Tips To Improve Safety And Good Health In The Workplace

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Improve Safety |Tips To Improve Safety And Good Health In The WorkplaceWhen it comes to maintaining a safe and healthy workplace, prevention is better than cure. A safe workplace contributes significantly to your business’ performance and, consequently, your reputation.

What’s more, the costs that your business will incur in case of any injury incidents resulting from inefficient measures are too much. The good news is that similar incidents can be minimized with a good plan and the damages controlled.
Follow the tips in this article to gain valuable insights on some preventive measures to implement in the workplace.

Regular Inspection

Is there any reason to check the workplace after knowing it’s safe?

The answer is yes. While one thorough examination of your business workplace will help you know of any existing and potential causes of risks, regular checks will prevent any unexpected risk surprises.

Seek professional help when conducting inspections. Some of the hazards to check for include;

Biological hazards

These are dangers caused by organisms such as bacteria and viruses.

Physical hazards

Physical dangers at the workplace vary from business to business. However, noise, weather, radiation, and electricity are the most common ones.

Ergonomic hazards

Disorganized workstations can increase the risks of accidents and poor health. For example, improperly adjusted chairs cause lousy posture.

Other workplace hazards to look out for are chemical and safety hazards.

Remember to have reports from all the inspections conducted as they will come in handy when planning for risks and during employee training.

Conduct Routine Safety Trainings All Employees

In a business setup, learning should never stop. So conduct safety training for your employees, even for what you think they know.

Avoid working with assumptions and make sure every person in your business has some safety tips at their fingertips. For example, assuming that all your employees are skilled to handle the different equipment at work is very risky.

Carry out orientations for new employees and interns even if they claim to know. You can also take advantage of this opportunity to organize internal workshops following identifying a new risk or introducing a piece of new equipment. Remind them of self-care tips and the importance of wearing protective gears made of closed cell foam.

Implement and Prioritize a Risk Management Program

Even with the best risk management skills, it is all nothing with no good plan in place for the future. Therefore, the ultimate strategy after identifying risk is to create a program that works towards its management and, eventually, its elimination.

After identifying and contextualizing risks at the workplace, the next step is to analyze and evaluate them critically. This step will help you come up with an effective strategic plan. Then, in the program, note all the measures systematically to reduce distractions and put your business in a better control position.

Conclusion

Times change, and new risks emerge. But If you are flexible and committed to a few readjustments from time to time, this will not be a problem and you will not have your staff organizing workers comp if they are injured and unable to work.  

Additionally, your customers and employees are important human resources for your business. Strive to create a work environment that prioritizes their safety and health at all times.

A Guide for Business Owners: How to Protect Your Company Fleet

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Protect your company fleet|A Guide for Business Owners: How to Protect Your Company FleetIf your company operates a fleet operation, protecting your vehicles is of the utmost importance. Taking on this responsibility will help your business to remain on the road for longer, which in turn will aid you in your attempt to provide a quick, efficient, and cost-effective service to your consumers.

For advice on how to protect your company fleet, read on.

Protect against collisions

Should any of your drivers, for whatever reason, find themselves involved in a road collision, you could be liable to face a whole host of problems going forward. For one, the driver may suffer substantial injuries and, in turn, be off work for a considerable amount of time. On top of that, you will be tasked with fixing your vehicle, you will have to handle your insurance issues, and you may even be forced to repair your fleet’s reputation.

Protecting against road collisions should be one of your top priorities. To aid you in your attempt to perform this all-important task, it’s advised that you invest in a vehicle blind spot camera. With a cutting-edge tech tool such as Mobileye at your disposal, your drivers will be made more aware of their surroundings while they’re out there on the open road. Amongst a slew of other benefits, this will help them to actively avoid hazardous situations while reversing.

Fend off theft

Unfortunately, there will always be people out there lurking in the shadows, waiting patiently for the perfect moment to steal your vehicular assets. If you don’t want to be blighted by the plight of criminality in this sense, fending off theft should be one of your top priorities.

There are a number of things that you can do to protect your fleet, one of which being to invest in onsite security. With trained security professionals in place, you won’t ever have to worry about your fleet courtyard being left unattended. Even at night, there will always be someone there to keep an eye on your valuable vehicles.

A dedicated security team will not, however, be enough to provide your fleet with full-scale protection. If you’re serious about shoring up your safety measures, it’s highly recommended that you utilize alarms, CCTV, immobilizers, and tracking devices. With all of this technology at hand, not only will you have the capacity to fend off theft at the scene, but you can also help to prevent it altogether.

Train your drivers

Last but certainly not least, training your drivers is another crucial task that you are advised to perform. By taking the time to educate your road-based workforce, you will clarify your exact security specifications and expectations. Ultimately, this will help your staff members to spot and avoid potentially dangerous situations in the future.

When training your drivers, remember to remind them that they shouldn’t leave any valuables in your vehicles overnight. This will drastically reduce the likelihood of your fleet being broken into.

The time, effort, and money that you have invested into growing your fleet will all go to waste if you fail to protect your vehicles, which is why you should consider heeding the above advice.

4 Ways Modern Technology Is Improving ID Verification

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | 4 Ways Modern Technology Is Improving ID Verification

The world has gone digital, and most interactions are done online. However, this has led to increased cybercrime and identity theft, which is why you need a fast and effective method to authenticate that you are dealing with the right person. Identity verification prevents money laundering and fraud, improves customers’ experience, and helps you avoid legal implications and paying hefty fines. Modern technology has improved ID verification from manual to automated processes, making authenticating identities more straightforward. Read on for four ways modern technology is enhancing ID verification.

Machine learning for ID proofing

Machine learning has improved how companies process information by automating the analytical model that backs decision-making and data analysis. The machine learning tool can be used during ID scanning to enhance accuracy when determining the authenticity of specific identity cards.

One of the major problems machine learning has helped companies resolve is the ease of authenticating worn-out identity cards. It also improves the accuracy of scanning documents under poor or low lighting conditions. Initially, a company could dismiss a real ID due to poor or low lighting or wear and tear since these documents did not pass an authentication test.

Machine learning authenticates worn-out IDs or documents checked under poor lighting by performing a visual inspection to assess the unique features of the paper in distinct locations.

Complete integration

Identity verification is crucial for most business organizations such as banks to prevent fraud. However, changing the organization’s existing central technologies to adapt to modern ID verification can be expensive. It could also result in unexpected ramifications, should the change not achieve the desired goals.

The modern identity verifications have been designed to integrate with existing company processors fully. Any compatibility issues are dealt with in the identity verification tool development phase to ensure it works immediately upon implementation.

Biometric authentication technologies

With the increase in identity theft and fraud, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, biometric authentication has become one of the most secure ways companies can verify IDs. Biometric technology relies on distinct human features such as fingerprints, voice, or iris to verify IDs, reducing identity theft significantly.

The risk of dealing with the wrong person is further eliminated as one has to pass through the system to verify their identity physically. Access to fingerprint technologies has become more straightforward as smartphones now come with facial recognition features and fingerprint scanners.

Smart identity cards

Verifying identity information when you have a vast customer or employee base that requires constant monitoring can be challenging. Modern technology has provided smart or electronic identity cards that can easily be consolidated in a digital system.

The smart identity cards are embedded with a chip that stores individual data, making ID verification easier. The electronic identity cards transmit Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) signals through the embedded chip allowing remote ID authentication.

Governments have also adopted electronic ID systems to enable citizens to access online government or social security services.

Endnote

Identity verification provides a convenient way to ascertain that you are dealing with the right individual. To protect social, personal, and commercial data and avoid identity theft and fraud, invest in the above identity verifications methods propelled by the latest technology.

The Most Efficient Ways That You Can Prepare Your Business for the Worst-Case Scenarios

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article |Worst-Case Scenario|The Most Efficient Ways That You Can Prepare Your Business for the Worst-Case ScenariosThere are a lot of different methods that can ensure a business remains successful. This can be because of the fact you have done a sufficient amount of market research, and as a result, know the ins and outs of your industry; it can be because you market yourself well and also because of the fact you carry your work out to a high standard. One of the other most important things that a business needs to be in order to succeed is be prepared for worst-case scenarios.

Though this isn’t a pleasant thought, there is no getting around the fact that being ready for the worst possible case scenarios is incredibly important. If you intend on succeeding in the long term, then your business is going to need to prepare for some of the worst possible case scenarios and be able to handle these bad times as and when they come around. You’re going to need to sit down with each of your organisation’s departments and help them to be able to plan for any issues that might arise. This article will provide you with all of the details necessary in order to prepare for the worst-case scenarios that might befall your business.

Be Sure to Put in Place a Disaster Recovery Plan

If you are taking the time to plan for some of the worst-case scenarios that could befall your business, then it is important that you have some kind of disaster recovery plan in place. This is a plan that would essentially lay out all of the steps that would be necessary for your company to carry out if one of these worst-case scenarios were to occur. These scenarios will include but aren’t limited to events such as fires, floods and burglaries; however, there are a huge number of eventualities that could prove to be an issue.

In order to be effective, one of these plans should include a huge array of guidelines that your company should be able to follow when it comes to the likes of document protection, data retrieval and the eventual replacement of damaged items. This is an incredibly helpful step you need to follow as not only will it mean you are aware of worst-case scenarios, but you are in a position to see them through when they occur.

Make Sure Your Company Is Insured

Insurance is an incredibly useful and necessary tool when it comes to preparing for the worst-case scenarios as that way, if something is to happen, then you will be in a position to properly cover everything. You will need to be sure you are reading your insurance terms because these are massively important when it comes to making sure they will cover you for the worst-case scenarios that you have been thinking of. You should take out your insurance with the likes of Cowell James Forge Insurance Group, which is able to provide you with general liability insurance for small businesses. Finally, you should do some planning regarding the insurance needs that your business is going to have before speaking to an agent, as this way, you will be able to understand exactly what you are looking for when purchasing.

Turn to a Business Consultant for Different Planning Assistance

It’s important that you are not worried about consulting with someone else regarding the necessary steps your business should take. In the same way that you would look towards an account for assistance with bookkeeping, a lawyer for issues surrounding the law and a copywriter when you need help bringing your brand to life, speaking with a business consultant is one of the most efficient ways that you can ensure your business is in the strongest position possible when it comes to preparing for the worst-case scenarios. A business consultant can be a fantastic resource for your business, especially because of the fact that the planning they will do for your business will not simply occur over the course of a weekend but will keep getting revised and revisited depending on how your business continues to evolve.

Conclusion

There is no doubt that a lot of different elements come into play when it comes to getting your business up and running and ensuring your success. One of the most important aspects is making sure that you have planned for the worst-case scenarios that could befall your business. These include the likes of fire, flood and burglary. By having some plans in place if these instances are to occur and by having adequate insurance, you should be in a position to cope with these problems.

How to Prevent the Risk of Occupational Lung Disease (Silicosis) in Blasting

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StrategyDriven Risk Management Article | How to Prevent the Risk of Occupational Lung Disease (Silicosis) in BlastingCurrently, lung diseases have an increasing frequency and remain a problem of public health worldwide. The causes of lung diseases in the 21st century are directly related to the industrialization level of a country and, moreover, to the level of pollution, respectively the outdoor and indoor air pollution. Exposure to air pollutants has a substantial negative effect on human health.

In developed countries, the major components of polluted air are: nitrogen dioxide (due to combustion of fossil fuels such as coal, oil, and natural gas), ozone that can be found in the urban smog (due to the exposure of nitrogen dioxide and hydrocarbons to the solar radiation in the atmosphere), and suspended particles (solid or liquid, small-sized particles, due to industrial activity, traffic). Further, burning of biomass fuels (such as wood, vegetal and animal waste) and passive smoking are the main factors of indoor air pollution in the developing countries. Lung infections, asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and lung cancer are among the most common lung diseases that are caused by prolonged exposure to pollution.

It was noticed that the lung diseases occur more frequently when workers carry activities in higher risk sectors, such as: industry, mining, metal extraction, especially when labour protection laws are not followed and the workers are not properly equipped with protective equipment. Silicosis is an extremely dangerous occupational disease that occurs more often on blasting workers that operates with toxic blasting agents, such as yellow sand (silica sand). Silicosis is caused by the inhalation of very fine particles of free silica crystals (in microns, µ) which are embedded in the lung alveolar cells. As these particles are installing, they cannot be removed from the body by any type of treatment. Further, as a defensive mechanism against foreign bodies into the organism, these particles are covered by tissue, leading to the formation of multiple nodules into the lungs, that cause short breathing, other types of complications, cancer and death. To prevent the risk of silicosis, companies must be aware of the risk they take in case of non-compliance with the provisions regarding the use of non-toxic blasting agents and proper protective equipment for their workers.

The use of yellow sand (silica sand) as a blasting agent was forbidden in multiple European countries and is not recommended by professional bodies that act in the blasting field: NACE, FROSIO and SSPC, as it contains up to 90% free silica particles in the breathing air, which carries an extremely high risk for silicosis. A non-toxic blasting material contains less than 0,1% free silica in the breathing air, during blasting operations. Among non-toxic and ecological materials that are recommended for blasting operations, there are: (1) different types of slag for open space blasting (copper slag), (2) stainless steel grit and stainless steel cut wire shots, with multiple operating cycles, for blasting and shot peening the surfaces where no ferrous contamination is allowed (Aluminium, Copper, Titan surfaces), (3) angular steel grit and steel shots for fast and aggressive blasting operations in blasting cabinets, for extremely tough surfaces (granite, steel), (4) different types of corundum (white fused aluminium oxide, brown fused aluminium oxide) and red garnet for blasting where no ferrous contamination is allowed on the base surface, for open space blasting, (5) glass beads for cleaning fine instruments, in pharmaceutics and aeronautics industry.

While using non-toxic and ecological blasting agents, the lung diseases risks are decreasing further when using blasting protection equipment that is compliant with the provisions in the field. Choosing a certified blasting helmet is of major importance for the operators’ health. A blasting helmet that is in accordance with the provisions of OSHA (US) and / or ANSI offer a great protection on impact, noise and against dust during blasting operations. Further, a compliant blasting helmet provides an equal distribution of its weight on the operators’ shoulders to reduce pressure on the neck, allows a free movement of the head during operations, provides a good visibility through the observation window, and allows warming or cooling the breathing air.

Blasting equipment may endanger operators’ health if recommended maintenance is not carried out regularly. Repairs must be carried out by authorized and qualified personnel, in accordance with machine wiring diagrams, without making any kinds of changes to the functionality of the devices. Consumables, such as nozzles, blasting hose, air hose must be periodically inspected and replaced when worn.

GritSablare is national leader in providing a wide range of ecologic and non-toxic blasting materials, that contain less than 0,1% free silica sand in the breathing air: copper slag, stainless steel grit, stainless steel cut wire shots, angular steel grit, steel shots, white fused aluminium oxide, brown fused aluminium oxide, red garnet, glass beads.