Effective Risk Management is a progression of actions that are taken with the purpose of minimizing losses or injuries. The State Office of Risk Management provides active leadership to enable State of Texas client agencies to protect their employees, the general public as well as the state’s physical and financial assets.
Though sometimes seemingly harmless, slips, trips, and falls are some of the most common workplace injuries. Ranging from same-level trips, due to an uneven walking surface, to a high-level fall from a ladder, slips, trips, and falls can have serious consequences. This week is a good time to review and train agency personnel on policies […]
Whether in an office setting or out in the field, hazards in the workplace exist everywhere, and are often difficult to recognize. This week, the State Office of Risk Management recommends that Texas state entities take the opportunity to educate staff on hazard recognition in the workplace, and train staff on how to identify potential […]
As the spring season approaches, this is a good opportunity to learn about and exercise good housekeeping practices. Organizing, decluttering and disinfecting a workstation lays a foundation for accident and fire prevention. A work environment that reflects ideal housekeeping best practices improves workers’ safety, health and productivity. It also reduces the cost of potential injuries […]
The Statewide Automobile Insurance Program is designed to provide automobile liability and physical damage coverage to state agencies. SORM is pleased to be working with OneBeacon as the new carrier for the Automobile Program. The benefits to working with OneBeacon include lower rates for slow moving vehicles, locked in rates for two years, and deductible […]
Cell phones, multitasking, fatigue and many other factors contribute to distracted driving. According to the National Safety Council, car crashes are the #1 cause of workplace death. This month presents a good opportunity to develop or review your Agency’s driving safety policies and procedures. SORM recommends that Texas State Agencies who utilize motor vehicles in […]
Requesting inspections, safety committees, policies and procedures and many other factors contribute to injury prevention in the workplace. SORM recommends that Texas State Agencies encourage their staff to exercise situational awareness in the workplace to avoid injuries. This is a good opportunity for agencies to develop or review policies pertaining to proper lifting, Personal Protective […]
Since 2011, the State Office of Risk Management has produced Active Shooter Emergency Preparedness videos to help advise office employees on how to address an active shooter event in the workplace. This video above includes footage from a recent active shooter drill conducted at the Office, with the assistance from the security team from the […]
As statistics show, falls from elevated surfaces are generally less frequent but, in most cases, more severe than same-level falls, such as slips and trips, in the workplace. More so, the degree of elevation varies considerably, ranging from simply uneven surfaces such as sidewalks to working on elevated platforms such as docks and ramps. Uneven […]
A large number of injuries caused by falls occur in offices. Walking becomes second nature, so people don’t pay attention when they are walking from one place to another. According to the U. S. Department of Labor, slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry mishaps. This particular category of mishaps causes 15 […]
The terms slips, trips, and falls are commonly grouped into a single expression. However, in this section we will focus on the first two terms, slips and trips, and more specifically, slips and trips on the same level. Although falls are certainly a result, this module will primarily concentrate on causes of slips and trips […]