May 1, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
There are many different positions in the workforce which might lead to your requiring the use of scaffolding. Maybe you work in construction, architecture, window cleaning, or even painting. Whatever the profession, it’s important that scaffolding safety be used every step of the way. From construction, to removal, and everything in between— there is a danger to this workplace necessity. However, there are plenty of ways that you can combat it.
Scaffolding Safety: Avoiding Unnecessary Injury
It starts with construction…
As with anything safety-related, there should be a seasoned professional in charge of constructing the scaffolding you’ll be using for any job. When scaffolding isn’t built correctly, it might not be stable enough to hold there necessary weight, and you run the risk of a dangerous, or even deadly, collapse. Hire someone qualified to do the work, and remember to do your own research.
While you want a qualified person in the driver’s seat— you should be prepared to ask a few questions: what footing will you use? Are the planks strong enough to support the necessary weight? And lastly, will there be the necessary support wires and ropes to support heavy loads attached to the scaffolding? While a seasoned professional will obviously have all of these supplies and questions at the ready— you never can be too sure.
Workplace safety
Just as you want qualified professionals building the scaffolding, you also want professionals using them. Scaffolding is often a bit wobbly, regardless of sound construction. Furthermore, it can also be quite tight in terms of work space. Slip and fall injuries are a common risk associated with scaffolding, and that’s where safety comes in.
Avoid slipping hazards
Keep your scaffolding clear of obstructions and hazards, such as rain, ice, or slippery materials— such as paint. Furthermore, keep your tripping hazards in place, such as your tools. Work only under safe conditions. No high winds, no rain, and no distractions.
Safety equipment
Lastly, make sure you’re using the proper safety equipment when working on the scaffolding. From non-slip shoes, to safety harnesses, hard hats, — safety is the number one priority in any and all work environments.
Apr 19, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
We mention it all the time, there are inherent risks in every profession. Furthermore, there are unique safety measures that need to be taken. However, today, we’re going to look at one profession in particular that comes with a unique set of risks… teaching. Teaching injuries can be brought on by a number of different circumstances. From unhealthy students, to slips and falls, a fight in the classroom, and even violent school invasions. In short, anything can happen. Therefore, you have to be prepared for what may come when you step into your classroom.
Teaching Injuries: Unexpected Classroom Accidents
Exposure to toxic materials
You might not think so, but a classroom can be quite the dangerous place. Take, for example, working in an old building. You know that your school building has been there since the ‘70s. Not to mention, you know that it has a certain smell. However, what you might not realize is that the strange smell is pointing to a bigger issue— mold. Toxic exposure in the classroom is not highly common. But, it can happen from time to time in a poorly maintained building. So, if you find yourself stationed in a classroom that has you worrying, ask an administrator to hire an inspector. Don’t add ‘treating teaching injuries’ to your long list of things to get accomplished.
Acts of violence
When you sign on to become a teacher, you have to acknowledge the inherent risk that comes along with it: acts of violence. According to the CDC, nearly 24% of students reported being in a physical fight on school property one or more times during a school year. Furthermore, the risk of school shootings is present now more than ever. Students getting into fights doesn’t always lead to teaching injuries. But, you are handling a dangerous task: breaking up the fight. Furthermore, school shootings are inherently rare— although we’ve seen more of them recently than in past years. However, if that time comes, you and your students are at risk of serious injury.
Work-induced stress
As a teacher, you have many roles to fall into on a daily basis. You are an educator, mentor, role model, babysitter, therapist, nurse, security guard, and a figurehead. You have to take on mental health in your students, make sure they have the resources they need, make sure they’re learning, and also watch for signs of abuse, hunger, neglect, and the like. In short, a teacher has the responsibility of 10-30 kids on a daily basis. You are a caretaker, and an educator. That is no small feat. Therefore, among all teaching injuries, work-induced stress is the most common one out there. You often face overcrowded classrooms, underfunded materials, a lack of support on part of administrators, and frustrated kids.
Teaching is not easy
In short, there’s nothing easy about being a teacher. From the beginning of your day, to the very end— you take on a number of different roles, all of which can be extremely stressful. Teaching injuries can be physical, mental, or emotional— and each one is quite difficult to face. We commend our educators, and encourage them to take a moment here and there for themselves.
Apr 16, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Accidents are bound to happen in the workplace. However, if there is anything we can do as managers, business owners, or shift leaders— it is to reduce those incidents. Ultimately, accident prevention begins with workplace safety, and accountability. So, what can we do to encourage these things amongst our employees?
Accountability in Workplace Safety: Avoiding Injuries
Start with proper training
The most important step in inspiring accountability in your employees is to give them the tools to do so beforehand. When you bring on new hires, make sure they are receiving proper workplace safety training. Furthermore, use it as an opportunity to refresh your current employees on what it means to be safe.
Ask for their opinion
No one knows what’s happening on the floor better than the people who spend their day-to-day lives there. So, ask for their help in deciding what safety protocols are necessary, unnecessary, and also what might be missing in terms of safety protocol. When they have a hand in implementing changes, they will feel more accountable in terms of honoring them. Every employee needs to feel valued in order to value their work. So, use your employee’s point of view as a means of giving them that feeling, and also as a means of bettering the workplace. By doing so, you’ll improve your employee’s accountability.
Don’t call one person out for doing something wrong, as this can hinder accountability and alienate your employees. Chances are if one person is using the poor protocol— they aren’t the only one. Use these instances of poor performance as a means of addressing the whole group. Don’t call one person out for handling boxes poorly. Instead, host a meeting where you review what is going wrong— and urge your employees to self-correct. Start here, and move forward as necessary in terms of addressing the issue.
Incentivize proper protocol and milestones
Let’s face it: we care about our employees and want them to be healthy and safe. However, we can’t deny the appeal of meeting a safety milestone. 90 days accident-free means healthy employees and fewer costly claims. So, every 90 days without an accident— consider hosting a breakfast, a happy hour, or letting everyone head home an hour early for the day. There are small ways to encourage accountability in your employees, and giving them something to look forward to is a great way to do that.
Apr 12, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
Being a welder is dangerous work. You’re dealing with high heat, heavy light exposure, radiation, fumes, and melted metal. In short, being a welder comes with quite a few different risks. However, injury prevention begins with acknowledging what those injuries are. that way, you can attempt to beat them before they happen. So, what are a few common welding injuries?
Common Welding Injuries: Acknowledging Risks
Burns
As we mentioned above, you’re dealing with some pretty high-heat materials. From the torch you’re using to weld the metal, to the metal itself, flare-ups, torch lighting, and flammable materials. Every aspect of welding is dangerous, and that’s why it’s so important to use the proper gear.
Eye Injuries
Using goggles and a welding hood is extremely important to protect your eyes from debris, and also from light. A welder’s hood dims the light and filters it to make sure your eyes are not exposed to the bright light that surrounds whatever you’re welding. Furthermore, using these pieces of equipment will help you avoid damage caused by flying items and debris that come off of what you’re welding.
Welder’s flash is an injury caused by the UV and Infrared light that comes from the welding arc. Think of UV light as a sunburn for your eyes. It’s not something you notice right away. However, with time, that light exposure will lead to scorched retinas and even cataracts.
Hearing problems
Excessive noise in the workshop has the potential to cause hearing loss and damages. The rule of thumb is if you can’t hear the person next to you, you’re at risk for hearing-related issues. So, consider purchasing some noise filtering earplugs, or headphones. Furthermore, consider wearing earplugs, using sound barriers, and having a hearing test every now and then. While you might not think about it too often— welding injuries come in all shapes and sizes.
Acknowledging dangers
The first step to preventing injury is knowing what a common injury looks like in your work field. As for welding injuries, we now know that the effects can be quite serious. From burns to hearing loss— the important thing to remember is that there are ways to minimize danger and risk.
Mar 27, 2019 | Personal Injury, Work Injuries
Accidents come out of nowhere. One minute you’re working, or having fun with friends, and the next— you’re in pain. When recovering from an injury, healing is your number one priority. Therefore, a post-accident pain journal can be a consideration for documenting your injury, recovery, and any details surrounding your injury that might benefit your claim in the future.
Post-Accident Pain Journal: You Should Use One
What is it?
A post-accident pain journal is an informal record of your pain levels after an accident. It can be on the notes app on your phone or in a small notebook. Anything that’s easy for you to access when you have an onset of pain. There are also mobile apps and printable templates for you to use to journal.
What should I journal?
Anything regarding your health after an accident should ideally be journaled. Doctors visits, prescriptions and medications, and other symptoms should be logged in your post-accident pain journal. Anytime you have an ache or a strain from an injury you got during the accident, put it in there!
Who’s going to read it?
Keep in mind, a lot of people may be reviewing this. Your insurance company, doctors, and lawyers may all ask to see it. Also, your post-accident pain journal might also appear in court if necessary. Keep a neat, but detailed, log of your pain.
Why is it important?
You might have had a severe accident that you swear you’ll never forget. Or, it might’ve been on the smaller side with “not many details”. Either way, you need a post-accident pain journal. All the small details, even the ones you think might not matter, need to be included. Plus, it’s always better to have too much information than not enough!
Anything else?
Additionally, you should include conversations you have with anyone involved in the accident. After the accident, make a note of the officers you had contact with and the other involved parties, if applicable. Keep this handy, along with any other conversations you have regarding the accident. This could be with potential law representation or insurance companies. Keeping track of names, dates, and times will also be helpful in your post-accident pain journal. While these might not be pain related, they are details that are relevant to your case.
Mar 22, 2019 | Work Injuries, Workers' Compensation
There are risks in every field of work. From construction worker injuries, to office injuries, and kitchen injuries— there are dangers to watch for, no matter how safe your job seems. When it comes to a restaurant in particular, there are quite a few different injuries you can sustain on a daily basis. Furthermore, from front to back of house— there are certain rules we can all follow to make sure we clock in, and out, without a hitch…
Kitchen Injuries: Clocking in and Out Safely
Cuts
Peeling, Mincing, Chopping, Dicing…. Prep work in the kitchen is a combination of all three, and it happens every single day. Most kitchen employees will take a turn behind the prep table, and spend a few hours getting the kitchen ready for a high volume shift. While it is protocol to be alert, wear gloves, and perform the job with accuracy— after cutting your 150th tomato, it can be easy to fall into a glazed over, robotic mode. While this is absolutely understandable, it is also the exact time when kitchen injuries can occur. Kitchen injuries can occur at any time, but when you’re feeling careless— the risk is much higher.
Burns
You’re working with a hot cooktop, burners, a fryer, and hot pans. All in all, you have every opportunity in the world to face injury. Especially when the kitchen gets a rush, you might have two fryer baskets, three pans, and the oven going on full blast. You’re scrambling; preparing four orders at once, and you grab the sheet pan out of the oven without a glove. In short, burns are some of the most common kitchen injuries for every chef. In fact, if you ask every chef you know— they’ll happily show off their kitchen burns with pride. Or, if they’re a baker— their caramel burn. Every chef has a burn scar, and most of them could have been easily prevented.
Slips and Falls
A kitchen is a dangerous place to be for any number of reasons— that’s why there is a uniform that is meant to be adhered to. From gloves, to hats, to chef’s coats, and non-slip shoes… Every piece of the uniform serves a purpose behind the line, even if it’s just keeping your clothes clean. Most importantly of all, besides gloves, is that set of non-slip shoes. A kitchen floor is covered in food, grime, grease, and spills of all kinds. Therefore, it can be way too easy to fall victim to kitchen injuries, such as a fall. But, that’s where those non-slip shoes come in…
