Category: Personnel Safety

Safety Data Stats and Charts

BLS Notes a Rise in Workplace Fatalities for 2019

The number of U.S. workplace deaths rose 2% in 2019 to 5,333 from 5,250 fatal workplace injuries in 2018, according to the most recent Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries released by the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The fatal work injury rate was 3.5 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, the same […]

Winter safety

Protect Your Employees from Winter Injury and Illness

The winter season is upon us once again, and with the colder weather come a unique set of hazards that can cause injuries and illness among the workforce. Here are some tips for protecting your employees from cold stress, frostbite, and hypothermia.

Aerial Lift

What Are the Harnessing Requirements When Operating an Aerial Lift?

With winter weather comes the potential for severe storms—and the aftermath may include the necessity for utility repair work and/or tree removal. Aerial lifts are often employed in these purposes, and one Safety.BLR.com subscriber wanted to know what the fall protection requirements are for this machinery. Read on to see what the experts had to […]

Roofing fall protection

Revisit Your Fall Protection Program to Address This Fatal Four Hazard

Have you become complacent about safety hazards like falls while focusing on the health hazards of the COVID-19 pandemic? The consequences may be tragic—falls from height are one of the “Fatal Four” safety hazards, along with caught-in or -between, electrocution, and struck-by hazards—and failure to comply with fall protection regulations can result in citations and […]

Fatigued worker

Do You Have a Risk Management Plan for Fatigue?

Worker fatigue poses a clear and present danger to the workforce, but how many environment, health, and safety (EHS) teams have a plan in place to mitigate the risk? It’s important to understand the hazards and put a preventive action plan in place at your organization.

drug testing

Negative Repercussions of Mandatory Drug Screenings

Employers often feel an obligation to implement a drug screening program in the workplace, typically with safety in mind. It is used as a precaution to ensure people who would be a danger to others aren’t hired. Random testing is also used to discourage employees from using drugs after hire.

hurricane

OSHA Issues Warning to Employers on Hurricane Hazards

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) warned employers to protect workers from the safety and health hazards that often follow hurricanes, including the biological and chemical hazards of contaminated floodwaters, damaged power lines, debris and downed trees, and carbon monoxide fumes from gasoline-powered generators.

Facility ventilation systems

Ventilation, Filtration Considerations for COVID-19 Risk Management

You may worry about a workplace outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in your offices or facilities, but do you need to budget for upgrading your heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems to hospital-grade standards?

House kitchen fire

NIOSH Issues Guidance on Row House Firefighting

On September 10, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) issued a fact sheet and poster outlining tactics to ensure the safety of firefighters responding to row house fires. The institute recently completed a firefighter fatality investigation of a career lieutenant killed while fighting a row house fire.