy them yourself, so obviously 'cost' is not the issue.  So the options are:  raise the money to buy them, or get them donated.  If fundraisers are out of the question, I would get in touch with such organizations as the Red Cross, the Salvation Army or even your local medical supply stores, to see if first aid kits can be donated to the cause.  A lot of companies would be willing to do that, just for the consideration of having their name labeled on the outside.  Last, I would absolutely like to commend you on your dedication to your people.  I think it was very obvious in your post, that you took a stance to stand up for the safety of the employees.  And that is an attitude that is often lacking in the workplace today.  I wish there were more safety officers like you.

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Orville Murphy, Trainer/ Founder
Homeland America
http://www.homelandamerica.org

You may also want to ask to see the Job Hazard Analysis for that job. The safety director should have an analysis report on every job to determine whether it is hazardous or not. Then from the analysis you can determine which aspects of the job may be deemed hazardous. From there you can determine what actions are being taken to prevent or eliminate the hazards. Some hazards are impossible to eliminate or control; therefore other means may be needed to accommodate for the hazards - i.e. PPE or other protective means. If you truly feel that this is a problem or that the need for the first aid kits are an absolute you need to approach the situation from every angle. Don't leave any "stones unturned".

After you have presented all arguments and have given reasonable evidence to prove the necessity for the first aid supplies then I believe the responsibility lies within the hands of those who purchase and supply the first aid products. It's sad to say but too many times it takes an injury that could have been prevented or aided by something before some people wake up to the necessity of safety supplies no matter what the cost may be.

Good luck! Don't give up on what you believe is the right, safe thing to do!

 

 

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Tim Croley,
Safety Coordinator
CMCA

I am a one year old to the safety side of a Heavy Highway/Underground Utility Construction Company, and was hired as the Safety Director.  I have found that a safety culture absolutely has to be sold to management.  Management is the dollars and sence. I ran into many roadblocks starting out, and I have a suggestion for you....  research, compile yor data and sell the idea to management. What is the cost now vs. long run.  What will it save your company, in time lost for production, in supplies, or time off for minor injuries becoming infections?

In the meantime, go to CVS or even Super Wal Mart or something similar.  Get each vehicle a bottle of peroxide, bandaids, a roll of paper towels and water proof surgical tape.  Issue one to each vehicle, which cannot be renewed without an incident report and the empty. This cost me personally $120.00 for the entire fleet of 27 vehicles, and most foremen were so glad, they paid me back and then some.  Total out of pocket expense turned out to be $0.00.

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Carrie L. Reid
Safety Director
Underground Utility Contractor
J'ville FL