Risk Management Bulletin

One of the best ways to protect workers in a particular job is to conduct a job hazard analysis.

This simple but powerful technique identifies hazards before they occur, focusing on the relationships among the worker, task, tools and equipment, and the work environment. Once you’ve identified job hazards, you can eliminate or reduce them to an acceptable risk level.

This is a relatively easy task, although it takes time to analyze hazards for each job category and each step in the job. You also have to do some digging into past performance.

Priority should go to jobs with the highest injury or illness rates; the potential to cause severe or disabling injuries or illness through simple human error, complex enough to require written instructions; or that have undergone changes in processes and procedures.

Job hazard analysis involves these steps:

1. Involve employees. Their unique understanding of the job can be invaluable for finding hazards. Involving employees will help minimize oversights, ensure quality analysis, and get workers to buy in to the solutions because they’ll share ownership in their safety and health program.
2. Review accident history. This includes the workplace record of accidents and occupational illnesses, accident damage that required repair or replacement, and any near misses. These are indicators that existing hazard controls might be inadequate and need more scrutiny.
3. Conduct a preliminary job review. Discuss with employees the hazards they know exist in their work and surroundings. Brainstorm with them for ideas to eliminate or control these perils. Of course, if any hazards pose an immediate danger to an employee’s life or health, take immediate action to protect the worker.
4. List, rank, and set priorities. List jobs with hazards that present unacceptable risks, based on those most likely to occur and with the most severe consequences. Make these jobs your first priority for analysis.
5. Outline steps or tasks. Nearly every job can be broken down into job tasks or steps. When beginning a job hazard analysis, watch the employee perform the job and list each step (it might help to photograph or video the worker performing the job – these visual records can provide handy references when doing a more detailed analysis of the work). Record enough information to describe each job action without getting bogged down in details. Avoid making the breakdown so detailed that it becomes unnecessarily long or so broad that it fails to include basic steps. Review the job steps with the employee to make sure you haven’t omitted anything. Stress that you’re evaluating the job itself, not the employee’s job performance.
6. Identify hazards. List the hazards you identified in Step 3 (as well as any additional hazards you discovered when observing the employee) with each step or task involved in the job.

A former employee with a grudge against his supervisor enters the workplace armed with a gun and kills the supervisor and three other employees before turning the gun on himself.

After the incident, co-workers said that when the employee was fired, he threatened to “get” the supervisor.

Unfortunately, nobody took him seriously.

You’ve heard stories like this on the evening news, and maybe there’s even been an incident in your area.

No one should fear violence on the job. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, workers rank feeling safe in the workplace as their third-highest job satisfaction priority.

To help prevent violence and make your workers feel safe, take these steps:

• Communicate and enforce a zero-tolerance violence prevention policy that prohibits workers from bringing into the workplace any weapon or other objects that could be used in a threatening way, assaulting or threatening to assault someone, or engaging in such hostile behavior as destroying property, stalking fellow workers, or obsessing on a grudge.
• Investigate any violation of this policy, and take appropriate disciplinary action (up to, and including, dismissal in severe cases). For less serious violations, counseling in addition to discipline, might be more effective. Employees who need help dealing with personal or work problems that generate anger or hostility should be able to take advantage of an Employee Assistance Program.
• Make it easy for employees to report threats or incidents of violence, whether they involve co-workers, customers, suppliers, visitors, or even people unrelated to the workplace – for example, a violent spouse or partner who comes into the workplace to act out domestic violence. Make sure your workers understand that anyone who comes forward or who participates in any investigation of workplace violence will not face retaliation and will receive protection from predators.
• Provide options for employees who are victims of violence, feel threatened, or witness a violent or potentially violent situation. If there are immediate safety concerns, the employee or a co-worker should call 911. Otherwise, first encourage the employee to approach their supervisor or manager. If this person is unavailable, employees can go to Human Resources or the head of company security.

With winter in full swing, many employers will be thinking about how to keep employees healthy in the cold. According to OSHA, cold stress can occur when the body is unable to warm itself. A cold environment forces the body to work harder to maintain its temperature, as cold air, water, and snow all draw heat from the body core – which can lead to tissue damage and possibly death. OSHA also points out that while below-freezing conditions and inadequate protection can bring about cold stress, problems can also occur with much higher temperatures, even in the 50s, when combined with rain and wind.

Four factors contribute to cold stress: (1) Cold air temperatures; (2) high winds; (3) dampness of the air; and (4) contact with cold water or cold surfaces. The most common cold-induced problems are hypothermia, frostbite, and trench foot:

• Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can replace it. When core body temperature drops from the normal 98.6 oF to around 95oF, symptoms generally begin, including uncontrollable shivering, weakness, confusion, drowsiness, and pale, cold skin.
• Frostbite occurs when the skin freezes and loses water. Severe cases might require amputation of the frostbitten area. Frostbite usually affects the extremities. The affected body part will be cold, tingling, stinging, or aching, followed by numbness. The skin turns red, then purple, then white, and is cold to the touch. In severe cases, there might be blisters.
• Trench foot, or immersion foot, results from immersing the feet in cold water at temperatures above freezing for long periods. It’s similar to frostbite, but considered less severe. Symptoms include tingling, itching, or a burning sensation.

Here are seven cold weather safety recommendations for employees exposed to the elements on the job during the winter. Most apply equally to employees who engage in recreational or other outdoor activities on their own time.

1. Wear at least three layers of clothing—an outer layer, such as GORE-TEX®, to break the wind; a middle layer of down or wool to absorb sweat and provide insulation; and an inner layer of cotton or synthetic weave to allow ventilation.
2. Wear a hat. A significant percentage of heat escapes the body from the head.
3. Have a change of dry clothing available in case work clothes become wet.
4. Wear loose rather than tight clothing for better ventilation.
5. Follow safe work practices when exposed to cold: Drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration, work during the warmer parts of the day when possible, take breaks out of the cold, work in pairs, and consume warm, high-calorie food.
6. Use engineering controls such as radiant heaters, shielding work areas from drafts or wind, and insulating material on equipment handles.
7. Be able to identify symptoms of cold-related problems.

A preventable electrical injury occurs in the workplace every 23 minutes.

Jim White, training director for Shermco Industries, Inc., a Dallas-based electrical power systems test and maintenance company, has developed this list of 10 tips for keeping workers safe from shocks, burns, and electrocution on the job:

1. Develop a zero-tolerance policy toward energized work. Get serious about “no hot work.” This includes conducting an electrical hazard analysis for energized work. Fine and discipline violators.
2. Get out in the field or plant and see what your workers are doing. (aka “management by walking around”).
3. Develop checklists or other ways to track who is qualified to perform which tasks. Some businesses use job-task analyses to provide a blueprint of employees’ activities.
4. Train your employees. To be qualified to perform any task, workers must know the construction, operation, and hazards associated with the equipment they’re using. Make supervisors responsible for knowing what employees can – and can’t – do safely.
5. Develop safe work practices and procedures. Practices such as energized electrical work permits, clearance procedures, and switching orders can help prevent accidents and can help document that the right steps were taken. These precautions become especially important in case of an accident.
6. Perform periodic safety audits. When workers know that they’ll be subject to random audits, they’ll try to maintain safe work procedures and practices. Remember: what gets measured, gets done.
7. Conduct job briefings any time the scope of the work changes significantly and when new or different hazards are present.
8. Be cautious about implementing safety awards programs, especially if they might discourage accident reporting.
9. Become familiar with industry standards. Examples include with NFPA 70E and the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) Guide for Performing Arc Flash Hazard Calculations.
10. Document everything. If you don’t have it in writing, you never did it. Show a good-faith effort; OSHA will notice – and compliance could save you big dollars and legal penalties.

Ladders are simple devices – and that might be their biggest fault. Workers tend to mistake simplicity for harmlessness, often overlooking necessary precautions. Even before setting up a ladder, the worker needs to check the site for safety. If the site includes a door that could be opened while someone’s up on the ladder, the door has to be locked or someone has to be on the other side to make sure nobody opens it.

The area around the ladder must be clear of tools, materials, and debris that could make access hazardous. For example, a worker coming off a ladder might step on an obstacle and twist an ankle or take a tumble.

Workers must also make sure the top of a straight or extension ladder rests against a solid surface that can withstand the load, avoiding windows and other objects that could give way as the worker climbs.

Workers often forget to secure extension ladders at the top to prevent them from slipping – a common cause of accidents. They should secure the base against accidental movement or have it held firmly by a co-worker at the foot of the ladder facing it with a hand on each side rail and one foot on the bottom rung.

People sometimes forget about safety when using stepladders. For example, they might not bother to make sure braces are locked and the ladder is stable so that it can’t tip over as they climb. Employees sometime place a stepladder on top of something else to gain height – or they might lean an unopened stepladder against the wall and try to climb it.

Make sure that workers guard or place barriers around the ladder work area if there are other people around. Failure to do so could result in a “struck-by” accident if a worker on a ladder drops a tool or materials on someone passing below.

When using a ladder, workers must be taught to always keep three-point contact, with both hands and one foot or both feet and one hand on the ladder at all times.

Make sure your workers get the full story.

You can look at human errors that lead to workplace accidents in one of two ways, says psychology professor Dr. James Reason: The person approach focuses on the errors of individuals, blaming them for forgetfulness, inattention, or moral weakness. This analysis ignores the fact that mishaps tend to fall into recurrent patterns, with the same set of circumstances leading to similar mistakes, regardless of the people involved. The system approach concentrates on the conditions under which individuals work and tries to build defenses to avert errors or mitigate their effects. This approach recognizes that even in the most safety-conscious workplaces fallible humans will commit errors that originate in the conditions under which they work.

Safety consultant Dr. Dan Petersen identifies three categories of human error:

1. Overload. “The human being cannot help but err if given a heavier workload than they have the capacity to handle,” says Petersen. Load involves physical, physiological, or psychological capacity, state of mind, level of knowledge and skill relevant to the task, and any reduction in capability from drug or alcohol use, pressure, fatigue, etc. Other contributing factors include work environment, motivation, attitude, and personal problems.
2. The decision to err. Among reasons workers might choose an unsafe act are such factors as pressure to produce from peers and management that make unsafe behavior seem preferable. Errors also arise from “low perceived probability,” which means the worker simply does not believe that they will suffer an accident.
3. Traps left for the worker. Some workers err because the work environment is incompatible with their physique or with what they’re used to – in other words, a bad fit. Another such trap is workplace design that contributes to human error, such as hard-to-read controls or a workstation that’s cramped, dark, or otherwise ergonomically unfriendly. Workplace culture can also serve as a trap by reinforcing or discouraging certain behaviors. For example, does the culture encourage workers to report signs of ergonomic distress early on, or does it reward them for hiding symptoms?

You might not be able to eliminate human fallibility from the workplace. However, you can certainly minimize the impact of worker errors by providing frequent safety training that targets specific hazards, heightens awareness, and explains systems and procedures designed to prevent accidents.

Winter is the most difficult driving season. Not only do you have snow and ice to deal with, but there are fewer hours of daylight. To help keep your drivers safe behind the wheel, reinforce these guidelines from the New York state Department of Motor Vehicles Driver’s Manual:

• Before winter arrives, make sure that company vehicles are good condition, especially the tires. Don’t get caught without snow tires in the first snowfall. Never combine radial and non-radial tires on the same vehicle. With front-wheel drive cars, put snow tires or “all-season” tires on all four wheels.
• Clear the ice and snow from your vehicle, all windows, and windshield wipers. Fill the windshield washer reservoir with a freeze-resistant cleaning solution.
• Drive slowly. Even if your vehicle has good traction in ice and snow, other drivers will be traveling cautiously. Don’t disrupt the flow of traffic by driving faster than everyone else.
• To avoid skids, brake carefully and gently on snow or ice. “Squeeze” your brakes in slow, steady strokes. Allow the wheels to keep rolling. If they start to lock up, ease off the brakes. As you slow, you might also want to shift into a lower gear.
• You can usually feel a loss of traction or the beginning of a skid in a rear-wheel drive vehicle – however, there might be no such warning with a front-wheel drive. Although front-wheel drives handle better in ice and snow, they do not have flawless traction, and skids can occur unexpectedly. Don’t let the better feel and handling of a front-wheel drive car cause you to drive faster than you should.
• Despite a popular misconception, the best approach to recovering from a skid is the same for both front and rear-wheel drive vehicles. If your rear wheels start to skid, turn the steering wheel in the direction you want the front wheels to go. If your rear wheels start sliding the other way as you recover, ease the steering wheel toward that side. You might have to steer left and right a few times to get your vehicle completely under control. If you have an anti-lock braking system (ABS), keep your foot on the pedal. If not, pump the pedal gently, pumping more rapidly as the vehicle slows. Braking hard with non-anti-lock brakes will make the skid worse. If your front wheels skid, take your foot off the gas and shift to neutral, but try to steer immediately. As the wheels skid sideways, they’ll slow the vehicle and traction will return. As it does, steer in the direction you want to go. Then put the transmission in Drive or release the clutch and accelerate gently.
• When sleet, freezing rain, or snow starts to fall, remember that bridges, ramps, and overpasses are likely to freeze first. Also, be aware that slippery spots might remain after road crews have cleared the highways.

Although power tools are handy helpers, they’re also a significant source of injuries in the workplace – not to mention at home – capable of delivering painful, even deadly shocks, cutting off fingers, and slashing cutting, and mangling flesh and bones.

The first step in developing a safety program for power tools is to provide your worker with the right personal protective equipment (PPE). For example, they should always wear eye protection (most often safety goggles). Depending on the situation, they might also need:

* A dust mask * Gloves * A face shield * Hearing protection * Safety shoes

If employees aren’t sure about what type of PPE they need to prevent injuries, train them to read the manufacturer’s safety instructions or to check with a supervisor before using a power tool. To keep your worker safe when using power tools, make sure that they understand these essential do’s and don’ts:

Do:

• Use the right tool for the job.
• Inspect tools before each use.
• Make sure there are guards around points of operation and on/off switches.
• Switch off tools are before you plug them in.
• Turn off and unplug tools before cleaning or changing parts.
• Use three-prong grounding extension cords with equipment that requires three-prong plugs. (Never use three-prong cords with two-prong adapters!)
• Remove damaged or malfunctioning power tools from service immediately.

Don’t:

• Put a power tool down until it has completely stopped running.
• Use cords to raise or lower equipment.
• Fasten cords with staples, nails, or other fasteners that could damage cord insulation.
• Plug or unplug equipment with wet or sweaty hands.
• Use any tool that has a damaged casing, cord, or plug.
• Continue to operate a power tool that sparks, smokes, gives a shock, or gives off a burning smell * Get clothes or body parts near the point of operation.
• Use electric power tools in wet areas unless the tools have been specially approved for such use.

Our risk management professionals would be happy to help you develop, implement, and maintain a comprehensive power tool safety program for your workplace. Just give us a call.

The wide variety in today’s workforce can present a challenge when it’s time for safety training. To do an effective job, take these factors into account:

• Age. Younger workers might have trouble taking the safety aspect of their jobs seriously. Older workers might feel they already know it all and tune you out. Make it clear to trainees that this is important to all of them, perhaps using dramatic examples of safety failures involving different age groups.
• English comprehension. Many people won’t admit they can’t read or understand English. Be alert to your workers’ ability — or inability — to understand written instructions and to comprehend English. A recent OSHA enforcement memorandum directed at protecting non-English speaking workers from workplace hazards requires compliance officers to verify that workers receive training in a language they understand. If you don’t speak the workers native language, you might want to involve an additional meeting leader who does.
• Educational level. If your workers have a wide range of educational backgrounds, your task becomes more complicated. Use an approach that gets the message across to the less educated without being so simplistic that it turns off other workers. Consider using demonstration and practice rather than reading and lectures. – and employ words and concepts that all trainees can understand.
• Experience with products, processes, and technology. If you’re training relatively inexperienced workers, take a step-by-step approach and limit each meeting to a narrow topic area. Otherwise, you’ll overload participants. Although experienced workers will more readily understand your references to equipment and procedures, because they’re also more likely to resist changes in the way they work, sell them on safety both in terms of their own health and regulatory requirements.
• Tolerance for length and frequency of meetings. The length of your workers’ attention and concentration span will determine how often you can have safety meetings and how long they can last. The format is also a factor in determining meeting length. People can’t usually sit and concentrate as long for lectures as for videos or programs that involve them directly.
• Extent of prior safety training. The more training workers have received, the easier each subsequent meeting becomes. Once workers understand certain safety basics and incorporate them into their jobs it becomes easier to add new cautions and procedures. Skip the preliminaries and some of the “safety sell” and get right to the specifics of your meeting.
• Attitudes toward work and management. If some workers are hostile to you, the company, their jobs, and/or the meeting topic, safety meetings can be stressful. Face up to this problem at the beginning of the session by encouraging workers to express their feelings and ask them to try to keep an open mind. Stress the fact that safety training will benefit them by making accidents and injuries less likely.

If disaster strikes, the extent of protection against the risks facing your business faces can make the difference between survival and extinction. Once you’ve identified the risks involved, you have three basic options: (1) Reduce or eliminate them (avoidance); (2) Accept them (acceptance); or (3) Limit the financial damage by assigning the risks to an insurance company (risk transfer – or insurance).

Unfortunately, risk management protection through insurance often fails to go beyond Commercial Liability and Property coverages. For example, Key Person Life policy(ies) on one or more key executives will reimburse your business against potential financial losses from their death. Business Interruption coverage can help keep you up and running after a disaster by covering payroll expenses and protecting against the loss of suppliers and buyers. You should also consider other types of business insurance to minimize the damage from a catastrophe.

In deciding on the policies that best fit your needs, ask yourself these questions:

• Are your coverage limits and deductibles appropriate?
• For what types of disasters (perils) do you have insurance? Which perils are specifically excluded?
• Does your insurance provide enough protection to senior management against litigation from inadequate business continuity planning?
• Does your coverage factor in inflation, improvements, and building code changes?
• Do you have your coverage for “replacement cost” or “actual value” (cost less depreciation)?
• Will your Business Interruption insurance pay loss of income and payroll expenses?
• Is your documentation (serial number, date of purchase, cost, receipts, photographs, etc.) current and detailed enough for your insurance company?
• Have you secured the originals of all policies in a fireproof cabinet, or off site, with copies readily available?
• Do you have coverage for loss of power or other critical services?
• What about coverage for a denial of access order issued by civil authorities?
• Does your insurance cover losses from a disruption of transportation services?
• If the Disaster Management Team makes a “disaster declaration,” will your insurance cover the costs charged by your alternate site vendor? What about the extra personnel and other costs associated with activating and operating the alternate site?
• Do you carry enough Life insurance on key executives? If you implement an effective Business Continuation Plan will your insurance premiums go down? Have you reviewed your coverage with your professional insurance advisor within the past year?

The time to take action is now — before it’s too late. We’d be happy to help. Just give us a call.