In order to provide companies with the latest safety information, the National Safety Council recently wrote an article highlighting research and prevention efforts from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and NSC. The focus area for this year includes emergency preparedness; slips, trips, and falls; heat-related illness; and hazard recognition.
The following is an excerpt from that article.
Emergency Preparedness
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
The NIOSH Emergency Preparedness and Response (EPR) Program prepares for, responds to, and researches chemical, biological, radiological and natural disasters. Responder safety and health must be addressed systematically during all phases (pre-deployment, during deployment, and post-deployment) to ensure only medically cleared, trained, and properly equipped personnel are deployed and that their health is effectively monitored and surveilled throughout the event and afterward.
NIOSH and its partners developed the Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance™ (ERHMS™) framework which provides recommendations for protecting emergency responders during small and large emergencies in any setting. The NIOSH Storm, Flood, and Hurricane Response website provides information to help employers and workers prepare in advance for anticipated response activities and to prevent work-related injuries and illnesses in the field once rescue, recovery, and clean-up activities begin.
National Safety Council
An emergency can strike at any time, whether from a fire, natural disaster, release of hazardous material, medical issues, workplace violence and more. Being prepared is crucial. With the first week of June also being National CPR and AED Awareness Week, NSC encourages you to watch this survivor video and download the free NSC First Aid App.
Slips, Trips, and Falls
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
NIOSH has many fall prevention resources on its website including the ladder safety app, and the mast climbing work platform inspection tool.
Falls continue to be the leading cause of construction deaths accounting for approximately 35% of all construction fatalities from 2011-2021. This year marks the 10th annual National Safety Stand-Down to prevent falls in construction, an event to raise awareness that falls among construction workers are preventable.
The highest numbers of nonfatal fall injuries are in the health services and the wholesale and retail sectors. NIOSH research found that providing highly-rated slip-resistant shoes to food service workers led to a 67% reduction in workers' compensation claims for slip injuries.
National Safety Council
NSC provides statistics on workplace falls both to a lower level and on the same level as well as older adult falls to help show the scope of the problem. NSC also offers a Falls from Heights Toolkit, which provides best practices, planning tools, fact sheets, posters and more.
Heat-related Illness
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
Heat-illness prevention programs should include elements for monitoring weather and assessing the environmental heat at worksites, an acclimatization plan for new and returning workers, engineering controls (such as shade structures, ventilation, and reflective barriers), appropriate hydration resources, work/rest schedules, emergency plans, and training for supervisors and workers. Employers should provide training to workers so they understand what heat stress is and its contributing risk factors, symptoms of heat-related illness and first aid, and what steps can be taken to reduce risk.
A number of resources are available on the NIOSH Heat Stress website including the Criteria for a Recommended Standard: Occupational Exposure to Heat and Hot Environments; the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool App; the Prevent Heat-Related Illness Poster; and the OSHA-NIOSH Small Business Safety and Health Handbook. To catch the latest resources, webinars, and events on heat across collaborating Federal partners, visit Heat.gov.
National Safety Council
The Council’s Injury Facts website shares that in 2021, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reported 201 people died and 67 were injured in the U.S. from weather-related excessive heat.
Hazard Recognition
National Institute for Occupational Occupational Saftey and Health
Recognizing hazards in the workplace is the first step to preventing injury and death. NIOSH offers several tools to help workers and employers identify hazards.
- The NIOSH Sound Level Meter mobile app is a tool to measure sound levels in the workplace and provide noise exposure parameters that empower workers and employers to help reduce occupational noise-induced hearing loss.
- The NIOSH Lifting Equation mobile application, NLE Calc, is a tool to calculate the overall risk index for manual lifting tasks to reduce the incidence of low back injuries in workers.
- The Aerial Lift Hazard Recognition Simulator helps prevent falls and other injuries and deaths related to aerial lifts. From 2011-2014, 1,380 workers were injured and 87 died as a result of operating an aerial lift.