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January 23, 2024 Origami Risk, a Chicago-based risk management software company, announced Tuesday the launch of its cellphone app Origami Mobile, designed for use by industry safety professionals. The app enables risk professionals, employees and contractors to conduct job site audits and inspections and report incidents from locations nationwide even in instances where Wi-Fi is unavailable. Users will be able to detect and report workplace operational hazards and behavior trends, monitor effectiveness of safety programs, gather and leverage real-time incident data and provide coaching and training services to workers. Read More

January 23, 2024 Disgruntled employees cost U.S. companies an estimated $1.9 trillion in lost productivity last year, according to research from Gallup that puts a price tag on workplace unhappiness. That eye-popping figure stems from more Americans feeling detached from their employers in the aftermath of the pandemic. A measure of engagement from Gallup’s surveys had been steadily rising for a decade but peaked in 2020. The disruption of the past few years reduced satisfaction in the workplace, with more employees saying they don’t clearly know what’s expected of them — a symptom that reduces engagement. The stakes are high for companies because an engaged workforce increases productivity, and that helps boost sales and profit. Connecting better with staff also ups worker retention. Having motivated employees is linked to “a lot of different outcomes that are important to organizations,” said Jim Harter, chief scientist for Gallup’s workplace practice. Read More

January 10, 2024 US Department of Labor finds Bradenton landscaper willfully endangered worker who drowned after being pinned underwater by riding mower. TruScapes Industries Inc. cited in 2015 in similar employee drowning incident. BRADENTON, FL – A 36-year-old mower operator drowned after the mower rolled over in a pond, pinning the worker underwater. Federal workplace safety inspectors determined the employer could have avoided the incident by following required safety measures outlined in the equipment operator's manual. An investigation into the July 4, 2023, incident by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration found the employee of TruScapes Industries Inc. in Bradenton was riding a zero-turn lawnmower in a residential neighborhood when it tipped over into a water retention pond. Investigators learned the machine's roll-over protection system was not engaged while operating on a sloping embankment near the pond and the equipment was operated on a slope that exceeded the limitations defined in the equipment manual. OSHA cited the employer for one willful violation for not having a rollover protection system in use and for operating the equipment on a steep slope, and one serious violation for not providing potable water for drinking. OSHA proposed $166,305 in penalties. The agency cited TruScapes after a similarly fatal incident in Bradenton in July 2015. In that investigation, OSHA issued TruScapes Industries five serious citations and proposed $18,200 in penalties. Read More

January 3, 2024 Employees who feel unsafe on the job are more likely to report symptoms of work-related depression and anxiety, and those who study worker mental health have discovered a relationship between anxiety and increased work injury rates, industry experts say. “There is more and more data coming out showing just how inextricably intertwined mental health and physical health are in the workplace,” said Dennis Stolle, senior director of applied psychology at the Washington-based American Psychological Association. Psychological safety, a concept defined as a belief that workers won’t be punished for raising concerns or making mistakes at work, is also on the radar for workplace safety researchers, said Shanna Tiayon, a social psychologist and CEO of Yes Wellbeing Works LLC, a Washington-based organization that focuses on employee wellbeing. There’s a workplace correlation between psychological safety and stress, Ms. Tiayon said, and workers should be able to feel they can make mistakes without fear of retribution. This is especially applicable to the high-risk manufacturing and construction sectors, she said, where not disclosing mistakes could potentially lead to injuries or death. Read More

December 13, 2023 A bill weakening Florida’s child labor laws is advancing in the state legislature, clearing its first committee Wednesday. The policy eliminates curfew restrictions for some teens and allows them to work longer hours. The House Regulatory Reform & Economic Development Subcommittee's GOP majority approved the bill along party lines. That sends it a step closer to the House floor ahead of next year's session in January. Frustrating for opponents but a win for its backers, like 16-year-old Logan Schulenberger, who works as a martial arts instructor. "I’m trying to get in the workforce," the Tallahassee teen. said. "The more experience you have, the more likely you are to get hired in the future— right?" He was among several supporters who spoke in favor of HB 49. Logan told Scripps News he wanted the freedom to work longer with less restriction. Read More