SAFETY IS EVERYONE’S RESPONSIBILITY!
Machinery-related injuries are some of the worst in the industry today. Workers get caught in machines and suffer severe injuries such as crushed arms, legs, severed fingers, blindness, or even killed.
Can these injuries and deaths be prevented? Of course, they can, with the proper use of machine guards.
Mechanical hazards occur in the following areas:
Injuries in the workplace because of ladders are commonplace. About a third of all reported falls are falling from ladders. There are over 10,000 reported ladder-related injuries in the United States annually! Work-related falls from ladders resulted in approximately 360 fatalities and an estimated 151,000 serious injuries each year.
Not all these incidents are due to defective ladders, however, that can certainly be one of the factors. It is important that ladders are inspected regularly.
Ladder Inspection
Look for missing or loose cleats at the bottom.
Look for loose or missing screws, bolts or hardware.
Look for cracked, broken, split, dented or badly worn rungs, spreaders or side rails.
Corrosion of metal ladders.
What should you do before using a drill press?
Drill presses can be dangerous if not used properly.
Forklift operators should always wear their seatbelts. Why? Analysis of forklift accidents reveals that the operators who were injured or killed were often not wearing seat belts. While seat belts can’t prevent accidents, they can prevent serious injuries and save lives. Here are three real accident reports that tell the story:
Have you ever given much thought to your back? It's there when you need it, but only if you don't abuse it. The back is made up of four major parts. The spine, nerves, muscles, and the spinal cord. There are thirty-three bones in the spine and thirty-one pairs of nerves branching out from the spinal cord. All of them must work together. If they don't, you could end up with anything from a strain to a ruptured disk, fractured vertebrae, and/or a debilitating disease like arthritis.
To help prevent back injuries we should exercise, practice good posture, eat the right foods, and watch your weight. Check with your physician or doctor for muscle strengthening exercises for the back.
What steps has your company taken to minimize its workplace safety risks? Identifying your risks and implementing solutions to reduce them is the best way to deal proactively with the problem of workplace safety.
It can be a challenge to identify your risks when you're too close to the situation. By partnering with a professional consulting and risk management provider, you can find out exactly where your workplace safety vulnerabilities exist and what you can do to address them.
An unbiased safety auditor can inspect your workplace and identify any potential problems. A few of these issues may include:
OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Act) develops strategies for successful safety and health management systems. Their approach to workplace violence is one of prevention and zero-tolerance.
Workplace violence can be actual assault, verbal abuse, or threatening violence. It can occur in or outside of the workplace as well. Data shows that around 2 million Americans have been subjects of violence in the workplace. There is no way to say who will commit this crime or who their chosen victims are but it can happen any place at any time. Those with increased risk are people who handle money, work during late night or early morning hours, have contact with the public, or work in high-crime areas.
Processes for health and safety management teams function separately from other risk teams and can leave a gap of information about safety concerns in the workplace. Here are five ways organizations can work to reduce workplace safety incidents.
A clear line of communication must be present to create a culture of prioritizing safety. Departments need to be able to work together to create safety guidelines that are standard for everyone. To collaborate teams can store forms and documents in a central location, automate process reviews, and deliver new safety feature protocols promptly.
Leaders need to be present in the health and safety department to guide other team members as they implement procedures to minimize risk. A regular risk analysis will increase visibility and impact of safety protocols.
