OSHA Partners with Regional Organizations to Improve Safety Training

According to a recent EHS Today article, “[t]he injury rate of warehouse workers is twice that of general industry workers.” Specifically, the article notes that “the rate of injury of warehouse workers, at 4.8 per 100 workers, is higher than the average rate of 2.7 per 100 among other private industries.”

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is taking steps to remedy that situation by partnering with a variety of organizations “to protect workers and reduce injuries and illnesses in the warehousing, storage and distribution yards industries.”

OSHA’s goal is “to provide employers in the warehouse and material logistics industries and the public at-large with information, guidance and access to training resources to help reduce and prevent workers' exposure to safety and health hazards.”

Warehouse workers appear to be susceptible to a variety of injuries, including “overexertion, contact with objects and falls from elevation.” With OSHA’s help, organizations throughout Pennsylvania, the Mid-Atlantic region, and Washington D.C. hope to reduce the risk of future injuries.

As OSHA Area Director Jean Kulp recently stated, “With the rapid growth of e-commerce, the warehousing industry has expanded significantly. We look forward to partnering with our alliance members to provide information, resources and training to reduce and prevent the hazardous conditions that warehousing and storage workers continuously face every day.”

Basic safety procedures, such as lockout/tagout, are essential to keeping employees from becoming injured on the job. While manufacturing jobs can be dangerous, instituting safety procedures and ensuring that employees are properly trained are critical steps that employers must take to minimize the risk of injuries or death.

For companies looking to improve their safety training, a thorough review of current training materials is a great place to start. Do employees have access to hands-on training with actual components they’ll encounter on the job? If not, partnering with established companies to provide industrial-quality training systems that will stand the test of time will help ensure the continued safety of the workforce.

For example, DAC Worldwide offers a safety training system specifically designed to give employees the hands-on experience they need to master basic lockout/tagout skills. Be sure to check out DAC Worldwide’s Lock-Out/Tag-Out Training System and contact a DAC Worldwide representative to learn how you can improve your training today!