Construction workers in New Jersey should know that trenching and excavation operations are leading to more fatalities. Between 2011 and 2016, OSHA recorded 130 fatalities related to such operations. Approximately 49 percent occurred between 2015 and 2016 alone. The private construction industry accounted for 80 percent, numbering 104, of all the fatalities.
Seeing a need for increased...
New Jersey employees naturally want to avoid injuries on the job. Their desire to remain safe, however, can either be encouraged or discouraged by management. An employer that consistently communicates safety procedures to employees and invites their feedback about potential safety problems can reduce incidents by as much as 70 percent compared to disengaged employers.
Employers can...
Repetitive trauma is common in workplaces where you do similar things day after day. For example, if you work in education, you probably stand, use a chalkboard and grade papers regularly, all repetitive motions. If you work in a factory, you might wrap items or move them several times a minute in similar movement patterns. If you are a writer, you could use a keyboard for many hours a day. In...
Construction workers make up about 6 percent of the overall workforce throughout New Jersey and the rest of the U.S. However, they accounted for 20 percent of employee deaths in the private sector according to OSHA data. One of the biggest hazards workers face on a construction site is falling. Falls can occur because of an unstable surface or because they weren’t using a ladder in a...
Drug-impaired driving is increasing in New Jersey and across the U.S., according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. As a result, the agency is launching a new campaign to raise awareness about the issue. The initiative will run through Labor Day, which falls on Sept. 3 this year.
The new campaign is similar to drunk driving initiatives like the “Drive Sober or Get...
Chemical handlers in New Jersey face a wide range of risks, but these could be reduced or avoided if they consider the following 11 safety rules. Employers will want to incorporate them as they are general enough to apply to any workplace where hazardous chemicals are present.
The first rule may be the most important: Workers should perform their duties as they were trained to do. Second, they...
New Jersey residents who have been in a car crash should get themselves checked out by a doctor as soon as possible. This is because a medical professional can check for symptoms of a concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI). Tests can be done that check for the ability to recall words or if there are signs of memory loss. Other symptoms of a head injury include a lack of balance or a change...
If you live in the state of New Jersey, you know that each month presents its own challenges with respect to the weather.
During the summer months, the sun is typically shining bright. However, there are times when thunderstorms roll into the area. The winter months are often full of sleet, freezing rain and snow, all of which can make it difficult to tackle the state’s many roadways....
According to the 2016 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, logging is the most dangerous job in America. New Jersey residents may also face a higher risk of an on-the-job fatality if they work as roofers or iron or steel workers. Loggers had a fatal injury rate of 135.9 per every 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers. This list was published in late 2017 by the Bureau of Labor...
Most drivers in New Jersey don’t doubt that technology is distracting more and more people behind the wheel. The U.S. Department of Transportation has noted a 10 percent rise in car crash fatality rates from 2014 to 2017, and this could be traced to the increased use of smartphones and in-car infotainment systems. A recent AAA analysis showed just how distracting both can be.
In this...
