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robintek

Jun 01
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FIVE TIPS TO KEEP YOUR MOST PRECIOUS CARGO SAFE ON A SUMMER ROAD TRIP

By Personal Perspective

As the warmer summer months arrive, many families blow the dust off their suitcases and hit the road for a much-needed vacation. Of course, you should go through the normal checklist for your vehicle, such as checking your oil levels and air in your tires. But, for those traveling with babies and children, there might be some additional precautions to take before heading out on vacation.

Most parents are accustomed to the usual disturbances and distractions caused by children crying, spilling snacks, and fighting with their siblings in the backseat. Such incidents might be unavoidable, especially during lengthy road trips that test a child’s ability to sit still. However, there are a few tips to help you keep your focus on the road and ensure your family safely arrives at the destination. Add the following to your pre-takeoff checklist:

  1. Check all child seats in the vehicle. Even if you feel certain that your child’s safety or booster seat has been properly installed, double check it. You might have unknowingly made a mistake during the installation or after quickly moving it from one vehicle to another. According to the National Safety Belt Coalition, incorrectly installed car seats and misuse are responsible for the serious injuries and deaths of children in car accidents every day. You might even consider taking your vehicle to an expert that can show you the correct way to use and install a booster or child safety seat. You can find a listing of certified child passenger safety technicians in your area at the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s (NHTSA) website.
  2. Invest in a child safety mirror. Such mirrors have become popular with parents who find themselves frequently traveling with their children. Most of these special mirrors are inexpensive. They are also easy to install; you just attach it to your rear view mirror. Now, you can occasionally see what your children are doing in the backseat without actually turning around and taking your eyes off the road. Your children will be less likely to get into mischief when they see that your mirror is essentially like having eyes in the back of your head. For smaller children and infants in rear-facing car seats, you can use an infant mirror that attaches to the back seat’s headrest or rear window. It will be positioned so that you can see the baby when you look into your rear view mirror. Plus, your baby might be less fussy along the trip if he’s preoccupied with the entertainment of his/her own reflection.
  3. Get some road trip entertainment for the kids. Any parent knows that a bored child is typically much more likely to act up and get into trouble. This is a distraction that can be alleviated by packing your kids some new, fun activities to keep them entertained and out of trouble. Think about what your child might enjoy – books, games, puzzles, coloring books, a travel diary, movies, video games, and so forth. If your vehicle doesn’t have a DVD player, you might consider purchasing a portable one.
  4. Give the kids frequent breaks. Whether it’s a restaurant, rest stop, park, or even a local attraction, try to stop every two or three hours for a break. Pit stops might extend your overall travel time, but letting your kids burn off some energy and stretch their legs will be well worth it during long road trips.
  5. Reassess your insurance needs and coverage. About two weeks before your travel date, assess your auto insurance policy to make sure it’s congruent with your needs and offers sufficient financial protection. Most parents, especially new ones, don’t think about reviewing their auto insurance plan before they head out on vacation with a child in the backseat. However, raising a child is a huge financial responsibility that could prompt an increase to property damage or liability coverage.
Jun 01
Love0

A WELL-DESIGNED RETURN-TO-WORK PROGRAM HELPS YOUR EMPLOYEES FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO WORK

By Business Protection Bulletin

Return-to-work programs are designed specifically to assist employees on disability in making a gradual return to work. Instead of assigning an employee a job with established tasks, which is done commonly when an employee is transitioning back to their routine job after a temporary medical restriction, return-to-work programs should include a variety of temporary and transitional work assignments that are flexible and take the needs of the employee’s temporary medical restriction into account.

Keep the following points in mind as you design your return-to-work program assignments:

  1. Your policy book should include a section on transitional work assignments. Make sure that it is clear and concise in explaining that transitional work assignments are mandatory and what the consequences will be for refusing to take an appropriate transitional assignment.
  2. Ask your supervisors to compose a list of tasks that could be assigned and performed by a transitioning employee, especially looking at tasks that have been delayed due to a lack of time or manpower. Jobs that are currently being outsourced can also make ideal assignments.
  3. Make sure that assignments are congruent with the employee’s Work Status Report. This report is completed by the employee’s physician and will help you determine what transitional assignments the worker will physically be able to complete.
  4. Contact the employee’s physician to let him/her know you have a return-to-work program. This initial contact is also the perfect time to ask the physician for recommendations on what types of transitional assignments would be appropriate for the employee’s specific temporary medical restriction.
  5. Supervisors should also be aware of all medical restrictions a transitioning employee has and understand that any assigned tasks must be within those restrictions.
  6. Work with the employee, their treating physician, and their supervisor to establish the transitional assignment’s start and end dates prior to the employee returning to work.
  7. The specifics of temporary assignments should be documented, including the physical requirements for the assignment, the location from which the employee will be completing the assignment, and the schedule for the assignment. The document should also include a statement that any necessary training will be employer-provided. After you get the employee to sign and date the completed document, you can provide them with a copy and place the original in your personnel files.
  8. The employee’s regular wage or salary shouldn’t be reduced during the temporary assignment, as this could impact indemnity payments and leave the employee with a negative attitude.
  9. Avoid providing work just to keep the worker busy, as this could leave the employee feeling degraded.
  10. Avoid modifying regular company rules on tardiness; time-off requests, even for medical appointments; attendance; and so forth.
  11. Do monitor your employee’s progress and make routine follow-ups with their physician.
  12. Transitional assignments should never continue indefinitely for any employee, especially once an employee has been released back to regular duty by their physician. Look at non-medical issues that may be behind any delay in an employee being able to return to their permanent job within the time their doctor recommended.

When a return-to-work program is properly designed, it can help you retain your valued employees and help them continue to earn a living. Even though an employee with a medical restriction probably won’t be functioning at their full potential, they can still make valuable contributions to your business.

Jun 01
Love0

GET YOUR DUCKS IN A ROW BEFORE, DURING, AND AFTER A PREMIUM AUDIT

By Business Protection Bulletin

It might be hard to fathom any type of audit being beneficial, but premium audits are actually just as important to you as they are to your insurance carrier. When you were first issued your policy, the carrier looked at the estimated sales figures or payroll data that you provided to them. They calculated your premiums based on this information. Now that you have real numbers under your belt and an actual experience, the information can be reassessed to determine the correct premium amount.

Depending on how your business operates and the size of your policy, there are several different methods your insurance carrier can use to conduct your premium audit, including:

  1. Mail – your carrier will mail you an audit form and the instructions to complete the form. Once completed, you will return the form by mail to your carrier.
  2. Phone – your carrier will hire an independent audit company to conduct your audit over the phone.
  3. Physical – your carrier will usually conduct the audit at your business, but it could be conducted at an alternative location, such as your certified public accountant (CPA’s) office.

Regardless of the method, the audit will typically include your disbursements and payroll journals, ledgers, tax and Social Security reports, state unemployment forms, and other accounting records being inspected. As you can see, an enormous amount of data will be inspected. You can use the following tips to help you prepare for your audit, help it run smoothly, and end positively.

Before the Audit

  • You should try to get an idea of what the auditor will be reviewing by looking at the auditor’s work sheets and past audit billing statements.
  • Determine which of your employees would be best suited to work with the auditor. Look for someone that’s both knowledgeable about the accounting records that will be used in the audit and about what work is done by various employees and departments.
  • Assemble all the accounting records that will be used during the audit.
  • Ensure that you have certificates of insurance on hand for all subcontractors you’ve used. Don’t forget to make sure that your documentation shows all the contractors have their own general liability insurance and workers’ compensation.
  • Check that your payroll documents include a breakdown of wages according to class code, department, and employee.

The Day of the Audit

  • To make sure you have all the applicable records easily available to the auditor, you might request the audit be conducted at your business.
  • Don’t be afraid to ask the auditor to explain any points that aren’t perfectly clear to you.
  • Request a hard copy of what the auditor finds.

After the Audit

  • Carefully assess the audit billing statement, comparing it to your original policy.
  • Don’t agree to pay any additional premium dollars until after you’ve made a list of all changes and discussed any problematic areas with the auditor.
Jun 01
Love0

DON’T LET TERMINATING AN EMPLOYEE GET YOU IN HOT WATER

By Business Protection Bulletin

All too many employers find themselves enmeshed in complex and costly litigation because they’ve made simple, avoidable errors while terminating one of their employees. Even if you’ve done everything by the book, there will never be a guaranteed way to avoid such lawsuits.

That said, making sure that you do everything properly and avoid some simple mistakes can drastically increase your chances of winning any resulting lawsuit. Don’t let these common termination mistakes get you in hot water:

1. Not Documenting Sufficiently. The basis you use to terminate an employee could appear superficial or groundless if you don’t have adequate documentation along the road to their termination. All problems with an employee’s performance, attendance, and so forth should be documented, including any details and supportive evidence. Regarding misconduct issues, the documentation process on the alleged incident should be accompanied by an unbiased, comprehensive investigation.

When disciplinary actions are necessary, the enforcer should compose a description of the incident, including what disciplinary actions are being taken. With a witness present, the employee should be asked to sign the paperwork. Should he/she refuse to sign it, this refusal should be noted on the paperwork.

Place your documentation in chronological order to show a clear pattern and solid foundation for terminating an employee.

2. Not Ensuring Performance Evaluations Are Accurate. Supervisors must be taught and encouraged to be fair, honest, and accurate during performance evaluations. Many wrongful termination lawsuits have been based around performance evaluations. Performance evaluations that aren’t congruent with all the other indicators of an employee’s performance are often the result of superiors giving unmerited positive appraisals to avoid confrontation. When an employee has appraisals stating their performance was adequate, but are then terminated by their employer for alleged poor performance, it can spur them to consider litigation.

3. Not Spelling Out Human Resource Procedures and Policies. All terminations should be in accordance with state and federal laws. It’s vital that your termination procedures and polices give those with the power to terminate adequate guidance and direction on complying with such laws.

Having an employee handbook that concisely and adequately describes performance and misconduct issues and consequences will also add to your credibility during litigation.

4. Not Giving an Employee Notice of Termination. Not all states require an employer to give notice of termination to an employee. However, most legal experts advise it anyway for a number of reasons. For example, giving notice can help keep an incensed employee from redirecting the reason for their termination to other non-related issues, such as discrimination.

Remember that the burden of proving an employee should have known that their actions would cause their termination is on you, the employer, if you opt not to provide employees with notice of termination. Such a situation can easily be avoided by providing an employee with a notice that clearly states a repeat of the infraction, or even an alike infraction, will result in their termination.

5. Not Providing Just Cause. An at-will employee can be terminated at any time. However, don’t assume that you can terminate any employee you wish for any reason you wish and be protected by your state’s at-will employment. The majority of your employees will likely fall under one of the protected classes, such as sex, age, race, disability, or religion. Therefore, it’s best to base all terminations on a just cause, meaning the reasoning behind the decision to terminate was based on legitimate proof or fact.

Jun 01
Love0

DON’T LET CONSTRUCTION DEFECTS CREATE UNNECESSARY LIABILITIES

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

In any industry, there will always be certain costs associated with doing business. However, construction firms should never consider construction deficits as part of these unavoidable costs. Construction deficits are an ever-growing problem in the construction industry, but are definitely not unsolvable. No problem can be solved without understanding why it’s occurring in the first place. Here are three of the main contributing factors:

1. Poor Site Selection. Many contractors, especially those in urban areas, have witnessed rapid growth spurts claim the majority of the highly-desirable sites. This leaves contractors choosing from what’s left and possibly choosing sites that aren’t exactly optimal for the construction.

2. Poor Soil Analysis. An adequate soil analysis should include collecting and testing soil samples for the presence of sinkholes, the presence of sand, and the degree of compaction. The overall purpose of soil analysis of a site is to make sure that the soil present will be able to support and bear the load of the expected construction project. Construction firms not doing such verifications are leaving themselves wide open for a number of legal issues.

3. Defects. Structural and material defects are also major contributors to deficits. For example, an improperly set foundation can result in the weight of the building not being supported correctly and can make the walls more likely to crack. A firm might also find trouble when they cut corners on materials, as this can lead to faulty construction.

The above three factors are the basis for construction lawsuits alleging negligence. The legal definition of negligence is a failure to use reasonable care or meet the recognized standard of care. To a construction firm, the reasonable care is in building a structure at the performance level expected of this type of work by the community and doing so in a professional manner. This doesn’t mean that a construction firm must warranty or guarantee that a construction project will be exactly perfect, but it does mean that a contractor must take the appropriate steps to ensure the absence of defects.

Taking reasonable care to ensure against defects sounds straightforward. However, contractors often find that the pressure to get a job done faster and cheaper leaves them in a vulnerable position as they might try to meet these goals by cutting corners, skipping vital checks, using cheaper and inferior materials, or using cheaper contractors with a questionable work ethic or history of inferior work.

Even if a General Contractors Liability policy is in place, contractors shouldn’t dismiss the seriousness of negligent claims. Depending on the particular project, a contractor proven negligent could face serious financial repercussions. Yes, the liability policy will cover physical damage to the property and any resulting loss of function, but insurers are minimizing their risk by adding exclusions for areas like mold damage, multi-layered wall systems, earth movement, and so on. Another problem is the delay between when the defect occurs and the resulting injury/damage, which leads insurers to question coverage. A liability policy written on a claims made basis will not provide coverage unless the claim is reported or made during the set policy period.

To counteract the above risks, contractors should set their standards and make sure that everyone involved with the project understands and agrees to the standards before ever starting a job. A quality control system should be used throughout the project to continuously monitor and inspect every aspect of the project – from whether or not standards are being met and fines for such deliberate failures -to- finding and correcting defects in a timely manner. Remember, defects should be handled as soon as possible and not be put off until they become a lawsuit. Contractors without a quality control system in place don’t have any reliable way to regulate exactly how workers are performing on the site. From a legal standpoint, showing that a formal quality control system was in place is also very beneficial if a lawsuit should happen to occur.

Jun 01
Love0

PLAN AHEAD FOR THAT CONSTRUCTION CRISIS

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Weather forecasters say a hurricane is coming that will threaten the half-completed multi-million dollar industrial building a contractor is erecting. After completion of a new 20-story hotel, the media reports that executives for the general contractor rigged bids so that subcontractors in which they had financial interests got the jobs. A scaffold collapses with five men on it, killing one and severely injuring the others. These are all examples of crises that could strike a construction business. If not managed properly, a crisis can cause a firm great damage and even put it out of business.

Good crisis management involves six stages:

  1. Defining what a crisis is for the contractor. It could be a catastrophic injury, a loss of financing for a project, a major fire, the loss of a key employee, the failure of a vendor in the supply chain, or a strike. Whatever form it takes, it is an event that can cause significant harm for the contractor.
  2. Assuming that a crisis will occur and anticipating it. Managers look at worst-case scenarios and predict how likely they are to occur. They can then take steps to prevent them from happening. These steps might include safety measures, arranging for backup suppliers, protecting the structure against the elements, and financial controls.
  3. Recognizing a crisis as it is occurring. If managers have planned for the possibility of crises during the previous phase, they will be more apt to spot them when they happen. Since a number of people with different roles in the project might be able to identify things that are going wrong, managers should seek updates from a variety of participants.
  4. Managing the crisis. The key to crisis management is advance planning. A sound plan will include: Who will participate in managing the crisis and what their responsibilities will be? How individuals will communicate with each other and how the contractor will communicate with others, such as customers, vendors, regulators and the media. The resources that will be available to confront the crisis. What the organization will do to get back to its normal operating state.
  5. Resolving the crisis. This involves implementing the plan, gathering information about the situation, analyzing it, weighing options, choosing one or more options and putting them into effect. Managers and other leaders must effectively deal with the emotions involved, including confusion, fear, anxiety and frustration. Because crisis situations evolve rapidly, leaders will have to make quick decisions and be ready to change course if need be.
  6. Learning from the crisis. After the situation has reached a resolution, the participants reflect on what they learned during the crisis, what worked and what the firm should do differently the next time it faces an emergency. Questions they should ask include:

How effective was the pre-crisis planning? Did it anticipate the problems actually faced or was the firm left unprepared? Were there sufficient financial, material and human resources to handle the crisis? How effective was the communications process? Did team members get the information they needed when they needed it? Did the firm keep other organizations and entities fully informed? How can the process be improved? Were the decisions made the right ones? If not, why not? What can the contractor do next time to improve decision-making?

Check with one of our insurance agents to see if your insurance companies have consultants available to help put together a crisis plan. Because a solid plan will help limit the size of an insured loss, companies are usually eager to help. With preparation, you can survive and even thrive after a crisis.

Jun 01
Love0

CONTRACTORS POLLUTION LIABILITY INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT ARE VITAL TO PROTECT AGAINST ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE

By Construction Insurance Bulletin

Pollution and environmental exposure risks on site and during transfer and disposal, such as toxic mold, the disposal of contaminated soil, and broken pipelines releasing toxic materials, are major construction concerns. When such incidents happen, a contractor’s reputation and livelihood can be irreversibly impacted.

Contractors Pollution Liability (CPL) is a type of insurance designed to protect contractors against the liability issues and financial losses that result from such environmental incidents. This insurance covers an array of environmental and pollution risks that are common to construction projects and is considered an appropriate coverage whether a firm is a trade contractor, such as those specializing in paving or HVAC; a general contractor; remediation contractor; or a contractor doing specialized work, such as tank installation or drilling. Contractors Pollution Liability insurance is available to cover areas like pollution incidences that result in bodily injury, third-party property damage, or remediation costs. Comprehensive policies can even be customized to provide pollution risk coverage to an entire project, which would include off-site transportation and all contractors involved in the project. Most Contractors Pollution Liability policies are written on a claims-made basis. This basis limits the insurer’s risk for unknown future liabilities since it means the policy only pays claims occurring and being filed during the period covered by the policy.

Clearly, Contractors Pollution Liability insurance can provide invaluable protection against environmental-related financial losses. That said, such a policy doesn’t prevent environmental incidents from occurring in the first place. To help prevent environmental incidences and protect hard-earned reputations, contractors should additionally adopt effective environmental risk management practices.

Creating an environmental risk profile will be one of the most important factors when taking steps toward risk management. This allows the firm to identify possible loss exposures and risk areas by thoroughly reviewing their administrative control documents. While some firms opt to conduct the profile in-house, many prefer the expertise and outsider’s perspective offered by a professional environmental consultant. In any event, documents related to the following areas should be reviewed during the development of an environmental risk profile:

  • Contractors Pollution Liability policies
  • Standard client agreements
  • All mold prevention programs
  • All environmental management programs
  • Subcontractor’s environmental/mold management/prevention systems
  • Language of subcontractor agreements
  • Environmental data searches of job sites
  • Hazard communication programs
  • Quality assurance programs
  • Internal health and safety programs, incident response protocols, and training protocols
  • Trends, history, corrective measures, and employee communications related to environmental losses
  • Environmental assessments for all leased and owned properties

Once the above documentation is assessed, the firm can identify strategies to reduce, if not eliminate, their exposures to environmental risks. Combining risk management with a Contractors Pollution Liability policy can help contractors reduce their risk, but still be covered in case the unexpected happens.

Jun 01
Love0

PREVENT COMMON FIRST AID MISTAKES BY TAKING A FIRST AID COURSE TODAY

By Workplace Safety

Learning first aid is something touted by everyone from safety experts to nurses and doctors as being of the utmost importance. Many of us say we will do it later or wonder how important it could really be to learn something as seemingly simple as first aid. However, knowing how to properly administer first aid to an injured individual can decrease the severity of their injuries and even potentially save their life.

A small cut, burn, bump to the head, or other minor injury might seem like a trivial event, but even the most minor injury can turn into a serious medical problem without the appropriate first aid measures. For example, a small cut can become infected, fester, and become very painful unless properly attended. Such injuries can even cause the person to miss work, which causes both employer and employee to lose valuable money and time.

Although usually done with the best intentions, individuals that haven’t received first aid training often make multiple mistakes as they try to help someone with an injury. Such mistakes can make the injury worse or even have deadly consequences for the injured person. Let’s look at some of the most commonly offered bad advice and mistakes made by those untrained to deliver first aid:

1. Tilt your head back to stop your nose bleed. A person with a bleeding nose should never lean or tilt their head back, as this can cause the blood to run into their throat and potentially cause them to choke on their own blood. Instead, the person should take a seated position, lean forward, and pinch their nose just underneath the sides of the nasal bone. This position should be held for five to ten minutes. The person shouldn’t blow or pick at their nose and they shouldn’t bend over for several hours after the nose bleed subsides. Nosebleeds that continue over 20 minutes require medical attention.

2. Failing to act quickly in emergency situations. This is by far one of the most common first aid mistakes people make. Your response time to a co-worker suffering a laceration over an artery could mean the difference between him bleeding to death in a matter of minutes and having a story to tell his family about his co-worker saving his life. You should act quickly and calmly to elevate the area above the person’s heart (if possible) and apply direct pressure over the wound. Keep in mind that even injuries not of such direness should have a speedy reaction. For example, an untreated minor scratch on a piece of rusty metal can cause some serious complications, such as tetanus or sepsis. You should wash minor scratches, scrapes, and cuts with either clean running water or an antiseptic solution, apply an antibiotic ointment, and cover the area with a sterile gauze dressing.

3. Move that badly injured person to safety. Unless an injured person is in an immediate and severely life threatening situation, they should never be moved. And, severely life threatening means circumstances like being moments from being burned alive within their wrecked car. Otherwise, you should immediately dial 911 and wait for the paramedics to arrive.

4. Put ice/butter on your burn. Neither of these are appropriate treatments for a skin burn. Ice can cause the skin to get frostbitten, which only exacerbates burn damage. Butter can actually prevent the skin from healing as it should. It’s also worth mentioning that blisters from a burn should never be popped, as this increases the chances of the area becoming infected. Ointments should also be avoided initially because they can hold in heat. Instead, minor burns should be washed under cool water for about ten minutes and then have a sterile gauze bandage applied over it.

As you can see, the proper first aid training is essential to knowing what to do when injuries occur. It’s too late to get the training after an injury occurs; sign up for a first aid course before it’s needed. Do make sure that the first aid course you sign up for has a qualified instructor.

Jun 01
Love0

ARE YOU KEEPING YOUR REMOTE WORKERS SAFE?

By Workplace Safety

Modern technology has made it easier than ever for employees to work from home and still remain connected to their place of employment. Using remote employment has actually become a popular trend over the last ten years, especially since selling to the global market has become such an important factor in a business being competitive. Many businesses have found that they can minimize their expenses and attract international customers with more attractive prices if they decrease their overhead by allowing workers to remotely commute.

Despite the many benefits of using remote employees, there are downsides. Many employers considering this trend wonder how they can ensure workplace safety when the employee’s physical workplace is their own home. Another consideration is the degree of employer liability in remote employment.

Fortunately, OSHA has addressed some of the safety issues surrounding remote employment. According to OSHA guidelines, employers are required to maintain a safe workplace, even for employees working from their own home. OSHA will not require an employer to inspect a remote employee’s home worksite, nor inspect it themselves. However, OSHA may inspect the worksite of an employee that’s performing an at-home job on behalf of their employer if it possibly involves health or safety hazards and there’s a complaint. A record of all occupational illnesses and injuries must be kept on all at-home workers if an employer is subject to OSHA record keeping requirements. Keeping in mind that OSHA compliance measures shouldn’t involve controlling the home worksite of employees, employers might need to take some additional practical measures to ensure OSHA compliance.

As far as safety compliance goes, the absence of immediate supervision for remote workers is one of the main problems employers face. Experienced, highly-trained, long-term employers are generally the worst offenders when it comes to taking safety risks. This group of employees often become complacent due to the fact they’re so accustomed and comfortable with their job, feel they’re familiar with the job’s hazards, and might have escaped disciplinary action when ignoring safety procedures or taking shortcuts in the past.

One of the best ways that employers can counteract the above dangerous attitude toward safety is by using a holistic approach to safety. Employers should focus and place great importance on each individual employee actively participating in the safety process and taking responsibility for their own safety. Whether at home, on the road, or at a remote jobsite, remote employees need to be ready, willing, and able to take the appropriate actions to protect themselves in any given situation.

Employers will need employee support to make any approach to safety successful, which means that employers must have total employee involvement in the safety process. Involve your remote employees in the process of determining what’s needed to prevent injury to themselves and others during remote location work. Most employers find that the experience and firsthand knowledge of their employees is actually very advantageous in creating safe remote worksites.

Remember, employees that understand the value of safety are more likely to be motivated and willing participants. They’re also more apt to embrace safety behaviors for the longevity of their employment. Employers can reinforce their employee’s positive attitude about safety by having electronic or person-to-person safety counseling in place and ensuring safety managers are encouraging safety participation.

Jun 01
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PROTECTING YOUR HANDS AGAINST OCCUPATIONAL HAZARDS

By Workplace Safety

Our hands are used in almost all daily activities, work or leisure. But, for some reason, we often overlook just how frequently our hands are used until they are injured.

According to the National Safety Council (NSC), the hands are involved in one of every five occupational injuries. This statistic really isn’t all that surprising once a worker stops to consider the array occupational hazards, such as tools, solvents, and chemicals, that are capable of causing burns, contusions, and lacerations to the hands. That said, workers can protect their hands and avoid a lot of unnecessary injuries by taking a few precautions.

Material Safety Data Sheet. Some chemicals can burn your hands immediately following contact. Before handling any chemical, it’s of vital importance that you’re familiar with Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), as these forms will instruct you on the safe handling and use of certain potentially harmful chemicals.

Hand Washing/Cleaning Procedures

  • Apply lotion if your job requires frequent hand washing.
  • Use mild soap and water to wash hands; dry them thoroughly.
  • Avoid harsh and abrasive cleaners.
  • When removing tar, grease, or paint, use a waterless cleaner.
  • Never wash hands with benzene, paint thinner, gasoline, or other harsh solvents.
  • Flush hands under running water for 20 minutes or longer after your hands come into contact with any corrosive chemical.
  • If a minor skin laceration occurs, wash it immediately and seek medical treatment.

Using Gloves

  • The MSDS can alert you to what type of glove should be donned when handling potentially harmful chemicals.
  • Throw any frayed, tattered, or worn gloves away.
  • Never share gloves with co-workers.
  • Never immerse your hand in chemical agents, even if gloved.
  • Asbestos or leather gloves are used to protect against heat.
  • Neoprene or rubber gloves are used to protect against corrosive chemicals.
  • Cotton, leather, or PVC gloves are used to protect against abrasives.
  • Synthetic knit or cotton gloves with gripping dots are used when hand-grip is needed.
  • Kevlara, heavy leather, or metal-mesh gloves are used to help prevent cuts to the hand.
  • Never wear gloves with any metal features when working near electrical hazards.
  • Avoid wearing gloves around moving equipment.

Avoiding Contusions and Lacerations

  • All tools should be properly maintained on a regular basis.
  • Safety guards should never be removed and a tool without the appropriate guard shouldn’t be used until it’s in proper working order.
  • Lockout equipment when making repairs or cleaning it.
  • Wear metal-mesh, leather, or Kevlara gloves when handling or operating sharp and bladed tools.
  • Don’t do a job if you don’t have the appropriate tool.

These simple safety precautions can help you keep one of your most important assets, your hands, intact.

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