Tag: risk management

What to Do After a Car Crash

Bergen_County_Car_Accident_AttorneyDriving is probably the most dangerous thing most of us will ever do. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NHTSA, there are more than 30,000 deaths and over 2 million injuries from motor vehicle crashes in the U.S. every year.Although you do your best to drive responsibly and defensively, its still smart to know what to do just in case you end up in a collision.

Crashes can be very scary, but here are some tips if one happens to you:Take some deep breaths to get calm. After a crash, a person may feel a wide range of emotions — shock, guilt, fear, nervousness, or anger — all of which are normal. But take a few deep breaths or count to 10 to calm down. The calmer you are, the better prepared you will be to handle the situation. This is the time to take stock of the accident and try to make a judgment about whether it was a serious one.

Keep yourself and others safe. If you cant get out of your car — or its not safe to try — keep your seatbelt fastened, turn on your hazard lights, then call 911 if possible and wait for help to arrive. If the collision seems to be minor, turn off your car and grab your emergency kit. If its safe to get out and move around your car, set up orange cones, warning triangles, or emergency flares around the crash site.

via What to Do After a Car Crash.

The 10 most dangerous jobs in America

tumblr_m5l0e5Dguw1qzzh6gAccording to a September report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics BLS, fisherman, loggers and pilots were the three deadliest in the United States in 2011. The organization recently examined the occupations with the highest rate of work-related deaths and found that of all U.S. workers, fishermen are the most likely to die on the job.

Here is the full list of work-related deaths in 2011 per 100,000 workers:

  • Fisherman 121.2
  • Loggers 102.4
  • Pilots 57.0
  • Farmers and Ranchers 25.3
  • Police Officers 18.6
  • Construction Workers 15.7
  • National Average 3.5
  • Firefighters 2.5
  • Cashiers 1.6
  • Office Admin 0.6
  • Business and Finance Staff 0.5

via The 10 most dangerous jobs in America | SmartPlanet.

Safety and Health Program Assessment

safetyThere are three basic methods for assessing safety and health program effectiveness:

  1. Checking documentation of activity.
  2. Interviewing employees at all levels for knowledge, awareness, and perceptions.
  3. Reviewing site conditions and, where hazards are found, finding the weaknesses in management systems that allowed the hazards to occur or to be “uncontrolled.”

Some elements of the safety and health program are best assessed using one of these methods. Others lend themselves to assessment by two or all three methods.

via Tools for a Safety and Health Program Assessment.

Hazardous Drug Exposures in Health Care

HazardousDrugs_072711ayfHealth care workers who prepare or administer hazardous drugs (e.g., those used for cancer therapy, and some antiviral drugs, hormone agents, and bioengineered drugs) or who work in areas where these drugs are used may be exposed to these agents in the workplace. About 8 million U.S. healthcare workers are potentially exposed to hazardous drugs, including pharmacy and nursing personnel, physicians, operating room personnel, environmental services workers, workers in research laboratories, veterinary care workers, and shipping and receiving personnel.

via CDC – Hazardous Drug Exposures in Health Care – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Stay Safe at Work

How-to-protect-your-back-at-work-300x214If work isn’t performed safely, it can put a lot of wear and tear on your body. Back injuries are the most common type of workplace injury.

Make simple changes to prevent injuries and stay healthy:

  • Lift things safely.
  • Arrange your equipment to fit your body.
  • Take short breaks and stretch your muscles.
  • Eat a healthy diet and stay active.
  • Watch your weight.
  • Get enough sleep.

via Workplace Safety.

Tips to Safety at Work

safe-at-workHere are a few tips to stay safe at work.

  • Safety is a team effort. Ensure that every member of the crew knows the safety requirements before the job is started.
  • Safety is your responsibility.
  • Always communicate with co-workers during a job in order to maintain safety.
  • Don’t create unnecessary hazards. Notify others of both new and old ones.
  • Never take shortcuts. Always follow correct procedures.
  • Wear metal mesh gloves to protect your hands when using sharp knives regularly.
  • Keep your work area clean and orderly.
  • If you make a mess, clean it up. Never let safety be someone else’s job.
  • Keep access clear to emergency exits, equipment, and equipment shutoffs.
  • Prevent accidents by clearly identifying any hazards that cannot be removed.

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

Applying Risk Management to HR

104774047ReassessingHRRiskManagementIWhen developing a risk management plan for your HR activities, there are a number of areas to focus on. This general list will get you started but it is very important that all organizations identify and evaluate the risks unique to their own organization.

HR Activity Potential Risk Area’s

  • Compensation and benefits
  • Hiring
  • Occupational Health and Safety
  • Employee supervision
  • Employee conduct
  • Exiting employee

via Risk Management in HR | HR Planning | HR Toolkit | hrcouncil.ca.

Construction’s “Fatal Four”

focusfourOut 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.

Machine Safety is Critical

Danger_Keep_Hands_Clear_JY41_ANSIMachine safety is critical for worker safety, because machines have many ways to injure workers: Many machines have moving parts, sharp edges, and hot surfaces with the potential to cause severe workplace injuries such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness. Safeguards are essential for protecting workers from these preventable injuries. Any machine part, function, or process that might cause injury must be safeguarded. When the operation of a machine may result in a contact injury to the operator or others in the vicinity, the hazards must be eliminated or controlled.

via CDC – Machine Safety – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.