Tag Archives: safety

Ladder Falls at Work and How to Avoid Them

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We all want to ‘climb the ladder’ at our company. But what happens if you fall off – literally? With ladder-related injuries accounting for approximately 136,000 accidents a year, your business can’t afford to not take ladder falls seriously.

Ladder Falls Statistics

  • More than 500,000 people per year are treated (1), and more than 300 people die (2) from ladder-related injuries. 
  • The estimated total annual cost of ladder injuries in the United States is $24 billion, including work loss, medical, legal, liability, and pain and suffering expenses (1).
  • Among workers, approximately 20 percent of fall injuries involve ladders, and among construction workers, an estimated 81 percent of fall injuries treated in hospital emergency rooms involve a ladder (3).
  • During 2018, Ladders in Construction were one of the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA violations (4). 

If you would like to see more on stepladder safety, download our Stay Safe with Society Stepladder Safety handout or take our Ladder Safety Challenge to assess your risk level!

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2020 OSHA Update

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With fall officially underway and Halloween right around the corner, it can only mean one thing: sweets, sweets, and more sweets. However, I would ask that you put down whatever candy your kids have rejected so you can start reflecting on 2019 and planning for 2020.  And as all successful businesses know, it is important to not only include a sales or production evaluation but an evaluation of your safety program. To help, here is a 2020 Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) update to move you in the right direction.

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Safeguarding Your Livelihood: Business Video Surveillance Best Practices

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As a business owner you want to ensure your investment is well protected. From slip and fall accidents to robbery, there are many reasons to have business video surveillance. Having an effective business video surveillance system will help deter shoplifting and employee theft, while also proving quite valuable when trying to document injury claims by customers or employees.

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Proper Use of Tools and Other Common Equipment

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Improperly using tools can cause more problems than it solves. How many times have you seen somebody using a screwdriver as a pry bar? Or concrete blocks being used to support scaffolding instead of jacks and pads? Or someone using a five-gallon bucket as a stepladder? These are just a few examples of misused equipment that can result in injury on-the-job or during DIY projects at home. Here we’ll outline some precautions you can take at home and at work.

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Importance of Having a Workplace Violence Prevention Program

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that workplace violence is a growing concern for both employers and employees. According to OSHA, there are about 2 million victims of workplace violence each year and workplace violence is the third-leading cause of fatal occupational injuries behind transportation incidents and slip, trip and falls. These statistics report that there were also 39,750 non-fatal occupational injuries in 2017 due to violence in the workplace which led to a median 4 days away from work. The usual causes of these non-fatal injuries were from assaults, stabbings, shootings, strangulation and rapes.

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Importance of Ergonomics

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Teaching Safety in a Seemingly Safe Environment

Workers in different industries are exposed to a variety of unique risk factors that could affect their health and wellness. But no matter if you’re lifting heavy boxes or sitting at an office desk, all workers have the right to working conditions that do not pose a risk of serious harm. This is where ergonomics come into play. Good ergonomics adapt the job to fit the person, rather than forcing the person to fit the job. Protecting employees from ergonomic injuries should be a top priority for all businesses. However, no business can ever be injury-proof, and accidents can happen even with the proper safety procedures and training in place.

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9 Snow Shoveling Safety Tips

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This entry is part 12 of 17 in the series Winter Defense

Are you prepared for snow shoveling season? In the winter, snow and cold are inevitable. With that comes shoveling snow, salting sidewalks, clearing parking lots, and injuries related to these activities. Did you know that annually there are more than 11,500 people that suffer injuries requiring treatment in an emergency room, doctor’s offices, and clinics due to shoveling snow? Research shows that many of these injuries could be prevented if the person doing the shoveling did so in a safe manner.

To help protect you and your employees this winter, here are a few snow shoveling safety tips we recommend when performing outside winter maintenance:

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Importance of Class K Fire Extinguishers

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Restaurant kitchen fires can lead to employee and customer injuries, total destruction of your building, and may place a significant financial burden on your business until operations are restored. From 2007 to 2011, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has reported 32,272 non-residential cooking equipment fires which have resulted in 21 fatalities, 428 injuries and $185 million in property damage.

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How to Deep Fry Turkey Safely This Holiday Season

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What is Deep Fryer Safety?

Deep fryer safety is essential when deep fat frying in order to prevent serious burn injuries and fires. Deep-frying involves cooking foods in grease at a very high temperature, 400 degrees or higher. Foods commonly deep-fried during the holidays include turkey, chicken, duck, crab cakes, latkes, empanadas and more. While deep-fried food can be quite tasty, it’s important to practice deep fryer safety every time you drop those scrumptious holiday delights into hot oil.

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Working Safely with Hand Tools

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Many workers commonly use non-powered hand tools on a daily basis. Examples of non-powered hand tools include hammers, screwdrivers, wrenches, pliers, chisels and more. The hazards involved with these tools may be overlooked, but the misuse of hand tools in work settings can contribute to musculoskeletal disorders and cause injury. These injuries can be reduced by following these general safety tips. (more…)