Category: Injuries and Illness

Today, we offer recommendations for combating heat stress for both employers and employees. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that employers take the following steps to protect workers from heat stress: Schedule maintenance and repair jobs in hot areas for cooler months. Schedule hot jobs for the cooler part of the day. […]

Heat is not just uncomfortable on the job. It can be deadly. Make sure your workers know the signs of heat stress and what to do about it. Workers who are exposed to extreme heat or work in hot environments may be at risk of heat stress, says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention […]

Witness interviews often reveal important information about workplace accidents. Make sure to make the most of them. Witness interviews should be conducted by experienced safety personnel as soon after an incident as possible, before memories fade or recollections change. Questions to ask witnesses include the following: Please fully describe the accident sequence from start to […]

One accident is bad enough. But when the same thing happens again… well, that’s too much! Here are some suggestions for preventing repeat accidents. When an accident occurs, the first thing that needs to be done, of course, is treat any injuries. Then a series of key steps must be taken: Secure the area of […]

How much do your workers know about back injuries and how to prevent them? Here’s are 20 questions you can ask to find out how much they really know, and how much you have to teach them. 1 Back strain is second only to the common cold for causing lost workdays. T F 2 Overweight […]

With more than 500 work-related back injuries reported every day in U.S. workplaces, it’s no wonder you need to be concerned about preventing employee back injuries. An employee reaches up to a shelf to take down a carton and strains her back. A worker lifts a heavy load by himself when he should have gotten […]

OSHA’s Laboratory Standard requires a written Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). And that plan must contain these eight elements. The CHP must: Describe standard operating procedures. Define criteria for implementation of control measures (i.e. engineering controls, administrative controls, and PPE). Define (and document) procedures to maintain proper functioning of chemical fume hoods and protective equipment. This […]

Slips, trips, and falls are the third largest cause of workplace injuries, contributing to more than 100 million lost workdays and costing nearly $36 billion annually. The Montana State Fund has identified five contributing factors for slips, trips, and falls: Surface design. Slip resistance can have an important impact on preventing slips and falls. Slip […]

Slips, trips, and falls (STFs) are notorious workplace hazards that cause a lot of injuries and add to costs, productivity losses, and worker absences. Take action against STFs with these 5 strategies. Risk specialist Brian Roberts is the director of workers’ compensation and ergonomics for the insurance giant CNA. He’s developed an STF reduction strategy […]