2023 End of Year

Can you believe it? It’s almost the end of the year.  

This is an important time to make sure all your drug testing documents are in order, that employee lists are correct with TSS, that all your test copies have results attached to them and that they are in a secure file. Remember, all drug testing documentation should be kept for a minimum of 2 years, but 5 is best. 

If you are done for the year/season and need to have all employees terminated and your company inactivated, please email or call us to let us know as soon as possible. We cannot assume that you are done. And if you are not removed from the consortium, your people will be picked for randoms and not be available. Then we must choose alternates, which makes it difficult for the entire consortium. 

The Cost of Workplace Fatigue

With the change from Daylight Savings Time, grayer skies, colder weather, fewer hours of sunlight, as well as the start of cold and flu season, there are many reasons workers may be fatigued in the late fall and winter. In addition, the stress of the holidays and busier work schedules as the end of the year approaches can wear employees out this time of year more than usual.

Why does this matter to the employer?

According to a report from the National Safety Council, nearly four out of 10 employees in the U.S. suffer from sleep loss. When workers are fatigued, they are at higher risk of injury. About 13 percent of workplace injuries are directly attributable to fatigue.

Fatigue costs American businesses about $136 billion in health-related productivity. And, NSC estimates that an employer “with 1,000 employees can expect to experience more than $1 million lost each year to fatigue: $272,000 due to absenteeism and $776,000 due to presenteeism. An additional $536,000 in healthcare costs could be avoided with optimization of sleep health.”

Employers can be Proactive

One of the most important factors in a good night’s sleep is routine.

10 Common Sense Ladder Safety Tips

Ready to put up your holiday décor? Pulling out that ladder might be risky business! 

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), more than half a million people are treated for ladder-related injuries every year in the United States and about 300 people die from these injuries. The estimated annual cost of ladder injuries is $24 billion, including work loss, medical, legal, liability, and pain and suffering expenses.

Ladder accidents, however, can be prevented when portable ladders are used appropriately, and users follow common safety recommendations.

Keep your family members safe while using a ladder by following these simple rules:

1. Make sure the conditions you are working in are appropriate for ladder use. Do not climb ladders in high winds or storms.

WHAT NOT TO DO!

A real example shared with TSS!

Distracted Driving Dangers

As we approach the winter season and the increasing likelihood of inclement weather, it’s worth reminding ourselves about the dangers of distracted driving.

You would assume that if you and those around you follow the rules of the road, you should be able to get to your destination safely. But that’s only if you’re paying attention.

Drivers are faced with countless distractions on the roads and in their vehicles. Unfortunately, too many of us give into temptation, making distracted driving one of the leading causes of road accidents and deaths.

We all know that texting and driving is dangerous. But hands-free devices and built-in vehicle infotainment centers aren’t exactly safe either because they can take your attention the same way your cell phone does. In fact, many common habits can be just as distracting as your phone, from eating or interacting with a passenger to staring too long at something on the side of the road.

If something requires your eyes, your hands or your attention, it’s a distraction.

Winter Pedestrian Safety

Pedestrians are considered the most vulnerable people on the roadway because of just how easily they can get hurt or overlooked by drivers, especially at this time of year. Dark mornings and early evenings are upon us and since the sun rises later and sets earlier pedestrians are more likely to be out and about during low-visibility hours. With a lot more people walking around in the dark, it’s not surprising that motor vehicle accidents involving pedestrians tend to increase in the late fall.

Consider that many seasonal activities including football and the holiday rush cause people to be distracted and may involve alcohol consumption, and you have a recipe for increased risk.

Pedestrian fatalities throughout the year, have been consistently on the rise for more than a decade, according to National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) data. According to the Governors Highway Safety Association, which tracks pedestrian deaths in the U.S., more than 7,500 pedestrians were killed by drivers last year — the highest number since 1981.

Coaching Corner: What Makes You Happy?

By Renee Schofield, NO SPEED LIMIT

As a certified health and wellness coach, I am always gathering resources to help people live their best life.



Just how happy are you willing to be? Most of us don’t think about that question much and seriously consider our answer, even less. 

While we might plan our actions, set some goals, and take steps in the happiness direction, we rarely think about what level of happiness we desire. Or what does that even look like? Perhaps it starts with mindfulness. Being deliberate in daily thinking around happiness, gratitude, and well-being will take us on a journey toward creating a higher level of happiness. Just saying I want to be happy won’t get us there. We must think about what “happy” is. For my dog, Hali, happy is a great milk bone and a comfy bed to lay in. She seems happy when I return home from work each day. Or, at least my human brain thinks those are her “happy”.