The Press-Dispatch

Railway work causes minor traffic delay On Tuesday, July 6, traffic on Seventh Street, the detour for Hwy. 61, was slowed down due to railway work. One of the rails to the track that crosses Sev- enth Street was broken, and needed repair and new asphalt. During the repair, the only way into Peters- burg from Hwy. 61 was taken down to a one-lane road with a flagger. Puzzled about what to read? ..and you will have your solution. subscribe to 812-354-8500 Bear crossing! A bear crossing sign emerged to re- place a deer crossing sign last week near Alford on Highway 356. The sign appeared shortly after a bear sighting near Elberfeld was reported by the In- diana Department of Natural Resourc- es. They said the Elberfeld sighting was one of four confirmed sightings in Indi- ana. Two were in southern Indiana and two in northern Indiana. Jon Craig said he put the sign up mostly as a joke. "I have not person- ally seen a bear," said Craig. However, he said three different people in the ar- ea have told him they have seen a bear. The bear crossing sign replaced a deer crossing warning sign that kept a run- ning total of deer hit by cars in the area between CR 300 E. and CR 375 E. Craig said that sign was put up after his father had requested a deer crossing sign and the Indiana Department of Transporta- tion told him they didn't have any data on vehicle-deer accidents in the area. Keeping employees safe in the workplace The COVID-19 pandem- ic has taught the world many things, including the need to prioritize public health. Pro- tecting those you rely on en- sures they'll be there when you need assistance. Business owners must pri- oritize the health and safety of their employees. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Sta- tistics indicates that 5,333 fa- tal work injuries occurred in 2019, which marked a 2 per- cent increase over 2018. The most common causes of work- place injuries include overex- ertion and bodily reaction, falls, slips, and trips. When implementing safety precau- tions comes with a high price tag or is met with resistance by workers, it is up to busi- ness owners to dig deep and put protection over profit. Var- ious strategies can help busi- ness owners as they navigate a post-pandemic landscape that may require a new approach to employee safety. • Recognize the threat of potential safety issues. Acci- dents will happen regardless of how much business own- ers try to prevent them. But prevention efforts still great- ly reduce the risk of accident and injury. Make a list of more common dangers (falls or in- juries from equipment) and less common ones (fires or criminal perpetrators). Once the list is compiled, develop a plan to reduce the risk of ac- cidents on both lists. • Perform risk assess- ments. Conduct a risk assess- ment on your own or hire a third party to review the busi- ness and make recommenda- tions. Note potential hazards and what must be done to rem- edy them promptly. • Create a custom health and safety policy. Make a safe- ty plan a key part of the em- ployee handbook. Employees should be well versed in exist- ing and newly adopted safety protocols and what's expected of them in case of emergency. • Be mindful of require- ments. The Occupational Safety and Health Administra- tion's OSH Act includes stat- utory requirements. Some of these include providing OS - HA training, keeping records of work-related illnesses and accidents and providing per- sonal protective equipment. Properly maintaining tools and equipment is another re- quirement. • Utilize safety equip- ment and label hazards. An- ti-slip mats on floors, prop- erly locked cabinets for com- bustibles and other chemicals, warning signs and labeling in hazardous zones, and guards or kill switches on heavy ma- chinery can greatly reduce the risk of employee injury. • Provide safety training. Employees won't know how to do their jobs safely without training. Routinely assess em- ployees to ensure compliance and install a reward system to commend those who make safety a priority. • Perform safety drills. En- sure employees know how to react quickly in emergen- cy situations by routinely go- ing over protocols, including emergency evacuation drills. Consult with law enforcement professionals if guidance is needed. Safety should be a goal for any business owner. Provid- ing resources, maintaining equipment, conducting safe- ty assessments, and educat- ing employees can make a re- al difference in reducing inju- ries. CB217076 SOCIAL MEDIA TEXT: Various strategies can help business owners as they nav- igate a post-pandemic land- scape that may require a new approach to employee safety. The Press-Dispatch Wednesday, July 7, 2021 A-3 LOCAL Call: 812-354-8500 Email: news@pressdispatch.net or bring in a hard copy: 820 E. Poplar Street, Petersburg NEWS BRIEFS Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church to host blood drive July 9 The American Red Cross is experiencing a severe blood shortage as the number of trauma cases, organ transplants and elective surgeries rise – and deplete the nation's blood inventory. The Red Cross is working around the clock to meet the extraordinary blood needs of hospitals and pa- tients, but can't do it alone. They need your help. Sign up at redcrossblood.org for the blood drive at Sts. Pe- ter and Paul Catholic Church, 711 Walnut Street, Peters- burg, on July 9 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free back-to-school haircuts and school supplies July 25 Students from The Salon Professional Academy will be providing free haircuts from 2 to 5 p.m. on Sunday, July 25 at the Steve Frederick Memorial Building located at 402 E. Illinois Street in Petersburg. All work performed will be supervised by professors. Backpacks with school supplies will also be available in limited quantities. Time to register for Birthday Club If you haven't submitted your birthday within the last 6 months, please register again at www.pressdispatch. net/birthday. Entrants have a chance to win monthly priz- es from local businesses and a three-month subscription to paper. Upcoming event? We want to know! Do you have an upcoming event? Send it to news@press- dispatch.net. READER GUIDE Subscriptions: Change of address: subscribers changing addresses will please give old address as well as new one along with phone number. We cannot guarantee prompt change unless this is done. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to The Press-Dispatch., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 or e-mail to subscribe@press- dispatch.net. Subscription rates: One year: $35 for Pike County and all 475/476 zip codes; $38 in the state of Indiana; $55 elsewhere in the USA. Paid in advance. Subscriptions taken after noon on Friday will not receive a paper until the second edition after their subscription date. About us: Andy Heuring and John B. Heur- ing, Publishers Andy Heuring, Editor John B. Heuring, Adv. Mgr. Eric Gogel, Production Mgr. Monica Sinclair, Office Mgr. Cindy Petty, Adv. Sales Pam Lemond, Adv. Sales Brakston Farrar, Adv. Designer Matthew Haycraft, Sports • Published every Wednesday by the Pike County Publishing Co. Phone: 812-354-8500 820 E. Poplar St., P.O. Box 68, Petersburg, IN 47567-0068 • Entered in the Post Office in Petersburg, Indiana for transmission through the mails as Periodical Mail, postage paid at Petersburg, Indi- ana – published weekly. (USPS 205-620) Contact us: Phone: ..........................................................................812-354-8500 Fax: .............................................................................. 812-354-2014 Andy Heuring, Editor editor@pressdispatch.net Advertising ads@pressdispatch.net General News news@pressdispatch.net Circulation subscribe@pressdispatch.net

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