safe and productive

Stay Safe and Productive at Work

May 19, 2023

Are you aware of potential hazards in your work environment? Make sure that you know the company's health and safety information. This information is usually provided to you on orientation day or your first day of work. If it isn't, be sure to ask for it. Your employers should have a safety policy in compliance with Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA). 

Follow all safety instructions and know how to help prevent an accident from happening to you or other workers.

What is OSHA?

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) is a law that requires employers to provide a safe and healthy workplace. This law was made official in 1970, along with the organization of the same name that enforces it.

Thanks to OSHA, modern-day workers in the U.S. no longer have to worry about squalid and dangerous working conditions. This law, along with the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) make the modern-day workplace safer than in the past.

Getting Informed

If you attended a new hire orientation, you will have received a rundown on health and safety information as well as company safety policies. It is incredibly important for new hires to learn this information, so most companies present these policies right away. If you somehow did not learn, or forgot these policies, don't hesitate to ask your employer for this information.

OSHA requires employers to display a poster that tells you what your rights are under the Act. Make sure you understand these rights as well as company safety policies.

See OSHA Frequently Asked Questions to learn more.

Safety Tips

Below are a few basic safety tips to follow in your new job. This is not a complete list, and you shouldn't treat it as such. However, it should get you started.

  • If you are using a product that may be hazardous, make sure you know how to protect yourself.
  • Make sure you know if there are flammable materials in the area, such as gas.
  • Make sure your working environment is organized, safe, and clean. This will help prevent accidents.
  • Take universal precautions if you need to clean up body fluids.
  • Be careful when operating machinery and follow instructions.
  • Know what to do if there is an emergency such as a fire or tornado.
  • User proper lifting techniques for heavy items.
  • Take extra caution if you work in a dangerous job. Though the laws under OSHA protect you as a worker, some jobs are simply more dangerous by nature. This article gives a list of the 25 most dangerous jobs today.
  • Follow all safety policies and encourage others to follow them.
  • At the end of the day, safety is your responsibility. Modern workplaces have plenty of policies and laws in place to protect you, however, common sense and attention are among the best prevention tactics.

Be Careful

It's a given that working a dangerous job will be risky. However, did you know that many accidents happen in "normal" conditions? For example, slips, trips, and falls are one of the most common causes of workplace injuries. Other common causes include overexertion and distractions.1

Just because your job is "safe" by comparison doesn't mean you can't get injured. Regardless of where they work, people are at risk of injury if they don't follow the proper guidelines for lifting/moving heavy objects, operating machinery, and doing other "everyday" tasks.

Are You Younger Than 18?

If you are 14 or 15 and want to work, read "Do You Need a Work Permit?" first. Minors – people younger than 18 – cannot work in hazardous jobs.

Additional Resources

Match the pictogram to the hazard - match the image of the workplace hazard to its description in this interactive quiz the National Safety Council has created.

 



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