Achieving health and safety compliance, in terms of health and safety, requires continuous attention and dedication. During the 2014 MAKROSAFE Health & Safety OHS Awards several outstanding health and safety officials were recognised. Jenny Basson, SHEQ manager at Chemetall, was one of them. She explains the challenges she comes across and how she manages to control these challenges.
Chemetall scope of work covers the following aspects:
design, manufacture, warehouse and distribution of specialty chemicals for the automotive,
automotive components, coil, cold forming, NDT, Aerospace and general industry.
With such a wide scope health and safety compliance can prove a challenge to achieve.
The company believes that true success lies in a close partnership-based cooperation with their customers. They aim to offer value added products applying top quality processes. They also aim for on-time deliveries and excellent technical service. All is achieved without affecting the health and safety compliance of employees and their health and safety compliance levels. 'We encourage all staff to report any and all 'near misses' immediately so as to ensure the potential hazard could be addressed as soon as possible to prevent harm or adverse effects to any person entering our site.
Any incident that occurs is captured onto the Makrosafe Incidents on Duty management system immediately. It automatically informs all about the need for a new risk assessment for that particular aspect of Chemetall's operations. We have specific layout diagrams to ensure non compatible products are not stored together. Staff are trained and regularly re-trained on the proper handling of hazardous chemicals. Storage areas are properly bundled to ensure accidental spills will be adequately contained. In addition we have various programs in place to monitor and prevent pollution of the environment. All these measures are put in place to maintain our health and safety compliance standards.
Health, safety and environmental training and refresher training take place on an on-going basis, as and when required. New employees are subjected to a comprehensive induction training program. The training includes the relevant health, safety and environmental aspects of our work environment. All activities are supported by various documents. These include; standard operating procedures, safe work instructions, hazard identification and inspection checklists. Regular SHE awareness training and toolbox talks take place. Workplace inspections range from the health and safety representative inspection checklist to something as simple as a vehicle inspection checklist. The health and safety inspections checklist, together with the risk assessment and the reporting of injuries on duty have a direct impact on the health and safety compliance grading of Chemetall.
Makrosafe's Managing Director Leon van der Walt commented on the reason why Jenny Basson was bestowed with a Makrosafe Health & Safety OHS Award. 'Jenny is a very hands on SHEQ manager. Makrosafe audits the premises of Chemetall regularly to guarantee their health and safety compliance standards remain high. They have passed all audits with flying colours which show that they are continuously on top of their game. ?�
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