Safety Newsletter
Fall/2014
You can also reinforce appropriate behaviors and
actions with praise or a simple, “Thank You for
doing a great job”.
Be clear and concise in what you want to say and
share.
SUCCESSFULLY MANAGING SAFETY AND
HEALTH WITHIN YOUR ORGANIZATION
Safety should become a
part of your everyday
values and actions and
not be seen as an “extra
task”.
You can also:
PERSONALIZE SAFETY OUTCOMES:
Let all employees know why it is important to
them, and to all in the workplace, to follow safety
rules and safe procedures. Let them know what the
impact would be if an injury or death occurred due
to unsafe behaviors or unsafe acts.
Personalize it with the effects an injury would have
on their families.
Successful safety and
health systems have the
following in place:
COMMUNICATION:
The Organization’s values, behaviors and attitudes
should be clearly stated and supported. This will
demonstrate to your employees that you place a
great emphasis on creating a safe workplace. One
in which everyone works together for the common
good (safety) for all employees.
DEVELOP POSITIVE SAFETY ATTITUDES:
You can support safe behaviors by fostering the
development of attitudes and beliefs.
Principals should encourage managers, supervisors
and employees to challenge unsafe behaviors and
attitudes in each other. You can maximize the
continuance of positive attitudes toward safety by
encouraging and recognizing those who have
demonstrated a positive attitude toward safety or
have helped someone else do so.
LEADERSHIP:
Sending a clear and consistent message about
workplace safety and health will indicate to all
employees the great value management places on
safety.
But remember to “walk the walk”, also. Employees
watch to see what management does.
Help your employees take ownership when
developing safety tools.
Build trust to eliminate the “Us versus
Them” mentality.
“OWN” SAFETY RESPONSIBILITIES AND
ACCOUNTABILITIES:
Those at a safe workplace will:
•
•
•
CLARIFICATION:
Management should communicate the specific
behaviors required of all employees. This can be
accomplished in several ways:
•
•
•
•
•
•
In person, while walking around Via emails Intra‐net postings on your internal system During safety talks •
1
Understand what they need to do and do it Look for hazards Eliminate or mitigate the hazards prior to an injury Think, before they do something, to be sure it is safe to do Believe they are responsible and accountable for their own safety, and the safety of others Follow the rules Thhe consisten
nt message sh
hould alway
ys be that
saafety is a sha
ared respon
nsibility.
Better relation
nships increaase the likeliihood that
peeople will beehave in a ceertain way an
nd that they
w
will achieve the safety go
oals stated in the Compan
ny
V
Values statem
ment.
Y
You can prom
mote close in
nvolvement with
w
em
mployees to build trust and
a respect while
w
still
m
maintaining authority
a
and
d adherence to
t the safety
y
prrocess.
Equuipment- safeety glasses- w
when cuttingg material
or uusing power ttools, could save your eyyesight.
The best possiblle choice eveery day is too choose to
workk safely.
If yoou make the right choicee, you will get to go
hom
me intact at thhe end of thee day.
Tho se at home aare countingg on you to m
make the
wisee choice.
C Make a Differencee!
The Choices We Make Can
KEE
EPING YOUR FEET O
ON THE GR
ROUND
We are facced with
choices ev
very day:
Do I have a second cu
up
of coffee??
Do I grab the umbrellaa
annd jacket tod
day?
D
Do I drive dow
wn Route 93
3 or do I go down
d
Route
1228?
W
WAIT!! On second
s
thoug
ght- let’s forrget that
quuestion! Neither highway is much off a choice
thhese days.
The majority off fall related injuries- 65%
%- occur as
me level walkking
a ressult of falls ffrom the sam
surfa
faces. (Bureaau of Labor S
Statistics).
Worrkers who arre injured in workplace sslips and
fallss miss an aveerage of 8 daays out of work vs. the
6 daays missed ddue to other ccauses.
A very important choice you
y get to make
m
every daay
iss the choice to
t work safely, at what ever
e
task you
u
w
will do during
g the workdaay.
Iff the job requ
uires you to lift material,, make the
w
wise choice an
nd select thee right tool such as a dolly
orr cart to help
p you move it.
i
Iff it is a box or
o item you can
c lift, choo
ose the correect
w
way to make the
t lift, or ch
hoose to ask
k for help fro
om
a co-worker. Making
M
the right
r
choice saves your
baack or neck or
o knees.
Thee leading cau
uses of slip and fall inju
uries
inclu
ude:
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
R
Reaching for an item stored up high presents
p
you
w
with another choicec
to use
u a step sto
ool (or a
sttepladder), or grab the neearest chair.
M
Make the safee choice- don
n’t stand on a chair- or
cllimb up on a table to reach the item.
G
Going for the step stool or stepladder may requiree
thhat you walk
k a short distaance to retrieeve it, but it is
goood exercisee, and you will
w be safer using
u
eiither one verrsus using th
he chair. Falls from
heeights- even as small as one or two feet
f high can
n
kiill you.
Contamin
nated surfacees (wet/oily)
Floor surffaces in poor repair Loose maats or rugs; otther irregularr surfaces Spills Weather‐‐ related: ice// snow/rain Lack of em
mployee awaareness/ train
ning Inapprop
priate footweaar Poor lightting Hidden stteps Morre than 80% of slip/ fall accidents takke place on
wet surfaces.
Speccific areas w
where injurries occur in
nclude:
•
•
•
•
M
Making the ch
hoice to weaar Personal Protective
P
2
Parking lo
ots Sidewalkss/ walkways//entrances Food prep areas Restroom
ms To help reduce slip/fall accidents within your
facility you can pay attention to your entrances.
Are there good quality walks-off mats in place
at all entrances?
This will save your organization money by
reducing worker’s compensation costs and keeping
everyone healthy and on the job.
A good mat should:
SAFETY GOALSEASILY MANAGED WHEN YOU HAVE A
PLAN!
•
•
•
•
Stop water and dirt at the door Store water and soil for removal Minimize tracking in of water and soil Provide a safe walking surface Our goal in the
world of safety is to
help our clients
ELIMINATE
HAZARDS and to
correct UNSAFE
BEHAVIORS before someone is injured.
However, even in the safest workplace, accidents
and near misses may occur.
The key step here is to immediately address the
issue, as soon as you are made aware that
something has happened.
This means investigating to find the root cause(s).
A mat should not:
•
•
•
•
Buckle or ripple Crack Migrate (move) Fail to contain water Parking lots should be inspected regularly to
check condition of the surfaces. Are cracks or
pot holes developing?
With winter not too far away, now is the time to
plan and prepare for treating all outside walking
surfaces for inclement weather.
Sand or a sand /salt mixture is effective in treating
parking lots and walkways.
There are other products- ice melt compounds- that
are also effective, and they reduce the amount of
debris tracked into the building.
Caution signage and warning stanchions should be
placed in potential wet areas to alert employeesand visitors that floors may be wet and therefore
slippery.
Having an adequate supply of caution tools readily
available in spill-prone areas can help employees
by reminding them of the need to clean up spills/
wet spots.
Once you have made the commitment to do that,
you can go a step further and review past accidents
to look for any trends.
Look and see where accidents are consistently
happening.
Are employees who are performing certain tasks
getting hurt doing those particular tasks?
Studies have shown that it is not always a person’s
indifference to safe procedures that results in an
injury.
Rather, it is a brief moment of inattention that
usually ends badly.
Inattention can be identified as the root cause of
injury in most all categories of accident analysis:
A log should be maintained for snow plowing the
parking lot and when ice treatment products, or
sand/ salt were applied during the day/ evening.
A sidewalk log should also be maintained to track
when shoveling/ snow blowing was done and when
ice treatment was done during the day.
•
•
•
•
Motor vehicle accidents Power tool injuries Slips/ trips/ falls Lifting Loss of focus in the workplace can lead to serious
injury.
Supervisors need to remind employees to stay
focused on the job at hand.
Ask them what they need to get the job done
safely, in the best possible way.
Planning and preparation will help everyone get
through the day with no slip/ fall incidents. Taking
the time to improve surfaces now and training
employees to identify and remedy hazards in their
work areas will do much to reduce slip and fall
injuries.
3
Interrviewing and
d Hiring 9 Make surre your Job D
Descriptions aare up to date and accurate. Esssential Functtions and Physical D
Demands sho
ould be detailed and accurate.. If one of thee bullets for aan office employeee has the worrds “word pro
ocessing” in it, you’re probably duee for a revisio
on. 9 Include aa Supervisor ffrom the Dep
partment in the Intervview Processs. People who
o have done the job, o
or are currenttly supervising the job, have a different insigh
ht into the job
b duties than a Recruiteer/Human Reesources persson. They are betteer able to disccuss the functtions of the job and aassess if the applicant has tthe skills needed to be successfful. 9 Utilize th
he “Temp to P
Perm” Option
n. Temp agencies are a great p
place to find taalent. The perm option aallows both yyou and the temp to p
prospectiive employeee to see if the job is a good fit. Interview all prospective employees; do not asssume that evvery person they send you is a p
perfect match
h for the job. The opportun
nity to talk with prospectivve employeees allows both you and thee applicant to determ
mine if the job
b is a good fitt. 9 Backgrou
und Checks an
nd Referencees. Call previous employers w
when possible. Ask about the appliccant’s attendance and job
b performaance. They m
may only be au
uthorized to give hire and terminattion dates, bu
ut ask anyway. Ask if they w
would hire thiss person again; theeir response o
or lack thereo
of, can be very tellin
ng. 9 Pre‐Placeement/Post O
Offer Physicals. Work with a faccility that willl utilize your jjob descriptio
on to ensure the applicantt is fit for the position. Another goo
od reason why accurate o date job desscriptions aree important.
and up to
Orieentation and TTraining 9 Compan
ny Handbookk. It is important to review tthe Company Handbook on an employeee’s first day to review you
ur expectattions, policiess and procedures. In Em
mployees an
nd superviso
ors must stay
y alert
thhroughout th
he workday to keep them
mselves, and
thheir co-work
kers safe.
C
Constant remiinders, trainiing and instrruction only
goo so far.
G
GOALS:
U
Ultimately, it is up to each
h supervisorr to work witth
eaach individu
ual to:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Plan fo
or the job Stay alert Pay atttention Adhere
e to the safetty rules established within the Company Don’t rrush or take sshortcuts Go hom
me safely at tthe end of the
e day PL
LAN:
A
An easy way to do this is to have a da
aily safety
taalk with you
ur employeess. This can be
acccomplished
d in a few miinutes’ time each day.
Eliminating a workplace injury
i
or neaar miss is
ceertainly wortth a few min
nutes of yourr time during
g
thhe day.
Iff you really don’t
d
believee you can tak
ke the time on
o
a daily basis to
t do this, wiill you comm
mit to doing it
onn a weekly basis?
b
W
Will you givee it a try?
Pllease let us know
k
how itt works for you
y at your
orrganization.
Iff you need asssistance in getting
g
this started,
s
pleasse
coontact your Risk
R Controll professionaal.
Alll hands on deck! Looks likke we’re all b
back in the hiiring mode. SSince it’s bee
en a while, he
ere are a few heelpful hints to
o help with the recruitme
ent process. 4
addition to your Company’s Mission Statement, you should also consider a Safety Mission Statement. Be sure to review your Dress Code Policy and the requirements for Personal Protective Equipment. 9 Focus on Safety. Explain the Company’s commitment to providing a safe work environment and the goal of having every employee go home healthy and safe every day. Outline the steps for reporting an accident or a near accident and the importance of doing so. Emphasize the importance of reporting injuries as soon as they happen. Let the employee know about your Safety Meetings, daily/weekly safety talks, and how to become a member of the Safety Committee. 9 Follow‐Up. Orientation does not conclude on the first day. Follow up with the new employee at the end of the first week and periodically over the next few months. Partner a new employee with a more experienced employee. 9 Training, like Orientation, is not a one shot deal. Follow up a few days after a training session to make sure the information was retained. Retrain or fine tune a process if necessary. (This article was provided by Linda Lyons, Brockway‐ Smith Company) The seasonal flu is contagious and can cause mild
to severe illness; in some cases it can lead to death.
There are 3 types of flu viruses: Type A, Type B
and Type C.
Type A and B viruses cause epidemics in the US
every year. Type C causes mild respiratory
illnesses, and is not thought to cause epidemics.
Annual outbreaks of the seasonal flu usually occur
during the late fall through early spring. The first
case of flu was recently diagnosed in the State of
New Hampshire.
A seasonal flu vaccine is already available.
The symptoms for all flu are similar:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Fever
Sore throat and/or coughing
Runny or stuffy nose
Headaches and/or body aches
Chills
Fatigue
If you are diagnosed with flu, you should stay
home for at least 24 hours, after your fever is gone.
You should stay away from others, and avoid
work/ school/shopping/public events. Avoid close
contact with anyone over 65, or those with chronic
medical conditions, such as asthma, diabetes,
and/or heart conditions.
To help stop the flu from spreading:
• Wash hands with plenty of soap and hot water
• Use hand- sanitizer
• Throw tissues in the trash
• Cover coughs and sneezes
• Get plenty of rest
• Drink lots of fluids- water/ broth/ sports drinks
to replace electrolytes
FLU SEASON IS HERE
Complications of the flu can cause:
•
•
•
•
Bacterial pneumonia
Ear or sinus infections
Dehydration
Worsening of chronic medical conditions
Vaccines are the best tool we have to prevent
influenza. Everyone 6 months and older should get
a flu shot. There does not appear to be a shortage
of flu vaccine this year.
WHAT YOU
SHOULD KNOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF,
AND OTHERS
Pharmacists have been trained to give the flu
vaccine at many national pharmacy chains. An
appointment is not required.
Flu refers to illnesses caused by a number of
different influenza viruses.
5
Often, out of necessity, workplaces have adapted
to older workers. Some employers have recognized
the need to be more proactive when designing
workspaces for older workers. They are paying
attention to the need to have flexible work
schedules, ergonomic considerations, good lighting
and seating.
HEALTHY AGING AT WORK:
The U.S.
Bureau of
Labor
Statistics
has
indicated
that by
2015, one
in every 5
Americans
will be
over 65
and one in four Americans will be 55 by the year
2020.
The aging workforce phenomenon is real, and it is
global.
As workers age, the safety, health and well-being
of the workforce will be vital.
SIMPLE STRATEGIES THAT WORK:
There are some simple things you can do as an
employer to prepare your workplace for a safer and
a more age- friendly workforce:
•
•
•
•
•
Having appropriate programs, and support in the
workplace and the community, can help workers
live longer more productive lives.
•
SAFETY and AGING:
Older workers tend to experience fewer workplace
injuries than younger workers. This may be due to
their experience, from years in the workplace, or it
may be due to extra caution and awareness with
regard to their physical limitations.
When they do have accidents, it may take them
longer to heal, so employers should have a good
return–to–work program in place.
•
•
Older Workers prefer jobs that offer flexibility in schedules and work conditions, work locations and tasks Match the tasks to the worker: Self‐directed work and self‐directed rest breaks; less repetitive tasks Avoid prolonged sedentary work: provide sit/stand opportunities and ability to walk around during the day Manage those hazards! Conditions that often challenge older workers include: noise, slip/trip hazards, physical hazards, heat and cold, poor lighting Provide health and wellness benefits; provide information on healthy nutrition, smoking cessation, medical screening to reduce risk factors Proactively manage reasonable accommodations and return‐ to work after illness and or injury Invest in training and in building worker skills: Help older workers adapt to new technologies; understanding that there is high stress felt by older workers Provide aging workforce management training for supervisors on the best ways to manage an age‐ diverse workforce (Information for this article is from the CDC)
BENEFITS of an AGE-FRIENDLY
WORKFORCE:
Employers continue to see the benefits that older
workers bring to the job. Not only do many have
more experience, they also have greater knowledge
about the jobs.
They tend to have less job stress, and get along
better with coworkers
They also tend to be more cautious on the job, and
are more likely to follow rules.
6
Ansswer: Revisiit the correctt way to exitt the cab,
withh ALL driverrs. Remind tthem of the tthree points
of coontact. Pointt out specificcs such as thhe use of
the m
map pocket for papers annd cups or pplacing the
cup on the floorr boards. Reiiterate the neeed for
drivvers’ hands too be free of iitems so theyy may
SAF
FELY exit thhe cab, usingg the 3 pointts of
conttact.
INVES
STIGATING
G AN ACCIIDENT
A
ASKING TH
HE “WHYS
S” and “THE
E “WHATS
S”
WOR
RKING ON
N ROOFS
Over the yeears we
have been rreminding
members thhat one of
our biggest exposures
for injury iss working
on roofs. W
We have
strongly enccouraged
all of our m
members to
outsource thhese types
of jobs to a fully
insured conntractor.
Oveer the past 100 years we hhave had seveeral serious
injurries relating to working on roofs andd a few
havee cost the grooups over $2250,000.
Receently, we haad another seerious injuryy resulting
from
m an employyee falling w
while workingg on a roof.
In thhis most receent case the employee w
was up on a
flat rroof drying the roof off with a leaf bblower so
the rroof could be repaired. T
The employeee fell
apprroximately 4 feet from thhe roof he w
was on to
anotther flat rooff at a lower llevel. He lannded on his
backk, and becauuse he was w
wearing a bacck pack leaf
blow
wer, he brokee several verrtebrae. Moost likely,
this employee w
will be out off work for seeveral
monnths.
In liight of this inncident, we w
would againn like to
urgee you to outssource any w
work involvinng a height
abovve one storyy, especially roofing workk, to a fully
insuured contracttor. Be sure the contracttor supplies
you with a curreent Certificatte of Insurannce,
incluuding Workeers’ Compennsation, befoore he is
allow
wed to do anny work at yyour facility.
H
Here is an ex
xample:
Y
You have justt received th
he report of an
a accidentann employee injured
i
his ankle.
a
Once you
y have
taaken care of the employeee’s medical needs, you
sttart to condu
uct your accid
dent investig
gation.
Y
You ask: Wh
hat happened
d?
A
Answer: Fred
d slipped wh
hile exiting th
he cab.
Y
You ask: Wh
hy did Fred slip?
s
A
Answer: He was
w facing out
o when he exited the
caab.
Y
You ask: Wh
hy was Fred facing out?
A
Answer: His hands were full.
Y
You ask: Wh
hy were his hands
h
full?
A
Answer: He was
w carrying
g the delivery
y papers and
d
a cup of coffeee.
Y
You ask: Wh
hy was he carrrying the iteems down?
A
Answer: His first stop alw
ways offers him
h a cup off
cooffee, and hee needs the delivery
d
papeers for the
deelivery.
Y
You ask: Wh
hat other alteernatives are there to
caarrying the cup
c and papeers?
A
Answer: The papers can be
b put in thee map pocket
annd retrieved at ground leevel. The cup
p can be
tuucked into th
he map pockeet, also. Or, the cup can
bee placed on the
t cab floorr to be retrieved from
grround level on
o the passenger side.
Y
You ask: Wh
hat can be do
one to elimin
nate the
reeoccurrence of this incid
dent?
7
South Boston Area Office
639 Granite Street, 4th Floor
Braintree, MA 02184
617-565-6924
Here is a list of some of the tasks that should be
outsourced to a fully insured contractor:
9 Roof cleaning 9 Roof repair 9 Ice dam repair 9 Installing/removing gutters 9 All chimney work 9 Installation/cleaning/repairing of skylights 9 Removing snow and ice from a roof 9 Cleaning of gutters above the first floor 9 Cleaning of windows above the first floor 9 Brick and mortar work above the first floor *Employers under Federal OSHA’s jurisdiction
(this is Massachusetts) must begin reporting by
January 1. Establishments in a state with a
State run OSHA program should contact their
state plan for the implementation date.
To inquire about available Loss Control
Services please contact:
If you have any questions please contact your
Loss Control Consultant.
Terry Buckhout- Regional AVP Risk Control
Manager -978-933-4143
William O'Connell - 978-933-4119
Margery Young
- 978-886-9233
Katrina Willis
- 978-289-7482
UPDATES TO OSHA’S RECORDKEEPING
RULE
Starting January 1, 2015:
All employers* must report:
•
All work‐related fatalities within 8 hours Within 24 hours, all work-related:
•
•
•
Inpatient hospitalizations Amputations Losses of an eye How to Report Incident
•
•
•
Call 1‐800‐321‐OSHA (6742) Visit http://www.osha.gov/report_online Call your nearest OSHA area office during normal business hours: North Boston Area Office
Shattuck Office Center
138 River Road, Suite 102
Andover, MA 01810
978-837-4460
Springfield Area Office
1441 Main Street, Room 550
Springfield, MA 01103-1493
413-785-0123
8