June 26, 2024

Housekeeping and collisions with wildlife

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 insurance, 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:

• Housekeeping
• Collisions with wildlife

Housekeeping

While working on a roof, an employee slipped on a piece of roofing material, which caused them to fall over the ledge to the ground below. In another incident, an employee was working in a warehouse when they slipped over a stand and fell onto a bucket. Each of these injuries required lengthy treatment and rehabilitation.

Observing proper housekeeping practices doesn’t just keep work areas clean and tidy. It also helps to keep the workplace safe for those working in the area and anyone passing through.

• Before work begins, conduct a hazard inspection of the area, cleaning up any spills, debris or materials that could cause a slip, trip or fall.
• Make it a habit to keep tools and equipment off the floor, storing them on a counter or bench.
• Clean up debris and other materials throughout the workday instead of waiting until the end of the shift.
• Place non-slip mats in areas that have a greater potential of getting wet, and mark spills with signage or barricades until they can be cleaned up.

Collisions with wildlife

An employee was driving from a worksite early in the morning and swerved to avoid deer in the road. The employee crashed into a culvert and sustained injuries. In a separate incident, an employee driving an 18-wheeler struck a large animal in the road, which led to a fatal crash.

According to the U.S. Department of Transportation, there are more than 1 million wildlife vehicle collisions each year. However, by following safe driving practices, you can keep yourself and the wildlife safe.

• Keep your eyes on the road, avoiding distractions while driving, such as cell phones, eating or drinking.
• Use extra caution at dawn and dusk, looking for animal crossing signs and adjusting your speed accordingly.
• Brake firmly if you see an animal, but avoid swerving too sharply, as you could lose control of your vehicle.
• If you see an animal, slow down and drive with caution, as there could be more following it.
• Use high beams when it is safe to do so to improve visibility on dark roads.

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 safety resources or you have a safety question, call us toll-free at 844-WORKSAFE (967-5723).

Download a PDF (198KB) version of the June Safety Alert.