Employers reported 2.7 million injuries and illnesses in 2020, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). And while this number is down 5.7% from the previous year, there’s still room for improvement. In 2020, these injuries cost companies more than $163 billion in wage and productivity losses, medical expenses, and administrative expenses, in […]
Safety Management
PPE Inspections: What They Are and Why You Need Them
Personal protective equipment (PPE) saves lives. Consider the humble hard hat: First introduced in 1919 by Edward W. Bullard, who designed the hat to resemble his doughboy army helmet, the hard hat helped reduce work site deaths by two-thirds between 1970 and 2016. PPE also saves money: Companies can save over $30,000 for every medically-consulted […]
FeaturedCustomers selects Certainty Software as a 2022 EHS Management Software Rising Star
Certainty Software has been named a FeaturedCustomers’ 2022 Environmental, Health, and Safety (EHS) Management Software Vendor Rising Star! This is our third time receiving this recognition and we’re extremely proud to see that our hard work to help businesses collect, manage, and report their EHS inspections and audits has made a difference. Who is FeaturedCustomers? […]
Audit Types Explained: What You Need to Know About First, Second, and Third-Party Audits
Auditing is a process of verifying and evaluating a business’s compliance, quality, and performance. However, there are different types of audits that serve different purposes and have different requirements. In this blog post, you will learn what first-party, second-party, and third-party audits are, how they differ, and why they are important for your business […]
4 Steps to Perform a Workplace Safety Inspection
More than ever, today’s workforce is reflecting on their current working situation and is considering finding new work – over 40% of American workers in 2021 considered leaving their current jobs. Workplace safety is a large driving force in these decisions as injuries have maintained an annual consistency of about 2.7 million reported incidents in […]
How to Create an Effective Food Safety Management System for Your Business
The CDC estimates that every year, more than 48 million Americans become sick from foodborne illnesses. Research has identified more than 250 foodborne diseases that are caused by bacteria, viruses, and parasites, but consumers can also become sick after eating food that has been exposed to harmful toxins or chemicals. As a result, it’s in […]
What is a Field Level Hazard Assessment (and Why They Matter)
Hazards put both teams and projects at risk. If your staff is injured by on-site hazards, days off for recovery coupled with workers’ compensation processes can negatively impact project timelines and employee morale. According to recent data from the National Safety Council (NSC), more than 400,000 workers were injured from substance hazards in 2020. Additionally, […]
Understanding Social Compliance And Self-Audits
Businesses that have a sense of purpose – that is, they are motivated to provide value for all stakeholders and to improve the local and global society – tend to be more successful, generating more revenue. According to a survey, 58% of businesses that prioritize operating with purpose witnessed a 10% revenue increase in three years. Social […]
What is A Hot Work Permit: How it Works
According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), from 2014 to 2018, United States local fire departments responded to an average of 4,580 annual structure fires from hot work activities. It was estimated that the annual associated damage costs were approximately $484 million, and an average of 22 people died each year from such operations. Hot work […]
Near Miss Reporting: What it is and Why it’s Important
According to the U.S Department of Labor, there were 4,764 workplace fatalities in 2020. Transportation incidents, falls, slips, trips, contact with objects and equipment, and exposure to harmful substances were the leading causes of death. Near misses contribute significantly to workplace fatalities regardless of their minimal effects at the moment. For every 600 near misses, 30 […]
Keep it Seen, Keep it Safe: The Importance of Construction Safety Observations
Despite improved safety standards and oversight, workplace risks remain. According to OSHA data, more than 100 workers died on the job every week in 2019 — and the construction industry accounted for 20 percent of these fatalities. As a result, construction safety observations are a critical component in reducing risk and increasing worker safety, in […]
The HACCP Plan: How it Can Help Reduce Food Safety Risk
Food safety is a top priority for organizations. As noted by the CDC, more than 48 million Americans get sick each year due to foodborne illness, and over 120,000 are hospitalized. The agency also points out that challenges around food safety will continue to evolve thanks to changes in food production processes, supply chain options, […]
Incident Reporting: A Key Component of an Effective Safety Management Program
No workplace is perfectly safe. Despite best efforts, incidents happen — machines may experience sudden failures or staff may unintentionally expose themselves or others to risk. Consider recent data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), which found that private industry employers reported 2.7 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in 2020. While the […]
Food Safety Handling: Taking a Bite Out of Operational Risk
It’s one thing for food to taste bad, it’s another for it to make you feel bad. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), however, 47.8 million Americans fall ill with foodborne illnesses each year — of those, over 125,000 are hospitalized, and more than 3,000 die. Put simply, food safety handling matters. […]
5 Tips to Improve Safety Observations and Reduce Workplace Risk
Unsafe processes and workspace pose a serious risk for workers and can lead to significant impacts on overall production performance. Consider recent safety data from the National Safety Council, which found that in 2020, more than 1.2 million workers suffered workplace injuries or illnesses related to their job that required time off from work. The message […]
