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Slips, trips, and falls on the same level are a leading cause of sprains, strains, tears, and more serious injuries to workers. NIOSH spent 10 years following slip, trip, and fall interventions in three hospitals to determine what caused workers to fall and how falls could best be prevented. Their findings can help all employers […]
Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents, according to OSHA—and the vast majority are falls on the same level, not 30-foot falls from a roof or some other height. Falls cause 15% of all accidental deaths, and are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. Have you looked […]
After a large-scale disaster, workers often work longer shifts and more consecutive shifts than they would typically work. The fatigue and stress that may arise from strenuous work schedules can be compounded by the physical and environmental conditions in the affected area after a disaster: nonexistent, damaged, or limited critical infrastructure (roads/traffic signals, utility lines, […]
Emergency workers who deploy to work at disaster sites caused by weather, earthquakes, epidemics, and other catastrophic events often put in much longer than 8-hour shifts. Although workers in these fields are generally highly committed to their jobs and find the jobs rewarding in ways that make long hours seem bearable, they are at substantially […]
Nano-scale materials have different physical and chemical properties than the same materials in larger sizes. So the methods you would use to protect workers against those materials in larger sizes won’t always work for nanomaterial exposures. In fact, in some cases, you may need to protect workers against materials that pose no hazard in larger […]
If you’ve ever had a cold, you know that terrible misery can come in microscopic packages. What you may not realize is that infectious biological agents like influenza and the cold virus are not the only extremely tiny hazards workers may face. Particles that fall into the “billionths of a meter” size—nanomaterials—may also be affecting […]
Improving Worker Health and Safety by Design NIOSH broadly defines “green” jobs as those “that help to improve the environment.” These may include jobs related to renewable energy like solar and wind, jobs in recycling, jobs in the manufacturing of cleaner more sustainable products, and jobs where workers use these greener products such as […]
Climate Change and Worker Health—Rising Risks Employers in the United States have long been governed by laws and regulations designed to provide a safe and healthy environment for workers. But climate change presents a new set of worker risks that are just beginning to be understood. Although many of the actual risks are the same […]
Ready for some statistics that should make you take a step back? Between 2003 and 2010, 143 workers on road construction sites in the United States died when they were hit by vehicles backing up. And in 2011, 70 workers in all industries were killed in backover accidents.
Late July brings some of the hottest temperatures of the year around the country. So it’s a good time for some refreshing refresher training on how your workers can beat the heat. Today’s Advisor gives you some training content. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) warns that heat-induced occupational illnesses, injuries, and […]