Jim Poage on staying safe on a billboard.

Insider asked Jim Poage, Formetco’s Director of Safety to talk about staying safe when you’re on a billboard.

The event in Newman is so tragic.  No matter which outdoor company or vendor that it occurs with, we all feel a great sense of loss when something like this happens.  Our deepest condolences go out to the family, friends, and coworkers affected by this tragedy. 
 
What are some principles of safety when you are up on a billboard?
 
The principles of safety in the field are pretty simple:
  • Wear the proper safety equipment and use it in the proper manner 
  • Always be hooked up to a authorized anchorage point.
  • Obviously there are other things like complying with the new fixed ladder standards, but the main core of fall protection is 100% hook up. 100% of the time.
  • The other areas that are important when on a billboard are electrical exposure points, and additional Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) requirements.  Exposed electrical areas could cause a shock that could results in a fall or electrocution.  PPE is to protect from areas that might be recognized as having and exposure such as hardhats to prevent head injuries and gloves to protect the hands.

 

 How can a company improve employee safety habits?

The two main areas to improve safety habits of employees are the safety culture of the company and the creation of an effective safety program.

The safety culture is driven from top down.  If the head of the company and their managers recognize that safety is just as important as profit, and not only talk about safe practices but demonstrate through their actions that safety is something they consider important the people that report to them will have the same passion for safety.  Communication and involvement with all employees in the safety program is also key to fostering  a safety program.  One last thing I would point out about safety culture is that it should not be a “9 to 5” commitment.  New statistics show that employees are 10 times more likely to be injured or killed off the job than they are on the job.  If a holistic approach is taken with the safety program, it will carry over into the employee’s personal life as well as their work environment.

The safety program has to spell out what is required for the job at hand, prescribed safety equipment, employee training, and the penalty for not using the equipment correctly or following the policy if caught.  Once this is done, the policy has to be enforced.  If there is a catastrophic event and OSHA opens an inspection, one of the first things they will ask for is proof of enforcement of the policy.  If employees are aware there could be an impact on their employment for not following the work rules, they may take the safety program more seriously.

 

How can Formetco help keep employees safe? 

Formetco offers a complete line of the traditional safety equipment, as well as some proprietary device for the billboard industry.  If there’s a unique situation, we can usually offer some suggestions on how to protect workers.  In addition to safety equipment, we have a 3 days training meeting we do a couple of times a year for billboard workers, owners, and installers.  We provide OSHA 10 hour class in General Industry, CPR/First Aid training, and information on how to set up a safety program.  We have received great reviews on the class and it typically fills up fast.  In addition to the 10 hour General Industry class, we also offer 30 hour General Industry, OSHA 10 and 30 hour Construction, and other classes that are relative to out of home advertisers.

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