Safety Tips

OSHA requires that employees working inside trenches be protected against cave-in injuries.

Covering loads to protect them during transit can be a risky task for truckers. Fall injuries often can occur during this task, which the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries estimates costs Washington truckers on average at least two months in lost time.

Carpet layers spend approximately 75 percent of their workday kneeling, according to NIOSH estimates, putting a significant amount of pressure on their knees. Compared with workers who rarely kneel, NIOSH found that carpet layers have high frequencies of bursitis of the knee – fluid buildup requiring knee aspirations, skin infections of the knee and a variety of other knee disorders.

In woodworking, potential contact with a saw blade presents a very serious hazard. Even though guards offer protection, it is important to remember they alone cannot prevent an injury from happening.

A major cause of workplace injuries is burns, and more than one-third of these occur in restaurants. The number of reported burn cases average about 12,000 a year, although the actual number is believed to be much higher, according to the Connecticut Department of Public Health.

Cleaning up after hurricanes or other storms exposes cleanup workers to floodwaters, which can carry some serious health risks. Floodwaters can be contaminated with micro-organisms, sewage, industrial waste, chemicals or other substances that can cause illness or death, according to OSHA.

Ladders are basic tools that can lead some people to discount the dangerous nature of them. If proper safety precautions are not followed, ladder users easily could fall and suffer serious injuries or even death.

A 53-year-old male service technician died at his repair shop after being assaulted by an intruder. The shop was the only occupant of a two-story building with a parking lot in the back, secured by a chain-link fence and padlock.

Overexertion injuries – which most often occur when a load is being lifted or otherwise handled – accounted for 22 percent of nonfatal workplace injuries in 2009, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Rosemont, IL – Although extreme winter sports can give participants a serious adrenaline rush, they also can lead to serious injuries, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons warned recently.