HOW TO SET EFFECTIVE SAFETY GOALS FOR 2024

It's hard to believe that we are one quarter away from entering 2024. A new year is a great launching point to set new safety goals for your organization. Looking for inspiration on ways to develop and prioritize effective goals for 2024? Here are some great places to start:

• Measurable Metrics: Numerical analysis is a great practical place to start when setting your focus for the new year. Some of most common and effective metrics used to evaluate potential sources of hazards are close calls, injuries, and fatalities. Other revealing statistics include worker's compensation claims and costs, insurance premiums and PPE spend/hours worked. Numerical analysis is something tangible to compare year-to-year as a way to identify trends over time. Statistics always tell a story about the health of a safety program and are an effective tool for goal setting.

• Operations/Workforce Changes: Throughout the course of a year, business operations rarely stay the same. Additional production lines may have been added to your manufacturing facility or perhaps there has been an implementation of new equipment or processes. Shifting job responsibilities among your workforce or a even a large influx of new employees may have altered the dynamic of your workforce over the last twelve months. Identifying the risks associated in a job-specific hazards is best accessed with a fresh perspective and new scope. Looking back at the changes made over the last year is a great place to identify possible new hazards and the solutions to eliminate the associated risks.

• Changes in Technology & Standards: Changes that drive your safety goals are not always internal. Throughout the duration of a year there will likely be an update to federal OSHA, state or local requirements that pertain to your business operations. New solutions/products that solve your once hard to resolve hazards may now be available. National safety events, conferences and training are wonderful ways to keep you informed about the changes taking place and the resources available to safety professionals. They create a central hub to brainstorm with other EH&S professionals. Learning how others in your industry are addressing shared hazards is a great way to develop your new goals.

• Employee Feedback: Without a doubt the best way to obtain a genuine gauge of the lacking areas within your safety program is by obtaining input from your workforce. Their participation not only creates engagement and program buy-in, it also provides honesty about the gaps that may still exist. Your workforce is in the trenches daily and are directly exposed to any hazards that may still exist. To ensure their trust, be intentional to follow through on all requests and concerns. This should be the case regardless of a worker's position or seniority within an organization. If their safety concerns are being addressed in a timely and effective manner, they will be more likely to present other potential hazards in the future. Open communication will provide a steady influx of viable concerns that will in-turn inspire new safety goals for improvement.

• Company Mission Alignment: Leadership's commitment to prioritizing safety is crucial. Safety should be a cornerstone for all organizations and a benchmark in which a company measures its success. If safety is a theoretical priority, but it is not presenting as such in goal-setting, budgeting or day-to-day operations, that should be a red flag. Setting safety goals that align with a company's mission to provide a safe environment means pledges and follow through. It is ensuring adequate staffing levels, sufficient emergency plans, and thorough policies/procedures. It is providing necessary PPE, training and equipment to all staff. If your mission of safety is not apparent in budgetary emphasis or regular improvements, management needs to ask themselves, "why?". This leadership conversation is a great launching point to establish corporate-driven goals.

• OSHA Top 10: Every year, OSHA publishes the most frequently cited violations. Annually review this list and use it as inspiration to analyze which hazards pertain to your industry and where they may present themselves. Sometimes the most common and obvious hazards are overlooked as operations continue with the "this is how we've always done it" mentality. The OSHA Top 10 acts as a realistic citation alert to inspire you to look at your operations with a fresh perspective.

• Professional Evaluation: The duties and demands of an EH&S professional are many. Prioritizing internal evaluations can be difficult as you deal with the time-sensitive issues that regularly present themselves in your daily tasks. Enlisting the help of a professional not only provides an expert's perspective, it also removes the burden of such a large undertaking from your shoulders. Ark Safety provides comprehensive evaluations for this very purpose. We assist in identifying what hazards exist and where improved PPE is necessary for safe operations. When you partner with Ark Safety, the findings report is not the last step in our evaluation. We also implement these changes by establishing corporate guidelines and standardization. As a true partner, Ark Safety comes alongside your EH&S professionals by providing the solutions and products needed to accomplish your goals. Contact us today to schedule your comprehensive evaluation and partner with experts you can trust.

SUSPENSION TRAUMA - WHAT IT IS AND THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAUMA RELIEF STRAPS AFTER A FALL

A common misconception among employers is that simply keeping workers safe from an impact injury during a fall event is sufficient. A timely rescue is often overlooked when securing fall protection equipment and developing a fall protection plan. Unfortunately for the suspended employee waiting for rescue, there is a very serious life-threatening risk - suspension trauma.

Suspension trauma is a form of orthostatitic intolerance. Orthostatic intolerance is the body's blood-flow reaction to being immobile in an up-right position. When suspended after a fall, the worker is forced into an upright position with his/her legs hanging. Throughout the duration of the suspension blood accumulates in the legs. This is also known as venous pooling and its risk increases over time. The accumulation of too much blood in the veins of a worker's legs results in reduced blood (and therefore oxygen) to the heart and brain. Although this can occur in any upright immobile scenario, the legs straps on a harness expedite this process through the pressure and compression applied by the leg straps.

The first sign of orthostatic intolerance is often dizziness and loss of consciousness. When this occurs to someone in a standing position on the ground, the faint naturally restores a horizontal position, therefore helping to normalize blood flow. During a fall event, however, the harness keeps the worker upright. When a worker faints during suspension, circulation is not restored. Because of this, responding to a fall event needs to occur very quickly. Establishing a rescue plan as part of the greater fall protection plan is essential. Without an emergency response time, the results can be fatal in as quickly as thirty minutes.

While waiting for their rescue, workers can assist in slowing the risk of suspension trauma. Pumping their legs will assist in maintaining blood flow. The ideal preventive measure is to stand while hanging in a harness. But how does one do that? Suspension trauma relief straps are harness accessory must-have. Two pouches, each equipped with a relief strap, attach to both sides of the harness. In the event of a fall, a worker can open the pouches to release the straps. Each strap has a loop at the bottom for the worker to place his/her feet. When both feet have been properly positioned in the loops, they can simply press against the straps in a standing motion to simulate the upright position. This position assists in relieving pressure from the leg straps and improves circulation throughout the body. See the steps below:

(1). Open side pouches and deploy trauma relief straps.

(2). Place feet in the loops at the bottom of the strap.

(3). Press against loops to simulate standing position.

OSHA requires that not only is proper personal protective equipment (PPE) provided, but that workers are also adequately trained in the use of the PPE. For any individual that may wear a harness on the job, or for those that are part of the fall rescue plan, training must include:

• When/What PPE is required
• How to don, doff, adjust and wear the PPE
• Care and maintenance of PPE
• Limitations, life and disposal of PPE
• Orthostatic intolerance/suspension trauma risk and symptom recognition
• How to reduce the risk while suspended - trauma relief strap training
• Rescue procedures

The use of trauma relief straps is the single most effective way to reduce the risk of suspension trauma. It is our recommendation as fall protection experts that every harness be equipped with relief straps. The most obvious risk of a fall event is without a doubt an impact injury. However, even when impact is eliminated with the use of proper fall equipment, the risk is of injury still exists. Note: No matter how long a worker is suspended while waiting to be rescued, it is best to have the worker evaluated by a health-care professional.

Need assistance selecting fall protection equipment or developing your rescue plan? Our experts are standing by to help. Contact us today.

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