by jeffp | Apr 10, 2015 | Workplace Safety
Every day, over 2,000 workers experience an eye injury that requires them to seek medical care, according to the National Safety Council. Although any worker can injure her eyes on the job, the majority of eye injuries occur in the construction, manufacturing, mining and agriculture industries. These accidents affect the quality of life of the people whose eyes are injured, and result in a significant amount of lost work time. Preventing these injuries is not difficult. Doing so requires having the right protective equipment on hand and insisting that workers follow eye protection procedures at all times.
Eye injuries are often caused by the following: flying particles from work materials, chemicals, falling objects, dust and UV light from welding torches. If your workplace exposes workers to any of these hazards, it is important that you have an eye-protection policy in place. Note that OSHA has specific standards for general industry as well as shipyard employment and construction.
Types of eye protection include safety glasses with side protection, goggles and face shields. The kind of protection you purchase for your employees depends on the type of work they do. For example, working in a dusty environment may simply require the use of safety glasses, while working with chemicals always requires that workers use goggles, while working with bloodborne pathogens will require the use of a face shield.
Sometimes, workers need to use task-specific eyewear that is appropriate to the work they will be performing, such as a welding helmet to protect the eyes from the intense UV light emitted by the arc. A person working with lasers will wear eye protection that has a special filter to protect his eyes from the light. It is critical that workers use the right type of protection for the task in order to prevent injury. This may mean that your company will need to purchase several different kinds of protective equipment for the eyes.
Note that any protective eyewear you buy must meet the ANSI eye and face protection standards. Appropriate eyewear will have Z87 marked on the frame or lens. Equipment should fit properly so that no space is between the glasses and the face that would permit flying debris to enter and cause injury. Maintain the equipment so that it performs properly, as scratched googles can be a hazard in and of themselves.
Taking these precautions should reduce the chances that any of your employees suffer from a serious eye injury. Refer to OSHA guidelines to ensure that your company meets all of the legal standards for eye protection.
by jeffp | Mar 28, 2015 | Workplace Safety
We may be well into the new year, but dangerously cold temperatures are still possible in many parts of the country—even with spring a mere few weeks away. Whether your employees are required to work outside regularly or only occasionally, make sure they’re well versed in first aid for these common cold weather injuries.
Frostbite
When temperatures are below freezing, prolonged exposure of skin to the cold can result in frostbite. Couple frigid temperatures with wind and skin will freeze even faster. Fortunately, the damage is usually reversible if a worker receives prompt—and correct—treatment. Make sure your employees recognize the symptoms of frostbite (numbness, tingling, aching or pain in exposed parts of the body in conjunction with pale, waxy skin) and know how to treat it.
Basic first aid for frostbite includes:
- Don’t apply heat (radiator, stove, fire, heating pad, hot water bottle)
- Don’t rub the skin
- Warm the affected limb quickly with warm (not hot) water or blankets
- Gently exercise the warmed limb
- Don’t walk on frostbitten feet
- Get medical attention ASAP
Hypothermia
When a body loses heat faster than it can regenerate it, hypothermia can occur. The first symptoms generally appear when a worker’s core body temperate drops to 95°F and begin with shivering, loss of coordination and slurred speech. If not treated before the core body temperature drops to 85°F, hypothermia will become severe. A worker with hypothermia will lose consciousness when his/her core temperate reaches 78°F, and death may occur shortly after.
Basic first aid for hypothermia includes:
- Move the worker to a warm area
- Remove frozen or wet clothes
- Wrap the worker in warm clothes or blankets
- Provide a warm beverage
- Don’t give caffeine or alcohol
- Get medical attention ASAP
Dehydration
Dehydration is not just a summertime danger. With every breath your workers exhale in cold weather, moisture escapes their body through their lungs. A dehydrated worker is more vulnerable to other cold weather injures such as hypothermia. Symptoms include dry skin and dry mouth, but these are harder to distinguish when the temperature is low. Urine color is a better indication during this time of the year. Dark yellow or brown urine is a sign of dehydration. If not treated, symptoms can progress to extreme fatigue and confusion.
Basic first aid for dehydration includes:
- Provide plenty of fluid such as water
- Do not give caffeine or alcohol
- If symptoms are severe, get medical attention ASAP
Overexertion Injuries
Overexertion injuries are common in outdoor workers during cold weather. Low temperatures require a body to work harder to replace lost heat, which puts additional strain on the heart and lungs. This, in turn, makes physical activity more difficult. Tissues become stiffer, increasing the risk of strained and sprained muscles.
Basic first aid for overexertion injuries include:
- Rest the affected muscle or limb
- Apply a cold pack to the sore area
- Try a compression wrap
- Elevate the affected limb above the heart
- Take an over the counter pain medication
- If injury does not improve, seek medical attention
by jeffp | Mar 17, 2015 | Workplace Safety
Workplace safety is no joke. Certain lapses could result to injury or even death. This is why there are plenty of rules that should be followed to the letter. Below are a few things that every employee in your workplace should know.
Follow the rules.
The best way to ensure that hazardous materials are handled safely is to follow all the rules concerned. The rules are usually right and no one has ever been harmed following them.
Use safer materials where possible.
In some cases, there are safer alternatives and it’s highly recommended to make the switch where possible. This will reduce the risks altogether.
Wear the right Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Before working with hazardous materials, the proper PPE should be brought in first. Anyone who is required to use PPE should be trained on its proper use for both normal and emergency operations. Workplace safety dictates that worn out or damaged PPE should be replaced as well.
Use hazardous materials only for their intended purpose.
Hazardous materials have specific purposes in mind. For this reason, it’s not recommended to use them other than their intended purpose. Doing so increases the chance of personal injury, damage to property or death.
Read the labels.
Containers of hazardous materials should have labels that detail their properties. Other important information includes the hazards they can bring. Read the labels first before using hazardous materials. Report any broken or unreadable labels as well.
Ensure proper ventilation.
Control measures such as ventilation are needed to prevent exposure to hazardous materials. Proper ventilation means toxic vapors, dust, deadly fumes and other hazards are avoided.
Don’t eat or drink around hazardous materials.
Accidental consumption of hazardous materials often comes from contaminated food. To avoid this scenario, keep food away from the work area. Eat or drink only at the designated places.
Observe personal cleanliness.
Another way to avoid contamination is to make sure that personal cleanliness is observed. Wash with soap and water thoroughly after handling hazardous materials. Even the work area should be kept clean for workplace safety.
Be cautious.
When working with dangerous materials, it is important to be cautious. Think ahead and consider what could happen if things go wrong. This lets workers react to an emergency more efficiently. More importantly, focus on the job at hand.
Store hazardous materials properly.
When not in use, hazardous materials should be stored in the proper containers. This is to avoid any contamination that might jeopardize workplace safety. The storage areas should also be sturdy and appropriate for the material to be stored.
Invest in first aid training.
Hazardous materials can cause certain health conditions when someone is overexposed to them. Medical personnel may not be available as soon as practical. This is where first aid training can help. First aid should help prevent further injury so it is a good idea to have some of your workers undergo training.
Dispose hazardous material appropriately.
Unlike regular waste, hazardous waste disposal is governed by strict rules. Careless disposal could result in environmental damage and be a danger to people who are not trained to handle them. In general, hazardous waste is handled the same way as hazardous materials.
Understand emergency procedures.
Emergency procedures are a critical component of workplace safety. Knowing what to do when an emergency occurs can mitigate disaster. This is why your workers should understand these procedures clearly. This includes evacuation procedures, guidelines dealing with injury and fires and reporting processes among others.
Get everyone involved.
Safety is a team effort. It is something that everyone should be involved in. Ideally, safety meetings should be conducted regularly as an opportunity to discuss the latest developments. It should also be a time to air any concerns over safety in the workplace.
Be vigilant.
Safety rules should be implemented at all times. Any lapses or deficiencies in its implementation diminish its effect. With this in mind, it becomes important to stay vigilant. Make sure that all rules regarding workplace safety followed by everyone in your workplace.
These are just some of the things every workplace should be concerned about when it comes to safety. If you need assistance or a review of your existing workplace safety program, contact us today.
by jeffp | Feb 24, 2015 | Workplace Safety
A business that stands out for the right reasons always does better than the competition. Maybe it offers the best customer service in the area. Perhaps its products are leaps and bounds above the rest. It might even distinguish itself by giving back to the community or looking after the environment. These are all admirable characteristics, but there’s another you may want to consider as a way to put your company on the map: OSHA SHARP status.
The Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) recognizes small business employers who have established outstanding injury and illness prevention programs in their organizations. Potential clients, business partners and workers view such recognition by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) favorably, and it could enhance your company’s reputation. But there are also other benefits.
The Benefits of SHARP Status are Numerous
When you achieve SHARP status, you become a member of an elite group of small businesses. You earn an exemption from OSHA programmed inspections for up to two years. You can renew that exemption for another three years. But you can also take pride in the exemplary level of protection from health and safety hazards your workers enjoy. A truly safe work environment boosts employee morale, attracts higher quality job candidates, reduces costly turnover and days away from work, and lowers you worker compensation insurance premiums.
The Application Process is Simple
If you’d like OSHA to consider your business for SHARP status, you must request a comprehensive consultation visit from the local on-site consultation office. The consultation will include a complete hazard identification survey and involve your employees. If the OSHA consultant identifies any hazards during the consultation, you will have the opportunity to correct them.
The minimum requirement for SHARP status is the implementation and maintenance of a safety program that meets OSHA’s 1989 Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines. You must also maintain a DART rate (days away, restricted or transferred) and TRC rate (total recordable case) that is below the national average for your industry. Should your business require a change in working conditions at any point, you must agree to notify the local on-site consultation office.
Enjoy Up To Five Years of SHARP Recognition
Once you’ve satisfied the requirements, the consultation project manager will recommend your business for SHARP status. If the recommendation is accepted, OSHA will formally recognize your organization with a SHARP certificate. The administration will then grant you an exemption from OSHA programmed inspections for up to two years. After the two-year period, you can request a renewal for three years. Of course, there are a few additional requirements you must meet to do so.
- You must schedule a full-service comprehensive visit with OSHA to confirm you’ve effectively maintained or improved your safety program
- You must continue to meet all of the initial eligibility requirements
- You must agree to submit interim year SHARP site self-evaluation documents to your local on-site consultation program manager, including your company’s worksite injury and illness logs
Whether you’d like to develop a safety program that will help you achieve SHARP status or have other worksite injury and illness prevention questions, contact your safety consultant today.
by jeffp | Feb 10, 2015 | Workplace Safety
Every year, workplace injuries and illnesses cost U.S. businesses $250 billion. That’s a lot of money—funds that business owners could better use creating innovative new products, improving the services they offer, investing in equipment, even hiring more employees. Fortunately, many safety incidents are completely preventable. Consider the following simple suggestions to help you boost the safety of your workplace today.
- Proactively look for hazards. You may already conduct a workplace safety audit once or even twice a year, but job conditions change constantly. Take a few minutes every day to walk through your various work areas, and encourage your employees to do the same. This will help you identify potential new hazards before they become a problem, as well as allow you to correct employees violating current safety policies.
- Make training a priority. While you should obviously include accident prevention training during new employee orientation, make a point to continue training your workers after their first days. Hold weekly safety meetings and periodic retraining sessions. This will make it easy for your employees to ask questions about safety procedures and keep your workplace safety program’s rules top of mind.
- Put it in writing, and be specific. It’s one thing to tell employees how to do their jobs safely. You may even show them. But if you want to ensure you’ve covered all the learning bases, provide your workers with written job aids including safety checklists, operating manuals and step-by-step procedures.
- Involve everyone in problem solving. Employees will be more engaged in following safety policies and procedures when they can play a part in their creation. Form a workplace safety team—containing front-line workers, supervisors and management—and have them analyze possible safety issues, determine possible solutions, test their ideas, and implement new guidelines.
- Keep an eye on attitudes. If your workplace goes for some time without an accident, injury or illness, your team may begin to feel complacent. Workers may become sloppy or careless, taking unnecessary risks. Put a stop to this immediately. If it’s one individual, have a private one-on-one talk. If it’s an entire department, schedule a special safety meeting to review policies, procedures and the importance of following them.
- Monitor your workers’ health. We’re not talking about blood pressure cuffs, thermometers and clipboards here. Nothing that formal is necessary. You can easily improve workplace safety by just being aware of your team’s physical condition and making adjustments to their duties as necessary. For example, if one of your warehouse workers has been out with the flu for a week, he might not be up to lifting heavy loads when he gets back. You could temporarily reassign him, or just let him know that it is okay—even encouraged—to take work a little easier until he’s fully recovered.
- Reward safe behavior. Most employees love approval and recognition. Instead of making workplace safety enforcement about punishment alone, add in rewards for those who follow the program consistently. Ideas include selecting a “safe employee of the month,” small gifts for employees who remain accident free, and bonuses for workers who identify and eliminate workplace hazards.
Would you like a professional review of your workplace safety program? Do you need help reducing illnesses and injuries at your jobsite? Contact your safety advisor today.
by jeffp | Jan 31, 2015 | Workplace Safety
Every year the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) releases a report summarizing data from the previous year’s reported workplace illnesses and injuries. The latest edition, released in December 2014, revealed that private employers reported slightly more than 3 million nonfatal workplace illnesses and injuries in 2013. This is an incidence rate of 3.3 illnesses or injuries per 100 equivalent full-time workers, a number that illustrates a continuation of the decline in incidents seen over the last 11 years.
General Data
More than 50 percent of the more 3 million cases private employers reported in 2013 were serious enough to require days away from work, job transfer or restriction. These cases—also known as DART cases for days away/restricted or job transfer—occurred at a rate of 1.7 per 100 full-time workers. This was a statistically significant decrease from 2012 when the DART rate was 1.8, and is the first decline since 2009.
There were 1.4 million other recordable nonfatal injury and illness incidents that did not require days away from work, job transfer or restriction. These cases occurred at a rate of 1.6 per 100 full-time workers, unchanged from 2012’s 1.6 rate.
The rate of total reported cases of illness and injury was highest among private businesses employing between 50 and 249 workers. The BLS found the lowest incidence rate among companies employing fewer than 11 workers. The manufacturing, retail trade and utilities industries all experienced a significant decline in incident rate in 2013. However, the incident rate was statistically unchanged among all other private industries.
Injury Data
Almost 2.9 million of the more than 3 million reported nonfatal workplace incidents in 2013 were injuries. More than 75 percent of these injuries occurred in service-providing industries including wholesale trade, retail trade, transportation, warehousing, information, finance, insurance, real estate, education, leisure and hospitality. These industries employ more than 82 percent of the private industry workforce.
Goods-producing industries—such as natural resources/mining, construction and manufacturing—accounted for nearly 25 percent of the reported injuries. These industries employ almost 18 percent of the private industry workforce.
Illness Data
Around 153,000 of the more than 3 million reported nonfatal workplace incidents in 2013 were illnesses. The rate of workplace illness was 16.6 cases per 10,000 full-time workers in 2013, a number that was not statistically different from 2012’s 17.3 illness incident rate. Goods-producing industries accounted for 34.4 percent of the reported workplace illness incidents. Service-providing industries accounted for 65.6 percent.
While no one can prevent every potential workplace illness or injury, a comprehensive workplace safety program can help you decrease your own company’s incident rate. Whether you would like assistance establishing such a program or need some insight into improving the one you have, we are here to help. Please don’t hesitate to contact us with your workplace safety needs.
