Jan 21, 2024 | Accident prevention, Work Injuries
Nearly half a million workers work a job which involves welding. As a result, they’re also exposed to many different types of welding hazards. Knowing what the most common hazards are can help you better know what to watch for and how to stay safe…
Welding Hazards: Helpful Precautions
Physical risks
Many of the welding hazards can result in physical injuries. For instance, the intense light and heat created by the welding process can hurt your eyes and cause burns. You may also have to get into awkward positions to perform your welds properly. Doing this for an extended period can result in muscle fatigue and even permanent injuries.
Therefore, you need to make sure you both wear the right gear and give your body a break. Things such as welding helmets, gloves, aprons, and boots can help properly protect you as you weld. You should also make sure you stop welding should you begin to feel any pain. Take a break to stretch before going back to work in order to help keep your body nice and loose.
Fumes and gases
Toxic fumes and gases are also some common welding hazards. The welding process itself does release these types of fumes and gases. Constant exposure to high levels can result in respiratory issues, problems with movement, and even cancer. As such, you need to make sure you properly limit your exposure when working.
Having proper ventilation goes a long way in helping keep these fumes and gases under control. This will ensure that there’s plenty of airflow which will keep the fumes under acceptable levels. If you are working somewhere with poor ventilation, then wearing a respirator can also work.
Electric shock
Many people don’t realize that electric shock is perhaps the most serious of the welding hazards. A sudden discharge of electricity into the body can be fatal. With how suddenly this kind of injury can occur, it’s important that they take steps to prevent this sort of situation.
In general, it’s always key to inspect any equipment before using it. This will ensure that everything is working properly and won’t give off any electricity. Any parts of the electrode holder should also be kept away from the skin and anything wet.
Jan 14, 2024 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Eye injuries are surprisingly common in the workplace. Many of these injuries tend to be avoidable if proper safety measures are taken. Being aware of eye injury causes and what you can do to protect yourself can help keep you safe at the workplace…
Eye Injuries: Causes & Protection
Common causes
Different workplaces may have different causes of eye injuries. For example, workers who do a lot of cutting or sawing will have to watch for flying bits of metal or wood. Meanwhile, workers who handle chemicals will run the risk of these chemicals potentially entering their eyes. Even light can be a risk if a worker is handling lasers or other high-intensity light sources.
These hazards can also show up in combination with each other. This further increases the chances of a worker receiving an eye injury. This is why it’s especially important for workers to take steps to protect themselves.
Remove risks before working
The best kind of protection against eye injuries is being aware of what could be a risk in the first place. It’s important to preform safety checks of your workplace before you start your work. This will not only let you spot and remove potential eye hazards, but other hazards as well.
For those risks you can’t remove, try to use some other safety options available to you. For example, many machines will come with guards or screens. These can help you still see what you’re doing, while also having an added layer of protection if things go wrong.
Eye protection
Of course, there is always eye protection. Eye protection is the most preferred and commonly recommended way of preventing eye injuries. Eye protection will let you have that full control over your work while also keeping yourself safe.
The kind of eye protection you should use depends on the work you’re doing. Safety glasses can help keep your eyes safe from flying debris. Goggles will help protect your eyes when handling chemicals. If you’re working with intense light, you’ll want to make sure your eye protection also comes with UV protection as well.
Eye injuries are something that no worker wants to deal with. That’s why it’s crucial to know what you can do to keep yourself safe. Taking those steps to protect your eyes will ensure you can do your job safely and productively. Furthermore, if you are facing this type of injury (or any type of injury), it is important to make your employer aware and properly document your condition.
Nov 27, 2023 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
As we move towards the winter months, winter workplace accidents become much more likely to happen. You might not consider how the different times of year can increase or decrease your chances of getting hurt. But, with each season comes different elements to prepare for. So, we’re here to help. Below, we’re going to make sense of some of the most common winter workplace accidents, and steps you can take as employees (and employers) to keep yourself, and others, safe from danger. As we all know, accidents do happen. However, by practicing caution and care, we can reduce the number of incidents dramatically…
Winter Workplace Accidents: Common Incidents and Prevention
Shivers and Slips
If you work outside frequently, you know how hot and cold it can get depending on the time of year. Therefore, wearing appropriate dress can keep you from overheating, getting frostbite, and receiving other weather-related traumas. In the winter months, wear gloves and thick jackets. You want to be able to brave the elements if you know you’ll be spending a lot of time amongst them. Furthermore, if you’re in a work area, make sure to wear slip resistant shoes. When there’s snow on the ground, or water, you might find that there are more areas in and outside that can be easy to slip on. So, keep your eyes peeled, and also keep your feet planted on the ground. Good traction goes a long way in doing just that.
Keeping Floors and Ground Slip Resistant
As we mentioned above, tracking in snow and water can become potentially disastrous for employees and employers. For this reason, having mats in place is essential to eliminating a few of those accidents. By placing proper mats near entry and exit ways, you encourage employees to dry off their feet before entering the workspace. In doing so, you reduce the number of potential fall spots without even making too much of an effort. Furthermore, shovel walkways and slick spots. In taking the time to clear walkways, you can protect your employees and even customers. While ice is outside of your control, a customer will often make their accident your responsibility to care for.
Allow for a bit more down time
When you’re working outside in the cold, having a moment to knock off that chill can go a long way in preventing winter workplace injuries. When the space you’re working in is unheated, take a moment. Warm those bones for a moment, and then get back to work. Making your safety a priority, or the safety of your employees, is key to preventing accidents.
Remember that accidents do, and will, happen
While we can take plenty of steps to prevent accidents, there will still be an ‘oops’ every now and then. If you, or one of your employees, faces a winter workplace accident, it’s important that you treat it with care. File a claim, see a doctor, and take the time to heal properly. Every accident is different, but the chance for a full recovery is something we all hope to see. We wish you luck in treating an injury, and offer our services if you find that you may need them.
Nov 26, 2023 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
When it comes to on-the-job injuries, you don’t have to do something physically taxing to face them. In fact, many work injuries happen right inside of the office, or cubicle. Some of the more common office injuries come in the form of back, neck, and carpal tunnel injuries. These injuries vary greatly from injuries faced when working in, say, construction or a factory. This injuries typically occur because of long hours spent at a desk, hunched over a computer, and ignoring proper techniques for avoiding pain and injury. The fact of the matter is, there’s no real training when it comes to how to sit at your desk without pain. That’s where we come in. Below, you’ll find some methods for office ergonomics that can help prevent injury, and increase productivity.
Office Ergonomics: Prevent Office Space Injuries
Your Chair
One of the first places to begin office ergonomics is with your chair. Your chair supports your spine and sets the tone for how your back and neck will operate. Therefore, you want to make sure it offers firm support. If your chair is sinking in or giving, it may not be lending enough support. In addition, you want to adjust the height so your feet can touch the floor. Also, adjust the arm rests so your arm can rest comfortably by your sides. You want to be able to use proper posture while sitting at your desk.
Your Keyboard and Mouse
The next place you’ll want to implement office ergonomics is with your keyboard and mouse. These two little devices can be the cause of neck pain, arthritis, and carpal tunnel. So, you want to make sure you’re taking the steps to prevent these injuries. Begin by placing the keyboard within easy reach. Practice keeping your arms close to your body and your wrists out straight. In addition, make sure the keyboard is at a level equal to or slightly lower than the height of your elbows. You never want to bend your arm upwards to reach your keyboard or mouse. Also, try using shortcuts to reduce the amount of typing and clicking you must do with your hands.
Your Monitor
Possibly the most important part of office ergonomics is your monitor. Looking at a computer screen can be bad for your neck and back. Try to adjust the monitor so that you are neither looking down or up. Instead, you want it to be directly at eye level. Also, make sure it’s directly behind your keyboard so your whole body is facing one direction. You don’t want to have to strain or twist to see your monitor. In addition, try to keep it about an arm’s length away so you’re not straining your eyes with it being too close or far away.
The key thing to understand is that worker’s injuries can look quite different, depending on the setting within which you work. Therefore, you’ll want to create your own safety protocols that fit the setting that you work in. By taking the time to observe potential injuries, you can create methods for intervention and prevention.
Oct 15, 2023 | Driving, Work Injuries
Ride-sharing safety has been a hot topic in the media recently due to a number of incidents surrounding people getting into the wrong vehicles. In doing so, many people have ended up in harm’s way. Now, upon calling one of these services, you get a notice: check the license plate, check your driver, and be aware of every step along the way. While rider safety is absolutely a top concern— so is driver safety. We often focus in on the customer, while ride-share service drivers are just as much at risk of facing danger…
Ride-Share Service Drivers: Safety Measures
Be aware of pickup/drop off areas
Let’s face it: there are certain areas within every city that can are more likely to be dangerous. We don’t want to classify any rider, or resident, as a good or bad person. However, some areas merely present more of a risk. You might not want to put your riders into a box, but especially when driving late at night— consider the area you’ll be going into. Your rider might not be a problem, however, knowingly putting yourself at risk is ill-advised for ride-share service drivers — and riders too.
Consider a recording device
Depending on the state you’re in, there might be certain rules and regulations to using a camera inside of your car. However, in many areas, you merely have to tell the people in your car that they’re being recorded. Having this added feature is an insurance policy for you, and your vehicle. You might discourage riders from behaving badly, breaking the law, or doing something they might have considered before seeing that they’re under careful watch. This doesn’t have to be threatening— just a security measure.
Don’t take personal calls
Aside from security measures, also consider safety measures. Many people who have used a ride-sharing service have seen their driver take a personal call or answer a message before. You have a personal life, and people to communicate with. However, understand that you have a responsibility to keeping your riders safe. Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands on the wheel. Furthermore, make your riders change their destination within the app if they choose to do so. It’s an easy, quick change for them. However, it is another distraction if you have to do it yourself.
Take a break
Lastly, as ride-share service drivers, you have the unique opportunity to make your own hours. This is an undeniable benefit. However, many drivers will also put themselves in a compromising position by driving through the night. Uber and Lyft limit their drivers in terms of how long their shift can be. However, when and how you drive— is entirely up to you. Therefore, some drivers will choose to a 12 a.m. to 6:00 a.m. shift, or something similar. While this is likely a pretty profitable shift— it’s important that you take a moment here and there to stop for food, water, coffee, and a quick stretch. You want to avoid fatigue and keep your senses sharp for the long road ahead.
Oct 9, 2023 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Most worker’s injuries that you come across are physical. A broken bone, a concussion, a bad slip… There are plenty of ways to receive an injury on the job. However, one means of injury, is illness that you contract on the job site. Just like a physical injury, workplace illness can look plenty of different ways. As many of you know, the flu has been running rampant in the Carolinas over the past few weeks. It seems like between the weather change, and kids getting back to school— most families can’t seem to catch a break.
However, what you might not realize, is that schools are not the only place where illnesses spread like wildfire. In fact, work spaces are just as common. So, what can you do? Workplace illness prevention tactics are actually quite simple, and as an employee— or employer, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your workplace sick-free.
Workplace Illness Prevention Tactics: Fighting Flu Season
Disinfect your spaces
One of the most obvious steps you can take to prevent workplace illness, is to keep your spaces clean and disinfected. You’d be amazed how many germs can make their way into your workspace throughout the day. Shuffled papers, trips to the coffee maker, door knobs… No matter where you go, it is likely that someone with sickness has also been there at some point within the day or week. While this certainly heightens the risk of contracting a workplace illness— disinfecting those high-traffic areas can make a big difference.
So, wipe down your desk, your keyboard, phone, even the communal coffee pot. Contributing the those spaces that you use, and share, goes a long way.
Don’t take flu season lightly
We all think that we’re immune to the sickness, and workplace illness, everyone else faces every year. However, many (or even most) of us find ourselves bedridden at the hands of that infamous ‘something going around’. The flu, along with those pesky colds we pass around, are highly contagious. In fact, a statistic published by the NORC stated that 41 percent of Americans have not, and will not, get a flu shot. Many claimed a lack of effectiveness, and nasty side effects which keep them from participating.
However, when you’re working in group settings— you might be risking your own, or someone else’s, chance of contracting a workplace illness.
Know your limits
We all know how important it is to not miss work. However, the importance of not going to work when you’re sick— is also essential to understand. While we appreciate that you have a strong work ethic, consider the risk of workplace illness in doing so. Many of us have the capability to do some amount of work from our homes. So, if you are sick but still have the ability to work— consider asking your boss to be put on light duty, or remote work duty, until the illness passes.
