Risk Management – Page 15 – Risk Management 365

Electrical Safety

Electrical current exposes workers to a serious, widespread occupational hazard; practically all members of the workforce are exposed to electrical energy during the performance of their daily duties, and electrocutions occur to workers in various job categories. Many workers are unaware of the potential electrical hazards present in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to the danger of electrocution.Electrical injuries consist of four main types: electrocution fatal, electric shock, burns, and falls caused as a result of contact with electrical energy.

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

What to Do After a Car Crash

Driving 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

According 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

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

Checking documentation of activity.
Interviewing employees at all levels for knowledge, awareness, and perceptions.
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

Health 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

If 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.

Enforcement of Workplace Safety and Health

Three Department of Labor (DOL) agencies have responsibility for the administration and enforcement of the laws enacted to protect the safety and health of workers in America.

Occupational Safety and Health Administration

OSHA administers the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act.
Safety and health conditions in most private industries are regulated by OSHA or OSHA-approved state systems.
Nearly every employee in the nation comes under OSHA’s jurisdiction with some exceptions such as miners, some transportation workers, many public employees, and the self-employed.
Employers subject to the OSH Act also have a general duty to provide work and a workplace free from recognized, serious hazards.

Mine Safety and Health Administration

DOL’s MSHA has responsibility for administration and enforcement of the Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977, which protects the safety and health of workers employed in the nation’s mines.
The Act applies to all mining and mineral processing operations in the United States, regardless of size, number of employees, or method of extraction.

The Fair Labor Standards Act

FLSA contains rules concerning the employment of young workers, those under the age of 18, and is administered and enforced by DOL’s Wage and Hour Division. Intended to protect the health and well-being of youth in America, the FLSA contains minimum age restrictions for employment, restrictions on the times of day youth may work, and the jobs they may perform.

via U.S. Department of Labor — Find It By Topic — Workplace Safety & Health.

Tips to Safety at Work

Here 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

When 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”

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.