It’s the third Steel Safety Day on April 28 and POSCO is pleased to be participating once again in this major international safety and health event.
Steel Safety Day was established in 2014 by the World Steel Association to encourage better safety in the steel industry. The goal is ambitious, to achieve an “injury-free, illness-free and healthy workplace with zero incidents.”
Although a young event, it has quickly grown. Last year, more than 525,000 employees and contractors from 327 steel sites took part in the Steel Safety Day audit, identifying and preventing hazards in their workplace.
To that end, Steel Safety Day focuses on the five most common causes of safety incidents: moving machinery, falling from height, falling objects, gas and asphyxiation, and moving cranes.
This year, “falling from height” is getting the spotlight, as steel companies around the world re-examine their height-related safety measures and ensure their workplaces are as safe as possible.
Taking Precautions for Falling From Height
When working at great heights, safety experts recommend three major steps to reduce the risks.
1. Elimination. If you don’t need to do a task at height, then don’t. Stay on the ground.
2. Prevention. If you must work at height, make sure you have the appropriate guardrails, scaffolding and other safety equipment in place.
3. Protection. If 1 and 2 are not possible, then make sure each person is fully protected, with harnesses, life lines and other safety features while working at height.
In addition, the World Steel Association recommends 10 practical guidelines, such as building guardrails, scaffolding and other safety equipment, ensuring all people who work at height be properly trained, and well-maintained rescue equipment always be in place.
To better illustrate these ideas and reinforce its safety message, the World Steel Association has created this infographic about working at height.
And it created another infographic about Steel Safety Day in general.
The steel industry has increasingly focused on safety in recent years. In fact, since 2004, the steel industry has reduced time lost because of injuries by 71 percent. But safety doesn’t happen by accident. It requires deliberate and systematic measures by everyone, from management to employees.
As one of the world’s leading steel manufacturers, POSCO is dedicated to being a leader when it comes to workplace safety. And we look forward to the latest Steel Safety Day on April 28, when once again all eyes will be on preventing injury and keeping our sites safe.