Pub. 7 2018-2019 Issue 3

Issue 2. 2019 27 However, even as recently as 2014, 13 employees died every day. These statistics make it plain that even though conditions and policies are better than they were, there is still a great deal of work to be done. As of 2015, the five most dangerous industries for employees are: • Health care • Social assistance • Manufacturing • Retail trade • Construction In construction alone, the four main causes of fatal injuries were falls, which accounted for 39.9 percent of all deaths, as well as electrocutions (8.2 percent), being hit by an object of some kind (8.1 percent), or being caught between two objects (4.3 percent). These are causes that might also be encountered in the manufacturing environment. The government has created laws that place the responsibility for workplace safety on employers. Employers are legally required to do the following: • Warn employees about potential hazards by using color codes, labels, and signs. • Schedule regular maintenance of tools and equipment. • Provide adequate training to every employee in order to avoid accidents and mistakes. The training needs to be presented simply and clearly so that everyone can understand. • Update operating procedures regularly in order to make themmore effective. • Keep a record of work-related illnesses and injuries. • Put up the OSHA poster, or whatever the state requires instead, in a place where employees can see it easily. To improve safety, employees need to be given more authority to call for changes when necessary as part of the responsibility they hold to protect themselves and other employees. It helps to change people’s perspective about processes and to adapt to process variations. When people become more aware of safety processes within the workplace, they have increased respect for workplace safety professionals. Many companies have found that hiring experts on workplace safety can be extremely helpful. One approach to making the work environment safe is to create jobs for people who are responsible for improving safety. The following job categories would be required: • SAFETY DIRECTOR: This employee is responsible for creating a safety strategy that meets a company’s needs. “Needs” in this context is about more than safety. It also includes making sure that whatever changes are made can be done within the company’s budget. This employee is responsible for interacting with government regulators and with leaders within the organization to make sure that the manufacturing process is compliant with all safety requirements. The applicant who has this responsibility should have a bachelor’s degree, all relevant certifications, and should be paid well. The median salary is currently $72,127. The range is between $46,889 and $114,625. • SAFETY MANAGERS: These employees, who work under the direction of the safety director, are responsible for creating safety standards that prevent other employees from being harmed or killed. They also are responsible for looking at the manufacturing process in order to identify hazards. The employees who work as safety managers should have bachelor’s degrees. Look for people whomajored in engineering or environmental studies and who have also spent time learning about logistics. The median salary is currently $65,222. The range is between $44,392 and $96,710. • SAFETY COORDINATORS: These employees work under the direc- tion of the safety managers. They keep records about accidents and work-related illnesses and they will naturally develop expertise in ways to prevent accidents. The employees who work as safety coordinators should have a bachelor’s degree and should also have some experience training other people in how to be safer at work. Having certifications in workplace safety is a definite advantage. The median salary is currently $50,856. The range is between $30,904 and $73,027. Creating a safe work environment is obviously the right thing to do, but it also makes good business sense. Companies that emphasize safety and actively look for ways to improve safety see important benefits: • They are more productive than facilities that don’t concentrate on safety. This occurs because business costs and disruptions are reduced and because the facilities themselves are held to a higher standard. • Employees are happier and feel valued and empowered. • Absenteeism drops. • There are fewer insurance claims, which results in lower WCB rates. • The company is more likely to win and keep business customers because its brand is improved and because fostering a safe work environment results in goodwill within and without the company. MAY 14-17, 28-31 JUNE 10-13, 24-27 JULY 8-11, 22-25 AUGUST 5-8, 19-22 SEPTEMBER 3-6, 16-19, 30-OCT 3 OCTOBER 14-17, 28-31 NOVEMBER 11-14, 18-21 DECEMBER 2-5, 16-19 2019 SCHEDULE California Sales Training Academy