Yes, this COVID-19 pandemic is frightening. And yes, we should restrict our activities to only those that are essential.

If you’re involved in the safety industry, you’re familiar with the acronym OSHA. But do you know what OSHA is or what they do? Is OSHA the boogeyman, constantly hiding behind the next corner, waiting to pounce on your next mistake?

What is ComputerVision AI?

ComputerVision AI is a broad category of technology that applies to everything from facility management to targeted ergonomic assessments. For this blog post, I will refer to ComputerVision AI for targeted and detailed ergonomic assessments. In this niche application, the software builds complex 3D models of the human body moving through space from standard videos – videos recorded through a mobile app or uploaded on web-based software. With this information, the system completes Industry-standard ergonomic assessments that quantify risks with a standard methodology that prioritizes interventions to prevent workplace injury.

Since the pandemic, the average turnover rate has mushroomed to 47.5%! This means that nearly half of every position filled will need to be filled again. (1)

The Impact of Injuries.

And to make matters worse, newly hired employees are significantly more likely to experience a work-related injury within the first months of employment. A review of federal accident data showed that employees in their first year on the job account for 40% of all workplace injuries, and half of that 40% occurred within the first 90 days on the job. (2)

As long as physically demanding jobs exist, there will be efforts to make them safer and less risky for both the employee and the employer. According to the National Safety Council, work-related injuries cost US companies nearly 164 billion dollars in 2020; that’s almost half a billion dollars per day!

Compliance with federal regulations is high on most organizations’ priorities. No one wants the distraction and hassle of a federal audit, and when one occurs, they want to be found to be in compliance. Not to mention the desire to avoid lawsuits or costly fines.

Every summer we get the same warnings…

Ensuring compliance with occupational safety and health regulations is an essential element of business success, given the legal hassles and steep fines that can come with failing to meet those expectations. One of the more confusing aspects of compliance is that health and safety regulations are imposed by both the federal government and state governments. Many states impose their own occupational health and safety standards in addition to those set by OSHA. Even though these standards are meant to work in tandem, it’s not always clear which ones an employer must obey.