The federal agency known as the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was established in 1971 to set national standards in order to ensure the safety and health of America’s workers. Since OSHA was created, occupational deaths have been cut by 62% and injuries have declined by 42%. While this is great news, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, problems still exist in that approximately 2.9 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported last year alone.
Prevention of workplace injuries is the duty of all employees and there are several ways we can protect ourselves and our fellow co-workers.
- Be on the lookout for possible dangers. Keep the work area neat, clean, and free of safety hazards.
- Notify a supervisor immediately of any possible dangers. (Icy parking lots or sidewalks)
- Remediate potential safety issues. If you see water on the floor, wipe it up.
- Get up and move. Employees need to take small breaks and move around regularly during the work day to combat the physical problems staying in a static position can cause.
- Pay attention to ergonomics. Use ergonomically designed office furniture and arrange the workspace to allow for easy reach.
- Team up. Ask for help when you need it and willingly help others.
Aside from the physical suffering workplace injuries can cause an employee, they also place a financial hardship on the employer. By law, the AEA is required to pay an insurance premium; however, the cost of the premium is something that can be controlled by reducing workplace injuries. The agency also has the added cost of hiring a substitute to fill the injured employee’s position while he or she is unable to work.
With proper work environments and addressing safety issues, not only will the incidences of workplace injuries decrease but the associated agency costs will be reduced, thus benefiting both staff and those we serve.