In this second episode of eESI’s workplace safety podcast series, eESI risk control consultant Robert Ramirez shares how awareness and training can help employers prevent employee back injuries related to improper lifting and limit the risks of workplace slips and falls.
You might think that work-related materials handling and fall injuries only occur in industrial settings.
However, Ramirez tells us that workplace injuries can happen in any setting.
Lifting a heavy delivery box can seriously injure a front desk staffer’s back and keep them out of work for weeks or cause permanent damage. In 9 Avoidable Workplace Health and Safety Hazards, Inc. contributor Josh Spiro points out that back and other musculoskeletal injuries caused by improper lifting or poor ergonomics are a hazard for employees across nearly every industry.
Falls at both ground level and elevated falls are a serious safety concern, too. Ramirez tells us that 15% of workplace fatalities and 25% of reported injury or incidence claims are fall-related. While elevated falls are more likely to occur in an industrial setting, a cluttered pathway or slippery floor creates a hazard in any workplace setting.
Therefore, every employer whether operating a professional services office or an oil rig needs to understand the risks of workplace injuries and the rules for preventing them.
Awareness and training are the keys to preventing workplace injuries
That’s one of the key messages Robert Ramirez shared with us in our podcast discussing falls and back injuries.
He tells us that injury prevention begins with knowledge. Employees must be aware of the unique risks presented by their workplace and receive proper training to avoid those risks. He adds that this training should be a regular part of your workplace safety program. If proper use of equipment, hazard avoidance, and other methods of avoiding injury aren’t a matter of habit for your employees, then keep providing training and instruction until it is.
And, it’s not just our risk control consultant who hopes you get the message.
Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issues thousands of citations to businesses who have failed to provide proper training or safe working environments for their employees. Employers can learn a lot by reviewing where others have gone wrong when it comes to creating a safe and healthy work environment.
Fall protection is among the top offenders on that OSHA list every year writes Safety+Health Magazine’s Kevin Druley in OSHA’s Top 10 most-cited violations for fiscal year 2017. And, new in 2017, the failure to provide adequate fall protection training also made OSHA’s top ten.
With regular training, your employees can learn to recognize and avoid injuries.
To learn more about falls and back injuries and how to prevent them in your workplace, be sure to listen and share this episode with your team.
Additionally, if you want to protect your team, and avoid the fines, lawsuits, and loss of manpower that can result from work-related injuries, contact eESI to learn more about our safety training program. Our risk control team can help you design a program that keeps your employees and your business safe.
Call 210-495-1171 and ask for one of our Risk Management Consultants.
