Seasonal Safety

According to the National Safety Council, in 2018, 53 children died in hot cars. Although these incidents are more common in the summer months, they’re not limited to July and August.

Before tackling spring cleaning, you should be aware of the hazards that may await you: handling household chemicals, lifting heavy objects, navigating around clutter, walking on wet surfaces, and reaching or climbing – to name a few.

A spike in lost-time injuries and illnesses resulting from “environmental cold” suggests a lack of understanding of cold stress and how to avoid related injuries.

Parking lots can be a safety risk for workers, especially with the sun setting earlier during the winter months.

Ticks can carry potentially life-threatening infectious diseases. Most active during warmer months (April-September), they reside mostly in grassy, brushy or wooded areas – putting virtually all outdoor workers in the United States at risk of exposure.

Heat-related illnesses accounted for 783 worker deaths and nearly 70,000 serious injuries in the United States from 1992 to 2016. And in 2018 alone, 3,950 workers experienced days away from work as a result of nonfatal injuries and illnesses from on-the-job heat exposure.

Working in cold conditions can be unpleasant, uncomfortable and even dangerous if proper safety precautions aren’t followed.

Millions of tons of asphalt are produced and used in the paving and roofing industries every year, the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation notes, and more than 500,000 workers are exposed to fumes from asphalt.

For some workers, mosquitoes are an on-the-job hazard. That’s because some mosquitoes carry diseases – such as Zika virus, West Nile virus, Chikungunya virus, dengue and malaria – that can be transmitted to people.

Muncie, IN — Concerts, fireworks, auto races, road construction and mowing the lawn are all summertime happenings that can cause permanent hearing damage, cautions Ball State University audiologist Lynn Bielski.