Businesses that take safety seriously may consider pursuing the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP ) through the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Being awarded SHARP status demonstrates excellence in safety.

The initiative recognizes employers who have used OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program services and “operate exemplary safety and health programs.”

By reaching SHARP status, an employer is granted an exemption from OSHA-programmed inspections for up to two years.

OSHA also outlines other benefits of the program:

• Protecting workers and developing safe practices and programs
• Lower workers’ compensation premiums
• Improve your worker retention
• Reduce employee days away from work
• Better workplace morale and culture
• Establishing a reputation for leadership and safety

In addition to the federal SHARP, similar programs exist at the state level across the U.S. A few examples of state-led SHARP initiatives include:

Minnesota

To be recognized by MNSHARP , companies must work with state officials to develop and implement a written safety program, which must include:

• Management leadership and employee involvement
• An allocation of resources to address safety issues
• Systems that identify and control workplace hazards
• A plan for employee safety training and education

Incentives for participating include assistance from the Minnesota OSHA Workplace Safety Consultation unit, public recognition for employers and employees and exemption from Minnesota OSHA Compliance scheduled inspection lists.

Minnesota also has a program specifically geared toward the construction industry .

Wisconsin

The Wisconsin SHARP initiative is run through the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

To achieve SHARP status, a company must:

• Have a history of maintaining an injury and illness rate below the national average for its industry
• Participate in a comprehensive consultation visit for both safety and health
• Participate in a full evaluation of the health and safety management program in place for the company
• Involve employees in the consultation and safety management processes
• Correct all serious, other-than-serious, and regulatory hazards found
• Have all basic elements for managing health and safety in place

Nebraska

In Nebraska, the state’s SHARP requires qualifying employers to go through a comprehensive consultation and review.

Companies must agree to a safety and health survey by state officials, review of an employer’s safety and health program, correct any hazards identified, and more. Once a business is SHARP certified, the benefits include :

• Learning how to maintain a safe and healthy workplace through the development and implementation of proven effective safety and health management systems
• Receiving no-cost consultative assistance and training provided by qualified professionals experienced in helping employers develop safety and health management programs and identify safety and health problem areas
• Meeting program requirements to obtain a certificate of recognition from OSHA and removing the company from OSHA’s routine inspection list for one year

The Nebraska Department of Labor also presents a certificate of recognition and a SHARP program flag from the state’s governor and commissioner of labor.

Conclusion

Safety should be of paramount concern for all employers. And there are benefits to following strong safety procedures.

Check the OSHA SHARP website for more information.

Safety-focused employers have a new tool to spot trends and learn which serious injuries may be most prevalent in their industry.

In September 2024 , the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a new severe injury dashboard.

The digital tool — which includes information on severe injuries going back to 2015 — allows users to search and download data by:

• Year
• Industry
• State
• Establishment name
• Occupational Injury and Illness Classification System codes

As of this writing, the dashboard includes data through July 31, 2024, and gives users the ability to filter and download results. The filters are detailed, accounting for hundreds of different injury types, the source of the injury and even which body part was affected.

The dashboard provides an example of a broad search result showing incidents since 2015:

• More than 93,000 total severe injury reports
• Nearly 76,300 total workers hospitalized
• Nearly 25,000 total workers with amputations

For a more granular example, one could search for 2023 severe injuries in hospitals in Wisconsin. Though that search only returns three results — two hospitalized workers and one amputation — the dashboard also provides specifics on the injuries:

• Fall on same level due to tripping over an object
• Fall on same level due to slipping
• Injured by slipping or swinging object held by injured worker

Safety professionals could use broader search results, and go back several years, to find potential areas for improvements depending on the workplace type.

Lastly, OSHA has provided an instructional video on how to use the dashboard.

With warmer weather on the horizon, and already here in many places, it makes sense to prepare for a new batch of safety concerns.

Especially for people who work outdoors, the summer months bring a host of potential hazards, including heat-related issues, slips and falls, severe weather and more.

Share the following tips with your employees and colleagues to help them stay safe during warmer months.

Outdoor slips and falls

Potential tripping and slipping hazards can happen all year long.

Pay attention to the conditions of the surfaces you’re walking on. Parking lots, sidewalks, ramps and stairs can all have cracks, holes or uneven surfaces that could cause you to trip. Use handrails on stairs or ramps, and try to keep your hands free of encumbrances. Do not carry more than you can handle or items that block your vision.

Don’t take shortcuts through lawns or center islands. Uneven ground and concealed or hard-to-see holes can result in twisted ankles or worse.

Also, summer months might have employees wearing different footwear than at other times of the year. Flip-flops, sandals, loose-fitting shoes, high heels, cowboy boots, etc., all increase the risk of slip and fall injuries or feet and ankle injuries. Employers need to mandate proper footwear and enforce it with workers.

Also, report any unsafe outdoor conditions to the appropriate person.

Heat stress

When you’re working in the heat, it’s important to make sure you stay hydrated. If you aren’t taking in enough fluids or salts, it can lead to heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion or heatstroke.

To prevent heat-related stress, give yourself time to adjust to hot weather by limiting your exposure at first, and gradually increasing the amount of time until your body has acclimated to the heat. Try to schedule work during the coolest parts of the day.

Drink plenty of liquids to replace what your body loses through sweating. You should be drinking approximately one cup of water every 15 minutes. Sports drinks with electrolytes are useful for replacing necessary salts, as well.

Don’t ignore symptoms of heat stress. Stop your work to cool off in a shaded or air-conditioned area if you experience dizziness, nausea or muscle cramping.

These tips are especially important for workers in certain industries. In early 2024, the American Society of Safety Professionals published the first national voluntary consensus standard addressing heat stress for workers in construction and demolition operations.

At a high level, the document:

• Provides guidance on protecting workers
• Outlines how to acclimate workers to high heat conditions
• Gives tips for training employees and supervisors

The standard also contains checklists and flowcharts designed to help employers develop heat stress management programs.

Lightning safety

If you work outdoors, it’s important to pay attention to weather patterns. Thunderstorms are common across the country, and lighting safety is vital for employees who work outdoors.

From 2006 through 2021, there were 444 lightning strike fatalities in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention . Most of those deaths occurred in June, July or August.

Stay up to date on weather forecasts and watch out for early warning signs. If a storm is predicted, don’t start working on projects you won’t be able to stop quickly.

Clouds that grow vertically into towering cumulus clouds are often the first sign of a developing storm. Other indicators include high winds, dark clouds, rain and distant thunder.

When you see lightning, count the seconds until you hear thunder. If the time is 30 seconds or less, then the storm is close enough to be dangerous. Leave any open-air structures or areas with tall trees and seek shelter inside an enclosed building. Metal-topped vehicles are also safe.

If you are outdoors, stay off and away from tall structures or large equipment. Do not touch anything that can conduct electricity. Wait at least 30 minutes following the last clap of thunder before resuming your work.

Insect-borne diseases

Summer is peak season for ticks and insect bites. If you work outdoors, be aware of the conditions that put you most at risk. Insects are most active at dawn, dusk and early evening in tall grass, shrubs and wooded areas.

You can avoid insect bites by wearing long pants, sleeves, closed-toe shoes and a hat. Use insect repellents on clothes and exposed skin.

After being outdoors, you should perform body checks for ticks. If one is found, remove it immediately with fine-tipped tweezers by pulling it straight out. Then cleanse the area with antiseptic.

At the same time, illnesses such as Lyme disease and West Nile virus can be passed on by deer ticks and mosquitoes. An estimated 476,000 people in the U.S. are diagnosed and treated for Lyme disease each year, according to the CDC . And in 2024, more than 1,450 cases of West Nile virus were detected across 49 states, the CDC reports .

If you suspect you or one of your employees may have contracted an illness, seek medical attention right away.

Conclusion

Spring and summer months come with their own unique safety risks.

Getting back outside after a long winter can feel like a relief, but don’t let that cause you to let your guard down while working outside.

Lastly, federal officials have created a heat safety tool app employers can use as an additional resource.

Originally published in May 2019; updated May 2025.

This is the second in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our November 2024 webinar, De-escalation in the workplace, An SFM webinar for policyholders.

The second segment of SFM’s de-escalation webinar focused on incorporating these tactics into workplace safety programs.

Carl Gruber, SFM Loss Prevention Specialist, outlined the four basic elements of creating a de-escalation training program:

• Define responsibilities
• Select a training program that suits the business
• Create the training program
• Craft goals and plan for continuing education

A strong safety program that includes de-escalation tactics can help employers retain workers and establish a safe working environment, Gruber said.

“We all know that retention of staff is a huge thing right now — not just from the time and money aspect of recruiting, but also from the aspect of getting the right person for the job,” he said. “You picked that individual for a reason. And you don’t want the reason they are leaving to be because they feel unsafe or like they don’t belong.”

Gruber also discussed selecting training programs based on the type of business, including:

• School districts
• Health care
• Other categories of employers and factors to consider (type of worksite, schedules, guests being onsite, etc.)

Check out the complete recording of webinar, and keep an eye out for future blogs highlighting other sections of the presentation.

• Part I: An introduction – Workplace violence and de-escalation

This is the first in a four-part series of SFM blogs recapping our November 2024 webinar, De-escalation in the workplace, An SFM webinar for policyholders.

More than 20,000 private-industry workers experienced nonfatal workplace violence in 2020, according to a 2024 report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

That’s why de-escalation in the workplace is so important.

In November 2024, SFM held a webinar focused on de-escalation. Dana Mickelson, SFM Loss Prevention Specialist, kicked off the presentation by:

• Defining workplace violence
• Discussing the prevalence of workplace violence and injuries
• Defining de-escalation

“It is important to recognize that such violence can have broader implications beyond workers’ compensation,” said Mickelson, who has 21 years of experience in the field.

Mickelson further outlines categories of workplace violence:

• Criminal intent
• Incidents between customers and clients (most common)
• Worker on worker violence (workplace or interpersonal conflicts)
• Physical relationships (spouses or significant others)

“All categories could result in workers’ compensation claims, depending on the factors of the incident,” Mickelson said.

Health care and school environments more likely to see workplace violence, she said, relaying injury data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, including days missed based on workplace violence incidents. Mickelson also cited SFM claims data, which aligns with national trends.

There are certain factors that contribute to workplace violence, including working alone, working in areas with a high crime rate, jobs where alcohol is served and others.

Lastly, Mickelson provided a definition of de-escalation: The process of managing others’ behaviors using several tactics, including verbal and non-verbal communication.

Check out the complete recording of webinar, and keep an eye out for future blogs highlighting other sections of the presentation.

Throughout the colder months of the year, you must continuously be wary of the dangers of slipping on the snow and ice.

And this is especially true at the tail end of winter. Warmer weather may lull you into a false sense of security, but thawing and refreezing can make roads and walkways even more treacherous.

Each year, hundreds of employees insured by SFM report falling because of snow and ice — it’s one of the most common causes of injuries.

In fact, about 674,000 cases of falls, slips and trips were reported by private employers 2021-22, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), with many of those incidents requiring employees to miss work because of the incident.

According to SFM claims data, 25 percent of ice- and snow-related falls occur in parking lots and 20 percent of slips and falls that occur in parking lots result in lost time from work.

Meanwhile, SFM estimates the average winter slip-and-fall lost-time claim costs range from $50,000 to $55,000. The costs — direct and indirect — mount quickly and can’t be ignored.

“Slips and falls during winter can be a major issue for worker safety,” said Director of Loss Prevention Lee Wendel. “But both workers and employers can take steps to mitigate the dangers and stay safe all winter long.”

Staying safe from slips and falls

Employee injuries sustained in falls are costly. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says workers’ compensation and medical costs associated with workplace fall incidents have been estimated at $70 billion annually in the U.S.

Despite the perils of getting around during winter, there are many preventive measures employers can implement to decrease the chance of on-the-job injuries.

• Make sure gutters and downspouts flow away from walkways to avoid the dangerous freeze-thaw-refreeze cycle
• Redirect any water flowing on walkways to avoid puddles
• Treat walkways at high-hazard times and warn employees about potential hazards
• Manage snow piles near walkways to avoid melting snow refreezing to ice
• Plow snow below the grade of walkways to minimize downward flow
• Repair walkways to eliminate uneven surfaces that collect water and ice
• Designate safe paths of travel to and from building to discourage potentially dangerous shortcuts

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that trips, slips and falls are the second-most common cause of workplace injury. Also, 20-30 percent of workplace falls result in a moderate or severe injury, including deep bruising, broken bones and concussions.

These incidents can be even more serious. According to the most recent data from the BLS, work-related fatalities due to falls, slips, and trips have increased in recent years:

• 805 fatalities in 2020
• 850 fatalities in 2021
• 865 fatalities in 2022
• 885 fatalities in 2023

About 20 percent of all workplace deaths are attributed to slips, trips and falls, per OSHA.

Employers must ensure walking surfaces at the workplace are free of snow and ice, according to OSHA safety standards.

Remind employees about winter hazards using SFM resources

With a few simple precautions, falls on snow and ice resulting in costly injuries can be easily avoided. Employee awareness is key.

“It’s important to keep reminding employees of the risks of winter slips and falls, and how to avoid them, throughout the season,” Wendel said. “We’ve tried to make that easy for employers by offering a variety of different resources.”

Consider some tips from SFM:

• Do the penguin shuffle: Focus on your footing, walk flat-footed, take short steps to keep your center of balance over your feet
• Take it slow: Walk slowly on snow and ice to avoid a slip
• Wear proper footwear for the weather: Choose footwear with non-slip soles, deep treads and wide, low heels; add cleats or traction footwear for extra grip
• Carry only what you can: Carrying less or using a bag or backpack decreases your chance of falling — and keeps your hands free if you do
• Watch for changing conditions: Monitor the weather; cycles of freezing, melting and re-freezing are especially dangerous
• Don’t be distracted: Put your cellphone away while walking and focus on where you’re going
• Step down, not out, from curbs and cars: Falls in parking lots are common — step flat-footed off curbs, step down with both feet when exiting your vehicle
• Walk on marked paths and avoid short cuts: Short cuts are likely to be icy and put you in danger of slipping
• Report icy conditions: Tell a supervisor or maintenance person if you spot slippery areas so they can shovel or salt problem areas
• Spread salt on ice: If you spot a slippery area and salt is available, spread it yourself

These tips and being aware of winter conditions can go a long way toward ensuring a winter spent upright and safe.

“Winter in the Upper Midwest often extends into early spring,” Wendel said. “By taking the necessary precautions and staying vigilant, workers can remain safe.”

Originally posted January 2018; updated February 2025.

It might surprise employers to learn that the recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have applications in workplace safety.

But this technology has been harnessed of late to expand the ability of safety leaders to train employees, test methods, develop best practices and more.

Imagine a piece of equipment a new employee will be using. Instead of training with the machine itself, employers can give workers the ability to “use” the device without the potential for injury. In this way, employees can get a degree of “on-the-job training” without risk.

“It’s exciting to envision the future applications for AI when it comes to workplace safety,” said Lee Wendel, SFM’s Director of Loss Prevention. “Already, some employers are utilizing the technology. Others are researching how it could be used. It’s fascinating to see and project how much it will develop moving forward.”

Wendel has embraced this evolution. He was recently honored by a regional furniture retailer for his safety efforts. Company officials noted his dedication to demonstrating and educating leadership about virtual training, ergonomic position trackers and other AI solutions.

At the same time, similar practices are being implemented elsewhere.

The National Safety Council has several real-world case studies related to virtual reality and augmented reality (AR). In one instance, a technology-focused defense, intelligence, security and infrastructure engineering firm used a VR program during employee orientation. The simulation involved identifying workplace hazards. The results included increased employee engagement, efficiencies by reducing the need for in-person trainers and, of course, a greatly reduced chance of injury during training.

Wendel said the speed, accuracy and breadth of the information some of these programs provide is impressive. Examples include:

• Giving the software a photo of a workspace and having the program outline safety issues, whether those would result in an Occupational Safety and Health Administration fine, the frequency and costs of those fines, and how to address any hazards.
• Uploading a picture of scaffolding where wood was used to frame up handrails. The tool will outline the risks and suggest ways to fix the problem.
• Giving the software a jurisdiction-specific prompt, such as patient handling in a parking lot in Minnesota. The system provided state-specific laws to note, weather considerations and other information.

“Employers can even provide their company policies — maybe an area on a warehouse floor cannot be used to store items — and the tool will take that into account, along with any safety issues, when it comes back with the information,” Wendel said.

In November 2024, SFM Loss Prevention Specialists Jason Clausen and Toby Tortorilla discussed safety technology they are exploring at the Midwest Women in Safety Conference.

Tortorilla participated in a panel discussion relating to the future of AI in relation to the safety field. He was able to provide findings from the research that he, and a team of SFM Loss Prevention personnel, were involved in recently.

“AI can be used in many ways to assist us as safety leaders,” Tortorilla said. “It can help create safety programs and policies, assist with ergonomic assessments, perform compliance and behavioral based assessments and bring attention to real-time hazards through wearables, telematics and other electronic devices. The capabilities are truly limitless.”

Cold, snowy and icy weather are coming soon. As the weather brings colder and more slippery conditions, it’s a good time to remind your employees to walk carefully when outdoors.

Our new video for employees aims to catch their attention and remind them of the dangers they face when walking through parking lots in winter weather.

Parking lot slips and falls are a common source of work-related injuries during the winter months, and exercising caution can help your employees avoid nasty accidents.

We offer many resources on our winter slips and falls page you can use to prevent these types of injuries among your employees.

Other considerations for parking lot slips and falls

Every state’s law is different, but typically employers are required to provide safe routes for employees from their vehicles into work.

This means if an employee is injured by tripping and falling in the designated parking lot on the way into or out from work, it could be considered a work injury, making the employee eligible for workers’ compensation medical and wage loss benefits.

It’s not uncommon, and the injuries are often serious.

Injuries aren’t just bad for your employees. Having a lot of claims can negatively affect your costs as an employer, too.

Keep parking lots maintained

It’s very important to make sure that parking lots are well-maintained — cleared of snow and ice in the winter and free of cracks and other trip hazards.

Make employees aware of hazards

Your employees can also play a role in avoiding slip-and-fall injuries by walking carefully and wearing appropriate footwear. See SFM’s winter slip-and-fall prevention page for posters, table tents and other resources you can use to keep fall prevention top of mind for employees.

Originally posted October 2027; updated January 2025.

It probably comes as no surprise that winter can be a hazardous time for employees.

Between slips and falls, challenging driving conditions, extreme cold, shoveling and more, there are several additional dangers to consider as the weather turns colder. However, there are a number of steps employers can take to prevent injuries among their workers.

That’s why SFM has compiled a wealth of resources to help keep employees safe during winter. Be sure to share these resources with your safety leaders, employees and others.

Winter-proof your workplace to stop slips and falls

Follow these steps to get your employees ready for the risks of winter weather and cut down on slips and falls in the workplace.

11 common sense tips for safe winter weather driving

Follow these tips to keep safe while driving in snowy and icy winter weather.

Prepare to prevent winter slips and falls

Winter slips and falls are among the most common causes of workplace injuries. As an employer, there’s a great deal you can do to prevent these injuries at your workplace.

Four quick tips for safe snow shoveling this winter

Follow these four tips to reduce the risk of injuries while shoveling snow, so you can get back inside safely.

Easy way to avoid winter falls: Step down, not out.

Using the “Step down, not out” method when getting out of a vehicle or stepping off a curb forces you to stand up or step flat footed, eliminating the chances of slipping.

Safety video: Avoid slipping this winter

Watch this video to learn how to avoid slipping and sliding this winter.

Lastly, be sure to check out additional items related to winter safety in the SFM Resource Catalog.

Each year, thousands of employees are the victims of workplace violence.

More than 20,000 private industry workers experienced nonfatal workplace violence in 2020, according to a 2024 report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

Of those, 22% required 31 or more days away from work to recover and another 22% involved 3-5 days off of work. Even more sobering, nearly 400 U.S. employees died from workplace homicide in 2020, according to NIOSH.

That’s why de-escalation in the workplace is so important. The technique is vital when confronted with violent or aggressive behavior.

According to professionals , de-escalation means “transferring your sense of calm and genuine interest in what an individual wants to tell you by using respectful, clear, limit-setting boundaries.” In short, de-escalation is the process of managing someone else’s behavior with your own.

Workplace violence can take many forms, including any act or threat of physical violence, harassment, intimidation and other threatening disruptive behavior.

Industries and de-escalation

Two industries more likely to see workplace violence are educational services and health care and social assistance.

SFM’s own claims data from 2019 through 2023 showed that those two industries accounted for about 95 percent of such incidents. In the health care field specifically, employees are five times as likely to experience workplace violence as other types of workers.

See additional SFM resources for de-escalation.

De-escalation tactics

While specific threats vary among industries, Jason Clausen, a Loss Prevention Specialist at SFM, said many de-escalation tactics apply universally.

“These tactics all require a state of calm, and operate around the cornerstone of active listening,” he said.

General de-escalation tactics that apply universally include:

• Respecting personal space
• Maintaining safe body positioning
• Giving clear, concise direction
• Setting obvious boundaries
• Conveying empathy
• Establishing positive tone of voice

Safety programs

Beyond de-escalation tactics themselves, employers can also take steps to mitigate workplace violence by crafting safety programs.

Generally, building a successful safety program involves four steps.

1. Set safety goals

Focus on safe behaviors rather than risky ones. Choose goals that relate to safety indicators — such as de-escalation training sessions.

The best behaviors to observe are those that will prevent injuries from happening. Review your injury records to look for any trends. This will give you a place to start.

2. Use positive recognition

When you’re observing workplace safety, take the time to recognize employees who follow proper protocols. This can be done verbally, or you can consider some sort of reward program.

3. Get employees involved

Encourage workers to participate, give them roles and give them the freedom to discuss safety challenges and successes with others.

4. Respond to employee concerns

If you have employees reporting safety concerns to you that go unanswered, the program will lose momentum, as well as credibility.

Create an environment in which employees feel comfortable bringing safety issues to their superiors and won’t fear reprisal for making suggestions. Also encourage leadership to demonstrate their support of your safety program.