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Tips to Keep Your Employees and Your Business Safe

Our safety resources keep your employees safe and your business claim-free.

workplace-safety
 

Start with the topics below to view our safety documents, blog posts, videos, and more. Educate yourself and your staff on how to prevent worker injury and facility or material damage.

 

This section covers general safety topics like electrical safety, cafeteria safety, and lone worker protection.

Electrical Safety at Work

Transcript

When you head into work in the morning, where do you go? An office? A factory? Kitchen table to work from home?

Whether your commute takes an hour or 30 seconds, you want to arrive at a safe place.

More than 2,000 people were injured by electricity in the workplace in 2017. They suffered severe shocks or burns. Most injuries were in the construction, real estate, and professional services industries.

To make your work area safe, start with the electrical outlets. Make sure plugs are all the way in a socket. If possible, use an outlet and a plug with three prongs. The third hole in the outlet is called the ground, and it helps prevent electrical shock.

Replace worn or damaged extension cords immediately. Only use extension cords temporarily. They are not intended to serve as permanent wiring. Do not overload power strips by using too many plugs.

Appliances should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet — don’t use an extension cord.

Although it might be easier, never pull a plug out of the wall by tugging on the cord. You can damage the wiring and cause a fire or electrical shock.

If your company has a Hastings Mutual Workers’ Compensation policy, you can get medical help from the professionals for an injury caused by electricity or any kind of workplace accident.

When you head into work in the morning, where do you go? An office? A factory? Kitchen table to work from home?

Whether your commute takes an hour or 30 seconds, you want to arrive at a safe place.

More than 2,000 people were injured by electricity in the workplace in 2017. They suffered severe shocks or burns. Most injuries were in the construction, real estate, and professional services industries.

To make your work area safe, start with the electrical outlets. Make sure plugs are all the way in a socket. If possible, use an outlet and a plug with three prongs. The third hole in the outlet is called the ground, and it helps prevent electrical shock.

Replace worn or damaged extension cords immediately. Only use extension cords temporarily. They are not intended to serve as permanent wiring. Do not overload power strips by using too many plugs.

Appliances should always be plugged directly into a wall outlet — don’t use an extension cord.

Although it might be easier, never pull a plug out of the wall by tugging on the cord. You can damage the wiring and cause a fire or electrical shock.

If your company has a Hastings Mutual Workers’ Compensation policy, you can get medical help from the professionals for an injury caused by electricity or any kind of workplace accident.

With a single phone call, an injured employee will get the attention they need while saving time and costs. Talk to your independent insurance agent about our FirstCall Work Injury Hotline service.

 

Blogs

Construction workers wearing hard hats and gloves

What Everyone Can Do To Make Their Job Safer

December 2, 2021 - 1:22 PM

A big part of insurance isn’t simply putting together an insurance policy or trying to make a sale. It’s reducing risk. If you’re driving safely, using appliances in your house by following the manufacturer’s instructions, and keeping...Full story

Be prepared for a fire emergency.

The Fundamentals Of Hot Work Safety

October 5, 2021 - 1:20 PM

“Hot work” uses heat in a manufacturing process or as part of specific activities. Some people work with heat consistently and there are safeguards in place to protect against fire and flame...Full story

Construction worker wearing hard hat helmet and safety vest

The Basics Of Workplace Protection

July 22, 2021 - 1:41 PM

It’s summer, the perfect time to get some of that outdoor work done. Maybe you’ve been planning a do-it-yourself project or you’re hiring an expert crew for something big. Once the design is done and the tools and supplies are in ...Full story

 

Safety Thoughts

Safety thoughts are short documents meant for distribution to staff at all levels to increase workplace safety awareness and practices.

First Aid thumb

First Aid

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Safety Tips - Handling Trays thumb

Safety Tips - Handling Trays

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How Accidents Happen: Personal Factors thumb

How Accidents Happen: Personal Factors

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Lone Worker Safety thumb

Lone Worker Safety

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School Food Service thumb

School Food Service

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Workplace Injuries: School Staff / Student Athletic Events thumb

Workplace Injuries: School Staff / Student Athletic Events

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Safety Bulletins

Safety bulletins are industry technical documents meant for educating management, legal, and safety staff. Learn more about returning to work after an injury and workplace safety and health tips.

Aging Workforce Guide
Custodial Staff Change in Summer Workloads
Early Return To Work program
Early Return To Work examples
Effective Safety Committees
Jobsite Inspection Form
Lagging or Leading in Safety?
Layered Safety Audits
Occupational Safety and Health Program
Practical Steps to Control Worker Compensation Costs
Sprayed Polyurethane Foam Hazards and Controls
Streamery Video Training Courses
Workers’ Compensation Student Behavior Management
Worksite Evaluation and Safety Inspection Checklist
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Safety resources to prevent workplace fires caused by flammable or combustible materials, or outdoor burning.

 

Safety Thoughts

Safety thoughts are short documents meant for distribution to staff at all levels to increase workplace safety awareness and practices. Learn more about topics like welding safety, torch cutting safety, and other ways of preventing fires in your work environments.

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Working with Combustible Metals

Download

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Compressed Gas Cylinder Hazards and Controls

Download

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Tips for Safe Outdoor Burning

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Safety Bulletins

Safety bulletins are industry technical documents meant for educating management, legal, and safety staff.

Combustible Metal Hazards and Controls
Compressed Gas Cylinder Storage and Handling
Hot Work – Practices to Control High Fire Risk
Hot Work Permit
Woodworking Operations - Fire and Dust Explosion Hazards
 

Learn more about preventing falls from extension ladders, step ladders, aerial platforms, or from slippery conditions and reduce your risk of injured workers.

Blog Posts

construction worker injured from falling off a ladder

The Most Dangerous Thing You Can Do At Work

May 8, 2019 - 3:14 PM

In 2017, more than 320,000 construction workers nationwide suffered injuries on the job, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that of the top 10 standards...Full story

residential contractor building a home

Planning And Protecting Your Contracting Business

April 8, 2020 - 4:29 PM

Spring is often a very busy time for contractors — customers are ready to make changes to their homes or even completely overhaul a room. This spring, of course, what contractors are allowed to do is limited in many places. While they can’t always get to work on construction projects,...Full story

 

Safety Thoughts

Safety thoughts are short documents meant for distribution to staff at all levels to increase workplace safety awareness and practices. Learn more about preventing falls in the workplace and keeping your employees safe.

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Aerial Platforms

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Ladder Safety

Download

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Slips, Trips and Fall Prevention

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Avoid Winter Falls

Download

winter-walking-conditions-thumb

Winter Walking Conditions

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Safety Bulletins

Safety bulletins are industry technical documents meant for educating management, legal, and safety staff.

Aerial Lifts and Platforms
Loading Dock Guardrails: Protecting Workers from Falls
Repairing Portable Ladders
 

Keep employees safe when working with sharp equipment by educating them on topics like box cutter safety, sharp knife safety, and slicer safety.

Safety Thoughts

Safety thoughts are short documents meant for distribution to staff at all levels to increase workplace safety awareness and practices.

Box Cutters & Knives thumb

Box Cutters & Knives

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Using Knives and Slicers thumb

Using Knives and Slicers

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Using Knives, Box Cutters, and Other Slicers thumb

Using Knives, Box Cutters, and Other Slicers

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Tips for preventing strain injuries at work, such as computer ergonomics, lifting properly to prevent back injuries, and other strain prevention measures.

Blog Posts

Men lifting large painting: don't lift by yourself if there's someone else nearby.

How To Lift A Heavy Weight

September 21, 2021 - 1:20 PM

Lifting seems like such a simple thing — just bend down, pick up whatever it is you need to move, and put it where it needs to go. Simple things need to be done the right way, though, or they can have a bad result. Sprains, strain, ...Full story

 

Safety Thoughts

Safety Thoughts are short papers intended for distribution to employees of all levels in order to raise workplace safety awareness and practices.

Strain Prevention from Construction Work thumb

Strain Prevention from Construction Work

Download

Back Injury Prevention thumb

Back Injury Prevention

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Strain Prevention thumb

Strain Prevention

Download

Strain Prevention: Best Practices for Work or Home thumb

Strain Prevention: Best Practices for Work or Home

Download

Strain Prevention: Handling Toilets thumb

Strain Prevention: Handling Toilets

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Strain Prevention: Shoulders thumb

Strain Prevention: Shoulders

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Health First – Stretching and Flexibility thumb

Health First – Stretching and Flexibility

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Computing with Comfort thumb

Computing with Comfort

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Documents containing tips and best practices for using personal protective equipment (PPE) to shield eyes, face, and ears.

Safety Thoughts

Safety thoughts are short documents meant for distribution to staff at all levels to increase workplace safety awareness and practices.

Personal Protective Equipment: Eye & Face Protection thumb

Personal Protective Equipment: Eye & Face Protection

Download

Personal Protective Equipment: General PPE thumb

Personal Protective Equipment: General PPE

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Personal Protective Equipment: Hearing Protection thumb

Personal Protective Equipment: Hearing Protection

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Learn more about workplace tornado safety, forklift operators' safety, machine and mobile equipment safety, vehicle fleet control, welding protection, managing obstructions in the workplace, and exposure to hexavalent chromium.

Safety Thoughts

Safety thoughts are short documents meant for distribution to staff at all levels to increase workplace safety awareness and practices.

Forklift Safety – Drivers & Pedestrians thumb

Forklift Safety – Drivers & Pedestrians

Download

Hexavalent Chromium in Metal Working Operations thumb

Hexavalent Chromium in Metal Working Operations

Download

Lockout/Tagout — Basic Rules for Locks thumb

Lockout/Tagout — Basic Rules for Locks

Download

Machine Safe Guarding – Think Before You Operate thumb

Machine Safe Guarding – Think Before You Operate

Download

Mobile Equipment – No Room for Error thumb

Mobile Equipment – No Room for Error

Download

Severe Weather Response thumb

Severe Weather Response

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Welding and Cutting Best Practices thumb

Welding and Cutting Best Practices

Download

Housekeeping – Big Benefits for Small Cost thumb

Housekeeping – Big Benefits for Small Cost

Download

Obstructions – Keep a Clear Path to Safety thumb

Obstructions – Keep a Clear Path to Safety

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Show More  

Safety Bulletins

Safety bulletins are industry technical documents meant for educating management, legal, and safety staff.

Winterizing Buildings – Avoid Freezing and Collapses
Housekeeping – Low Cost…High Benefit
Hexavalent Chromium in Metal Working
Metal Working Machine Safeguarding Concepts
Mobile Equipment – No Room for Error
General Safety Rules for Welding and Cutting
Practical Steps for a Vehicle Fleet Safety Program
 
 

Additional Safety Topics

  • Driving Safety
  • Farm Safety
  • Home Safety
 

Incident Reports

Forms for reporting workplace injury incidents for both employees and supervisors.

Employee Incident Report
Supervisor Incident Report
Supervisor Investigation Report Guide
 

Insurance Coverages

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  • Businessowners
  • Choice Auto Repair Service (CARS)
  • Commercial Package Policy
  • Employment Practices Liability Insurance
  • Innkeepers
  • Selected Contractors
  • Selected Metalist
  • FirstCall Work Injury Hotline
  • Umbrella Policies
 
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404 E. Woodlawn Ave.
Hastings, MI 49058

 

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