Category: Workers’ Compensation

Having an emergency spill response plan is a crucial part of any company’s safety and health program. Employers should have an action plan, have appropriate sorbents available and personal protective equipment for workers involved in cleanups.

Safety leaders face a variety of challenges when trying to maintain workplace safety, increase compliance, and reduce accident rates. Keeping up with changing OSHA regulations, breaking through safety plateaus, providing appropriate PPE, minimizing the impact of workers' compensation claims, and creating a culture of safety are a few of the most common challenges encountered.

Workers refuse to wear PPE because of lack of training, lack of availability, its appearance or because it is uncomfortable to wear. Even when mandated by OSHA, there are high levels of non-compliance with personal protective equipment (PPE) in workplaces.

In 2016, out of 4,693 job fatalities in the private sector, 991 deaths occurred in the construction industry and over half of these deaths can be attributed to what the Bureau of Labor Statistics calls the “Fatal Four.” With proper training and equipment, the deadliest causes of injuries to construction workers could be eliminated saving 631 lives each year.

Many eye injuries can be avoided through improved safety awareness and the proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE). About 2,000 job-related eye injuries occur each day in the United States. At least five percent of these injuries cause workers to miss one or more days from work.

According to OSHA, an average of 143 objects fall and strike workers every day in the United States, leading to serious workplace injuries and deaths. Part of the problem is that too many companies rely only on personal protection equipment, debris nets, and toe boards to protect workers from falling objects.

The sudden release of explosive energy from an arc flash can toss an adult man across a room like a rag doll, causing serious injury or death.

When used correctly, respirators are an effective way to protect workers in certain types of work environments where air quality is compromised. However, when workers use the wrong type of respirator, or do no use one correctly, they are at greater risk for long-term illnesses because of their exposure to dangerous contaminants.