The conducted a review of some of the recent research in this area. Earlier this month NIOSH and IWH released “A Systematic Review of the Effectiveness of Training & Education for the Protection of Workers.”

This report shows that training resulted in positive changes regarding workers knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behavior. However, this research also showed that training as the only solution, did not have an impact on decreasing workplace injuries or symptoms. 

This information confirms InjuryFree’s belief that workplace risk reduction needs to come from a comprehensive program that looks at Biophysical, Ergonomics, Education, and Awareness. Through the BEEA+ paradigm we CAN make an impact on workplace risk. 

For more information on the BEEA+ paradigm, or to take the BEEA+ survey to determine opportunities within your organization to reduce workplace risk.

 Source:

Rivera RJ, Paradise A. State of the industry report. Alexandria (VA): American Society for Training and Development; 2006.

• The number of uninsured Americans will increase from 49.4 million in 2010 to 59.7 in 2015 and 67.6 million in 2020

• Premiums would become increasingly expensive for employers and their workers. Premiums for both single and family policies would more than double by 2020, increasing from $4,800 to $10,300 for single policies and from $12,100 to $25,600 for family policies

• Employers would see large increases in premium costs. Employer premium spending would increase from $430 billion in 2010 to $851 billion in 2020, a 98 percent increase.

• Health care costs paid directly by families would increase significantly. Individual and family spending on premiums and out-of-pocket health care costs would increase from $315 billion in 2010 to $564 billion in 2020. In the best case, these costs would rise to $471 billion by 2020.

No matter what steps the US government chooses to curb this rampant rise in health care costs, it is becoming evident that the best way to protect yourself and your family is to PREVENT injury and illness.  Each of us needs to take these issues seriously and start taking steps today to increase our health by making daily choices to stay healthy.  From eating well, exercising, working and driving safely, we all can make a huge impact on our health, but we must start today, and not wait for the government, our doctors, our family to do it for us.

As the government continues to fight over the right steps for this country, I urge you to take control of your health and the health of your family!  Today is the first day of the rest of your life.  Let’s make it a great start!

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Like this Blog Post? Consider Other InjuryFree Topics:

Preventative Health Care is the Answer

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Article cited from The Cost of Failure to Enact Health Reform: 2010 to 2020 by Bowen Garrett, Matthew Buettgens, Lan Doan and Irene Headen

But did you know that the event has an increased risk of workplace injury the first Monday after we change our clocks? Researchers have determined we lose an average of 40 minutes of sleep due to the time switch, which  impact a number of our everyday work behaviors.To read more about the effects of Daylight Savings Time, click here.

It is our goal at InjuryFree to see all employees, work, play and retire pain free.  We applaud everyone that strives to make their workplace safer.  From the CEO, to the operators, it is the responsibility of each of us to find ways to prevent injures at the job.  Working together I KNOW we can keep our work force InjuryFree!

We’re looking forward to meeting each of you at the Conference! Please let us know if you will be there – we love meeting people who are working to make their job sites safer!

See you in Texas!

To read more about our presentation and the NSC Texas Safety Conference and Expo, click here

Register for the Texas NSC Safety Conference and Expo here.

“Receipt of this letter means that workers in that particular establishment are being injured at a higher rate than in most other businesses of its kind in the country,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “Employers whose businesses have injury and illness rates this high need to take immediate steps to protect their workers.”

Employers receiving the letters also were provided copies of their injury and illness data, along with a list of the most frequently cited OSHA standards for their specific industry. The letter offered assistance in helping to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses by suggesting, among other things, the use of OSHA’s free safety and health consultation services for small businesses provided through the states.

OSHA identified businesses with the nation’s highest rates of workplace injuries and illnesses through employer-reported data from a 2009 survey of about 100,000 worksites. (This survey collected injury and illness data for calendar year 2008.) Workplaces receiving notifications had DART rates more than twice the national average among all U.S. workplaces.

A list of the employers receiving the letter is available on OSHA’s public Web site.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA’s role is to assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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Cited from the U.S. Department of Labor, March 9, 2010 by Diana Patterson

OSHA will be hosting a public hearing on the Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting  proposal on Tuesday, March 9th in the DOL/Frances Perkins Building in Washington D.C. from 9 to 5 p.m.

Do you have a comment you’d like to share with OSHA? Submit electronically at Regulations.Gov the Federal eRulemaking Portal . The official news release can be found here.

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Like this topic? Read similar articles:

Update: MSDs to OSHA 300 Log

Proposed Addition: MSDs to OSHA 300 Log

To read more from Stephen Miller’s report on the Principal Financial Well-Being Index survey, click here.

Within these standards, employees will be required to be given ergonomic awareness training on:

• Ergonomic occupational risk factors
• Signs/symptoms that help to identify if an ergonomic hazard may be present
• Ergonomic hazard reporting and process
• Assessing and responding to ergonomic risk factors

These standards advise a stricter compliance to ergonomics than federal regulation. Concern focuses on the economic impact the standards may cause on the already down-trodden state economy.

For more information, read Michigan’s Ergonomics War Set to Resume by Jerry Laws in the Feb. 1, 2010 edition of OH&S

In a study published by the Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI), it is reported that the labor-force participation rate for older Americans (ages 55 and older) is increasing, which in turn, attributes higher health and economic costs for retirement expenses. For the aging employee, contributing to a retirement plan such as a 401k program and paying for health insurance is becoming a necessity, instead of using their own savings to attribute post-retirement costs. Therefore, the study finds, the aging population attributes employer-offered health care and contribution programs as incentives to continue working rather than choosing to retire.

Amongst the findings, EBRI found that nearly 40% of the 55 and older population are currently working. When looking at gender of the near-elderly population, women’s participation in the workforce is increasing while the male participation rate is flat to declining. The EBRI study also suggests that as the level of educational attainment increases, so does the length of participation in the workforce. Those with a higher educational attainment stay in the workforce longer than those who do not.

To read the EBRI Study “Labor Force Participation Rates: The Population Age 55 and Older, 2008” click here.

Tell InjuryFree! Employees in an aging workforce population are prone to injury. As we grow older, our muscles and joints begin to break down risking costly injury claims, worker absenteeism and lost productivity. How is your company responding to best address the needs of the aging population?

If your company is looking for solutions to respond to and manage an aging workforce, contact us. We would be glad to help!

Like this article? Read More: The Ergonomics of an Aging Workforce

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Article Citation:

Copeland, Craig. (2010). Labor Force Participation Rates: The Population Age 55 and Older, 2008. Notes, 3(2) 10-17

In the blog posted on February 8 entitled “Proposed Addition: MSDs to OSHA 300 Log,” the author discussed the inclusion of an additional column on the federal survey – OSHA 300 log to track musculoskeletal injuries.

Since the blog was posted, business representatives including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce are skeptic that this new regulation may essentially “open a can of worms” to ergonomic rules drafted by the Clinton administration. These regulations released by OSHA took more than 3 years to draft and totaled over 1,600 pages. Business are skeptic over the costs associated with these additions should they be adopted by Congress.

On the flip-side, proponents of the MSD column claim that this addition is simply a method to identify the quantity of musculoskeletal injury for recording purposes.

What do you think? Is the proposed MSD recording addition a step into taking a more aggressive policy on ergonomics in the workplace?

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Article Citation:

Sapien, Joaquin. (2010). Business Gears Up to Battle New Obama Workplace Safety Rule. ProPublica