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Goals: This safety session should teach employees to:

• Recognize the need to take safety seriously.
  
• Recognize that safety is an important part of their jobs.
  
• Know how to demonstrate the right attitude toward safety.
  
• Realize that part of their job includes knowing and following safety rules and procedures

Injuries and accidents can be traced back to unsafe conditions or acts.

• Unsafe Conditions – Maine State Government is striving to provide a workplace "free from recognized hazards" and to comply with OSHA and Maine safety and health rules.
  
• Unsafe Acts – Employees should act in ways that comply with all "occupational health and safety standards" including OSHA, State of Maine and departmental rules and regulations. Avoid horseplay and discourage others from playing practical jokes.

You can’t afford to take a chance on an unsafe act or an unsafe condition.

You should know:

• The hazards present in your work area (electricity, cords, chemicals, trip hazards).
  
• How to select and use the materials you need correctly and safely.
  
• How to operate the machines and equipment you use correctly and safely.
  
• The potential hazards of the chemicals and other substances you might work with.
  
• What types of accidents can occur within your work area or with the machines and equipment you use.
  
• How to reduce your risk from ergonomic type injuries.

• When you lift anything, remember to lift properly.
• Has your workstation been adjusted to fit you?
• Remember to do your stretching exercises at least twice a day. (Refer Employee to Handout # 1)

Knowing how to do your job properly includes knowing how to do it safely.

Refer employee to Handout #2.

• Forty (40%) of the workers injured have been on the job less than 1 year.
  
• Stick to safe, approved methods and do the job the right way.
  
• It is dumb to take chances. The odds are that if you continue to take chances or shortcuts, you will be involved in an injury producing accident.
  
• Accept accident prevention as part of your daily duties and as a personal challenge.
  
• Report unsafe work conditions promptly to your supervisor.
  
• Make suggestions as to how to improve safety in your work area.

5. What Are The Three Most Common Sources of Injury Producing Accidents In Maine State Government?

1. Repetitive Motion Injuries -

• Make sure your chair and workstation are fitted or adjusted for you.
  
• Be conscious of your posture. How you sit and hold the telephone could be a problem.
  
• Be sure to take breaks and do your stretching exercises.

2. Slips and Trips –

• During the winter, wear proper footwear.
  
• Wipe up liquids pilled on the floor.
  
• Keep aisles and exit paths clear of boxes and other objects.
  
• If you must run an extension cord across the floor, cover it or tape it down.

3. Overexertion –

• Avoid lifting bulky items or beyond your capabilities without help.
  
• Stretch and limber up your muscles before undertaking physical work.
  
• Take a short break when you feel tired.
  
• Keep yourself in shape.

• Take personal responsibility for your own safety and that of your coworkers.
  
• My fellow workers will respect me for practicing safety.
  
• Urge your coworkers to practice safety as well.
  
• Accidents have causes. They can be prevented. Preventing accidents is more important than blaming the people who cause them.
  
• Safety is a mark of intelligence and skill.
  
• Keep an eye out for hazards. Always ask, "What can go wrong here?"
  
• I have a responsibility to do something toward correcting any hazard I see.
  
• Don’t be afraid, ashamed or embarrassed to ask a question about any assignment or procedure. Trying to bluff your way through a job is asking for trouble.
  
• Even if you think you know the correct procedures, reviewing them may remind you of a phase of the job that had slipped your mind.

• Be familiar with emergency procedures.

• How and to whom do you report an emergency?
• Be familiar with the sound of the fire alarm in your building.
• Plan two ways out of the building from your work area.
• Learn where the designated meeting area is for your work group or floor if you have to evacuate the building.

• Be on the lookout for unsafe conditions and practices at home.
  
• Keep your safety guard up at home, at play and while driving.
  
• Always be alert. Practice safety all the time.

Discussion Points:

• Ask for and provide examples of how safety knowledge is woven into job knowledge.
  
• Ask for and provide examples of positive safety attitude within Maine State Government.

Conclusions:

• The first rule of your job is safety.
  
• The right safety attitude prevents accidents, injuries and occupational illnesses.

Handouts:

Give the employee the following handouts:

• Employee Rights and Responsibilities.
  
• Stretching Exercises.
  
• Bureau of Labor Standards "Feeling Good" booklet.
  
• Bureau of Labor Standards "Lifting Techniques" booklet.

Give the employee the quiz and answer sheet. Ask the employee if they would like to take the quiz while you wait, in case they have any questions.