Northern Safety Co., Inc. Safety and Industrial Supplies

Many workers are exposed to the sun for long periods throughout their workdays. The risk of over-exposure to ultraviolet light is high in these cases. UV rays cause sunburn, and in some cases may lead to skin cancer. Follow these tips to work efficiently and safely outside this summer.

• Whenever possible, work in the shade or beneath a screen
• Always use sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 and re-apply frequently throughout the day
• Purchase new sunscreen each year
• Some insect repellents decrease the effectiveness of sunscreen, which means reapplications will need to be more frequent
• Use hard hats that have a full brim to shade the ears and neck
• Wear sunglasses that offer 100 percent UV protection
• When using safety glasses, select a model with a dark shade
• Wear loose-fitting clothing that allows moisture to evaporate
• Clothing that is darker in color and has a tight weave will block more of the sun's rays
• Use safety products including cooling headwear, bandanas, vests, and towels
• Take frequent breaks out of direct sun and drink plenty of water

Many types of jobs require the use of a ladder. When used incorrectly, step, straight, extension, and combination ladders can be dangerous. When wearing safety products such as hard hats and fall protection, employees can reduce risks when ladders are involved. Ladder placement is very important and it's a good idea to keep these guidelines in mind.

• The spot where a ladder meets the object that it's leaning against is its contact point
• When using an extension or straight ladder, there should always be at least 3 feet between the ladder's contact point and its top
• Never stand on the top three rungs of a straight, single, or extension ladder
• The horizontal distance between the bottom of the ladder and the contact point it's resting on should be one-fourth of the vertical length
• Ladders should only be used on a level surface and should never touch anything but the ground or floor
• Boxes, step stools, and other items shouldn't ever be used to give a ladder more height or reach
• When using a stepladder or a ladder that extends, any locks that keep it upright need to be locked securely in place
• Check and re-check all locks before anyone climbs on a ladder
• Never use the top step or rung of a ladder as a step

Employers should train workers on proper ladder use and any additional safeguards or procedures that may apply to their worksites or facilities to reduce the dangers of ladder use.

Some work, particularly on roads and other types of infrastructure, can only be done during periods of light use. This means that employees will often have to work late or show up for night shifts. There are a number of hazards that are unique to working at night or that result from spending extra time on the job. Employers should make sure that their workers are well-rested and ready to tackle a night shift.

Breaks and meals
The Department of Labor (DOL) estimates that it can take as many as 10 days for a person's body to become accustomed to sleeping during the day and being awake all night. Even after becoming used to a reversed schedule, people can find themselves easily falling out of the cycle they need to maintain to work at night. As a result, it's easy for workers to become fatigued earlier in a shift than they would during regular daytime hours.

In addition to lunch or dinner times and regular breaks, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) suggests giving employees more frequent breaks to rest when working a night shift. The use of quick "micro" breaks to change positions, shift concentration, and move around a little should be encouraged.

Staffing and monitoring
In addition to providing opportunities to rest, supervisors need to keep a close eye on workers at night and during extended hours. Whether they're used to the schedule or not, employees can find themselves showing signs of fatigue. Symptoms to watch out for include:

• Irritability
• Lack of motivation
• Weariness
• Sleepiness
• Depression
• Lack of concentration
• Trouble with memory
• Giddiness
• Headaches
• Loss of appetite

Should these symptoms be noticed, the employee should be evaluated and possibly relieved from his position and given a chance to rest.

Hazard exposure
Working long shifts often means that employees may be exposed to hazardous materials that exceed standards. Employers should monitor and limit exposure to maintain health standards. This can be accomplished by limiting the time that employees remain at a worksite, providing clean locations for resting, and placing break areas well upwind from contaminated worksites.

In a perfect world, all projects could be completed on time during normal work hours. Unfortunately, projects can exceed their budgets for time and resources, and employers must call upon workers to put in overtime. Be sure to keep employees safe by offering frequent breaks, the proper safety products, supervision that checks for fatigue, and safe places to rest.

Many workplaces require hard hats to protect against falling objects and work gloves to protect employees' hands from machinery and debris. They also require protection against something else that can be just as dangerous – loud noise. Although hearing loss can occur suddenly, it usually happens gradually, over time, so it's a good idea to take precautions against hearing loss whenever your job exposes you to loud sounds.

OSHA considers 85 decibels to be the loudest sustained noise that people can be exposed to without harming their ability to hear. Anything louder than that is a health risk and means that extra steps are necessary. One way to protect workers' hearing is to provide them with disposable or reusable ear plugs, hearing band protectors, or ear muffs.

Equipment and areas can be modified with engineering controls that include choosing lower noise tools and machinery, and enclosing or isolating the noise source. Barriers, such as sound walls or curtains, can be placed between workers and loud machinery and equipment.

Besides ear plugs, an effective remedy for noise exposure is to implement administrative changes in the workplace that can reduce that exposure. Those changes can include having workers stand farther away from loud equipment, limiting the time workers spend near a noise source, or operating loud equipment during shifts when fewer people are exposed.

Employees who work on and around scaffolding face several different hazards. These hazards include falls from heights, scaffold collapse, being struck by falling tools, and electrocution from power lines. Workers need to use the right safety products when doing jobs on scaffolds or even walking near them. All employees should be outfitted with hard hats, and workers on scaffolding with a minimum distance of 10 feet to the next level below should be equipped with fall protection, such as harnesses and lanyards.

There are two basic types of scaffolding, including supported scaffolding that consist of rigid, load-bearing framework, and the suspended variety that includes ropes or other non-rigid overhead support. Manlifts and personnel hoists are sometimes thought of as vehicles or machinery, but can also be thought of as another type of supported scaffold.

Only a qualified person with a recognized degree, certificate, or professional standing, or an individual with extensive knowledge, training, and experience should erect scaffolding. The qualified person will determine the type of scaffold necessary, the maximum load, and that the scaffolding has a good foundation. Concrete blocks, bricks, or debris should never be used to prop or tilt a section of scaffolding. During building or use, no one should ever climb on the scaffolding frame, and based on the type of scaffold, only ladders or stairwells should be used to access or exit scaffolding.

In addition to daily inspections of scaffolding, workers should receive training on the proper use of scaffolding and how to handle materials on scaffolding. Training should also include recognizing electrical, fall, and falling object hazards in the work area, and procedures to control and minimize them. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) provides some guidelines for the distance that scaffolding must be from power lines:

• Insulated wires that carry less than 300 volts of electricity must kept at least 3 feet from scaffolding
• Insulated lines carrying between 300 volts and 50 kilovolts need to be at least 10 feet from scaffolding and if over 50 kilovolts, 0.4 inches needs to be added for every kilovolt over 50
• Uninsulated lines with less than 50 kilovolts should be 10 feet from all wires and if over 50 kilovolts, an additional 0.4 inches must be added for every kilovolt over 50

In addition to daily inspections of scaffolding, workers should receive training on the proper use of scaffolding and how to handle materials on scaffolding. Training should also include recognizing electrical, fall, and falling object hazards in the work area, and procedures to control and minimize them.

If you work in power plants, factories, or other facilities that use electricity, you may be familiar with lockout/tagout procedures. What you might not know is that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that 120 deaths and 50,000 injuries are prevented every year because of proper compliance with lockout/tagout procedures. The average time to recuperate from these injuries is 24 workdays.

Lockout and tagout devices keep power sources from being activated when they are being serviced. This is done by using either physical locks, group lockboxes, or warning tags, depending on the situation. Employees need to be familiar with their workplace's regulations and procedures. They also need training to be able to operate these devices and other safety equipment properly.

The rules surrounding lockout/tagout devices are strict because the risks are so high. To protect their workers, employers should develop, implement, and enforce an energy control program, and use only lockout/tagout devices authorized for the particular equipment or machinery and ensure that they are durable, standardized, and substantial.

Power tools can be very dangerous, which is why it's so important to know how to use them properly. The most important thing to remember is that workers need to be trained to use each tool that their job requires. This training should also include safe working procedures, potential hazards, and wearing the right safety supplies such as hard hats, safety glasses, work gloves, and work boots.

One of the most common mistakes that people make with power tools involves their power cords. Tools should never be carried by the cord. It puts too much strain on the connection point, increasing the possibility of a malfunction. When disconnecting the cord from an outlet, the power tool should be turned off and the plug should be firmly grasped and pulled from the outlet. Plugs should never be removed from an outlet by yanking on the cord. Power tools should be turned off and disconnected from their power source whenever they're not in use.

Pneumatic tools are powered by a compressor that supplies compressed air. The greatest danger of pneumatic tools is getting hit by an attachment or a fastener being used with the tool. In addition to using safety clips or retainers on pneumatic tools, screens or shields are required to protect nearby workers from flying fragments around chippers, riveting guns, staplers, and air drills.

Damaged tools shouldn't be used until they're repaired. Setting aside a broken tool alone isn't enough to deter other staff members who might not understand that it's dangerous. When a tool is set aside for repair or service, it needs to be clearly tagged "Do Not Use" or locked away to prevent use and possible injury.

Maintaining solid footing is very important for staying safe. Many power tool injuries come from workers slipping and falling while they're using a drill, saw, or sander. Workers' feet should be firmly planted shoulder-width apart, and the floor or ground needs to be clear of debris to reduce trips and falls when using power tools.

Trenches can be dangerous worksites, but hazards associated with trench work are well-defined and preventable. There is no reliable warning when a trench fails, so they run the risk of suddenly collapsing, and it's easy for objects to fall into them. Workers who spend a lot of time in trenches need to be extra careful and should take care to follow these guidelines.

The most important thing that workers need to know before they begin digging a trench is what's underground. Gas lines, water pipes, and electrical wires are often buried, so supervisors and managers need to check with the local government to make sure that digging won't cause a flood, explosion, or electrocution. A competent person, or one who the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) defines as being familiar with government regulations, can recognize hazards, and is authorized to correct them, needs to be on hand to judge the soil and landscape of an area before a trench is dug.

Any trench that is deeper than 5 feet needs to have supports in place, and any trench that is 20 feet deep or more is required by law to have supports that have been designed by an engineer. One of the easiest ways to do this is by sloping the walls of a trench down toward the bottom, giving support to the sides. Sometimes strong metal supports need to be installed to keep the walls up. This process is called shoring and is important to adhere to in very deep trenches.

Heavy equipment and spoil piles from the excavation should be kept at least 2 feet from the edge of the trench. During project planning, safe locations and heavy equipment routes should be mapped out to avoid cave-ins. Always wear the proper safety products as an added precaution.

Many jobs require people to perform tasks over and over again, five days a week, year after year. Hammering, typing, and lifting are all examples of things that can result in repetitive stress injury.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ergonomics is the science of fitting workplace conditions and job demands to the capabilities of the working population. This applies to workstations, grips on power tools, boxes, and other devices that people often use for work. Some of the most important safety products, including back supports and work gloves, are ergonomically designed, and jobs that require repetitive motions should always use the most comfortable equipment.

Workers performing monotonous tasks should take frequent, short breaks. Consistent hammering, swinging, throwing, or lifting will eventually result in repetitive stress injury. Frequent breaks give muscles, bones, and tendons a chance to rest and will make repetitive stress injuries less likely.

Depending on the type of activity, many repetitive motions can be reduced with training on proper tool use, redesigned work stations, and adding hand cut-outs to boxes. Even when using tools with ergonomic grips or extended triggers, vibration-dampening gloves will help reduce repetitive stress injuries.

A lockout/tagout system is an important type of safety equipment. Power sources and machines can be very dangerous if they are started while someone is working on them. They need to be completely shut down before workers can begin servicing them. A group lockout/tagout system uses keys to make sure that power sources and equipment are shut down and won't reactivate.

Group lockout boxes are used for multiple workers and keys to single or multiple lockout devices. Keys to lockout devices or equipment disconnect master keys are placed in the group lockout box. Each worker on the crew then places his own personal lock on the box. As each worker's task is completed, he removes his personal lock. When all locks have been removed, an authorized crew leader or supervisor verifies all workers are out of danger before reactivating power supplies or equipment.

Accident prevention tags are used with lockout devices to document the time, date, and contact information regarding each device locked out with the group lockout box. Tag messages include "danger – do not operate," "do not start," and "hands off."

Poison ivy is one of the most common allergies in the United States - it is believed that only 15 percent of people are immune to it. Workers who spend a lot of time outside need to know how to protect themselves against it. The United States Forest Service reports that about 10 percent of its lost time is due to poison ivy, poison oak, or poison sumac.

Poison ivy is most common throughout North America and especially east of the Rocky Mountains. It has a characteristic three-leaf pattern of growth and can appear as a shrub or a vine. Workers should look for the leaves of three, hairy vines growing on trees and white berries.

Poison oak is most common west of the Rockies and looks quite a bit like poison ivy. The difference is that the leaves of this plant are ridged or lobed and are similar in appearance to oak leaves. Poison sumac has thin, narrow leaves in sets of seven to 13 but is far less common than poison ivy or oak.

The best way for workers to protect themselves against these plants is by being vigilant. Outdoor itch relief and prevention products can also help. Supervisors and other workers should show new staff members how to spot the dangerous plants. If contact is made, most commercial-grade soap will remove the urushiol that causes the characteristic rash and blisters. It is important to use cold water to remove the oil, as hot water can open your pores and let the oils in faster.

There are some creams and oils that can act as a barrier, capable of preventing the oil from affecting the skin if they're applied before a worker touches the plant. Cleansers are also available that can help remove the toxic oil before the rash develops if used soon enough after touching these plants.

When contact is made with poison ivy, oak, or sumac, the affected areas should be washed and any clothes that might carry the oil need to be cleaned thoroughly as well. The oil can linger for years on objects that have not been properly washed, so it is important to be thorough with any materials that came into contact with the plants.

Once the affected skin has been cleaned of the plants oils, the rash or blisters are not a contagious condition. Even if a worker has the characteristic reaction due to touching the plants, the only way to spread that reaction from person to person is if there are still plant oils on skin or clothing.

Protecting worker's feet from injuries is very important in workplace safety. Causes of foot injuries can range from impact from heavy falling objects, crushing that results from motor, industrial, or railroad vehicles rolling over the foot, punctures that come from stepping on something sharp, chemical splashes and burns, electric shock, extreme heat to cold or moisture, and any harm that comes from slipping and falling. The purchase and use of proper foot protection can help keep workers safe, so it's important for employers to understand the different kinds of foot protection available.

Most work boots are made from thick leather that offers a fair amount of protection and can be lined with polyester, nylon, fleece, or felt. Many boot manufacturers offer an added level of protection by adding steel or composite guards in the toe area. These guards help keep workers' toes safe from injuries. In comparison to steel toes, composite toes do not conduct electricity and give a bit more protection against heat and cold.

Pull-on boots made of PVC, neoprene, nitrile, and blends can also be equipped with steel toes, midsoles, and metatarsal guards. Pull-ons are ideal for a wide variety of uses, including chemical plants, oil rigs, farming, food processing, and much more.

Other types of foot protection include overboots and overshoes. Boot and shoe covers fit over regular shoes and work boots, and will give workers added protection from water, snow, slush, chemicals, and hazardous or unsanitary conditions. Overboots offer added coverage for legs and can be offered to visitors who may need protective footwear at a worksite.

Accessories can also be purchased to enhance the protection that work boots offer. This includes aluminum and polycarbonate shields and guards for toes and the metatarsal bones on the top of the feet. Shields and guards can be quickly and easily slipped on or strapped onto shoes or boots, or tied into boot laces.

OSHA requires that boots are provided by employers for workers who spend time in areas where the danger of falling objects, rolling items, or electrical shock is particularly high. It is also necessary for foot protection to conform to ASTM requirements for impact resistance, compression resistance, metatarsal protection, conductive properties, electrical hazards, puncture resistance, and static dissipation.

Boots are one of the most important safety products that employers can provide to their workers. Foot injuries can happen too easily, and without the proper protection, these injuries will make it difficult for a worker to return to work quickly. Offering high-quality steel-toed or composite-toed work boots helps to keep employees safer and healthier while remaining productive at work.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires employers to identify and evaluate the potential for respiratory hazard exposure in the workplace. The nature and magnitude of employee exposure must be measured before selecting respiratory protection equipment for your workers.

OSHA has outlined three questions that employers should answer when completing this evaluation process.

When must an employer conduct an exposure assessment?
Examples of when hazards should be assessed include anytime OSHA issues a substance-specific standard or when workers bring signs of respiratory hazards to an attention. Some signs may be odor or irritation of the nose and throat.

What is the identity and nature of the airborne contaminant?
Employers should then identify if the contaminant is a particulate, such as dust or aerosol, a gas or vapor, or a biological airborne contaminant. Once determined, the occupational exposure levels of the contaminate should be assessed.

How much employee exposure is there in the workplace?
Once the contaminant has been identified, it is important to make a "reasonable estimate" of the amount of exposure faced by workers through personal exposure monitoring and sampling. Sampling should use methods appropriate for the contaminant, and present the worst case exposure or represent enough shifts and operations to determine the range of exposure. Accounting for possible variations in exposure, should include the highest foreseeable employee exposure levels.

Once when, what, and how much have been determined, a company should select what kind of respiratory protection equipment is required. As with any workplace safety assessment, a review of all safety products in use should also be done to maximize worker safety.  

Jobs that require heavy lifting can strain muscles around backs and spines, especially when smart lifting practices are not followed. Consider the following guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to ensure that your workforce isn't over-exerting itself.

Proper posture
One of the most frequent causes of back strain is a poor or awkward posture that causes improper lifting. The body is designed to lift things, but it must be done correctly or the spine and the muscles surrounding it will bear the brunt of the strain.

The most important rule of thumb is to lift with your legs and not with your back. This means that you should never bend over an object before lifting it. Bending over requires the back to support the weight of both the object and your upper body. It also moves the load away from the body, allowing leverage to significantly increase the pressure on the back and spine. Objects that are being lifted should be placed as close to the body as possible and lifted up while straightening the legs.

The same principle applies to the arms as well as the back. If workers need to reach out or up for an object before they pick it up, they are increasing the effective load and placing unnecessary strain on their shoulders by having the load away from the body. When objects are being moved, the surrounding area needs to be kept tidy to maintain easy access to the objects being lifted so that employees can avoid bending and reaching for those objects.

Carrying items
Lifting can cause many injuries, but the act of carrying is also responsible for other ailments as well.

Lifting and carrying without taking a break can cause overexertion and injury. The ideal location for heavy objects being carried is in the "power zone," which lies between the mid-thigh and the middle of the chest. At this point, carrying strength is at its most efficient. Workers should be encouraged to move very heavy objects first to stomach level on a table or box. After objects have been brought to this level, they should then be lifted and carried while keeping elbows close to the body.

Heavy objects should be held evenly by both hands and never on one shoulder, with one hand, or under one arm. This puts an imbalanced pressure on the spine, which can become damaged from overcompensating to balance the load.

Hands should be taken into account as well and should be protected with work gloves while lifting. Proper handholds, such as handles, slots, or hole cut-outs on boxes, should always be utilized to make lifting and carrying easier and more efficient. Handholds on objects should always have enough room to accommodate a gloved hand.

Whenever possible, heavy loads should be broken down into smaller units so that workers don't have to carry as much at once.

To ensure smart lifting, implement the use of forklifts, pallet jacks, and hand trucks to handle heavy objects and consider rotating or breaking up tasks to give muscles time to rest. Training your workforce about proper lifting techniques, including lifting and carrying loads that are balanced and in the "smart zone" will limit overexertion, sprains, and strains.

Dust, dirt, and other particulates are often found in the air around a workplace. This can make it difficult, uncomfortable, and unhealthy for workers to perform their jobs. That's why employers should provide the right types of disposable respirators. Workers will appreciate the fact that a respirator with an appropriate rating has been made available to them.

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides designations for different levels of protection offered by respirators. They are as follows:

• N95 - protects against 95 percent of airborne particles and is not resistant to oil
• N99 - protects against 99 percent of airborne particles and is not resistant to oil
• N100 - protects against 99.97 percent of airborne particles and is not resistant to oil
• R95 - protects against 95 percent of airborne particles and is somewhat resistant to oil, with use restricted to 8 hours
• P95 - protects against 95 percent of airborne particles and is strongly resistant to oil
• P99 - protects against 99 percent of airborne particles and is strongly resistant to oil
• P100 - protects against 99.97 percent of airborne particles and is strongly resistant to oil

In addition to the level of protection from oil and airborne particulates that disposable respirators provide, there are a number of details that employers must take into account when choosing the right safety supplies. Here are some variables to consider:

Some respirators come with exhalation valves. These devices help to expel warm, moist air and make it easier for the wearer to breathe. Exhalation valves provide added comfort when work is being done in a hot and humid environment.

There are disposable respirators that come in hygienic packages and are folded flat for easy storage and distribution. This makes transporting them much easier, minimizes contamination, and ensures a clean, fresh respirator when needed.

When using safety glasses, the condensation that comes from breathing can escape from a disposable respirator and cause the eyewear to fog up. In these situations, it is helpful to use a respirator with an adjustable noseband, which keeps the mask sealed near the eyes to help block condensation.

Convenient Handy Straps allow masks to be removed quickly, then lets the respirator hang around a worker's neck, allowing workers fast, easy access to their respirator.

Unlike many surgical masks that have ear loops, disposable particulate respirators offer a variety of elastic head straps for a more secure and comfortable fit. On disposable respirators with two straps, one goes over the ears and fits across the back of the head, while a second goes under the ears and around the back of the neck. Single strap respirators are worn with a strap that goes over the ears and around the back of the head. Straps can be made out of latex-free elastic or fabric, and they may be adjustable.

Employees who may be at risk for injury from motorists can wear high-visibility respirators to add even more visibility when used with other supplies such as safety vests. High-visibility respirators are brightly colored and stand out to make compliance checks for safety products easier.

Faceseals can be found lining the inside edge of some disposable respirators. These give workers a bit more comfort, and since the faceseal will fit to the shape of their faces, it provides a secure seal.

Some respirators are specialized for certain tasks or industries. These include fluid-resistant and bacterial filter respirators, which are useful in the medical industry. Many disposable respirators are designed to block welding fumes and nuisance levels of organic vapors, acid gases, or ozone.

Employers need to make sure that all workers are fit-tested for disposable respirators before they begin wearing them in hazardous environments. When not worn properly, the protection offered by a respirator is severely limited and may even make the respirator completely useless.

Working outdoors means coming into contact with all kinds of insects. At best, stings can cause pain and irritation, and at worst, an allergic reaction. It is important for workers to understand how to avoid being stung, know where to locate a first aid kit, and help treat fellow workers who have been afflicted by an insect sting. Consider the following information from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).

Hornets, wasps, and bees are often attracted to flowery perfumes or soaps, so workers who spend a great deal of their time outside should refrain from using fragrant products before coming to work. Products that have a banana odor are particularly appealing to these insects.

Lightly-colored clothes that cover as much skin as possible are best for avoiding bee stings and other attacks. Human sweat and oil can attract these insects, so workers need to be sure to wear clean clothes and bathe daily.

Bees and hornets are attracted to the pollen that flowers produce, so it is a good idea to avoid working near flowers whenever possible. Wasps, on the other hand, are predators, and they are attracted to garbage and the remains of human food. Make sure to clean up all work areas after meals to avoid attracting these pests.

When attacked by bees, hornets, or wasps, get to safety as quickly as possible, as bees release a chemical that attracts other bees when they sting. Shaded areas are better for escaping these insects than open areas. If possible, run indoors and close the door. If you are driving and discover an insect inside, you should slowly stop the car and roll down all the windows to let it escape. Never jump in the water to avoid a swarm of bees or hornets, because some species may stay above the surface and continue to sting when you come up for air.

The CDC estimates that around 100 people die each year from allergic reactions to bee, wasp, and hornet stings. Workers who know they have these allergies should carry an epinephrine auto injector (EpiPen) and a medical signifier, such as a bracelet, necklace, or card, that contains information about their condition whenever they work outdoors. If workers do get stung, have someone stay with them to watch for any allergic reactions.

The area where the sting occurred should be washed with soap and water before attempting to remove the stinger. Do not attempt to remove it with tweezers or by squeezing the wound. Instead, run a clean fingernail or gauze from a first aid kit over the sting to draw the stinger out.

Ice can be applied to a recent sting to help reduce swelling. Refrain from scratching or picking at a sting so that it doesn't become further irritated or infected.

Bees, wasps, and hornets are an inevitable part of any outdoor environment. Employers should keep all the necessary safety supplies on hand to treat stings and practice safety protocol with their workers so that they know what to do when someone has an allergic reaction.

Safety training is integral to a company's success. Employees who are properly trained on how to use safety equipment and perform lockout tagout procedures are more likely to feel secure in their work environment.

Employers who are looking to engage their workers during training sessions may want to consider going digital. E-learning programs are used everywhere in the U.S., by a wide variety of people, such as college-degree seekers, corporate leaders, and English-as-a-second-language learners.

Companies that value safety in the workplace may benefit from adopting digital training platforms. Many e-learning tools allow for multimedia presentations, which can include photo demonstrations showing the proper way to use safety products or the location of a work site's first aid kit.

Argo Insurance recently announced that its grocery and retail division employees will soon have access to online safety training courses. These sessions will be designed to prevent accidents in the workplace.

"Training promotes safe work practices, increases employee safety awareness and prevents customer, and worker accidents, which is the key to controlling or reducing insurance costs over time," said Bill Meisen, an official from Argo.

Highway accidents are the leading cause of job-related deaths in America, accounting for 22 percent of fatal work injuries in 2009, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Transportation workers are among the most vulnerable employees when it comes to this risk and should take special care to follow basic highway safety practices.

The most common-sense tips are life-saving guidelines, so everything you've ever heard (repeatedly) about buckling your seat belt, not playing your music too loudly, and eliminating all other distractions goes double if you're on the job. It goes without saying that no one should be intoxicated while behind the wheel.

Beyond the factors you can control, there are millions of variables that can interfere with a safe drive, especially those of the long distance variety. The sole defense truck drivers have against the unpredictability of the road is the ability to react quickly and effectively, so get plenty of rest before you drive and pull over to take a break if you're starting to feel sleepy.

Transportation workers driving long distances cross-country or across multiple states benefit from having safety equipment on hand. It's always a good idea to have a first aid kit in the glove compartment or in another area that can be easily accessed by the driver of the vehicle.

Workplace environments with industrial machinery can be hazardous. Given the highly-specified nature of the work that many factory employees do, it is of the utmost importance that all new hires receive detailed instructions regarding the use of the machines. If there's one thing that's equally important (or perhaps even more so), it's basic common sense regarding the treatment of any and all machinery.

To put it lightly, a factory setting is no place for horseplay. This should go without saying, but the fact remains that countless employees get injured every year due to carelessness in the workplace.

Maintaining one's conduct is just as important as following the instructions on a machine, which extends to asking for help when in doubt and flagging a machine properly should it malfunction. By using the proper lockout tagout procedures on a machine that may be out of order, you can help prevent the possibility of injury to a colleague.

Common sense also extends to the proper wear and maintenance of all work safety equipment. Safety glasses, work gloves, and hard hats should be worn at all times if required by company protocol.

In basic workplace safety protocol, there's one motto that's likely to hold true in any kind of work environment. By adhering to "train first, ask questions later," employees will ensure that they abide by all received instructions and avoid trying to figure things out for themselves, especially when operating dangerous equipment.

Those who work around industrial machinery should only handle equipment that they've been approved to operate - no exceptions. A warehouse stacker may seem fairly self-explanatory to maneuver, but numerous workplace accidents result from inexperience.

Employees who have been trained to handle a piece of equipment should always ask their supervisors for guidance if they have any questions - even if they received previous training on it. It's better to ask for sound instruction than leave it to chance and risk injury.

The knowledge of how to operate a piece of equipment extends to safety equipment guidelines as well. Encourage all employees to consult a workplace expert should they have any doubts regarding the proper use of their safety glasses, hard hats, or other supplies.

There's little need to consult a health expert - most people who work a nine-to-five desk job are well aware of the physical toll that excessive sitting can take on their bodies. Fortunately, a few of these people have been proactive enough to come up with easy and simple ways to stay healthy while you type.

There are less imminent workplace dangers than heavy machinery or unwieldy forklifts. The slow and steady damage resulting from carpal tunnel syndrome or lack of exercise can take an equally devastating toll on the body. That's why it's so important to stay in motion throughout the workday and give proper attention to cramped wrists and hands.

Make it a point to get up for short breaks, at least once every hour. Experts agree that even a minute or two spent walking around can significantly aid in reducing physical strain.

If your wrists start to feel sore from typing, use safety products such as a wrist wrap to provide much-needed support while you work. Taking short breaks from typing may help to alleviate the tension, but it's generally more effective to squeeze a rubber stress ball periodically, rotating your wrists, and using a small weight to strengthen your wrist muscles.

While there's no conclusive evidence that computer glare can cause permanent eye damage, it's still best to avoid eye strain at any cost. Follow the 20-20-20 rule - every 20 minutes, look away for 20 seconds at an object that's 20 feet away.

Workplace safety hinges upon two things - the quality of the safety equipment being used and employee awareness. Safety supplies must be provided and worn correctly, but worker awareness is a bit more difficult to regulate. Employees that work in hazardous environments should remember these three phrases and the lessons they teach.

Head on a swivel
This phrase is used by coaches and athletes in many sports and simply reminds a worker to always look around. Employees should check their surroundings whenever possible so that they can quickly become familiar with their environment. Without a proper sense of the equipment and fixtures nearby, the risk of accident and injury increases.

Look twice, move once
Whenever moving through an area with machinery or activity, workers need to look for common warehouse dangers. Conveyor belts, forklifts, and loading docks are particularly dangerous and should be checked twice to make sure that they're not moving before walking near them.

Slow down
No matter how fast employees want to work, jobs that people do in potentially hazardous places can never be done too slowly. It is a good idea for all workers to occasionally take stock of their speed and ask themselves, "Am I moving too quickly?" Moving too fast leads to carelessness and accidents.

There are some workplace accidents that come out of the blue. Machine failures and bad luck can strike at any time. However, there are occasionally telltale clues that something may be amiss on the floor of a factory or with warehouse's equipment. The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) sponsors a program that can train employees to be on the lookout for these red flags.

The Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) offers classes and training to the workers of any company that signs up for it. Certification in the VPP ensures that all employees have been adequately shown how to spot hazards that could lead to injury.

Some things to be aware of while on the job include puddles of water, loose power lines, machinery that behaves strangely, and unusual debris. The key to getting staff to help make a workplace safer is to train them to be constantly vigilant. Workers who have been shown the signs of potential danger will be more likely to point it out to a supervisor and reduce overall injury rates. OSHA estimates that workplace injuries account for over $170 billion in losses annually.

Beyond properly educating employees, companies should provide the best safety equipment. Safety glasses, hard hats, and ear plugs are crucial to maintaining a safe workplace.  

There are many ways to protect the health of workers and reduce disability claims for companies that have potentially dangerous work environments. Good safety equipment can physically protect workers, and effective safety guidelines for employee behavior are also helpful. However, the best tool is to teach workers about your company's safety procedures.

A business can have excellent plans for accident reporting, emergency contacts, and injury response, but if employees aren't aware of what these situations call for, procedures won't be utilized properly.

It follows that workers should be educated properly and often. The best way to do this is to formalize the teaching of safety techniques. Training sessions should be standardized so that all workers receive the same lessons about how to use safety equipment such as work gloves, ear plugs, and hard hats.

Safety protocols also require regular review. Despite being taught well the first time, many employees might become forgetful of their training if they aren't given an opportunity to practice what they have been taught. Regular safety drills and equipment checks are essential for preserving safety in your workplace.  

The most effective strategies for workplace safety begin at the top and move downwards. This means that managers and supervisors are the most important figures in ensuring that safety regulations are followed, since they are the link between executives and the workforce. There are many hats that a successful manager must wear.

Training officer
Besides leading training sessions, a supervisor will help to create the classes. A manager will also help to understand OSHA regulations and determine how they fit with the makeup and needs of a company.

Safety equipment expert
Managers need to be familiar with all of the safety products that a workplace uses, including ear plugs, hard hats, work gloves, and any other specialized equipment that is unique to a worksite. If safety glasses, respiratory protection, or fall protection equipment is necessary to prevent injuries, a supervisor must be familiar with how to use them.

Investigator
Workplace accidents require investigations to discover the circumstances and how to keep the same situation from happening again. Supervisors should be familiar with basic investigative techniques so that they can report details of the incident to upper management, and, if necessary, OSHA.

Record keeper
Logs of accidents, equipment repair, and training are essential in organizing a safe workplace. A good manager will keep detailed accounts of training and incidents at a worksite. Without these records, it's difficult to develop better safety protocols and prove that a company is complying with OSHA regulations.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers a number of tips to help workers reduce their risk of injury or illness during the summer months, which include preventing harm done by the sun, dealing with extreme heat, and coping with insects.

In order to protect your skin from ultraviolet (UV) radiation, it is important to stay out of the sun by avoiding unnecessary exposure during the hottest times of the day. Wearing a broad-rimmed hat and a light, long-sleeve shirt can drastically reduce the chances of sunburn and eye damage.

Wearing sunscreen with a high SPF rating is also a proven way to ward off the negative effects of the sun.

Those who work outside at construction sites or in agriculture fields are at high risk for heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion or heat stroke, which can significantly impair a worker servicing safety equipment and machinery. To avoid this, employers should allow flexibility in work arrangements so that rests may be taken. In addition, they should make sure that a first aid kit is on hand so workers have the necessary items to handle small-scale medical situations.

Another hazard of outdoor working is the threat of insect bites and stings, which could possibly endanger the lives of workers. When working around potentially harmful insects, it is important to wear work gloves and the proper footwear and clothing to prevent being stung or bitten.

An excellent way to maintain workplace safety is to implement clear regulations that workers can easily remember and apply. When injuries or accidents occur, it is important that all workers react quickly to ensure that no accident becomes even worse. In addition to proper training and frequent practice, workers need to be reminded of emergency procedures on a regular basis.

One means of accomplishing this is to post regulations in multiple areas around a workplace to ensure that workers will regularly read them. A particularly effective spot is in a break room or kitchen where workers usually congregate for breaks and meals. Posting procedures in multiple locations will make it possible for employees to familiarize themselves with them during various parts of their days.

Another good place is in employee bathrooms. Most workers are likely to read posters and notes on the wall of a lavatory. By the same token, elevators, waiting rooms, and other areas where workers may spend time are great locations to reinforce emergency procedures. These regulation and procedure reminders will stay with employees longer and can hopefully be called upon when trouble strikes.

In addition to posting regulations around the workplace, employers should be sure that proper safety equipment is being used at all times. Safety glasses, work gloves, and hard hats should be worn at all times if required by company protocol.

Education is the best defense against injury and illness in the workplace. When employees understand the risks and dangers involved in their jobs, they can maintain safety more effectively. Here are some of the best ways to teach workers about hazards in their workplace.

Training
Ideally, employees will become so familiar with safety regulations that they can teach newer workers. While veteran staff members can reinforce certain safety measures, management should always be the first point of contact for hires that are learning about the workplace for the first time.

Worker suggestions
If employers are open to suggestions from workers about how to make a workplace safer, there will be added interest and pride in the choices that are made. Staff will feel as if they have been included in the process and will be more likely to remember regulations.

Safety equipment
Workers should be taught about every tool that they'll be using for their jobs, including the safety equipment that they'll wear. Employers can provide several different choices for personal protection. Safety glasses, ear plugs, work gloves, and other safety products come in different varieties. When choosing from pre-approved equipment, workers can select the most comfortable style for themselves. Every worker is different, but you can improve compliance when you give your workers a choice.

Anyone who has ever been injured on the job or seen a co-worker hurt knows that it is a stressful and confusing event. During these moments, it is often difficult for staff to react appropriately. Even excellent training and education aren't always enough to help workers and managers respond according to plan.

As a result, supervisors need to demonstrate correct safety protocols and be able to teach them effectively. One of the best ways to do this is by planning, preparing, and running thorough training drills. Management and supervisors should work together on mock accident scenarios. Supervisors and workers should then practice the proper responses to these situations.

The use of hard hats, wearing a safety harness, and using work gloves or any other necessary safety equipment should also be included in mock accident training drills.

Repetition, hands-on training, and regular review of accident protocols will remove the most dangerous part of the equation - panic. Knowledge and confidence will combine to provide a calmer staff and a safer workplace.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that one of the most common cause of safety citations is the mishandling of a forklift. This extremely useful but dangerous machine accounts for many injuries and accidents every year. Here are some ways to reduce these incidents.

Proper training
It may seem easy to use at first, but a forklift is much different than a car, truck, or other vehicle that operators may have driven before. Because a forklift carries heavy items and often operates indoors, it requires that those who drive it have been thoroughly trained and certified. This means that an experienced, certified forklift trainer must teach and certify all new forklift operators, with re-certification required every three years.

Speed
There is never any condition that warrants operating a forklift in excess of five miles per hour. Any speed faster than that is reckless and doesn't help to get work done any faster. The equipment and supplies that are usually found around forklifts can be knocked over and can easily injure workers.

Maintenance
Forklifts are like any other piece of heavy equipment - they require regular safety checks. All the parts of a forklift should be monitored regularly. In particular, tires need to be examined to make sure that they aren't cracked or damaged, and have the proper amount of air.

Safety equipment
As with any other piece of machinery, the proper operation of a forklift involves the use of adequate safety products. OSHA and employer requirements for hard hats, work gloves, and goggles should be complied with.

Physical trauma is one of the biggest threats in many workplaces, but chemicals can be even more dangerous. They often have different storage needs, can easily ignite, and are apt to react powerfully when not handled correctly.

As a result, it is important to understand all of the variables that affect how chemicals should be treated in the workplace. Any employee who could possibly come into contact with a hazardous chemical needs to undergo rigorous training. At a minimum, supervisors and management need to be sure that there is a material safety data sheet (MSDS) for every substance at a workplace. Even something as common as liquid soap or hand sanitizer - if it's in your workplace, you should have MSDSs on file.

An MSDS documents all of the information staff would need to know about any substance. That includes its composition, how to identify it, first aid requirements for a variety of situations including inhalation, other chemicals that could have an adverse reaction with it, how it should be transported, and other essential details. MSDS literature comes from chemical manufacturers and should be included with the product.

To properly use an MSDS, supervisors and managers should review the data sheets for the chemicals commonly used at a worksite. Additionally, the location of every MSDS should be made clear to workers so that if the worst should happen, the important data is close at hand. An MSDS can also include the safety products, including safety glasses and safety gloves, that are important to use when dealing with chemical spills and dispersion.

Many of the dangers at warehouses, factories, and other worksites involve heavy machinery, hazardous chemicals, and electrical wiring. Even if you've been trained properly to deal with these things and wear proper safety products such as work gloves, hard hats, and goggles, a messy work area is cause for concern. Keeping a workplace clean is a valuable safety tip.

A clean floor is the only way to guarantee safety. Trash, clutter, moisture, and debris can interfere with forklift operation, cause ladders to slip, and can cause slips, trips, and falls. Janitors and custodians may be responsible for clean-up, but supervisors should also make sure that everyone is doing his part to keep a workplace clean. Regular housekeeping shifts or rotating cleaning duties should be assigned so workplace floors stay clean.

Nails, splinters, holes, and loose tiles can cause injury and damage equipment. Supervisors should regularly inspect buildings and worksites with a checklist to note anything out of place. Asking workers to report damages and broken fixtures so that maintenance workers can fix them is important to workplace safety.

If your work includes loading and unloading pallets from a truck or trailer, there are a lot of safety issues to take into account. There's quite a bit of weight going back and forth, and it has to be carefully supported so that you and your equipment don't fall. It's also possible for pallets to fall and break open. Here are some important things to keep in mind.

The possibility of a truck or trailer rolling away is one of the most common problems with loading and unloading at docks. First, set the brakes. Then, before moving any items, workers need to make sure that they've chocked the wheels of the trailer to keep it from moving away from the dock. Forklift drivers who move freight on and off the trailer - not the truck driver - are responsible for making sure that the trailer's wheels are chocked.

Dockboards are supports that are placed between the trailer bed and the dock. Make sure you check their rating and put them down securely. Dockboards have numbers that tell workers how much weight they can support, so no items should ever be transported on them if they're heavier than the dockboard rating.

Dockplates work the same way as dockboards, but are used for non-motorized loading and unloading. Their ratings also need to be checked. You should also examine both of these items for weaknesses or damage that might make them break when you move materials over them. Whenever you go over a dockplate or drive over a dockboard, do it carefully and slowly, since this is the most dangerous part of dock work.

Dock locks hook onto a trailer's impact guard to keep a trailer secured against a dock. Keeping a trailer locked to a dock ensures safety against trailer creep and early truck departures.

Transporting pallets at a dock involves risk, so forklift operators need to wear proper safety products at all times. This includes work gloves, hard hats, steel-toed boots, and safety glasses. No loading or unloading should be done without these items.

It doesn't matter if you work at a warehouse, factory, or even an office - gravity will always be there. OSHA warns that this is a source of injury, and hard hats and other safety products including back supports, work gloves, and safety glasses should be used. Workers need to be aware of ways to store materials properly to prevent accidents.

When boxes, drums, or any other sort of container are organized in a storage area, the most important thing to remember is that they have to be securely stored. Any unbalanced material can be unstable, so workers should check to make sure that every item they store is solid and doesn't rock. No object should ever hang over the edge of the one under it.

Sturdy shelving is ideal for items that don't have the same size or weight. The best rule of thumb is to keep the biggest and heaviest objects on the bottom shelves. Based on supplies or freight being received, items may have to be reorganized if they aren't unloaded in order of size, but it is worth the effort if it prevents injuries.

Aisles or passageways between rows need to be kept clear of all debris. When loading and unloading freight, workers should always be aware of stockroom and warehouse safety rules.

When following the rules created by OSHA, businesses with more than 10 employees are required to record any injury or illness that happens on the job. The cases that must be logged need to meet three criteria. First, the injuries must be work-related. Second, they must be new injuries.

The third criteria is that the injury must be so severe that it resulted in death, amputation, days away from work, transfer to another job, restricted work, medical treatment beyond first aid, or loss of consciousness. Companies are required by law to record these injuries and report them to OSHA. This information is also a good way for businesses to create their own workplace safety guidelines.

When managers review the list of every accident and injury that happened at a particular worksite, they can start to get an idea of the most dangerous jobs and the first aid kits required. They can then use this information to create training programs and practice drills that help to prevent the most common injuries before working their way toward the less common ones.

Many important workplace tools, such as forklifts, run on electricity and need to be charged periodically. The charging stations that are used for this contain very large chemical batteries that store the electricity that comes from a wall socket. There are many hazards associated with these batteries that workers need to understand in order to keep themselves and their co-workers safe.

Toward the end of the charging process, batteries can produce explosive hydrogen and oxygen fumes. Employers should make sure that there are multi-purpose, dry chemical, and carbon dioxide fire extinguishers available. There should also be a supply of soda ash nearby, which can be dumped on chemicals to neutralize them. It is very important to place charging stations in areas that are very well-ventilated to avoid the build-up of hydrogen gases.

Batteries contain sulfuric acid that is very corrosive. This substance can splash onto workers and irritate eyes and skin. It's important to wear proper safety products including safety glasses, protective clothing, and chemical-resistant gloves when handling them. An eyewash station should be placed near a charging station so that staff members who have gotten chemicals in their eyes can immediately flush them.

Trained workers should be the only ones to charge and change batteries in the charging station. These employees should always be trained on all proper emergency procedures, including acid splash, fires, and how to use emergency eyewash and shower facilities. Proper safety protocol will help prevent this risk, which may otherwise cause chemicals to spill, explosions to occur, and fires to start.

A new slide presentation from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is designed to provide fall protection tips to residential construction workers.

The compliance program, which is available on OSHA's website, covers a variety of topics, including safety products and workplace procedures that should be used to prevent on-site accidents. The agency reports that falls are the leading cause of death for construction workers in the U.S.

According to OSHA, the slide show describes some of the most effective fall protection strategies that are used in the U.S., such as the use of a safety harness, or the installation of a guardrail or a net.

Managers of work sites may be interested in viewing the slide show to ensure that their employees are using the proper safety equipment and following the best procedures. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are legally responsible for setting and enforcing safety standards.

Companies that promote employee safety are more likely to prosper in the long run, according to an executive with an Ohio-based workers' compensation agency.

Randy Jones, the senior vice president of CompManagement, recently told Smart Business that employers should take workplace safety very seriously. By providing adequate safety equipment and regular training sessions, he said that companies can avoid unnecessary workers' compensation expenses.

According to Jones, claim costs are one of the three major factors that determine an employer's annual premium with the Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation. Thus, he recommended that companies should ensure that they are following state and federal laws.

These procedures depend on the industry. For example, employees who work with dangerous machinery or hazardous materials should receive lockout/tagout training. Individuals who spend time at a high elevation may need to wear a safety harness for fall protection.

No matter what the company's line of work, every employer should have a first aid kit on hand, Jones told the media outlet.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, at least one first-aid kit should be accessible at small work sites. Multiple kits should be provided at larger operations. 

A new study sheds light on the importance of hard hats and other safety equipment at a work site.

The report, which will be published in the July 2011 edition of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine, suggests that U.S. employers should take more precautions to prevent work-related traumatic brain injuries (TBIs). The study revealed that agriculture, forestry and fishing industries had the highest rates between 2003 and 2008.

Researchers based their findings on data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injury (CFOI). The leading causes of fatal TBIs on worksites were motor vehicle accidents and falls.

"With limited resources available for occupational safety and health programs, the identification and targeting of high-risk populations, including older workers, should be a priority for industry," said Hope Tiesman, lead investigator of the study.

Employers may want to consider revamping their fall protection standards and stocking up on safety supplies to ensure that workers do not experience TBIs. 

According to Industrial Safety and Hygiene News (ISHN), it is critical that companies know how to prepare for a National Emphasis Program (NEP) inspection.

Michael Taylor, a former legal representative for the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, says that preparing for these inspection visits can help an organization save money and avoid negative publicity. Employers may want to make sure their safety equipment is in place and operating efficiently and that employees are adequately trained on lockout/tagout procedures.

NEPs were originally established by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in 1985. They allow the federal agency to leverage its limited resources to focus on particular industries.

Taylor recommended that employers perform an audit of the expected walk-around route with OSHA officials. This gives companies the opportunity to fix some things that might be overlooked, such as workers not using safety products.

Recently, OSHA issued a new directive establishing a NEP for the primary metals industries. The goal of the initiative is to reduce harmful chemical and physical hazards at work sites that manufacture metal products. 

There are few places that mold won't eventually grow under the right circumstances. Many workplaces are unfortunately home to these conditions, making mold a serious threat for many employees. According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, some of the workers with the greatest risk of mold exposure include farmers, dairy workers, loggers, bakers, mill workers, carpenters, greenhouse employees, winemakers, and furniture repair professionals.

Reactions to mold
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that as many as 50 million people in the United States are allergic to airborne particulates. Mold spores account for a lot of this irritation, so it is important for workers to recognize the symptoms of an allergic reaction to mold. They include:

• Sneezing
• Runny nose
• Eye irritation
• Coughing
• Congestion
• Worsening of asthma symptoms
• Dermatitis (skin rashes)

Employees who have these symptoms should inform a supervisor or manager. People who are particularly susceptible to mold include older people, those with existing respiratory illnesses, individuals with weakened immune systems, those with surgery in their recent history, and people taking steroids.

Finding mold
Identifying mold isn't very difficult. Most people will recognize it immediately as a woolly discoloration growing in a dark and moist area. Black patches on these surfaces are usually mildew, a very common type of mold.

Mold can also be located by its distinctive musty, earthy odor.

Reducing risks after water damage occurs
The best way to reduce mold-related risks after a spill or flood at a workplace is by preventing it from growing in the first place. When water is spilled or floods an area, employees should quickly remove it by repairing drainage infrastructure or using a wet-dry vacuum cleaner. This must be done within 24 to 48 hours, or before mold has a chance to begin growing. Once the bulk of the water has been removed, fans and other ventilation devices should be used to help with additional drying.

Wet surfaces that won't retain water should be cleaned thoroughly with water and detergent. Any porous items that have been wet for more than 48 hours need to be thrown out immediately. A number of porous materials can't be cleaned and will become moldy once they've been immersed in water. These include:

• Carpeting and carpet padding
• Upholstery
• Wallpaper
• Drywall
• Floor and ceiling tiles
• Insulation
• Some clothing
• Leather
• Paper
• Wood

Using the right equipment
Areas that have been exposed to mold should be approached with caution, especially by employees who know or suspect that they have mold allergies. Disposable respirators will help protect workers' respiratory systems from mold spores.

Mold spores can also cause eye and skin irritation. Safety products such as goggles, gloves, and protective clothing are important to wear in places that have recently flooded. Provide these items to any workers who are at risk for mold exposure.

When cleaning up mold, many different detergents and cleansers can be used. While they are both effective on their own, bleach and ammonia should never be mixed. Together, they create a harmful, poisonous gas. Instruct workers to use dish detergent or other chemicals that have been approved for use.

Preventative measures
Taking steps to prevent excess moisture and reduce mold growth in your place of business may include:

• Keeping humidity levels between 40 and 60 percent
• Ensuring proper ventilation
• Prompt repair and cleaning after discovering a roof or window leak
• Adding mold inhibitors to paints before painting
• Using mold-killing products to clean bathrooms, entrances, and exits where moisture and water tend to accumulate
• Monitoring and maintaining entrance matting during rainy periods and winter months, making sure to keep the area as clean and dry as possible

With proper training, vigilant workers, and the right equipment, companies can minimize mold at their workplaces. Mold is best dealt with long before it takes root, so take extra care to prevent water, moisture, and flooding from wreaking havoc on your workplace.  

Floods can occur both indoors and outdoors and pose a number of health risks. Overworked sanitation systems can reduce an area's water purification capabilities, mold and mildew can increase exponentially, dangerous chemicals are easily spread when flood waters rise, and wild animals often become displaced by flooding. Many workers end up in close contact with rising water, so employers should be sure to teach their workers about the basics of working in and around flood water.

OSHA cautions that the most significant health risks posed by flooding have to do with bacterial infections and diseases that thrive in murky standing water. In particular, e. coli and salmonella are commonly found in flooded areas. Workers should monitor themselves and others for symptoms of these diseases, which include nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, muscle aches, and fever. Employees suffering from an infection should seek medical attention and warn employers and coworkers.

Mosquitoes are found in swamps, marshes, and other areas full of standing water. These insects are attracted to flooded areas and will infest these areas in large numbers. Mosquitoes can spread encephalitis and West Nile virus, so workers in flooded areas should wear bug repellent and keep their arms and legs covered at all times.

Above all, workers who spend time in flood regions, or have to help to repair flooded areas, should wash their hands often. This should be done with clean water and soap. If water systems are not functional, bottled water is acceptable. Water that has been boiled for 10 minutes will also work, as will chemically disinfected water. This can be done by adding five drops of household bleach for every gallon of water and letting it stand for 30 minutes afterwards. Never drink this water or use it to brush teeth or clean eating utensils.

Animals that usually live in the wilderness, such as raccoons, possums, or badgers may be driven out of their burrows by heavy rain and flooding. Be careful exploring basements, garages, warehouses, and other structures that have been hit by heavy flooding. They may have become temporary homes for these animals, which could be hurt, sick, or may simply become frightened and attack.

Employers should always provide proper safety products that will protect workers in flooded areas from chemical spills and infections. This includes work boots, rubber gloves, disposable respirators, and other personal protective equipment.

Winter weather is largely to blame for the increased threat of highway and road accidents during the colder months. Workers can be injured during trips to and from a worksite or while carrying out other tasks, so employers should stress the importance of being vigilant on the road. The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) estimates that each year, there are an average of 583,400 crashes and 181,300 injuries due to snow, sleet, hail, and slush on the road. Consider the following tips for educating staff members about these conditions.

The three Ps
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) advocates that employers teach their workers to follow the rule of the three Ps when driving in the winter. They are:

• Prepare: prepare for the trip before it begins
• Protect: be sure that normal safety requirements are met
• Prevent: avoid actions that increase the chances of an accident

Prepare
While the condition and functionality of vehicles need to be guaranteed no matter the time of year, there are certain features that are particularly important in the winter.

Windshield wipers are crucial for clearing falling snow and melted ice out of a driver's field of vision. Wipers need to be checked much more frequently in the winter, as they are key to preventing accidents. Damaged or worn wipers need to be replaced immediately, or a vehicle shouldn't be driven.

All windows need to be clear of ice and snow before a trip begins, so an ice scraper should be present in all vehicles during the winter. A scraper should come with a brush to make it easier to remove loose snow. Wiper fluid is an important backup supply in case ice begins to build on a windshield while driving.

Tire treads need to be in good condition to drive on icy or snow-covered roads. Tires with treads that are worn down or bald should be replaced as soon as possible.

Some supplies should be kept in cars, trucks, and vans for the duration of the winter. They include an extra supply of antifreeze, a flashlight, jumper cables, a snow shovel, a first aid kit, and blankets.

Protect
Safety protocols should always be followed by drivers, but extra vigilance is necessary to drive during the winter. This means that seat belts should always be worn and any additional requirements for trucks, backhoes, and cargo transportation vehicles should be strictly observed.

Drivers who are inexperienced with winter road conditions should practice steering on ice and snow, preferably in the company of an experienced driver. Employers can facilitate this in a parking lot or empty area where it is safe to improve a worker's ability to stop on short notice and use anti-lock brakes.

Employers can help to make the identification of broken-down or disabled vehicles easier. Bright, reflective tape can be placed on antennae as well as the bumpers and hoods of company cars and trucks. This will help prevent them from being hit by other drivers when pulled to the side of the road. In these situations, workers should also activate their hazard flashers and activate the interior dome lights for maximum visibility in snowstorms or when sleet is falling. Flares, warning triangles, booster cables, and other emergency roadside safety equipment should be carried in company vehicles for quick use in the event of an emergency.

Prevent
Driving in the winter means that the distance between vehicles on the road should be increased to reduce the risk of skidding and brakes locking up. Additionally, all cars and trucks should be driven much more slowly than they normally would be in ideal conditions, no matter the speed limit that's posted.

It's easy for workers to become tired or fatigued in the wintertime. Shoveling snow and walking on icy surfaces adds to this exhaustion, which can be made even worse by the stress of careful winter driving. Workers should avoid getting behind the wheel of a vehicle if they are overtired or exhausted.

Precautions and preparation
If you're an employer whose workers are required to drive in the winter, purchase extra safety supplies in case a vehicle breaks down or is in an accident. Safety vests can help identify employees as they assess these situations, while safety glasses and warm work gloves can help when making repairs or while waiting for help. In addition, avoid sending staff members out to drive without first making sure that they have warm clothes in case their vehicle breaks down on the way.

Educate workers and outfit them with the best personal protective equipment to be certain that they're safe while on the road this winter.  

Reduce potential threats and risks to your workers when they're driving in winter conditions. As an employer, make yourself aware of worker driving abilities and limitations, and prepare workers and their vehicles with the right equipment in the event of a roadside emergency. Sleet, blizzards, heavy snow, black ice, and ice storms are all hazards of winter driving – remember the three Ps: Prepare, Protect, and Prevent.

While the United States may not have nearly as many native poisonous creatures as other parts of the world, insect venom is still a very real threat in certain settings. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), there are at least three types of spider bites that can cause sores, irritation, pain, and in limited cases, even death in the U.S. Educate workers on the following CDC-recommended tips and provide them with the proper safety supplies so that they are prepared for the possibility of spider bites.

Venomous species
According to the U.S Army Corps of Engineers, only about 60 of the 20,000 species of spiders in the Western Hemisphere are even physically capable of biting humans. Of those, only four produce poisonous venom. The following three are the only known spiders that have been associated with serious injury or illness.

The black widow spider is the most common type of venomous spider found in the United States. They are concentrated mostly in the southern and western regions of the country and can be identified by a red pattern on their undersides. Black widows can be found in woodpiles, under eaves, in fences, and in piles of debris. They are also known to gather around outdoor toilets where there are many flies.

As a web-spinning species, they often bite workers who have disturbed the strands that they have spun. Their bites are unique among spiders and insects in that they produce two tell-tale marks. Black widow venom is a neurotoxin that causes pain that begins at the bite area and can spread to the chest, abdomen, and then the entire body.

Brown recluse or violin spiders are mostly found in the Midwest and South and can be identified by a dark violin-shaped mark on their heads. These spiders are often encountered underneath logs, on rocks, or in leaf piles. They will occasionally make their way indoors and are found in attics, basements, and other dark areas.

Brown recluse spiders require close contact and counter pressure to pierce the skin of humans, meaning that they will have to be trapped against the skin to puncture and release venom. Their bites begin with a white blister and if not treated can cause a severe lesion by destroying skin tissue.

Hobo spiders are almost entirely located in the Pacific Northwest. They are brown and have a distinctive yellow pattern on their abdomens. Instead of spinning a traditional web, these arachnids create funnel webs in holes, cracks, and recesses that they use to trap their prey. Workers should be especially wary of them near retaining walls, foundations, the cracks around window frames, and in piles of bricks and firewood.

A hobo spider cannot climb the way that other species can, but they run very quickly and will attack if provoked or threatened. Their bites can easily go unnoticed until a slow-healing wound develops and causes moderate to severe pain.

Identifying symptoms
In addition to lesions, there are a number of tell-tale signs that an employee has been bitten, according to the CDC. Teach workers to be aware of these signs, especially if they have been working in high-risk environments.

• An itching or painful rash
• Muscle pain or cramps
• Red or purple discoloration and pain around the bite area
• Increased sweating and difficulty breathing
• Headache, nausea, and vomiting
• Fever, chills, and anxiety

Educating staff members
Employers of workers who may be exposed to these venomous spiders should train employees to identify them. Show workers pictures of each venomous arachnid and guide them to exercise care when working around debris piles. Maintaining a clean and orderly outdoor worksite will reduce the risk that spiders will make their home nearby.

Any clothes, shoes, or equipment that has been left outdoors should be checked and shaken out.

Outdoor clothing can go a long way toward keeping spiders from biting workers. Advise employees to wear long-sleeved shirts, long pants, boots, and gloves whenever they spend time working outside. Any clothes or equipment that remains outdoors overnight should be wrapped tightly in plastic bags and completely sealed to keep spiders out.

Provide workers with the opportunity to receive inoculations against tetanus. Spider bites can become infected with tetanus spores.

Steps to take when workers are bitten
Train workers to handle spider bite scenarios so that they know how to react when a black widow, brown recluse, hobo spider, or other arachnid bites an employee.

It is important to remain calm. If properly educated, employees should attempt to identify the type of spider that bit them. This will help medical professionals later if they decide to administer an anti-venom.

Wounds should be washed with soap and water to prevent infection, but never attempt to remove the venom in any way.

A cold compress or ice pack will help to soothe the area and reduce swelling. The bite area should also be elevated if possible.

A supervisor should be notified immediately and workers should contact medical professionals as soon as possible.

Taking care when working outside
The majority of spiders will likely attack because their habitats have been disturbed. Employees should exercise great care outdoors and realize that they are working in the natural homes of many creatures. Consequently, staying alert in the woods and keeping work areas clean of debris will help employees avoid harm.

Employers should provide first aid kits and personal protective equipment such as work gloves to give added protection. Training focused on bite scenarios and proper education of a workforce will help to minimize the dangers that spiders and other arachnids pose.  

In use for thousands of years, asbestos was first discovered in ancient times and hailed as a miracle substance. Its name is Greek in origin and means "inextinguishable" because it refused to burn and was exceptionally resistant to fire. In fact, until very recently, it was still a popular material because of its strength, flame resistance, and insulation properties.

Unfortunately, scientists have since discovered that asbestos poses significant health risks to people who live near it and those who work around it. It is actually a mineral composed of microscopic fibers, which can be spread through the air and enter the lungs, causing lung scarring (asbestosis), inflammation of the chest cavity (pleuritis), and cancers. As a result, employers must be very careful at worksites that may have asbestos or when they task personnel with cleaning it up.

Prior to a few decades ago, asbestos was commonly used for insulating pipes, on wall panels, in floor tiles, in spray ceiling coatings, and as packing material. Asbestos in all of these forms poses a threat, but it's most dangerous to people who tear it down.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines dictate that companies must adhere to a strict permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 0.1 fibers of asbestos per cubic centimeter of air in a given enclosed space over the course of eight hours. It is also required by OSHA to provide workers with the proper breathing protection. Depending on the level of exposure, employers must provide workers with half-mask or full-facepiece air purifying respirators equipped with high efficiency filters. For greater exposure, full-facepiece supplied air respirators or a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) may be required.

Companies must also perform initial and periodic exposure assessments which monitor the level of asbestos in a given area when work begins and routinely throughout its removal. It is also important to regulate and limit access to areas where this work is taking place because of the danger that asbestos presents. This can be accomplished with signs marking restricted or off-limit areas.

Because asbestos is made of tiny particles, it should never be swept or wiped with dry rags that can release more particulates into the air. Instead, asbestos should be cleaned using wet methods or wetting agents that reduce its ability to break apart and contaminate the air. Vacuum cleaners equipped with HEPA filters need to be used to collect all asbestos-containing or presumed asbestos-containing debris and dust.

Never attempt to clean up or handle asbestos without accreditation from the EPA or other regulatory agency. The Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act of 1986 requires large-scale efforts to remove asbestos be undertaken only by those who have been trained to handle it. With the right education and training, as well as the proper safety supplies, companies can efficiently remove this dangerous substance from their worksites.  

Many former factories and waste disposal facilities have fallen into disrepair and may be abandoned, leaving behind pollutants or contaminants. Fortunately, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sponsors cleanups of these areas, making them attractive sites for companies to engage in urban renewal and rehabilitation. In fact, the EPA estimates that every dollar the organization spends on such efforts yields $18.29 in corporate and private profits. Additionally, it is projected that over 72,000 jobs have been generated so far thanks to brownfield cleanups.

Brownfields pose unique hazards to workers and may make it necessary for employers to take additional steps to ensure their workers are safe and protected when engaging in brownfield cleanups and during land reclamation projects.

Common dangers
Waste and pollutants found in soil, buildings, containers, and groundwater aquifers can create some of the biggest hazards that can be found at brownfield sites. Before environmental regulations were commonplace, many organizations disposed of chemicals on-site without adequate protective measures.

Workers should be trained to handle materials that might be found during excavations. Chemical hazards from contaminants could be present in the soil or containers on the worksite, so employees need to wear coveralls and disposable respirators when necessary.

Many brownfield sites are often in various states of disrepair because they have been deemed too dangerous or polluted for everyday work. When working on a facility for re-use or redevelopment, there may be crumbling walls and collapsed foundations that require personnel to build scaffolding or use aerial lifts to reach high places. Outfit these workers with fall protection such as web lanyards and fall harnesses to ensure their safety.

Collapses and falling debris, as well as cave-ins and crumbling trenches, put employees at risk. Use hard hats, work gloves, and steel-toed boots to prevent injury.

Getting started
Review the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) standard. This standard applies to brownfield sites that include work such as:
1. Cleanup operations required by a governmental body involving hazardous substances conducted at an uncontrolled hazardous waste site.
2. Corrective actions involving cleanup operations at sites covered by the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act of 1976.
3. Voluntary cleanup operations at sites recognized by a governmental body as an uncontrolled hazardous waste site.

If the HAZWOPER standard applies, OSHA regulations require employers who are engaged in repairs or cleanup efforts at formerly polluted sites to create a written Health and Safety Plan (HASP) before beginning work. This sort of plan must be specific to each new worksite, though it may be possible to draw upon parts of former strategies as long as the necessary details of each site have been addressed.

The components of a HASP may include a site hazard analysis, control measures for leaking materials, an evaluation of necessary personal protective equipment, employee training for chemical handling, medical surveillance measures, decontamination procedures, monitoring and sampling, spill containment, confined space requirements, and emergency response strategies.

A HASP can be developed with help from a number of agencies. The Department of Labor (DOL) offers cleanup training for various hazardous materials and helps coordinate Workforce Investment Act (WIA) programs in brownfield communities. The DOL maintains regional offices around the country and can help employers prepare the necessary training measures.

Additionally, OSHA-approved local environmental agencies operating at the state level can help with on-site consultations to determine which materials pose a risk to workers and how to properly dispose of the materials.

Benefits
With the added emphasis on ecologically friendly work practices and green initiatives, companies around the country are discovering that it is both profitable and helpful for communities to rehabilitate urban areas and former worksites. With the right training from government agencies and the proper use of safety supplies and safety equipment, employers can effectively help to clean up ecologically damaged sites while keeping their workers safe.

Workplaces often use aerial lifts when staging and scaffolding are impractical. This aids many jobs that might not otherwise be possible, but there are a number of dangers associated with their use. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), electricians, general laborers, painters, ironworkers, and carpenters are especially at risk for injuries and fatalities when using these machines.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) report that most falls, collapses, and tipovers that occur on aerial lifts happened while between 10 and 29 feet in the air. Machinery tipovers made up nearly 50 percent of the total boom-lift falls. When your crews are working on aerial lifts, take the following precautions to keep them safe.

Aerial lifts are strong machines that must be carefully maneuvered to the work site before using the controls to move the platform. These lifts need to be serviced and maintained regularly and should only be operated by employees who have been trained thoroughly to use them. Supervisors should also always be present when the lift is in use.

Riders and workers at the top of aerial lifts should always use fall protection. When shipyards and boatyards use lifts, working above water is no excuse not to - according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), life preservers and other floatation devices are insufficient when used alone in protecting workers from falls of over 40 feet. Shock-absorbing lanyards, harnesses, and retractable lanyards should always be used and securely anchored to lift railings or hooks.

The wheels of a lift should never be operated or moved while its arm is raised or a worker is on it. Shifts in balance can easily cause a fall or can eject employees from the bucket or platform of the lift. In fact, no lift should ever be raised if the brakes aren't engaged, its outriggers are not fully extended, tire pressure is low, or the ground that the lift sits on is not level.

Lift operators need to be aware of the lift's swing radius. This means that a rotation of 360 degrees will extend the basket or cherry picker a specific distance from the base. Workers operating lifts should always make sure that the area around the machine is clear of other equipment and employees before moving the lift arm.

When a crane is not available, an aerial lift is not a suitable replacement. It is not designed to push, pull, or manipulate objects and other devices and can malfunction if used to do so. This sort of situation can cause a tipover, which will endanger nearby workers as well as the operator of the lift.

If for some reason an aerial lift becomes caught on a tree, structure, or wire, the operator should not struggle to release it. When freed suddenly, the basket of a lift can eject employees or knock them off balance.

By understanding that there are many dangers associated with this equipment, employees can avoid being injured on an aerial lift. With the right safety supplies, such as fall protection, hard hats, safety glasses, and work gloves, workplaces can successfully and safely use aerial lifts for many tasks.

Although pushing the clocks back for daylight savings time (DST) may have meant an extra hour of slumber, sleep experts from Northwestern University say that even a one-hour shift can disrupt sleep patterns.

"Sleep problems are widespread and on the rise, yet many people dismiss the issue and don’t realize the consequences that can result," said Hrayr Attarian, MD, a neurologist at Northwestern Memorial and associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. "As people reset their clocks, they should also take this opportunity to reset their sleep habits in order to avoid possible health consequences."

Attarian stated that keeping a consistent sleep schedule even though we gain an extra hour can help you avoid being sleep deprived in the days following the switch.

With the end of DST comes darker, drowsier commutes home from work, which can pose added risks to the drive. According to Phyllis Zee, MD, PhD director of Northwestern Memorial’s Sleep Disorders Center, driving while tired can increase the amount of accidents on the road.

“There is a significant increase in the number of car accidents in the days following the end of Daylight Savings Time (DST), which many attribute to lack of alertness from insufficient sleep,” Zee stated.

It is important for motorists to always keep a first aid kit in their vehicle, as well as safety equipment such as reflective highway warning triangles and road flares to increase safety and visibility in the event of a breakdown or accident.
 

Loud noise threatens workers' hearing and is one of the most widely spread occupational health problems. Employees may find themselves exposed to loud short-term or steady long-term sounds, depending on the nature of their work. Employers must follow OSHA requirements to minimize the chances of temporary or permanent hearing damage.

Monitoring sound exposure
There are two variables that affect how powerful a sound is - intensity and duration. Some noises only last for a short period of time but reach very high decibel levels and may cause temporary hearing loss, with repeated exposures causing permanent loss. Sounds that persist for long periods of time cause permanent hearing loss over time.

OSHA's hearing conservation program requires employers to monitor sound exposure to accurately identify workers exposed to noise hazards. Areas must be monitored anywhere workers are exposed to sounds at or above 85 decibels (dB) averaged over 8 working hours, or an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA). Monitoring must take exposure into account, including all continuous, intermittent, and impulsive noise within an 80 dB to 130 dB range.

When any machines are replaced or processes are altered, employers must re-test the sound levels at a facility or worksite. These changes may also require more employees to be included in a hearing protection program if the TWA of a workplace has changed.

To keep workers healthy and safe, companies must also test employees on a regular basis to make sure that their hearing isn't being harmed. This evaluation of employee hearing is called audiometric testing, and it measures changes in their ability to hear over time. OSHA requires that all personnel undergo audiometric testing within six months of their first exposures to sound levels of 85 dB TWA. From there, annual audiometric tests must be administered. This process helps employers identify which workers need hearing protection and if they need to be refitted with protection that is more appropriate for the noise level in their work area.

All testing records should be retained so that workers with hearing damage can seek medical treatment. This documentation will also help safety departments manage sound exposure in the future.

Offering protection
If a worker's baseline audiogram, or first audiometric test result, is different from later tests as a result of workplace noise hazards, companies must fit or refit them with adequate hearing protection. Workers exposed to 85 dB TWA sound sources must be given hearing protection. This includes providing a selection of at least one type of ear plug and one variety of ear muff.

Workers exposed to TWAs of 85 dB and above need to be trained annually about the dangers of spending time around loud noises. This will help to ensure that they understand the risks of being exposed to high-volume sources. Workers who are well-informed of the reasons for a hearing conservation program will be more motivated to wear their hearing protection.

Hearing conservation help
OSHA offers free consultation services and extensive help with safety and health programs, state plans, voluntary protection programs, partnerships, alliances, and training and education.

The OSHA website provides additional information and help through eTools such as Expert Advisors and Electronic Compliance Assistance Tools, information on specific health and safety topics, regulations, directives, publications, videos, and other information for both employers and employees.

Keep workers safe and minimize the chance of temporary and permanent hearing loss in your workplace by monitoring noise and worker hearing, and providing safety supplies such as ear plugs and ear muffs.

As one of the most important kinds of safety products, workers should be very familiar with their hard hats. These items protect what is perhaps the most important part of the human body - the head. Different kinds of tasks and situations call for different kinds of hard hats, so it's important to know the difference between the ANSI-defined classes and available hard hats.

Type I and Type II
All hard hats can be divided into two types - Type I and Type II. Type I hard hats are only designed to protect workers from objects and blows that come from above and strike the top of a helmet.

Type II hard hats are designed to offer protection from lateral blows and objects. This includes from the front, back, and side as well as from the top. Type II hard hats are also tested for off-center penetration resistance and chin strap retention.

Classes
Hard hats are also divided into classes that indicate how well they protect against electrical shock.

• Class E (Electrical) hard hats can withstand up to 20,000 volts of electricity
• Class G (General) hard hats are able to withstand 2,200 volts of electricity
• Class C (Conductive) hard hats offer no protection from electric shock

Material & Suspensions
Most hard hats are made of non-conductive, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) and come equipped with a suspension that can be adjusted for a custom fit. Suspensions are available with 4, 6, or 8 load-bearing points and can be fitted using several different types of adjustments. The most common are pinlock, where the hard hat is removed and a pin is matched to a corresponding hole, and ratchet, which uses a knob to tighten or loosen the suspension's fit around the head while wearing the hard hat.

Styles
When considering tasks and situations, hard hats are available in different styles. Cap hard hats have a short front brim that helps to shade the face from the sun and keeps rain away from the eyes. Some cap hard hats can also be worn backwards so the front brim is over the back of the neck. Full brim styles feature a brim that goes around the entire cap and shades the face, back of the neck, and ears. The full brim can also help to channel rain and snow away from the face and head.

Promoting a successful safety culture, a term which Safety Daily Advisor calls "the set of values that management and the workforce use to determine how they act at work," should go further than being a priority, as priorities tend to be rearranged depending on companies' needs, according to safety professional James Roughton.

Instead, it should be a part of everyday work, he said, and can be attained in just a few steps.

By studying previous accidents, employers can see all factors that led up to the incident, rather than as an isolated occurrence. Once the risks are assessed, integrating safety activities into existing standards, instead of creating new ones, will aid in worker compliance.

Involving workers and applauding noticeable improvements can go a long way. When there is an accident, start thinking about the current process of recognizing hazards and how to control them, and focus on the ways the system can be improved. A safety culture can grow and succeed as management endorses change and provides repetitive training, enforcement, and encouragement.

Also outlined by Roughton was the importance of identifying and measuring all costs associated with workplace injuries and finding ways to manage and reduce them.

Developing a safety culture also includes various safety and compliance systems, such as the use and continual monitoring of safety products and equipment.