EMPLOYEE IT Safco

Employee
SAFETY Safety
Guidelines

HANDBOOK
Table of Contents
General Conduct ................................................................................... 3
Housekeeping ....................................................................................... 4
Personal Protective Equipment ............................................................. 4
Eye Protection ............................................................................... 5
Hand Protection ............................................................................ 5
Foot Protection ............................................................................. 5
Hearing Protection ........................................................................ 5
Respiratory Protection .................................................................. 6
Head Protection ............................................................................ 6
High-Visibility Clothing .................................................................. 6
Clothing......................................................................................... 6
Machinery and Machine Guarding ........................................................ 6
Hand Tools ............................................................................................ 7
Electrical Safety & Lockout/Tagout........................................................ 8
Elevated Work ...................................................................................... 9
Confined Spaces.................................................................................... 9
Material Handling ............................................................................... 10
Lifting .......................................................................................... 10
Powered Industrial Vehicles (PIV) ................................................ 10
Pedestrian Safety ................................................................................ 11
Fire Protection .................................................................................... 12
Fire Extinguishers ........................................................................ 12
Flammable Materials ................................................................... 12
Chemical Safety .................................................................................. 12
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Office Safety ....................................................................................... 13
Emergency Preparedness .................................................................... 14
Fires/Evacuation.......................................................................... 14
Tornados & Other Severe Weather.............................................. 14

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General Conduct

• As a Safco employee or contract employee, you are to become

familiar with and comply with all established policies,
procedures, and practices.
• Horseplay of any kind often results in needless injuries and is
prohibited.
• Do not operate any equipment or machinery with which you
are not familiar. When in doubt, ask your supervisor.
• Report all injuries, no matter how slight, to your Supervisor.
He/she will work with you to obtain treatment by first aid
responders or outside emergency personnel as appropriate.
Serious injuries should receive medical attention first.
Supervisory notification can follow later, but absolutely within
24 hours of occurrence.
• Report all unsafe conditions and unsafe acts to your
supervisor so they can be corrected immediately. Employees
can use the Find-It/Fix-It program to report unsafe conditions
and acts.
• Follow all instructions posted on the signs in your work area.
• Eating or drinking is prohibited in the shop area. Sealed or
capped beverages will be allowed at employee work stations.
• Smoking is not permitted throughout the facility, except in
designated smoking areas.
• Possession of weapons is not permitted on Company premises
at any time.
• Possession or use of alcohol or illegal drugs, to include
prescription medication not prescribed to the employee, is not

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 permitted on Company property at any time. Reporting to
work under the influence of alcohol or drugs is not permitted.
• Fighting on Company premises is not permitted at any time.
• Willful disregard of safety rules will result in disciplinary
action.

Housekeeping

• Keep a clean and orderly work area. Good housekeeping is

basic to a productive and safe working area.
• Access to eyewash, safety showers, fire extinguishers, exits,
and electrical switches/panels must be kept free and clear at
all times.
• Do not leave tools used overhead during work where they
may fall and strike someone below.
• Do not leave tools where someone might trip over them.
• Do not allow combustible or flammable materials to collect.
• Keep all materials off the floor where individuals can trip and
injure themselves.
• All aisle ways and fire exits must be kept clear of all items to
assure safe passage in emergency cases.

Personal Protective Equipment

• The employee is responsible for maintaining their personal

protective equipment (PPE). If PPE becomes damaged,
employees should immediately replace.

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Eye Protection
• Safety glasses with non-detachable side shields must be worn
by ALL personnel in the shop areas.
• Sunglasses are not permitted inside shop areas since they
decrease visibility.
• Employees must wear either a face shield in addition to safety
glasses or goggles when using compressed air or while grinding.

Hand Protection
• Employees are required to wear cut and impact resistant gloves
while they are handling parts and tools.
• Employees working with rotating equipment shall not wear
gloves to prevent entanglement.

Foot Protection
• Wearing proper footwear in the shop area is required. High
heels (more than 1 inch), open-toed shoes, open-heeled shoes,
or sandals are prohibited. Visitors are NOT exempt. In the event
a visitor does arrive without the proper shoes, ESH approval will
be required before they can enter into the shop area.
• Steel-toed shoes are required within all work cells. Those
personnel not wearing steel-toed shoes will be restricted to the
pedestrian aisles only.
• Metatarsal guards are required for those employees who
handle parts and tools on a regular basis.

Hearing Protection
• Hearing protection is required for everyone working in an area
where required noise protection is posted.
• The use of headphones or ear buds connected to electronic
devices, including but not limited to cell phones, MP3 players,
Bluetooth implements, are not acceptable substitutes for
proper hearing protection and is prohibited in all shop areas.

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Respiratory Protection
• Employees required to use respiratory protection must be
approved by ESH, trained, and have a medical screening prior to
the use of respirators.
• Employees may voluntarily use respirators, even if not required,
but will still be required to pass a medical screening prior to use.

Head Protection
• Hard hats are required for man-lift operators working above six
feet off of the ground.

High-Visibility Clothing
• All visitors are required to wear high-visibility vests when in the
shop area.
• All personnel entering into the warehouse area are required to
wear a high-visibility vest, as well as all PIV operators.

Clothing
• Loose clothing and neckties that can become entangled must
not be worn near moving machinery or equipment.
• Long hair must be secured in such a manner that it does not
create a dangerous situation.
• Safety glasses and gloves must be worn when handling
chemicals.

Machinery and Machine Guarding

• Operators shall be thoroughly familiar with the safe operation

of any machinery they use.
• Guards and safety devices are placed on machines for your
protection. They must not be moved or tampered with except
by employees authorized to do so while setting-up or
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 repairing the machine. If removed during either of these
operations, they must be replaced before the machine is put
back into operation.
• Equipment with damaged or missing guarding shall be locked
out to prevent use until the necessary repairs are complete.
• All machinery must be locked out and tagged prior to
performing any repairs. Contact your supervisor if you have
any questions concerning the procedure.
• Never leave manual machinery running unattended. Caution
should be exercised when working near automatic equipment.

Hand Tools

• Hand tools are to be used only for the purpose for which they
are designed.
• Broken tools or tools with burrs, cracks, mushroomed heads,
and broken, loose, or splintered handles shall be removed
from use.
• Never carry a sharp edged or pointed tool in pockets or belts
unless the pointed edge is protected.
• Use of personal pocket knives is prohibited. Only company-
issued safety knives are permitted for use in the facility.
• Never use a tool with which you are not familiar. Ask your
supervisor for directions and help.
• All nail and staple guns must be fitted with a sequential fire
trigger.
• Air hoses must be used with extreme care and only for
designated duties. Employees are not permitted to use

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 compressed air to clean themselves off. Goggles or face shield
+ safety glasses are required when using compressed air.

Electrical Safety & Lockout/Tagout

• Only approved, grounded (three prong) extension cords are

permitted. Approved cords are only permitted for temporary
use.
• Connecting multiple extension cords and power strips in to
each other is prohibited. Power strips shall be plugged
directly into wall receptacles.
• All electrical services should be equipped with ground fault
interrupters.
• Be alert to avoid exposed wiring and open electrical panels.
Report to your Supervisor immediately.
• Do not attempt to make repairs on electrical equipment,
unless authorized to do so. Do not attempt to operate
equipment if it is locked out or tagged out. Maintenance on
equipment may only be conducted by authorized employees
who use appropriate lockout/tagout (LOTO) procedures.
• LOTO is a procedure used by Safco to prevent injury from
equipment starting up or being energized suddenly and
unexpectedly.
• Outside contractors must have their own LOTO policy, if they
do not have a policy they are required to follow Xylem
procedures. Verification of contractor’s LOTO procedures will
be completed during the contractor approval process.

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• High Voltage Electricity- Only specially trained
employees/electricians are permitted to work with high
voltage electrical equipment, substations, etc.

Elevated Work

• Do not stand, sit, or kneel on the top of a ladder.

• Always use approved ladders and scaffolds for elevated work.
Standing on chairs, tables, or makeshift platforms is
prohibited.
• Ladders must be inspected prior to use. Defective ladders
should be removed from service, red-tagged, and
maintenance shall be notified.
• When working 6 feet or higher from the floor without the use
of a ladder or work platform, you must be tied-off with an
approved full-body harness and lanyard.
• For the safest angle, the base of the ladder should be one-
fourth of its length from the building or object against which it
is placed. Step ladders are to be open when in use. They will
not be leaned against an object.

Confined Spaces

• Confined spaces are best defined as an area that does not

allow easy entry or exit, or contains any other safety or health
hazard requiring special authorization to enter.
• Entry to confined spaces requires special precautions in
addition to a permit issued by the ESH Department or
Maintenance Supervisor.
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• All confined spaces are identified with warning signs. For a full
list of all confined spaces at the facility see the ESH
Department. Entry is restricted to authorized personnel only.

Material Handling
Lifting
• Safco has a 35 pound maximum lifting limit for all employees.
Anything over that will require a team lift or a mechanical lift
assist (hoist, forklift, etc).
• Employees should seek supervisor assistance if an item exceeds
the lifting limit and mechanical assistance is not available.
• Prior to use of mechanical lifting aids, such as cranes, hoists,
powered industrial vehicles, an inspection shall be performed.
• Size up a load prior to lifting. Get help for heavy or bulky loads.
• When lifting heavy objects, keep the back as straight as
possible, bend the knees, and lift with the leg muscles keeping
the weight as close to the body as possible. The motion should
be smooth and steady.
• When moving materials on hand trucks, dollies, or pallet jacks,
push rather than pull.
• Never stand or walk under suspended loads.

Powered Industrial Vehicles (PIV)

• Powered industrial vehicles, or forklifts, are only permitted to
be operated by trained and licensed personnel.
• All other employees should be cautious when PIVs are
operating in the area.
• No one other than the operator may ride on a PIV.
• When working near PIV traffic, always be aware of their
movements. Use barricades and signs where appropriate.

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 • PIVs must be inspected prior to use on each shift, using the
provided inspection sheets. Notify your supervisor of any
issues found during the inspection.
• Always drive with the forks in the lowest possible position.
• Unsafe acts while operating PIVs will result in loss of operator’s
license.

Pedestrian Safety
• Use designated pedestrian aisles where they are provided.
• Be aware of forklift traffic. Make eye contact with forklift operators
in your path to ensure the driver is aware of your direction of travel.
• Step aside when forklifts are passing through your path.
• Maintain a minimum of 36” from a PIV that is traveling through the
facility. Larger distances must be maintained for vehicles with wide
rear-end swing.
• Step away from aisles to read text messages, answer your cell
phone or review a document. Never walk and talk, walk and text,
walk and read, etc.
• Use the shortest path possible when required to cross industrial
truck traffic.
• Look both ways before crossing an intersection.
• Allow sufficient time to cross the path of an industrial truck to avoid
injury.
• When a driver sounds his horn, he may be trying to alert you that he
is near. Step aside and let the forklift pass.
• Do not walk directly behind an industrial truck that is traveling in
reverse.
• Keep out of high traffic areas such as loading docks and warehouse
areas, unless you are authorized to be there. High-visibility vests or
clothing required in these areas.
• Use a man door rather than an overhead door, when available.

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Fire Protection
Fire Extinguishers
• Know the locations of extinguishers in your work area.
• Understand the proper procedures before using extinguishers:
P.A.S.S.-
• Pull the pin on the extinguisher
• Aim the extinguisher toward the bottom of the fire
• Squeeze the handle of the extinguisher
• Sweep the extinguisher in a side to side motion at
the base of the fire.
• Access to extinguishers must always be kept open and free of
items that will impede access in the event of an emergency.
• Notify your supervisor immediately after using an extinguisher
or discovering that one is missing or empty.

Flammable Materials
• Oily rags and other flammable materials must be disposed of in
metal containers.
• Flammable liquids must be stored in a flammable liquid storage
cabinet.
• All drums and cabinets must be bonded and grounded.
• Secondary containment capable of capturing the entire
contents of items stored on them shall be used for all drums.
• Storage of flammable materials in open containers is not
permitted.
• Combustible materials in work areas shall be kept to a
minimum.

Chemical Safety
• Be familiar with the appropriate PPE and the location of eye-wash
stations prior to using chemicals.
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• If there is a chemical release, (this includes sewer, air, or ground
spills) leave the area and call for assistance.
• All chemical containers must be labeled with contents and HMIS
label.
• All new chemicals must be reviewed and approved by the ESH
Department prior to use.
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are available for all chemicals
used in the facility. MSDS are stored in an online format and are
accessible to all employees at www.3eonline.com. The username
for the Lubbock plant is: Lubbock and for the foundry it is: Slaton.
The password for both sites is: msds.
• Compressed gas cylinders must be stored and transported in an
upright position and secured by a chain or strap at all times.
• Cylinders of oxidizing agents, such as oxygen and nitrous oxide,
must be stored at least 50 feet from cylinders containing
flammables, such as acetylene, propylene, and propane.
• Releases or spills of oils or other industrial fluids must be contained
and cleaned immediately. Spill kits are available throughout the
facility. Notify your supervisor of any large spills.

Office Safety
• Keep your work area neat and orderly.
• Desk, cabinet, and file drawers shall not be left open unattended.
Only open one file drawer at a time to prevent cabinet from tipping
over.
• Report all defective equipment and unsafe conditions to your
supervisor.
• Chairs, wastebaskets, and cords shall not be left in aisles where they
might cause a tripping hazard.
• Do not run in hallways or up and down stairs.
• Always use the handrails when ascending or descending the stairs.

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• Do not use cabinet tops for storage.

Emergency Preparedness
Fires/Evacuation
• Emergency exit routes are posted throughout the facility.
Become familiar with emergency exit routes and locations of
exits.
• Upon activation of the fire alarm, leave the building through the
nearest fire exit and proceed to the windmill field for headcount.

Tornados & Other Severe Weather

• Severe weather is monitored by emergency weather radios. In
the event that employees need to seek shelter, an
announcement will be made via the public address system.
• Employees will report to the front office to one of the two
shelter areas: the interior offices or male and female restrooms.

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