Tidbits – 1/07/08

Your work boots may be a Hazard?
-It is a documented fact – slip/fall accidents kill more workers than all other forms of workplace accidents combined. Slip/Fall injuries is the Nation’s No.2 Killer (No.1 is automobile accidents) with medical costs exceeding $30 billion annually.
- Over 9 million people are hospitalized each year as a result of a slip or fall injury.
-This amounts to 1000 injuries per hour, every hour of the day.
-Over 11 million workdays are lost each year as a result of slip or fall accidents.
-Check the soles and heals of your boots regularly and replace boots as needed.

Here’s a tip
“Dig where the gold is…unless you just need some exercise.”-John M. Capozzi,

The Deadly Dozen
Acquaint yourself with the items listed below; these are the major causes of accidents and injury. The ranking may change from year to year, but these are some of the main things to watch for if you want to protect your people. (From our friends at USF&G Ins.)
Unsafe Actions
1.) Unauthorized use/operation of equipment.
2.) Removing, by-passing or making safety devices inoperative.
3.) Servicing moving or working equipment.
4.) Operating or working at an unsafe speed.
5.) Failure to wear the proper protective equipment.
6.) Failure to secure or tie down against unexpected movement.
7.) Using defective tools or equipment.
8.) Using tools or equipment in an unsafe manner.
9.) Standing in an unsafe place or taking an unsafe posture.
10.) Riding hazardous moving equipment.
11.) Horse-play, distracting, startling and goofing around.
12.) Failure to warn or signal as required.

Unsafe Conditions
1.) Inadequate guards or safety devices
2.) Unexpected movement hazard
3.) Poor Housekeeping
4.) Protruding object hazards
5.) Close clearance or congestion hazards
6.) Hazardous arrangement, placement, or storage
7.) Inadequate illumination
8.) Lack of an adequate warning system
9.) Fire and explosion hazards
10.) Hazardous defects of tools or equipment
11.) Hazardous atmospheric conditions
12.) Hazardous personal attire (loose clothing, long hair, jewelry, etc.)

Give it a shot
"Treat people as if they were what they should be, and you help them become what they are capable of becoming." --Johan von Goethe