Sprinkler Age A Publication of the American Fire Sprinkler Association
AFSA Safety Portal is 24/7 Online Resource for Members
Changing times, changing worksites, and changing health issues are driving American Fire Sprinkler Association (AFSA) members’ thoughts and concerns to protecting not only themselves but protecting their employees. I felt it might be an opportune time to let everyone know that your fellow contractors are also looking at and swarming to the AFSA Safety Portal for information about these issues. Thankfully AFSA adopted an online portal to address safety issues two years ago and has a state-of-the-art portal for all members. It is free and up-to-date in addressing safety for your firms.
That being said, let’s look again today at this site and show you how to address current issues through Toolbox Talks and links like the live Twitter feeds via the Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sites.
Log onto the registration page by visiting afsasafetyportal.com using your AFSA login name and password, then entering the information it asks for. This includes queries such as, “Are you an AFSA member?” and “What state are you located in?” Then, the page below will open for your particular state.
First, let’s look under the “News” section and click on the link called “Click Here” to view a short video on navigating the portal. This is a great tutorial on getting around within this site. Another area of importance is under the “Trending Topics.” If you click on “Toolbox Talks” it links to over 50 talks that relate to fire suppression contractors. One “Toolbox Talk” of immediate interest is on page 4, item I1, titled “Personal Protection Overview.” This “Toolbox Talk” reviews the use of eye protection, head protection, foot protection, hand and hearing protection, body protection, and respiratory protection. In addition to this important “Toolbox Talk,” there are over 50 more for you to use in protecting your employee’s safety. Check them all out.
Now, one of the most used areas of the portal currently is on the right side of the page under “Tweets” from the Department of Labor OSHA. This includes the latest and most up-to-date USDOL (United States Department of Labor) resources on COVID-19 response and preparedness in the worksite. Information has been consolidated on a new website, and the link is available live. For AFSA members, this is the most accurate and latest information for you to use in your operations. Please read all the Twitter links as they change often based on current findings and statistics.
This safety portal was designed for the fire sprinkler industry, and, as you can see, it is very specific for you. We highly recommend you use this site and allow employees of your companies to have access to this portal. I am seeing a lot of jobsite foremen and safety personnel accessing this site daily to stay informed on the latest safety issues. The safety portal is an excellent resource to search for specific types of installation involved at your job site and to show general contractors your proactive approach to safety.
This tool, afsasafetyportal.com, is for AFSA members, and, remember it is offered to you at no cost—it is a part of your member benefits. Also, as previously stated, other contractors’ members are signing on in record numbers, well over 200 in one day. We are impressed by your industry and the dedication to safety you show, especially in today’s unprecedented workplace climate.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Bob Leonhart is program director for Blue River Underwriters. He can be reached via email at rleonhart@blueriveruw.com.
