Page 74 - OHS, June 2023

SUMMER HAZARDS safety standards, such as the case in Connecticut where a company was fined heavily for “failing to protect its employees against fall, drowning and other hazards” at a jobsite; they were exposed to drowning hazards with a lack of on-site life jackets, ring buoys and a rescue skiff that are required to be available when employees work around water. Proactivity and Planning Regardless of the summer safety hazards your team may face in the coming months, it’s important to be proactive and plan as much as possible. By assessing any potential hazard now, you can prepare certain areas of your OHS program for the specific safety challenges that summer presents. Look back at incident, health and safety reports from past seasons to identify any trends or information that can help you plan more effectively. Explore the innovative, very effective technologies available to protect your team members such as the OSHA’s Heat Safety Tool 9, an app that calculates the heat index for your worksite and based on that index, will provide you with the working risk level for your outdoor workers. The most important point, however, is that throughout your safety planning, there is regular consolation with all levels of your staff impacted by the resulting safety protocols and measures. Work safety is an organizational priority as much as it is an individual one, so having everyone in agreement and in sync with occupational health and safety is goal that every organization should strive for this summer. Gen Handley is a Marketing and Growth Coordinator for SafetyLine Lone Worker, an automated, cloud-based lone worker monitoring service that helps companies protect remote or isolated workers. Gen has more than 10 years of freelance writing and marketing experience. REFERENCES 1. www.epa.gov/climate-indicators/climate-change-indicators-heat-related- deaths 2. www.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.html 3. www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2021/43-work-related-deaths-due-to- environmental-heat-exposure-in-2019.htm 4. www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/rhabdo/default.html 5. safetylineloneworker.com/blog/rising-temperatures-bring-increased-heat- stress-to-lone-workers 6. safetylineloneworker.com/blog/automated-lone-worker-safety-check-ins- benefits 7. my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/15763-photokeratitis 8. safetylineloneworker.com/blog/lone-worker-hazards-in-water-and- wastewater-treatment 9. www.osha.gov/heat/heat-app TEST/ACTIVATE EMERGENCY SHOWERS AND EYEWASHES “The Gobbler has totally changed the way we test safety showers.” TELESCOPING FUNNEL • Double Productivity • Eliminate The Mess • Avoid OSHA Problems • Test Water Clarity, Flow, Temperature And Spread EYEWASH TESTING SOLUTIONS greengobblersafety.com Sol􏰀 􏰁y Increase Company | 920-691-2496 | Sales@IncreaseCompany.com 72 Occupational Health & Safety | JUNE 2023 Untitled-83 1 www.ohsonline.com 5/3/22 12:534 PM