5.0 out of 5.0 on Workplace Accident
March is Workplace Eye Safety Awareness Month
The human eye is one of the most delicate organs in the body, yet it is also one of the organs we rely on most heavily. Any number of workplace safety hazards can cause serious damage to one or both eyes, resulting in severe pain, reduced vision, blindness, and other irreversible conditions.
March is Workplace Eye Safety Awareness Month in Colorado and throughout the United States. It’s a good time to learn more about protecting your eyes at work and to practice simple safety habits that can help you keep your vision in its best working order for a long time.
How to Prevent Work-Related Heat Illness this Summer
Extreme heat is responsible for more weather-related deaths in the United States than any other environmental conditions, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Since 2011, the organization has made spreading awareness of heat safety a priority, and encourages employers, as well as workers, to take simple precautions to avoid heat illnesses such as cramps, heat rash, excessive sweating, and heat stroke.
Heat illnesses are often caused when a person becomes dehydrated or overheated, typically due to environmental factors or overexertion, which then interferes with the human body’s ability to regulate its core temperature and cool down.
Outdoor workers are particularly at risk during the summer, but even workers that are indoors are susceptible to the dangers of exposure to extreme heat.
Employers are responsible, not only for ensuring that workers have a healthy and safe work environment, but also for providing training to help prevent on-the-job accidents or injuries from happening in the first place.
Celebrate North American Occupational Safety and Health Week this May
The first full week of May is North American Occupational Safety and Health Week. This week offers an opportunity for workplaces throughout the U.S. and Canada to re-commit to protecting worker safety and health – not only keeping workers from harm, but also protecting the company’s productivity by ensuring vital employees aren’t laid low by a preventable injury or disease.
In 2011, about 4,609 U.S. workers lost their lives in workplace accidents, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and nearly 3.0 million more workers were injured. About 75 percent of these injuries and illnesses occurred in service industries, while the remainder took place in industries that produce goods.
Natural Gas Well Explosion Kills and Injures Colorado Workers
One Colorado natural gas worker is dead and three more are injured after a natural gas well explosion in Platteville, Colorado, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
The fatal CO work accident involved a gas well operated by Encana Corporation, a Canadian energy firm. The workers had just finished drilling the horizontal well and were installing equipment to put the well into production, allowing workers to draw natural gas from it.
According to investigators, the injuries were caused by a sudden release of high pressure in the well, probably resulting from a faulty or defective piece of equipment installed at the scene. The company is investigating the accident to determine the details in the hopes of preventing similar accidents in the future No explosion or fire occurred.
