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Untrained personnel are much more likely to be involved in incidents on the jobsite. An employee should know their job and what factors can affect their performance. An employee that isn't qualified to use the necessary tools and equipment or doesn't know how to do a task, shouldn't continue without addressing the issues with management.

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What percentage of a company's budget should be set aside for the use of training employees throughout the year and ensuring workplace safety?

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Majority of workplace accidents are caused by slips, trips, and falls and unfortunately these are also the reason for 15% of all accidental deaths. OSHA has worked to create regulations for walking/working surfaces that include keeping the workspace free of protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards.

References
Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2016). Chapter 13: Safety and Health at Work. In Human Resource Management. University of Minnesota

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Do companies have funds set aside for OSHA violations? Or do they just overall have something they budget when doing risk assessment for possible future fines for any reason?

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Some people may overexert themselfs beyond their limits to be able to handle their workload. This can cause mental and physical exhaustion. The results would be lack of focus, impaired judgement, slow reflexes when working with equipment and unable to react fast when dealing with emergencies.

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Stress can come from many factors such as health issues, finances, job security, personal relationships. When an employees mind become preoccupied with these factors their minds can be too distracted causing them to be prone to make mistakes and cause injury to themselves and others in the workplace.

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Employees that have work activities that involve the same repetitive motion often suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). CTS can affect a broad range of workers from construction to office staff. CTS causes pain and numbness to hands, wrists and fingers.

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Methods that may help improve carpal tunnel syndrome?

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Depending on the company size and type of industry safety training budgets vary. Companies when considering their budgets look at costs and return on investment. It is suggested that for a safety budget there is a clear return on investment. "Independent studies have consistently shown that every dollar invested in safety programs provides a payback of $4 to $6 in reduced costs" (SMG, 2012). This means that if a company invest $5,000 in a safety program it could return $20,000-$30,000 in costs savings. There are direct and indirect costs when an incident occurs. It is important to consider that the cost of a safety program will probably less than the cost of one avoidable accident.

Reference
Safety Management Group (2012) Budgeting for Safety Shouldn’t be an Afterthought. safetymanagementgroup.com  Retrieved from https://safetymanagementgroup.com/budgeting-for-safety-shouldnt-be-an-afterthought/

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Working outside is challenging, especially during hot summer months when dealing with deadlines and fast paced environments. Dehydration and heat exhaustion can occur from heat stress. "Heat-related illness is a group of disorders caused by environmental exposure to heat" (El-Shafei et al., 2018). Employees who work outside or in hot environments should maintain proper hydration throughout their shifts, to avoid accidents or long term illnesses.

Reference
El-Shafei, D., Bolbol, S. A., Awad Allah, M.,B., & Abdelsalam, A. E. (2018). Exertional heat illness: Knowledge and behavior among construction workers. Environmental Science and
Pollution Research International, 25(32), 32269-32276. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s11356-018-3211-8

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What can organizations do to help their employees become more aware of their hydration levels? What are methods to help increase hydration and decrease heat stress?

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Everyone has a life outside the workplace and sometimes this can have a negative impact on our emotions and mood. In many cases mental distractions lead to inattention. Whether you're worried, daydreaming or chatting, mental distractions can delay and impede the ability to secure situations like hazards or machine defects.

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What can the organization do to help employee stay focus on their job. What can the organization do to support employees mental health?

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Financial Insecurities Can Create Slack in Safety Programs

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Financial Insecurities Can Create Slack in Safety Programs

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Periods of time such as recessions can really hurt a company's safety program. Workers are viewed as more expendable and accidents are less likely to be reported for fear of losing their jobs.

Reference: Boone, J., van Ours, J. C., Wuellrich, J., & Zweimüller, J. (2011). Recessions are bad for workplace safety. Journal of Health Economics, 30(4), 764-773. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2011.05.013

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Handling of hazardous materials without using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is a common reason for accidents and even death in the work environment. It is critical to maintain current material safety data sheets (MSDS), use proper handling instruction, approved storage area, and transportation with special marking for hazardous material should only be conducted by trained and certified personal. To safe-guard your employees, keep them educated on current guidelines and regulation, and make sure that all employees take safety precaution when handling material. This include periodic safety checks of equipment and facility by approved personal. Create and implement a written hazard communication program and educate workers on the hazards to which they are exposed (Reese, 2020).

Reference

Reese, W. (June 4, 2020). Common Causes of Workplace Accidents. Wagner Reese. Retrieved from https://www.wagnerreese.com/blog/2020/june/common-causes-of-workplace-accidents/

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If there has been a release of chemicals or exposure to potentially hazardous materials what information should I be prepared to provide to First Responders?

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Is exercise and flexibility training a legitimate way to avoid receiving a back injury caused by lifting objects  at work?

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According to an article in the American Association of Occupational Health Nurses Journal, there are four types of back injury prevention intervention programs that were found to have positive results. The four types were,  back schools, exercise/flexibility training, educational training, and the use of back belts. While all programs recorded positive results, the use of exercise/flexibility training had a higher proportion of positive results.
References:
Karas, B. E., & Conrad, K. M. (1996). Back Injury Prevention Interventions in the Workplace. AAOHN Journal, 44(4), 189-196. doi:10.1177/216507999604400406

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The National Safety Center attributes overexertion as the number one cause of workplace injury. 33.5% of all workplace injuries can be attributed to overexertion. The most common ways to overexert yourself are improper lifting/lowering and repetitive motions. The National Safety Center recommends the avoidance of overreaching, bending and twisting when lifting an object.
References:
At Work. (n.d.). Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/tools-resources/infographics/workplace-injuries

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These injuries account for 26% of workplace injury events, resulting in lost work days. This can happen by being struck, caught, or crushed by an object. Be sure to store heavy objects close to the floor and be on the lookout for moving equipment in your area.
At Work. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/tools-resources/infographics/workplace-injuries

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What i want to know is; are companies just doing the minimum required by OSHA standards, or are they going above and beyond to prevent these types of injuries?

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Some things that may help mitigate Carpal Tunnel symptoms are to take frequent breaks for your hands, avoid activities that make symptoms worse, and apply cold packs to reduce swelling. Eventually, surgery may be required. There are also some non-surgical relief therapies like wrist splinting to hold your wrists still while you sleep at night, using an anti-inflammatory drug to reduce inflammation, and corticosteroid injections to relieve pain.

References
Carpal tunnel syndrome. (2020, February 01). Retrieved September 10, 2020, from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/carpal-tunnel-syndrome/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20355608

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According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), if experiencing an emergency, related to a release of chemical substances it is important to provide critical information to first responders and recovery workers (NIOSH, 2018). This data will then provide them with the necessary guidance on how to handle the spill or leak of chemicals, the recovery method of exposed personal, and how to protect them from self-expose. Additional information can be found in the NIOSH Chemical carcinogen policy on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) web site. Keeping personal protected and trained to be aware of hazards is the best method of keeping the work area safe.

Be prepared to provide this information to first responders and recovery workers:

Name and quantity of the hazard material

Location of the contamination

Numbers of injured and exposed personal

If a fire or explosion has been detected

Reference

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. (November 27, 2018). Emergency Response Resources. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/emres/chemagent.html

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Ways Managers can support employees' mental health

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Ways Managers can support employees' mental health

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Here are some ways Managers can help support employee's mental Health

1. Be Vulnerable. As a Manager, being honest about your mental health issues opens the door for workers to feel comfortable talking to you about their own mental health problems.

2. Build a culture of checking on one another.

3. Invest in training. Prioritize mental health preparation in a constructive and supportive environment.

4. Adjust procedures and activities. Be as accommodating and versatile as possible in updating policies and procedures to alleviate burden on everyone. You may need to take a closer look, for example, at your rules and norms regarding flexible hours, paid time off, email and other correspondence, and paid and unpaid leave.

References
Krol, K. (2020, August 18). 8 Ways Managers Can Support Employees' Mental Health. Retrieved September 11, 2020, from https://hbr.org/2020/08/8-ways-managers-can-support-employees-mental-health

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Record keeping for employees is just as important as following the OSHA laws, although companies with less than 10 employees in some industries may be exempt. OSHA as a whole, is responsible for more than 70 million worksites across the country and has to prioritize visits, starting with those that have imminent danger situations. OSHA visits are often unannounced and violations can range from $7,000 to $70,000.

References:
Mathis, R. L., & Jackson, J. H. (2016). Chapter 1: The Role of Human Resources. In Human Resource Management. University of Minnesota

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Keeping track of an individuals hydration levels is a challenge, but not impossible. In order to maintain proper hydration, work areas should have water fountain stations, vending machines, or packs of water in a cooler for the health of employees. "...encouraging fluid intake, construction workers were able to work in extreme temperatures, often in excess of 45 °C, with no evidence of heat strain." (El-Shafei et al. 2018). Water is the healthiest method of fluid intake to reach proper levels of hydration, even during hot and humid days.

El-Shafei, D., Bolbol, S. A., Awad Allah, M.,B., & Abdelsalam, A. E. (2018). Exertional heat illness: Knowledge and behavior among construction workers. Environmental Science and Pollution Research International, 25(32), 32269-32276. doi:http://dx.doi.org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/10.1007/s11356-018-3211-8