Goal: To prevent, reduce severity of workplace injuries and illnesses
June 6, 2013
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has announced the formation of the NIOSH Center for Workers’ Compensation Studies (CWCS) that will coordinate data in an effort to reduce the burdens of work-related injuries and illness on workers, their families and communities and the economy.
As regulators change their view on the relationship of worker safety to contractors and their customers, more companies are using a prospective supplier’s safety record as criteria for awarding business. Some shops have lost profitable contracts to competitors with better safety records. And that’s not all.
An OSHA inspection prompted by three workers being hospitalized for serious burns from a flash fire has resulted in $60,000 in fines against two government contractors.
Does your work involve the use of chemicals? You might think that injury to employees’ hands through exposure to chemicals is a thing of the past in workplaces. The risks are so well documented and the methods of protection so well known. But think again.
Have you ever thought about what it would be like to lose a finger? A thumb? A hand? Both hands? Your arms and hands are the tools you need to do a variety of tasks, both job-related and personal.
OSHA has determined that workers involved in a wide range of occupations are exposed to a significant risk of death or injury from being struck by various objects in the workplace.
The hand is the part of the body most often injured and these injuries are sometimes difficult to heal. Hand injuries are preventable. By identifying hazards and developing safety measures, you and your employer can prevent your hands from being among the 500,000 injured in Canada every year.
Actually, we have a pretty good idea what the 8 (or ten) top global trends and issues are in EHS. The issues are addressed in several chapters in a recent book (30+ authors): “Global Occupational Health” (Oxford University Press, 2011).
Many types of injuries can lead to compartment syndrome. Compartment syndrome is a condition in which there is swelling and an increase in pressure within a limited space (a compartment) that presses on and compromises blood vessels, nerves, and/or tendons that run through that compartment; and thus may cause death of all tissue in the compartment and other distal tissue.