Health, Safety and Environmental Awareness
Safety is a system, not a slogan
Health and safety programs follow a hierarchy of controls: eliminate the hazard, substitute a safer process, engineer controls such as guards and ventilation, apply administrative controls such as procedures and training, and finally personal protective equipment. PPE is the last line, not the first. Know your legal framework - in the US, OSHA sets employer duties including hazard communication, bloodborne pathogens, and recordkeeping - and your site's rules for reporting injuries and near misses.
Common hazards
Slips, trips, and falls dominate: wet floors, uneven pavement, poor lighting, obstructed walkways, improper ladder use. Others include ergonomic strain, electrical hazards, confined spaces, and vehicle traffic in parking areas. Report hazards you cannot fix immediately and document housekeeping issues in your patrol log.
Hazardous materials and environment
Know where Safety Data Sheets are kept, recognize placard and label systems, and never attempt spill cleanup beyond your training. Isolate, warn, and call the trained responder. Environmental duties include preventing spills from reaching drains, segregating waste properly, and reporting releases.
Bloodborne pathogens
Use universal precautions: treat all blood and body fluids as infectious, wear gloves and eye protection, use a spill kit, and dispose of waste correctly. Report exposures immediately - post-exposure care is time-sensitive.
Traps
Assuming a task is safe because it is routine, using PPE instead of fixing the hazard, attempting cleanup of an unknown substance, and not reporting near misses, which are free lessons.
Rule of thumb
If you cannot control the hazard, control the exposure - and call someone who can.