When you hear the term “workplace wellness program,” what comes to mind? You may think of initiatives that include wellness assessments, fitness, nutrition, weight loss, smoking cessation or proactive disease management. While these are important factors to consider when planning a workplace wellness program, there is another important aspect of wellness that employers cannot forget to include: ergonomics.
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Some time ago we presented a post on first aid and OSHA recordable injuries in the workplace, and since we’ve received a great deal of feedback on that post, we thought some follow-up would be in order. One particular issue mentioned in that piece that sparked a fair bit of feedback was workplace exercise, which, in some circumstances, can be considered physical therapy under OSHA regulations. Here we’ll clarify that issue, helping employers understand when, according to OSHA, workplace stretching or other exercises can cross the line from first aid to OSHA recordable medical treatment.OSHA classifies any on-the-job injury or illness as a recordable event if it requires medical treatment beyond first aid. Under OSHA guidelines, exercises tailored to address specific employee complaints are considered medical treatment that goes beyond first aid. So does that mean that workplace stretching and/or exercise programs designed to aid in preventing such complaints are off-limits? Not at all – provided you take care to keep your program on the right side of that first aid/recordables line.
Gender neutral Physical Abilities Tests (PATs) are becoming increasingly popular among employers as a means of ensuring the ability of workers doing their jobs safely. By evaluating the physical capabilities of potential or existing workers to ensure that they are well-matched to the actual physical demands of the job, employers can greatly improve workplace safety, reducing risk to employees and overall injury rates and costs. If you’re considering gender neutral Physical Ability Testing for your company, here are 5 things to know that can help ensure that your testing program meets your risk management and workplace safety needs.
One stop shopping has become quite popular in many aspects of life, making many tedious tasks a lot more convenient. However, there are some areas of life where the one stop can cause more problems than it solves. This is certainly the case with pre employment screening, where mistaking efficiency for effectiveness can have serious consequences.
Are you looking into pre-employment Physical Abilities Testing options for your company? These programs can be of great benefit to Human Resources, Safety, Risk...
Are gender neutral Physical Abilities Tests (PATs) a good idea or a bad one? The short answer is that they can be very good, provided that they are job-specific. These tests are an excellent means of ensuring that employees are physically capable of performing the essential functions of their jobs safely, reliably, and efficiently, helping reduce risk of on-the-job injuries in your workplace. However, they can become a liability if they are not properly designed and implemented, leaving your company vulnerable to regulatory and legal hassles.
In case you missed this in your news feed late last year, OSHA is making big changes as the agency steps up its campaign for preventing workplace injuries in 2016. The implementation of a number of new measures will mean an even greater impact on companies failing to live up to workplace safety standards. The following are a few of the most noteworthy measures that you can expect OSHA to take.
Under most circumstances, if your employees are covered by workers’ comp, they are not allowed to sue for workplace injuries. However, there are exceptions to that rule. For example, in many states, employers can be sued if they can be shown negligent in addressing hazards in the workplace that have lead to injuries, and litigation can become an issue if an employee’s workers’ comp claim is contested. Of course, if you do not provide workers’ comp coverage to your employees, there is no prohibition against their filing suit regarding workplace injuries.
If you’re looking to prevent warehouse workplace injuries, an ergonomically designed workplace and structured ergonomics training for employees is a great place to start. However, if your injury prevention program begins and ends right there, you’re missing out on a key strategy that has been proven to reduce workplace injuries and the expenses that go with them: Physical Abilities Testing.