24 August 2018
MEDIA MATTERS
‘Everyone has the right to be
safe at work’
Jim Poage, Safety Director, Formetco, the US, commands over 20 years of experience
in the creation and implementation of safety programmes in numerous industries. He
is a professional trainer on a wide variety of safety, health and environmental topics
and a recognised guest speaker from previous Outdoor Advertising Association of
America (OAAA) Safety Summits, as well as the Independent Billboard Operators
(IBO) organisation.Jim holds an Associate’s of Applied Science Degree in Occupational Safety and
Health, a Bachelor’s Degree in Occupational Safety and Health. He is a Certified Safety
Professional, Safety Management Specialist and an Associate Safety Professional
through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, as well as a Certified Safety
Management Practitioner through the Institute for Safety and Health Management.
Jim serves on the Ad Hoc Safety Committee of the OAAA, is a member/trainer in CPR/
First Aid instructor for the National Safety Council and is a member of the American
Society of Safety Engineers. He shared his perspectives on the safety and health
standards for OOH in an interview to Rajiv Raghunath. Edited excerpts:Quite many people working in the OOH industry
in different markets are having to deal with health
and safety hazards. What has been your experience
working with OOH companies enhancing the safety
standards at their workplace?I have over 20 years of experience in out of home safety
programmes. I have created and maintained company
safety programs for that time.Which are the areas where the health and safety
hazards are particularly high for workers? What
steps would you advocate to mitigate the risks to the
workers?The hazards are different for every job, so it is necessary
to evaluate the hazards for each job before work is
performed. Some of the common hazards are falls from
heights, electrical exposure, weather hazards, and driving.
The place to start a safety programme is to develop a Job