Fourth Annual PTSD Awareness Day Provides Education About Disorder

Today, June 27, 2014, marks the fourth annual Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, PTSD is a disorder that results from exposure to a traumatic event and includes symptoms from each of the four clusters: intrusion, avoidance, negative alterations in cognition and mood, and alterations in arousal and reactivity.

The National Center for PTSD estimates that 7-8 percent of the population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. Join The National Center for PTSD in raising awareness for the disorder and effective treatment methods. There are numerous educational materials available on its website.

Social Security disability is available to those with PTSD that qualify. Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano believes that you should receive the benefits you deserve. Let us help you collect your Social Security disability by calling us today at 800-568-7500.

OSHA Releases Game-Like Safety Training for Business Owners

Safety isn’t taken lightly by business owners, but now it’s a game. With the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) new interactive training game, business owners can explore common safety hazards in manufacturing and construction industries, and learn about ways to reduce them.

The training tool lets users play as the business owner or the employee as they explore three different scenarios: “OSHA Visual Inspection Training,” “Manufacturing Facility,” and “Construction.” The game leads players through the important steps in the hazard identification process including: information collection, observing the workplace, investigating incidents, employee participation and making hazards identification a priority.

Pond Lehocky Stern Giordano applauds OSHA for developing such an informational tool and urges business owners to play and learn. The game can be found here. OSHA also provides a game trailer to preview the tool, which can be found here.  Any means to prevent and educate employers and employees about workplace accidents is crucial to ensuring workplace safety. 

National Fall Prevention Stand-Down Aims to Lessen Work Injuries

Tomorrow is the last day to join in a National Fall Prevention Stand-Down from June 2 -6 to help prevent falls in construction. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), in 2012 about 35 percent of fatalities were caused by falls from elevation. All of which were preventable by ensuring safety standards.

A stand-down is an event where employers discuss methods of preventing accidents and reducing hazards. OSHA, along with its partners, urges employers’ trade associations, federal, state and local governmental agencies, professional societies, institutes, and consumer/labor-management interest organizations, sub-and independent contractors to participate in stand-downs to prevent potential injury or death. Certificates of participation are available here upon completion of the stand-down.

OSHA also offers numerous fall prevention resources here that can be used to educate participants during the stand-down.

While injuries can be prevented, they still occur. Pond Lehocky believes that workers should be well-informed about ways to prevent falls and that this knowledge should be provided by the employer. If you are injured on the job because of a fall, Pond Lehocky is to help.  Call us today at 800-568-7500.