Sauk Rapids Workers' Compensation Law Blog

Many building owners in Minnesota are not aware of OSHA's requirements for roof safety. There are roughly four requirements that owners should keep in mind. They should also look out for the most common safety hazards that workers encounter on roofs.

The first roof safety requirement has to do with fall protection. Professional roofers need fall protection equipment once they are working six feet off the ground while the rest need it once they are four feet off the ground. This equipment can include harnesses and lanyards. Second, OSHA requires roofers to close the roof hatch. Third, one must designate work areas on low-slope roofs.

As the retail business model evolves, it may place warehouse workers in Minnesota and throughout the country at a greater risk of injury. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the injury rate for warehouse workers is 5.1 per 100 workers. There were 22 warehouse fatalities in 2017, which was double the number recorded in 2015. One risk that workers may face is increased interaction with robots and other autonomous machines.

As the pace of technological change increases, it is important that organizations take steps to keep their workers safe. Ideally, they will take safety metrics as seriously as they take productivity metrics, and this means ensuring that they spend both time and money looking for and eliminating hazards. Companies should also be wary of events that almost result in injuries as they could provide clues about hazards that need to be mitigated.

A study published in the Journal of Community Health has found that nearly half of all protective service workers and military workers in Minnesota and across the U.S. suffered the consequences of short sleep duration in 2018. These two groups, the former of which include police officers and firefighters, are the most sleep-deprived of all occupation groups.

The study goes on to report that 45% of health care support workers, including home health aides and psychiatric aides, suffered from lack of sleep. After this came workers in the transportation and material moving industries at 41% and production workers, also 41%. Researchers point out that many of the drowsiest workers are those who are directly involved in maintaining the safety and health of others.

Workplace safety will ideally be a point of emphasis for companies in Minnesota and throughout the nation. However, safety cultures are generally created and fostered by company owners and top managers. Furthermore, business owners are typically better able to foster such cultures by actively advocating for what they want to see. For instance, senior leadership should create an environment in which workers feel comfortable reporting accidents or looking out for hazards on their own. They should also feel comfortable helping each other stay safe on the job.

It is also important that workplaces are kept clean and free of as many hazards as possible. Companies should spend time actively looking for hazards and mitigating them as quickly as possible. Common hazards include falls, cuts and pain from repetitive motion throughout the day. With the implementation of a culture that puts a premium on worker safety, employees are typically more productive and content while at work.