Poster of the Month, October 2015: The dangers of acting on instinct

In the wild, animals use their instincts to survive 

In the workplace, acting on instinct can be dangerous

Never act on first instinct, always take the time to think!

October's Poster of the Month is about acting on instinct and how this can be dangerous — especially in a workplace environment.

What does it mean to act on instinct?

Acting on instinct can be a split second reaction that results in a serious accident. 

The example on the poster shows a man who has dropped his key down a hole. He has reacted instinctively, by kneeling down and reaching his hand into the hole, but he hasn't stopped to wonder what else might be down there. 

Other examples may include:

• A worker who spots an item that is about to fall and instinctively reaches out to grab it. Unbeknown to the worker, however, the item is really heavy, red hot or razor sharp.

• A driver who swerves to avoid a pigeon on the road and ends up colliding with a another vehicle.

• A machine-operator, whose machine suddenly jams and shuts down, instinctively reaches into the machine to remove the blockage. However, as soon as the jam is cleared, the machine starts up again with his/her hand still inside.

Instinct is a natural reaction.

So how can we influence workers to override their instincts and stop them from doing what comes naturally?

• Build a 'safety first' culture, where safety is always prioritised;
• Highlight potential dangers in the workplace to raise awareness and increase caution;
• Regularly remind employees of safe practice and procedure e.g. lock out, tag out where machinery is concerned; and
• Draw attention to the specific dangers of acting on instinct and remind employees to always think before taking action.

A split second's thought could save an accident report.

Kodiak's poster subscription service is an effective and inexpensive way to promote safety in your workplace.

Our ever-changing posters regularly address workplace safety issues, stress the importance of adhering to procedure and highlight the dangers of acting on instinct.

To find out more about how our posters can help you improve safety and reduce accidents, please call us on 01530 456 000 or email enquiries@kodiak.co.uk

Poster of the Month, November 2014: Do you have the right training, experience and equipment to do the job?

USE YOUR HEAD

Always ensure you are trained, experienced 

and have the right tools for the job

Anything less just won't cut it!

November's Poster of the Month is a humorous one about making sure you have the right training, experience and equipment to do the job.

The right training provides essential awareness

When employees undertake training, they are taught the correct and safe way to do the job. 

They also learn what not to do — and about the potential consequences of doing things wrong.

Training can make your employees look at a task in a completely different way and appreciate the risks in ways they never could before.

Working without training can lead to disaster

If an untrained employee attempts to do something without the necessary training — for example, driving a forklift truck — they won't have the same awareness and they will be more likely to cause an accident.

In fact, untrained forklift operators are one of the leading causes of forklift accidents.

Using the wrong tools can be dangerous too

Using a screwdriver to prise open a can of paint might be okay. But try using a stanley knife and the brittle blade could snap and cause a serious injury.

Likewise with any tool that is too big or powerful for the job that is being attempted.

Kodiak posters regularly cover training, experience and using the right tool for the job. 

If you need posters on this subject we have a wide range available via our sales team.

For more information, please call us on 01530 456 000 or visit our website: www.kodiak.co.uk

Poster of the Month, October 2014: Dealing with hazards in the workplace

WARNING SIGNS

We can't remove every hazard from our workplace, but we can:

1. Warn others of the hazard
2. Isolate the hazard
3. Control the hazard
4. Direct others to avoid the hazard

Respond to hazards quickly and carefully or it could be the end of the road

October's Poster of the Month looks at ways of tackling workplace hazards, using road signs to illustrate each example.

In an ideal world we could eliminate all the hazards that make our workplaces dangerous but, in the real world we can only acknowledge them and deal with them appropriately

What is a hazard?

According to the HSE:

"A hazard is something (e.g. an object, a property of a substance, a phenomenon or an activity) that can cause adverse effects."

Examples may include:

• a newly washed floor, or accidental spill, that could cause a slip hazard
• working with hazardous materials, for example in a paint spray shop
• excessive noise, which could cause hearing damage
• maintenance or renovations happening in one part of the building

Dealing with hazards

As the poster points out, there are different ways of dealing with different hazards. The following are examples of how this advice might be put into practice.

1. Warn others of the hazard

• Make sure all permanent hazards are highlighted with appropriate signage, such as warning signs, no-entry signs, mandatory PPE signs etc
• Supervise visitors correctly — advise them of hazards and make sure they wear appropriate PPE while on site
• Use temporary signs for temporary hazards, such as putting out a wet floor sign after washing the floor

2. Isolate the hazard

• Isolate areas where hazardous activities take place and specify that only authorised personnel are allowed to enter
• If possible, block off areas where there are temporary hazardous conditions, such as areas where outside contractors are working 

3. Control the hazard

• Ensure employees adhere to the site rules and wear the correct PPE when carrying out hazardous tasks
• Advise employees to make sure their PPE is fit for purpose — it should fit them properly and be in good condition
• Ensure chemicals are labelled correctly and that safety data sheets are available for supplementary advice and information on the chemicals in use

4. Direct others to avoid the hazard

• Use no-entry or authorised personnel only signs to prevent unauthorised access to hazardous areas
• Use authorised cordons, cones and diversion signs to block, and direct people away from, temporary hazardous conditions
• Use clearly marked walkways to segregate pedestrians from vehicle movement areas and dangerous or moving machinery

Kodiak Industrial regularly produce posters on all of the above subjects. We also produce a range of hazard warning signs, including custom-made signs.

Visit our website to find out more about how our posters and our workplace poster programme can help you address hazards in your workplace.

Alternatively, give us a call on 01530 456 000 to discuss your needs.