Workplace Safety: There's a FREE App for That!

Business owners know the drill: On-the-job fatalities must be reported to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) within eight hours of occurring. On-the-job injuries and illnesses that require inpatient hospitalization, amputation, or vision loss must also be reported, within 24 hours.

Reporting is the law, but Focus HR, Inc. wants you to avoid the injury or illness all together.

Falls, slips, and trips are a common cause of non-fatal workplace injuries, and often they’re from atop a ladder. Did you know, there’s a free app to help your employees with ladder stability?

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a cool app for “Ladder Safety,” and it’s endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC.) Using graphic aids, safety checklists, and reference information, that user can make safer choices on a ladder. Proper positioning of the ladder and optimal angles are the key.

Also, with overexertion and bodily reaction on the list of injury causes, you might also want to check out the “OSHA NIOSH Heat Safety Tool.” Using your location, this app gives you the day’s risk level for heat exhaustion. You’ll have access to an hour-by-hour “feels like” temperature which will help outdoor workers plan critical water breaks and shade time.

For those of you dealing with chemicals, there’s also the NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards app. This app’s database includes exposure limits, chemical/physical properties, recommended personal protective equipment, respirators, and first aid.

And finally, there’s a more general app that can help you navigate OSHA’s workplace safety requirements. The OSHA Safety- Laws and Regulations app gives business owners and operators quick access to all of the safety expectations enforced by the government.

Other apps that can help you navigate workplace safety: