pg. 6 - SAIF Corporation

Features
Written by Judi Croft {SAIF Safety Consultant Training Supervisor} and Al Polito {SAIF Publications Editor}
16 CN Fall 2008
Putting employees first starts with putting safety first
In a time when smart employers are taking
unprecedented measures to lure a workforce that
regards corporate values alongside salary amount,
successful companies are promoting workplace
safety to demonstrate commitment to their workers.
Employees who know that their well-being is a
priority are more likely to provide years of service to
their employers.
>>
Ask the right questions
Improving your work
environment begins with
asking the right questions.
Some important ones to
ask are:
• What is our greatest
operational challenge
right now
>
• What are employees
complaining about
• How are people getting hurt
• What shortcuts do employees
take that get them into trouble
Often, the answers are not, in
fact, “under your nose,” but can
be found in other industries that
have the same challenges as you
do. By asking the right questions,
and then paying attention to how
others solve the problem, you can
transform your work environment.
Following are some examples of
technologies developed for one
industry that can be life-savers for
a different industry.
The cost of not committing to a truly safe working
environment isn’t apparent until your best employees
leave to work for your competitors, or worse, until an
injury takes place that impacts human lives.
But if you’re like most employers, you keep the
floors dry and use common sense to make sure your
employees are safe. What more can you do to make
your work environment an asset that actually attracts
and retains talented employees
Breakaway Stirrups
Ranchers on horseback place great trust in their
equine companions, but every once in a while
even a highly trained horse gets spooked and
throws its rider. With his or her foot stuck in a
stirrup, a rider can be dragged, pinned beneath
a falling horse, badly kicked, or stepped on.
Injuries may include ruptured organs, brain or spinal cord damage,
and crushed or broken bones. Claims to SAIF have exceeded $50,000
for these types of injuries.
Unlike cattle ranchers, however, rodeo riders count on getting thrown
from their mounts on a daily basis. To minimize the risk of injury, they
have begun to use safety stirrups such as STI’s Breakaway Stirrups. As a
rider gets thrown, the stirrup detaches from the saddle and allows him
or her to land far enough from the horse to escape the worst injury.
Cattle ranchers are now beginning to use Breakaway Stirrups; the cost
of a workers’ compensation claim in a horse-related injury frequently
exceeds the most expensive pair of stirrups, priced around $500.
Many riders who have been thrown while using this equipment have
written the company thanking them for saving life or limb.
From people to pets
Moving an ailing Chihuahua from the front desk of the
veterinary office to the operating table may not pose a
problem for the front desk nurse, but what if the patient
were a more substantial breed, such as an English
Mastiff, St. Bernard, or Great Dane Approaching or
exceeding 200 lbs., these dogs are big enough to cause
back strains or other injuries during transport.
Some veterinarians have begun to adopt human hospital
technology to prevent injury to both people and pets.
“Danger is part of this work”
This idea is another example
of “hazardous thinking” that
leads to unsafe behavior. Even
stunt men and women, who
put themselves in the path of danger on a
daily basis, take every imaginable precaution
to ensure their safety, so that they may return
to work another day.
Replacing that notion with “Safety is part of
this work” involves making every safety option
available to your employees and rewarding
them for taking the time and effort to use
them. Nearly every workplace injury can
be avoided if employees feel empowered,
encouraged, and unrushed about taking
proper safety measures.
To change a light bulb
When a light bulb goes out in a
building with a high ceiling, such as a
warehouse, factory, or even a church,
maintenance personnel often use
extension ladders to access the socket and replace
the bulb. Ironically, most injuries from this approach
result from moving the ladders rather than falling from
them, although falling is definitely a danger.
Cherry pickers or scissor lifts are beginning to
replace dangerous extension ladders. Formerly the
domain of cherry harvesters and construction crews,
these aerial work platforms, as they’re also known,
are a safe alternative and often exceed the vertical
reach of extension ladders. They can be rented,
leased, or purchased.
Besides changing light bulbs, aerial work platforms
increase safety for tasks such as window washing,
electrical work, and even decorating large structures.
Hospitals have developed special ceiling-mounted
and portable lifts that are used to move incapacitated
patients – especially the elderly – safely to their beds
from either a seated or even lying down position. By
fitting a sling around the patient, office personnel
can transport a human-sized beast right up onto the
operating table without exerting much strength.
Hazardous thinking leads
to hazardous behavior
In their rush to get things done quickly, workers
often take shortcuts. However, many workers’
compensation claims are the result of shortcuts
gone awry. Common thinking that leads to
problems, and therefore injuries, includes:
“I don’t have the time
to do this the way
they say I should.”
“I didn’t realize a safer
option was available.”
“This item is
cumbersome
or awkward.”
“The right tool isn’t located
where I need it, so I’ll use
something else.”
Employers need to combat the temptation to
take shortcuts. Ways to do this include:
• Not penalizing employees for taking the
time they need to do the job right or asking
someone to help them
• Making sure items like step stools, gloves, or
goggles are readily available wherever they
might be needed
• Using products designed to enhance
workplace safety, including furniture sliders
and lifting aids like dollies and carts
• Educating your employees about the safety
items available to them, and the protocols for
maintaining a hazard-free work environment
By eliminating the temptation to take shortcuts,
employers demonstrate to their staff that, in fact,
their employees come first. When workers know
that they are valued, they increase their loyalty
to their employer.
Fall 2008 CN 17