What could have been done to prevent this accident and court proceedings? A working health and safety plan. Health and safety plans and procedures only are effective if they are practiced. A daily, documented inspection of this dolly and loading procedures would have prevented this accident. ABB Safety Net provides aid in maintaining a health and safety program. E-mailed notices are provided as reminders of up and coming events to keep a health and safety program legal. Proper documented training and a daily safety log of the dolly would have prevented this case from a fine and would have diminished the accident from occurring in the first place.

A working program will:

1) Improve employee morale-shows care in their well being

2) Reduce revenue loses-fewer accidents keeps employees working and reduces insurance premiums and also can lead to rebates on insurance

3) Give a boost to the customer-having fewer accidents means all employees are available for work

Writing a health and safety program is a huge and frustrating task. Where to start? ABB Safety Net can help. ABB Safety Net will issue a written plan with your company’s name for your company. Secondly ABB Safety Net will provide a self hazard assessment for your company (nobody knows your company better than you). Further ABB Safety Net will research requirements for your region to make your program complies with legal requirements such as: “do you need a formal committee?”, “need first aid training?”, “what needs to be posted?”, or even being “certified?”

Now, the written plan is ready what’s next? You must live and maintain the plan. Documentation is everything for your and your employee’s protection. ABB Safety Net will provide an employee’s safety manual and a form to sign. ABB Safety Net will also provide simple forms for daily start-ups, monthly walk-throughs, quarterly meetings, and annual meetings. To aid in maintenance for your health and safety plan, ABB Safety Net will e-mail these forms as a reminder of the occurrences when they are due. ABB Safety Net will even e-mail a random fire drill to test for fire safety.

What happens when an accident does occur? With a working plan in place you will have all needed forms and you will have all documentation in place. You will even have an investigation procedure in place to aid in preventing the accident from occurring again. In case an accident does occur, an investigation would have taken place by you and not by the safety inspector. You would have come to the conclusion first and would have the report ready before the safety inspector stopped by.

Now, how would you answer these questions from a safety inspector “Where is your health and safety plan?” “Here is our plan that we are very proud of and our accident rate has almost become zero.” “Where is the safety documentation of this injured worker?” “Here is all of the safety documentation of training. It was a misfortune that this accident did occur. Here is our accident investigation report and our conclusions on how to prevent this from occurring again.”

Give ABB Safety Net a call at (416)276-0017 or drop us an e-mail at ABBSafetyNet@gmail.com for help in your health and safety plan and maintenance today.

Communicating safety issues effectively to a diverse workforce represents one of these challenges. As a risk management consultant for many years, Iâ??ve gathered solid information and experience on the best way to communicate safety and workers’ compensation messages to a large and diverse workforce, including organizations with thousands of employees with diverse backgrounds and many different job descriptions.

We can call this the Five/Four Method: 5 Safety Communication Techniques and 4 Safety Message Formats. Before beginning, identify your target audience and the safety message you want to give.

However, the most important thing an employer must do before implementing any safety communication program is meet with employees and supervisors to discover their ideas on what needs to be communicated and how best to do it.

Five Safety Communication Techniques

First: Identify the specific message you want to communicate.

Example: Is the message about getting employees to work more safely around certain equipment?

Or is it to provide information on steps to take if they are injured?

Second: Identify the skill set and grade level of your audience.

Example: A message to the vice president level on how to improve commitment to the safety program would be presented differently than instructions to first-line employees on how to report an accident.

A general rule of thumb for thinking about language levels is to keep in mind the Wall Street Journal is written at a first-year college level, while the Reader’s Digest is written at a sixth grade reading level.

Third: Consider the job functions and how best to get your message across.

Example: Some employees might spend most of their work day in an office or one specific area of a plant. Others may spend it working in different areas of the plant or facility. Still others may spend their day driving from location to location. Itâ??s a good idea to tailor your safety message to the types of safety issues more likely to effect those employees and areas of work. 

Fourth: Identify the languages your employees speak. Donâ??t assume they will be just English and/or Spanish. There can be many other languages. In many areas of the country there are large contingents of Russian speaking workers just to mention one. In addition, there are differences within languages, such as Cuban Spanish and Puerto Rican Spanish. 

It would not be too far off the mark to suggest management survey their workersâ?? languages and provide all safety messages as appropriate. This is especially true if non-English speaking workers are employed in high-risk safety areas.

Fifth: Consider the work environment. If you have congenial workforce, don’t use a heavy-handed communication style. Save it for a workforce where there may be a lot of discontent and resentment.

Four Safety Message Formats

Now itâ??s time to look at a number of ways to present your safety message.

1. Wallet Cards: A heavy-duty wallet card is one of the most effective tools to give your employees to convey your safety message. Each card is printed with important safety information and/or accident reporting information.

A wallet card for accidents would provide information on where to seek treatment in the workplace, where to report the accident, where to file a workers’ compensation claim (usually with the workers’ compensation coordinator), the importance of returning to work as quickly as possible, etc. The card also has contact information for the workers’ compensation office and other parties involved in the process. (E.g.: TPA, insurance rep, etc.).

Information is printed in English on one side and Spanish on the other (or another prevailing language from your workforce). Supervisors receive different cards outlining their role in responding to accidents.

2.  Safety Sheets: A laminated one-page safety sheet is another good option. Post in each work area using a permanent non-removable method. Use bright-colored paper to draw all employeesâ?? attention to it, but allowing the supervisor to distinguish this post from other posted documents. Direct the employeesâ?? attention by saying: â??Please read the safety information on the orange sheet.”

3. Pictograms in one-page safety sheets are very useful in communicating with people who have lower level language skills or who speak different languages. An example might be pictograms on proper lifting techniques.

Each month a different safety sheet on a different safety topic is posted: on lifting correctly; on fall protection; slips and falls, etc. Also, give each employee an individual copy for permanent reference.

4. Safety Packets: For employees who drive all day, prepare safety packets of information to be stored in a glove compartment. The packet also contains a disposable camera for use at the site to record an accident, along with an accident reporting form.

For more information and tools, see WC Cost Reduction Tips. (www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com/lower-reduce-workers-comp-costs.php There are several free forms and tools on the site.)

Note:  Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws are different. Consult with your corporate legal counsel before implementing any cost containment programs.

Robert Elliott, senior vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workersâ?? Compensation costs, including airlines, health care, manufacturing, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality. Contact him at: Robert_Elliott@reduceyourworkerscomp.com or 860-553-6604.

©2008 Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc., All rights reserved under International Copyright Law

In buying your safety shoes, you might deal with making a choice between a standard and a military style boot. Standard shoes have that comfortable feeling and suitable for any daily activities. Military style boots, on the other hand, are suitable for any rigorous activities or jobs that may require extra protection, maybe from a big fall or heavy materials.
But no matter which type of safety shoes you plan to buy and irrespective of the amount of money you are willing to spend for your shoes, the most important factor in choosing your safety shoes (or steel-toe boots) is the manner in which your feet fits inside them. Your safety shoes, unlike ordinary shoes, should last for a long time and therefore you have to choose what you think is the best and most comfortable pair for you.
Choosing the best pair of shoes for you can be a challenge in itself. But the improved performance and the unparalleled experience of a perfect safety is well worth your efforts to find the most comfortable safety shoes that will meet your safety needs. Read on for the inside story of finding the perfect pair of safety shoes or steel-toe boots.

Listen To Yourself And Yourself Alone

So what if your friend has an expensive pair of professional grade safety shoes? When you are buying shoes avoid being influenced by other peoples’ choices. Most safety shoes look great on the outside but can be heavy and downright painful to wear; so never sacrifice comfort by going with what your friends like and tell you what to buy. Your feet are unique and you alone can decide the kind of safety shoes that will work for you best.

Do Not Rush

Looking for the perfect safety shoes for you can take a chunk of your precious time. Avoid committing the folly of rushing thru your shopping for shoes. Unlike ordinary footwear that can embody the form of your feet over time, safety shoes do not easily and conveniently mold into the unique shape of your feet. So you need to set aside ample time in choosing your shoes before making the purchase.

Try out every pair for sizes. It is also a good practice to try the shoes wearing the socks that you will use in daily life. If you found a pair that you think fits, try walking around in it. If they still feel comfortable after leaving the shoes on for a few minutes, then you may have found your perfect safety shoes.

Resist The Urge To Buy Bigger Safety Shoes

The problem with safety shoes is that they are harder and they seem inflexible unlike ordinary leather shoes. So some people tend to buy safety shoes that are a little oversized to give more room for the feet. Oversized shoes can cause injuries like sprains and even bone fractures. If your safety shoes are oversized, try wearing thick socks to compensate for too much space inside your shoes.

In buying safety shoes, always put in mind that comfort, while foremost on your list, should not eliminate your safety and stability when you are wearing it. These factors should be balanced in order for you to have safe and unforgettable rigourous or advanterous activities.

–

For high quality SAFETY SHOES made in Malaysia, visit=> Frontier Safety Footwear
The article was written by Shizu, supplied by Joomla! Malaysia

Disclaimer – This article may be freely reprinted in its entirety in any e-zine, newsletter, blog or website. The author’s name and website links must remain intact and be included with every reproduction.

The field of Health and Safety should not be confused with the field of Safety Engineering. The more formal title for Health and Safety is Occupational Safety and Health. While Safety Engineering is a full-fledged branch of Engineering, Occupational Safety and Health is more of a scientific, medical, technical, managerial, & regulatory domain. This is reflected in its administration in the country by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) coming under the US Department of Labor, and The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) under the US Department of Health and Human Services.

What it Involves

Health and Safety Distance Learning involves taking an Associate, Bachelors, or Graduate Degree in Occupational Safety and Health through the distance or online mode. Several Graduate and Undergraduate Certificate Courses are also available. Those planning to become Health and Safety Technicians can go for an Associate or even a Certificate Course, while those aspiring to become Health and Safety Specialists should go for at least a Bachelors, as the main employer in the domain, the Federal and State Governments, have fixed it as the minimum qualification.

However, there are more Graduate Degree Courses in Health and Safety Distance Learning than Bachelors or Associate Degree Courses. This is mainly driven by the private sector’s preference to employ Graduate experts with a firm background in supporting subjects like Science or Medicine.

Various professional certifications available in this domain like the Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH), Occupational Health and Safety Technologist (OHST) require passing stringent examinations, and the training for them are also available through Health and Safety Distance Learning.

Why Health and Safety?

The discipline of Occupational Safety and Health is a fast growing field that is concerned with the safety and health of employees, customers, and the public. While the best managed companies go in for elaborate Health and Safety Departments to stand out in business ethics and cut the loss of employee productivity, many others are forced to create a Health and Safety program, at least to comply with the civil and criminal laws and thus avoid litigation. This has resulted in the field growing steadily over the past several years, and is expected to grow even further, through the next ten years.

Specialists and Technicians in this field get to work in large private firms or Governments (Federal, State, or Local), where the overall benefits will be much better than in smaller organizations. Most Health and Safety Specialists earn approximately between US $40,000 to US $80,000, while Technicians can expect a salary between US $30,000 to US $70,000.

Why Health and Safety Distance Learning?

Since it is a critical service, the private sector as well as governments demand experience in the field as a prerequisite for employment. This has resulted in a preference for those already exposed to the domain, due to work in an allied field obtained after undergraduate education in engineering, biology, or chemistry. As such, it is very important for those aspiring to be a Health and Safety Professional to undertake simultaneous work in this domain or in an allied field. The best option for such candidates is Health and Safety Distance Learning.

Universities & Colleges Offering Health and Safety Distance Learning

Many Universities and colleges offer Health and Safety Distance Learning courses, but the course names tend to be very different from each other. Tulane University offers three Graduate Degrees in the field, which are distinguished for their real-time, live interaction sessions over the internet. Spanning two years, these courses are Masters of Public Health (MPH) in Occupational Health and Safety Management, MPH in Occupational Health for Health Professionals, and Master of Science in Public Health (MSPH) in Industrial Hygiene.

Indiana State University offers a Master of Science in Health and Safety, with a specialization in Occupational Safety Management. The course delivery is primarily through television, but a weekly personal interaction with the instructor might be necessary.

Montana Tech Graduate School of University of Montana offers an online M.S. in Industrial Hygiene. Featuring advanced study in Occupational Health, the course also equips the students for the certification program by American Board for Industrial Hygiene. Montana Tech makes no distinctions between its regular and online students for this course.

Apart from such prestigious Universities, many smaller institutions also offer Health and Safety Distance Learning. However, prospective students need to ascertain the accreditation details as numerous institutions with poor accreditations also offer these courses.

The field of Safety Engineering should not be confused with the related but clearly distinct field of Occupational Health and Safety, sometimes called as just Health and Safety. To add to the confusion, Safety Engineering is often titled Health and Safety Engineering, by some institutions and industry segments. Academically, the most distinguishing factor between the two allied fields is that while Occupational Health and Safety might have Applied Science, Engineering, and Management components, Safety Engineering is purely an engineering branch.

What it Involves

Safety Distance Learning Masters involves taking a Master of Science (M.S.) or Master of Engineering (M.E.) degree in Safety Engineering, or Health and Safety Engineering, or in Systems Engineering with emphasis on Safety Engineering, from Universities or Colleges offering these courses through the online or distant mode. Generally, Safety Distance Learning Masters is attempted by working engineers with a Bachelor Degree in branches like Mechanical, Production, Industrial, Chemical, Electrical, or Civil, who can put Safety Engineering to use in their domains.

Due to the shorter history of the subject, the available courses in Safety Distance Learning Masters are somewhat limited in number, and it might be necessary to also look at Systems Engineering courses with main or partial emphasis on Safety Engineering, to find a suitable degree in this subject. Membership in the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE), and the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) certification from the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), can also be attempted by working engineers opting for Safety Distance Learning Masters.

Why Safety Engineering?

The majority of Safety Engineers with a Master Degree get an average salary of more than US $63,000, which can go up to more than US $92,000 depending upon on experience, expertise, and certifications like CSP. However, it is not financial prospects alone that are attracting more and more engineers to take up Safety Engineering – it has more to do with the increasingly important role these professionals have come to assume in design teams, during the past several years.

Though many aspects of Safety Engineering have been in practice since the early 1900s, it was only very recently that Safety Engineering gathered prominence and momentum in the industry as an engineering branch in its own might. The problem was that though Safety Engineers were always part of the engineering team, their role was limited to inspecting completed projects for possible hazards, and recommending additional modules to overcome the detected safety problems. Such an ad-hoc approach to Safety Engineering – often called ‘Industrial Safety’ – is followed even to this day in industries like Chemical Manufacturing. The real revolution in Safety Engineering happened when the US Military realized that ‘Industrial Safety’ is not enough for complex mission-critical applications like Aerospace, Space Shuttles, Nuclear Reactors, Submarines, and Inter-Continental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM). The newly developed Systems Approach – as in Systems Engineering – was applied to Safety Engineering, to come up with what is today termed as System Safety, and is the main reason behind Safety Engineering’s prominence, today.

In contrast with the earlier ‘Industrial Safety’ methods, System Safety procedures ensure the Safety Engineer’s role in the design team from the preliminary design phase itself. No stage of the design passes to the next stage without the Safety Engineer’s approval, and it is often half-jokingly told that Safety Engineers say the last word in design!

Today, Safety Engineering’s Systems Approach is found not only in military or mission-critical applications, but throughout the industry, and in various civilian infrastructure projects like undersea tunnels and earthquake resistant high-rises, thereby fuelling the demand for Safety Engineers.

Why Safety Distance Learning Masters?

Since the subject is less intensive on hands-on lab work, and more intensive on engineering mathematics, decision making structures, predictive models, and specialized Safety Engineering software packages (like, CAFTA used for Nuclear Reactors, and SAPHIRE used for Space Shuttles), Safety Distance Learning Masters is very much deliverable using current distance or online technologies.

The fact that the majority of aspirants for Safety Distance Learning Masters, are working engineers, adds to its attraction as the preferred mode for this subject.

What to Expect from Safety Distance Learning Masters, in the Future?

Federal Government and various R&D oriented Government Agencies like NASA, DOE, USAF, etc. continues to be the major employers of Safety Engineers in the USA. However, this is rapidly changing with the private sector industries going for Safety Engineering in a big way. This demand will see more and more courses and options coming up in Safety Distance Learning Masters.