Participate In Injury Awareness Month This April

Did you know that April is Injury Awareness Month? Yep, the entire month of April is dedicated to reducing the risk of work-related injury through education, training and attention. If you own or manage a business, you should make it a point to focus on workplace safety this month.

According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OHSA), more than 4.1 million workers suffer a serious injury or illness while on the job each year. While some of these are minor, such as light bruising and topical cuts, others are more severe. Work-related injuries cost U.S. companies and businesses billions of dollars in the form of lower productivity, workers compensation, medical bills, on-going training and other relates expenses.

Top 10 Most Common Workplace Injuries:

• Same-level fall
• Overexertion
• Repetitive motion
• Fall from an elevated platform
• Bodily reaction
• Struck by object
• Struck against object
• Automobile incident
• Caught between
• Violent acts

Toolbox Talks

Toolbox Talks are arguably one of the easiest and most effective ways for employers to stress the importance of safety in the workplace. Performing one directly before each shift draws more attention to common workplace hazards, which in turn lowers the risk of incident. So, what exactly is a Toolbox Talk?

A Toolbox Talk is an informal meeting that covers a particular subject regarding workplace safety. Some of the possible topics covered in these talks may include electrical safety, how to respond to spilled chemicals, the importance of wearing protective eyewear when working on heavy machinery, acceptable levels of loud noise exposure, how to reduce the risk of infectious disease, etc. The key thing to remember is that Toolbox Talks are short, information, and focus on a single topic for each session.

Personal Protection Equipment (PPE)

Personal protection equipment (PPE) is mandatory for certain industries and jobs. Ignoring the OHSA rules for PPE could leave your company susceptible to fines and sanctions, not to mention the fact that it increases the risk of work-related injuries.

Use Injury Awareness Month as an excuse to perform an audit of your company's PPE. Is everything working and functioning properly? Does it meet the OHSA's criteria for PPE in your respective field? These are just a couple of questions you should answer to ensure the PPE in your workplace is suitable for the tasks at hand. Remember, PPE is the first line of defense against work-related injury and illness, so don't underestimate its value.