Category Archives: General Safety Issues

General Safety Issues

6 Ways Employers Can Reduce the Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Workplace

In the workplace, many employers tend to overlook work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). But according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, MSDs are the most common form of workplace injuries and they account for up to 30% of all workers’ compensation claims.

So as an employer, it’s your duty to provide your workers with a safe and healthy workplace. This means that you should improve their work environment to mitigate their risk of developing musculoskeletal disorders. In this post, I’ll highlight 9 ways that can help you accomplish this goal.

What are Musculoskeletal Disorders?

The World Health Organization defines musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) as conditions that affect an individual’s locomotor system, which comprises of the muscles, bones, joints and related tissues like tendons and ligaments.

To put it simply, these are health problems that compromise your mobility, flexibility and dexterity. As the European Agency for Safety and Health at Work explains, these disorders mainly affect the back, neck, upper limbs, and occasionally, the lower limbs. The most common musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace are:

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Ligament sprain
  • Tendonitis
  • muscle  or tendon strain
  • Tension neck syndrome
  • Rotator cuff tendonitis
  • Epicondylitis
  • Degenerative disc disease
  • Herniated disc

Reducing the Risk of Musculoskeletal Disorders in the Workplace

1. Identify the Causes

Recognizing the specific causes of musculoskeletal disorders affecting your workers can help you tailor the solutions. In other words, you can implement policies that address the specific risk factors causing MSDs.

As an example, a common risk factor in the workplace that leads to MSD is the frequent application of excessive force, such as when lifting heavy equipment.

Most cases of muscle strain and overexertion occur when the force needed is greater than what a worker’s body can handle. The higher the amount of force required, the higher the risk of injury.

If you’ve identified this as the cause, look for equipment that eases the task of lifting bulky machines. Items like wheeled vehicles, dollies and trollies take the hard work out of lifting and moving office equipment.

 

2. Scheduling Breaks

Another solution for reducing the incidences of musculoskeletal disorders is to schedule breaks for your workers.

The benefit of doing this is that it interrupts the extensive periods of repetitive or monotonous workloads and periods, which increase risk of MSDs. When scheduling breaks for your staff, pay attention to:

  1. Frequency of breaks: In a recent study, it was found that workers who took more frequent work breaks experienced less fatigue and stress resulting from work.
  2. Duration of breaks: The length of the work break is vital to the recovery of tissues and muscles. A study was done to investigate the impact of micro-breaks (lasting between 1.5 and 2 minutes) amongst surgeons. Researchers discovered that these small breaks helped to reduce musculoskeletal pain significantly.

3. Education and Training

Training is one of the most effective ways of preventing MSDs in the workplace. Essentially, by providing your staff with the necessary knowledge, they’ll be able to better exercise caution and avoid work-related risks on their own.

The best way to impart this knowledge is to offer practical training on the job. This entails training workers how to:

  • Understand the risk factors associated with common MSD in the office, such as carpal tunnel syndrome, back and neck pain etc.
  • How to reduce the risk of injury when interacting with office equipment
  • Follow best practices when it comes to sitting, standing, and computing.

4.Provide an Active Environment

A practical way to minimize the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders among office workers is to provide an active environment. An investigation was done to determine the effectiveness of exercise in reducing work-related musculoskeletal disorders.

The study focused on specific physical activities such as resistance training, Pilates, postural orientation among others. It revealed that taking part in 20-minute resistance training sessions 3 times per week led to a reduction of  musculoskeletal pain felt in the shoulders, wrists, cervical, dorsal and lumbar spine.

You can encourage your staff to exercise by:

  • Conducting standing or walking meetings
  • Hire a trainer to come in weekly to conduct short fitness classes
  • Incorporating inexpensive mini-stepper devices in areas like conference rooms
  • Positioning trash cans and printers farther away to help your employees walk more steps

5. Advocate for Early Reporting

Employers should also encourage their workers to report cases of musculoskeletal disorders early.

According to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety, the most common symptoms of MSDs are:

  • Joint stiffness
  • Muscle tightness
  • Redness and inflammation of the affected area
  • Numbness
  • Decreased sweating of the hand

If an employee starts to experience any of these signs, they should report it immediately. Early intervention is necessary because it enables the victim to receive the necessary treatment  before the muscle tightness and numbness becomes a full-blown musculoskeletal disorder.

An important point to note is that MSDs develop over a period of time. This then means that it’s possible to nip the health problem in the bud before it gets worse.

6.Implement Organizational Changes to Eliminate Repetitive Tasks

As we mentioned earlier, one of the things that increases the risk of musculoskeletal disorders is engaging in repetitive tasks.

During the course of work, most staff have very minimal influence on their speed, sequence of tasks and break schedules. For instance, for assembly line workers, retail cashiers, and those who deal in loading and unloading equipment, they cannot abandon their stations without being replaced by another individual.

This forces them into a cycle of repetitive work, which causes muscle fatigue. With insufficient recovery periods, the muscle fatigue often causes irreversible damages to musculature.

To prevent risk of MSDs resulting from repetitive jobs, introduce these organizational changes:

  • Shortened Job rotation- this is a structured approach of alternating workers between tasks. This means that the workers rotate between workstations or duties at shorter intervals, hence reducing exposure to the repetitive nature of the job.
  • Job diversification – this entails training your employees to perform an array of tasks that may be related or unrelated to their specific skill sets. Job diversification gives your workers opportunities to take part in non-repetitive tasks, which don’t carry any risk of MSDs.

Final Word

The American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates that one in every two Americans suffers from a musculoskeletal disorder. This goes to show just how rampant the health problem is.

Luckily, employers can take several measures to protect their workers from the risk of MSDs. Practical solutions include assessing the risk factors, providing breaks, fostering an active work environment and implementing an ergonomics program.

About the Author: George Chiang

George is the senior editor and ergonomist at Ergonomic Trends. You can find him hitting the gym or the yoga studio when he’s not working hard at a café as a digital nomad.

General Safety Issues

What Risks Are Associated With Lone Working?

It is generally accepted the lone working raised the risk profile of an employee, but what are the risks associated with lone working, and why is this the case?

According to the Health and Safety Executive, a lone worker is classed as anyone working without direct supervision of their supervisor or line manager.

Many people believe that just because a lone worker is paired up with a colleague, or surrounded by clients, they are not, in fact, lone working. However, this is not correct.

It is true that there is safety in numbers, and so a lone worker who is working with another lone worker is less vulnerable than those who are truly alone. Nonetheless, they are still without direct and immediate guidance or support from a senior colleague should they run into difficulty.

So, let’s have a look at what the risks of lone working are and who each one affects.

1) Abuse Or Assault

One of the risks of working alone that most people know of is being subjected to abuse or assault from the public, customers, service users, or sometimes even colleagues.

Lone workers, particularly those who deal with the public regularly are at risk of being verbally or physically assaulted. This is especially true if they are doing a job that involves people with complex or specific needs, or jobs that involve carrying out tasks that make people emotional.

Examples of job roles at risk of abuse or assault:

  • Professionals doing home visits, such as midwives, meter readers, or maintenance people
  • Probation and prison workers
  • Social housing staff
  • Hospital staff
  • Bus, train, or taxi drivers
  • Shop assistants
  • Teachers and nursery assistants
  • Bailiffs

What Are The Consequences Of Abuse Or Assault Against Lone Workers?

Abuse can take many forms and is a difficult risk to define. What one person finds threatening and upsetting, another may shrug off.

The way the ‘abuse’ is perceived will also be determined by the setting it happens in. For example, a jokey, off the cuff remark from a colleague will be perceived entirely differently from the same words said by an ex-offender on probation.

But whether the abuse was genuine or perceived, a lone worker on the receiving end will still feel the consequences, such as:

  • Physical injury
  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Difficulty sleeping
  • Not enjoying their job

Lone workers are more vulnerable and susceptible to abuse and assault because if it did happen, they might find it difficult to remove themselves from the situation without ‘back-up’.

2) Ill Health

A lone worker isn’t more likely to injure themselves or be ill, but they are more at risk of the consequences of suddenly being taken ill or injuring themselves than anyone else.

This is true especially if the lone worker is truly alone for long periods such as:

  • Remote and home workers
  • Sales staff off-site
  • Field scientists or engineers
  • Farmhands
  • Warehouse staff
  • Haulage drivers
  • Security staff

Imagine that one of your team trips and bangs their head hard enough to knock them unconscious in a remote corner of the warehouse or farm. How long might they lie unattended before someone notices they haven’t returned?

Or they fall and sprain their ankle and don’t have a signal on their mobile phone. Unable to summon help, it could be hours before they are found. This leaves your colleague vulnerable to secondary risks.

Or, the worst-case scenario that I have known happen, a colleague has a heart attack and is unable to summon assistance.

Obviously, we all want to hope that nothing this serious ever would happen. But working alone does mean that if it did happen, help might just be too late.

3) The Environment

Some specific environmental hazards might come from:

  • Bad weather
  • Road accidents
  • Machinery
  • Remoteness (for example, getting lost or stranded)
  • Lack of phone signal

Why Are Lone Worker At Risk From Their Environment?

Lone workers are more vulnerable to their working environment than others because, again, they are less likely to able to call for help. More than this though, it could be a long time before anyone really notices they are not where they planned to be.

You might only check in with your lone worker each morning. If they became lost or stranded with no phone signal, it could be 24 hours before you realise, or at least 8 hours when they fail to return home.

If they did fail to return home, would you know where they had been specifically? Specifically enough to tell the police?

How To Protect Lone Workers?

Lone working is a health and safety issue and, as such, should be risk assessed and the risks controlled.

There is a guide and template to a specific lone worker risk assessment here.

This is the minimum you should do. You could also consider a lone worker policy, a buddy system, or even a lone worker device.

About Alicia:

Alicia has worked in the lone worker sector for over 10 years, helping organisations find the right solution to protect their staff from these types of hazards.

She is the Sales and Operations Director of First2HelpYou, a lone worker solutions provider in the UK.

General Safety Issues

5 Ways to Make Your Company Office More Secure

Workplace security is the process of protecting employees from injuries, illnesses related to work and intruders. Having a workplace security plan is important because it ensures that important information, equipment, data, networks and other company assets are protected. In the recent years, the rate of cybercrimes and theft has been on the rise.

Generally, a company office that is secure improves productivity and performance in the long run. This is because employees don’t have to work in fear of being intruded or losing their personal belongings. An organization that does not prioritize security will definitely perform poorly and end up with nothing in long run.

According to edubirdie review, a secure company office reduces the turnover rate. Employees will definitely leave a company office that is insecure. No one wants to risk his or her life for a job they can swap whenever they want.

Plus, high turnover rate is a huge expense for the organization because of the interviewing process and training. An organization that retains its employees will attract best candidates which will ultimately lead to improved productivity and performance.

Another important aspect is insurance. A research conducted by college paper review found that insurance is an important aspect of security in your company office. Enhancing security in your company office will reduce the amount of premiums you have to pay every year because the risk of employees being injured will be low.

Employees are the most valuable assets of an organization. An organization is not the office, furniture or equipment. An organization is the people behind it. Without your employees, there’s nothing much you can do to keep your company moving forward. So, isn’t it not wise to protect your employees?

For every company in the world, safety and security are big issues not only for the managers but for the employees and clients as well. All companies should have a security policy in place to avoid wastage of time and money in the long run. Security is a big issue because just like a car accident, you can never see disaster coming. It’s the person who has everything in check that will survive through a security breach.

How can you make your company office more secure? Here are five proven tips that will enhance security in your premises.

  • Organize and lock everything

Before leaving your office, it’s important to take a few minutes to arrange things on your desk. The same also applies to your employees. Ensure you’ve locked your computer to make it harder for intruders to access your files.

Also, lock confidential papers in a cabinet where children and intruders can’t have easy access. You should dispose documents that you don’t need on your table. A paper shredder can do this job for you perfectly. Once everything is organized and locked up, check the windows and doors and lock them if necessary.

  • Protect your data

As bestessayservicereviews reports, your confidential data is just as important as your physical property. It’s important for you to hold confidential information about your employees, clients and yourself on a secure server. You should also consider installing an antivirus, using a firewall and limiting access. There are tons of online software that can help protect your data quickly and easily.

You should keep all the important passwords private or hand them over to someone who you trust. You should avoid giving all your employees passwords because the risk of giving them out goes up higher. Once your security is compromised, it will take some time for you to reach the level you were.

  • Label office equipment

You should always label your office equipment with stickers or ID with your logo or inventory number. Keeping a comprehensive and updated list of all the items in your office will help you keep track of everything and maintain order at the workplace. Your employees will also have an easy time when looking for an equipment.

  • Identity badges

According to australian writing, all your employees should have their names boldly written on their badges. Identity badges are important especially if you have a big organization or hundreds of people coming into your organization every single day. You should also have identity badges for your clients. With these badges, you’ll know who is walking in or out of your premises.

  • Go for alarm systems

Adding alarm systems is one of the most effective ways to enhance security in your office. Installing alarm systems will prevent people with insidious motives to walk away.

People will be careful how they come in or go out of your organization because no one wants to sound an alarm and embarrass himself or herself. The best thing about alarm systems is they alert the authorities anytime criminal activity is traced. Thieves and trespassers will also avoid visiting your premises.

Additional Tip: Emergency plan

As the popular saying goes, failing to plan is planning to fail. You should always have an emergency plan in case things go haywire. If you notice any suspicious activity in your premises, you should not wait until the alarm goes on or the activity takes place.

Delaying can lead to serious consequences that could be difficult to reverse. You should contact the police or your office security immediately for the investigations to start.

Conclusion

Huge amounts of money are being lost every year due to security breaches. While you cannot be entirely secure or risk free, it’s important to do what you can to reduce the risks as much as possible. The more you protect your employees and other assets, the better your organization will be.

In case of any issue, you can always contact your security company or the police to avoid disaster. With the five tips discussed above, your company will be a safe place to work in. Go for these items today!

Author Bio

Michael Gorman is high skilled freelance writer and proofreader from UK who currently works at academic writing services uk and best assignment writing services. Being interested in everyday development, he writes various blog posts for dissertation writing services and paper writing service and discovers new aspects of human existing every day. He can be reached 24/7 via Facebook and Twitter.

General Safety Issues

9 Tips on How to Improve Your Workplace Safety Culture

Workplace safety is one of the most sensitive topics that employers must never neglect. When you run a company, you’re responsible for everything that’s going on, especially your employees’ wellbeing.

When an employee gets hurt, you may often get blamed for it because of your poor workplace safety culture. Many times, things can get nasty. Some employees will leave your company and sue you at the same time.

If there are more than a few accidents that are related to your company’s policies (or lack thereof), your brand’s reputation will also be damaged. In that case, finding new reliable and hardworking workers will be harder than you might think.

For these obvious reasons, you should treat the workplace safety aspect with a great deal of attention. In today’s post, you’ll learn 9 insightful tips on how to improve your workplace safety culture. Pay close attention and start applying everything you learn here!

Properly Document Your Safety Procedures

The documentation of your safety procedures isn’t difficult at all. The most important thing you have to do is keep your employees’ contact information updated in order for your managers to be able to immediately get in touch in case something bad happens. Nevertheless, other basic safety measure documentations include:

  • Ensuring that all the equipment is properly checked by performing regular routines
  • Making sure that vital information such as access codes are available to more than one person
  • Keeping all the sensitive information in secure places
  • Placing first aid kits in every department and making sure they are easy to reach
  • Changing the security passwords and codes on a regular basis

Moreover, you need to ensure that your company leverages reliable emergency disaster plans. If you’re not familiar with those or if you believe that they need to be improved, a wise move would be to hire professionals to do that for you. Some services I would recommend are:

Keep the Workplace Tidy and Safe

To reduce a lot of potential problems, try to keep your workplace as tidy, clean, and safe as possible. What you should aim to do is keep your landscape, buildings, and worksite neat and in good repair. A well-tended business is often avoided by thieves because it looks professional, and professional places are often well-guarded. Here are a few suggestions:

  • Keep boxes and furniture away from windows. In case of a fire, your employees will have big troubles escaping.
  • Keep all your windows and doors in perfect condition.
  • Implement safety signs and informational posters that will let the newest employees know what to expect.
  • Start relying on video cameras. Place them over all exits and entrances, but also in the rooms where you handle and store your money.
  • Make sure that you have exterior lights outside the building.
  • Regularly check your fences
  • Regularly repair your buildings

Help Fresh Recruits Understand the Safety Protocols

When a new employee joins the company, he should go through an educational safety procedure. That means that you or your manager should clearly instruct the new workers what they must and mustn’t do while establishing the expectations. Let your new employees know that you’re not encouraging or tolerating the principle of results over safety.

Involve Your Employees in the Process

Involving your employees in the process means giving them little responsibilities that can contribute to a safer workplace. For example, some of your workers should be responsible with the regular reassessment of the safety protocols, while others may be responsible for the behavior or work ethics of their colleagues.

Make Your Employees Reliable Whisperers

As an employer or manager, you won’t be able to see or hear everything that’s going on. For that reason, you should involve all your employees by asking them to report anything that they consider to be wrong:

  • Suspicious individuals that keep scouting the surroundings
  • Equipment that needs to be replaced
  • Slippery floors
  • Dark spots that need more light
  • Colleagues who are doing something wrong
  • Colleagues who are under a lot of stress

Adopt a Zero-Tolerance Policy Towards Bad Behavior

Toxic employees can do a lot of harm. They can induce stress and turn your other employees into sloppy workers. The cumulative effect of bullying and threats can lead to even more extreme behavior like violence. To avoid that, simply adopt a zero-tolerance policy in your company. Don’t be afraid to fire employees who don’t respect others!

Organize Safety Control Meetings

By organizing regular meetings where you and your employees or colleagues are assessing the safety-related events that happened during the past can give everyone the opportunity to learn how to act in future situations.

Moreover, by organizing these short meetings, you’re raising the expectations concerning the safety procedures that everyone must respect.

Establish Money Handling Protocols

If you run a business that is constantly handing cash, you might already be leveraging basic money–handling procedures. If you don’t, it is highly advisable that you start establishing strict rules for each of the employees that are handling cash.

Varying time and routes while depositing cash is one of the many safety procedures you’ll want to adopt. Establish exactly the amount of money that your employees can handle at any one time and make sure that they understand exactly how to record the documentation and reports.

Discourage and Punish the Employees Who Don’t Abide by the Rules 

When I used to manage an academic service that had specific rules, I had to fire my best essay writer. Why? Because he was constantly neglecting the company’s policies. Once I did that, the other employees have started to care more about the company’s rules.

Be firm and punish the employees who don’t really care about the safety procedures. Give them a warning first, let everyone know of their warning, and make sure to respect your word and cut them loose in case they commit the same mistakes!

Takeaways

A stable and well-organized company will always put its clients and employees first. By optimizing your safety procedures and plans, you’ll attract more reliable buyers in the close and far future. The health and continuity of your business are highly dependent on the way you handle the workplace safety procedures, so make sure you start leveraging today’s tips and tricks and get everything right!

Sharon is a business consultant and the best essay writer who works for https://bestessayservicesreview.com/bestessays-review/. She is also a regular blog post contributor and the manager of Dissertation Writing Services Review. She loves to sing, read, write, and travel.

 

General Safety Issues

A Step-By-Step Guide On How To Maintain A Safe Working Environment

A surprisingly large percentage of employers take workplace safety for granted, even though it is one of the first segments of the business they are supposed to deal with. But this is exactly why so many job-related accidents happen on a daily basis.

Private employers reported almost three million non-fatal workplace injuries in 2018. Another study shows that a worker is injured on the job every seven seconds. The numbers are staggering and represent a clear signal that you must take workplace security to the highest level.

There are many ways to do it, so keep reading to see a step-by-step guide on how to maintain a safe working environment in your company.

  • Identify Pain Points

The first thing you need to do is identify the biggest weaknesses of your security system and detect pain points that could jeopardize the safety of your workers. It all begins with a risk assessment that pinpoints potentially dangerous places and procedures in your company.

The list of possible issues is almost endless and it mostly depends on the nature of your business. We can, however, mention some of the most common pain points such as:

  • Not enough training to operate heavy machinery
  • Incidents caused by employee exhaustion
  • Long overtime work
  • Not wearing protection gear
  • Create a Safety Strategy

Now that you understand the dangers, it is easier to create a safety strategy and keep your employees protected around the clock. Generally speaking, it is the official document that explains how to identify and react to operational hazards. A safety strategy also states who is in charge of which protocol and how to implement it.

If this sounds like a little bit too much, keep in mind that even the safest environments need to have this strategy in place. This includes even an essay writers service such as My Assignmenthelp or EasyEssay – not to mention other businesses operating in factory-like conditions.

  • Train Your Employees

Another detail you need to take care of is employee training. This is particularly important for newcomers because they must get used to your safety protocols and go through the onboarding program.

Jake Gardner, a security analyst at the top paper writing service reviews, claims that each member of the organization has to learn how to behave in case of fire, machine failure, or any other type of incident: “Although it sounds trivial, employee training can really save lives and help your people get out of the trouble injury-free.”

  • Beware of Equipment

The safety of your employees largely depends on the quality of gear and equipment. Therefore, you should invest a sufficient amount of money into high-quality apparel (helmets, vests, etc.) and machines to ensure maximum security.

Besides that, don’t forget to check each item regularly. Things tend to wear down rather quickly, especially when people use them all the time. In such circumstances, a special safety board should organize periodical inspections and test the quality of every item to keep your workers safe and sound 365 days a year.

  • Regular Safety Meetings

Another thing you should think about is organizing safety meetings to inform the members of your team about possible changes or new rules in the field of workplace security. Once again, the idea is to keep it consistent and hold a meeting every once in a while.

If you don’t do it like that, rest assured most employees are going to forget your safety instructions. Therefore, consistency is the key if you want to establish and promote a genuine “safety first” culture in your organization.

  • Introduce Visual Safety Aids

No matter how often you organize safety-related meetings, employees will forget about official procedures if you don’t keep reminding them 24/7. The only way to do it is by introducing visual safety aids that everyone can notice regardless of the position.

This includes features such as posters, warning stamps, digital signals, special color schemes, brochures, and similar. Of course, each document must contain the latest safety regulations and follow the existing employee protection technology.

Security experts at the essay writing help agency called Assignment Helper believe digital signs make the biggest influence on workers. Such tools are more dynamic and easy to change, which means that even careless employees must notice the warning and react to potential hazards.

  • Make It Entertaining

The last tip on our list is very important because we all know that security meetings are often boring and don’t inspire employees to engage. How can you make an entertaining security session?

In order to do it, remember that people learn best through games. This basically means that you should try to create a friendly atmosphere in which your personnel will be glad to learn about security issues.

Although it’s a serious topic, workplace safety can be more attractive if you use the following elements:

  • Organize quizzes or trivia
  • Encourage people to play certain roles and imitate real-life situations
  • Use safety videos
  • Give small incentives to the most successful learners

You can think of many other ways to make learning fun and entertaining, but the ultimate goal is to spread the word about workplace protection and keep your staff safe.

Conclusion

Every business owner should put workplace safety on the top of his/her priorities. It’s a critical issue because you need to prevent injuries, preserve professional credibility, and protect your organization from possible lawsuits.

In this article, we presented a step-by-step guide on how to maintain a safe working environment in your organization. It’s a serious process, but you can make it simpler, entertaining, and more engaging with new workplace protection mechanisms.

Have you ever used any of these tactics? Let us know about your experiences in comments!

Bio

Sharon is marketing specialist in assignment masters and writer from Manchester, UK. When she has a minute, she loves to share a few of her thoughts about marketing, writing and blogging with you. Currently, she is working as a marketer at college essay writing service. You could follow Sharon on Facebook.

General Safety Issues

High Cost of Work-Related Injuries

Written by Mark Taylor

  • The fact that were around 2.8 million non-fatal workplace injuries reported by private employers in 2018 alone might come as a surprise. This is what figures released by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics Nearly one-third of these nonfatal occupational injuries and illnesses resulted in days away from work. However, a large portion of work-related injuries also go unreported because those who are afflicted treat themselves at home or visit a nearby physician. The true numbers could be as much as two or three times greater.

This is just the tip of the iceberg as a closer look at the statistics published by the National Safety Council show. Every seven seconds, a worker is injured on the job, which means 510 injuries per hour, 12,600 per day and 88,500 a week. In 2017, in the US alone, there were 104 million production days lost due to work-related injuries. The American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) reported that the cost of these injuries is estimated at $250 billion to $360 billion a year.

The first stages of injury usually go undetected, since the symptoms are mistaken for work-related fatigue, but later stages evidence pain that carries on into the next day, accompanied by an inability to perform work. According to experts at Jersey Rehab, people usually think that pain management is only necessary when they are suffering from persistent or chronic pain, but treatment also be provided for any sudden or acute pain.

  • The Usual Suspects
  • A look at the type of injuries will reveal the usual suspects. The broad categories of injury were muscle sprains and strains, soreness or pain and cuts and lacerations. A closer look reveals:
  • 8% injuries were caused by trips and falls
  • 26% were caused by being struck by an object, getting caught or crushed
  • 54% were caused by repetitive movements, such as lifting or lowering heavy objects
  • In the US, there is a high prevalence of back injuries, with roughly 25% workers complaining of back pain. The most common reason for back-related injuries are slips, trips and falls, besides lifting heavy objects, leading to absence from work for more than 7 days.
  • If you think work-related injuries are confined to work that requires physical effort, think again! Carpal tunnel syndrome is also prominent in the lineup of work-related injuries. Carpal tunnel syndrome affects roughly 1.9 million people, and 300,000 to 500,000 surgeries are performed each year to fix this common injury, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome can just as easily be caused by long hours at the computer, since it is likely to be caused by forceful gripping, repeated lifting of objects over 1 kg in weight and the vibration caused by handling power tools, according to research conducted by the National Institute of Health.
  • Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders

There is a name to these causes. Together, they are referred to as Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSDs). WMSDs usually result in muscle, tendon or nerve injuries. WMSDs are commonly associated with:

  • Fixed or constrained body positions
  • Continual repetition of movements
  • Force concentrated on small parts of the body (for example, hands and wrists)
  • Work pace that does not allow adequate rest intervals between movements

The best way to reduce workplace injuries is at the source. Unfortunately, not all workplaces are ergonomically designed to handle the various causes. Human factors, such as force applied, body position, work pace and repetition, need to be aligned to the workplace layout, selection of tools and implementation of safe work practices. And, given the high cost of work-related injuries, the short-term cost of making workplaces safer far outweighs the cost of treating the nation’s workforce.

General Safety Issues

How to Stay Safe in a Parking Lot

Written by Mark Taylor

Parking lot accidents are more common than you might think. More than 500 deaths and 60,000 injuries occur from over 50,000 parking lot accidents every year in the US, says an NSC report quoted by EHSToday.

Many types of accidents can occur in a parking lot, including theft, fender benders, and cars hitting other vehicles and pedestrians while backing out. Here are some tips for drivers and pedestrians on how to stay safe in a parking lot.

Stay Focused

One common reason for parking lot accidents is distracted driving. In fact, according a recent survey conducted among drivers nationwide by the US National Safety Council, around 66% respondents said they talk over phone, while 63% program their GPS systems, when driving through parking lots. This could be dangerous. Drivers and pedestrians should avoid all kinds of distractions and stay focused while driving or walking in a parking lot. Some other common types of distractions to avoid include sending and receiving emails, texting, taking snapshots or watching videos, and using social media while driving. 

Add Safety Features

One way to minimize the extent of damage from a car accident is by adding safety features to your car. Modern cars with advanced safety features not only help keep you safe in the event of a parking lot accident, but they also save you money on insurance.  Many of today’s newer cars have safety features that prevent collisions, so they could cost less to insure than older cars, according to a blog post by Oliver L.E. Soden Agency.

Choose a Safe Place to Park Your Car

Ideally, you should park your car in a well-lit area close to your destination point, so you can keep a watch on it from distance. Another good idea would be to park near the entrance or exit of a parking lot. That way, it would be easier to find your car when you return. To reduce the risk of theft and damage, consider avoiding dark areas. Parking your car between two tall vehicles, such as vans or trucks is also a bad idea, as it gives potential burglars a safe place to hide.

Secure Your Car

Before you head to your destination, check if you’ve locked the doors and rolled up the car windows. Also, make sure that you aren’t keeping any valuables in plain sight, suggests a blog post on Consumer Reports. If you have to leave some expensive items in the car, make sure you conceal them under a cover.

Leverage Modern Technology

Nearly 9% of the deaths from parking lot accidents happen as a result of cars backing up and hitting pedestrians, says a new report NSC. One way to avoid this is by installing a rear view camera in your car. That way, you can get a clear view of the back of your car from your driving seat. However, don’t depend on technology alone. Make sure you also check out the surroundings and look at the car mirrors when backing up.

Keep Keys Handy

When returning to your car in the parking lot, make sure you have the keys out in your hand. You don’t want to spend time looking for the keys in your purse or pockets. Avoid talking to strangers. As soon as you return, get inside the car and lock all the doors immediately. Also, drive away as soon as possible without wasting time on checking your mobile phones or GPS.

Finally, while your drive into or away from a parking lot, keep the speed low and drive cautiously. Watch out for oncoming cars, low-laying objects and pedestrians.

General Safety Issues

Aerial Lifts Indoors: Best Safety Practices and Other Operating Tips

Aerial lifts, scissor lifts and other aerial work platforms (AWPs) are used for outdoor work activities, but are also important for indoor use as well, including maintenance, repair, construction, and much more. Indoor aerial lift and scissor lift operations have their own unique set of hazards. What are some of the best safety practices to consider when using an AWP indoors? We went right to the source: AerialLiftCertification.com CEO Tom Wilkerson. Mr. Wilkerson’s training firms offer OSHA compliant training for scissor lifts, aerial lifts, forklifts, pallet jacks, and other industrial equipment. Here’s Mr. Wilkerson’s take on important indoor aerial lift use.

One of the most common misconceptions about aerial lifts is that they’re strictly used for outdoor work. In fact, many indoor tasks require aerial lifts, scissor lifts, and other AWPs. Here are just a few of the jobs that require indoor aerial lifts and scissor lifts:

  • Maintenance
  • Surveillance (for security at concerts, sporting events, and more)
  • Construction
  • Repair
  • Electrical work
  • And much more

Most AWPs used indoors are scissor lifts, which typically have a maximum elevation of 40-50 feet. According to the U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), scissor lifts are considered scaffolding, not actually aerial lifts. OSHA standards 1926.451 and 1926.453 were updated a while back to reflect this critical change in thinking.

The most critical part of this declaration is directly involved with worker safety; since scissor lifts are technically classified as a type of scaffolding, they don’t have the same fall protection safety requirements that accompany aerial lifts. Specifically, this means that scissor lifts used for indoor work do not require the worker to be tied to the equipment.

Despite less fall protection requirements for scissor lifts, every indoor lift operator should be aware of certain hazards. Plus, OSHA still requires every employer to ensure all scissor lift workers are properly trained to meet compliance standards.

Here are some best safety practices to keep in mind while using AWPs (for the purposes of this article, that means scissor lifts) indoors:

  • Mind your overhead hazards. Indoor lighting, scaffolding structures, fire safety sprinklers, ceiling fans, HVAC ductwork and more – there is no shortage of overhead hazards to contend with while working on scissor lifts indoors. With that in mind…
  • Properly assess hazards before work. Check with your site safety supervisor or manager to review any obvious hazards, including potential overhead dangers. A sound safety plan uses actual experience from other lift operators to provide a solid foundation of jobsite knowledge – this is very important in maintaining a safe workplace, and it’s just one of the many things covered by our OSHA compliant safety training!
  • Ensure proper stability. All too often, scissor lift operators working indoors focus on everything above the ground. But no indoor scissor lift is possible without a stable, sure-footed setting. Follow your equipment’s recommended stability requirements, and always choose a flat, firm surface before working. For more information, check out OSHA’s helpful Scissor Lift Hazard Alert resource.
  • Follow a solid maintenance plan. Operator errors are responsible for many scissor lift accidents indoors, but never overlook potential equipment malfunctions, too. Many of these scissor lift issues can be avoided with a regular maintenance plan. Maintenance is critically important for both scissor lifts and aerial lifts!
  • Keep up with your training. AerialLiftCertification.com provides OSHA compliant training for any company that needs expert, affordable help with their compliance and safety program. The cost of non-compliance includes heavy financial penalties, possible company shutdowns, and employee injuries or deaths. Training can help prevent these and many other negative consequences. Sign up with our training programs, and enjoy a safer workplace today!

About the Author

Tom Wilkerson is workplace safety leader in the forklift and aerial lift industries. The CEO and owner of CertifyMe.net (which includes AerialLiftCertification.com), Mr. Wilkerson’s training firms specialize in providing affordable, OSHA compliant, online accessible training modules to help companies with training gaps and compliance requirements. AerialLiftCertification.com is used by companies across the United States for all aspects of aerial work platform (AWP) operations. With a broad, wide-ranging background in industrial equipment safety and OSHA compliance, Mr. Wilkerson leverages his experience to help any company improve their safety profile – and more importantly, keep their employees safe from accidents and injuries. For more information, please visit CertifyMe.net or AerialLiftCertification.com.

 

General Safety Issues

Safety Tips for your Health When Travelling to California

Written by Simon Morris

Are you planning for your vacations? If yes then there are many cities or places where you can visit with your friends or family members. You shouldn’t choose a place on a random basis, so pay attention to some important factors to make your final decision. You can consider the option of California while selecting a place to visit in your vacations. Well, it is one of the most popular and beautiful destinations for tourists. By spending your vacations here, you can get unlimited fun and enjoyment. There are lots of things that you can do to make your vacations memorable and full of fun.

You may all know the fact that California is a U.S. state where you can see a lot of great things to get enjoyment. If you are a traveller, then the vibrant cities, beaches and parks of California will grab your attention. When you choose this destination, then it will help you to have an ultimate travelling experience. Many other opportunities are waiting for you in California. Well, these will also compel you to visit this place again and again. To know all about this beautiful destination, you should read the details that have been mentioned in the further paragraphs.

Fundamental First Aid

Be proactive to remain well. On the off chance that you do become ill, make a move to recover your wellbeing. (See my rundown of emergency treatment things to pack from home.)

Cerebral pains and Other Aches: Tylenol (or some other over-the-counter agony reliever) mitigates migraines, sore feet, sprains, wounds, Italian traffic, headaches, and numerous other minor issues. In case you’re getting it abroad, Europeans might be increasingly acquainted with the expression “paracetamol”.

Swelling:  A bundle of solidified veggies functions as a shabby ice pack. In the event that your foot or leg is swollen, purchase or get a can and drench the influenced region in virus water, or sit on the edge of a cool pool. Take a mitigating medication like ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Utilize an Ace swathe to immobilize, diminish swelling, and offer help. It isn’t useful to “work out” a sprain — rather, cut back on exercises that could disturb the damage.

Fever: A high fever merits therapeutic consideration, especially for youngsters. On the off chance that your thermometer peruses 40°C, you’re bubbling at 104°F. You can utilize Tylenol to cut down a fever, alongside putting cold washcloths on your brow for help.

Colds:  It’s enticing to go, go, and go while you’re in Europe — yet in the event that you drive yourself to the point of becoming ill, you’ve achieved nothing. Keep yourself sound and clean. In case you’re feeling run-down, register with a decent inn, rest soundly, and power liquids. (My trap amid the tumultuous scramble of TV generation is to suck on nutrient C with zinc tablets.) Stock each spot you remain with boxes of juice upon landing. Sudafed (pseudoephedrine) and other virus containers are normally accessible, however may not come in the same number of assortments.

Scraped areas: Clean scraped spots altogether with cleanser to forestall or control contamination. Gauzes help keep wounds clean however are not a substitute for cleaning. A bit of clean material can be sanitized by bubbling for 10 minutes or by singing with a match.

Exercise:  Physically, travel is extraordinary living — sound sustenance, bunches of action, natural air, and every one of those stairs! In case you’re a habitually lazy person, endeavor to get fit as a fiddle before your outing by going for long strolls. Individuals who normally work out have a lot of alternatives for keeping fit as a fiddle while voyaging. Biking is an extraordinary method to consume a few calories — and get close with a goal. In spite of the fact that running isn’t as boundless in Europe for what it’s worth in the US, it’s not viewed as odd either. Voyaging sprinters can appreciate Europe from an uncommon viewpoint — at day break. Swimmers will find that Europe has a lot of good, reasonable open pools. Whatever your racket, in the event that you need to gravely enough, you’ll discover approaches to keep by and by as you travel. Most huge city private tennis and swim clubs welcome remote visitors for a little expense, which is a decent method to make companions just as remain fit.

Get enough rest: Expertise much rest you have to remain sound (for the most part 7–8 hours out of every night). In the event that I go over two evenings with less than six hours’ rest, I make it a need to get up to speed — regardless of how bustling I am. Else, I’m essentially ensured to get the wheezes.

Give yourself mental zip talks: Europe can do to specific voyagers what southern France did to Vincent van Gogh. Sentimental people can get the tangible curves, loyalists can get their banners consumed, and anybody can experience the ill effects of culture stun.

Europe isn’t especially awed by America or Americans. It will challenge givens that you constantly accepted that were over the trial of reason, and the vast majority of Europe in the city doesn’t generally think that much about what you, the authentic and social explorer, have held up so long to see.

Enjoy a reprieve from Europe, regardless of whether it’s a long, dull, cooled trek back to California in a cinema; a charming sit in an American international safe haven perusing room encompassed by birds, photographs of presidents, Time magazines, and different Yankees; or a visit to the campaign of a world-class lodging, where any trace of the conventional culture has been lost under a major business pail of intercontinental whitewash. It can do miracles to revive the battling voyager’s soul.

Let’s know more

There are many reasons why most of the people prefer to visit California with their friends and family members. If you know all about this popular destination, then you may also get encouraged to visit here. Well, this tourist destination offers lots of things for everyone, and it is the main reason why you should visit here instead of other destinations. California is a type of destination where you can visit with your family or friends to get relaxation.

It also offers many places that you can visit to enhance your travelling experience. You should also know about some famous cities in California. Well, these cities are listed below-

  • San Francisco
  • San Diego
  • Los Angeles
  • Napa
  • Santa Barbara
  • Berkeley

Plan your trip carefully

It is important to consider some beneficial tips before planning for your vacations in California. With the help of this, you can enhance your travelling experience and get some other benefits. When you visit this tourist destination, then you can also enjoy horse racing-related activities. In this way, you can come to know about the rules and other details. After visiting California, you will definitely fall in love with its various tourist attractions. Do not miss Cal Expo Racing on your trip.

You should find the trusted tour agents to plan your trip effortlessly. There are many other benefits that can be derived by getting help from these agents. Take your every step wisely while planning a trip to California.

Tourist attractions

No doubt, there are many places where you can visit if you are planning a trip to California. In order to know all about the tourist attractions in California, you should check out the details that have been underlined.

  • Golden Gate Bridge

Well, the golden gate bridge is one of the popular places that you can visit in California. Most of the visitors prefer to visit this place due to numerous reasons. Well, this bridge is also known as the most popular bridge in all over the world.

  • Disneyland

You may all have heard about Disneyland that is also known as the most famous destination of California. It is a fantastic amusement park where you can get unlimited fun and enjoyment. In this park, you can enjoy numerous types of rides, shows as well as games.

  • Universal Studio Hollywood

The most popular attractions in California also include the universal studio Hollywood. Well, it is a movie studio as well as an amusement park. If you are going to visit California with your friends or family, then it is must to visit the place. It is also a good vacation spot where you can enjoy with your family or friends.

General Safety Issues

Safety in the Warehouse

There are fewer growth areas in the modern world stronger than warehousing. As the high street is pushed closer to oblivion by online shopping habits, online retail – which necessitates large warehouses and storage space is on the rise.

This is one part of a constantly evolving business landscape and highlights the burgeoning need to introduce safety measures and procedures in the warehouse to keep everyone safe. There are a great number of accidents that happen in warehouse environments, including trips and falls, collision from forklifts and other forklift related incidents.

All of this means a loss of key staff, a decrease in staff morale, potential lawsuits and increased insurance costs. There are so many ways that you can make the warehouse a safer space both in terms of reducing the likelihood of physical trauma, and also boosting the mental health of staff.

Manual handling and other training

As with most things, the prime driver for accidents in the warehouse environment is inadequate training. By ensuring that your staff and managers are properly trained in manual handling you will boost your warehouse safety and staff morale.

Your manual handling training will hopefully make you aware of:

  • The best techniques for manual handling
  • Risks and why accidents happen
  • How best to use warehouse machinery
  • Best practice in task management and employee awareness of the warehouse environment
  • Practical advice to adjust poor habits

In addition to manual handling, some of the workers and managers may need to be trained in working at height safely. There are a whole range of training programs accredited by industry standards IPAF and PASMA designed to educate people on safely working on MEWPs and cherry pickers, while increasing awareness of other risk factors.

Barriers and column protectors

There are many ways of introducing safety equipment into a warehouse, but one important method is to install column protectors, corner guards and a variety of specially designed steel safety barriers and pallet protectors. All of these can help prevent the loss of stock resulting from damage, minimize the chances of accidents and injuries caused by forklift collisions and other bulky machinery. As people feel like they are working in a safer environment they will also be more productive and less prone to lapses in concentration.

Fireproof and hygienic doors

Depending on the scope of the business and the ease of exit you will benefit from fire resistant doors. Some are capable of withstanding fire for 30 minutes, others 60 minutes and there are even doors capable of resisting fire for up to 240 minutes. These and other, non-fire rated doors on the market can also benefit from concealed intumescent strips that are particularly unfriendly to bacteria and as such can help stop it from spreading to employees.

Clear labelling and signposting

Having clearly defined lanes for forklifts in a warehouse is a safety must, as is clearly signposting exits and areas that are only to be used for certain activities. In addition, marking up racking systems for maximum safe stacking heights will help boost safe warehousing practice.