Safety Meeting Toolbox Topics and Tailgate Talks
Years ago a gentleman by the name of Bird completed a major study of in accident and injures. This study reviewed over 1.7 million reported accidents. These accidents were reported in 300 companies representing 21 different industries. Collectively, these companies reported over 3 billion employee-hours worked during the period of the study. The studies conclusion was that events occur in certain ratios.
Some individuals might say they are “accident prone”. But it is not that simple. Your tendency to have accidents is nothing more than the outcome of more specific problems. As an example, are you frequently tripping over items on the floor? Is that a sign of you being “accident prone” or of poor housekeeping?
For years, safety experts have tried to implement programs to prevent worker injuries, and government has passed many regulations to help OSHA enforce workplace safety. But all of the laws, programs and rules in the world can’t keep you from injury – if you don’t think.
The first thing to do when an accident happens is make sure the worker’s injuries are treated. The next step is to carefully investigate the events surrounding the accident. The reason for investigations is not to place blame on anyone, but to learn what happened--so similar incidents can be prevented in the future. Every involved employee plays an important role in the investigation process.
You can work for years and hardly get a scratch, then one day a fall can turn your life around. Fall injuries may cause abrasions, fractures and dislocations. However, one of the most serious results of a fall, other than death, can be a head injury. How this injury will affect you depends upon which part of your brain has been wounded.