Safety Best Practices

The following practices have been identified as safety best practices among the Great Western Painting Company and shall be enforced at each Job location. Management is responsible for implementing and supporting the practices; supervisors are responsible for requiring employees to follow the practices; and employees are responsible for knowing and following all safety best practices. Individual operating companies may enforce stricter versions of the practices below at their discretion.

• Hard Hats — Company-approved hard hats shall be worn on all job sites, yards, plant sites and equipment with open roll-over protective structures. Hard hats are not required in office areas, on-road vehicles or equipment with enclosed cabs.
• Eye and Face Protection — Safety glasses, goggles, face shields or other suitable protective devices shall be worn when machines or operations present potential eye or face injury. This would include, but is not limited to, working with or working in the vicinity of pouring concrete, hot asphalt, power tools, welding or cutting, compressed air or servicing equipment.
• Hearing Protection — Hearing protection and enrollment in a hearing conservation program are required when employees are exposed to 85 dBA over an 8-hour time-weighted average. A variety of hearing protectors shall be made available to employees.
• Hand Protection — Appropriate hand protection shall be worn when there is a risk of exposure to harmful substances, punctures, severe abrasions, lacerations or cuts, chemical or thermal burns, high voltage, vibration, temperature extremes or infectious biological agents.
• High-Visibility Colored Safety Apparel — High-visibility, fluorescent-colored safety apparel shall be worn whenever employees are working on foot and exposed to mobile equipment or vehicular traffic. High-visibility colored safety apparel must contain retroreflective material when working after dark or in poor lighting conditions. All high-visibility colored safety apparel must be inspected regularly to ensure that color has not faded and that retroreflective properties have not been lost.
• Foot Protection — Sturdy work boots that come above the ankle are required at all job sites, yards and plants. Steel-toe boots shall be worn where employees are exposed to foot injury from falling objects or from crushing actions. This would include, but is not limited to, work involving pipe and concrete structures. Steel-toe boots shall be worn at all MSHA mines and plants. Where employees are required to work in abnormally wet conditions, appropriate foot protection is required. Tennis shoes, dress shoes or open-toed shoes shall not to be worn at job sites, yards or plants.
• Clothing — Appropriate clothing shall be required for the duties being performed. Long pants, shirt and work boots are the minimum requirements. Tank tops, shorts, sweatpants and tennis shoes shall not be worn on the job site, yards or plant areas.
• Seat Belts — Seat belts shall be properly worn by the operator and all passengers in company vehicles and equipment.
• Day Time Running Lights — All vehicles and equipment shall be operated with lights on, night and day. Watch Video
•  www.msha.gov/alliances/formed/AEMBuckleUp-ForLife.ppt
• Cell Phones — Personal cell phone use while on the job is restricted to breaks and meal periods. The use of company-owned/issued cell phones shall be limited to the minimum required to conduct necessary business.
• Drug & Alcohol Testing — Pre-employment, random and post-accident drug testing is required of all employees. Reasonable suspicion testing is to be conducted when warranted.

Rules of Safety

Great Western Painting Company  Rules of Safety complement our existing Safety Best Practices and address safety procedures to be followed at all locations. The rules place the highest priority on people and hold each employee accountable for their actions. Violation of the Cardinal Rules of Safety will result in disciplinary action that, at a minimum, shall consist of a three-day suspension without pay, or, in management’s discretion, such other more stringent action as may be appropriate under the circumstances, up to and including termination of employment.

• Fall Protection: Fall protection must be used where required and the user must be properly tied off in all applicable situations.
• Lockout/Tagout: Whenever servicing or performing maintenance of machines and equipment in which the "unexpected" energization or start up of the machines or equipment, or release of stored energy could cause injury, lockout/tagout procedures must be followed.
• Permit-Required: Confined Spaces: Applicable regulations must be followed when entering a permit-required confined space.
• Trenching: Applicable regulations must be followed and a Competent Person must oversee all trenching activity.
• Falsifying Records: All required State and Federal Regulation safety records must be properly documented. Failure to do so could result in serious injury or death such as equipment inspections, work area inspection, etc.
• Horseplay: Any activity such as practical jokes, wrestling, fighting, or other physical or violent acts and any verbal threat or physically threatening act will not be tolerated.
• Unsafe Work Platform: Working out of a loader bucket, using a ladder improperly, or use of any platform not designed as such are not allowed.
• Seat Belts: Wearing seat belts while operating or as passengers in all Company vehicles and equipment, where required, is mandatory. Employees will also require non-employees to wear seat belts while in Company vehicles or applicable equipment.   Watch Video www.msha.gov/alliances/formed/AEMBuckleUp-ForLife.ppt

• Substance Abuse Policy: Disciplinary actions for violations of Substance Abuse Policy are covered by individual operating company policy.
  NO DRUGS
  Immediate  termination of employment.

Remember that on chain installations for barriers it must have a closed clip system that will not roll out by accident No open chain links can be used as a hook system