OSHA News & Workplace Safety Blog

How to Prevent Common Workplace Equipment Accidents

Why Management Should Attend Safety Meetings

Don’t Get Caught in the Trenches!

Top 10 Most Violated OSHA Regulations

The Role of Psychology in Safety

Don’t Disconnect from Electrical Safety

Three People Die Every Week on the Job from Electrical Exposure: Here’s How to Stay Safe

Slow Down, Save a Life!

2020 OSHA Penalty Amounts Increased

Understanding OSHA’s Penalty Adjustments Until five years ago, OSHA had not raised their penalty amounts since 1990. Now, with the Inflation Adjustment Act, OSHA is required to annually adjust penalty amounts by January 15th.

OSHA’s Emphasis on Amputations

Updated 12/17/19

Workplace Bullying Can Be Costly

Bullying Can Continue in Adulthood When the topic of bullying arises, many think back to those days as a youth where some nasty kid on the playground made life miserable for passive children who wanted no part of an altercation. The yellow-eyed villain Scut Farkus in the 1983 film “A Christmas Story” is the prototypical bully. In fact, his role was so iconic that the actor who played him, Zack Ward, now spearheads an anti-bullying campaign, using his role in the movie to create awareness about what bullying is and how to stop it. These days, the subject of bullying has become somewhat of a school administrator crusade as most no longer view it as “kids being kids” and bullying is taken very seriously. But surprising to some, bullying exists well beyond the confines of the schoolyard and happens to people of all ages and in all walks of life — including the workplace. According to a study by the Workplace Bullying Institute, 19-percent of U.S. employees have admitted to being bullied at their place of employment. Employees Are Dreading Work Due to Bullying Every single day, men and women go to work in this country with feelings of dread at the thought of facing their workplace bully or bullies. Sometimes people don’t even realize that this demoralizing workplace environment is indeed bullying. It can occur in a variety of ways including having a co-worker start rumors, dispense unfair blame, sabotage work, cyberbully, use profanity, dish-out undeserved punishment, implement unfair or changing deadlines, display physical or verbal intimidation, publicly ridicule a co-worker, and more. These are not normal workplace behaviors and should not be tolerated. How Can Employers Prevent These Behaviors? It is vital for employers to establish rules on how people are to be treated in the workplace and educate the staff on what is appropriate and what is not. Having written guidelines and taking the proper steps when bullying is reported is crucial. But without follow-through from owners, management and the human relations department, the behavior will almost always continue. Beyond it being a moral issue, bullying has financial ramifications. Employers must take this seriously because it can hamper a business significantly as affected employees have a tendency for missed days of work, can be anxious or even depressed which can lead to decreased productivity. These factors can result in high employee turnover, and can even have multimillion-dollar legal ramifications. Making supervisors and the HR department aware of bullying is key, but some are afraid to say anything, especially if the bullying is coming from a supervisor. Due to the fear of being out of work, some employees simply endure bullying from the boss. The angst of being without a job is a very real factor in people just accepting the treatment as part of their work life. Standing Up for Yourself is Your Right It’s never easy to confront a bully. All bullies, no matter what age, rely on people backing down. But that old adage of not wanting to be a tattletale is an archaic philosophy because nobody has the right to expose you to negativity and ridicule, particularly while you are trying to make a living for yourself and your family. The key is to stand up for yourself in a calm manner. There is no need to sink to another person’s level. If, after calmly asking your bully to stop the inappropriate behavior, it continues, then your conscience can be clear and it is time to report the situation to the supervisor and/or the HR department. Curb Conflict; Avoid Bullying Most employers recognize that a hostile work environment will affect a company negatively. That’s why they need to take steps to curb conflict among employees that goes beyond a normal, working environment. People can disagree without it descending into something ugly. When it crosses that line, all complaints must be addressed and recorded. Workers need to understand what is expected and that there are consequences to bullying or harassment. A policy needs to be in place to not only protect employees but also the company. Employers unsure how to proceed should seek outside help to educate themselves on this subject. Consulting an employment attorney is a great first step to sustaining a healthy and productive work environment. Businesses put great effort into making sure workers are free from physical harm. It’s equally important that employees are free from emotional harm as well. OSHA provides many resources and prevention measures on its website regarding bullying and workplace violence. If you’re experiencing this in your own workplace, call us today at (724) 776-1003 for more information!

What Does A Safety Consultant Do?

What Does a Workplace Safety Consultant Do? A Safety Consultant is a trained and certified health and safety professional who does two very important tasks: (1) keep workers safe by assessing and eliminating workplace safety hazards, and (2) help businesses comply with complex state and federal occupational workplace regulations, such as OSHA standards. Safety Consultants are sometimes referred to as “OSHA Consultants” given that complying with OSHA standards means you are keeping employees safe. “I would say that a Safety Consultant is defined by one word: support.” Who Can Safety Consultants Help? Companies from all industries come to Lancaster Safety in all stages of their safety journey. New companies that just hired their first employee, to established businesses with 30+ years in the Construction industry and 100 employees; we help them all! Our Safety Consultants have either worked directly in the field or have experience with specific parts of the safety field, but they all hold the same common goal: support the client through the entire process. “Safety cannot be managed or accomplished by one person or a consultant – it is everyone’s job!” Why Should You Hire a Third-Party Safety Consultant? OSHA regulations are intricate and complex rules that can be overwhelming for one person to understand and be responsible for. There are always new rules and regulations to stay on top of and potential changes to keep an eye on. Whether you are a business owner, member of management with some safety responsibilities, or even a safety officer, you can always ask for help! Moreover, we work with hundreds of clients of all different sizes, industries, and specialties. Our breadth of experience and exposure to numerous potential hazards means your situation is probably something we’ve already seen and can immediately help with! While our collaborative experience is extensive, safety is always improving and evolving so our Safety Consultants learn something new every day. But we don’t stop there… true employee safety means a proactive safety culture and commitment by everyone at your company. We have the tools and experience to motivate, train, and engage your employees so that safety is taken seriously by all. “…my purpose is to help companies improve upon both their safety program and culture by assisting with various aspects of health and safety.” What Services do Safety Consultants Provide? Safety Consultants have many responsibilities and provide services such as: Conduct Hazard Inspections Write OSHA-compliant Safety Programs Train Employees on OSHA-required Topics Provide OSHA Citation Assistance Conduct Contractor Prequalification Compliance Tasks (eg. ISNetworld) Facilitate OSHA Recordkeeping & Submission Create a Positive Company Safety Culture Safety never stops, so neither do our safety consultants! They work constantly to assist in whatever ways they can. What are the Top 10 Reasons to Hire a Safety Consultant: Professionals with various certifications and qualifications that know OSHA’s rules and regulations. Get a hazard assessment conducted before you risk getting OSHA citations. Get safety and health training for your employees delivered on just the topics you need. Cheaper than hiring a full-time safety person… and we can provide assistance to an overloaded safety manager. It shows your employees that you truly care about their safety and well-being which will boost morale! Gives you the peace of mind knowing you have experienced support available and shows OSHA that you are operating in good faith. Get real-time safety and health news alerts and OSHA regulation changes. Helps create a safer workplace for your employees and builds a safety culture. Will help prevent or reduce accidents, injuries, and potential OSHA citations. OSHA can offer employers a “good faith” discount for hiring a safety company! We’d love to partner with you along your safety journey! If you are in a position to handle workplace safety responsibilities, but need some help, or you are starting from nothing, we’ve got you covered! Call us today at (724) 776-1003 or submit a contact form for a free, no obligation consultation! We also invite you to subscribe to our blog as well as our monthly webinars, which are always free!