Academically, ergonomics is the study of work and how it interacts with the human body. As an applied science, ergonomics involves matching the work to the worker. The goal is to eliminate discomfort and injury on the job. Ergonomics plays an especially important role in the telecom industry, where utility workers face particular risks: working at height, handling heavy and… Continue Reading

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires most employers to record workplace injuries and illnesses. (Some relatively safe industries, and small businesses with fewer than 11 employees, are exempt from OSHA record-keeping rules.) But OSHA has different requirements for different types of injuries. Some are considered OSHA recordable events, meaning they must be documented according to OSHA’s guidelines. Others… Continue Reading

If you rent forklift batteries, you probably prefer to handle maintenance yourself. Reliable forklift batteries keep customers coming back — and regular service is essential for battery health. Besides, those batteries aren’t just sources of motive power. They’re also core business assets. Protecting them is also protecting your bottom line. But for many forklift battery dealers, service can be tricky…. Continue Reading

When Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspectors investigate a workplace injury, they ask a lot of questions. One of the first is always, “Was the employee properly trained?” Employers who can’t say “yes” are much more likely to face fines and corrective actions. That’s because more than 100 OSHA standards — the regulations the Administration is tasked with enforcing… Continue Reading

After a rough couple of pandemic years, electrical wholesalers came out swinging in 2022. But the new environment is not without its own challenges: ongoing supply chain disruptions make it hard to keep shelves stocked; the “Great Resignation” has left its mark on the labor supply; and runaway inflation is making it more expensive to run a growing electrical distribution… Continue Reading

Ergonomics is the science of matching the work to the worker. That involves adjusting workplace tasks, equipment, and facilities to keep employees safe and comfortable. We’ve covered the topic extensively in this blog, and while we often point out the safety benefits — appropriate ergonomics reduces the risk of common workplace injuries — there’s another reason smart business owners invest… Continue Reading

Every year between 2015 and 2018, well over 60 percent of warehouse and distribution center operators invested significantly in material handling equipment. That’s not a surprise; handling materials is the core function of these facilities, and unassisted manual material handling can be inefficient, costly, and downright dangerous. While forklifts and automated guided vehicles may be ideal for moving goods throughout… Continue Reading

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) seeks to improve tracking of on-the-job injuries and illnesses. On March 30, 2022, the Administration published a proposed rule that would add new requirements for establishments with 100 or more employees in the highest-hazard industries. “OSHA believes that it is vital for the public to have access to illness and injury information that… Continue Reading

The electrical wholesaling business is changing, with e-commerce giants encroaching on territory traditionally held by local operations. In a 2018 survey, a full third of the electrical wholesalers said Amazon Business was the biggest threat to their business. That’s more than twice the respondents who said “economic instability” or “inability to attract top talent” were their greatest concerns. In the… Continue Reading

In 1996, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) launched a strategy to improve workplace ergonomics — the practice of matching work to workers. The program’s goal was to reduce cases of work-related musculoskeletal disorders, injuries to the muscles and related tissues typically caused by repetitive, forceful, and awkward movements often associated with workplace tasks like material handling. Part of… Continue Reading