Category: Risk Management

Electrical Safety

Electrical hazards can cause burns, shocks and electrocution (death).

  • Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages. Never assume that a wire is safe to touch even if it is down or appears to be insulated.
  • Never touch a fallen overhead power line. Call the electric utility company to report fallen electrical lines.
  • Stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from overhead wires during cleanup and other activities. If working at heights or handling long objects, survey the area before starting work for the presence of overhead wires.
  • If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle. Warn people not to touch the vehicle or the wire. Call or ask someone to call the local electric utility company and emergency services.
  • Never operate electrical equipment while you are standing in water.
  • Never repair electrical cords or equipment unless qualified and authorized.
  • Have a qualified electrician inspect electrical equipment that has gotten wet before energizing it.
  • If working in damp locations, inspect electric cords and equipment to ensure that they are in good condition and free of defects, and use a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
  • Always use caution when working near electricity.

via Electrical Safety.

Forklift Safety

Each year, tens of thousands of injuries related to powered industrial trucks (PIT), or forklifts, occur in US workplaces. Many employees are injured when lift trucks are inadvertently driven off loading docks, lifts fall between docks and an unsecured trailer, they are struck by a lift truck, or when they fall while on elevated pallets and tines. Most incidents also involve property damage, including damage to overhead sprinklers, racking, pipes, walls, and machinery. Unfortunately, most employee injuries and property damage can be attributed to lack of safe operating procedures, lack of safety-rule enforcement, and insufficient or inadequate training.

via Safety and Health Topics | Powered Industrial Trucks.

Prevent Fall Injuries in the Workplace

Falls are a persistent hazard found in all occupational settings. A fall can occur during the simple acts of walking or climbing a ladder to change a light fixture or as a result of a complex series of events affecting an ironworker 80 feet above the ground. According to the 2009 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 605 workers were killed and an estimated 212,760 workers were seriously injured by falls to the same or lower level.

via CDC – Fall Injuries Prevention in the Workplace – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Smoking Cuts Life Short

Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death.

Worldwide, tobacco use causes more than 5 million deaths per year, and current trends show that tobacco use will cause more than 8 million deaths annually by 2030.

In the United States, tobacco use is responsible for about one in five deaths annually (i.e., about 443,000 deaths per year, and an estimated 49,000 of these smoking-related deaths are the result of secondhand smoke exposure).

On average, smokers die 13 to 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.

via CDC – Fact Sheet – Fast Facts – Smoking & Tobacco Use.

Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders

Ergonomics is the scientific study of people at work. The goal of ergonomics is to reduce stress and eliminate injuries and disorders associated with the overuse of muscles, bad posture, and repeated tasks. This is accomplished by designing tasks, work spaces, controls, displays, tools, lighting, and equipment to fit the employee´s physical capabilities and limitations.

via CDC – Ergonomics and Musculoskeletal Disorders – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Driving is a Privilege not a Right

Driving is a privilege. A driver’s license gives you a certain level of freedom, but it also gives you an enormous amount of responsibility. When behind the wheel this responsibility comes in many forms:

•       Wearing safety belt

•       Driving sober

•       Focusing on the road

•       Driving defensively

A lot of responsibility comes with a driver’s license. You have to drive safely, obey the traffic laws, and respect the rights of other drivers. Not only should you concentrate on your own driving, you should also be well aware of the other vehicles around you. Driving safely also includes how and where you park your car. Passengers in your car put their safety in your hands and expect you to drive safe as well.

Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls at Work

What can you do to avoid falling at work?

It is important remembering that safety is everybody business. However, it is employers’ responsibility to provide safe work environment for all employees. Employees can improve their own safety too.

You can reduce the risk of slipping on wet flooring by:

  • taking your time and paying attention to where you are going
  • adjusting your stride to a pace that is suitable for the walking surface and the tasks you are doing
  • walking with the feet pointed slightly outward
  • making wide turns at corners

You can reduce the risk of tripping by:

  • always using installed light sources that provide sufficient light for your tasks
  • using a flashlight if you enter a dark room where there is no light
  • ensuring that things you are carrying or pushing do not prevent you from seeing any obstructions, spills, etc.

via Prevention of Slips, Trips and Falls : OSH Answers.

Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss

Noise Induced Hearing Loss is serious. Some 30 million people are at risk in the workplace, in recreational settings, and at home. In fact, it is the second most self reported work-related illness or injury. Already, 22 million American adults ages 20 to 69 have permanently damaged their hearing from exposure to loud sounds.

via Prevent Noise-Induced Hearing Loss: Have WISE EARS! for Life! [NIDCD Health Information].

Safety at Work is No Accident

To keep employees safe at work takes a plan and commitment to follow it. The National Safety Council model safety management system includes the following nine elements organized into three key performance areas.

Leadership – Management

  • Management leadership and commitment
  • System management and communications
  • Assessments, audits and performance measurements

Technical – Operational

  • Hazard identification and risk reduction
  • Workplace design and engineering
  • Operational processes and procedures

Cultural – Behavioral

  • Worker and management involvement
  • Motivation, behavior and attitudes
  • Training and orientation
Ben Franklin said: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” That’s good advise when it comes to safety.

via: national safety council