Work Comp – Page 9 – Risk Management 365

Work Safety Tips

1. Safety is a team effort. Ensure that every member of the crew knows the safety requirements before the job is started.

2. Safety is your responsibility.

3. Always communicate with co-workers during a job in order to maintain safety.

4. Don’t create unnecessary hazards. Notify others of both new and old ones.

5. Never take shortcuts. Always follow correct procedures.

6. Wear metal mesh gloves to protect your hands when using sharp knives regularly.

7. Keep your work area clean and orderly.

8. If you make a mess, clean it up. Never let safety be someone else’s job.

9. Keep access clear to emergency exits, equipment, and equipment shutoffs.

10. Prevent accidents by clearly identifying any hazards that cannot be removed.

via 80 Work Safety Tips to Remind Employees to Work Safe.

Bloodborne Infectious Diseases

Exposures to blood and other body fluids occur across a wide variety of occupations. Health care workers, emergency response and public safety personnel, and other workers can be exposed to blood through needlestick and other sharps injuries, mucous membrane, and skin exposures. The pathogens of primary concern are the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis B virus (HBV), and hepatitis C virus (HCV). Workers and employers are urged to take advantage of available engineering controls and work practices to prevent exposure to blood and other body fluids.

via CDC – Bloodborne Infectious Diseases – HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B Virus, and Hepatitis C Virus – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Working Safely with Chemicals

Chemicals come in various forms and can affect those exposed in different ways. A chemical can take the form of a mist, vapor, liquid, dust, fume or gas. The type of chemical, the way it is used, and the form that it takes determine its effect and what should be done to avoid harmful exposure.

Some basic safety precautions should be understood and followed including:

Know what to do in an emergency. If there is a leak or spill, keep away from the area, unless you know what the chemical is and how to safely clean it up. Know where emergency protective equipment and supplies kept and how to use them.
Use appropriate protective clothing and equipment (glasses, aprons, boots, gloves, etc.) as required or as necessary.
If the clothing becomes contaminated by the chemical, shower or wash the skin areas exposed. Change and decontaminate clothing (or dispose of clothing if it is designed to single use).
Do not take contaminated clothing home to be laundered because by doing so, it could expose family members to the contaminant.
When working with chemicals, always wash hands thoroughly before eating. If necessary, shower and change clothes before going home.
Never take food into the work area where chemicals are being used or stored.
If work will be done in an area where there is a possibility of exposure to toxic substances, use a buddy system or establish an emergency communication system. A worker can be dangerously exposed or overcome by a chemical and need immediate assistance.
Keep the workplace clean to reduce the risk of contamination. Where possible, wipe up and absorb the contaminant, using proper protective equipment as required. Clean up spills immediately and dispose of contaminated material properly. With some chemicals a vacuum is recommended for clean up rather than a broom or compressed air. The idea is to collect and confine the contaminant, not just spread it around.

Workers should know the companys system for identifying hazardous chemicals. They should know and understand the specific health and safety hazards of the chemicals with which they work and follow the recommended safety precautions. All workers should be trained in proper chemical storage and disposal procedures and know what to do for first aid and emergencies.

via Working Safely with Chemicals.

How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you spend a lot of time doing activities that involve forceful or repetitive hand or wrist movement or use of vibrating equipment, you have an increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome. These activities can include driving, working with small instruments, knitting, or using a sander. You can reduce your risk-and any hand pain or weakness you may already have-by taking a few simple steps.

Key points

Many health conditions and diseases make you more likely to get carpal tunnel symptoms. But if you exercise, stay at a healthy weight, control other health conditions such as arthritis and diabetes, and avoid smoking, you can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome.
Arranging your activity and work space using ergonomic guidelines can help prevent carpal tunnel syndrome. Office ergonomics focuses on how a workstation is set up, including the placement of your desk, computer monitor, paperwork, chair, and associated tools, such as a computer keyboard and mouse. The same ideas can help you arrange your position for other daily activities.
Proper body mechanics are key to preventing carpal tunnel syndrome.
Evaluate your daily routine for activities that increase your risk of carpal tunnel syndrome.
Take frequent breaks from activities to rest, stretch, change positions, or alternate with another activity.

via How to Prevent Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.

Chain Saw Safety

Operating a chain saw is inherently hazardous. Potential injuries can be minimized by using proper personal protective equipment and safe operating procedures.

Before Starting a Chain Saw

Check controls, chain tension, and all bolts and handles to ensure that they are functioning properly and that they are adjusted according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Make sure that the chain is always sharp and the lubrication reservoir is full.
Start the saw on the ground or on another firm support. Drop starting is never allowed.
Start the saw at least 10 feet from the fueling area, with the chain’s brake engaged.

Fueling a Chain Saw

Use approved containers for transporting fuel to the saw.
Dispense fuel at least 10 feet away from any sources of ignition when performing construction activities. No smoking during fueling.
Use a funnel or a flexible hose when pouring fuel into the saw.
Never attempt to fuel a running or HOT saw.

Chain Saw Safety

Clear away dirt, debris, small tree limbs and rocks from the saw’s chain path. Look for nails, spikes or other metal in the tree before cutting.
Shut off the saw or engage its chain brake when carrying the saw on rough or uneven terrain.
Keep your hands on the saw’s handles, and maintain secure footing while operating the saw.
Proper personal protective equipment must be worn when operating the saw, which includes hand, foot, leg, eye, face, hearing and head protection.
Do not wear loose-fitting clothing.
Be careful that the trunk or tree limbs will not bind aginst the saw.
Watch for branches under tension, they may spring out when cut.
Gasoline-powered chain saws must be equipped with a protective device that minimizes chain saw kickback.
Be cautious of saw kick-back. To avoid kick-back, do not saw with the tip. If equipped, keep tip guard in place.

via Chain Saw Safety.

How do I identify workplace hazards?

A job hazard analysis is an exercise in detective work. Your goal is to discover the following:

What can go wrong?
What are the consequences?
How could it arise?
What are other contributing factors?
How likely is it that the hazard will occur?

To make your job hazard analysis useful, document the answers to these questions in a consistent manner. Describing a hazard in this way helps to ensure that your efforts to eliminate the hazard and implement hazard controls help target the most important contributors to the hazard.

Good hazard scenarios describe:

Where it is happening (environment),
Who or what it is happening to (exposure),
What precipitates the hazard (trigger),
The outcome that would occur should it happen (consequence), and
Any other contributing factors.

via Job Hazard Analysis.

Back Pain at Work

A number of factors can contribute to back pain at work. For example:

Force. Exerting too much force on your back — such as by lifting or moving heavy objects — can cause injury.
Repetition. Repeating certain movements can lead to muscle fatigue or injury.
Posture. Slouching exaggerates your back’s natural curves, which can lead to muscle fatigue and injury.

Of course, certain medical conditions and lifestyle factors — such as obesity, sleeping position, poor physical condition, smoking and stress — also can contribute to back pain.

via Back pain at work: Preventing pain and injury – MayoClinic.com.

Construction’s “Fatal Four”

Out of 4,188* worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2011, 738 or 17.6% were in construction. The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by electrocution, struck by object, and caught-in/between. These “Fatal Four” were responsible for nearly three out of five (56%) construction worker deaths in 2011*, BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 419 workers’ lives in America every year.

Falls – 259 out of 738 total deaths in construction in CY 2011 (35%)

Electrocutions – 69 (9%)

Struck by Object – 73 (10%)

Caught-in/between – 18 (2%)

via OSHA Commonly Used Statistics.

Fall Injuries Prevention 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.

Develop a Drug-free Workplace

In a drug-free workplace, the employer has taken steps and initiated policies to ensure that employees, vendors, and customers are not:

taking or using alcohol or drugs,
selling drugs, or
affected by the after effects of indulging in alcohol or drugs outside of the workplace during non-work time.

Additionally, the goal of a drug-free workplace program, as they have traditionally been developed, is to encourage an employee with a substance abuse problem to seek treatment, recover, and return to work.

via Develop a Drug-free Workplace – Drug Testing in the Workplace.