The Safety Brief

Falling object hazards can be hidden in plain sight. They're a threat in many businesses, not just warehouses or construction. In this Safety Brief, we detail three risk reduction steps to help eliminate injury from falling objects. / / #1. Operations assessment. Do a general inspection of your facility. / / #2. Review departments, people and their positions, and consider PPE, personal protective equipment. / / #3. Write up specific details. Put the evaluation into an action plan.

It's a myth! It's a myth that employees are bad at hazard reporting. They are actually good safety observers. Having a diversity of watchful eyes, including regular workers, increases workplace safety. / / A safety observer program is critical in getting widespread employee involvement to reduce injuries. Company managers can start their own, or follow OSHA's VPP, the Voluntary Protection Program. / / For any program to succeed, employees have to know how to report, feel comfortable reporting, and not be punished for reporting. They should also be notified of safety changes and improvements. / / Incoming data must be accurately tracked to chart continuous improvement. In a new program, managers should be aware of a spike in hazard reporting due to the addition of more observers.

This is a surprise! OSHA does NOT have requirements for safety color coding in the workplace. But ANSI does. The American National Standards Institute suggests labeling areas with seven colors for safety or organizational categories. / / Use the same color scheme throughout your facility, using only a few colors. Consistency and simplicity make it easier for workers to remember. / / Employees should have regular training on the color meanings. / / Colored safety tape on floors should be durable and survive heavy vehicle traffic.

Keep clothing tucked and tight! If not, workers could be pulled into a machine. Baggy pants, neck ties and untied shoe laces are just a few examples of loose clothing hazards in the workplace. / /Untucked shirts, unzipped jackets and other flapping items may be drawn in to belts, shafts, gears, pulleys, chains, or other rotating, reciprocating, or moving parts. / / Loose clothing may also catch fire, or cause a person to slip and fall. / / Training workers, and posting signage reminders can help eliminate loose clothing hazards. Other options are a dress code, or requiring uniforms.

They are so familiar, workers ignore ladder safety. Misuse accounts for tens of thousands of at-work accidents, and 100 deaths or more annually in the U.S. / / Here we review the two types of ladders, freestanding and self-supporting, and how employees can be safe using each. / / Even though staffers may balk at ladder training, they should be reminded of the correct footwear to use, weather considerations, when to have a person help as spotter, and more. / / Maintenance and inspections are required by OSHA, with the interval depending on the frequency of use and the loads carried. Listen here for more on ladder safety.

One million people have back injuries in the workplace every year, according to OSHA. And most of those injuries are from lifting below the knees or over the shoulders. Storage of materials above 1.5 ft and below 5 ft could reduce risk. A kaizen event with 5S sorting would be a good way to achieve this. / / Employers could order lighter supplies?in 50 lb bags instead of 100 lb bags, for example. Requiring heavier materials be moved with a hand truck or forklift can also help eliminate back injuries. / / PPE (personal protective equipment) can also increase back safety, as can simple stretching prior to lifting. / / Good workstation planning with effective ergonomics will also help guarantee worker safety.

People will be safer at work, and companies could have lower insurance premiums if employees know CPR and AED operation. Training is recommended for at least some workers, across all shifts and departments.

CPR, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, is performed on someone whose heart has stopped. 100 chest compressions per minute, about the tempo of the Bee Gees “Stayin’ Alive,” is recommended. Compressions should go two inches deep into the chest.

An AED, automated external defibrillator, shocks the heart to reset the beat. Trained users can easily attach the unit’s pads and electrodes which assess the victim and determine the need for shock. AED signage in the facility should be posted to improve visuality so workers can quickly find the unit.

The American Red Cross and others offer CPR and AED training, with certifications lasting one or two years.

It?s a killer you can't see, taste or smell. Carbon monoxide poisoning can happen due to gas powered tools running in a confined space. But with common sense precautions, workers can stay safe. / / Carbon monoxide (CO) is the invisible gas given off from burning fossil and wood fuels. Even in small concentrations, it reduces oxygen carried in the bloodstream. Symptoms of headaches, dizziness and confusion come on quickly, often leaving no time to escape to fresh air. / / Workers will be safe from carbon monoxide poisoning if they use the correct tools and have CO training. Also critical are ventilation, monitoring, safety signs, and, if necessary, a breathing apparatus.

Safety managers, ATTENTION! Check hazards, provide safety training, and ensure proper use of PPE. / / Safety managers will best succeed by planning ahead for dangers such as fire, chemicals, slips and falls, and other sources of potential on-site injury. / / Proper safety instruction for workers and managers is critical. When hazards are identified, all people on-site should be aware of them, and trained on how to work safely around them. / / Employees and management should use the proper protective equipment (PPE) when on the job.

This is the story of tragedy that could have been avoided with better safety housekeeping. Here, we detail a fatal accident at a sugar refinery in Wyoming, and review of the OSHA citations. / / A Gemba walk by managers, or a safety inspection by employees, could have identified the easily-resolved problems. / / Safety housekeeping is absolutely essential. No system in place to identify even minor safety problems? It?s time to establish one, and fix issues right away. Without one, you?re facing fines of thousands of dollars, and putting the lives of workers at risk.