Safe use manual
3. Commitment of Management
Page 5
Senior management is ultimately responsible for ensuring that appropriate control measures are applied. The most important first step is a conscious commitment to establish a preventive and control program and to provide continued guidance and resources.
Commitment means a pledge to respect the health and well-being of others. Management must take firm action in stating its intentions and making them known to all employees. There should be a short statement from the president of your company addressing the matter of dust control and stating the actions that will be taken. In addition, a letter should be circulated among all employees, clearly identifying goals to be achieved and a schedule for realizing these goals. Furthermore, management must be willing to commit resources to achieve the goals it has set forth. Senior Management is responsible for any deterioration of stated policies. If they do not take immediate action to correct situations, they are at fault since it is in their power to correct the situation.
To achieve the goals, management and employees must agree to work together in improving safety and health conditions. Employees must participate and become an integral part of improving safety and health conditions. Towards this end, a safety and hygiene committee comprised of both worker and management representatives should be established to oversee the development and implementation of appropriate dust prevention programs. Monthly meetings of this committee should be the occasion for frank and open interchange of information and consultation in regards to the nature of chrysotile risks, the results of workplace monitoring, and if necessary, an action plan to correct any problem areas.
But committment to the safe and controlled use of chrysotile should not end once the product leaves the plant. Senior management must put in place a product strewardship programme to provide end users with specific information on possible hazards and inform them of the ways in which their products should be handled and used without undue health, safety and environmental risks.
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