The Importance of dealing with mental health issues
- Workplace stress and mental health hazards remain a concern in the workplace, according to OSHA.
- These hazards can be related to job performance, productivity, work engagement and communication, physical capability, and daily functioning.
- The stress can be harmful to our health and increase mental health challenges, OSHA officials said.
- Mental health challenges can include clinical mental illness and substance use disorders as well as other emotions like stress, grief, feeling sad, and anxiety.
Texas: Over 90,000 COVID claims, $121 million paid out in benefits
- Insurance carriers reported more than 90,000 COVID-19 claims and 459 COVID-related deaths in Texas.
- About 80 percent of the fatal claims involved men from the start of the pandemic through early August.
- In addition, about 35% of COVID-19 claims received benefit payments, which totaled $121.6 million, while the other 65% received no benefit, according to the state’s workers’ comp division.
- Benefits included medical, income, death, and/or burial.
Ensuring respirators are legit
- Employers have the difficult task of ensuring their respirators are real and not fake to protect employees.
- NIOSH has provided some guidance when purchasing respirators for your company from third-party marketplaces.
- The agency said if the words “legitimate” or “genuine” are used, then the products do not meet these standards.
- It’s also a good idea to check out the respirator seller’s profile or website and reviews and past sales can also be an indication of counterfeit products.
The dangers of carbon dioxide
- Employers must be vigilant about the dangers of carbon dioxide (CO2).
- CO2 is odorless and colorless making it impossible for humans to detect, providing no warning of its presence, according to OSHA.
- Exposure to the gas is potentially harmful and even deadly in certain circumstances and employers must make sure that all personnel handling liquid CO2 or dry ice are thoroughly familiar with the associated hazards.
- When new CO2 receptacles are installed, make sure that they are installed at ground level in an open area.
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