Policies & Practices
Keeping Your Workers Safe in the Cold
January is the height of the cold season and we’re not talking about sniffles and sneezes, but the reality of working outdoors in freezing conditions, coupled with wind and driving snow. Working outdoors in winter is often more than uncomfortable. It can be life-threatening if hypothermia sets in. Workers who are not properly dressed for the conditions may also suffer frostbite, which can be so severe that affected fingers, toes or limbs require amputation. Hypothermia occurs when the body’s core temperature drops below 35 C or 95 F. When...
read moreHelp Your Workers Prevent Back Injuries
Back injury caused by improper lifting, bending or twisting, or over-reaching is a leading cause of lost workdays in North American workplaces. Workers in nearly every department of a workplace are exposed to lifting, whether they are handling boxes of paper, heavy files, or lifting patients or other heavy objects. As a supervisor, you probably don’t have to look far to see someone lifting improperly and potentially risking a debilitating back injury. Many workers haven’t been taught how to lift properly and others could certainly use some...
read moreBest Practices Around Mobile Equipment
Vehicles and mobile equipment injure or kill a large number of North American workers every year, largely because their operators do not see workers who are standing or walking. Many of these incidents occur when mobile equipment is reversing or working in tight areas. Employers need to review safe work practices at all jobsites. Means of controlling hazards where mobile equipment and workers on foot are in close proximity include: Engineering controls: These devices include backup alarms and flashing lights on equipment. Personal protective...
read moreHelp Your Workers Avoid Hot Work Incidents
Editor’s note: This new feature in Safe Supervisor will provide supervisors with information they can use to train workers on particular hazards. The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) says more than 60 workers have lost their lives in the last two decades as a result of explosions and fires related to hot work involving tanks. Hot work involves tasks such as burning, welding, cutting, brazing, grinding and soldering. Although workers in the oil and gas industry are potentially at greater risk for incidents involving hot...
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