Training
Training is an essential part of every employer's safety and health program for protecting employees from injuries and illnesses. Many OSHA standards require employers to train employees in the safety and health aspects of their jobs. Other OSHA standards make it the employer's responsibility to limit certain job assignments to employees who are certified, competent, or qualified-that is, to employees who have received training either on-site or off-site.
Designated personnel are selected or assigned by the employer as having the necessary knowledge, skills and abilities (KSAs), and therefore qualified to perform specific duties.
Training Topics
To control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury, employees must be properly trained in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions. Employees should also be familiar with the company's policies, rules, and regulations set forth by OSHA and the U.S. Coast Guard that are applicable to their work environment.
Some of the general safety topics to be addressed in training for employees on deck barges are:
- Employee Emergency Plans
- Medical Services and First Aid
- Explosive and Other Dangerous Atmospheres
- Fire Protection and Prevention
- Handling and Storage of Materials
- Machinery and Machine Guarding
- Toxic and Hazardous Substances
- Storage of Gases and Fuels
- Gear and Equipment for Rigging and Material Handling
- Noise and Hearing Conservation
- Tools and Related Equipment
- Stairways, Ladders and Fall Protection
- Work on or in the Vicinity of Radar and Radio
- Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices
- The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)
- Personal Protective Equipment
- Procedures for Securing Barges to Tugs
Specific Training
The training should address the specific hazards faced by employees on barges such as:
- ways to prevent overboard incidents
- the use of personal flotation devices
- awareness of the risks of carelessness/distractions while working on deck or overextending oneself
- employee emergency plans must include man overboard rescue procedures and drills
- for spud winch operators, the use of spud securing pins before a barge is moved to a different worksite
Knowledge Check Choose the best answer for the question.
1-5. Deck barge employees should be familiar with _____.
You forgot to answer the question!