Category Archives: Occupational Health and Safety

Why Is Driving Risky Business for Workers in Oil and Gas Extraction?

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Recent survey results from researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that long work hours and commutes, insufficient sleep and a lack of employer policies in these areas increased the likelihood of one or more risky driving events.
Recent survey results from researchers at the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health showed that long work hours and commutes, insufficient sleep and a lack of employer policies in these areas increased the likelihood of one or more risky driving events.

Long work hours, lengthy commutes and insufficient sleep contributed to risky driving among oil and gas extraction (OGE) workers, according to On the road again: a cross-sectional survey examining work schedules, commuting time, and driving-related outcomes among U.S. oil and gas extraction workers, a study recently published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. In addition, insufficient employer policies in these areas were associated with a greater likelihood of risky driving.

Compared to all U.S. workers, OGE workers were more likely to die on the job during 2003–2013, according to a previous CDC study. Motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of work-related death in the industry, yet … Read more...

Identifying and Tracking Hazards Using Job Safety Analysis Software

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One of the most effective ways to mitigate work-related injuries is to use job safety analysis, also known as job hazard analysis, to identify hazards.
Experts know that one of the most effective ways to identify, track and (hopefully) eliminate work-related injuries is by using job safety analysis, also known as job hazard analysis, to identify hazards.

Every seven seconds, a worker is injured on the job in the United States. Many of those injuries could be prevented through readily available tools, such as job safety analysis techniques and software.

Job safety analysis (JSA) is used to define and control hazards associated with certain processes, jobs or procedures. It is a systematic examination and documentation of every task within each job and is used to identify health and safety hazards and the steps required to control each task.

Experts know that one of the most effective ways to identify, track and (hopefully) eliminate work-related injuries is by using job safety analysis, also known as job hazard analysis, to identify hazards.

What’s the definition of a hazard? … Read more...

Close Calls and Near Misses Target a Safety Improvement Bullseye

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By tracking and analyzing safety close calls and near misses today, organizations are better able to reduce tomorrow’s incidents that might cause injuries as a result of workplace hazards.

American industrial safety pioneer Herbert Heinrich long ago did the math regarding the importance of reporting and tracking of near-miss and close-call incidents. By his calculation, every workplace injury is preceded by up to 29 other minor injuries that may have required first aid and perhaps as many as 300 near-miss incidents where someone narrowly missed injury.   

Reporting, tracking and learning from close calls and near misses – those instances when someone was almost injured, machinery was nearly damaged, productivity could have been lost or a financial loss might have happened – is key to minimizing potentially catastrophic incidents. Near misses should never be ignored and safety professionals must continually track and analyze them, according to Intelex Vice President and … Read more...

Five Things (You Need to Know About Incident Management and Reporting)

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Incident Reporting Software empowers you to capture, track, investigate, analyze and report on all incidents and near-misses, including injuries and illnesses, spills, property damage and vehicle incidents.

EHS incidents can be painful for injured employees, the environment and your organization’s bottom line, but incident management software and reporting systems don’t have to be a pain point for you.

Safety and environmental disasters rarely occur because of a single event or incident, which is why it’s critical to adopt incident management software or reporting system that identifies root causes and protects your business from future occurrences.

Ask a group of people what caused the Titanic to sink and most will say, “An iceberg.” If one person in that group is a risk or safety manager, he or she might respond that the Titanic tragedy was caused by a series of events—management failures, poor-quality construction, employee errors/lack of training, poor … Read more...

Efficient Compliance Training: Navigating Laws and Regulations Seamlessly with Online Learning Tools

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Effective compliance training is not merely a regulatory requirement but a strategic investment in the well-being of employees and the success of the organization as a whole. By providing comprehensive and engaging compliance training, companies can significantly reduce the occurrence of workplace incidents, accidents and injuries.

When workers are properly trained in safety protocols, they are better equipped to identify and mitigate potential hazards in their work environments. This proactive approach not only minimizes the risk of accidents but also fosters a culture of safety where workers are actively engaged in maintaining a safe workplace.

Furthermore, effective compliance training has a direct impact on productivity. When employees feel confident in their ability to perform tasks safely, they can focus more on their work and are less likely to be distracted by safety concerns. This leads to increased efficiency, higher job satisfaction and ultimately, greater productivity for the organization.

Research has … Read more...

Musculoskeletal Disorders Cost Private Industry $17 Billion per Year, Are Leading Cause of Disability

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Prevention is possible for usculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), the most common cause of disability, involuntary retirement and limitations to gainful employment.
In 2020, NSC reported the private sector experienced more than 247,000 MSD injuries resulting in days away from work.

Musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) are the most common cause of disability, involuntary retirement and limitations to gainful employment, according to the National Safety Council (NSC) Recognizing the need to address this prevalent workplace safety concern, the NSC released a new white paper: Preventing Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders: A Systematic Review of Current Interventions and Future Research Directions.

Published through its MSD Solutions Lab initiative, the report discusses the various interventions used to prevent and reduce the impact of these injuries on the job.

In 2020, NSC reported the private sector experienced more than 247,000 MSD injuries resulting in days away from work. Aside from the human toll and cost for workers themselves, MSDs in the private sector cost businesses nearly $17 billion a year, according to the Liberty Mutual Workplace Safety Index. The MSD Solutions … Read more...

OSHA, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Ally to Promote Workplace Mental Health

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OSHA and AFSP will develop information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness in multiple languages.
OSHA and AFSP will develop information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness in multiple languages.

Suicide is a leading cause of death among working-age adults in the United States, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)  signed an alliance agreement earlier this month to promote workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness.

During the two-year agreement, OSHA and AFSP will develop information and products on workplace mental health and suicide prevention awareness in multiple languages that reflect diversity in the workforce and encourage workers’ sense of belonging. Participants will share best practices and effective approaches for promoting workplace suicide prevention awareness, such as AFSP’s “Talk Saves Lives” programming.

“Suicide… deeply impacts workers, families and communities,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker. “OSHA is proud to join with the American … Read more...

What is Incident Management in Safety? (And How Does It help Your OSHA Recordkeeping?)

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Incident management, the process of identifying, documenting, responding to and eliminating workplace injuries and illnesses, is a fundamental obligation for many employers. An important aspect of incident management in safety is OSHA recordkeeping and determining what incidents should be tracked and what data needs to be collected and reported to regulators can be confusing.

Say you reported to your manager that you had a headache. You’re not sure what caused it and are given three acetaminophen capsules. Is this considered a first-aid case by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) or is it a recordable injury incident that must be tracked? What if you were only given one capsule? Is it still first aid or should it be recorded by your incident management system? 

An employee goes on one day of light duty at work. Is that a recordable? What if it lasts two days? A worker sprains an ankle … Read more...

Look for the “Believers” to Evangelize Your Safety Culture

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Occupational health and safety, like anything, needs to be imbedded into culture and culture is created by the employees.

Safety cultures should be created by employees for each other – empowered, invested and supported by the company – as opposed to forced down and then begrudgingly adopted or ignored.

That’s the view of Neil Bedwell, a council member of Forbes magazine who heads up a consultancy that focuses on culture called Local Industries, based in Atlanta. Employees represent the most important stakeholders in any workplace initiative, he says. In the context of health and safety, guidelines may be created by a small group of senior people, but it is the employees on the floor who bring these principles to life day-by-day and minute-by-minute.

“Occupational health and safety, like anything, needs to be imbedded into culture and culture is created by the employees,” Bedwell says. “Health and safety … Read more...

EHS Software and Technologies Help Businesses Keep Pace with Transforming Work

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The speed and the pace of work is creating new challenges and opportunities for health and safety in the massive volumes of data that can be captured by EHS management systems and how it can be used to improve performance.

Technology is the driving force behind workplace transformations and will be the engine powering environmental health and safety or EHS management to ensure it keeps pace with the ever-changing and increased speed of work.

An article in the Houston Chronicle (CHRON) reports that technology’s impact on work has exponentially increased the rate of production and speed at which business occurs, adding that, “technology in the workplace has helped workers become more efficient than ever before. What used to take hours now can take minutes.”

The World Economic Forum’s 2020 Global Risks Report says 73 percent of executives predict significant industry disruption in the next three years due to technological changes, … Read more...