Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
no Job is so CriTiCal and
no serviCe is so urgenT
ThaT We CannoT TaKe The TiMe
To PerforM our WorK safely.
While it is true that the major emphasis is on efficient operations, it is
also true that this must be accomplished with a minimum of accidents and
losses. I cannot overemphasize the importance that the Plant places on
the health and well-being of each and every employee. The Plant's commit-
ment to occupational health and safety is absolute. The Plant's safety goal
is to integrate hazard control into all operations, including compliance
with applicable standards. I encourage active leadership, direct participa-
tion, and enthusiastic support of the entire organization in supporting
our
safety programs and policies.
—general Manager
1.4 safeTy budgeT
The safety budget is critical. No one ever said that safety is inex-
pensive; on the contrary, it is not unusual for safety divisions to expend
six-figure budgets per year on safety and health programs and equip-
ment for large wastewater organizations with large work forces. On the
other hand, at smaller wastewater treatment facilities, where money for
safety is either hard to find or nonexistent, the total safety budget might
be limited to a few hundred dollars per year (which can also be the case
in larger wastewater treatment facilities, which is understandable in the
current economic climate where money is tight or nonexistent).
When it comes to budgeting, management is concerned with the
bottom line. It is often difficult for management to discern the value of
safety in terms of the cost-benefit relationship. It is the safety person's
function to enlighten management as to the significance of a sound
safety program and how it relates to the organization's bottom line. This
is not an easy undertaking. Additionally, making an argument for fund-
ing that does not exist can be extremely frustrating.
Sometimes, the plant safety person is able to present a strong case
or argument for the additional funding to convince those who control
finances to budget more money for safety. For example, the safety per-
son must make the point to management that it is less expensive to
incorporate safety into the organization than it is to compensate for the
loss of life, medical expenses associated with serious injuries, hazard-
ous materials incidents that affect the public, destruction of property,
employees' lost time, workers' compensation expenses, possible viola-
tion of the plant's operating permit, and citations issued by OSHA or
other regulators.
The plant safety person who is attempting to increase funding for
safety must understand from the very beginning that, when organizational
money is spent, upper management wants results. It wants to see what its
money has bought. For the designated safety person, this is a critical
area. Some might call it “blowing your own horn.” In reality, it should be
