Some state workers compensation authorities have very robust educational materials and information on their websites, and from time to time, we will point to tools or resources that we find. Several states have state funds – that is, the state provides insurance to employers, either exclusively or on a competitive basis. One might expect a certain level of depth to the educational materials provided by state funds. Here are a few we’ve found:
Utah Workers Compensation Fund Safety Topics. More than 60 safety topics, many in both English and Spanish, are available in PDFs.
Ohio Bureau of Workers Compensation Safety Publications. More than 40 guides and manuals are available in PDFs.
Washington State Department of Labor and Industries has a variety of posters and safety guides available in PDFs. The site also offers some employee and employer training guides, including PowerPoint presentations.
Lousiana Workers Compensation Commission Safety Articles. More than 60 archived articles on various safety topics are available online.
A note of caution: workers compensation laws vary state to state, and while many of these materials are general in nature, certain materials may be state-specific.
Posts Tagged ‘workplace safety’
Free safety educational materials
Monday, January 17th, 2005DuPont safety resources and preventable injuries
Monday, November 22nd, 2004For years, DuPont has been a leader in workplace safety. They were the original “zero injury” culture, holding to a philosophy that all injuries are preventable.
The first and most basic safety principle at DuPont is that all injuries are preventable. This may seem a startling idea in the context of a lot of plant operations, but we have lived and worked with this core belief for more than 150 years. In fact, our performance demonstrates that this principle is workable. We have plants with more than 2,000 employees who have worked for more than 10 years without a lost time injury. That’s injury prevention! We are able to prevent injuries because of the fundamental belief that injuries are, by their nature, preventable.
We agree with the concept of all injuries being preventable, and encourage organizations to build a zero-injury culture. Many companies promote a zero defect culture when it comes to product parts or processes – we think employee well being deserves the same quality commitment.
Why not take some lessons from the masters? DuPont Safety Resources is a site that offers a variety of articles and resources, as well as a free newsletter. And those of you who frequent Workers Comp Insider know that we have a soft spot for calculators and interactive tools. Try the Dupont Safety Calculator to estimate your organizations annual direct and indirect injury costs. There’s also a Contractor Safety Assessment Form to help you assess how your organization is managing the increased risk associated with the use of contractors.
How a workplace injury transformed a life
Thursday, September 9th, 2004This past Monday, Sean George marched in Pittsburgh’s annual Labor Day parade. While such an event may seem pedestrian, the circumstances that led to it are anything but. A steamfitter and a survivor, George shares the story of his horrific workplace injury with workers and insurers in the hopes that his experience might change the lives of others for the better and help prevent other workers from suffering work injuries. The story of the gas explosion that killed his cousin and put him on a path of pain, depression, addiction, and ultimately, recovery, is a compelling one. It’s terrific that he shares the details of his personal experience — it’s a reminder to all of us that work safety is not an academic exercise; it’s flesh and blood.
Some time ago, we posted another survivor story, that of Candace Carnahan who lost her leg — and who nearly lost her life — when she became caught in a conveyor belt. She was 21 at the time of the injury. While work injuries and deaths can happen to anyone at any age, young and inexperienced workers are particularly vulnerable. Like George, she now devotes her energy to spreading the message of work safety.
We pass on George’s story in the same spirit that he shared it — with the hope that it might influence at least one person — a worker, a supervisor, an employer, or an insurer — to help prevent a work injury today.
Thanks to Jordan Barab at Confined Space for pointing us to this story.
