Many workers routinely use hand tools and don’t think of them as dangerous, but accidents continue to occur.
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Many people nowadays are using rideshare services such as Uber and Lyft for rides to the airport, home, evenings out on the town, or anything else. While these services have changed the way people commute and get around, they also include some dangers. As a user, you must be sure that your personal safety is taken into consideration at all times.
When there are storms in your area, turn on your radio or television to get the latest emergency information from local authorities. Listen for announcements of a storm watch or warning. Enable the weather alert system on your cell phone to give additional alerts for your location. Consider purchasing a weather alert radio for your home to keep you and your family informed of weather emergencies. Learn about the weather warning system for your county. Some areas use a siren system to alert residents to weather emergencies. Know how to distinguish between the siren’s warnings for different types of emergencies.
Injuries to the back can be some of the most prevalent and most difficult to prevent injuries on the job. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that more than one million employees suffer back injuries each year and back injuries account for one of every five workplace injuries. This type of injury also accounts for a large majority of worker’s compensation claims every year.
We have certainly been facing the most challenging of times. Most of us can handle a crisis or other unusual event when it is a short-term incident, we go through it, grieve, feel fear, deal with our emotions, and then recover. However, in the time of a long-term, continually evolving huge stressor, our normal ways of coping are not always enough. They get old, fall short, or we just get worn down. Lately, professionals are seeing increased mental health disorders, drug, and alcohol abuse from many different areas. The belief is it is in reaction to such heavy, ongoing stress that people are feeling.
We should all make it a goal to be a Safety Champion, considering we are responsible for making hundreds of decisions every day that determine the level of safety and risk for nearly every action we make. You have heard many times that we need 1000 Safety Champions at SSOE.
The following is a list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA. OSHA publishes this list to alert employers about these commonly cited standards so they can take steps to find and fix recognized hazards addressed in these and other standards before OSHA shows up.
In many parts of the country, the weather is already hot and humid. Employees in hot environments can be at risk for heat stress, which can lead to serious illness. Older employees; employees with existing health conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity; and those working strenuously or in direct sunlight are at greatest risk. Nobody can control the weather, but heat stress is preventable if employers and employees take proper precautions.
Great weather, picnics in the park, cookouts, and vacations. Yes, summertime is finally here and so is the summer heat. Many families will head to the nearest body of water whether that is a pool, lake, river, or ocean. If you find yourself, or your family, looking to head to the water to cool off this summer, please keep the following safety tips in mind.
Chemicals exist on virtually every worksite. It is important to know and understand the routes of entry into the human body. In this safety message, we look at the four routes of exposure, and safe work practices around chemicals.
Managing safety often lies in the hands of a Safety Manager or Director, and sometimes even those with other hats such as Facilities, Human Resources, and Office Management. We understand that someone must be responsible for creating, implementing, tracking, coaching, and investigating all things safety related, but can YOU put all of your faith and trust in just one person? What if you only see that person a couple of times a year? What if only a couple of times per day? The question is, WHO is responsible for your safety? If you did not say that YOU are responsible for YOUR safety, then we may have a problem. The best person to ensure that you don’t do something foolish, or wrong, is you. You are the one doing the activity or performing the task. Think back to some of the things that you have done that were not safe.
It’s the season for picnics, parties, and fireworks! Practicing common sense will make the festivities more enjoyable for you and those around you. Here are a few reminders about heat, food, alcohol, and firework safety to prevent sickness and injury, and help keep the fun going all summer long.
At SSOE Group, we have a “Safety Always” vision; a mission of “For Safety’s Sake, Do Something”; a goal of “0 Recordable Injuries”; and a motto of “At home, work, or play, its safety every day”. While that all sounds good, and we are trying to instill a safe culture in our employees, it can be challenging. I honestly don’t believe that employees got up from bed, got dressed, and went to work thinking “today is the day that I am going to get hurt”! No one wants to get hurt or even cause an accident. What I do think is that we get caught up in something that causes a distraction to us, therefore exposes us to risk. I do believe that we are willing to take chances due to cost, time, and behaviors that expose us to the dangers we encounter daily. We believe that nothing will happen. Quite frankly, this most likely is not the first time doing the task. So why?
At this time of year, the sun is rising just as many people are headed to work or school. Those driving eastbound often put their visors down very low to block the sun. While this helps them see the road, it also limits their field of view. Since many intersections have only the overhead traffic lights (lacking the lights mounted at “street level”), it turns out that putting the visor in the low position means they can’t see the traffic light.
Accidents can happen in an instant. Taking your mind off the road to adjust your mirror, to set the GPS, or to look for the heat / AC controls can quickly lead to an accident. Spending a few seconds getting to know your rental vehicle before you drive off the lot can help keep you safe, not to mention others around you on the road.
At last. It’s finally here! The season for warm weather, grilling, picnics, water activities, travel, and outdoor fun! Practicing common sense and safety will keep you looking good, feeling good, and you won’t miss out on any of the fun.
One of the ways that we look to identify risk is through the use of SLAM assessments. SLAM comes from the mining industry and is an acronym used to help workers remember a way to work safe. SLAM assessments are similar to Behavior Based Safety observations and simply look at a way to perform a task safely. The best way to minimize risk is to follow SLAM….
According to www.pcmag.com, working from home has some positive outcomes, but they don’t always come easy or are readily recognized. Everyone who works remotely has to figure out when to work, where to work, and how to create boundaries between work and personal life. What about office equipment, career development, training opportunities, and building relationships with colleagues? Working remotely, especially when working from home most of the time, means figuring out these issues and others. Following are some things you can do when working from home and making adjustments.
All around the world the use of technology (specifically that which involves screens) is increasing both at work and home. Screens are a part of everyone’s life these days, but prolonged screen time can have some unwanted effects. Let’s take a look at some potential negative effects of prolonged screen time and how to mitigate them.
Reduce stress when working from home by stepping away from what you are doing from time to time. You don’t need to be tied to your computer. Sure, we need to get our work finished and it is important, but it doesn’t have to cause you grief either. Mix it up a bit, move around, stand up, reposition, move to another location, do a quick exercise, or even work from the back patio. Whatever you can do to keep engaged in your work, break up the stress, and minimize the monotony.
Working from home can have a lot of benefits like not having to sit in traffic and having more time to spend with loved ones. It can also create challenges as well. As you are working from home ask yourself: Is your work area safe and ergonomic? How do you keep from getting distracted? It may be time for an adjustment if you have noticed any new pain or discomfort.
Are you getting ready to take on some construction work around the house? Building a deck? Installing a fence? New mailbox? Even a simple job like planting a tree in your yard can jeopardize your safety. Many energized power and utility lines are buried just a few feet under the ground. Digging, trenching, or excavating without knowing where the utility lines are buried could be costly – and fatal.
A trench is a cut in the surface of the earth that is deeper than it is wide. Excavation is the removal of material on the surface of the earth where the width is greater than the depth. OSHA reference 29CFR1926.650.
SSOE, like most workplaces, takes pride in providing a safe place to work for all of its employees. A safe workplace includes designing, implementing, and maintaining safe facilities, accomplished by engineering and administrative controls. This includes job sites that our employees visit and work, and in our offices. Common things that we come in contact with could be hazardous to our employees and others. Safety hazards are unsafe working conditions that can cause injury, illness, and even possibly death. Some examples are falls, electrocutions, housekeeping issues, and even chemical exposures.
It is important to find treatment strategies to help you with that feeling of your heart beating faster in response to a stressful situation. Or when your palms get sweaty when you’re confronted with an overwhelming task. That’s anxiety — our body’s natural response to stress. Everyone has different triggers, and identifying them is one of the most important steps to coping and managing anxiety attacks.
Ten seconds. That’s about the same amount of time that it takes to tie your shoelaces or to fold a t-shirt. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), that’s also the longest it should take anyone to reach a safety shower or eyewash station if they are splashed with a hazardous chemical.
What do March Madness / Spring Training / Safety have in common?
Stop and think about your favorite winning sports team. How do they do it? Do they have a superstar that will always carry the team? Sometimes, but not likely!
Ready to spring forward? Daylight Saving Time 2021 will begin for most of the U.S. on Sunday, March 14, at 2:00 a.m. Nowadays, with our cell phones, computers, and electronics changing their time automatically, it can be easy to forget the opportunity to perform important annual upkeep in your home. To keep your family and home safe, as well as prepared, make time for this short safety checklist.
After all the engineering and administrative controls have been exhausted, PPE is left to be the last line of defense against injuries. PPE is anything that an employee wears to minimize workplace safety risks. It is designed to help protect employees from hazards that cannot be eliminated by other means. If utilized correctly, it can protect against hazards such as flying particles, noise, chemicals, sharp objects, or falling objects, just to name a few. Choosing the correct PPE and wearing it properly can go a long way towards preventing injury to yourself and to others.
Why should we pay attention to housekeeping at work? Effective housekeeping can help control or eliminate workplace hazards. Poor housekeeping practices frequently contribute to incidents and look bad from our Client’s perspective. Housekeeping is not just about cleanliness. It includes keeping work areas neat and orderly, maintaining halls and floors free of slip and trip hazards, and removing waste materials (e.g., paper, cardboard) and other fire hazards from work areas. It also requires paying attention to important details such as the layout of the whole workplace, aisle marking, the adequacy of storage facilities, and maintenance. Good housekeeping is also a basic part of incident and fire prevention. Effective housekeeping is an ongoing operation: it is not a one-time or hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally.
When winter temperatures drop significantly below normal, staying warm and safe can become a challenge. Exposure to cold temperatures, whether indoors or outside, can cause serious or life-threatening health problems. Infants and the elderly are particularly at risk, but anyone can be affected.
Now that the COVID-19 vaccines are arriving, people are starting to dream. “As soon as my five closest friends and I get the shot, I’m spending a weekend at a cabin with them. No masks, no social distancing.” “Realistically, it’s definitely not going to be an on / off switch on normal,” said Eleanor Murray, a Boston University epidemiologist. Stage 1 is what you can safely do once you and your close friends or family are vaccinated. Stage 2 is what you can safely do once your city or state has reached herd immunity, where enough people are protected against infection that the virus can’t easily spark new outbreaks. Stage 3 is what you can do once herd immunity is reached internationally. In the meantime, even vaccinated people have to assume they can still become infected and pass along the virus. That means they need to keep wearing masks and social distancing whenever they’re around unvaccinated people.
In past safety tips, we have learned that the Experience Modification Rate (EMR) has a strong impact on a business. The EMR number is used by insurance companies to gauge both past cost of injuries and future chances of risk. This can be said another way by looking at expected losses versus actual losses, but also looks at the severity of the actual loss. The higher the EMR, the higher your worker compensation insurance premiums will be.
OSHA requires that businesses have an Emergency Action Plan for the workplace that addresses all possible emergencies and how employees are to respond. The plan also is to provide emergency response contact information, as well as exit routes, shelter in place, and safe areas for emergencies. Along with the Emergency Action Plans, there should be testing of the plan to verify it works and to run drills for employees to practice. There is a strong suggestion that Emergency Plans be tested to identify errors and to get employees involved.
Are you a gambler? Are you willing to risk it all? Do you “knowingly” commit unsafe acts or risky behaviors? Who loses the most? Who is affected by YOUR actions? Will you say something?
Surprisingly, it doesn’t take much time away from work for us to begin to lose the good safety habits that we worked hard to cultivate. When we return from being away from work, our minds are often distracted by what we experienced while we were gone. These reflections can sometimes become a distraction and distractions can place you at risk for injury.
Be prepared for winter month with these tips from our safety team.
As we settle into the Holiday season and we celebrate with those holiday parties, keep Safety a priority. Traveling with family and friends exposes everyone to risks of bad weather, bad conditions, busy traffic, frustrated and impaired drivers.
The roads are a dangerous place on even the nicest day, but in the winter the dangers of driving increase dramatically. According to the Department of Transportation, winter weather conditions are responsible for over 192,000 injuries and 2,200 deaths each year. Outside injury and loss of life, winter weather conditions are responsible for millions of dollars in property damage incidents.
We have certainly been facing the most challenging of times. Most of us can handle a crisis or other unusual events when it is a short-term incident, we go through it, grieve, feel fear, deal with our emotions and then we recover. However, in the time of a long-term, continually evolving huge stressor, our normal ways of coping are not always enough. They get old, fall short or we just get worn down. We are seeing increased mental health disorders and drug and alcohol abuse.
Festive celebrations, flickering lights, and winter decorations are hallmarks of the holiday season. That also means a great risk for fire. Following a few simple tips will ensure a fire-safe holiday season.
Hearing Loss: Heredity, aging, and exposure to loud noises are the main factors that contribute to hearing loss. Chronic exposure to high levels of noise can cause permanent hearing loss that cannot be reversed. Much of the hearing loss suffered later in life is related to damage caused at a younger age. Now is the time to prevent and protect.
The holidays may look a little different this year. Please take these tips into consideration when holding / attending Thanksgiving gatherings. We’re all in this together. Let’s have a healthy & safe Thanksgiving. We can share this day with loved ones, but let’s play it safe.
During times of extreme stress, being aware of declining mental health is really important. Many people are able to see others decline much sooner and more clearly than they may see themselves. It is normal during stressful events to feel some sadness, fear, and anxiety however, if these feelings are left unaddressed for too long, they can lead to more significant problems such as suicidal thoughts, violence, and addiction. It is important that we learn as much as we can about the signs to watch for because we are more socially isolated and people are not spending time with us to help keep us in check.
Healthy hands are needed for just about every job and to get through daily life comfortably. We use our hands for virtually every task we do at work. Because of this fact, they are commonly injured on the job. Keeping our hands and fingers out of harm’s way at work is critical. A serious injury to an individual’s hands or fingers results in a huge negative impact on their ability to work and overall quality of life. While gloves are the most common form of PPE found in the workplace, hand injuries are still one of the leading types of injury on the job.
Daylight Saving Time will end Sunday, November 1. After getting an extra hour of sleep, our internal body clocks can take up to a week to acclimate to this schedule shift.
In light of current events, millions of people are now telecommuting. This presents unique challenges and safety concerns that affect us all. Whether you are newly working from home due to COVID-19 or seasoned telecommuters, you are ultimately responsible for your own safety. Below are some tips to help make your telecommute safe:
I was recently asked what ESH & S is and what it means. What it stands for is Environmental, Safety, Health, and Security. To many of you, that may seem like “overkill”. To others it is “wasted money”. Governmental agencies require codes, standards, and regulations to ensure that workers and the public are safe and both employers and employees must follow them.
October is National Fire Prevention Month, a time when we all should be aware of ways to help learn fire safety.
Bicycling is one of the best ways to get exercise, see the sights, and reduce your carbon footprint. However, bicyclists face a host of hazards. They often must share the road with vehicles, and injuries can happen even on a designated path. With about 80 million bicyclists sharing the road with motorized vehicles, it is vital bicyclists – and drivers – take some safety precautions.
Do you take chances at home, work, or play? Have you ever cut corners and done something at risk? Are you a gambler and willing to take chances?
Every year, thousands of people are impacted by severe weather and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, hurricanes, and ice or snow storms. We can’t control when or where disaster will strike, however, we can be prepared by knowing what to do before, during, and after a severe weather event.
It is natural to want to be outdoors, especially in the sun, but it all comes at a cost. The #1 cause of skin cancer is exposure to Ultraviolent or UV rays. Aside from cancer, too much exposure to UV can cause sunburn, eye damage, and premature wrinkles. So what can you do to protect yourself? Wear sunscreen with a high Sun Protection Factor or SPF, wear a hat that covers your face, ears, and neck, use sunglasses that offer protection from UV light, wear UV block or SPF clothing, but the best option is to limit the time outside during the greatest exposure to UV and that is between 10am and 4pm.
Labor Day 2020 is Monday, September 7th. Labor Day pays tribute to the contributions and achievements of American workers and is observed on the first Monday in September. It was created by the labor movement in the late 19th century and became a federal holiday in 1894. Labor Day weekend also symbolizes the end of summer and the start of the back-to-school season for many Americans and is celebrated with parties, parades, picnics, barbecues, fireworks displays, and other public gatherings.
No matter where you are celebrating, help make this holiday safer for everyone by following these safety tips.
Deciding to follow every single safety rule or procedure does not come natural to us. We constantly have to work towards making the right decisions every single day. Many times individuals find ways to rationalize not working safely. It is important for each employee to recognize this error trap and address it when it arises.
Hand sanitizer is a great alternative to soap, however recently some have been found to be dangerous. According to the FDA “Methanol is not an acceptable active ingredient for hand sanitizers and must not be used due to its toxic effects.
As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country, it is important to take additional precautions to help protect yourself, family, and the local community. Even if you are considered low risk according to the CDC, it’s important to be cognizant of the effects that this virus may have on individuals who are considered high risk by the CDC. Many people do not believe in the risk, use of masks, or even the virus itself but we need to follow the local, state, and federal guidelines. It is imperative that we all do our part to avoid further spreading of the virus, it is the right thing to do.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has suggested that people wear face coverings in public settings, where other physical distancing measures are difficult to maintain. In some states and cities, masks are mandatory in public. The primary role of face coverings is to reduce the release of infectious particles into the air when an infected person speaks, coughs, or sneezes. Face coverings are not a substitute for physical distancing, frequent hand washing, and other everyday preventive actions. As there is a resurgence of COVID cases, we must take every precaution to protect not just ourselves but others, by simply wearing masks and social distancing. Do your part for Safety Always!
What is Coronavirus?
COVID-19 is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person through droplets made when people carrying the virus cough, sneeze, or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people nearby or be inhaled into their lungs. It is possible that a person can get the virus by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or eyes. To help with understanding more about the virus, remember the acronym TRACKS.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
A near miss is an occurrence where the elements of an accident are present but, due to the timing of events or an indirect interaction of a current safety control measure, no injury or physical loss occurred.
The term “line of fire” in safety is very common when talking about the hazards of a work task. Depending on the work being completed, there could be many different lines of fire or there could be very few. It is important to understand what the line of fire is and how to avoid being in it to avoid injuries. What is line of fire? A simple definition is being in harm’s way. Line of fire injuries occur when the path of a moving object, or the release of hazardous energy, intersects with an individual’s body.
Summer is full of fun activities. Here’s how to have fun and be safe.
Your body depends on water to survive. Every organ, cell, and tissue in your body needs water to work properly. Your body uses water to regulate its temperature, remove toxic substances, and help the absorb essential nutrients.
You are traveling and exiting an interstate when the car in front of you stops suddenly causing you to rear-end that car. The airbags deploy and there is significant damage to your vehicle. You were not distracted at the time of the crash, but obviously was too close to the other vehicle. You were not injured in the accident, but was sore and bruised up from the crash. Thankfully you were wearing your seat belt. You were cited by law enforcement for failure to maintain an assured clear stopping distance. Don’t forget to document the crash with details of what happened, any photos, witness statements, and a police report. If this occurs during your workday, did you file an Incident Report with your company?
Every year, thousands of people are impacted by severe weather and natural disasters, such as earthquakes, tornadoes, thunderstorms, floods, hurricanes, and ice or snow storms. We can’t control when or where a disaster will strike, however, we can be prepared by knowing what to do before, during, and after a severe weather event.
Complacency can be defined as self-satisfaction, often combined with a lack of awareness of hazards. Complacency is extremely hazardous in the workplace. We get so used to things being done the same way that we do not always look at the hazards that may surround us. We also may underestimate the risk of tasks that we perform regularly, or fail to notice a change in our environment when we become complacent in our daily routines.
It’s finally time to drag out the mowers and to find the time to stay one cutting ahead of the neighbors. A good start towards mower safety is to follow a simple safety rule called “MOW before you mow!”
HILLSBORO, Oregon, May 13, 2020 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, is proud to announce they have been recognized with a Platinum Safety Award from ConstructSecure for their high score on the independent Construction Safety Assessment Program. SSOE received a 97-point score out of 100 possible points—a result of SSOE’s safety-always culture. SSOE executes a full range of design and construction projects for industrial and general building clients throughout the world. A significant proportion of their design and construction services are performed for advanced technology clients based out of our Hillsboro, Oregon office. Read more
Evan Baker, Data / Fire / Security (DFS) Manager and Senior Associate at SSOE Group, was recently featured in this Food Engineering magazine article. Addressing physical violence in the workplace is a growing priority for all, including food manufacturers, as workplace disasters continue to occur. This article discusses how a building’s design can incorporate many features to detect and keep out threatening people, as well as technology to analyze surveillance footage—freeing up security guards to focus on problem-solving and investigation. Read more
Do you take chances at home, work, or play? Have you ever cut corners and done something at risk? Are you a gambler and willing to take chances?
In light of everything that is going on today with social distancing, we must stay connected now more than ever. It is imperative for our mental health to have a sense of community, togetherness, and emotional connections.
Yes folks, it’s that time again! Time for warm weather, grilling, picnics, water activities, and outdoor fun! If you practice common sense and safety in all of your activities you will keep looking good, feeling good, and you won’t miss out on any of the fun.
A face mask and N95 respirator are two types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that are designed to protect employees from various airborne hazards. It’s important to know the difference between them, as well as the pros and cons of each.
As concerns over COVID-19 have grown, more companies have asked employees to work from home to help prevent the spread of the virus. Working from home can have a lot of benefits like not having to sit in traffic and having more time to spend with loved ones. It can also create challenges as well. As you are working from home ask yourself: Is your home work area safe and ergonomic? How do you keep from getting distracted with domestic duties?
As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country, it is important to adapt healthy coping methods to get through the outbreak.
As COVID-19 continues to spread throughout the country, it is important to take additional precautions to help protect yourself, family, and the local community. Even if you are considered low risk according to the CDC, it’s important to be cognizant of the effects that this virus may have on individuals who are considered high risk by the CDC. It is imperative that we all do our part to avoid further spreading of the virus.
Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV).
The world of safety compliance should not be confusing. Rules are in place to maintain a safe workplace. This week we are going to look at working around powered industrial trucks / material handlers. The OSHA standard for general industry is 1910.178 and 1926.602 for the construction industry.
TOLEDO, Ohio, May 31, 2019 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, is proud to announce that they have been recognized for their safety accomplishments by the Bureau of Workers’ Compensation (BWC) and Safety Council of Northwest Ohio. The BWC and the Safety Council of Northwest Ohio presented their 65th annual safety recognition awards on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. Read more
TOLEDO, Ohio, January 18, 2019 – SSOE Group (www.ssoe.com), a global project delivery firm for architecture, engineering, and construction management, announced today that a number of its employees earned professional licensures and certifications during the first quarter of their 2019 planning year. Attainment of professional licensures and certifications is strongly encouraged at SSOE. In fact, the company covers the expense of preparation classes and exam fees as well as provides paid time off to take the exam. As an added incentive, once an employee has passed an exam, they are awarded a recognition bonus. Read more
Your body depends on water to survive. Every organ, cell, and tissue in your body needs water to work properly. Your body uses water to regulate its temperature, remove toxic substances, and help the absorb essential nutrients. Read more
Most of us spend a significant amount of time at work, rarely thinking about the precautionary measures in place to create our secure environment. Companies develop policies, programs, and committees to keep their employees and property safe. The primary security risks are theft, vandalism, and violence (random or targeted). Read more
Setting up workstations properly will prevent repetitive injuries and the potential for strains, sprains, and pains. Read more
Workers’ Memorial Day is observed every year on April 28. It is a day to honor those workers who have died on the job, to acknowledge the grievous suffering experienced by families and communities, and to recommit ourselves to the fight for safe and healthful workplaces for all workers. It is also the day OSHA was established in 1971. Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their workers. Read more
Many people are concerned about the possibility of a public health emergency such as a natural disaster, act of terrorism, or disease outbreak. You can take steps now to help you prepare for an emergency and cope if an emergency happens. To help you prepare, we’ve provided step-by-step actions you can take beforehand to protect yourself and your loved ones. Read more
According to OSHA…An Electrical Hazard can be defined as a serious workplace hazard that exposes workers to burns, electrocution, shock, arc flash / arc blast, fire, or explosions. By identifying these hazards, and understanding how they happen, we can take steps to protect ourselves. Read more
What is SPA? Safe Plan of Action, or SPA, is an easy to follow system that is designed to reduce injuries by providing a method for analyzing the task at hand, and then making a safe plan that eliminates the potential safety hazards associated with that work to be performed. Read more
Our safety goal is “0” Lost Time Accidents. We need 100% participation. But what is your responsibility to achieve this goal? Read more
The following attributes and characteristics are the result of a nearly 10 year study and countless hours of personal interviews with employees who have worked their entire careers injury free. Read more
Are you a gambler? Are you willing to risk it all?
What happens when we “knowingly” commit an unsafe act or risky behavior? Ask yourself – Who loses the most? Who is affected by YOUR actions? Read more
Employees working in environments with insufficient oxygen or where harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, fumes, gases, vapors, or sprays are present, need respirators. These types of hazardous exposures may cause cancer, lung impairment, other diseases, or even death. Read more
All employees that would need to utilize scaffolding must be trained by a qualified person to recognize the hazards associated with the type of scaffold being used and how to control or minimize those hazards. And only a competent person is responsible for overseeing the erection and dismantling of all Scaffolding as well as performing daily inspections of the scaffold The training must include: Read more
Electrical safety in the office is extremely important. Even a small amount of electrical current can be damaging to our body. It can cause nerve damage or paralysis. Misusing electricity could result in many accidents, including fire. Did you know that electrical fires kill more than 700 people a year? Read more
If it revolves, swings, spins, slides, opens, closes, or moves in any way at all, it can hurt or kill you. We often think about fingers or other extremities that might get caught in machinery, however a person could be dragged into many pieces of equipment and be injured or crushed even before they have a chance to cry out for help. Construction equipment, production machinery, process equipment, transportation devices, such as automobiles and bicycles, home shop and yard equipment, and even office photocopiers contain moving parts that can cause injuries. Injuries related to machinery and equipment often result in death or permanent disability. Read more
For most of us, it is in our nature to jump in and help out in a crisis. But if we don’t protect ourselves when we help the injured, we risk exposure to blood born pathogens or other potentially infectious bodily fluids. Read more
Any worker exposed to hot and humid conditions is at risk of heat illness, especially those doing heavy work tasks or using bulky protective clothing and equipment. Some workers might be at greater risk than others if they have not built up a tolerance to hot conditions, including new workers, temporary workers, or those returning to work after a week or more off. All workers are at risk during a heat wave.
It is very important to watch out for each other during extreme heat. Simple overheating and dehydration can quickly become dangerous. Here is what to look out for and what actions to take. Read more
What if someone didn’t know that you were working on a machine, or electrical outlet, and turned on the power? Lockout/tagout/tryout is a safety procedure used to ensure that dangerous machines, equipment, or services are properly shut off and not able to be started up again before maintenance is completed. Read more
Recently, a miner had just finished welding on the plant’s crusher and decided to jump from the next to the last step of a fixed ladder to reach the ground. When he hit the ground, he fell backwards and was impaled by a pry bar that was left standing upright on the ground. The victim suffered severe injuries as a result of this accident.
Some workplace hazards are obvious, and easy to avoid. Some hazards may not be as easy to anticipate, Read more
Whether temporary or permanent, all workers always have a right to a safe and healthy workplace. Did you know that temporary workers are at increased risk of work-related injury and illness? Every year, thousands of temporary workers are injured within the first couple of weeks of being on the job. Read more