Tips for Worker Safety During Clean Up and Recovery Operations
As federal, state and local officials begin to allow contractors and other workers to enter for clean up, recovery and rebuilding operations in hurricane-devastated areas, there could be an increase in worker injuries and resulting insurance claims. Zurich Risk Engineering has prepared a Risktopic with tips for reducing the risk of injuries to workers in this situation. The tips are general in nature, not all-inclusive and may have to be modified based on your specific circumstances. Several additional resources from governmental agencies and other sources are listed that provide useful information to help you protect your workers.

Developing an Effective Loss Control Program
A successful safety program for any organization must have management support. Management’s active role in the program will demonstrate a genuine interest in the safety and health of its employees, which in turn will help promote a positive safety attitude among employees. A safety program should be tailored to suit each facility’s needs. Maintaining an effective safety program is an ongoing process.

Hazard Detection and Control
An effective hazard detection and control program must employ all three hazard detection tools discussed earlier: physical inspection; accident investigation; accident analysis well as implementing specific methods to control identified deficiencies. Each method has certain strengths as well as weaknesses. However, they compliment each other in detecting and controlling unsafe conditions and unsafe as practices that can result in loss producing conditions.

Drugs in the Workplace
The Research Triangle Institute and the U.S. government estimate the direct cost of substance abuse to American businesses as more than $150 billion annually. The average American company loses the equivalent of more than one-quarter of its profits through reduced efficiency of alcoholics alone – who constitute 10 percent of the average workforce. The reality of this dollar drain provides a large incentive for every organization to act quickly to stop substance abuse among employees – on or off the job.

Return to Work
In recent years many companies have taken a closer look at escalating medical and disability costs. These companies realized that they can save by developing Return-to-Work programs. An effective program initiates savings as it reduces medical costs and disability payments. A Return-to-Work Program benefits both the employer and the injured employee. The employer benefits from reduced loss expenses.

Manual Material Handling
One-third to one-half of all occupational injuries involve overexertion. Workers in jobs with more demanding lifting requirements, such as hospital patient care, report an even higher incidence of
strains and sprains. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has estimated that at least 30 percent of the work force is exposed to the hazard of lifting every day.

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