Original Air Date: Jun. 8, 2016
Webinar Summary
An educational webcast presented by Risk Management for Chubb agents/brokers and select clients. Does your safety program address the hazards associated with working outdoors? This is a significant part of your program if you operate farms, botanical gardens, golf courses, landscaping service or a utility company. But how about the commercial building, hotel, residential development, nursing home or hospital with grounds and maintenance staff handling landscaping and/or snow removal? These workers are exposed to unique hazards that need to be addressed in the safety program.
NIOSH tells us that an average of 197 landscape services workers died from on-the-job injuries each year between 2003 and 2006. The fatality rate for the landscape services industry, about 25 deaths per 100,000 workers, is similar to that for more recognized high-risk industries such as agriculture and mining. Although landscape services workers make up 0.8% of the U.S. workforce, they experienced 3.5% of the total occupational fatalities. Hazard identification and control is the best approach to keeping your workers safe.
We will review the safety hazards associated with grounds and maintenance work including:
- Use of power equipment for landscaping and snow removal
- Severe weather including extreme hot and cold temperature, lighting strikes and tornadoes
- Pesticide application
- Working at elevated heights for tree trimming and pruning and watering using ladders, motorized lifts/ buckets or rigging
The speakers will provide examples of job safety analysis for the tasks required of outdoor workers and will discuss program components based on OSHA, Cal OSHA and best practices developed by industry groups.
Note: This webcast is intended to provide a safety and loss control perspective of the topic. Insurance coverage issues will not be covered during this webcast. If you have questions concerning coverage or insurability, please contact your insurance broker or underwriter.