by Flagship Staff | Sep 13, 2016 | Blog
10. Repetitive motions involving micro-tasks
This category represents 2.9% of the total and amounts to $1.82 billion.
Some of these tasks may include a word processor who looks from the computer monitor to a document and back several times a day or the cashier at the local grocery store who is scanning and bagging groceries for several hours at a time.
9. Struck against object or equipment
This category of workplace injury applies to workers who are hurt by forcible contact or impact, for example, an office worker who bumps into a filing cabinet or an assembly line worker who stubs a toe on stacked parts.
These injuries account for 3% of the total and $1.85 billion
8. Caught in or compressed by equipment or objects
Amounting to 3.2%, or $1.97 billion, these workplace injuries result from workers being caught in equipment or machinery that’s still running as well as in rolling, shifting or sliding objects.
Picture the scene in a movie in which wine barrels topple over, catching the bad guy beneath them, only in this case, it’s the employee whose job it may be to stack the barrels. Perhaps it’s the experienced worker who removes a machine guard to dislodge material that’s stuck and gets a finger caught when the machine starts moving again.
7. Slip or trip without fall
Occasionally, workers do slip or trip without hitting the ground. Think of the employee entering the workplace who slips on icy stairs but is able to grab the handrail to prevent hitting the ground. But the action of grabbing the handrail may cause the employee to injure his shoulder or wrench her knee.
Injuries in this category are 3.8% of the total and cost $2.35 billion.
6. Roadway incidents involving motorized land vehicle
Accounting for 4.8% of injuries at a cost of $2.96 billion are motor vehicle accidents.
The worker may be the driver, a passenger or a pedestrian, but the cause of the injury is an automobile, truck or motorcycle.
5. Other exertions or bodily reactions
These motions include bending, crawling, reaching, twisting, climbing or stepping, according to the BLS. Consider, for example, a roofing contractor’s employees who are continually climbing up and down ladders.
These injuries are 6.7% of the total, amounting to $4.15 billion.
4. Struck by object or equipment
This category covers a range of possible injuries, from being struck by an object dropped by a fellow worker to being caught in a swinging door or gate. Picture the construction worker on a scaffold dropping a hammer on the worker below.
These injuries account for $5.31 billion in costs, 8.6% of the total.
3. Falls to lower level
The roofer could fall to the ground from the roof or ladder, or an office worker standing on a stepstool, reaching for a heavy file box, could fall to the floor.
These injuries are 8.7% of the total, costing employers $5.40 billion
2. Falls on same level
The second most costly workplace injury, surprisingly, is a fall on the same level. Picture the employee who is walking through the office and falls over an uneven floor surface or someone leaning too far back in an office chair and toppling over.
These injuries, costing $10.17 billion, are 16.4% of the total.
1. Overexertion involving an outside source
According to the data, this category ranked at the top of the leading causes of disabling injury, with costs reaching $15.08 billion, and almost a quarter of the total (24.4%).
The BLS explains that overexertion occurs when the physical effort of a worker who lifts, pulls, pushes, holds, carries, wields or throws an object results in an injury.
The object being handled is often heavier than the weight that a worker should be handling or the object is handled improperly. For example, lifting from a shelf that’s too high, or in a space that’s cramped.
Within the broad category of sprains, strains, and tears caused by overexertion, most incidents resulted specifically from overexertion in lifting.
by Flagship Staff | Jul 29, 2016 | Blog
Summer is officially here! Unfortunately, for teen drivers, this is the deadliest time of year.
More teens are now on the road going to their summer jobs, visiting friends, and travelling to summer attractions. This means more cars driven by inexperienced drivers.
Here are a few reasons why summer is more dangerous for teen drivers:
1.Inexperience. Instead of going back and forth to school, teen drivers are spending more time cruising around. Unfortunately, their lack of experience makes them unable to recognize hazardous situations and underestimate dangerous situations.
2.Increased road congestion. Road congestion increases significantly this time of year. Orange construction barrels litter our roadways. In addition, families are making their annual vacation treks. This extra congestion can lead to erratic driving, road rage, and sudden stops.
3.Distracted driving. Obviously, texting and driving is dangerous. So is loud music and conversations with friends.
4.More likely to engage in risky behaviors. Driving with a car full of friends not only causes drivers to become more easily distracted, they may also feel pressured to participate in risky behaviors.
5.More time is spent driving at night. According to the National Safety Council, vehicle death rates at night are three times higher than during the day. Later curfews make for more cruising time on potentially unfamiliar roads. Adding darkness to the mix could cause them to underestimate a curve or run a stop sign. In addition, darting animals could cause them to swerve out of control. Lastly, they could be sharing the road with drunk drivers or drivers falling asleep at the wheel.
Tips for keeping your teen driver safe:
1.Seatbelts save lives. I’m amazed at the number of fatal accidents in the last few months in which occupants weren’t wearing seatbelts. Wearing a seatbelt is a basic concept. According to the CDC, people who wear seatbelts cut their chances of being seriously injured or killed in a crash in half. Every time I hear about an accident in which a fatality occurred because of an ejection, I tell my kids about it and explain how important a seatbelt is.
2.Talk to them about warning lights. Again, as cars become smarter, more systems are being monitored. Go through your owner’s manual and explain to your child what each warning light means. Pay particular attention to tire pressure. Underinflated tires are more dangerous than overinflated.
3.Educate your kids on different driving conditions. Did you know you shouldn’t use cruise control in the rain? Do you know what to do if your vehicle hydroplanes? If you don’t know the answers to these questions, how can you expect your kids to know? Cruise control shouldn’t be used in rainy conditions because it could cause your car’s tires to lose contact with the pavement. For detailed information on how to avoid and handle hydroplaning, check out my blog, “Eleven tips to avoid or handle hydroplaning.”
4.Make sure headlights work properly. Headlights should be properly adjusted for nighttime driving. In addition, the headlight lenses should be clear of debris. If your lense covers are cloudy and it’s difficult for light to pass through, clean them or order new ones.
5.Make sure your teen’s car has good tires. Tires are the most important part of your car. We rely on four tires with a contact patch the size of our hands to keep us travelling down the road safely. So keeping your tires in good shape is important!
6.Limit the number of friends in the car.
7.Establish open communication. If your teen is going to a party that may involve underage drinking, have an honest conversation and share your expectations. While you don’t want to condone underage drinking, you shouldn’t pretend it doesn’t exist. Let them know it’s okay to call you for a ride home. Mixing alcohol and driving can be a deadly combination, especially with inexperienced drivers.
8.Don’t let your teens drive if they’re not in good physical or mental condition. If your teen works a late shift and is too tired to drive, make alternative plans. If your teen is upset over a break up or a fight with a friend, consider doing the driving.
9.Drive the speed limit. Encourage your teen drivers to drive the speed limit. While speeding could get them to their destinations a few minutes faster, is it really worth the increased risk and the potential speeding ticket? Probably not. How many times has a car passed you and a few minutes later you see it just in front of you at an exit ramp or stop light?
by Flagship Staff | Jan 12, 2016 | Blog
Identify the type of braking system on your car. ABS brakes require that you press firmly on the brake pedal and not let off in slippery conditions (rain or snow). They prevent your wheels from locking in emergency situations. Standard brakes, on the other hand, require you to pump the pedal to prevent tire lockup. Regardless of the braking system on your car, you never want to lock the wheels when braking because this will cause you to lose the ability to steer the car.
Keep a safe following distance. Experts recommend keeping a safe following distance of 8 to 10 seconds. A car traveling at 60mph covers 88 feet per second, so it can take a car traveling on wet or snow-covered roads 6 to 10 seconds and more than 500 feet to stop.
Avoid using cruise control on snow, ice, or water. While cruise control improves gas mileage and prevents leg fatigue, it’s dangerous to use in slippery conditions. The purpose of cruise control is to keep your tires moving at a consistent speed which you can’t do when driving in tricky conditions. It can cause you to lose control.
Avoid sudden maneuvers and do one act at a time. When you’re driving on snow and ice, “ask” your vehicle to do one thing at a time: brake in a straight line, turn with as little pedal input as possible, and accelerate in a straight line. Drive as though you have a cup of water on the dashboard and you’re trying not to spill it. A sudden maneuver can throw you into an uncontrollable skid because your tires lose traction.
Accelerate and decelerate slowly. This is the best method to maintain adequate traction and avoid skids.
Steer where you want the car to go. When you’re driving, it goes without saying that your eyes are your most important asset. Your eyes tell your hands and feet what to do and can help you maneuver the car to avoid a collision.
When in doubt, both feet out. When things go wrong (a skid or slide), keep your feet off the pedals. Focus on steering the car.
Avoid outdriving your headlights. You need to see at least four seconds in front of your vehicle, so look for a non-reflective landmark and start counting. If you reach the landmark before you reach four seconds, slow down. Your headlights illuminate a distance of about 400 feet; make sure you can stop in that space.
If you don’t need to go out, stay home.
by Flagship Staff | Jan 1, 2016 | Blog
Every year my New Year’s resolution is to spend more time exercising, but, like many, I go overboard and burn out very fast. Based on gym participation, January is a very busy month. However, by February, you can see the numbers beginning to decline; people have burned out with their exercise routine.
For many of us, free time always seems to be at a premium. There never seems to be enough time for a workout. If you’re like me, I spend my time doing cardio exercises (running, biking) but spend very little time weight training.
Weight training, however, should be a part of everyone’s exercise routine. The benefits of weight training include:
• Increased metabolism;
• Burning extra calories while you sleep or are watching TV;
• Better posture and therefore gaining confidence in your appearance;
• Improved muscle mass and endurance; and
• Bone density improvements.
Here are some tips for getting your workout routine started, along with some core and strength exercises you can do throughout the day.
1.Keep records. Will keeping a record of your workout routine help you feel successful? It keeps some people motivated, while others find it a waste of time. Figure out what type of person you are. If tracking your routine helps, there are various ways to do it, including Excel spreadsheets and smart phone apps.
2.Find a workout buddy. Work out with a friend, co-worker, or family member who shares your goals. This extra accountability can keep you motivated. If you can’t find a workout buddy, consider hiring a personal trainer to get you started.
3.Vary your workout. When you begin your workout program, it may be fun and exciting; however, after a while, it can become mundane. Most facilities have a lot of different equipment and offer a variety of classes. If you’re getting bored, don’t quit! Go outside your comfort zone and join a class or ask for a brief orientation on some new pieces of equipment or exercise moves.
Core and Strength exercises
Bridge. This is a great exercise for beginners, especially if you live a sedentary life. The bridge exercise will help strengthen your hip flexors, hamstrings, glutes, and lower back.
Plank. The plank also works your core region, including your abs, lower back, glutes, and hamstrings. Most people are very weak in their lower backs, so this is a great exercise to help strengthen your back without stressing it.
To start, hold the plank position for 30 seconds and then rest for a minute. Your starting goal should be three sets of planks. As you get stronger, consider increasing your time.
If you can do three sets, holding each plank for a minute, you’re getting stronger. The plank is a great exercise you can do with your family. Please note that proper plank form is very important.
Push-ups. Push-ups are a great strength exercise because you can do them at any time and anywhere!
Many people, however, avoid doing push-ups because they’re too difficult, or do them incorrectly. If push-ups are a challenge for you, consider starting with knee push-ups. To complete a knee push up, your hands should be back from your shoulders with elbows pointing backwards at a 45-degree angle. Don’t extend your hands too far in front of you since this will put extra torque on your internal shoulder rotators. Everything from your knees up should move up at the same time in a line.
The proper technique for toe push-ups is the same. Your chest should come down between your hands. A lot of people place their hands too far in front of their bodies and do not have a good range of motion. That technique is incorrect.
The great thing about the strength exercises Janet shared is that you can do them at anytime and you don’t need expensive equipment.
by Flagship Staff | Dec 22, 2015 | Blog
Do you know that heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States? It’s true. Heart disease claims the lives of women every minute of every day.
For me, this is a startling fact. So much emphasis is put on women and cancer that I think heart disease is overlooked. I’d like to share information, courtesy of the American Heart Association.
Every February, the American Heart Association launches its “Go Red for Women” campaign. The goal of the campaign is to raise awareness so women everywhere can learn about this disease and ways to prevent it. In addition, with increased awareness, more research can be done to help women battle and survive this disease.
Heart Disease In Women Can Be Different Than Men’s
We’re dispelling the vast amount of misinformation about heart disease and its symptoms in women. For example, heart attack symptoms in women can be different than what men experience. Chest pain is often not a symptom for women, but jaw pain can be. Heart disease does not spare the young. It does not discriminate based on age, and in combination with lifestyle, overall health and whether or not it runs in your family, these factors can work together to raise your risk. While you can’t change things like age and family history, the good news is that even modest changes to your diet and lifestyle can improve your heart health and lower your risk by as much as 80 percent.
If you’re wondering how to get involved in the “Go Red for Women” campaign, there are many ways to do so. A very simple yet effective way to join the fight is to be a part of the American Heart Association- sponsored event, National Wear Red Day®, scheduled this year on Friday, February 5.
