Safety Tidbit 5.14 - Wildlife - An Occupational Hazard

Safety Tidbit 5.14 –Wildlife - An Occupational Hazard

Reference: https://www.safetytalkideas.com/safetytalks/wildlife-in-the-workplace/

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Drew Furman – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2020.

Among the many hazards in the workplace, wildlife often is not considered. There are multiple species of wildlife that can pose a threat to humans, all of which are unique. Depending on the location of your workplace. As with most occupational hazards, preparation through anticipation and recognition of potentially dangerous animals is vital. However, knowing how to control or respond if an encounter does occur is equally important.

The hazard of wildlife does not only include attacks and stings but the distractions from work they can cause. Animals on site can deter the focus of the task at hand and allow room for error. Depending on the task being done, any distractions such as swatting at a fly or looking at a deer could provide an opening for an accident.

Preparing for an encounter can almost eliminate the hazard before it has a chance to occur. If working in an area with insects, bug repellent, such as DEET should always be applied. Long clothing that covers the worker's arms and legs should be worn providing a barrier to prevent bites and stings. If the job site is in an area with predators, discouraging an animal encounter may be best. Workers must not approach animals and prohibited from feeding wildlife. If a worker spots an animal, the correct action would be to make noise by yelling or clapping ensuring the animal knows the worker is there and can avoid the worker.

In the event a worker is harmed on-site by an animal or insect, they must notify a supervisor or safety professional. Even something as small as a bee sting is important so the hazard can be investigated before another worker is harmed. It is impractical to prevent all wildlife encounters however, knowing beforehand what to do during and after the encounter can save time and prevent possible injuries.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 5.13 - Get Ready for Heat

Safety Tidbit 5.13 – Get Ready for Heat

Reference: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/heat-exhaustion#1

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Ryan Binkley – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2020.

With summer approaching, the weather changes and the temperature heats up bringing with it major concerns to the workplace. As SHE professionals, we know the signs and warn our workers of the signs of heat stress and fatigue in the workplace. If we, as SHE professionals, see the symptoms early, we can help prevent heat stress injuries in the workplace.

Starting off, a good plan is to get to know your workers well before any heat emergency happens. Learn how they generally act or work on a daily basis so you can see subtle changes when something is not quite right. Walking around and talking to employees is a good way to tell if a worker is fatigued or if heat is affecting them. Some signs of heat stress are confusion, dizziness, fainting, headaches, and cramps. If anyone experiences any of these symptoms, they should immediately find shade and drink fluids with electrolytes such as Gatorade, Powerade.

A good way to prevent heat illnesses from occurring is to set up hydration stations around the job site. Have coolers with water bottles readily available along with Gatorade powder they can put in the water if wanted. Alternatively, some companies bring in cooling fans or set up some kind of pavilion/ tent for their employees to sit under during their breaks to cool off. One last thing, although not typical, but that I personally have seen on a construction site is a urine color meter. While employees are using the restroom, they can compare the color of their urine to a table to see if they are dehydrated or not. The final way to reduce heat stress injuries is to enforce breaks for the employees. A lot of employees don’t take their breaks other than lunch, so encourage your employees to take their breaks to allow their bodies to cool down.

Overall, heat stress injuries have the potential to be deadly if not taken care of early. It’s not a guarantee that these suggestions will prevent any injuries, but they will help.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 5.12 - Construction's Fatal Four

Safety Tidbit 5.12 – Construction’s Fatal Four

Reference: https://www.osha.gov/data/commonstats

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Ms. Paige Graham – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2020.

OSHA's data and statistics continue to share the number of fatalities each year in all occupational settings. Out of the 1000 employees that were killed in The United States in construction in 2018, the Fatal Four, as they are known, are responsible for 591 of the deaths, totaling 1 of every 5 workers in construction are killed by one of the fatal four categories. Every year, construction continues to make up more than 20% of fatality rates in all industries. OSHA labeled Falls, Electrocution, Struck By, and Caught-In/Between as the “Fatal Four of Construction.” These hazards are responsible for almost 60% of the fatalities in construction, alone. Out of the 10 most cited OSHA standards, seven of them apply to the Fatal Four. 

By far the leader of the “Fatal Four” are falls making up 33.5 % of all fatalities in construction. Falls include tripping, falling off buildings, scaffolds, or ladders, slipping on any wet or oily substances, and more. The Fall Protection standard, the scaffold standard, and ladder standard are three of the 10 most cited standards. 

Struck-By fatalities consist of a person being hit by a powered vehicle, flying debris during a task, or from objects falling on the job site. Eleven percent (11%) of fatalities in construction fall under this Fatal Four category. 

Electrocution in construction is responsible for about 8.5 % of the fatalities and are mostly due to improperly de-energizing equipment and working on energized overhead power lines. 

Caught-in/Between include the remaining 5.5% of the fatalities in the Fatal Four. These fatalities occurred when the employee was compressed by equipment or crushed/caught in collapsed material. 

OSHA provides many useful tips and recommendations on how to prevent injuries from the Fatal Four in construction, as well as other industries. They also encourage others to help decrease the number of fatalities in construction. Although fatalities in all occupations have decreased through the years, there are still many employees losing their lives to workplace accidents that are senseless and preventable.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 5.11 - Hierarchy of Control

Safety Tidbit 5.11 – Hierarchy of Control

Reference: https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/ergonomics/controlhazards.html

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Carey Okoth – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2020.

A fundamental and globally used method of protecting employees from exposures to occupational hazards has been controlling exposures. A hierarchy of controls have been used throughout the years to determine how to use effective control solutions. Hierarchy of controls is a prevention through design kind of model which means that it includes prevention consideration in all designs that impact workers. Elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls and PPE are what makes up the hierarchy of controls. Elimination is the most effective type of control since it gets rid of the exposure/hazard while PPE is the least effective.

Elimination and substitution are the most effective at reducing hazards but are the most difficult and very costly to implement in an already existing and working process. Elimination and substitution might be simple to implement or less costly if the design is still at the early phases(development stage). Engineering controls are next in line right after elimination and substitution controls. Engineering controls mainly remove the hazard from the source before it comes into contact with the employee. Well-designed engineering controls can be highly effective in protecting workers and will be independent of worker interactions hence enhancing this level of control protection. The initial cost of installing engineering controls might be higher than PPE and administrative controls but in the long run, the operating costs tend to be lower and save the company money in different processes.

Administrative controls and PPE are the last processes in the hierarchy of controls. These controls are usually used with existing processes where hazards cannot be eliminated or engineered. Administrative controls and PPE are not expensive to install but very costly to maintain.  These controls require a lot of effort and cooperation by the employees who are using the control in order for the controls to work effectively.

Hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 5.10 - Sobering Safety

Safety Tidbit 5.10 – Sobering Safety

Reference: https://www.worksafe.qld.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/82705/understanding-safetyculture.pdf

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Ms. Veronica Heithaus – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2020.

Workers expect their employers to offer them a safe environment in which they can work. Research has shown that some workplaces are safer than others. Furthermore, it is a priority, for employers to care about their workers.

To provide workers with a safe and healthy workplace, employers must focus on safety that starts with management and leadership. Management and leadership ensure that work is carried out safely and effectively through the implementation of, safety policies, plans, programs, processes, procedures, and practices. Additionally, safety inspections offer workplaces; safety goals, safety education and, training, as well as, communications are vital.

Not surprisingly, workplace safety oftentimes encourages a sense of loyalty and devotion between the workers and the employer due to the safety promise of the management and leadership teams. The morale and drive of the workers increase when rules that defend their health are provided. Ultimately, they feel safe in the workplace, and therefore, can perform at their best.

Workplace safety is important because it prevents injuries and preserves the lives of the workers. A safe workplace is a place where the risks of injuries or property damage are low. Ultimately, workplace safety is a management/ leadership responsibility. Businesses that have implemented effective health and safety programs desire safer workplaces, but also, they achieve several other things:

1.     lower costs,

2.     improved employee relations and even higher trust

3.     improved efficiency and customer relations.

It is particularly important that all employers provide safe and healthy conditions in which their employees can work effectively without little risk to health. Also, employers and workers should remember that reflection, learning, and experience are the keys to recognizing potential safety hazards in the workplace. 

Hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 5.09 - Fault Tree Analysis

Safety Tidbit 5.09 – Fault Tree Analysis

References:                 Fault Tree Analysis https://www.smartdraw.com/fault-tree/

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Chris Howell – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2020.

Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) was elaborated by engineers to improve the system safety of missiles. The reasoning for the development of the FTA was because most accidents result from failures inside of a system. There are four parts to a network, including equipment, material, people, and environmental factors. A negative occurrence could result in a near miss. A near miss is an accident that could happen, and that could result in damage to property, equipment, the environment, or personal injury.

There is a connection between the components of a system. If one of the parts fails, the whole system fails. Analytical trees use pictures to represent an event then following deductive reasoning in a top/down approach.

There are six basic symbols for an FTA and described in the table below:

FTA diagrams are not a function of the block or symbols. An FTA diagram is a function of the event. The event is what controls what the shape will be.

I hope this was helpful and thank you for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.