Why Occupational Health and Safety Ought to be a Requirement in all Workplaces

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Most people would agree that occupational health and safety is important in all workplaces. After all, who would want to work in a place where they risk injury or illness, notes health and safety specialist Captain Martin Sanders, Ph.D., CSP.

 

However, as Capt. Martin Sanders explains people do not realize that occupational health and safety is not just about preventing accidents; it's also about creating a safe and healthy work environment for all employees.

A Safe Work Environment For All

 

There are many essential benefits to having a robust occupational health and safety program. For example, it can help reduce the number of workplace injuries and illnesses, saving businesses money on workers' compensation costs. It can also improve employee morale and productivity while creating a safer work environment.

 

There are many valid reasons to have an occupational health and safety program, but there are also some important things to keep in mind when creating one. Here are a few tips as shared by Capt. Martin Sanders:

 

·         Ensure that everyone is aware of the Occupational Health and Safety Act and the regulations that apply to their work.

 

·         Educate the people who work in the area about potential hazards in the workplace and how to avoid them.

 

·         Ensure that every piece of machinery and equipment is adequately maintained and safe to use.

 

·         Provide personal protective equipment (PPE) to employees who may be exposed to hazardous materials or conditions.

 

·         Establish emergency procedures for dealing with accidents and incidents.

 

·         Regularly inspect the workplace to identify potential hazards and correct them.

 

By following these tips, you can create a safe and healthy work environment for your employees and help reduce the risk of workplace dangers and hazards. 

 

Would you add more to the list? If so, what tips would you include? Feel free to share them with Capt. Martin Sanders in the comments below.

 

For more discussions on occupational health and safety by Capt. Martin Sanders, Ph.D., CSP, bookmark this link.

 

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.

 

The safety side of events planning

 

For more than a decade now, Captain Martin Sanders has helped keep people safe. It is part of his job, which has also become his passion in life. In fact, over the past few years, he has maintained a series of blogs in which he discusses a broad range of topics surrounding health and safety.

In today’s blog, Martin Sanders reviews the many important points on the safety side of events planning, and updates them to show the many added measures because of the current global health crisis.

Before anything else, Martin Sanders says that while the main safety measure today would not include any events at all, the truth of the matter is, even with all the restrictions, people have kept planning, organizing, and putting together events. Events such as professional sports have resumed.

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So, first thing’s first. To ensure the safety of people coming to these events, COVID-19 safety protocols have to be observed at all times. There has to be social distancing with audiences, as well as the implementation of the wearing of masks. Lines into and out the venue should be orderly where, again, social distancing has to be followed.

To achieve this, Martin Sanders mentions that security officers should be present inside and outside the venue. Depending on the event, organizers may need more security detail to cover the event.

Captain Martin Sanders, Ph.D. has more than 12 years of experience in the field of occupational safety and health. He most recently served as the acting Chief of Safety for the Department of Health and Human Services. For more articles on public safety and health, visit this website.

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin L. Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.

Behavioral changes for more efficient contact tracing

 

It's already been several months into the pandemic, and there remains a lot of uncertainty on when it will end. For many field experts like Martin Sanders, the best way to go is changing one's behavior while coexisting with the virus. On this blog, he shares ways to make contact tracing more efficient.

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It's quite convenient to have a GPS tracking system on the phone, with an app that automatically documents each stop that one makes throughout the day. As an alternative, one can keep a list or a daily journal of the places they visited. In contact tracing, the experts and the authorities will treat such information as golden sources of intelligence that they could use to determine red zones or zones with a high potential for people to get infected in.

Along with this list, one should keep a note of the people they encountered. Perhaps they can write these down in a journal too, before calling it a day, suggests Martin Sanders. Knowing who one came in proximity with can provide critical tracing information for them and others, in case either find themselves suspected of having the coronavirus. Indeed, this is where the essence of contact tracing lies. 

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It's also very helpful to inform family members of where one intends to go and where they have come from so that the household can keep a record as a group. Such group dynamics can be applied as well in the work environment. Employees are better off if they can agree to share their contact tracing information with each other, as well as the clients that they meet, says Martin Sanders.

Cap

t. Martin Sanders, Ph.D., has extensive experience in biological defense activities and infectious disease outbreak investigation. He has more than a decade of service in occupational safety and health. For more information, visit this page.

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.

How to keep people safe at home during a pandemic

The world is experiencing a health crisis, the likes of which it has never experienced in perhaps, ever. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating effect on society on so many levels, and governments everywhere are doing everything they can to win this war against an unseen foe. Martin Sanders believes that for the battle to be won, everyone has to do their part. Everyone.

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For his part, Martin Sanders is coming up with several blogs to educate readers about the coronavirus, safety protocols, preparation procedures, and everything in between. Today's blog will enumerate two ways people can stay safe at home during these troubling times.

Always remember to wash hands to foam.

Martin Sanders notes that washing hands has always been underrated. Not anymore. The 20-second handwashing protocol has been pushed to the masses for a reason – the foam of the soap is highly effective in breaking down the layer of fat that protects the coronavirus. Always wash hands, especially after handling anything that comes from the outside of the house.

Have a disinfection area.

Martin Sanders says that just like in healthcare facilities, there should be a disinfection area in every home, preferably near the main entrance. A room would work or a cabinet that could fit an entire person. In the disinfection area, a person can take their clothes and everything else that they have used outside and place them straight to the cleaning area. But if there's a shower area near the main entrance of a house, that should be good enough to work as a disinfection area, Martin Sanders adds.

Capt. Martin Sanders Ph.D., has completed all requirements needed to obtain a certification as an Associate Safety Professional (ASP) and a Certified Safety Professional (CSP). For more insightful reads on public safety, visit this site.

Disclaimer: This site was prepared by Martin Sanders in his personal capacity. The opinions expressed are the author's own and do not reflect the views of the USPHS, the Department of Health and Human Services, or the United States government.

Safety Tips For Corporate Traveling

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For major and multinational corporations, international travel is often necessary to attend business meetings outside the country. Regardless of the destination or length of the trip, safety precautions should be followed to avoid unwanted situations. Here are some safety tips to follow during corporate travels.

It is always good to research the culture of the location where you are traveling to. Some cultures have specific taboos, cultural or religious beliefs, social norms, or even laws that do not apply to your home country. For example, the use of pens with red ink is avoided in South Korea as it was historically used to write the name of diseased people in red.

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Booking a secure passage and a safe hotel should also be considered. By checking the ratings online, one can easily scope whether or not the hotel in question has high standards regarding safety and amenities. It also bodes well if the hotel can send personnel to pick you up from the airport to avoid abusive taxis or overpriced private shuttle transfers.

Lastly, prepare emergency items if necessary. If one takes prescription medication, one should bring enough as it may be difficult to find the same type of medicines in a foreign country.

Captain Martin Sanders formerly served as Chief of Safety for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), responsible for the HHS regulatory oversight related to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). For more articles on occupational safety and health, click here.