Introduction In January 2012, the hotel worker union UNITE HERE filed a petition with Cal/OSHA and requested a specific safety standard to protect hotel housekeepers. The request included a maximum requirement of cleaning 5,000 square feet of room space per eight-hour work shift, the use of fitted bottom sheets as a requirement, and the prohibition of working…
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, the summer months of June, July and August have the most injuries resulting in days away from work. Of these cases, over 42-percent result from sprains, strains, tears, tendonitis, and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). The average case cost of these is about $25,000. With summer rapidly approaching,…
Were you or the people you work with stressed-out in 2020? When people are stressed out, they are more likely to suffer work-related illnesses and injuries. Many people were moved to work-from-home without enough planning or preparation. Millions of people in industries deemed “essential” also had to work through the worst of the pandemic in…
In 2016 over a three-week period, 3,000 corporate headquarters employees at my former company moved from one building to a new one. Even after six months, very few employees experienced work-related MSDs. In 2020, millions of people around the world moved, over about three weeks, to new home offices. And various studies show that about…
I am frequently asked to recommend a piece of equipment to assist with addressing an ergonomics need. I do not mind helping out, but please consider a few things before you ask for help. As I am an independent consultant, and giving out free advice on specific issues does not pay my bills, so before…
We are rapidly closing in on a year of “working at home for a few weeks.” Is your company still operating as if working at home is a temporary thing? What has your company done for work at home employees? Unless it was accompanied by focused guidance, an employee stipend may have had only limited…
I periodically hear people state their beliefs that ergonomics-related engineering improvements tend to be cost prohibitive. While this does happen, I find it to be the exception, versus the rule. But how can that be? Yes, there are situations in some facilities that can be cost prohibitive to change—short term. This is especially true in…
We all like to eat a good meal, but many people don’t always understand, or appreciate the efforts that are required of thousands of people across the globe to feed us. Someone has to produce, process, and distribute the foodstuffs we all too often take for granted. Even those who may still grow a lot…
I posted a simple poll recently that asked “Where does safety begin at your company?” Four options were provided: At the CEO’s desk, During the design phase, During installation, and At the start of the shift. Of those responding, the results were quite interesting. While it was only possible to select one option, no one…
Dan Baker has an amazing keynote speech at the Protective Insurance Claims & Safety 2020 virtual seminar. Drivers have to pick goods up on time, transport them without damage, and deliver them on time. As Dan says, they are the key to your success, even though transportation and distribution employees are in an occupational group…