Safety and Training are Always Wise Investments
The Total Recordable Incident Rate (TRIR) is a metric developed by OSHA to compare an organization’s safety performance to its industry counterparts. It evaluates the frequency of recordable incidents per 100 full-time workers.
The Problem
A Williams Territory Manager was recently working with a general contractor specializing in commercial HVAC units that was experiencing a steadily rising TRIR. With more than 100 field service technicians obtaining tools through one central tool crib, the territory manager suspected that technicians were using old, worn out, or modified tools.
An audit of the tool crib confirmed their suspicions: many of the tools were not up to par; some were worn out from repeated use, while others had been modified to fit jobs they were not originally designed for, altering their overall level of effectiveness. Technicians should never use defective or modified tools on the job as they can break and lead to injury. This crib crawl helped identify and remove two full carts of tools that were impacting safety for the contractor’s technicians.
The Solution
Seeing these damaged tools served as the wake-up call to raise awareness of the dangers of using worn out and modified tools. Using the very tools that were removed from inventory, the Williams team conducted training classes to discuss the dangers of using old or modified tools. Being able to show just how unsafe these tools were was a powerful demonstration that resonated with the contractor’s technicians.
Experienced Williams professionals have the knowledge to solve the most complex challenges and improve productivity and safety with training and product demonstrations. This training includes the proper use of torque wrenches, tool training for new hires, product demonstrations and safety seminars. The HVAC company has changed their approach from being reactive dealing with technician injuries after they occur, to a more proactive stance by addressing the root issues that were causing an unacceptable increase in TRIR. Today, that important statistic is moving in the right direction. Employees are the contractor’s most valuable resource, and the Williams team was glad to help improve safety.
https://www.williams-industrial.com/us_en/safety-serious
