mialosscontrol.com | safety resources for MIA policyholders

Hexavalent Chromium – General Information

This handout is part of a series intended to help small businesses comply with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) standard 29 CFR 1910.1026, Chromium (VI) that applies to occupational exposures to chromium (VI), known as Hexavalent Chromium. Workers exposed to chromium (VI) are at increased risk of developing serious adverse health effects,...

The Young and Inexperienced Employee

During their frequent visits to insureds, seasoned insurance loss control consultants begin to identify trends or patterns in their clients’ safety management systems. Some are above standard – such as formal hiring practices or routine workplace inspections, while others may be substandard – such as inadequate supervision or inconsistent new hire training....

Preventing Needlestick Injuries

Needlesticks can expose workers to a number of bloodborne pathogens that can cause serious or fatal infections. The pathogens that pose the most serious health risks are Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), the virus that causes AIDS. HBV vaccination is recommended for all health care workers (unless they are immune...

Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Hearing Protection

When noise control measures are infeasible, or until such time as they are installed, hearing protection devices are the only way to prevent high levels of noise from damaging the inner ear of workers. Making sure that these devices are worn effectively requires continuous attention on the part of supervisors and program implementers, as well as noise-exposed...

Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Scaffolding

Serious injury or death can result from failure to comply with all applicable safety requirements of federal, State and local regulations before erecting, using, or dismantling a scaffold. This “Client Handout” provides small business owners a means of identifying potential problem areas that may occur with scaffolding operations. Any question answered...

Walking/Working Surfaces – Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist

Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents – they cause 15 percent of all accidental deaths and are second to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for walking and working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where domestic, mining, or...

Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Housekeeping

Good housekeeping is a basic part of accident and fire prevention programs, and effective housekeeping should be an ongoing operation and not a hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally. Periodic “panic” cleanups can be costly and ineffective in reducing accidents. Housekeeping is more than just sweeping the floor. A good company housekeeping program should keep...

Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Egress

During a fire, unobstructed emergency egress ensures that building occupants, including workers, can exit a building to safety. This “Client Handout” provides small business owners a means of identifying potential problem areas that may occur with emergency egress from their buildings. Any question answered “No” should be thoroughly investigated...

Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Fall Arrest Systems

To provide optimum protection, a fall arrest system should be designed by a structural engineer experienced in the elimination/control of fall hazards. Similarly, proper installation by a contractor should be supervised and directed by a professional engineer who understands all of the challenges posed. Unlike a general contractor, a skilled engineer understands the...

Small Business Self-Evaluation Checklist: Working Environment

Most accidents are the end result of many contributing causal factors. Employee/management behaviors and system defects create an overall safety culture that may or may not support safe conditions and practices. If the safety culture is not supportive, and an employee is exposed to the hazard, the probability of an accident increases greatly. Under such conditions, an...