Material Handling Ergonomics Support Occupational Health and Safety ProMat 2019 is in the rearview mirror. Some exciting and interesting products and automation breakthrough technologies were introduced during the MHI event. Back on the manufacturing plant floor and warehouse distribution center floor are real issues of occupational health and safety (OH&S). More than regulatory compliance, most material handling ergonomic and safety professionals are totally committed to decreasing the occurrence of injuries. OH&S experts recommend designing the job to fit the employee or simply adopting ergonomics in the workplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) suggests methods how to improve ergonomics in material handling. From improving work processes to reducing injury and promoting productivity there is always room for improvement. Too often there is excessive manual lifting, lowering, filling, or emptying containers. There are better tools (equipment) that minimize manual lifting and material handling. Ergonomic equipment includes rotating carts, tilt carts, and custom kit carts. The quality and safety functions are always a blend of management and employees working together to create and use safe policies that improve work habits. There is not a single solution, but some practical solutions include job rotation among employees. Employees shift between different jobs or workstations at specific time intervals. The variety of tasks increases as the employee performs more duties. When there is a labor shortage (unemployment remains consistently below 4 percent), keeping employees engaged is far easier if boredom and sloppy work habits are avoided. Job rotation is a well-planned practice to reduce the boredom of doing same type of job every day and explore the hidden potential of an employee. The process serves the purpose of both the management and the employees. It helps management in discovering the talent of employees reinforcing best safety practices. Ergonomic Training and Work Area DesignManagement must also ensure that the employees are trained on the proper lifting, material handling techniques, and equipment. Every decision made by employees during a work shift must include ergonomic considerations. Improving the design of the work area is the preferred method of lowering risk for injury. The layout and organization make it possible for materials to be handled without needing to bend, twist, or stretch excessively. By incorporating ergonomics in the layout of the work area, fundamental health and safety principles can be incorporated. Simple kaizen events can corroborate that all materials are positioned at work level and adjustable. A workbench should have an adjustable height and tilt to improve the employee's working position. Similarly, there must be enough space to turn around to avoid twisting the body. Adjustable suspenders or support should be available when operating heavy tools. This decreases muscular effort and pressure exerted on the back. Reducing Injury and Increasing ProductivityThe potential for reducing injury related costs alone makes ergonomic interventions a useful tool for improving a company's productivity, product quality, and overall business competitiveness. Often, productivity gets an additional and solid shot in the arm when managers and workers take a fresh look at how best to use energy, equipment, and exertion to get the job done in the most efficient, effective, and effortless way possible. Ergonomics, Moving Toward Fork Truck FreeErgonomics in material handling focuses on the prevention, not treatment, of work-related injuries. It aims to eliminate fatigue and discomfort before the employee experiences a painful musculoskeletal disorder. Tow tractors with heavy-duty carts are now widely used to move materials efficiently. Even companies that are hesitant to give up forklifts at first are now using tugger trucks as they gently move toward a fork truck-free environment. Both manned and unmanned trucks have proven to be more efficient, more cost effective, and more productive. Most importantly, they are also more ergonomic and more flexible to use than the traditional forklifts. Andy Legut is the Midwest Sales Manager for FlexQube, Inc. and the longest running North American employee for FlexQube. He has years of experience working alongside different manufacturing facilities and providing ergonomic, efficient, and safe FlexQube solutions. Legut is from Grosse Ile, Mich. (not far from Detroit), so he has grown up with the automotive industry in his blood. He can be reached at 734-624- 2121 or [email protected]. Posted on Apr 26, 2019 Let's block ads! (Why?)

Operator Digital Twins: Doubling Up to Boost Safety in the Oil and Gas Space We are living in the era of intelligence.The fourth industrial revolution is well underway. Following in the footsteps of mechanization, the assembly line and the IT revolution, digital transformation including Cyber-Physical Systems, IoT Networks and Digital Twins are driving this latest installment of the industrial revolution. In fact, by the end of 2019, digital transformation spending will reach $1.7 trillion worldwide – with investments in everything from robotics, drones and connected sensors to virtual and augmented reality, big data and analytics, wearables, and apps. Safety is driving change in the oil and gas workplace.Many of these technologies – especially wearables – are helping us create safer work environments by creating awareness of operator location in context, tracking exposure to hazardous environments, removing operator fatigue as an incident root case, and getting real-time critical information to the plant floor when it matters most. Say hello to the Operator Digital Twin.The Digital Twin concept has been talked about a lot in relation to physical assets. So how might we exponentially improve worker safety by applying digital twin concepts to our human assets? Here's how it works. Your employee is outfitted with wearable technologies . . . smart electronic devices incorporated into clothing or worn on the body as implants or accessories, such as: Smart watch Wearable holographic computers or Smart Heads-up Display (HUD) Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Tags Smart workwear (biometric vests, hard hats, boots) Microchips Via the cloud and utilizing the intelligent edge, IoT data is collected to inform machine learning, statistical models and physical models – thereby creating the virtual doppelgänger – the Operator Digital Twin. These data are used to model the human twin's work habits, provide fatigue modeling, and identify hazards in the environment. For example: Measure trips, falls, step frequency, and acceleration, leveraging the data to identify previously unknown hazards and the person's exposure to them. Monitor location (GPS, RFID) and thereby be able to quickly assess proximity to potential hazards and incidents and advise the affected personnel in real time. Alert to unsafe environment conditions. Monitor various potential exposures such as weights being lifted, Fatigue prediction exposures, exposure to radiation, then generate immediate mitigation actions. Resource extraction company deploys Operator Digital Twin for safer operations.A case in point – to reduce safety incidents, a U.S.-based company employed Operator Digital Twins to track key biometrics data and used machine learning (ML) to build twin models specifically for fatigue prediction. This operation runs 24/7 and includes high-risk elements such as large earth-moving equipment, ledges without safety rails, and other factors that contribute to incidents resulting in serious injury or even death. The outcome? The company runs a fatigue prediction score and has activated early fatigue alerting and equipment emergency shutdown in critical fatigue situations. Opportunity is not without obstacles.While the Operator Digital Twin model opens up a world of possibilities for the oil and gas industry, there are a few challenges to consider: Hardware – Wearables still need to improve in the areas of connectivity, power consumption, heat and emissions, ergonomics, functionality, durability and safety. Privacy – Due to the nature of the information collected, anonymizing the retained data is a must and GDPR creates additional challenges in that regard. Compliance – Wearables that aren't accepted by employees into the corporate culture tend to be damaged, forgotten, or otherwise neglected. In a recent personnel tracking project, Avanade found a 70 percent compliance rate – it needs to be higher. Cultural transformation – The move toward Operation Digital Twins requires a massive change in the way people think and work. Neglecting cultural change management will only lead to low compliance rates and ultimately reduce the ROI from both safety and financial standpoints. The time is now to start thinking about how Operator Digital Twins can help improve workplace safety, security, and productivity at your organization. Avanade Director and Southwest Innovation Lead Thor Schueler is a results-driven leader, engaging presenter, strategist, and subject matter expert in the digital innovation ecosystem space. His expertise spans more than 25 years working with transformative technologies, including SaaS/cloud, application development, Enterprise Content Management, and the Microsoft stack, including SharePoint, Office 365 and Azure applications. He joined Avanade in 2017, where he plays a key role as Innovation Lead for the Southwest region, working with clients in oil and gas, construction, and other industries to drive innovation with game-changing digital solutions. His earlier career includes customer-facing and technical positions at global and start-up consulting firms. He earned a Master of Science, Electrical Engineering and Information Technology degree from Dresden University of Technology in Dresden, Germany, and holds numerous leadership, project management, software development and technical designations. Posted on Mar 26, 2019 Let's block ads! (Why?)

Lessons From the Lazy River A few years ago I did some contract work for a large construction and engineering firm. My division specialized in partnering with large manufacturing facilities to perform facility maintenance. One morning, the Operations Manager at the beverage facility I was working in at the time called in a "huge waterfall" that needed to be contained immediately. Mostly out of sheer curiosity, I tagged along with my Project Manager and two of our mechanical technicians to witness the spectacle. The PM made it clear to us that we were not going to do the work, only survey it and tell the client if we could (contractual stuff, you know). We arrived at the site and sure enough, it was not simply a waterfall. It was, indeed, a "HUGE" one. The facility had a 40" pipe that snaked throughout the production areas that was used to transport waste process water. They called it the Lazy River. That day the river was not lazy in the least. From what we were told, the leak had been minor up until that morning. In their desire to not halt production, someone had attempted to patch the pipe with cardboard and duct tape (literally). That hadn't worked at all and the waterfall was now spewing all over the room. As we approached, the technicians and I began assessing the issue to figure out how we might accomplish the task. I was there for Safety oversight, of course, so I began identifying all of the potential risks I could see along with one of the technicians. "That pipe right underneath the leak is asbestos," he said. "Is that a problem?" I looked it over and offhandedly made a joke. "No, it's already wet. Shouldn't be an issue." We both chuckled but then continued assessing the risks, to include the asbestos pipe. In the end, however, our company was not asked to assist with the fix. The client decided to take care of it on their own and the commotion died down shortly after. The next day I was called in to Human Resources. There I was informed that some anonymous employee(s) had reported that I had knowingly exposed our associates to asbestos hazards. Once I collected myself and cooled down from my immediate angry response to that false accusation, I was cleared of the charge. There were quite a few life lessons that I took away from that episode, but in particular, the event left me with two profound safety lessons. 1st: What you say as a Safety & Health Practitioner is INCREDIBLY important. 2nd: We must educate employees about the difference between a RISK and a HAZARD. That first lesson doesn't need much explanation. It should go without saying, but remember, we Safety Practitioners run the risk of misinterpretation, misrepresentation, or just outright falsehood every time we open our mouths. Once it occurs, it doesn't matter why your words are not understood, so don't get too wrapped up in that. The key is ensuring that your message is clear, consistent, and correct. That's not to say you can't make a mistake, but we should be making every reasonable effort to send the right message. It's a burden that should never be taken lightly because people are trusting us to make responsible decisions that will affect their very lives. Humor has its place, just be sure it stays where it should (and who you say it to). The second lesson is a bit more nuanced. As I just mentioned, safety affects people's lives. So, often discussions about safety are inherently emotional. Most would agree that people tend not to make great decisions when our emotions are heightened, so allowing emotion to govern worker safety is a flawed strategy. I've witnessed it throughout my career, however. Even by some who are well experienced and competent safety professionals. The scenario can play out anywhere, but we've all likely witnessed at least one safety inspection gone awry where the "inspector" finds some egregious violation or hazard and comes unglued. I would tend to refer them back to lesson #1 in those cases and remind them that what they say matters. In my experience, workers don't respond well to righteous indignation. We should consider one essential function of our jobs as Safety Practitioners to be removing the emotion from the safety discussion. That will help employees distinguish between what is a hazard and what is a risk (to them personally). If we are not good at that task, we run the risk of allowing people to get "spun up" about things that are not likely to cause them harm while entirely missing the things that will. Let me use the Lazy River story to illustrate that. If my organization had taken on that repair job, we would have been working at a height of about 15 feet in very close quarters. While it's true that there was an asbestos pipe near the work, it was fully intact (not in a friable state) and scaffold could easily have been erected that would have isolated the workers from it. So in this case, though asbestos certainly has hazards associated with it, it would not have posed a risk of exposure. On the other hand, there was an exposed, energized electrical junction box that was directly beneath the waterfall. There would have been no way to avoid being near it, or probably even touching it. No one noticed it except me because they were too excited about the scary asbestos pipe. That was the real risk. The Safety field is full of meaningful lessons like these every day. Most are not life-altering lessons, but they are things that need to be shared. Looking at the work world through an objective lens goes a long way toward rationally identifying hazards at a work site, then deliberately managing them based on the risks associated. We should always strive to attack the risks that matter most without getting lost in a sea of hazards. Our people will be better, and safer, when we do. Jason Maldonado ([email protected]) is a Certified Safety Professional and SMS with 15 years of varied industry experience. Currently employed by Leprino Foods, he is the safety manager at a mozzarella factory that employs nearly 700 people. Posted on Mar 22, 2019 Let's block ads! (Why?)

10 Essential Items Every Carpenter Should Have When Working in the Cold and Snow Carpenters are often concerned more about how the weather affects the wood than how it affects them, but harsh weather is not to be taken lightly by the worker wielding a saw. When you're handling heavy machinery in sub-zero temps and aren't wearing the proper gear, you risk reduced dexterity, numbness and pain—all symptoms that could put you in danger when you're working with sharp objects. Those big machines take up a lot of space and, for many woodworkers, that means spending a fair amount of time working in the shed, garage or outdoors. Be sure that you have the items from the following list to keep you safe, dexterous and productive when temperatures are low. A pair of warm work gloves. A carpenter's best, most called-to-action tools aren't his circular saw, tape measure, or hammer. They're his hands. Smart, hands-on workers need to invest in a good pair of high-quality carpentry gloves that are three things simultaneously: warm, flexible, and protective. Look for a pair that has extra insulation and protective pads on the fingers and palms to keep you safe from cold shock, frostbite and injury. Gloves that let you use your phone and other electronics will help reduce the temptation to remove them, effectively keeping hands even warmer. A high-tech hot beverage cup. One of the simplest ways you can quickly warm the body and the hands is by sipping or holding a hot cup of liquid. Whether it's a fresh-brewed cup of coffee, some hot chocolate, or herbal tea, always carry a warm beverage that helps you maintain a safe body temperature. Look for cups and mugs that have double-wall, vacuum-insulated designs to keep hot drinks hotter for longer. A face mask that won't affect vision. The face mask is one very fundamental but often-overlooked piece of outdoor apparel for those who work in the cold. Not only do the right masks or balaclavas help to seal out cold on one of your body's most vulnerable and exposed areas, but they also help prevent your respiratory passageways from becoming dry, which can lead to pain and coughing due to breathing in cold, dry air. A pair of ultra-warm coveralls. Ditch your typical carpenter overalls for a pair of performance-grade carpentry coveralls that pack in the warmth. These are great second layers for the agile worker who does a lot of moving around, as they eliminate any vulnerable openings or gaps and ensure that more parts of your body are sealed off from the bitter cold. The right coveralls will be made with the carpenter in mind, with tool loops and extra pockets to stash all the small tools you reach for more than others. A reliable weather app. Don't dismiss the cold even in mild temps - you may be at risk for hypothermia, even in temps as high as 50°F. Your level of risk depends on how cold it is, how cold it feels (know the wind chill factor) and how long you plan to be outside. You might be at a high risk for developing frostbite even if temperatures are hovering around 32°F when the wind is strong enough. Monitor the temperature and wind chill closely with a reliable weather app on your phone or tablet. A cold weather emergency kit. In the event that you or one of your coworkers experiences symptoms of cold shock, such as hypothermia or frostbite, you should be prepared with a cold weather emergency kit. It should contain a warm wool blanket, a first aid kit, and water. If you do a fair amount of driving from work site to work site in the winter, be sure your truck is equipped with a winter vehicle emergency kit. A portable heater and shelter. To avoid cold shock in very frigid weather, you need to be able to take frequent short breaks from the cold. Often, if you're working on construction sites or in-progress environments, there's no easy and warm place to retreat. Create a temporary "break room" with a portable electric heater and a temporary shelter to trap the heat. Just make sure you use a tent heater to reduce the risk of fire. A set of single-use hand warmers. Another great accessory for your truck or cold-weather emergency kit, the single-use hand warmer provides an instant boost of warmth to quickly torch your hands, feet and other parts of the body. The warmers are activated by breaking the package, are usually fully heated up within 15 or 30 minutes, and can last all day. Warm, well-fitting boots. It can be a challenge for carpenters who work in extreme environments to find safe, comfortable work boots that just so happen to be warm, too. The difference between winter-ready carpentry boots and those used the rest of the year is that the former should be waterproof and provide extra insulation. When all you can think about is how cold your feet are, you aren't thinking about the job at hand. A set of thermal base layers. Though not as vital as your outer layers, your base layers can make a massive difference when the weather is nasty. These are the thin, moisture-wicking garments you wear closest to your skin, otherwise known as thermal or long underwear. They act like extra layers of skin to seal out wind and cold while also helping mitigate and evaporate sweat, keeping you dry. Your Body Relies on Your Safety at WorkAs an all-season carpenter, it's extremely important that you pay close attention to the weather and do everything you can do to avoid frostbite, hypothermia, and other cold-related conditions. Remember that your most expensive and important tools are the parts of your body—fingers, toes and back, among others—so you have to do everything you can to keep them safe while on the job. Just like each project, days working in the cold require a little bit of preparation for safety and success. Natalie Bucsko is a Marketing Communications Specialist with RefrigiWear. Posted on Mar 04, 2019 Let's block ads! (Why?)

Roadside Safety & The First Responder You've Probably Forgotten This year marks the 25th anniversary of the event that led to the enactment of the first Move Over law in the United States, aimed at helping keep our first responders safe. On Jan. 28, 1994, a passing vehicle struck paramedic James Garcia on the side of a two-lane highway near Lexington, S.C., while he was responding to a distress call. Not only did Garcia suffer permanent impairment to his left arm and leg, but he was also considered at fault simply because he was doing his job. At the time of the accident, neither South Carolina nor any other state offered comprehensive protections to emergency workers either on the side of the road or in it. In nearly all cases, vehicles had the right of way. However, in the last two and a half decades, thanks to the efforts of James and many others, Move Over laws have been implemented in all 50 states. These laws require drivers to move over a lane or slow down when passing active, but stopped or parked, emergency or service vehicles. However, even today, these types of accidents involving first responders still occur all too often – and one type of first responder is being put at particular risk: the tow operator. Approximately 30 percent of the public remains unaware of Move Over laws, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. In addition, these laws can be difficult to enforce and many drivers consider them as mere suggestion rather than rule. In Tennessee, for instance, nearly 2,300 people in 2018 were ticketed for not moving over – an increase of almost 50 percent from two years ago.   Further, even when drivers are aware of the need to slow down when safe to do so and switch lanes, there is a misconception that Move Over applies only to roadside police, EMTs, or firefighters, and they therefore often fail to move over for tow operators, even though laws in all 50 states include these professionals. As a result, the job of a tow operator is one of the most dangerous – and overlooked – in the world, sometimes arriving to accidents or roadside incidents even before law enforcement, medics, or firefighters and usually staying well after others have left to clean up. (Police officers often leave accidents scenes before tow truck drivers have cleared the disabled vehicle, leaving them potentially unprotected and vulnerable to traffic.) More Light Must Be Shed on Dangers Drivers FaceEvery day, tow operators face aggressive drivers, hazards on the side of the road, and the risks of operating heavy equipment. According to the International Towing Museum, an average of 60 tow operators are killed each year after being struck by vehicles on the side of the road. This means that the towing industry sees one death approximately every six days. Already this year, tow operators in more than a dozen states have been struck by passing vehicles or assaulted by angry drivers. Because of this, the towing industry nationwide is suffering. Tow operators both large and small are facing significant driver availability and retention headwinds as alternative and less dangerous opportunities, such as shared-ride services or parcel delivery, attract employees. This high-risk profession is also increasingly difficult to insure, and several prominent insurers have dropped their tow liability coverage options, causing costs to skyrocket. As tow businesses struggle, the potential reverberation across other industries – from automotive companies to insurance providers, motor clubs to municipalities – could be great, especially considering the need for this profession isn't slowing. Vehicle miles traveled – a significant force driving roadside and tow incident rates – are increasing. Today, cars are owned longer and driven farther. And, near into the future, autonomous vehicle technology will increase car use, with cars driven potentially 20 times more than they are today. Further, as automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) continue eliminating spare tires in new car models to reduce vehicle weight and increase fuel efficiency, more simple roadside incidents – like flat tire changes – will become tow events. More light must be shed on this issue, and there are best practices that can be followed to help. First, all drivers should familiarize themselves with the Move Over law in their state, the specifics of which may vary. Second, drivers need to abide by the law and move over when able. Third, it's important to spread the word and speak up when a friend, family member, or taxi driver doesn't comply. Additionally, the Smith System's Smith5Keys can help encourage safer driving behavior. For industries that rely heavily on tow services, consider the implications that tow industry challenges may have your business and partnerships, such as rising costs. Evaluate your existing partnerships and consider whether these issues are being addressed. Like all first responders, tow operators set aside their own safety to help those in need. By spreading awareness of the dangers of this profession and the importance of following Move Over laws, we can help to better ensure the safety of our tow operators. Fortunately, several states have recently acted and renewed efforts around Move Over. In the last few months, laws in Virginia, Tennessee, and North Carolina, for example, have been evaluated for expansion (to now include all vehicles with flashing lights) or updated to deliver harsher punishments for violators. For more information, you can visit the Tow and Recovery Museum's website. This organization welcomes contributions to help support families of the tow operators who have lost their lives in the line of service. George Horvat, chief operating officer, is responsible for Agero's network and contact center functions, allowing the company to more effectively deliver a comprehensive, streamlined, and differentiated roadside experience for drivers in their moments of need. Posted on Feb 22, 2019

Workplace Eye Safety: From Vulnerability to Resilience You'd be hard pressed to find a company today that doesn't think it has a handle on promoting and protecting eye safety. However, the current statistics indicate that this is an area where too few organizations actually see 20/20. Some 2,000 U.S. workers suffer eye injuries that require medical treatment on a daily basis, for example, with an annualized cost to companies to the tune of $300 million in medical bills, compensation and time off. Within the manufacturing, transportation and warehousing sectors, moreover, there are over 7,000 on-the-job eye injuries annually. Clearly, there's a lot of room for improvement. In recognition of Workplace Eye Wellness month this March, here's how companies can assess the maturity of their safety models—and move from a position of reactive vulnerability to proactive and predictive resilience. Five Stages of Safety MaturityOrganizations that continually grow in their ability to identify and control specific hazards are far more effective at moving the needle when it come to injury prevention generally and eye-injury prevention specifically. So how and where should you get started? When it comes to assessing the maturity of your workforce safety model, it can be useful to think in terms of five distinct stages. Use the following diagnostic criteria to identify where your organization is today. Vulnerable: These organizations are characterized by a dangerous "no care culture." When accidents occur, these organizations naively accept them as simply part of the cost of doing business. There's little or no training around safety—with the result that accidents and incidents can sometimes be downplayed or not reported at all. Worse, near-misses are seldom recognized as opportunities for prevention and improvement, nor are they considered gaps in planning or in the system that created them. Apathy and resistance to change are characteristic of leadership and workers alike, leaving workers vulnerable to similar mishaps going forward. Apathy or resistance to change are endemic at these organizations among leadership and workers alike. Reactive: These organizations foster a "culture of blame"—and all told, they aren't doing much better than "Vulnerable" organizations. These companies similarly lack accurate recordkeeping data around incidents, most of their efforts focused on recovery efforts to restore business as usual. By restricting communication around safety and training to a need-to-know basis, these organizations tend to frame employee error as a de facto catch-all cause for safety incidents. Compliant: "Compliant" organizations have begun to accurately track incident data and are learning to better understand why incidents occur. And that starts with early efforts to set goals and assign responsibility for key safety metrics. By increasing involvement in safety planning and communication across other business units, what's more, these organizations are also able to improve overall safety efforts — and leveraging these improvements can be an important catalyst for continual improvement across other business units. Proactive: By moving toward a "culture of ownership," these organizations have begun to successfully clarify roles and responsibilities around safety. They also have specific preventive measures as well as post-incident measures in place. From leadership down to front-line personnel, detailed safety communications are a basic component of day-to-day work. And because continual risk and hazard assessments inform leadership’s outlook, we also find robust training, communication and awareness processes in place at these organizations, too.  Transformational: "Safety is the way we work" is the mantra at these organizations. In other words, safety concerns have become an instinctive part of how these organizations recognize and manage risks on an end-to-end, enterprise-wide basis. Solid safety management systems are in place. Plus, front-line ownership and senior leadership are aligned on safety expectations — with mutual respect and dependency between them for driving excellence in safety performance. Leaders at these organizations view safety as an opportunity for continued learning and improvement, and view their employees as part of the solution to potential future safety challenges. Evolving the Maturity of Your Safety CultureThe journey from a "Vulnerable" to "Transformational" safety culture isn't going to happen overnight, but you need to get started right away if you want to see improvements around eye safety in the workplace—today and in the future. Here are three essential focus areas to help you out. Safety planning: Safety planning means assessing hazards, of course, but it goes further than that, too. That means identifying practices and work methods that create risks, with the goal of eliminating these risks or at least reducing them to acceptable levels. So you'll need to comprehensively review policies and procedures. From there, you can create a roadmap for managing and measuring change — that should help ensure greater buy-in and awareness from stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Emerging risks: To transition from a reactive to a predictive approach, you need to carefully evaluate emerging risks—and consider how your goal setting for prevention is connected to managing those risks. Plus, you should think through how risk potential relates to frequent and minor risks, as well as infrequent and severe risks, too. At the end of the day, eye injuries are often best controlled through a combination of approaches—better work practices together with improved personal protective equipment (PPE), for instance. Beyond that, accountability and other workplace safety best practices must be promoted by leadership and tracked with metrics. Feedback and engagement: Far too often there are gaps between safety planning at the leadership level and what actually winds up happening at the employee level. That's why ongoing engagement and feedback from actual employees is so important. Town hall meetings, surveys, and leadership interaction at the floor level are all smart ways to promote that kind of engagement. Ultimately, the goal is to ensure that robust safety planning doesn't just exist in the abstract, but connects the workforce at both ends of the spectrum—leaders and workers—around shared safety goals. Looking to evolve your safety maturity? Start with these three areas and you should begin to see measurable improvements in eye safety in no time. Strengthen Your Safety Vision Over TimeWorkplace Eye Wellness month in March brings with it heightened awareness of the risks related to eye safety at work, but in reality, this needs to be a commitment all year-round. By using the framework we've outlined in this article, you should have a clear sense of where your organization stands today—and what the next steps are to improve. Corey Berghoefer, Senior Vice President of Risk Management & Insurance with staffing firm Randstad US, is a risk management expert with more than a decade’s worth of experience in safety and risk management, underwriting and loss control, claims management, and risk financing, accounting’ and insurance. He manages a department of 47 risk professionals with the goal of implementing proven risk management strategies into Randstad's overall business platform. Under his direction, Randstad has become acclaimed for its enterprise-wide risk management strategies, workers' compensation practices, and comprehensive focus on talent safety. He holds a BA from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Georgia. Posted on Feb 21, 2019

Why a Safe, Healthy Workplace is Good for the Bottom Line According to the Bureau of Labor Statics, nearly 3 million on-the-job injuries occurred in 2017. At any given time, this could mean significant disruptions and costs to your company as well as your employees and their families. While not all are considered serious, more than one-third of on-the-job injuries require time off work in order to recover. Safety must be a priority on the job. A proactive approach to injury prevention and treatment in the workplace is good for the bottom line and demonstrates a strong commitment to the well-being of an organization's employees. Because injuries happen for a variety of reasons, from changes in process or technology or simply ensuring employees can do their job most effectively, it is important to assess and re-assess existing programs and how they serve the needs of your organization. Why Are There So Many Workplace Injuries?According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are a number of reasons why there is a growing need for injury prevention and treatment programs. First, work is becoming more automated. Technology, computers, and robotics are being integrated into our workplaces, often introducing new and different hazards. There's also more diversity in our workforce than ever before. People from different backgrounds and cultures are working alongside each other which can impact communication and potentially create barriers. And, that same workforce is aging. The rise of sedentary work and lifestyles means that some workers are at higher risk for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Finally, there has been an uptick in temporary and contract employment. Traditional relationships between workers and employers are shifting, and changes in safety programs and policies will be required to ensure the safety of all workers. There is no question that workplace injuries can be costly from a business standpoint. And, as mentioned above, we also know there is a long list of reasons why injuries are occurring. The question that remains: What can you do prioritize safety in the workplace and how does it impact your business? In order to best answer those questions, I thought I'd give you a few first-hand examples of companies we've collaborated with at HealthFitness that have used workplace injury prevention and treatment programs to not only create a safer work environment, but also benefit the bottom line: Example #1: An automotive company was seeing an increase in the number of injuries, resulting in increased OSHA recordables rates, absenteeism, and short- and long-term disability. They needed a broad injury prevention and treatment program for 9,000 employees across multiple facilities. We addressed these challenges by implementing a series of new programs, including new hire work conditioning, early intervention, self-care, pre-shift warm-up exercises, first aid follow-ups, and a nine-week exercise conditioning program. The business results were significant: 90 percent resolution of musculoskeletal disorders 83 percent resolution of reported discomfort $2.5 million in cost avoidance, which is determined by the number of participants multiplied by an average cost of an OSHA recordable from ergonomic injuries. Example #2: A manufacturing company experienced an increase in injuries and illnesses among new hires, resulting in increased OSHA recordable rates, workers' compensation costs, and higher turnover. We worked with this manufacturer to implement a program that assessed work tasks and safety practices before, during, and after the hiring process to ensure new hires met the requirements of the job and were properly trained. Ultimately, this proactive approach resulted in decreased OSHA recordable rates by 60 percent in the first year and another 18 percent the following year. Additionally, fewer OSHA recordables meant a savings of $12,000 to $25,000 per case. Example #3: Med-tech giant Boston Scientific noticed employees at its Maple Grove, Minn. manufacturing facility were experiencing an increasing number of ergonomic injuries and decided to fix the existing program—and proactively eliminate or reduce the risk of injuries to help employees stay safe and pain-free. In partnership with our onsite team, Boston Scientific worked to create an ergonomic stretching program, with movements tailored to each work station. The key to success was making it fun, which meant using a musical cue to announce room-wide stretch breaks. The song of choice? None other than the theme song of the most storied and celebrated villain in movie history, Darth Vader. Cue the "Imperial March"! Visible support and participation from the company's leadership—at every level—was also a key factor in the success of this program. Once the musical cue comes on, everyone in the room has to stretch, from executives to engineers, safety managers, and production workers. When everyone participates, everyone wins and the business benefits. Example #4: An energy company's office team experienced an increased number of injuries and illnesses, meaning higher medical and disability costs, plus absenteeism. We partnered with this energy company to develop an ergonomics program that helped prevent repetitive motion injuries, resulting in a 74 percent success rate in its first year (currently at 92 percent) in addressing early signs and symptoms prior to escalation to medical. Protecting your most valuable resource—your employees—is always good business. A focus on safety and injury prevention ensures the business can maximize productivity and optimize performance. There is no question that employees who feel supported and safe at work contribute to the well-being of the business in the long run, and this is good for everyone. Nicole Chaudet is the executive director, product execution, with HealthFitness. She is charged with leading the team that takes new products, services and product enhancements to market. She has been delivering employee well-being programs and solutions, both on site and in a consultative role, for more than 20 years. Posted on Feb 19, 2019

Those Valentine's Balloons May Cost More Than Expected Metallic, helium-filled balloons are popular items on Valentine's Day, but they can cause problems if they're allowed to float away. Pacific Gas and Electric Company posted a reminder Feb. 11 asking its customers to securely tie a weight to all metallic balloons containing helium, because metallic balloons that contact overhead power lines can disrupt electric service to an entire neighborhood, cause significant property damage, and potentially result in serious injuries. Last year, metallic balloons were the cause of 503 power outages across PG&E's service area in northern and central California, disrupting electric service to more than 265,000 homes and businesses, PG&E reported. The release said that, unlike latex helium balloons, metallic balloons can stay inflated and floating for two to three weeks, so they can pose a hazard to power lines and equipment days after being released outside. "We want to make sure all of our customers are able to spend a safe Valentine's Day with their friends, family, and loved ones. Safety doesn't take a holiday, even on Valentine's. Please keep metallic balloons away from power lines as they can cause power outages and injuries. Make sure your time is well spent on the 14th by following a few basic safety steps," said Mike Kress, PG&E's senior director of Field Operations. The release says the number of power outages caused by metallic balloons in PG&E's service area has more than doubled in the past decade and increased by nearly 6 percent from 2017 to 2018. The company is asking that customers make sure helium-filled metallic balloons are securely tied to a weight heavy enough to prevent them from floating away; keep metallic balloons indoors and never permit metallic balloons to be released outside; not bundle metallic balloons together; and never try to retrieve any type of balloon, kite, or toy that becomes caught in a power line. Posted on Feb 12, 2019

Industry 4.0 Includes Occupational Health and Safety When Defining Automated Mobile Robot Selection Automated Mobile Robots (AMRs) are an important advancement in material handling Industry 4.0 solutions. This is particularly true in the automotive sector which has strong Lean Manufacturing demands of adaptability, precision, and flexibility. AMRs must respond to the various requirements and production fluctuation, including the ability to easily change the layout, add more vehicles to increase the capacity. These autonomous solutions are part of the occupational health and safety requirements. The Industry 4.0 paradigm requires maintaining significant flexibility without magnetic tape guidance; it also mandates preserving scalability and safe transport of sensitive goods. Unlike human fork truck drivers, one metric of quality is the high precision movements and perfect repeatability found in AMRs. While Industry 4.0 metrics do not focus exclusively on high levels of personal safety, there is universal agreement that safety cannot be compromised. Ease of integration to automated equipment is part of every quality conversation, yet not ever at the cost of personal safety. Industrial manufacturers attempt to compare and contrast the value proposition of various AMR vendors. Ultimately, the organizations’ process improvement roadmap must be aligned with the product selected to achieve maximum throughput, productivity, and rapid ROI while maintaining regulatory health and safety standards.  Ironically, so many AMR vendors are not lean themselves. Without an intrinsic understanding of Lean Manufacturing, the bells and whistles of each product fail to comport with companies’ values. AutoGuide’s differentiation is based on a manufacturing businesses structure (product company with active product roadmaps, and integrators with deep experience), Value (Cost of Ownership), Lean Manufacturing (proven technologies that have a direct benefit for the user), Made in USA, and shorter lead times. Industry 4.0: Lean Manufacturing and Occupational Health and Safety ChallengesEvery AMR vendor claims to have high quality and a focus on occupational health and safety. Few express this as better initial quality (fewer defects) or reliability (uptime incident/failures). A structured New Product Development phase gate process must include Design for Reliability and V&V testing (Verification and Validation) that produces standardized products that can be supported in the field.   Safety managers can be uniquely handled through a Failure Review Board and an 8D process for root cause analysis. With standard version-controlled products, the conditions are duplicated in the lab to propagate corrective actions or continuous improvements to all the units in the field.   Safety and Quality DifferentiationWhile nearly all AMR vendors claim to be safe and compliant to B56.5-2012, most fall short at full speed and when fully loaded. Few companies exceed these requirements utilizing a non-contact collision avoidance system that changes scanner zones (slow/stop/e-stop) based on the current speed and direction of the vehicle. Additionally, the use of regenerative braking for normal stops and a physical disc brake to assist for emergency stops are important features to ensure all occupational health and safety thresholds are met. In busy manufacturing plants, e-stop buttons, audible (horn) and visual (light pole and strobes) indicators, as well as an onboard Operator Interface (OI) screen with system status and diagnostics, guarantee a safe outcome. 24/7 remote diagnostics capabilities ensure plant and safety managers can monitor three-shift operations across a global enterprise. Even for those companies tiptoeing into the Industry 4.0 realm, the migration from manual fork trucks to AMRs is handled with ease because these systems are equipped with a driver onboard platform for hybrid operation (auto/manual). Rob Sullivan, president and CEO of AutoGuide Mobile Robots, is a proven robotics and automation leader with a solid track record of pioneering innovative products. With more than 30 years of career advancement in high technology companies ranging from burgeoning start-ups to established multinational corporations, he offers a rare combination of business leadership and engineering expertise that resulted in the development and commercialization of numerous cutting-edge products. Sullivan has built and fostered high-performing teams and outsource partnerships that delivered quality products faster than industry norms. He holds 46 patents pertaining to robotics and automation utilized in manufacturing, distribution, and logistics. Posted on Feb 08, 2019

Injury and Illness Prevention Programs Must Weather the Chill Depending on geographical location and Mother Nature's temperament, cold weather is at times unavoidable. It can potentially bring many challenges, from lengthened commutes and an increase of slipping hazards to compromised tools and dangerous wind chills. But how often do we consider how cold weather affects our utility construction health and safety programs? A 2012 OSHA White Paper examining injury and illness prevention programs emphasized the importance of comprehensive health and safety programs by stating that they "are effective in transforming workplace culture, leading to reductions in injuries, illnesses and fatalities." However, the white paper also states that "one size certainly does not fit all." This is especially true in large companies that provide a variety of services. For instance, PLH Group Inc. encompasses 11 entities that are strategically located throughout the United States and Canada. These entities provide a variety of services for the electric power line, pipeline, oil field electrical and industrial markets. Within these 11 entities is Pipeworx Ltd., which provides pipeline and facility installations, modular construction, fabrication, and heavy hauling throughout Canada's Northern British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Pipeworx recognizes certain cold weather impediments due to their geographical location, such as only working on aerial work platforms within defined temperature and wind speed limits. Whereas sister company Auger Services, Inc. is impacted by winter weather on a different scale. Auger Services provides a full range of foundation drilling services throughout the United States, including the swamplands of Louisiana. Safety concerns that Auger Services recognizes include preventing trench foot while performing work in the damp swamps, as well as cold weather maintenance and preparation of their amphibious equipment. Therefore, PLH Group must not only have a corporate injury and illness prevention program, but must also ensure that its safety policies, considerations, and protective measures are specific to the locations and tasks of each entity’s services. This then trickles down to specific considerations needed for each team within the entity, as well as each individual. But how do companies— especially those with a strong presence in high-risk trades— adequately identify all of the risks inherent to their business, factoring in changing weather and other environmental conditions? ExxonMobil follows an intricate operations integrity management system. This framework is built around 11 key elements of risk, each containing detail of the associated expectations. The scope, priority, and pace of implementation of these elements are based on the risks associated with the business. So how does your company's injury and illness prevention program apply to the specifics of your work? Review your company's policies and talk with your supervisor about creating job-specific safety considerations, especially for the challenges brought by these cold winter months. Whether working outdoors or in an office environment, consider the following: Check the weather forecast, and plan accordingly. You may need to leave yourself extra time to get to work or prepare for your shift. Additionally, if severe weather is approaching, your team may contemplate altering its schedule so that work is performed during optimal times per the forecast. Prepare your vehicle. Whether driving a personal or company vehicle, ensure it is prepared for winter weather. This includes checking the fuel and wiper fluid levels, as well as ensuring the vehicle is equipped with a snow scraper, snow tires, emergency kit, phone charger, blanket, and other winter precautions. Assess your personal protective equipment. Cold weather may require you to take specific precautions with your personal protective equipment (PPE), such as wearing different PPE than normal. You should also examine whether the weather could impact the effectiveness of the PPE. Assess your equipment. Like PPE, you may have to acquire different or additional equipment to safely complete your tasks to prevent unnaturally forcing your regular equipment to do the job. You may also want to evaluate whether your equipment will maintain its integrity in the elements and what necessary precautions should be taken. Perform housekeeping. Snow and ice have the potential to mask hazards. By routinely performing good housekeeping, you mitigate the chance of injury from these hidden threats. Stay warm and dry. Hypothermia, frostbite, and other cold-related illnesses are very real. Extra breaks and warming stations may be needed. If working in the elements is unavoidable, consider engaging in a buddy system to monitor the well-being of your co-workers. Do not compromise safety for progress. There may be times when weather or illness lead to teams being short-handed. This may cause challenges to arise that must be identified and mitigated prior to beginning work. Communicate. If the weather is especially bad, ensure your team has a communication chain planned to notify employees of any alteration to the work day, including early dismissal or office closures. Remember, conditions in extreme winter weather may change quickly, and you are ultimately the one responsible for the safety of yourself and those working around you. Therefore, familiarize yourself with your company's injury and illness prevention program, and talk with your supervisor about how it specifically applies to you and your team. Discuss considerations now, because they may result in precautions that prevent an emergency when winter weather strikes. Jenna Hefley is the senior safety writer for Vesta Construction Websites, http://vestaconstructionwebsites.com/. Posted on Feb 06, 2019