Patrick Kapust, of OSHA announced the top ten violations at this year’s National Safety Council’s Congress and Expo.  The list tends to be similar from year to year with the top few moving positions, Fall Protection made it to number one this year.  EHS Today listed the top ten and the number of violations as stated below:

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When you think of perforated metal you may picture decorative panels in homes and business, architectural sun shades on business, acoustic equipment, washer drums, strainers, guard rails, and fuel/air filter systems; however perforated metal can also be efficiently and effectively used as a safety flooring product.

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You may think slip and falls occur most on ramps or steps, but surprisingly they happen on flat walking surfaces where high traffic is prevalent.  Slip and falls are not only dangerous to pedestrians, but can be fatal.  There are more than 20,000 fatalities per year in the United States, resulting in roughly 55 per day.  Beyond being dangerous, slip and falls can be extremely costly.  According to the National Council on Compensation, the annual cost of disabling occupational injuries due to slip and falls exceed $11 billion.

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Many unpreventable factors can cause a slip, trip and fall accident within a facility costing big bucks in unemployment and liability claims.  Wet or damp floors are not the only cause; clutter, footwear and improper cleaning are additional slip and fall factors.  The majority of general industry accidents are slip, trip and falls. Disabling occupational injuries due to slips, trips and falls has cost an estimated $11 billion annually. According to Don Ostrander, CSP, “The average cost from slip and falls is $22,800 per accident. Average worker’s compensation claim is $19,000.”  Many times when an employee has an on the job accident the company has to factor in a replacement worker on top of the salary of the unemployed.  There is no limit to what fees companies will be responsible for when a visitor has a slip and fall accident on the premise.  Legal and medical fees can be unbearable.

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In the food and beverage industry accident prevention is a top priority due to the high volume of ingredients and food items utilized for processing in these plants.  From oils and powder to syrup and water, liquids are a key ingredient to many of the food items processed in manufacturing facilities.  According to an article titled “Falls from Height” on the Health and Safety Executive website, falls form height in the food and beverage industry account for 20% of fatal accidents and are the third highest cause of fatal injury.  In addition, falls from height comprise 80 major injuries a year and 230 over 3-day absences each year.

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The U.S workforce spans across four generations for the first time in modern history.  Effectively training, managing and communicating with all generations can be a challenge for managers.  Effective safety training can be difficult as each generation has different work habits, work ethics, and ways of learning.  An article entitled “The Barriers to Effective Safety Training: Finding Training Techniques that Bridge Generation Gaps” talks about different ways to effectively train cross generation facilities.

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Forklift accidents are one of the most common pedestrian accidents in the United States; with nearly 100 deaths and 20,000 seriously injured workers each year.  It’s imperative for decision makers to understand the technologies available and how they can help increase safety between workers.  Better communication between operators and pedestrians will also help reduce collisions.  According to the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health, the most common causes of forklift fatalities include:

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A survey conducted by Food Manufacturing Magazine showed that not only are food manufacturing plants doing ok, 21% were planning a plant expansion within a few months and 48% within the next few years.  Out of these planned expansions 68% of planned projects promised to produce plants that were more focused on sanitation and food safety.  Other concerns included plants that were more energy efficient, more ergonomically designed to increase workflow, and more focused on food security.

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A blog posted by Driving Ambition, a professional CDL driver staffer, talks about keeping CDL drivers safe while entering and exiting the trucks.  Slip and falls are the most prevalent cause of truck driver injuries.  It lists does and don’ts for drivers on behavioral standpoints, physical standpoints, and environmental stand points.  Non-slip tread stairs play an important part of keeping drivers safe.

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An article titled “Improving Relationships” by Kyle W. Morrison in Safety + Health magazine examines the relationship between OSHA Region 9 and federal OSHA, as well as other states.  OSHA Region 9 is made up of Hawaii, California, Nevada and Arizona; these states operate their own occupational safety programs.  However, following a series of workplace deaths in Nevada, OSHA reported serious problems with the state’s program.  A federal review of all state plans was then performed.  The results were concerning and prompted working together with other states and federal OSHA to improve workplace safety.

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