We asked safety pros to rate which of 21 safety topics are most important to them. Ones involving OSHA ranked at the top of the list.
We asked our Safety News Alert readers to rank the topics on a 1-5 scale (5 = very important, 1 = not very important):
- OSHA compliance: 4.55
- PPE (protective gear): 4.33
- OSHA recordkeeping: 4.25
- Slips, trips and falls: 4.24
- Lockout/tagout: 4.18
- Forklifts: 4.10
- Safe lifting: 4.08
- Management/people skills: 4.04
- Fall protection: 3.96
- Safety management systems/injury & illness prevention programs: 3.89
- Ladders: 3.82
- Machine guarding: 3.79
- Ergonomics: 3.78
- Transportation safety: 3.70
- Noise: 3.69
- Permissible exposure limits for hazardous chemicals and substances: 3.66
- Bloodborne pathogens: 3.64
- Impact of cell phone use on workplace safety: 3.59
- Confined space: 3.51
- Workplace violence: 3.46, and
- Temporary/contract worker safety: 3.41.
We also asked safety pros a series of questions about topics ranging from workplace violence to workers’ compensation.
Q: Would you favor a system in which employers are allowed to opt out of obtaining workers’ compensation insurance?
- No: 73%
- Not sure: 18%
- Yes: 9%.
Q: Does your company have a workplace violence policy?
- Yes: 78%
- No: 15%
- I don’t know: 7%.
Q: Does your company offer safety incentives?
- No: 65%
- Yes, for a variety of metrics: 15%
- Yes, for proactive measures: 12%
- Yes, for low injury rate: 7%
- I don’t know: 1%.
Q: How would you rate your company’s safety efforts?
- We’re good, but there are several areas where we can improve: 70%
- We’re very good: 11%
- We have quite a way to go when it comes to safety: 11%
- We have one of the top safety programs possible: 8%.
Q: Does your company have a safety committee?
- Yes, it consists of managers, supervisors and workers: 69%
- No, we don’t have a safety committee: 19%
- Yes, it consists only of managers and supervisors: 12%.
Q: Do you use free videos you find online (such as on YouTube) as part of your safety training?
- Yes, every once in a while: 52%
- No: 28%
- Yes, frequently: 20%.
What do you go online for the most?
- OSHA information: 42%
- Safety training materials: 42%
- Purchase safety equipment, including safety gear (PPE): 16%.
To see other results from our survey, click here.