2/2016
Debris Caps Reduce Liability
As a business one of the biggest concerns that could lead to lawsuits and major expenses is liability. Liability exposure must be limited as much as possible to reduce the risk of either a citizen, customer or employee being injured and suing for injuries or workers compensation. OSHA, the Occupational Safety and Hazard Association is in place to protect employees by assuring a safe and healthy work environment. Businesses can take specific measures within their industry to become "OSHA compliant," which not only provides peace of mind to employees and businesses alike but can help lower the cost of insurance as well. Cutting liability by improving working conditions and limiting the risk of citizen or customer injury sounds simple but it is often more complicated and costly than it first appears. For utility companies or municipalities that work with pipes and valves, maintenance performed by employees is necessary but often perilous. Climbing down manhole shafts to access pipes and valves can be dark and slippery and attempting to locate and clean out pipes and valves is challenging in such conditions. Luckily, there is one simple solution to a multitude of problems that will dramatically reduce liability and help keep businesses OSHA compliant - debris caps.
Debris caps are installed quickly and easily over pipes and valves, providing protection from things like dirt and debris. Because dirt and debris are not able to accumulate in pipes and valves, the risk of erosion is dramatically reduced and accessing pipes and valves when necessary is much easier. This is important because it reduces the need for routine maintenance which frees up utility workers and city employees for other work and, when the need to service pipes and valves or access them for other reasons arises, the necessary tasks are more safe. Additionally, debris caps can be color coded and buried caps easily located with an optional 3M locator coil. Once installed there will be no more searching endlessly - utility workers will be able to work efficiently and spend less time on the job site. A simple, inexpensive solution like debris caps can be installed in minutes and will immediately begin better protecting pipes and valves from dirt and debris while simultaneously improving safety which helps dramatically reduce liability. Workplace injuries and workplace deaths are tragic, often preventable and incredibly costly. It is for this reason that every potential option to reduce the risk of workplace injury should be explored and debris caps are not only an effective solution, but they are also cost-effective and easy to retrofit. When looking for a way to improve pipes and valves and help diminish erosion from dirt and debris, consider installing debris caps that have the added significant benefit of also reducing liability.