Labor Dept. Pushes Employers to Follow Federal Safety Guidelines During Holiday Season

Recent death of a worker hanging holiday lights in Ohio is tragic reminder to ‘stay safe’

The U.S. Dept. of Labor is pushing employers to emphasize worker safety during the holiday season. — On Nov. 7, a 25-year-old worker in Akron, Ohio, suffered severe electrical shock injuries while hanging holiday lights on a backyard tree. The worker used a fiberglass extension pole that made contact with a high-voltage power line. He later died from the injuries.
— Image courtesy of the Deseret News/RC

To make sure the holiday season is truly joyful, The U.S. Department of Labor sent out a news release on Thursday urging employers and workers not to overlook workplace safety and health in an effort to make sure the holiday season is truly joyful.

In the Nov. 30 release, the Labor Dept. offered a sad reminder of how an on-the-job tragedy can leave families, friends and co-workers grief-stricken, citing an incident in Akron, Ohio, where a 25-year-old worker hanging holiday lights died after the fiberglass extension pole he used made contact with a high-voltage power line.

The department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration offers resources to help keep workers safe year-round as they carry out an array of holiday-related jobs, from working with lighted decorations to serving customers in packed retail stores, making rush deliveries and packing orders in warehouses.

“The holiday season is a time for celebration and reflection for many, but they are also occasions when employees face safety hazards found atop ladders or roofs putting decorations in place, in busy warehouses and retail stores meeting heightened customer demands, and working outdoors as winter approaches,” explained OSHA Regional Administrator Bill Donovan in Chicago.

“To make the holidays happy for all, employers must stress workplace safety and health and train employees to prevent serious and fatal injuries,” Donovan added.

To assist employers and workers, OSHA offers a timely video, “9 Tips to Protect Workers During the Holidays,” and other information focused on keeping workers safe during the holiday season in retail, warehousing, delivery and other seasonal jobs, including special restrictions for young workers.

OSHA’s stop falls website offers safety information and video presentations in English and Spanish to teach workers about fall hazards and proper safety procedures.

For more information, visit dol.gov.