Facility Safety


a stressed employee

European Employers, Workers Solving Stress Problem Together

What better way to start 2009 than by joining forces to curb the high level of stress today's workers experience on the job?

Fire Safety for Maintenance Operations

Smoke was billowing from the third-floor fire escape stairway of a hospital at 5 p.m. on a Friday. It is a scene I will always remember: Someone pulled a fire alarm, and soon the professional firefighters were dragging hoses as employees responded with hand-held fire extinguishers. Patients were moved to other floors, quickly and expertly. Years of training had come together in a fast facility response.

Boost Performance When Times Get Tough

The economy is weak, and unemployment is growing. Most employees have watched their retirement accounts tumble in value. Prospects for raises this year appear dismal. It is understandable that many may feel depressed and hopeless. Just at a time when organizations need their employees to work even harder and with greater focus to maximize performance, morale in many places is probably at an all-time low.

Stepping Up Your Safety Culture

So you want to improve your safety culture? Boost employee engagement, activate visible management leadership, heighten attention to safety, see all embrace personal safe behavior? Set a high-level baseline of awareness, judgment, and actions? Even when others know they’re not being closely observed?

Safety Dummies

When someone has a work-related incident or illness, one of the most critical steps toward preventing future incidents like it is to let all other workers know as soon as possible what happened.

Streamlining Compliance

For a chemical manufacturer seeking to become a global supplier, keeping up with numerous foreign safety regulations and requirements can be quite a challenge. MSDgen®, a compliance tool from Carlsbad, Calif.-based 3E Co., was created to streamline one important aspect of this process, the creation and distribution of Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).

Gift Cards Make Safety Motivation Simple

Gift card companies are a popular choice among corporations that give their employees motivational incentives for job performance and safety. It’s important to reward employees for performing their job well—and safely— by letting them know they are appreciated for their efforts. The byproduct of this is that your company will be rewarded with lowered insurance rates for safe work behavior and increased productivity from a decrease in employee absenteeism.

Lost Opportunities

Work can be a hazardous place. Accidents happen. Employees can slip, trip, or fall. They can be exposed to harmful chemicals or toxins. They can physically overexert themselves in strenuous situations. And the list goes on. Workplace accidents are the byproduct of unforeseen but, fortunately, often preventable causes.



Caught in the Crossfire

Under the “general duty” clause of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSHA), 29 U.S.C. §§ 651- 678, “[e]ach employer . . . shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”. There is little question that allowing guns at the workplace endangers workers.

February Workshop to Examine Evacuation of Disabled

The Feb. 3-4 workshop at Washington, D.C.'s Gallaudet University will examine current and needed standards to enhance emergency preparedness for the disabled population.

New ISO Standard Unveiled for Dry Cleaning Machines

Laundry and dry laundry cleaning frequently use perchloroethylene or combustible solvent which are potentially dangerous to health. ISO 8230:2008, Safety requirements for dry-cleaning machines, will help manufacturers and designers to eliminate or reduce risk associated with these substances.

Indiana Workplace Safety Awards Seeking Nominees

All Hoosier businesses, unions, municipalities, schools, service organizations, nonprofit organizations or individuals are eligible to apply for the awards.

Adding RNs at Acute Care Hospitals Would Save Lives and Money, Study Shows

The researchers analyzed 28 studies that examined higher registered nurse staffing’s impact on reduced mortality and other outcomes.

IAFC Issues Guide on Dealing with Economic Challenges

The IAFC Economic Challenge Task recently released "Weathering the Economic Storm: Fiscal Challenges in Fire and Emergency Medical Services," a guide to help IAFC members embrace the tough decisions they face with resolve.

Research Urged to Improve MSD Reporting by Health Workers

An educator who has studied the problem extensively says safe patient handling laws gaining ground in U.S. states require better injury and illness data for health care workers, who frequently are reluctant to report their injuries.

ANSI Issues Accreditations Under New Greenhouse Gas Program

With a growing global awareness of the need for environmental protection and sustainability, organizations are eager to demonstrate their efforts to inventory, report, and reduce GHG emissions, ANSI said.

DOL Finalizes H-2B Rule, Modernizes Application Process

Under the new rule, DOL may debar for up to three years employers, attorneys, and agents found to have committed fraud or willful misrepresentation concerning the H-2B employment-based immigration program, or failed to cooperate with labor department audits or investigations.

Survey: Most Companies Not Doing Enough to Insulate Pension Plans

Now is the time for plan sponsors to review their risk management strategies to ensure they make sense in today's markets, given current funded levels and the ever-changing regulatory framework in which we operate," said Joe McDonald, head of Hewitt's Global Risk Services practice in North America.

Hydraulic Institute to Address Business Growth, Turbulent Times at Annual Meeting

A key feature of the meeting will be the opportunity to work with technical committees on industry standards, guidelines, and electronic data exchange protocols affecting the pump industry.

Poll: 3 out of 5 Employers say Layoffs Likely in '09

Most of the expected coming layoffs will involve technical/professional positions (13 percent), unskilled labor positions (13 percent), and administrative positions (11 percent).

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