1. Hazards. Employees need to know what could go wrong in their job and injure or make them ill. They need to be able to identify hazards, and they must know the steps they need to take to protect themselves against these hazards. They also need to know how to correct or report unsafe conditions that could lead to an accident.

2. Safety rules and regulations that apply to the job. Your workers should be thoroughly familiar with all your safety and health rules that apply to their job. If there are OSHA regulations that apply to their job as well, these should be explained so that employees understand what they need to do to ensure compliance. (more…)

ANDOVER, Mass. – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Spincraft in North Billerica for 38 alleged violations of workplace safety standards. An inspection was opened after OSHA learned that a worker sustained serious eye and facial injuries when the grinding wheel of the portable grinder he was operating ruptured and kicked back in his face. Inspectors found that the grinder was not guarded or set up properly, and steps had not been taken to ensure that it was operated at the proper speed. The metal fabrication plant faces a total of $175,500 in proposed penalties. (more…)

Reason 1

A 25-year-old worker at a concrete pipe manufacturing facility died from injuries received while cleaning a ribbon-type concrete mixer. The victim’s daily tasks included cleaning out the concrete mixer at the end of the shift. The clean-out procedure was to shut off the power at the breaker panel (approximately 35 feet from the mixer), push the toggle switch by the mixer to make sure that the power was off, and then enter the mixer to clean it. (more…)

NIOSH, which has studied shiftwork safety issues for years, suggests these seven practical strategies to improve the safety, health, and productivity of shiftworkers.

1. Keep the schedule regular and predictable. Shiftworkers should know their schedules well ahead of time so that they can plan their sleep and rest periods. Past studies of train accidents show a correlation between irregular schedules and accidents. (more…)

With more prescription and OTC drugs on the market than ever before, and more people taking these drugs, there’s an increased risk of employees coming to work impaired by medications.

While the dangers of alcohol and use of illegal drugs in the workplace have been much discussed and well documented, little attention has been paid to the effects of prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications. Yet, some of these drugs can cause serious impairment problems and could interact with other drugs or foods in ways that can jeopardize workplace safety. (more…)

In the case of Freitick v. SMS Rail Lines, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania had to determine whether the company was negligent and, if so, whether negligence caused the employees injuries.

In addition, the court had to decide whether the employee knew before the accident that he was required to wear gloves while setting railroad spikes and whether the company’s actions or inactions, resulting in his lack of knowledge, were the cause of his injuries. (more…)

A worker, who was not wearing work gloves when he was injured, sued his employer, claiming that the employer did not instruct him that wearing leather gloves was a mandatory safety precaution.

The employee started working for SMS Rail Lines in February 2006 as a boom truck operator and railroad track laborer. As required, he passed a written test before he could work on railroad tracks. He was taught how to set railroad track spikes during the on-the-job training. (more…)

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a directive on Enforcement Procedures for Investigating or Inspecting Incidents of Workplace Violence. The directive establishes uniform procedures for OSHA field staff for responding to incidents and complaints of workplace violence and conducting inspections in industries considered vulnerable to workplace violence, such as healthcare and social service settings, and late-night retail establishments. (more…)

In addition to the costs in pain and suffering to workers and their families, workplace accidents have a major impact on your bottom line. The Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index for 2010 estimates that employers nationwide pay over $1 billion per week for direct workers’ compensation costs alone.

But that’s only half the story, since costs of workplace injuries and illnesses include both direct and indirect costs. (more…)

The CDC reports 2000 workplace eye injuries per day. Almost $4 billion in lost wages and productivity were the result in a recent year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Seen simple-to institute tips from research studies and safety professionals could make an immediate and lasting impact.

Eye Injuries: How do we solve a $300 million problem and prevent injury to 800,000 workers? (more…)