Tag Archives: injury prevention

All Hands and Hearts Uses Technology to Protect Volunteers and Staff

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When a natural disaster strikes, All Hands and Hearts arrives early and stays late to assist the affected communities. Thanks to passionate volunteers, donors and partners, the U.S.-based nonprofit has provided 15 years of disaster relief support to over 1.2 million people.

In recent months, All Hands and Hearts has operated projects in response to damaging hurricanes in Florida, Texas and Puerto Rico, earthquakes in Mexico and Nepal, and a tropical cyclone in Mozambique.

All Hands and Hearts Mobilizes Quickly

All Hands and Hearts effectively and efficiently addresses the immediate and long-term needs of communities, by building in a disaster-resilient way that better prepares them for future events. Utilizing a unique volunteer model, All Hands and Hearts is able to mobilize quickly to work alongside local residents in areas around the world struck by natural disasters. The volunteers, many who have not had formal environment, health and safety training or … Read more...

Don’t Let Slips and Falls on Walking Working Surfaces Bring You Down

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Ice and snow, oily surfaces, slick floors, and trip hazards not only can cause slips and falls that injure employees, they can kill employees.

We’ve all taken a fall on ice or a slippery surface. Hopefully, the only thing that got bruised was our ego. That’s not always the case; emergency rooms fill with people suffering from fall injuries that occur on walking and working surfaces when water, oil, ice, and snow make walking surfaces slippery.

Workers are not immune to same-surface slips and falls, and OSHA recognized this fact. That’s why OSHA issued a final rule on Walking-Working Surfaces and Personal Fall Protection Systems. The goal of the rule is to better protect workers in general industry from these hazards by updating and clarifying standards and adding training and inspection requirements.

What’s in the Walking-Working Surfaces Standard?

The rule, which became effective in January 2017, incorporates advances in technology, … Read more...

Injury reports in pharmacies suggest extra caution during peak flu vaccination months

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A recent NIOSH study examined the reported incidence of needlestick injuries at a US nationwide pharmacy chain and revealed a few valuable conclusions. From 2000 to 2011 there were 33 needlestick injuries reported by 31 different pharmacy locations. Of these 33 injuries, 24 (73%) occurred from September through January, the period during which flu vaccinations are commonly administered.

Overall incidence of needlestick injuries was low, with annual incidence of needlestick injuries at these pharmacies ranging from 0 to 3.62 per 100,000 vaccinations. Injuries were most likely to occur after needle use and before disposal (58% of reported incidents). Additionally, researchers warned that needlestick injuries are often underreported.

The researchers believe that many if not all of the needlestick injuries they reviewed were likely preventable. Their recommendations included better tracking of injuries and following needlestick prevention guidelines. Vaccination providers can hopefully learn from the observations made in this study and … Read more...

OSHA Announces Top 10 Violations for 2012

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It was mentioned previously in our podcast that at the NSC (National Safety Council) Congress and Expo in Orlando this past October, Deputy Director of the OSHA Directorate of Enforcement Programs, Patrick Kapust, presented the top 10 violations of the administration’s safety rules for fiscal year 2012.  

While it’s easy at first glance to look at the list and get discouraged thinking workplace safety has a long way to go, Kapust commented in an interview with Safety+Health that “data found in the Top 10 list is not meant to gauge how well OSHA is performing or how safe businesses in the country are. This list is at its best when used by employers as a tool to improve safety at their worksites. An employer who may be interested in what are the possible hazards in their workplace could look at the [Top 10] list and see if they’re covering all … Read more...

Does your organization have a strong safety culture?

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Your safety culture reflects your organization’s collective response to workplace safety and is evident in shared beliefs, behaviours and values your employees exhibit surrounding safety. A solid safety culture is a good indicator that your workplace injury prevention programs are hitting home with your employees, and while this at times can be difficult to measure, Mark Middlesworth, founder of Ergonomics Plus, provides a quick guide to help you gauge your own safety culture. Check out his slides below:

25 Signs You Have An Awesome Safety Culture
View more PowerPoint from Ergonomics Plus

… Read more...