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June 24, 2024Analyzing data on workplace injuries, the National Safety Council found that workers of color face more work-related injuries and illnesses. Given that the most common injuries in general are musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs, the group released on June 10 a new report The Intersection of DEI and MSDs: Ensuring Equitable Outcomes.
"At the National Safety Council, we believe fostering diversity, equity and inclusion is not only a moral imperative but also essential for creating safer and healthier work environments for all,” said Lorraine Martin, NSC president and CEO, in a statement.
The research paper identifies workplace factors that can lead to inequitable MSD outcomes and provides solutions for mitigation.
Key findings center on:
Work organization: Shift work, long hours and part-time employee status can impact the prevalence -
May 20, 2024Isolated and at Risk: Why Lone Workers Are More Vulnerable
Lone workers are more vulnerable and less visible. That’s why safety professionals need to go the extra mile to make sure all employees, including those who work out in the field or by themselves, have a safe working environment.
In the summer of 2015, a worker died from acute methylene chloride exposure while repairing a bathtub in a public housing complex in Cleveland.
The 30-year-old was working alone at the time. His body was discovered by a resident upon returning home. This fatality could have been avoided if his employer had provided adequate protection and training, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).
"This man died tragically and needlessly," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland in a press release following the incident. "OSHA recommends alternative, less hazardous chemicals or methods be used to eliminate exposure to methylene -
May 20, 2024Warehouse Worker Protection Act Introduced in Senate
While Teamsters applaud bill, Wholesalers Distributors association opposes it.
On May 2, Senators Ed Markey (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN) and Bob Casey (D-PA) introduced The Warehouse Worker Protection Act. In the coming weeks a bipartisan House version of the bill is expected to be introduced.
This bill would become a federal standard as there are similar laws in California, New York, Washington and Minnesota.
The aim of the bill, as characterized by a release from the Teamsters, is to hold “Amazon accountable for its dangerous safety practices and abusive production quotas.”
The bill will require large warehouse employers to disclose quotas to workers, The Teamsters note that this requirement would “prevent those quotas from interfering with workers' health and safety, -
April 01, 2024Organizations globally have increased their attention on safety culture: trying to figure out what it really is and the aspects that are necessary to develop and sustain it. And while this debate continues, there appears to be almost unanimous agreement on one thing: developing a strong safety culture is a good thing for business.
The truth is there’s no ‘one size fits all’ model to develop a strong safety culture. However, it’s been observed that most organizations that achieve safety culture success do so by knowing how to:
Show leadership’s commitment to safety in the workforce
Increase employee participation and engagement in safety
Measure and accurately assess progress toward safety excellence
Let’s take a quick look at how organizations can achieve each goal, while also understanding how they can leverage technology to support -
April 01, 2024Industrial Robots Can Reduce Injuries
One standard deviation increase in robot exposure (1.34 robots per 1000 workers) reduces work-related injury rates by 1.2 injuries per 100 full-time workers.
I will admit I have a fascination with industrial robots. It stemmed from observing them in manufacturing plants across the globe. While initially they performed singular functions, today the breadth of range of motion and ability is amazing.
Watching this video the other day about how Mercedes-Benz is using a humanoid robot called Apollo (from Apptronik) lift and carry heavy boxes, put things on shelves and generally perform tasks that are not only less than ideal for people to perform, but can also lead to injuries, reinforced the positive safety aspect of robotics.
Looking for data that concludes robots in the plant can reduce injuries I found -
February 26, 2024Safety Tips for Aging Construction Workers
In 2022, 45% of construction workers were 45 and older.
As is the case for most businesses, the age of the average construction worker continues to increase as well. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics in 2022 the median age of construction and extraction occupations workers was 41.2. And 45% of construction workers were 45 and older.
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR) notes that many in this age group will continue to remain on the job due to financial pressures as well as job satisfaction.
To help companies keep this population safe, in October of 2023, the group developed a variety of resources. One of these resources, the Aging Workers Data Dashboard examines the U.S. workforce by the numbers, including the number of workers 55 and older in construction, along with the average worker -
February 26, 2024EHS Professionals are Going Beyond Compliance
"EHS&S is driving shareholder value in setting and supporting ESG goals and strategies," says Nicole Wilkinson of NAEM.
In The National Association for Environmental, Health, Safety and Sustainability (EHS&S) Management (NAEM) blog, Nicole Wilkinson, executive director of Corporate Health, Safety and Environment at CVS Health, and board member of NAEM, talks about the expanding role of the profession. “Post pandemic our profession is further elevated, and our companies rely more on us now than ever.”
She outlines some new opportunities that are evolving in the profession. Here is an excerpt of three of those.
EHS&S is driving shareholder value in setting and supporting ESG goals and strategies. Many of us have responsibilities to setting or delivering on our company’s science-based targets -
February 05, 20245 Ways to Protect Employees from Workplace Violence
The workplace is becoming an increasingly dangerous environment for employees, so it’s more important than ever to have a plan to keep them safe.
Gen Handley
Workplace violence can appear in a number of different—and harmful—ways. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), workplace violence is defined as “any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation or other threatening disruptive behavior that occurs at the work site.”
This can, of course, include physical aggression, verbal threats, verbal abuse and homicide. The National Safety Council reports that violent assaults at work resulted in 20,050 injuries and illnesses requiring days away from work in 2020 and nearly 500 fatalities in 2021.
Workplace violence can hurt and impact a -
February 05, 2024Is Skills-Based Education the Trend for 2024?
A new study, from Udemy, shows companies are embracing a skills-first approach in talent management.
Adrienne Selko
The topic of much discussion over the past few years, skills-based learning, is becoming more desirable. Both the academic world and the business world have voiced their opinions on this topic.
On the academic side a recent report from the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, which is a network of colleges and university, found that 86% of the respondents said there is a need for academic programs to build specific skills. However, only 22% said their institutions had implemented a campuswide competency-based framework.
On the business side skills are moving up on the criterion for hiring as well. In 2022, a study from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) -
February 05, 2024Safety Best Practices to Implement in the Year Ahead
To improve safety, companies need to emphasize leading indicators over lagging indicators.
Brett Brenner, Shawn Gregg
The beginning of a new year brings with it a multitude of new resolutions, new beginnings, and new changes. If we employ this mentality in our personal lives, why not also in our workplaces?
The 2024 edition of NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, brings with it new opportunities and standards, including setting general requirements for electrical safety-related work practices and establishing electrically safe work conditions. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) national emphasis programs focus on harmful conditions, behaviors, and hazards, which can bring attention to issues within your own workplace.
Both of these provide great
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