64% of all road accidents in the United States have a cell phone involved. In an effort to reduce distracted driving and enhance highway safety, Wisconsin is taking a stand on cellphone use while driving.
Starting Oct. 1, 2016, it will be illegal to talk on a handheld mobile device while driving in a Wisconsin road work zone.
The ability to toggle between the real world and the virtual world is an enticing part of the latest and greatest app, Pokémon GO. Augmented reality is growing in popularity in the world of tech, but it also poses numerous risks to users. Safety has been a major topic of conversation surrounding this new app - cautioning users to be alert when using the app and to also use common sense when in strange areas while on the hunt to catch em' all. But what can Pokémon GO teach your business about safety? More than you may think.
On May 11, 2016, OSHA issued its final ruling to expand electronic recordkeeping requirements for workplace injuries and illnesses and make such records publicly available. More than three million workers suffer a workplace injury or illness each year causing OSHA to implement this new ruling and encourage employers to improve their safety practices.
Did you know that fatalities caused by falls from elevation continue to be the leading cause of death for construction workers? In 2014, over 337 of the 874 construction deaths were attributed to falls, all of which were preventable. Employers, I invite you to join in Safety Stand-Down by discussing with your employees how proper safety standards can help eliminate preventable work injuries and fatalities.
Workplace illnesses tragically take the lives of thousands of workers each year. OSHA recently took steps to fight back against the many diseases impacting America's workforce with its final ruling on crystalline silica. This ruling targets the deadly exposure of crystalline silica and estimates saving over 600 lives and preventing more than 900 new cases of silicosis each year. Since the final ruling, many legal challenges have come forth.
Temporary or permanent, all workers have a right to a safe and healthy work place. Each year fatal accidents occur due to a number of avoidable instances caused by their work environment. Looking a little deeper into these unfortunate losses, one key demographic always pops up. The temporary worker.
It's no secret that many transportation professionals might consider an OSHA visit about as likely as a visit from Santa Claus. After all, your greatest concern in terms of regulations and compliance is the Department of Transportation, not OSHA.
If you are one of those people, you are certainly not alone; but $156,000 says that I can change your mind by the end of this blog.
The status quo in OSHA safety compliance is about to be seriously challenged.
For the first time in a quarter century, OSHA will in 2016 increase its fines for safety violations. This unwelcome surprise came as a result of the Bipartisan Budget Act of 2015 (H.R. 1314), signed by President Obama on November 2, 2015. Section 701 of the Bill, entitled the Federal Civil Penalties Inflation Adjustment Act Improvements Act of 2015, allows OSHA to increase its fines based on inflation where it was previously exempt from doing so.
Confined spaces have long been recognized as a large exposure in many industries. Most of this exposure, however, is controlled with proper planning.
OSHA has published its main initiatives this year for preventing injuries at the workplace. In this list is a timely topic: heat safety.
According to the CDC around 700 individuals succumb to all that is Mother Nature during these hot summer months. The common thing in all of these cases? They are 100 percent controllable.
It is our responsibility to educate our workers to make sure that they do not fall into one of these statistics!
HNI works with high-performing companies to help them address the hidden risks in their business and avoid The Insurance Dependency Trap. This is done by proactively DE-RISKING their business so they can be less dependent on insurance.
HNI also offers the basic services of insurance and employee benefits. HNI has offices in Milwaukee, Chicago, and Minneapolis.