Injury prevention

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Every day, about 2,000 U.S. workers injure their eyes severely enough to need medical treatment, according to NIOSH. With May being Healthy Vision Month, let’s take a look at how workers can protect their eyes.

Although ever-present and used on a daily basis, electrical equipment requires constant awareness of its associated hazards, as well as training on appropriate use, storage and maintenance, the Indiana Department of Labor reminds employers and workers.

“Ladders are tools,” the American Ladder Institute says. “Many of the basic safety rules that apply to most tools also apply to the safe use of a ladder.”

Demolition work involves the dismantling, razing, destroying or wrecking of any building or structure. Hazards of this dangerous work, according to OSHA, may include materials hidden within structural members (e.g., lead, asbestos, silica, and other chemicals or heavy metals requiring special material handling), as well as unknown strengths or weaknesses of construction materials, such as post-tensioned concrete.

3D printing is an additive manufacturing technology that has experienced widespread growth across numerous industries in recent years. It’s used in a wide variety of settings, including laboratories, factories, hospitals and schools.

Nearly half of all work-related injuries involving mechanical power presses result in amputation, statistics compiled by OSHA show. Around 60% of amputations involve a worker’s fingers or arm getting caught or compressed by a press or other machinery such as a conveyer, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Use of compact fluorescent lightbulbs can save money, conserve energy, reduce waste and lower greenhouse gas emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. However, CFLs contain mercury – a potent neurotoxin that, in small amounts, can cause serious health problems. At room temperature, mercury is a liquid and can readily evaporate into the air.

Whenever muscle damage occurs – whether it’s the result of a work-related incident, heat exposure, overuse or other cause – rhabdomyolysis can follow. Also called “rhabdo,” the condition develops when damaged or dead muscles break down and release cell contents into the blood, according to NIOSH.

If you use hammers on the job, are you using them safely? If not, serious injuries can occur.