August 8, 2011 by Fred Hosier
July 18, 2011 by Fred Hosier
If an employee requests a reasonably priced piece of equipment to improve ergonomic performance on their job, would your company easily grant it? Here’s one of those stories that should encourage such ergonomic spending.
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Tags: ergonomic, keyboard, neck pain, permanent partial disability, phone headset, Workers' comp
July 18, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Recent research shows three areas in which many companies would receive “needs-to-improve” marks for employee training. How does your safety training program stack up?
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Tags: apply training, ESI International, Safety training
June 27, 2011 by Fred Hosier
If you’ve been thinking recently that a large part of your company’s injury prevention program has been turned upside down, you’re not alone.
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Tags: American Society of Safety Engineers, Daniel Pink, David Michaels, motivating employees, safety incentives
February 28, 2011 by Fred Hosier
Some managers have success with safety training by making it extremely personal. “Imagine what would happen to your family if you weren’t around anymore.” This story from Texas shows the impact a workplace death can have on a family.
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Tags: casket, funeral, workplace death
February 24, 2011 by Fred Hosier
It really does matter how safety training is delivered to employees. New research shows the best training contains something called the “dread factor.”
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Tags: cost of safety, dread factor, hands-on training, safety research, Safety training
February 22, 2011 by Fred Hosier
In an expanded report on the causes of the massive BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, new details show failure of BP workers to speak up about a problem played a crucial part leading up to rig’s explosion.
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Tags: BP, deadlines, oil spill, team player, workers speak up about safety
February 18, 2011 by Fred Hosier
The press release said, “Feel like you’re getting old simply because you squint to see the small print on your computer screen?” Yep, that’s me, I said to myself.
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Tags: ergonomics, eyestrain, ISO, Mayo Clinic, squinting
February 7, 2011 by Fred Hosier
An employee brings a safety concern to his manager. The manager thinks the worker is being disruptive. What happens next?
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Tags: employee safety concern, leeway doctrine, whistleblower
February 4, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A new report recommends OSHA look to the European Union (EU) for a system to manage workers’ exposure to hazardous chemicals.
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Tags: European Union, hazardous chemicals, PELs, REACH
January 6, 2011 by Fred Hosier
A man suffered fatal injuries while working alone on his family farm in Herkimer, NY.
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Tags: caught in manure spreader, farm, lone workers
December 20, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Next year, a 16th state will enact regulations allowing use of medical marijuana. Even though these laws are becoming more prevalent, questions regarding users and workplace safety remain.
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Tags: Arizona, court battles, medical marijuana
November 8, 2010 by Fred Hosier
An employee participates in an indoor relay race as part of a charity event during her unpaid lunch period. She slips on a streamer and injures her knee. Does she get workers’ comp benefits?
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Tags: charity event, injured knee, work-related, Workers' comp
November 3, 2010 by Fred Hosier
It’s often unavoidable: Employees in safety-sensitive jobs have to put in long hours to meet a deadline. However, a new report suggests there are steps that can reduce the risks that fatigue will lead to injuries or even death.
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Tags: fatigue, hazard reduction, long shifts, nursing
September 27, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A deaf man applied to a mining company for a job. It didn’t hire him, and the man filed a lawsuit under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Who won?
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Tags: ADA, EEOC, mine, near-miss, reasonable accommodation
July 26, 2010 by Fred Hosier
When no one witnesses a workplace injury and the injured employee files for workers’ comp, sometimes all you have to go on is the worker’s story. The situation can become more complicated when the worker delays reporting the injury.
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Tags: back injury, credibility, no one saw injury, Workers' comp
July 21, 2010 by Fred Hosier
You can’t blame any company for being proud of its safety program — perhaps so proud that it wants to put photos about its safety program on its company website. But, as a safety pro, would you allow those photos to be altered? And what if the company we’re talking about is BP?
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Tags: BP, company website, Gulf oil spill, Photoshop, safety program
July 9, 2010 by Fred Hosier
As a safety pro, you’ve probably contemplated this question: Are minimum government regulations enough to keep my employees and/or customers safe? It’s a question that probably should be asked in connection with the sinking of a tourist-filled duck boat in Philadelphia that killed two passengers.
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Tags: duck boat crash, government regulations, keep employees safe
May 27, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Do you require employees in safety-sensitive jobs to report whether they use certain prescription medications? You may want to pass this story along to them as a reminder why it’s so important that they comply with your company’s policy.
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Tags: lower back pain, muscle relaxers, vehicle crash
May 14, 2010 by Fred Hosier
It’s a common thought among workers who choose not to use their safety gear: It’ll be OK just this one time. This story shows the consequences — this worker is very lucky to be alive today.
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Tags: grain silo, safety gear, trapped in corn silo
April 12, 2010 by Fred Hosier
Recently, we wrote about a survey that put “safety” as the No. 6 most annoying thing in the workplace. So, we asked you what is most annoying about workers when it comes to safety. Here are your answers:
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Tags: annoying worker habits, common complaints, excuses, no time for safety, we always did it that way
April 9, 2010 by Fred Hosier
A police dispatcher in the Chicago area told her supervisor that she had narcolepsy which causes people to fall asleep unexpectedly. However, medication was keeping the condition under control.
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Tags: fall asleep, narcolepsy, police dispatcher
October 18, 2009 by Fred Hosier
March 18, 2009 by Fred Hosier
In this age of Facebook and MySpace, some employers are requiring workers to sign agreements that they won’t speak out against the company in public. Does that stifle employee concerns about workplace safety?
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Tags: Facebook, MySpace, nuclear power plant
November 14, 2008 by Fred Hosier
November 7, 2008 by Fred Hosier
With a new administration coming to the White House, it’s likely companies will see some changes from OSHA. Among the possibilities: higher fines for workplace fatalities and injuries.
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Tags: fines, new administration, OSHA, President-elect Obama
October 24, 2008 by Fred Hosier
Periodically, we ask three safety pros how they’d handle a difficult situation at work. Today’s problem: An employee returns to work after medical leave, and his ability to work safely is questionable.
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Tags: injured, medical leave, return to work
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