February 2012 Nonprofit Awareness Advisor

Nonprofit Safety Rules: Easy Implementation

It is critical for Nonprofit Organizations to implement safety rules. These safety rules can decrease risks in the organization and prevent potential lawsuits from occuring. A complete Nonprofit safety guidelines model can be found in our research center Below is an excerpt to help you create valuable safety rules for your organization.

A Nonprofit Organization's primary objectives are to ensure the safety and health of our Volunteers, Employees, Clients, Children, and to protect company property. Our goal is to provide safe and healthful working & volunteer conditions for all employees and safe and healthful living conditions for all clients and children.

Safety Rules have been developed with input from Supervision and Employees. While held to a minimum, the rules address behaviors and work practices that can lead to accidents and injuries.

Each Employee and client should become familiar with and follow General and Departmental Safety Rules. Supervisors must enforce Safe Work practices through strict adherence to Safety Rules.

Most accidents can be prevented if everyone uses assigned safety equipment and follows the established safety rules. To operate a safe and successful business, we must work as a team to THINK SAFE, WORK SAFE, LIVE SAFE AND BE SAFE.

Communication of Safety Rules

Communication of safety rules is accomplished by:

• Discussion during New Hire/Volunteer Orientation
• Published in the New Hire Orientation / Safety Manual
• Posting throughout the organization
• Annual refresher training every October for all employees & volunteers
• On-the-spot corrections and reinforcement by supervisors

Winter Hazards: Fire Safety

Fire in the home or office is a major threat to yourself and your visitors, especially in the winter time due to dropping temperatures and people turning the heat up. This being said, fall and early winter are the perfect times for an annual fire safety check. This includes changing and checking batteries in smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, cleaning air filters, heating vents, chimneys, furnaces, and checking holiday lights and wiring for defects, and discarding frayed cords.

You should have the central heating system checked in the fall, prior to the cold season, to make sure everything is functioning properly and is safe to use. Although a viable source of heat, space heaters, fireplaces, and wood stoves have the potential to start fires and possibly emit carbon monoxide fumes. Also, woodstoves need to be checked regularly for cracks and should be installed and maintained within the manufacturer’s guidelines.

If you do use a separate heating unit, whether it is electric, wood, coals, or kerosene, make sure to keep at least a three foot circumference around the heating unit. This is recommended because if your heat unit does produce a spark, it will not ignite anything surrounding it. Make sure to unplug space heaters when they are not in use and it is recommended that you use approved space heaters found on the Underwriter’s Laboratory safety listing.

If you use a fireplace, they require frequent cleaning and a heavy screen. Make sure to have long-handled tools available and that you are using the proper fuel. It is important that you do not overfill the holding areas, do not leave any auxiliary heating units on at night, and make sure to discard any cooled ashes into a metal fireproof container outside of the home. Make sure when you handle any heat source, to not wear loose-fitting or loose-flowing clothing, as they could ignite.

Heating sources are not the only cause of fire. In fact, one of the most common causes of fires is electrical wiring. Make sure to look for and teach patients and their families to look for the following electrical fire hazards:

• Frayed electrical cords
• Too many plugs in one outlet
• Electric cords ran under carpets
• Three prong adapters that are not grounded
• Electric appliances near the sink or tub
• Exposed or taped together wires
• Proper wattage light bulbs in use

You may download a completed copy of the February Nonprofit Newsletter Here.