For workplace safety officials in Arkansas, the overall safety record can be better.
Since Jan. 2015, 46 Arkansas workers have lost fingers, toes, hands and legs due to amputations at work.
Amputations are debilitating workplace injuries that often happen when workers must operate mechanical machinery without the proper guards or training.
To educate employers and workers on preventing these injuries, the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration Little Rock Area Office was launching a 16-day Arkansas Amputation Prevention Stand-Down during the middle to end of September.
“No worker should ever have to experience this type of debilitating injury. During the stand-down, we aim to help employers identify and eliminate hazards that could lead to serious harm,” said John Hermanson, OSHA’s regional administrator in Dallas.
“We’re hoping employers and workers will come away from this event with a better understanding of amputation hazards and how to correct them before they cause a permanent, debilitating injury,” added Carlos Reynolds, OSHA’s area director in Little Rock.
Employers are required to report any amputations and inpatient hospitalizations to OSHA within 24 hours.
Author Kori Shafer-Stack, Editor, Amaxx Risk Solutions, Inc. is an expert in post-injury response procedures and part of the Amaxx team helping companies reduce their workers compensation costs by 20% to 50%. www.reduceyourworkerscomp.com. Contact: kstack@reduceyourworkerscomp.com.
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