FC&T Industry Blog

Spring 2009

"We've got safety, yes we do!  We've got safety ... " why is it hard to prove?

I don't mean to whine (but yet I will anyway) but I'm afraid to calculate the amount of time I spend completing safety information forms.  Don't get me wrong - I'm ALL ABOUT SAFETY.  I'm completely onboard.  But practically every company we work for, and often different sites within the same company, I have to fill out THEIR form.  Submit our safety plan for THEIR company.  Fax them our OSHA logs, EMR info, contact information, drug test results, background searches, safety certifications, and on and on.

I know why.  I know why they need to know and the reason is good.  I GET IT.  What I don't get is why, oh why, can't there be some established criteria regarding safety.  If it's EMR and OSHA IRs you need ... why can't I join a national program, update them once a year with the info and if your company needs it, you call one source.  And guess what?  You can probably do a lot of one stop shopping because your other contractors may be there too!  When it comes to minimal standards in drug testing, testing levels, safety protocol, etc - then why can't I sign up (or have MY screening company sign up) for a nationally recognized system of protocols and standards so that as long as I'm XYZ Certified, then they can rest assured I meet all the minimum standards - without the additional paper work.

Or am I doing that thinking thing again?