Vigilant Blog

                Taking the time to review safety procedures and address any concerns before using new equipment or changing a process is an important tactic to prevent injuries. A common cause of injuries is lack of awareness of a change to a process or piece of equipment. Processes involve…

                The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released a Heat and Health Tracker tool to help people identify and prepare for high heat exposure outdoors. Tools within the program, based on geographic area, include: Health Burden: Rates of emergency department visits associated with heat-related illness per 100,000…

                Focused and caring leadership is a significant factor in preventing injuries. It’s hard to measure on the front end, but we can see the favorable outcomes. Here are some ways to make prevention more visible and tangible in a production setting so you can prevent injuries from…

Federal OSHA recently proposed penalties totaling $174,453 after an employee at a pallet manufacturing company in Wisconsin was killed while clearing a jammed machine. The machine wasn’t locked out when the 57-year-old employee removed a board that was stuck in it. According to OSHA, as soon as the board was pulled out, “the metal carriage…

Question: Help! I think we need a better reporting program for near-misses and good-catches. What do you recommend? Answer: Great question! A robust near-miss/good-catch reporting program can significantly enhance company safety by focusing on leading indicators. Documenting near misses (e.g., equipment falling without injury) and good catches (e.g., identifying a frayed wire) is as crucial…

Question: We’ve seen an uptick in slip-and-fall injuries recently, particularly in icy conditions. What can we do to prevent these incidents? Answer: Slips, trips, and falls continue to account for a large percentage of workplace injuries, so you’re wise to address the hazards before your employees suffer an injury. Outdoor incidents increase during the winter…

Question: One of our new hires suffered a serious injury to his hand at work. He was trained in the right procedure, didn’t follow it, and got injured as a result. What can we do differently? We’re really frustrated by the frequency of on-the-job injuries among our new hires. Answer: Safety orientations for new hires…