BMI is committed to the safety of its employees and its property and equipment. To this end, we will utilize a safety program in our daily activities. It is necessary that the company establish safety rules and regulations to be observed by all employees at all times.

Any employee who disregards any company safety rule and/or regulation is subject to disciplinary action including termination of employment.

With regard to these rules, the following will be considered standard procedure for all employees:

  • Should a safety regulation be modified so that an employee’s safety is something less than it should be, the employee should inform the Safety Director.
  • All questions concerning the reason for doing something in a certain manner may be asked of any member of management at any time.
  • Employees’ decisions should always be guided by the company’s commitment to safety.
  • Should a hazardous situation or condition exist and a decision has to be made on safety or production, safety concerns should always take precedence over production.

It is management’s responsibility to see that every employee at BMI is provided with safe working conditions, all safety regulations are observed and employees use good common sense to protect themselves as well as others. Management will periodically inspect working conditions and may suspend all work activity until an unsafe condition is corrected.

The most important part of safety is YOU. It is your responsibility to abide by the safety rules – these rules are made for your protection. Report any personal injury IMMEDIATELY, however minor. Report all dangerous conditions and practices to the Safety Director.

SAFETY RULES

The following is not a complete list of safety rules and these rules are not intended as a substitute for common sense and good judgment.

  • Hard hats will be worn on the job when working under heavy objects which may be dropped or fall accidentally.
  • Hard-toed shoes will be worn when working on jobs where heavy objects may fall.
  • First aid kits are provided on each job. It is the responsibility of the Safety Manager to see that the kits are on the job and remain well stocked.
  • All gasoline shall be stored in approved safety cans. Never use gasoline for cleaning.
  • Know where the fire extinguishers are located and know how to use them.
  • Extension cords used with portable electric tools and appliances shall be of the three-wire type. Defective cords shall be replaced on the day which they become defective.
  • All ditches 5′ deep must be shored or slanted to the angle of repose. Dirt and materials must be at least 3′ back from the ditch.
  • Defective materials or tools must be turned in to the employee’s supervisor and not remain on the job.
  • Read all Material Safety Data sheets supplied with hazardous materials and abide by the instructions. Direct any questions to the Safety Manager.
  • Employees should check with the Safety Director regarding any potentially hazardous material.
  • Keep oxygen and gas cylinders in an upright position and secured. Caps should be kept on tanks not in use. Keep tanks free from oil and grease.
  • Safety goggles or glasses and hearing protection will be provided by the company when necessary. These protective devices will be used when breaking out concrete or asphalt, grinding, using a cutting torch, welding, sanding, using chisels, chipping slag, breaking rock, handling hazardous materials and operating loud power tools and machinery.
  • Wear clothes suited for the job. This means hard-soled work shoes, shirts and long pants. Remove all jewelry before reporting to the job.
  • Practice good housekeeping. Keep work area neat, clean and free from stumbling hazards, grease, etc.
  • Learn to lift the correct way. Bend knees, keep back erect, get help for heavy loads.
  • No scuffling or horseplay on the job.
  • Do not run. Keep firm footing and proper balance at all times.
  • Keep materials out of walkways. Bend down and remove protruding nails.
  • Do not throw anything from a height before checking to make sure that no one is below.
  • Keep guards and protective devices in place at all times. When guards are removed for repairs, replace in proper order before starting up.
  • Use tools only for their intended purposes. Do no use broken or dangerously dull tools.
  • Do not attempt to operate special machinery or equipment without permission and instructions.
  • Do not repair or adjust machinery while it is in operation. Never oil moving parts except on equipment fitted with safeguards for this purpose.
  • Never work under vehicles that are supported by jacks or chain hoists without protective blocking in case of hoist or jack failures.
  • Do not disconnect air hoses and compressors until hose line has been bled.
  • Field personnel are required to attend all scheduled tool box meetings. Employees must sign their name acknowledging participation at the meeting.
  • Special customer requirements for safety, including the government’s, may apply to projects on which the company is working. Employees will be advised of these situations and expected to follow these policies and procedures.
  • Use of cell phones while operating a company vehicle and equipment is prohibited. BMI recognizes that other distractions occur during driving, however curbing the use of cell phones, while driving, is one way to minimize the risk, for BMI employees, of accidents. Therefore, stop your vehicle and/or equipment in a safe location so that you can safely use your cell phone or similar device. Engaging in business using a cell phone or similar device while operating equipment and/or driving a company-supplied vehicle is prohibited. http://humanresources.about.com/od/policysamplesc/a/cell_policy.htm
  • The use of personal cell phones is prohibited on the job during working hours.

HAZARDOUS WASTES

The Environmental Protection Agency has grouped certain chemicals and chemical groups into categories, which have been defined as toxic. This means that in concentrated forms or by accumulating and combining with other chemicals (even the air) these chemicals can be hazardous to human health if exposure occurs.

From time to time in the normal course of their jobs, employees mayhandle materials which have been classified as hazardous by the standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) regulations. Hazardous materials that are received from our suppliers should have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) or labels, which state the chemical ingredients of the contents, precautions to take, and what to do if exposure occurs.

Employees will be instructed on how to control hazardous wastes and what to do if they are exposed to hazardous wastes.

If any employee suspects that the materials or wastes he/she may encounter as an employee are hazardous (whether or not they
are being created or used by the company), he/she should inform the Safety Director immediately.

As a company, we are committed to not creating or disposing of hazardous wastes, which will contaminate the environment. Whenever possible, we will choose materials which have been judged as non-hazardous and will properly dispose of hazardous materials if used. Also, we will not knowingly dump any wastes into the environment at any time.

REPORTING INJURIES AND ACCIDENTS

When any accident, injury, or illness occurs while an employee is at work, it must be reported to the Safety Director as soon as possible regardless of the nature or severity. BMI will provide the proper forms for reporting job-related accidents, injuries and illnesses. Any employee failing to report such occurrences will be subject to disciplinary action.

In the event of a vehicular accident involving a company-owned/leased vehicle or while on company business, the employee must report all information immediately to the Safety Director and/or the Office. In no instance should responsibility for an accident be expressed to anyone until the proper person in the company has been notified and permission has been obtained to make statements.