Workplace Safety: Regulations and Best Practices
Workplace Safety: An Overview
The workplace encompasses all areas of a center, whether built or not, intended for workers to access for their job. This includes toilets, restrooms, first aid, meal areas, and service installations outside the workplace, such as boiler rooms and elevators.
The employer must take steps to ensure the workplace does not create security risks or hazards, and that risks are minimized. The workplace must meet minimum requirements in terms of construction characteristics, order, cleanliness, maintenance, and signage.
Common Workplace Hazards
Potential hazards include:
- Falls: Falls on the same or different levels, poor lighting, or slippery ground, and inadequate openings.
- Impacts: Collisions against stationary objects due to close proximity or improperly stored materials.
- Vehicle Accidents: Collisions with vehicles due to inadequate pathways.
- Mobile Target Collisions: Collisions against mobile targets, such as machinery invading passage areas.
- Trips: Stepping on misplaced objects due to disorder, lack of maintenance, and structural cleanliness.
Workplace Safety Measures
The premises must have a solid structure for use, and its components must have a restraint or stable support. Do not overload the structure.
Minimum Dimensions
- Minimum Soil Height: 3m
- Surface Area per Worker: 2m²
- Volume per Worker: 10m³/worker
Floors and Fall Prevention
The floor must be fixed, stable, and not slippery. Slopes should be protected, and irregularities addressed. Guardrails should be 90cm in height, with protection to prevent falls.
Partitions and Windows
Transparent partitions should be marked to prevent impacts. Windows or ventilation holes must be opened or cleaned safely, without creating any danger.
Circulation Pathways
- Avoid slippery surfaces.
- Avoid mirrors at intersections.
- Signage for limited areas.
- Establish maximum speeds.
- Protect pipes in pathways.
- Signage for cables and screens with pedestrians.
- Protect areas from smoke and particles.
Doors
Exterior doors should be at least 80cm wide, and doors opening to the exterior should have a transparent view. Access to stairs should open onto a transparent landing. The height of swinging doors should have a central transparent section. Sliding doors and openings above must have an emergency system to avoid entrapment.
Ramps and Stairs
Slope (%) = h / l x 100. Recommended slopes: l:3 – slope: 12; l:10 – slope: 10; largest l:10 – slope: 8. Stairways must have a minimum width of 1m. The rise between steps should be between 23 and 26cm, and the tread between 13 and 20cm. Every 3.7m of rise must have a landing of at least 1m.
Escalator safety systems must be easy to access.
Ladders
Ladders present significant dangers if their condition is not adequate. Often, these steps are not followed:
- Support ladders on flat and stable surfaces.
- Ensure the ladder is non-slip.
- The ladder should extend one meter above the access point.
- The distance between the base and the wall should be a quarter of the height.
- Do not use ladders near doors, electrical cables, or pipes.
- Ascend and descend facing forward.
- Do not use ladders with two people at once.
- Do not use painted wooden ladders.
- Do not handle loads on a ladder.
- Inspect ladders periodically.
Machinery Distribution
- Maintain sufficient separation between machines.
- Clearly mark and restrict passage through these zones.
- Each job should be clearly defined, with a fixed location for access to tools.
- Facilitate different parts of departure and evacuation from machines.
Pathways
- Pathways must not be blocked.
- The number and distribution of pathways should be according to the maximum number of people.
- Pathways must be easily opened from the inside.
- Pathways must be clearly marked and autonomous.
Fire Protection and Lighting
All devices must be marked and easy to use and access.