Occupational Health and Safety

Any workplace, no matter how safe it may seem, can contain serious hazards that threaten the health and safety of employees and visitors. These hazards often go ignored or overlooked, in many cases because of negligent or inattentive employers. By knowing how to identify health and safety hazards in the workplace, you can notice and avert occupational hazards before they are able to cause harm.

There are three main factors to consider in identifying a health and safety hazard: the hazard itself, the outcome or potential effects of the hazard if it is not controlled, and the likelihood that it will cause serious harm. For example, a weak scaffold can collapse and send workers, materials, and tools falling downward. The outcome of a scaffold collapse can include serious fall-related injuries, crushing, and lacerations. A sturdy scaffold is unlikely to collapse, but a weakened or overburdened one may fail.

Organizations such as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) go to great lengths to assess the probability and possible consequences of hazards in workplaces of all kinds. While occupations such as construction work may pose many of the most serious health and safety hazards, most workers are aware of the hazards in their environment and safety equipment is standard. Office workers may not be as aware of the dangers posed by their workplace, putting them at increased risk.

In order to assess the risk of a hazard, employees of OSHA and other organizations measure the probability that an incident will occur. They also consider the possible outcomes and health effects of that hazard, should it get out of control. If a particular practice or item in a workplace is likely to cause serious harm, new regulations may be put in place to change manufacturing standards, required safety measures, and other changes as needed.

Employers are required by law to ensure their workplaces are free of unnecessary hazards. They should ensure their employees are aware of all possible hazards and have access to the right safety equipment. Workers and their families who have been seriously injured at work because of another person’s negligence have the right to pursue compensation for their injuries, typically through a workers’ compensation claim.

For more information on legal topics related to occupational injuries and hazards, visit the website of the New York City workplace accident lawyers of Parker Waichman Alonso, LLP.

Workplace Repeated Strain Injuries that happen on the job need to be eliminated at the source whenever possible, and should be the ultimate goal for occupational safety and health. The primary source of injury is continuous repeated and/or static flexion of the fingers and hands in a unidirectional (one way) motion ( i.e. mouse use, typing, writing, gripping work tools, etc.), repeating the same motions again and again, over an extended period of time. In cases of repeated strain injuries, there are other factors, such as applied force, fixed body position, and the pace of work requiring repeated or long-term static movements, and are contributing factors in becoming afflicted with a disabling repeated strain injury.

Therefore, the main effort to protect workers from repeated strain such as carpal tunnel syndrome, trigger finger, cubital tunnel syndrome, guyon’s syndrome and other injuries should focus on limiting or “counteracting” activities that require constant overuse of the flexor muscles of the hand and forearm. If left unchecked, repeated or long-term static finger and wrist flexion eventually leads to muscle imbalance and the onset of one of the many debilitating repeated strain injuries listed above. Repetitive strain injuries can be achieved by implementing of workplace standards that involve:

* Job/task rotation

* Individual-specific ergonomic work stations

* Quick breaks

* Stretching program

* Exercise program

Putting the workplace standards listed above, into effect, are extremely important in maintaining structural integrity and muscle balance of the entire upper extremity ( i.e. Fingers, hands, wrists, forearms, elbows, upper arms, and shoulders).

Be sure to consult your workplace company employee health director for assistance if you are beginning to suffer from a repeated strain injury. The practices listed above need to be applied in order to keep the injury from getting any worse. Prevention is always cheaper than rehabilitation, both physically and financially!

When these types of injuries do occur, it is sometimes possible to get a cash advance on the pending lawsuit, depending on the severity and status of the case, and if your state allows funding on worker’s comp. cases. Check with your attorney to see if your state does allow pre settlement advances on Worker’s Comp cases. Non Recourse advances mean NO PAY BACK  if the case is lost.  NO RISK, or MONTHLY PAYMENTS .

Linda Hughes is the president and CEO of Freedom First Funding. We are a legal funding service broker that matches plaintiffs that are looking for cash advances, with lenders that invest in their types of cases. We have been helping plaintiffs since 2003. If you are looking for a cash advance, please call us or visit us on the web. We care about you and your case and we will work hard to get you desired funding in the least amount of time, and always keep you informed of the progress of your case. We are here to help when you need it most.

http://freedomfirstfunding.com 877 386 3374

One of the most critical steps of the risk management process is the instituting of appropriate measures that will be used to control the identified significant risks. There are a number of risk control strategies that can be followed. A comprehensive and effective control strategy often includes a combination of control measures and mechanisms. No hard and fast rules can be given here as the exact control measure mix will be determined by the situation prevailing at the time.

When implementing a control strategy the prescribed hierarchy of control should be followed. This just means that a set priority order of control measures should be followed.

Hierarchy of Control

The hierarchy or preferred order of selecting control measures is contained in the International Labor Organization Convention C176. This convention stipulates as follows:

• Eliminate any recorded risk;
• Control the risk at source;
• Minimise the risk; and
• In so far as the risk remains–
• Provide for personal protective equipment; and
• Institute a programme to monitor the risk to which employees may be exposed.

It is essential to recognize than no control is 100% effective. A fixed, automated fire suppression system may work 92 times out of 100. A regular inspection program to check a remote conveyor belt may identify an overhead idler 65 times out of 100.

The general guideline for critical controls is that the more dependent the controls are on human action the less effective they are when required. At least two effective controls, sometimes also called barriers are required for any critical risk to ensure an acceptable level of control.

Care should be taken not to just list standards and codes of practice as existing controls. Just having a standard or a code op practice for example, is no guarantee that the hazard is sufficiently controlled to bring the risk down to tolerable levels.

Where a decision has been made to implement a control measure, someone has to be responsible for this and for reviewing its effectiveness. Due to the level of responsibility and authority allocated to managers and supervisors, they should be responsible for the controls implemented in their workplaces.

Broadly defined, risk control techniques are designed to minimize, at the least possible costs, those risks to which the organization is exposed. Risk control methods, include risk avoidance and the various approaches to reducing risk through loss prevention and control efforts. The general guideline for developing controls is that the more dependent the controls are on human action the less effective they are when required. On the other hand, by redesigning equipment, processes or the work environment the more reliable the risk reduction will take place. By eliminating identified risks the required control measures should less.

Should it not be possible to eliminate the risk it is always more effective and reliable to control the risk at source. This implies that the risk is not eliminated but rather arrested before it can have any negative impact.

If it is not be possible to eliminate the risk or control the risk at source, the control measure developed and instituted should be aimed at minimizing the consequence of the risk. This implies that, in the event of the risk resulting in an undesirable consequence, the effect of the consequence should be minimised by the control measure implemented.

The hierarchy of control requires that, in so far as the risk remains after having eliminated, controlled at source and minimising the consequence of the risk, personal protective equipment should be issued. Should one issue all personnel with personal protective equipment without considering the residual risk, it implies that the first three steps in the control hierarchy have been ignored.

On of the more important aspects of utilising this hierarchy of control is to institute a programme to monitor the risk to which employees may be exposed. This monitoring programme should be so designed as to provide regular feedback to the risk management committee as to the appropriateness and effectiveness of the instituted risk control measures. This risk management committee should be sufficiently empowered to be able to direct the adaptation of new and more relevant risk control measures as this becomes necessary.

Despite the fact that training is always a good investment it should never be viewed as a method to control risks. No amount of training will be sufficient to avoid risks. The method utilised to avoid risks should be to redesign the process and remove the high risk portion form the process rather than training operators to avoid exposure.

Control Strategies

Some controls are more effective than others. In the list following, the types of control strategies for reducing risk are listed in descending order of effectiveness.

Terminate

One of the surest ways to control a risk from having a negative consequence id to terminate the activity that is associated with the risk. The risk manager should ask the question whether the high risk step on the process is really necessary for the successful completion of the task. Very often it is realised that these steps can be terminated.

Treat

In order to control risks a treatment strategy is often the only practical solution. A typical treatment strategy would be to install sound silencers over machinery that generates high levels of noise. The noise is still there but cannot have a negative consequence on employees as it is treated. The various methods of treating the risk includes instituting engineering controls

Transfer

It is a valid control to transfer the risk to another party. Other parties may be in a better position to deal with the consequences of the risk. A typical example of this is to be found in the insurance industry where the insured party cannot afford to have a loss of say $ 1 000 000-00 but the large underwriter can afford it as long as it is recovered over time in premiums paid.

Other parties may also be better positioned to prevent the risks from realising at all. This is particularly true in technically complex industries where the company can deliver the service as an expert to the general industry type company, examples are computer servers.

Tolerate

From time to time it may be necessary to tolerate a risk. This strategy is a very complex and complicated intricate decision as some consequences of risk will never be tolerable. Here one should typically look at the risk types that will cause disastrous consequences.

We all live with the fact that, for practical purposes, not all product, process or service will be risk-free. How do we describe this state? Our first approach was to use the term acceptable risk. But we quickly rejected this term from the philosophical point of view that no risk is acceptable, although the individual or society may choose to live with that level risk because of the perceived benefits.

In practice we are always seeking to reduce the risks and what would be acceptable to one generation becomes unacceptable to the next. In other words tolerable risk can be described as risk which is accepted in a given context based on the current values of society. The concept of tolerable risk has stimulated various methodologies on how the risks reduction process is achieved. This in turn led to a greater understanding of when a risk is tolerable in a safety context.

Conclusion

It may be necessary to use more than one control measure to manage exposure to risk in complex situations. Some control measure that is lower on the hierarchy of control may need to be used until a permanent solution can be achieved. If this option is taken it is extremely important to clearly communicate to all interested and affected parties that the solution is temporary. The communication should include a clear statement about the duration of the interim measures.

The primary problem with interim measures is that over time, they tend to turn into permanent solutions. Extra care should be taken to prevent this.

© Carl Marx

Dr Carl Marx is a professional in mining engineering with 35 year of management experience at all levels of the organization and both in operations as well as executive and support roles. He worked in roles as diverse as production manager as well as marketing executive. In his time he held various Directors positions in small medium and large companies as well as in not for gain institutes.
Dr. Carl Marx completed his Doctorate in Business Administration (DBA). He was awarded the best financial student award at the completion of his MBA. He has extensive experience in providing multi cultural clients with business solutions.
He is widely published in the printed and electronic media in fields as diverse as Financial Management, Risk Management, Safety Management and the Law.
Dr Marx have extensive experience in providing successful solutions to clients in more than 14 Countries, including China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Papa new Guinea, Australia, South Africa, Uganda, Ghana, Saudi Arabia, Brazil, Mexico the US and the UK.
You are welcome to contact Dr. Marx at drcmarx@gmail.com for any help or support needed.
Additional information and resources can be found at http://financialsupport.weebly.com

While the term ‘NEBOSH’ may sound like a very effective wrestling move, it in reality stands for the well regarded National Examination Board in Occupational Safety and Health. NEBOSH health and safety has been giving students around Britain certificates along with diplomas in matters of health, safety and environmental issues since the year 1979.

NEBOSH health and safety courses are taken by people around the globe – in 65 nations to be precise. While Nebosh do not do the teaching itself, it does accredit each given organisation with the authority to provide the teaching. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority of England oversee this public body.

Occupational health is a big area and may take in various aspects of the work place. Both the (WHO) World Health organisation as well as the ILO (International Labour Organization) have recognised occupational health as important since 1950.

The term occupational health has been revised twelve times, but the version as it stands places an emphasis on the importance of a safe working environment for staff. It maintains that no activity or aspect of life at work should be negative to the worker. Further to this it states that industrial activities should not negatively affect people outside the place of work – for example, from hazards or pollution caused by working practices/environment. Nebosh health and safety courses help make sure these concepts are widely upheld.

There are 3 guiding principles which support the such an ethos – supported by NEBOSH Health and Safety as well. The initial one is moral – the idea that a worker shouldn’t feel under any or be in any danger while they are doing their job. The next one is economic; the financial costs to the country would be much increased if the workplace is a perilous place – namely costs of social security from those injured from a dangerous workplace.

The third of the three is legal. This aspect has no doubt become a more noted reason for better health and safety over the years and decades- an idea that NEBOSH health and Safety also takes into account. Failure to ensure that workers have an safe and adequate working environment can end in legal procedures. Things like fire safety, an absence of physical perils such as heavy things falling on staff or workers, risks of heavy lifting, enough heating (or cooling if needed), good seating; these are just a few of the various aspects to this big area – all of which get covered by NEBOSH health and safety courses.

These courses are given by various independent teaching organisations around Britain as well as the world. It is a good idea to research the institution in question before putting cash down for such a course – maybe finding the feedback of previous students. Some NEBOSH Health and Safety courses are more cost effective than others, but arguably those may have less of a standing in the education and training situation and so high quality should be a loftier aim, instead of price.

Gino Hitshopi is highly experienced in the realm of health and safety, having written about NEBOSH and related qualifications for many years. For more information please visit: http://www.britsafe.org/ngc

Occupational noise hazard is frequently ignored by most workers as well as employers because it is invisible. They prioritize visible hazards such like fire, hazardous chemical, compressed gases, falls, slips and electric hazards. They think these hazards could be harmful to workers’ safety and health directly. However, most worker and employers do not realize that occupational noise will do the same. The differences are only on delay and indirect effect.

We understand that long-term exposure of high occupational noise will not hurt worker’s leg like fall accident. But they do not realize that the soft tissue inside the ears will be damaged and occupational noise hazard can cause permanent damaged to worker’s hearing ability.

Of course it takes time to see the effect of high noise level hazard to worker’s hearing ability, since it depends on noise level and exposure time. Each country in the world may have determined its own permissible noise exposure level (dB) and exposure time.

Hearing Loss Symptoms

Hearing loss is the most severe effect of loud occupational noise, although it is not a painful effect. Generally, there are several symptoms that accompany hearing loss. It could be muted sounding voices, ringing felt inside the ears, which is evident in silent places, and feeling of strain inside the ears.

Inner ears damage may remain even though hearing loss symptoms are weaken. The condition will get worse if exposure to hazardous occupational noise level is continued.

Workers who have already suffered hearing loss will face big problem for their individual and family life. Workers’ life will be saddening, stressful and frustrating.

After knowing the noise hazards, the next step that we should do is to identify dangerous noise level sources in the plant site and take necessary counter measures to control the hazards. Put safety signs that show noise level (dB) of these sources in order to remind the workers.

Are you looking for workplace safety guides and tips? Visit industrial safety blog and learn more about workplace safety including chemical safety.

Of course, all the work you’ve put into the first 6 principles of HACCP won’t do you any good at all if you don’t have accurate records.  In the event that your business is implicated in a food borne illness outbreak, all of your HACCP efforts only help protect you if you have clear, accurate records of your food preparation process, and you are able to prove active managerial control.

You should maintain records of at least these 5 areas to help you manage your HACCP program:

1. Prerequisite Program records like handwashing, equipment sanitization, etc.

2. Monitoring records – temperature logs should record the monitoring process at each CCP in your program.

3. Corrective action records – when corrective action needs to be taken because a Critical Limit is not met, this action should be carefully documented, not only so that the process can be adjusted to avoid future corrective actions, but so that you can protect your business from liability should an outbreak coincide with the action.

4. Verify and validate record keeping.  Many people in your restaurant will be keeping records.  As we discussed previously, regular verification and quality control needs to take place to make sure temperatures are taken and recorded accurately.

5. Record equipment calibration.  Thermometers and other equipment you use to measure Critical Limits needs to be calibrated on a set schedule.  Make sure this schedule and a record of the calibration is carefully maintained.

When you first start keeping records, the frequency you record critical information should be high.  This allows you to spot problems in your new HACCP program quickly.  As you master the processes laid out in the first 6 Principles of your program, record keeping can be modified to promote efficiency.

Remember that these are just guidelines!  Every restaurant is different and has unique situations and requirements when it comes to planning and managing an effective HACCP program.  Consult with your local Board of Health to make sure that the unique situations you encounter in your HACCP program still meet food safety guidelines and are helping you accomplish your ultimate goal: successfully controlling food borne illnesses in your establishment.

Gregory Scott McGuire is a regular contributor to The Back Burner Blog, a resource of restaurant news and trends written by the employees of Tundra Specialties, a company specializing in restaurant equipment, supplies, and equipment parts

American workers in the United States are provided the

safest working conditions. In spite of the stress and tedious

types of work performed, the government works tireless to

insure that the place you work is free from dangerous elements that

threaten you health as well as your life.

The government has not always been as benevolent to the working

class. but as society evolved, so did the concern for human beings

who was often injured or disabled in work related accidents.

To provide guidelines and regulations to protect the safety of workers,

OSHA was established.

The regulations that govern workplace safety are under the auspices

of The U.S Department of Labor and enforced by federal law and OSHA.

OSHA was established as the result of The Occupational Safety and Health

(OSHA) Act in 1970 and amended in 1990. The overall goal of the Act is to

insure that employees do not suffer harm from occupational exposure.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), has several key

responsibilities including:

• Developing and issuing occupational safety and health
  standards and regulations
• Conducting investigations and inspections to determine the
  status of compliance
• Issuing citations and proposes penalties for noncompliance with the regulations
• Performing public education and consultation

The enforcement of the OSHA’s safety and health standards is implemented by

individual state agencies. But this act applies to virtually all private

employers in the United States. If the employer has more than 10 employees,

The statutes of the OSHA laws bind them.

Federal and state employees however, are exempt from direct coverage.

OSHA’s attention focuses on environmental contamination in the workplace.

The standard for toxic and hazardous substances is specifically outlined

in OSHA. The exposure limits are provided in terms of 8-hour averages as

well as 15-minute short-term exposures.

Section 201 states. “Environmentally preferable” means products or services

that have a lesser or reduced effect on human health and the environment when

compared with competing products or services that serve the same purpose.

This comparison may consider raw materials acquisition, production, manufacturing,

packaging, distribution, reuse, operation, maintenance, or disposal of the product or

service.

In addition, a series of requirements are placed on employers to provide protection,

training, information, and monitoring of employees potentially exposed to hazardous substances.

Two other standards are of relevance to the chemical industry:

The process safety management (PSM) standard (29 CFR 1910.119) is designed to prevent or

minimize the consequences of catastrophic releases of toxic, reactive,

flammable and explosive chemicals.

The PSM rule requires employers subject to the rule to have an emergency action plan

which specifies the procedures for reporting fires and emergencies.

The rule covers, among other things, emergency response operations for releases or

threat of releases. Covered employers must develop an emergency response plan which

includes emergency alerting and response procedures.

In addition to OSHA’s specific standards, section 5(a)(1) of the OSH Act also contains

an enforceable general duty clause, which covers situations for which no standard exists.

The clause requires employers to provide a place of employment, which is free from recognized

hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.

It is important that both employers and employees understand the scope and purpose of OSHA

statues. By being informed, the workplace becomes safer for the employer, employee and the

community at large.

Travis Zdrazil is a successful businessman who has been part of a successful partnership since 1985.

With over 10 years of business experience Travis uses his business expertise to select and supply businesses with products and information to aid in EPA and OSHA Regulations in the areas of:

• Storm water pollution
• Pollution Prevention & Control
• Other industrial, commercial & environmental issues.

Keep your company compliant with EPA’s New Initiatives. Sign up for his free newsletter at http://www.absorbentsonline.com or feel free to contact him if you have any questions on workplace safety through the site. You may publish this article, but must keep the resource box ©2007 PCI Products Company. All rights reserved.

More than 90 million American spend their days on the job. They are our most valuable national resource. And, until 1970, no uniform and comprehensive requirements existed for workplace safety and their protection against health hazards.

How did OSHA Form?

In 1970, Congress considered annual figures such as these:

• Job related accidents accounted for more than 14,000 worker deaths.
• Nearly 2 1/2 million workers were disabled.
• Ten times as many person-days were lost from job-related disabilities as from strikes.
• Estimated new cases of occupational diseases totaled 300,000

In terms of lost production and wages, medical, expenses and disability compensation, the burden on the nation’s commerce was staggering. Human cost was beyond calculations. Therefore, the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1979 (the Act) was passed by a bipartisan Congress “…to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and healthful working conditions and to preserve our human resources.”

What is OSHA?

Under the Act, the Occupational Safety and Health administration (OSHA) was created within the Department of Labor.

Simply stated, OSHA is the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and is responsible for worker safety and health protection.

Since its inception in 1970, OSHA has cut the work-fatality rate by more than half, reduced the overall injury and illness rates in industries where OSHA has concentrated its attention, virtually eliminated brown lung disease in the textile industry and reduced trenching and excavation fatalities by 35 percent.

OSHA is administered through the Department of Labor (DOL). The DOL regulates and enforces more than 180 federal laws. These mandates and the regulations that implement them cover many workplace activities for about 10 million employers and 125 million workers.

Who Does OSHA Cover?

OSHA determines which standards apply to your workplace and requires you to follow these standards and requirements.

All employees and their employers under Federal Government authority are covered by OSHA. Coverage is provided either directly by federal OSHA or through and OSHA-approved state program. OSHA does not cover the self-employed or immediate members of farm families that do not employ outside workers.

OSHA offers an extensive Web site at osha.gov that includes sections devoted to training, compliance assistance, state programs, small businesses, construction, as well as interactive eTools to help employers and employees.

OSHA also offers outreach training programs for employers and employees to get certified in hazard recognition. Some states currently mandate training.

For more information, visit http://www.usfosha.com

http://osha.gov

If your business requires that employees spend extended periods working in temperatures of 75 degrees or more, work under strong sunlight or do labor that is physically exhausting and causes profuse sweating, they could be vulnerable to heat stress or other heat-related health problems. Some people are especially prone to illness and injury even in standard working conditions, let alone those involving excessive heat. These include pregnant women, the elderly or anyone with immune-deficient diseases.

Involving each of your employees in annual, or even semi-annual, OSHA-approved heat stress training reviews can greatly reduce incidences of accident and injury in the work place. It should also be compulsory for all new staff members to take heat stress training during their orientation, prior to starting on the job.

Problems related to heat and sun exposure include simple ailments such as mild headaches, fatigue and rashes to serious injuries such as severe sunburn, fatal heat stroke or skin cancer. When incidents occur, it is imperative to identify and treat the symptoms immediately and efficiently. Your employees must comprehend that the knowledge they gain from their heat stress training needs to be taken very seriously. The ability to prevent injury, or treat injuries that occur, could be life-saving.

What causes heat stress?

Protracted exposure to strong sun or excessively high temperatures can result in increased body temperatures. Extreme sweating causes fluid loss in a body and can lead to dehydration and a lack of necessary electrolytes.

What are the symptoms of heat stroke?

Heat stroke has many symptoms which can strike singularly or in a combination. The most common of these symptoms are flushed skin or skin rash, chafing, feeling over-heated, being tired, strong thirst, headaches ranging from mild to violent, sunburn and dizziness. Left untreated, heat stroke symptoms can develop into clammy skin, paling of the skin, muscle spasms, cramps, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, increased temperature, burning or blistering of the skin, bewilderment, fainting, increased heart rate and decreased blood pressure. In extreme cases, it can even lead to coma or death.

Heat stroke symptoms can lead to other, technically unrelated injuries, such as tripping, falling or bumping into things, all of which can lead to further injury such as damage to or loss of body parts or even death, when heavy machinery or power tools are involved.

Make sure you discuss the heat stress training with your staff, each time they go through it. Find out what their specific concerns are in regards to health and safety when dealing with excessive heat and sun exposure.

What first aid or other treatment should be performed?

When early signs of heat stress are present, the most obvious tactics are generally the best. First, take the sufferer into a cooler, shady location and have them sit or lie down. Apply a cold compress or damp cloth to pulse points to immediately reduce body temperature. Use a spray mister filled with cool water to reduce temperatures further and to aid rehydration. Give the injured party something to drink that contains electrolytes, to help replace what has been lost through sweating. Undo any tight clothing and remove anything unnecessary to allow the victim to breathe more easily and the body to relax. Use a fan or create a some form of a breeze to assist in the cooling process.

If the symptoms are severe, the sufferer may need to seek medical assistance with the company’s health

department and get some rest. In extreme cases, the sufferer may require medical assistance.

If heat stroke occurs, it could become crucial to place the injured party into a tub of cold water in order to quickly reduce body temperature. A call should immediately be placed to either 911 or the company-specific emergency number and have the victim taken to a hospital straight away.

How can heat stress and related injuries be prevented?

While heat stress training is an imperative part of a safe work environment, employers must also talk to their employees and assist them in taking steps to avoid heat stress and related injuries. Be proactive in preventing such illness and injuries for a happier, healthier workforce.

Some steps in this approach are to ensure that all staff:

o Take breaks on a regularly scheduled basis

o Rest from time-to-time in a cool, shady location, preferably with access to a fan

o Apply plenty of UVA and UVB sunscreen

o Wear lightweight clothing in pale colors (while taking into account any protective equipment required for their specific jobs)

o Cover their heads and wear sunglasses to protect their head, face and eyes from the sun

o Drink plenty of fluids, particularly water or drinks containing electrolytes

Employers should also make sure that there is an adequate first aid kit easily available at all times. The kit should include salt, salt pills or electrolyte fluids. A cell phone or other method of instant communication should also be accessible to staff in case emergency services need to be contacted in the event of any severe injury or illness.

A critical part of remaining safe and healthy is to be OSHA certified. Check out our Online OSHA Certification classes at The EHS Pros.

The Health and Safety Executive, concerned for the safety of ‘lone workers’, has recently published new guidelines for employers that emphasizes that out of sight should never mean ‘out of mind’ in a working environment.

The guidance reinforces the concept of the employer’s duty to ensure that lone workers are properly assessed to consider all the risks that are peculiar to a lone working environment. These issues include:

* The fact that there is nobody to report incidents to or to detect fatalities, particularly in high risk areas.

* Omissions on the hand over of duties.

* An increased threat of violence, risk of fraud or dishonest activity.

* Consideration of the impact of a lone worker’s medical condition.

* Risk of employees ‘cutting corners’ or unsafe practices developing owing to a lack of supervision.

* Workers trying to continue operating using defective equipment or work stations.

The HSE considers that lone workers are particularly vulnerable and should be consulted on the assessment. They also emphasise that lone workers should also be fully trained in any areas identified as a potential risk, and that measures should be enforced to ensure that lone workers are not put at risk. These may include identifying jobs that are prohibited when working alone, such as lifting heavy objects or operating at height without adequate safety equipment or an assessment of the situation beforehand.

The greatest issue is the lack of supervision. Obviously, employers have to be able to trust their employees to operate in the safest ways possible, but this isn’t always the case in real life. The lack of supervision also leaves another door open – the risk of fraudulent compensation claims for injuries suffered while working alone. Often, claims result from non-reported accidents at work, and leave the employer at a distinct disadvantage. That is not to say that every claim by a lone worker is fraudulent – what it means is that lone workers often do not have the same ability to report an accident and have it documented in the same way that an accident in a workplace where there are other employees present does. Lone workers don’t have their own ‘accident book’, and one of the most essential pieces of any claims jigsaw is hard evidence.

Although this may seem to put employers on the back foot when it comes to fulfilling their duty of care to lone workers, there are ways that the risk of a lone worker suffering an accident can be minimised. If an employer knows that their workers are going to be operating in a solo situation, a complete risk assessment and (if necessary) controlling measures need to be implemented. If this isn’t done, then the worker has a legitimate grievance in the event of an accident and a claim can and should be pursued. If not just for the financial aspect of the claim, then to prevent another lone worker from suffering a similar fate.

Out of sight should never mean out of mind in a work situation. The duty of care responsibilities of every employer extend to all employees in their care, whether they’re working with others or on their own. The HSE has made it quite clear that they will take a strong, disciplinary line with employers who adopt an out of sight, out of mind approach to worker’s safety and that claimants have every right to expect the same treatment in law as those who work in more clearly defined working environments. As the number of people working from home and in solo positions rises, it is an issue that will continue to have the HSE spotlight shined directly onto it.

Visit Work Accident Solicitors if you have been Injured At Work.

Read our free Work Accidents Guide to discover everything you need to know about making a Work Accident Claim.

Nick Jervis is a solicitor (non-practicing) and a consultant to Work Accident Solicitors who specialize in Work Accident Claims.