Risk Management

Bloodborne Pathogens

The following information comes from FirstComp Insurance.  A full copy can be found here.

By definition, a pathogen is any agent that can cause disease — Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) are microorganisms in blood or other bodily fluids that can cause illness and disease in people through contact with contaminated blood and body fluids. The standard on which all Bloodborne Pathogen programs are based is OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.1030 .Bloodborne Pathogens..

Means of Transmission

BBP.s are transmitted when contaminated blood or body fluids enter the body of another person. This can occur through a number of pathways, such as:

  •  An accidental puncture by a sharp object (needles, scalpels, broken glass, razor blades) contaminated with a pathogen  Open cuts or skin abrasions that come in contact with contaminated blood or body fluids
  •  Sexual contact
  •  Indirect transmission (touching blood, including dried blood then touching the eyes, mouth, nose or an open cut)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 600,000 and 800,000 occupational needle stick injuries occur each year, many of which are unreported. Of these, roughly 385,000 needle stick and other sharps-related injuries are sustained by healthcare personnel in hospital settings. Among the 35 million healthcare workers worldwide, about 3 million receive percutaneous (through the skin) exposure to BBP annually, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). About 2 million of these incidents Involve hepatitis B (HBV); 900,000 involve hepatitis C (HCV); and 170,000 involve human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Symptoms of a bloodborne infection sometimes are not  apparent for weeks or months following exposure.

Minimizing Exposure

The BBP standard is composed of; a written plan (entitled the Exposure Control Plan), training requirements and recordkeeping guidelines. Employers must minimize the exposure of employees to BBP whenever the potential for that exposure exists. OSHA has taken the position that there are no .riskfree . populations, and enforcement of OSHA.s .general duty clause. implies that employers must be knowledgeable of and comply with the BBP standard. Risk can be minimized through improved engineering design and with work practices (administrative controls) through the use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), and by addressing housekeeping issues.

Do:

Use appropriate PPE when working with blood or infectious materials 

  • Check for damage 
  • Remove PPE carefully to avoid self-contamination 
  • Dispose of contaminated PPE correctly
  •  Ensure you are trained in the use of PPE and document it

Use good personal hygiene

  •  Wash exposed skin immediately with soap and water
  •  Wash thoroughly after removing PPE
  •  Flush exposed eyes, nose or mouth quickly and thoroughly with water
  •  Cover open cuts

Use good work practices

  •  Minimize splashing of infectious materials
  •  Clean up spills immediately
  •  Clean and decontaminate all equipment and surfaces in contact with blood or other infectious material
  •  Dispose of sharps in a puncture-proof, labeled container

Know the proper response for accidental exposures

  •  Know the BBP standard so you can respond without fear
  •  Report on-the-job exposures promptly and seek immediate medical attention

Don’t:

  •  Have unprotected sex, use illicit drugs or share needles
  •  Worry about getting one of these diseases through casual contact
  •  Eat or drink or keep food and drinks in areas where infectious materials are used
  •  Break, bend or recap contaminated needles
  •  Clean up broken glass by hand, use a broom and dustpan

Scaffolding Safety and Fall Protection

The following information comes from FirstComp Insurance.  A full copy of the article can be found here.

Scaffolding hazards continue to rank high on the list of the most frequently cited standards in the construction industry. Numerous injuries and fatalities occur each year due to improper scaffolding safety. Besides problems with planks and guardrails, the main causes of injuries and deaths on scaffolds are; poor planning for assembling and dismantling, collapse due to missing tie-ins or bracing, loads that are too heavy, slippery conditions, and being too close to electrical hazards including overhead lines. Also, falling objects often hurt people below scaffolds. The standard that regulates the design, erection, dismantling and use of scaffolds is Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) construction standard 29 CFR 1926.451.

Scaffolding Basics All metal frame scaffolds share common components. Platforms, base supports, side brackets, and support trusses. Scaffolds and their components must be  capable of supporting without failure at least four times the maximum intended load, and be properly secured or braced to permanent structures. Employers are required to train each employee who works on a scaffold on the hazards and the procedures to control the hazards. A competent person must be involved in the inspection, erection and dismantling of all scaffolding, and scaffolds greater than 125 feet in height must be designed by a registered professional engineer.

Fall Protection Fall protection is required on all scaffolds where the working height is more than 10 feet above a lower level. Each worker more than 10 feet above a lower level must be protected from falls by guardrails or a fall arrest system. Top rails shall be about 42” in height. Mid-rails must be installed approximately halfway between the top rail and the platform surface. When “X” bracing or cross bracing is used as a mid-rail the intersection of the “X” must fall between 20 and 30 inches above the work platform. To protect workers from falling objects such as tools and debris toe boards should be installed in addition to the wearing of hard hats. Scaffold footings must be level and capable of supporting the loaded scaffold. All metal frame scaffolds must have a means of access. This access can be gained from attached or portable ladders, stairways, or the adjacent structure.

Fall Protection

In the U.S. construction industry falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. Each year, on average, between 150 and 200 workers are killed and more than 100,000 are injured as a result of falls at construction sites. The safety standard for fall protection in the construction industry is Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) 29 CFR 1926.500. This standard sets a uniform threshold height of 6 feet which means that construction employers must protect their employees from fall hazards and falling objects whenever an affected employee is 6 feet or more above a lower level. Protection also must be provided for construction workers who are exposed to the hazard of falling into dangerous equipment. Typically fall protection is provided through the use of;

· Guardrail systems—A barrier with a top rail located 42 inches above the floor and a midrail.Screens and mesh may be used to replace the mid-rail as long as they extend from the top rail to the working level

· Safety net systems—Netting that is installed as close as practicable under the walking working surface on which employees are working and never more than 30 feet below such levels

· Personal fall arrest systems— A system that includes anchorage, connectors and a harness and may also include a deceleration device and lifelines used to arrest (safely stop) a person who is already falling from a working level

· Positioning device systems— A body harness system rigged to allow an employee to be supported on an elevated vertical surface, such as a wall, and work with both hands free while leaning backwards. The worker should not be able to freefall further than 2 feet

· Warning line systems—A barrier erected on a roof to warn unsecured employees that they are approaching an unprotected roof side or edge · Covers—Are fastened over holes in working surfaces to prevent falls

· Safety monitoring by a competent person—This allows a trained person to monitor others as they work on elevated surfaces and warn them of any fall hazards.

 

Slips, Trips and Falls

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the majority of general industry accidents are slips, trips and falls. Slips, trips and falls can cause a variety of injuries, ranging from strains and sprains to concussions, back injuries, broken bones and even death. According to the Census of Fatal Occupation Injuries, slips, trips and falls account for  approximately 11% of all workplace accidental deaths, second only to motor vehicle accidents. Of the 635 workplace fatal falls in 2010, over one-third involved falls from ladders (20%) and roofs (18%).

A slip occurs when there is too little traction or friction between the shoe and walking surface. A trip occurs when a person’s foot unexpectedly makes contact with an object or drops to a lower level, causing the person to be thrown off-balance. A fall occurs when a person loses balance and falls to the ground or a lower surface. There are a variety of factors that can make it difficult to maintain footing, causing slips, trips and falls.

Wet or Slippery Walking Surfaces – Can involve spills – such as water, grease or oil or inherently slippery surfaces like polished marble or ceramic tiles. Management can reduce the frequency of slips and falls by using antiskid adhesive tape in hightraffic areas, ensuring that spills are reported and cleaned up immediately and using proper matting. Employees can protect themselves by displaying wet floor signs when appropriate, wearing proper footwear, and altering their stride to take shorter, slower steps.

Environmental Conditions Can include snow and ice, fog, dew, bright sunlight or darkness. Accidents can be avoided by wearing boots with non-skid soles, avoiding clothing that blocks vision, wearing effective sunglasses, limit carrying items that reduce one’s balance and carrying a light source to illuminate your path when needed. Insufficient or Inadequate

Lighting – Can make it difficult to see obstacles and notice changes in walking surfaces. Move slowly where light is dim, pay increased attention to your path of travel, and allow your eyes to adjust when moving from light to dark areas and vice

Changes in Elevation—a change in walking surface of ¼” or greater is sufficient to cause a trip. Curbs, sidewalk cracks, bumps, potholes, ramps and single steps or slight changes in walking surface are examples of these hazards. Also climbing and descending stairways and poor housekeeping issues can contribute to slips, trips and falls. Employers can reduce these accidents in a number of ways; highlighting or repairing damaged walking surfaces, utilizing handrails at all times, keeping stairways clear of any obstacles, checking for loose or damaged stair treads, and avoid stringing cords or wires across any hallway or walkway.

Office Safety

The following information comes from FirstComp Insurance.  You can read the full version by clicking here.

We generally think of the “office” as a safer place than manufacturing or construction environments. The risk of an occupational injury for office workers is lower than that of employees involved in other industries. However, injuries can be just as painful, severe and expensive. One reason office safety and health programs are not more widespread are that many organizations believe office injuries are minor. As a result, office hazards go unrecognized and unmanaged, and do lead to serious injuries and property loss. An organization’s safety program cannot be fully effective if there is only partial participation by employees and management. A safety program that is not pursued in company offices probably will not be vigorously pursued in other areas of the organization.

Types of Disabling Injuries

In a recent study, falls were found to be the most common office incident and account for most disabling injuries. Falls from chairs occur when a person is sitting down, getting up,  eaning back or moving about in a chair. Falls on the same level includes: slipping on wet or slippery floors and tripping over equipment, cords, damaged flooring or litter. Falls from elevations also occur when standing on chairs or other office furniture, and from ladders, loading docks, or other elevations.

Overexertion

Strain or overexertion occurs while employees try to move objects such as carrying or moving office machines, supplies, file drawers, trays, office furniture, heavy books or other loads. Reaching, stretching, twisting, bending down and cumulative trauma are often associated with these injuries.

Objects Striking or Struck by Employees

These injuries occur when  employees are struck by falling objects such as; overbalanced file cabinets, file drawers pulled out too far, supplies and equipment sliding from shelves or cabinet tops, office machines and other objects dropped on feet while being moved, equipment that falls from a desk or rolling stand, and employees struck by doors being opened. Striking against injuries occur when employees bump into doors, desks, file cabinets, open drawers, baskets and other people while walking.

Caught in or Between

Injuries also happen when employees get caught in or between machinery and equipment such as; drawers, doors, windows, copying machines, shredders, etc. Knife edges on paper cutters can cause serious finger lacerations/cuts.

Miscellaneous

Other common types of office injuries include; foreign substances in the eyes, burns from spilled hot liquids, insect bites, electric shocks, chemical exposure from cleaning supplies, repetitive motion, and paper cuts. The good news is that most office hazards can easily be controlled by; being aware, working safely, and by eliminating or minimizing recognized hazards. Follow these tips to reduce potential injuries and accidents in your office:

  •  Ensure cords and/or communication cables are not stretched across aisles, doorways or between desks.
  •  Store heavy and most frequently used supplies/materials between the chest and knees to reduce strain type injuries.
  •  Use a material handling device (i.e. hand truck, dolly, cart, etc.) to move heavy or awkward items.
  •  Ensure work and storage areas are properly illuminated without shadows or glare.
  •  Adjust computer workstations so arms, wrists, legs, back and neck are always in a comfortable, neutral position. Avoid awkward postures or positions such as reaching, twisting, bending, slouching, etc.
  •  Interrupt repetitive tasks with regular rest breaks and include light stretching to promote movement and blood circulation.
  •  Minimize office noise by redirecting phone conversations, lowering music volume, isolating noisy office equipment, and keeping HVAC and other equipment properly serviced.
  •  Keep areas underneath desks clear as this can restrict movement .
  •  Avoid spills and wet areas on slippery, uncarpeted floors. Mark the hazardous area with a “wet floor” sign until the floor dries.
  •  Prevent file cabinets from tipping by; bolting, opening only one drawer at a time, and not overloading drawers. Close drawers and doors with the flat of your hand.
  •  Ensure that all appliances and other electrical devices are properly protected, frayed cords can lead to serious electrical shock and fires. Don’t overload outlets or use extension cords as permanent wiring.
  •  Never use office chairs or other furniture as step stools.
  •  When using stairs: always use handrails, remove trash or debris, never carry items while ascending or descending, and never use stairs for storage.
  •  If there are blind corners consider installing convex mirrors to improve visibility. Don’t stack or pile “stuff” on top of filing cabinets which can block lines of sight.
  •  Know your building emergency procedures, evacuation routes, and assembly areas. Know the location, and how and when to use a fire extinguisher. Keep exits and aisle ways clear to allow for quick evacuation.
  •  Properly dispose of matches,ashes and cigarette butts. Maintain good housekeeping practices at all times.
  •  Conduct periodic facility inspections to make your office safe. Look around, and you will spot other hazards that can be easily fixed. When you see a hazard, don’t assume it is someone else’s responsibility to correct.

 

Forklift Safety

The following information comes from a FirstComp Insurance newsletter.  To see a full copy, click here.

Powered industrial trucks (PIT’s) commonly known as forklifts, pallet trucks, rider trucks, fork trucks or lift trucks are found and used in many industries and workplace operations. Powered by electric or internal combustion engines, there are seven different classifications of these very specialized vehicles commonly used to carry, push, pull, lift or stack materials of various sizes, shapes and weights. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are about 1 million forklifts used by 1.5 million workers. Approximately 95,000 people are injured, and 100 are killed annually while operating these useful but sometimes hazardous vehicles. According to OSHA, most of the injuries, accidents and property damage can be attributed to three main causes:

  •  Failure to follow safe operating procedures,
  •  Lack of safety rule enforcement, and
  •  Insufficient or inadequate training.

On a positive note, these accident causations can be controlled and corrected with foresight and effective supervision.

Training & Evaluation

According to OSHA standard Code 29 CFR 1910.178, “Only trained and authorized operators shall be permitted to operate a powered industrial truck.” As a result, OSHA requires that each PIT operator to be over 18 years of age and be competent to operate these vehicles safely as demonstrated by the successful completion of training and evaluation. Training programs can be administered by the employer or through a third party acting on behalf of the employer. Training must be conducted by a person with the knowledge, training and experience to train PIT operators and evaluate their competence. Effective training must consist of a combination of: Formal instruction (e.g., lecture, discussion, interactive computer learning, video, written material), Practical training (trainer demonstrations and practical trainee exercises), and Evaluation of the operator’s performance in

the workplace.

Training program content must consist of:

  • PIT related topics (e.g., operating instructions, warnings and precautions, controls and instrumentation, motor/engine operation, steering and maneuvering, visibility, vehicle attachments, vehicle capacity and stability, inspection and maintenance, refueling/ charging, etc.)
  • Workplace-related topics (e.g., driving surface conditions, stability of the load, load stacking and unstacking, pedestrian traffic, aisles and restricted areas, operating in hazardous
  • locations, operation on ramps and sloped surfaces, potentially hazardous environmental conditions, operating in closed or poorly ventilated areas, etc.)
  • Requirements of the applicable OSHA standard

Although there is no mandatory annual refresher training requirement, employers are required to certify that each PIT operator has

received initial training and must re-evaluate each operator at least once every three (3) years. Furthermore, refresher training in relevant topics is needed whenever:

  •  An operator demonstrates a deficiency in the safe operation of the vehicle,
  •  Workplace conditions change in a way that could affect safe operation,
  •  An operator is involved in an accident or near-miss,
  •  An evaluation indicates need,
  •  An operator is assigned to a different kind of PIT

Employer certification and evaluation of each operator must include the name of the operator, the date of training, the date of evaluation and the identity of person(s) performing the training or evaluation.

Documentation must also be maintained in the operator’s personnel file. Failure to certify any employee operating a PIT can result in costly OSHA fines and other penalties.

Operator Qualifications

Federal OSHA’s Powered Industrial Truck standard has no requirement that the operator possess a valid, state issued driver’s license. The employer must however, have a record documenting that the driver has successfully completed PIT training. This would be the only operating “license” required by OSHA.  Also, even though there is no vision/hearing test requirement addressed in the standard, OSHA could still cite under the General Duty Clause (Section 5(a)(1) if an employer was aware of a physical impairment and still allowed an employee to operate a PIT.

Grading, Trenching & Excavation: OSHA’s Revised Hazard Communication Program

The following information comes from FirstComp Insurance.  To view the full copy, click here.

OSHA has enhanced its Hazard Communica-tion Standard (HCS) 29 CFR 1910.1200 to align with the United Nations’ Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS is primarily concerned with the classification of hazardous chemicals and the communication of hazards related to those chemicals to users of the products via warning labels and Safety Data Sheets (SDS). Currently over 65 countries have or are in the process of adopting GHS. OSHA is calling the revised standard “HazCom 2012” and it went into effect in the U.S. May 25, 2012 affecting over 5 million employers and 40 million work-ers. Two significant changes contained in the revised standard require the use of new label-ing elements and a standardized format for SDSs, formerly known as, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs).

GHS Compliance Deadlines

The first deadline is December 1, 2013. By this date, employers must train employees on GHS (how to read and understand new labels and SDSs), manage the influx of new SDS’s which will include replacing their entire MSDS library, and be ready to produce GHS compliant workplace labels. To prepare, employers should begin educating themselves on the changes as they will want to train employees well before the December 1, 2013 deadline. Existing fines and penalties for non-compliance with the HCS will extend to the new GHS alignment. This means that HCS violations, which already rank #3 on OSHA’s Top Ten Violations List, could see even more action.

The next compliance deadline is June 1, 2015, the date by which chemical manufacturers and distributors must reclassify their chemicals according to GHS guidelines and produce GHS formatted safety data sheets and labels.

The final deadline is June 16, 2016, the date by which employers must be fully compliant with GHS. This means all training of employees on any new hazards that have been identified in the reclassifying of chemicals by the manufacturers and distributors. It also means workplace labeling and workplace hazard programs must be up-to-date.

Glaziers – Investigating Employee Accidents

The following information comes from a FirstComp Insurance newsletter providing tips and tricks for investigating accidents.  A full copy can be found here.

Thousands of accidents occur throughout the U.S. every day. Most of these are caused by the failure of people, equipment, supplies, or surroundings to behave or react as expected. Accident investigations determine how and why these failures occur. By using the information gained through an investigation, a similar, or perhaps more disastrous, accident may be prevented.

Accident investigations are an important component of health and safety programs, and an essential part of building a successful workplace safety culture.

Reasons to perform accident investigations often include:

  •  Fulfillment of legal requirements
  •  Assessing compliance with established safety procedures
  •  Prevention of future accidents
  •  Enabling the processing of worker’s compensation claims
  •  Demonstrating concern about employee well being

An accident can be described as an unintended event that results in injury or property damage. An incident can be described as an unintended event that does not result in injury or property damage. Additionally, hazard can be described as the potential to do harm, while risk is defined as the likelihood of harm actually occurring.

Other terms such as “Near miss” are used to describe incidents that could have easily ended up being serious accidents. Some jurisdictions avoid the use of the term accident”, because the term infers that the event could not have been avoided. They choose to use “incident” instead, pointing out that most events are predictable and preventable. To the extent that the risk is managed, there is less chance of an accident occurring. The depth of the investigation should be appropriate to the seriousness of the situation in terms of actual or potential injury.

Looking to Determine Root Cause

In the past, accident investigations have typically focused on assigning blame rather than finding the underlying root cause, which if addressed, can reduce the likelihood of a similar accident.

Choosing an Investigation Team

The investigation should be conducted by someone who is familiar with the workplace and has been trained in the accident investigation process. Typically, the immediate supervisor is involved, although the level of management participation will be influenced by the seriousness of the accident. The more serious the accident, the more likely that senior managers will participate. Worker participation also aids in effective investigation. Such workers should be familiar with the work being done. These often include, but are not limited to the health and safety representative, union representative or others. In addition, outside experts may be called upon to participate. Investigations are strengthened by the perspectives of others who are knowledgeable about the workplace and investigation procedures.

The Accident Investigation Process

The accident investigation process includes six

important steps. These include:

  •  Investigation of the accident
  •  Identification of direct & root causes
  •  Disclosure of findings
  •  Development of a corrective action plan
  •  Implementation
  •  Follow-up review and revision as necessary

Timely Investigation

In order to perform a proper initial investigation, it should take place as soon as possible after the accident scene has been deemed safe. Tools useful to the investigator will include such items as a camera, tape measure, flashlight, investigation form, pencil, etc. The initial investigation will involve aiding the injured worker, recording physical evidence, and then interviewing workers separately. The Six W’s is one simple but proven methodology that helps field investigators build a solid understanding of the event: Who is it about? What happened? Where did it take place? When did it take place? Why did it happen? How did it happen?

Discovering Immediate and Root Causes

The workplace factors are assessed to see if they have been contributing factors. Such factors include: People, Material, Environmental, Management System and Work/Process Task factors. In determining the cause of an accident, it is often easier to identify the immediate cause rather than the root cause. With this in mind, one commonly used approach is to employ the Three Why’s technique. For example, the immediate cause of an employee slipping may be due to a wet floor. “Why did the employee get hurt?” The next why may be “Why was the floor wet?”

When finding out that the organic recycling bin is leaking fluid, the next question may be: “Why is the bin leaking?” Through such process the recommendation of the committee may be to repair or replace bins so that they do not leak. Additionally, investigators may recommend temporary measures to reduce risk until the bins are replaced – perhaps relocating the bins. Another recommendation might be for a scheduled inspection of bins to make sure that they are not leaking.

While this has been a fairly simple illustration, techniques such as the Six W’s and the Three Why’s can be used to investigate many accidents in conjunction with the basic investigative steps.

Risk Management Apps: 10 Apps for Risk Managers

The following article is taken from Property Casulty 360 from the November, 2012 issue.

risk managers looking to utilize their mobile devices for help with their daily risk-mitigation efforts may consider these 10 smartphone and tablet applications designed to assist with such tasks as identifying the effects of a supply-chain disruption; staying on top of emerging exposures overseas; and choosing among deductible options.

Risk Report – Application that helps risk managers keep track of their organization’s potential risks.  Users can record risk-related events as they occur ad email them to supervisors.

Citicus MOCA – is a risk-management application that identifies the various effects that supply-cain disruption can have on a business.  The app enables the user to list the company’s resources, exposures and probability of risk-event occurrence.

Zurich Risk Room – provides global risk analysis based on publicly available regional data on 150 nations’ vulnerabilities to water shortage, energy price fluctuations, political unrest and 63 additional risks.

Deductibles – takes some basic information such as claims history, insurance-deductible and insurance-premium options and calculates for risk managers the deductible options that would give the client an optimal cost of risk.

Breach Report – records compliance or procedural breaches within an organization, noting their individual impact and frequency.

Strategy and Risk Studio – allows risk managers to map and monitor their company’s key risk, performance and control indicators as well as assign risk accountability to other parties.

Risk Calculator Chart – helps automatically calculate and chart risk using data input by the user, automatically generating risk charts for visual presentations.  It organizes risk by name, severity and likelihood and plots business exposures on a color-blocked spectrum ranging from green to red.

Marsh Risk management Research – is a wide-ranging database featuring research, analysis and white papers on modern business risks such as catastrophe and cyber exposures.  The application tracks each country’s exposure landscape as it fluctuates over time.

WorldAware – this app is for risk managers and other insurance professionals who may be visiting the world’s more dangerous destinations.  the app compiles travel information regarding currency, situational advisories, emergency telephone numbers and customs contacts, an emergency telephone numbers and customs contacts, and embassy GPS locator, and transportation and communication info.

Risk Decision Tree – a graph-based decision-making tool that maps risk-mitigation strategies and their possible outcomes, showing the enterprise value or loss that could arise.