November 19, 2009

An educational resource for schools served by SFM

Reduce injuries, prepare staff for the non-routine tasks of the holiday season

The holidays are often a time for the unexpected. Custodians are doing special construction and cleaning projects, food service is cooking new menu items, and teachers are decorating and doing seasonal activities with students--all which are often non-routine tasks.

Injuries are bound to happen when employees are doing non-routine tasks unless you take steps that prepare them.

Involve supervisors in planning projects
Supervisors and other upper-level staff should review past holiday projects for success and accidents:

• Prevent repeat injuries. Do a workplace analysis and equipment inspections. Make sure all hazards have been identified and eliminated when possible.
  
• Make appropriate equipment available for the job. Employees also need to be trained on proper use of equipment. Don't overlook personal protective equipment.
• Observe workers and offer feedback to verify that procedures are being followed or to point out what they should be doing differently to be safe.

Tell employees their responsibilities in safety. Set your expectations up front.

• Train on the hazards before the job begins. Custodians moving furniture, building holiday sets or hanging decorations should consider stretching first and should use proper lifting techniques, for example.
• Give explicit directions about what needs to be done. Shoveling snow, for example, is often a source of injuries in winter months. Employees should shovel like they lift: knees bent, foot forward, head up and should flex with the thighs.
• Lay out the timeline and have everyone agree to it. Rushing causes accidents.

Need help with employee training? Check out SFM's online Resource Catalog for turn-key materials for assistance.

Advice from SFM's print publication

The flu
If you catch it at work, is it a work-related illness?

Not necessarily.

It's a question that surfaces especially under circumstances of unusual risk. Some years, new types of flu, such as H1N1, grow to become public health concerns. Or vaccine shortages raise concerns about higher incidence rates. Or an employer has employees traveling in areas with outbreaks of flu.

State law addresses how workers' compensation medical and wage-loss benefits apply when illnesses, including influenza, may be contracted by or passed among workers.

Read more...

Best practices for claims management