Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Modern safety management goes beyond covering traditional workplace accidents to now being equally concerned with illnesses caused on and even off the job. This section will explain what you need to know to avoid both injuries and illnesses, and to track your progress in reaching this goal.
Accident prevention is at the core of every effective workplace safety plan. That’s because when you prevent accidents, you also prevent injuries and illness, pain and suffering, high costs, low morale, and sagging productivity. Common sense tells us that there are two basic approaches to preventing accidents: Controlling the work environment Managing the attitude and […]
May 20 to 26 is National EMS Week, which is a great time to honor the valiant work of our emergency medical services personnel. It’s also a good time for training on the use of automated external defibrillators (AEDs)—for those times when even the few minutes it may take for EMS to arrive could mean […]
New research puts the annual price tag for occupational injuries and illnesses at well over $200 billion, higher than generally assumed. In the first comprehensive review of its kind since 1992, a University of California Davis researcher has estimated the national annual price tag of occupational injuries and illnesses at $250 billion. That figure is […]
As proof of the success of injury and illness prevention programs, OSHA cites the experiences of eight states that either require a program or provide incentives through workers’ comp programs. Alaska. Five years after the state implemented an injury and illness program requirement, the net decrease in injuries and illnesses (i.e., the statewide reduction in […]
Yesterday, we talked about two common health effects of shiftwork. Today, we explore circadian rhythm in more detail and their impact on worker safety and health. As we said yesterday, human body functions follow a daily rhythm, or 24-hour cycle, known as circadian rhythm. This internal clock regulates sleeping, waking, digestion, secretion of adrenaline, body […]
Shiftworkers are at greater risk for health problems than dayworkers. Two of those problems involve the cardiovascular system and the gastrointestinal system. Cardiovascular problems can arise as a result of shiftwork because heart rate and blood pressure follow circadian rhythms, which are upset by the nighttime schedule. Circadian rhythm is the body’s 24-hour cycle, and […]
Many workers now perform their tasks at worksites other than those owned or operated by their employers. In these situations the employer remains primarily responsible for ensuring that employees have safe and healthful workplaces. In the minerals industry, we work with people who have a range of different attitudes toward safety and how much risk […]
New employees are often eager, but equally often inexperienced and unaware of the specific safety hazards of your workplace. That’s why safety orientation is so important, as this case study proves to new workers. Case studies are a great way to train employees about workplace hazards and protections. You can use them effectively in both […]
There’s a lot you can do to prevent flu from invading your workplace, making your employees sick, increasing the risk of accidents, and creating havoc with work schedules. Here are some recommendations from Flu.gov. Flu.gov, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, recommends that businesses take the following steps to keep employees from […]
Fever? Cough? Achy all over? It’s flu season again. Are you ready to help prevent the spread of infection in your workplace and among your employees? What advice can you offer employees who are sick with the flu? Flu.gov, a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services website, recommends these reminders: Avoid contact with other […]