Mirror Mirror on the Wall, Who is the SAFEST One of All?

Does the person in the mirror always make the safest decisions? Is your safety reflection something that you would want your co-workers and family members to see or emulate? Do you see a few cracks in your mirror? Is the image cloudy? If left unchecked, those cracks might eventually shatter the image with dire consequences. It’s never too late to repair those cracks or to clean and polish your safety image! Here’s how: Continue Reading →

Lawn Mower Safety

According to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission there are nearly 75,000 lawn mower injuries each year which require emergency room visits. Riding mowers account for half of all injuries, including 100 fatalities. Half of the injuries happen to children under the age of 15. Fatal and serious injuries have a common theme where the riding mower tips over and the victim falls under or is run over by the mower. Young children are in this category. Find a safe activity to spend quality time with the youngsters after the mowing is finished. A few minutes of fun riding is not worth the risk of permanent injury or death. Continue Reading →

Young Workers Have Rights Too!

Headlines: “Two workers, ages 14 and 19, were suffocated when they were engulfed by corn in a grain silo” “18 year old dies when his clothes get tangled in a portable mortar mixer” “17 year old assistant pool manager was electrocuted when she contacted an ungrounded motor” Young workers between the ages of 16 and 24 are twice as likely to suffer an injury or an illness on the job as more experienced workers. Continue Reading →

Hand Injuries

Can you imagine what it would be like to lose the use of one or both of your hands because of an injury? Our hands and wrists have 27 bones along with the soft tissue that allows us the flexibility and strength to be able to perform tasks. Even a minor hand or finger injury will remind us how important it is to have the full use of our hands. Bureau of Labor Statistics indicates that close to 20% of all days away from work injuries are hand related. In fact around 10% of all hospital emergency visits are related to hand injuries and 40% of these injuries involve lacerations or cuts. Continue Reading →

SSOE Group Colon Cancer Awareness Month

One goal of SSOE's Working Well Program is to raise employee health awareness. We have chosen to promote the highest risk areas in our company during National Health Awareness months. The first one recognized in 2014 was Colon Cancer Awareness Month. In late 2013, we lost a dear colleague, Dave DiPofi, to Colon Cancer. As part of the awareness campaign, we posted informational articles on Colon Cancer Awareness and asked for donations to the Colon Cancer Alliance in memory of Dave and others who have had, or are currently suffering from, colon cancer. During our first awareness campaign we were able to raise $2,780; it is great to know that colleagues are willing to donate their hard earned money to help raise awareness. Continue Reading →

3 Seconds to Disaster

Don’t let a 3 second distraction become a lifetime of regret! The time it took to read the title of this safety tip, only 3 seconds, is the same length of time for distractions that precede 80% of automobile crashes and 60% of near misses. You may consider yourself to be an attentive and safe driver, however, those 3 seconds can be the precious time that allows you to prevent or avoid an accident -- regardless whether it is your distraction or someone else’s. A safe driver is not necessarily someone who has been lucky enough to avoid being involved in an accident. Rather, a safe driver is a courteous and defensive driver who looks out for others, avoids distractions, and is always on alert to anticipate and respond to potential traffic situations. Safe drivers share the road so that they do not become part of, or contribute to, a preventable accident. Continue Reading →