March 29, 2023

Motor vehicle accidents with passengers and chemical burn injuries

As a service to our policyholders, Texas Mutual shares serious workplace injury trends based on catastrophic injuries and fatalities reported to our claims department. Not all of these reported injuries are covered by workers’ compensation, but our goal is to help you ensure these types of incidents do not happen in your workplace. Find safety tips below to help keep your employees safe on the job.

If you have questions, we encourage you to contact our safety services support center at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723) or safety@texasmutual.com.

In this alert:

• MVAs with passengers
• Chemical reactions

Motor vehicle accidents (MVAs) with passengers

Over the past three months, at least eight employees have been seriously or fatally injured after being involved in a motor vehicle crash as a passenger. In one incident, another driver veered into the employees’ lane and caused a head-on collision. The driver and both passengers were injured. In another incident, multiple employees were involved in a single vehicle accident when the driver hit a barrier while merging.

As a motor vehicle passenger, you should assist the driver in making safe decisions. Don’t be afraid to speak up about unsafe actions or conditions, which could threaten your health and safety.

• Never get in a vehicle with someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol or is otherwise impaired.
• Avoid distracting the driver with anything that could take their focus off the road, including a phone, horseplay or heated conversation.
• Ask the driver to pull over if you see any signs of fatigue such as excessive yawning or blinking.
• If you notice the driver becoming distracted or behaving in an unsafe manner, ask them to refocus or pull over.

Burns caused by chemical reactions

In one incident, an employee poured a chemical powder down a drain to unclog it. The powder caused a chemical reaction and exploded in the employee’s face, resulting in burns. In another incident, two employees attempted to light a small fire using wood soaked with paint thinner. The resulting explosion caused burns to both employees.

Chemical safety must always be taken seriously. Before handling chemicals, employees should understand the appropriate controls and only use chemicals for their intended purpose.

• If you’ll be working with chemicals, make sure you understand the company’s hazard communication program, including where to locate safety data sheets (SDSs) and how to read them.
• Never use unlabeled chemicals.
• Review the SDS and implement any necessary controls, such as personal protective equipment (PPE) before working with a chemical.
• When you’re finished using a chemical, make sure to close the container and place it back in its proper storage location.
• Clean your PPE and store it properly after each use.

Get free safety resources

Texas Mutual policyholders have access to thousands of free training materials in our multimedia safety resource center, including our safety catalog with up-to-date resources.

To access the free materials, log in to your texasmutual.com account and select Safety. If you need help accessing the safety resource center or you have a workplace safety question, call us toll-free at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723).

Download a PDF (1.1MB) version of the March Safety Alert.