| Did you know that 4.1 million people suffer a | | | | - Hazard Communication: Hazard communication |
| workplace injury each year? That amounts to | | | | materials help employees avoid chemical and other |
| more than 80,000,000 lost hours of work – | | | | substance-related accidents in the workplace. To |
| costing companies millions of dollars in lost | | | | ensure chemicals and hazards are easily identifiable |
| production. To avoid injuries and keep employees | | | | in the workplace, ensure you have the proper |
| safe, companies are responsible for providing | | | | chemical hazard labels on all substances. Hazcom |
| employees with all of the necessary information | | | | or danger signs can also help alert employees of |
| and equipment to do just that. | | | | any potential dangers. Check your right-to-know |
| What better time than during Injury Prevention | | | | (MSDS stations) as well to ensure all of the |
| Month, which ends this week, to put some extra | | | | information is up to date. |
| thought into how you protect your employees | | | | - Respiratory Protection: Respirators protect |
| and educate them on proper workplace safety | | | | individuals from environments with insufficient |
| practices. If you don't manage employees or the | | | | oxygen or high particulate matter. Take a minute |
| safety program for your team/facility, instead | | | | to ensure you have the proper respiratory |
| take some time to think about how to make | | | | protection given the tasks and environments you |
| safety improvements in your own job. | | | | or your employees work in. You may also want |
| To get started, consider looking at OSHA's most | | | | to look at the overall personal protective |
| frequently cited standards for 2009 and see | | | | equipment (PPE) guidelines in your facility to |
| where you can make safety improvements. | | | | ensure employees are as safe as possible. |
| A few to focus on: | | | | - Lock-Out, Tag-Out: Employees working on |
| - Fall Protection: According to OSHA.gov, "the U.S. | | | | machines or equipment can be exposed to serious |
| Department of Labor lists falls as one of the | | | | hazards or even death if energy is not properly |
| leading causes of traumatic occupational death, | | | | controlled. By following lock-out, tag-out protocols |
| accounting for 8% of all occupational fatalities | | | | and standards you can protect employees from |
| from trauma." What can you do to reduce falls in | | | | energy-related injuries. Ensure that you post |
| your job or workplace? Think about the safety | | | | electrical safety signs throughout your facility. |
| equipment you have to prevent falls. Do you | | | | Also, use durable, OSHA-compliant lock-out tags |
| have signs and labels warning employees of | | | | that identify individual users of that machine. |
| potential dangers? Do you have harnesses, lifelines | | | | Finally, use lock-out devices, such as hasps or |
| or hoists to ensure employees do not fall when | | | | padlocks, for equipment that can be locked out. |
| using equipment or working in certain areas? | | | | |