Cyanco News
Workplace Falls
With June being National Safety Month – now is a great time to make sure your employees are up to date with fall prevention awareness and training.
Fatalities caused by falls continue to be a top cause of death for US industrial and construction employees. According to the US Department of Labor, 15% of all accidental deaths and 25% of all reported injury claims are due to slips and falls, resulting in lost lives and 95 million lost workdays each year.
Did you know that:
- 5% of men and 11% of women who suffer a workplace fall will die from their injuries.
- 22% of patients who have a slip and fall accident require more than 31 days away from work.
- Slick floors are the main cause of injury in 85% of workers’ compensation claims.
Some of the common situations that can cause slip and fall accidents include: greasy, wet, powdery or freshly waxed floors; loose flooring; uneven surfaces; clutter; wet, muddy or greasy shoes; weather hazards (e.g., ice, pine needles, sleet, wet leaves); tripping over electrical cords or computer cables; desk or filing cabinet drawers left open; lack of handrails on steps; damaged or uneven steps.
What are the best ways to prevent slip and falls at work?
- Practice excellent housekeeping techniques: sweep, vacuum, organize, nail down and secure. A well-organized and clean work environment isn’t just pleasant – it’s also much safer.
- Wear proper shoes: When purchasing shoes, look for the type of sole that corresponds with the floor on which you spend the majority of your workday.
- Maintain proper lighting: Keep all areas well lit, and quickly replace any bulbs that are burned out or not working.
- Eliminate slippery surfaces: Someone at your company should be responsible for checking floors and surfaces on a regular basis to ensure that spills are cleaned up immediately. In inclement weather, monitor entryways and walkways for potential hazards.
Training & Awareness
In addition to ensuring good housekeeping and proper PPE, consider holding a voluntary OSHA Safety Stand-Down event. While these typically take place in the month of May, you can hold a Safety Stand-Down event anytime to leverage the opportunity to inspect safety equipment, develop rescue plans and spend dedicated time recognizing and correcting hazards at your site. It’s also a great time to raise fall prevention awareness with open discussions about job-specific hazards.
This week at Cyanco, we focused on developing rescue plans for working at height, with a training session specific to rope rescue. We reviewed the numerous steps involved from the initial response to the incident’s conclusion with the victim brought to safety.
Proper training – from hazard recognition to emergency response – is critical to keeping your people safe. If you’re interested in learning more about Cyanco’s training programs, please visit:
https://cyanco.com/safety-sustainability/
Be sure to check out tomorrow’s post on promoting electrical safety.
Related News
Cyanco Cyanide Safety Training
As COVID continues to affect our industry – and the world at large – Cyanco wants to remind…
Recognizing Your Safety Heroes
When adversity arises, heroes appear. Not the kind of heroes that wear capes, but heroes that wear PPE,…
Electrical Safety
The number of OSHA violations, injuries and fatalities by electrocution clearly shows us that electricity is a major…
Five-Year View of Workplace Injuries & Fatalities in the U.S.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of workplace injuries has remained largely unchanged…
National Safety Month
June 2021 marks the 25th anniversary of America’s National Safety Month (NSM), which was originally designated in 1996 by the National Safety…
Cyanco Joins Aurora Gold Mine to Educate Locals in Guyana about Cyanide Incident Response Best Practices
March 9, 2017 Cyanco’s Environment, Health, Safety and Security Director Max Jones explaining the Incident Command System The…