Employers Failing to Report Serious Injuries to OSHA, DOL finds

A recent federal government report has urged the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to take steps to ensure that employers report fatalities and injured worker hospitalizations. Many employers may not be aware, but in 2015 OSHA amended its severe-injury reporting …

How to Reduce Your Employees’ Stress During Holidays

The holiday season can bring a combination of fun and excitement as well as stress and anxiety for your staff. While the majority of workers enjoy December as it brings more cheer to the office, as well as goodies from …

When Injuries at Work Don’t Equal Workers’ Comp

While injuries and deaths that occur while someone is carrying out their work on behalf of their employer are compensated by workers’ comp coverage, not all workplace injuries or deaths are compensable, as a recent court case shows. In the …

After the Grenfell Tower Fire: What Building Owners Can Do to Improve Fire Safety

A massive London apartment fire that killed at least 80 people last June is causing landlords to reassess fire risk and potential liability. Officials trace the likely genesis of the Grenfell Tower fire to a faulty refrigerator. But the use …

Keeping it Safe, and Limiting Liability During Holidays

With year-end festivities about to begin, you should include safety into your holiday plans, be that if you are simply decorating the office or throwing a holiday/year-end party for your staff. Since the holiday season or your party is only …

Fall Protection Training Makes Debut on OSHA’s Top 10 Citations List

There’s a newcomer to OSHA’s top 10 list of violations that it cites every year: Fall Protection – Training Requirements. While physical fall protection violations, like failing to install guard-rails or provide fall protection equipment, continue to feature at the …

Documenting Small Safety Incidents Key to Preventing Major Ones

Studies show that for every major workplace injury or fatality, there are nearly 10 minor injuries – and more than 30 accidents that lead to property damage. Capturing data even on minor safety incidents can be critical in informing efforts …

Protecting Your Workers in Wildfire Areas

If you have workers in a wildfire zone, you need to have measures in place to protect them in the event of a catastrophe.

Smoke from these wildfires is dangerous as it contains chemicals, gases and fine particles that can lodge deep in people’s lungs. This can make it difficult to breathe, aggravate asthma as well as existing heart and lung conditions – not to mention all the coughing and wheezing that most people would experience.

To protect workers exposed to wildfire smoke, Cal/OSHA recommends that employers take the following measures:

• Engineering controls like using a filtered ventilation system in indoor work areas.
• Administrative controls, like limiting the amount of time your employees work outside, if this is possible.
• Provide employees with respiratory protective equipment, such as disposable filtering dust masks.

To filter out fine particles, respirators must be labeled N-95, N-99, N-100, R-95, P-95, P-99 or P-100, and must be labeled in a way that is approved by the US National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

• If you have employees working outside in areas that have been designated as “Unhealthy,” “Very Unhealthy,” or “Hazardous,” be sure to provide them with approved respiratory protective equipment.

 

Make sure workers are wearing respirators properly. Manufacturer 3M has the following tips:

 

A filtering facepiece respirator without a valve

To perform a user seal check on a non-valved, cup-shaped disposable respirator:

• Completely cover the outside of the respirator with both hands.
• Do not push the respirator against your face.
• With your hands in place on the surface of the respirator, exhale or breathe out sharply.
• If you feel air blowing on your face or eyes, the respirator needs to be adjusted.
• To adjust, repeat the user instructions on how to put on the respirator.
• When the respirator is a good fit, you will not feel any air blowing on your face or eyes.
• If you can’t get a good fit, try a different model.

 

A filtering facepiece respirator with a valve

To perform a user seal check on a valved, cup-shaped disposable respirator:

• Completely cover the outside of the respirator with both hands.
• Do not push the respirator against your face.
• With your hands in place on the surface of the respirator, inhale or breathe in sharply. The respirator should collapse slightly.
• If air leaks between the face and the face-seal of the respirator, the respirator needs to be adjusted. To adjust, repeat the user instructions on how to put on the respirator.
• When the respirator is a good fit, you will not feel any air leaking between the face and the face-seal.
• If you can’t get a good fit, try a different model.

Employees Driving Their Own Vehicles on the Job Are Your Liability

Many business owners don’t think twice when asking a worker to run to the office supply store, to the bank or run another errand for the company while on the clock. But as soon as that employee enters their personal …

Beat Cyber Attacks by Training Your Staff

Cyberattacks are on the rise, and “phishing,” the practice of tricking insiders into answering emails, clicking links or otherwise exposing company networks to criminal intruders, is a leading tactic. Modern encryption can thwart many hackers, so crooks are focusing on …