Random safety inspections work: Study

Safety inspections can lower the risk of injuries, study shows.

Researchers have shown that inspections of industrial workplaces in the US don’t hurt businesses and in fact lower the risk of workplace injuries.

The study showed that there was a decrease in worker injuries in companies that were inspected compared to companies that weren’t.

The inspected companies, chosen by the California’s OSHA for random inspections, had 9.4 percent fewer worker injuries.

Those companies also didn’t hurt in other ways and contrary to public opinion were not forced to cut jobs, lose sales, get lowered credit ratings, or go out of business because of the inspections when compared to those that were not inspected.

Inspections criticized from both sides

The study was inspired by the ongoing criticism against OSHA from both sides – the labor side thinks the agency isn’t doing enough to protect workers and the employer side thinks that it imposes unnecessary costs.

The study involved 409 businesses in California in a variety of industries, including woodworking and metalworking, which were randomly inspected by OSHA between 1996 and 2006 as well as 409 comparable companies that were not inspected.

The study shows that inspections help in keeping workers safe and that they are also good for business, experts say.

Critics argue that the study authors didn’t focus on the main issues – namely, regulations - which may have hurt businesses.

The research is published in the journal Science.

Source: Reuters

Air cleaners to reduce chemical exposure at the workplace

The problem with chemical exposure is that even at presumably safe limits, experts are divided about the effect these exposures can have over the long term – although some long-term exposures have been linked to serious health effects such as cancer and respiratory diseases.

In any case, it’s arguably better to have fewer chemicals floating around in the ambient air than more.

Electrocorp has developed portable and highly efficient air cleaners for industrial and commercial applications that can help remove those harmful chemicals, odors and fumes.

The air cleaners feature a proven activated carbon and HEPA filtration system with some of the largest adsorbent surface areas and the most customizable options.

Contact Electrocorp for more information.