How much does a jobsite injury really cost?

I recently can across a very interesting tool to help you to realize how much does a jobsite injury cost you.  Employers can use the” $afety Pays” to assess the impact of occupational injuries and illnesses on their profitability. This program uses a company’s profit margin, the average costs of an injury or illness, and an indirect cost multiplier to project the amount of sales a company would need to generate to cover those costs. The program is intended as a tool to raise awareness of how occupational injuries and illnesses can impact a company’s profitability, not to provide a detailed analysis of a particular company’s occupational injury and illness costs. Your local OSHA On-site Consultation Office can help small businesses identify workplace hazards and develop and implement an effective injury and illness prevention program.  This tool is part of the OSHA Small Business program that provides links to numerous OSHA resources and information designed specifically for small business employers, including safety and health tools and publications, easy-to-follow guides for specific OSHA standards, and descriptions of benefits that small businesses receive from OSHA. The page also includes information on the Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP), which recognizes small business employers who operate exemplary injury and illness prevention programs.

Ladder Safety

Is your ladder safety training up to date?

This free ladder safety training is a tool for the proper selection, care and safe use of all ladders, including stepladders, single and extension ladders, articulated ladders, and mobile ladders. Provided by the American Ladder Institute, this ladder safety training outlines safe ladder practices in all applications, such as construction/painting, building and custodial services, warehousing, power, manufacturing, chemical and petrochemical, oil and gas, and at home.  Please visit our web site for more info.

Fall Protection Video

This fall protection video outlines the steps to develop safe practices when working from heights including a fall protection plan and proper protection equipment.

On April 10, at 11 a.m. EST, OSHA’s Director of Construction Jim Maddux, and NIOSH’s Director of Construction Safety and Health, Dr. Christine Branche, will co-moderate a webinar to discuss ways of stopping the leading killer of construction workers – falls from heights. To register for the free webinar and to learn more about efforts by OSHA, NIOSH and CPWR to protect construction workers from fatal falls, visit the registration

Werner Fall Protection Full Body Harness

Werner has three basic types of fastening systems on there Full Body Harnesses. Parachute, Quick connect, and Tongue Buckle. Everything they manufacture has 5 point adjustment.  We would not recommend 3 point adjustment on a harness due to circulation issues if a fall does occur.

buckle-qc

The parachute  or pass-through style is the least expensive and comes on the harnesses that are generally less than $50.

You will find it in the roofers kits, and any price point product.  Again, beware of three point adjustment.

This is the worst type of fastening system. It constantly is loosening up, and creates a situation where the worker is not “fitted” properly and can be fined by OSHA.

H133102_FI_QuickConnectBuckle

The Quick connect is the most expensive version available, this was created to make it quick to disconnect with your gloves on.

There are certain scenarios that this may be necessary.

Generally though, this buckle is harder to adjust for comfort and is similar to the parachute buckle in the loosening up part.

buckle-tb

The Tongue Buckle, is the middle of the road in price.  But it is far and away the best type of fastening system. There are two reasons: first is that it is a fixed in place, it will not loosen up on you. The second is that it is very easy to adjust.

Here are some harnesses made by Werner Ladder.