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Have You Really Trained Your Machine Operators (Jul/Aug-24)
Eye Safety & Safety Glasses (Jan/Feb-24)
Protecting Employees When Performing Machine Operations (Nov/Dec-23)
Protecting Students from Machine Hazards (Jul/Aug-23)
Electrical Safety (May/Jun-23)
Machine Guarding (Jan/Feb-23)
Have We Learned Anything About Safety Over the Last Fifty Years? (Nov/Dec-22)
OSHA Annouces 2021 Top 10 Frequently Cited Standards (Sep/Oct-22)
Have You Conducted Your Periodic Lockout & Tagout Audit? (Jan/Feb-22)
Workplace Violence (Jul/Aug-21)
Do You or Your Supervisors Really Care About Worker Safety? (May/Jun-21)
Creating A Safety Culture (Nov/Dec-20)
Before You Purchase New Machinery (Sep/Oct-20)
Do You or Your Supervisors Really Care About Worker Safety? (May/Jun-20)
OSHA Issues Interim Guidance to Help Prevent Worker Exposure to Coronavirus (COVID-19) (Mar/Apr-20)
Have You Recently Conducted Your Required Safety & Health Program Audits? (Nov/Dec-19)
Does OSHA Cite Employers Equally? (May/Jun-19)
Are You Ready For The New Year? (Mar/Apr-19)
Creating a Safety Culture Means Staying Informed (Nov/Dec-18)
Safe Lifting Techniques (Sep/Oct-18)
Are Your Machines Safe to Operate? (Jul/Aug-18)
Do You Know How Old Your Tires Really Are? (Jan/Feb-18)
Risk Assessment & Premise Liability Insurance (Nov/Dec-17)
Forklift Safety – You Can Save A Life Today (Sep/Oct-17)
Protect Your Employees from Heat Stress Related Injuries (Jul/Aug-17)
Lockout-Tagout from a Manager’s Perspective (May/Jun-17)
Do Your Employees Really Know How to Use Personal Protective Equipment? (Mar/Apr-17)
OSHA & Lockout/Tagout (Nov/Dec-16)
OSHA Increases Their Penalties Towards Employers (Jul/Aug-16)
Do You Know What Your Experience Modification Rate Is? (May/Jun-16)
Machine Safety (Sep/Oct-15)
Lockout, Tagout & Tryout – Are You in Compliance? (Jul/Aug-15)
Forklift Safety Practices (May/Jun-15)
Using the Right Power Saw to Cut Plastic Materials (Mar/Apr-15)
OSHA & Machine Safeguarding (Jan/Feb-15)
Ergonomics (Sep/Oct-14)
Respiratory Protection . . . Does Your Program Protect? (May/Jun-14)
First Aid Program (Mar/Apr-14)
Working with Composite Materials Safely and Preventing Dermatitis (Jan/Feb-14)
Preventing Winter Slips, Trips and Falls (Nov/Dec-13)
The Globally Harmonized System for Hazard Communication – Are You Ready For It? (Sep/Oct-13)
Safety & New Employee Orientation (Jul/Aug-13)
Liquefied Petroleum Gas Safety (May/Jun-13)
Posting of OSHA Notices (Jan/Feb-13)
Staying Safe This Winter (Nov/Dec-12)
Personal Protection - Storage, Maintenance and Care (Sep/Oct-12)
Machine Safeguarding (Jul/Aug-12)
Is Your Lockout & Tagout Program Working? (May/Jun-12)
Getting Familiar with OSHA (Mar/Apr-12)
Is Your Piping Systems Properly Marked? (Jan/Feb-12)
Accident Prevention, Does Your Company Have An Effective Program? (Nov/Dec-11)
Defining FR – Flame Resistant Fabrics (Jul/Aug-11)
OSHA's Flammable & Combustible Liquids (May/Jun-11)
Safety & Health Program Check-up (Jan/Feb-11)
OSHA Is My Friend (Nov/Dec-10)
OSHA Standard for Control of Hazardous Energy Sources? (Sep/Oct-10)
Lockout/Tagout Program (Jul/Aug-10)
Safe Handling of Compressed Gas Cylinders (May/Jun-10)
What You Should Know about OSHA and Plastic Working Machinery (Mar/Apr-10)
Fasten Those Forklift Seat Belts (Jan/Feb-10)
My Back Hurts (Nov/Dec-09)
Fall Protection Program (Sep/Oct-09)
Accident Prevention & Investigation (Jul/Aug-09)
OSHA & Machine Safeguarding (May/Jun-09)
Carbon Monoxide Hazards (Mar/Apr-09)
OSHA Electrical Safety and Training (Jan/Feb-09)
Free Forklift ANSI Standards (Nov/Dec-08)
Worksite Fire Emergencies (Sep/Oct-08)
Machine Safety (Jul/Aug-08)
Ladder Safety (May/Jun-08)
Is Your Company on OSHA's Hit List?
OSHA Notifies Workplaces with High Injury and Illness Rates (Mar/Apr-08)
Safety Means . . . Never Having to Say You're Sorry (Jan/Feb-08)
Flammables and Combustible Liquids (Nov/Dec-07)
Designing-In Safety NOT Retrofitting Safety (Sep/Oct-07)
Back Safety and Lifting (Jul/Aug-07)
Machine Guarding (May/Jun-07)
Your Hearing Keep it for a Lifetime (Mar/Apr-07)
Light Up the Holidays the Safe Way (Nov/Dec-06)
Would You Risk Your Employee's Life? (Sep/Oct-06)
How to Control Workers' Compensation Costs (Jul/Aug-06)
Compliance with 70E Electrical Standards (May/Jun-06)
OSHA Is on the Move (Mar/Apr-06)
Workplace Violence (Jan/Feb-06)
The Aging Workforce (Nov/Dec-05)
The Safety Paradox (Sep/Oct-05)
Machine Guarding (Jul/Aug-05)
Effective Risk Management (May/Jun-05)
Safety Is Everyone's Business (Mar/Apr-05)
New Year's Resolution Safety (Jan/Feb-05)
Safe Driving (Nov/Dec-04)
Terror In The Skies Revisited (Sep/Oct-04)
How They Got Hurt (Jul/Aug-04)
In-Plant Air Monitoring & Analysis (May/Jun-04)
Safety on the Job and Complying with the Americans With Disabilities Act (Mar/Apr-04)
Link to Article Archive (Jan/Feb-04)
A Supervisor's Duty (Nov/Dec-03)
Machine Safety – Are Your Machines Safe to Operate? (Sep/Oct-03)
Summer is Here (Jul/Aug-03)
Working Safely On Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklifts) (May/Jun-03)
Does Your Safety and Health Workplace Program Contain All of These Elements? (Mar/Apr-03)
Methylene Chloride (Jan/Feb-03)
Safety Signs & Labels - Does Your Facility Comply? (Nov/Dec-02)
Indoor Air Quality (Sep/Oct-02)
When OSHA Arrives (Jul/Aug-02)
Facts About the Occupation Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) (May/Jun-02)
Workplace Fire Safety (Mar/Apr-02)
OSHA 300 Form (Jan/Feb-02)
Preparing for Disaster (Nov/Dec-01)
How Much is a Life Worth? (Sep/Oct-01)
Material Handling Programs (Jul/Aug-01)
It's Up To You To Protect Your Skin (May/Jun-01)
When You’ve Been Handed the Responsibility for Safety (Mar/Apr-01)
A Fresh Look at Machine Safeguarding (Jan/Feb-01)
Safe Work Habits (Nov/Dec-00)
The Importance of Material Safety Data Sheets (Sep/Oct-00)
Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (Jul/Aug-00)
Lockout/Tagout Program (May/Jun-00)
OSHA Violations, Citations and Penalties for 1998 (Mar/Apr-00)
Erogonomics and Machinery Safeguarding (Jan/Feb-00)
General Machine Principles (Nov/Dec-99)
SAFETY SOLUTIONS
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SAFETY SOLUTIONS: Creating a Safety Culture Means Staying Informed

Every year, millions of U.S. workers suffer from on-the-job injuries or illnesses. For employers, these incidents not only compromise the health of their workers, but also their businesses. Establishing a strong culture of safety is critical for protecting workers, minimizing compliance risk and liability, optimizing workplace productivity, and staying competitive.

When safety mistakes are made and incidents happen, the consequences can be costly for businesses. In 2016, 3.53 million workers were injured or fell ill on the job, a Bureau of Labor Statistics report found – and workers’ compensation and emergency room visit data suggest that figure may actually be even higher. Workplace injuries and accidents that cause employees to miss six or more days of work cost U.S. employers $59.9 billion a year, according to a 2017 study, and workers spend a median eight days away from work after an incident occurs.

Whether employees work on a factory floor or in a high-rise office, hazards like falls, overexertion, chemicals, cluttered work spaces, slippery floors and even intoxicated workers can put themselves and everyone around them at risk. While the federal government has set certain workplace safety guidelines in place, it’s incumbent upon business executives to ensure that they not only comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations, but also other relevant issues and standards that impact employee well-being.

Knowledge is power

Monitoring the latest safety trends and regulatory changes is critical for executives looking to bolster their workplace health and safety efforts, as well as improve productivity and financial performance. By keeping informed of current issues, employers are better equipped to make the right decisions for their employees and their businesses. Staying on top of rapidly evolving regulations and standards is easier said than done, however.

In addition to new federal regulations, such as OSHA’s updated fall protection rules, companies need to keep up with a patchwork of state regulations as well as consensus standards. . Reporting requirements are also increasing with the advent of OSHA’s “Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses” rule, which mandates that organizations submit data on injuries and illnesses electronically. Companies with more than 250 workers and those from certain high-risk industries were required to file 2017 data by December 15, with reporting deadlines for other businesses beginning next March. Those that don’t keep up with these changes face regulatory penalties, as well as increased risk for serious safety incidents.

Turning data overload into actionable insights

For safety executives, rolling out a comprehensive safety program is just the beginning of the process, not the end goal. Ensuring that workers remain safe on the job requires constantly monitoring regulatory changes as well as workplace conditions, and making adjustments as needed. Here’s where to start.

-Perform an environmental scan. Evaluating existing programs can help businesses identify areas of strength, as well as potential gaps. Ensure equipment is in good repair, the workplace is kept clean and free of debris, and workers receive appropriate training on safety procedures, such as when and how to wear protective equipment. In addition, consider new technology or other investments that may help you improve worker safety and productivity.

-Stay on top of news and regulations. With the sheer volume of information available, businesses need a strategy to filter out the noise so they can focus on what’s truly relevant. To turn the data deluge into plain-English, usable information, consider these techniques:

--Customizable monitoring alerts based on your industry, location and other key factors can provide an instant snapshot of what needs your attention, while tracking tools help you ensure your team is meeting the latest standards.

--Curated news feeds let you monitor the pulse of current events, trends and innovation while eliminating time spent sifting through irrelevant information.

--Expert analysis on the latest safety policy and regulatory decisions gives you a practical road map for implementing changes across your own organization.

-Solicit feedback. Talking to your industry colleagues and your team about what’s working and what’s not can help you spot potential issues with your safety program before they turn serious. Spend time with trade associations and your professional network to uncover best practices, such as new safeguarding tools for machinery or effective employee training platforms. In addition, your team is your best resource for understanding what’s happening on the ground and where additional resources or training are needed.

Protecting workers on the job is a complex task, and the rapid pace of industry and regulatory change complicates matters even further. By staying informed about the latest requirements and trends, employers can boost workplace efficiency, minimize liability and ensure workers go home safely to their families every night.

For more information, contact Mark Kozeal, Director of Product Management for Bloomberg Environment, a leading source of legal, regulatory and business information for professionals. E-mail Mark at mkozeal@bloombergenvironment.com, Web: www.bloombergenvironment.com.

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