To study the air workers in auto repair shops breathe, analysts with the SHARP Program, the research group at Washington State’s Department of Labor & Industries, bought a hunting vest and stuffed it with measuring devices, including several filters and three different air pumps.
To show truckers the stress their bodies endure when they jump from the cab of their big rigs, the researchers created a virtual simulation of a ghostly image leaping from several different parts of a truck and placed it on the trucking safety web site. (www.keeptruckingsafe.org)
And when the SHARP team learns of a workplace death, they don’t just add it to their statistics, but they dispatch researchers to the site of the fatality to interview co-workers and employers, examine equipment and try to draw lessons from the tragedy, detailing their findings in reports presented on their web site.(www.Lni.wa.gov/safety/research)
Gathering data, studying the causes behind workplace injuries and deaths, and disseminating information is what the SHARP Program has done now for 20 years. (WCxKitz)
SHARP is an acronym for Safety & Health Assessment & Research for Prevention. SHARP researchers, include epidemiologists, industrial hygienists, safety engineers, toxicologists, ergonomists and experts from other scientific disciplines, who are credited with identifying a host of workplace hazards and offering recommendations to improve workplace safety and health.
“Since its creation, SHARP has proven invaluable in identifying workplace hazards and offering effective solutions having a profound effect on the lives of workers,” said L&I Director Judy Schurke. “The work SHARP researchers produce is renowned, not just in Washington State but both nationally and internationally, for setting the standard in occupational health research. Over the years, this team has opened the eyes of many in a variety of industries.”
Researchers at SHARP have studied everything from construction and trucking to furniture production and agriculture. Their reports have delved into nail-gun injuries, falls from stilts, and lead hazards from firearm firing ranges. Their recommendations have led to new workplace safety rules in Washington State on workplace violence and outdoor heat exposure and a host of other safety and health recommendations. (WCxKitz)
“I am very proud of the innovative work and dedication of the SHARP research team members,” added SHARP research director Barbara Silverstein. “SHARP researchers may move on to other areas, but all of them remain dedicated to the improvement of workplace safety.”
Author Robert Elliott, executive vice president, Amaxx Risks Solutions, Inc. has worked successfully for 20 years with many industries to reduce Workers’ Compensation costs, including airlines, healthcare, printing/publishing, pharmaceuticals, retail, hospitality and manufacturing. Contact: Robert_Elliott@ReduceYourWorkersComp.com or 860-553-6604.
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Do not use this information without independent verification. All state laws vary. You should consult with your insurance broker or agent about workers' comp issues.
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