For the Love of Safety

In a recent article by Occupational Health and Safety (2009), a Ronkonkoma, New York masonry contractor was severely fined after an OSHA inspector from the Queens District office drove by Painting and Decorating Inc. and observed employees performing stucco work on a 13-foot-high scaffold without guardrails or a fall protection system. After a full investigation into the matter, the inspector discovered that this particular masonry contractor had a history of worksite safety violations. Namely, the absence of a fully planked scaffold and no follow-through to make sure the workers had protective helmets! The contractor came out of the ordeal with $120,750 in fines.

My first thought is a whooping “Duh.” Employers have a responsibility to make sure that their employees are safe while on-the-job. The money that will now be spent in fines could have been saved. Better yet, the money could have been used to purchase life-saving equipment for the employees. Sadly, this will take a heavy financial toll on the contractor and in turn on the workers in the midst of a rough economy.

At Safety Marketing Services, we believe that safety is a family value. The drive at SMS to produce excellent web and print industrial safety catalogs, rich with accurate and current product information, comes from our love of and belief in the value of safety. SMS Product Specialists stay up to date with ANSI and OSHA standards and take the time to communicate with vendors to make sure their respective industry products are accurately represented. We want the end users reading the copy in our distributor catalogs to have the right information so that they can make educated and informed decisions when deciding what safety gear to use. We recognize that standards change on a day-to-day basis. Many times, employers are not aware or sometimes don’t have time to follow these changing standards. That is why SMS is resolved in being one of the best resources available in assuring that product selection meets the latest standards in safety.

We recognize that employers have a huge responsibility for the safety of their employees. At SMS, we recognize that our responsibility lies in making sure that we deliver the marketing resources that can help them fulfill that important responsibility.

The real un-nerving conclusion to me about this story is that this particular contractor ignored previous OSHA citations. The protection and safety of men and women who are on-the-job is vital. It can be tempting to want to cut corners during this tough economy, but the place to cut corners should never be the personal safety of the American worker. At the end of the day, everyone wants to go home safely to their families. Here at Safety Marketing Services, we want to make sure that happens.

Rachel Waugh, August 18, 2009

For more information about SMS, visit http://www.growwithsms.com/ or email info@growwithsms.com