Lisa Pratt recently celebrated her retirement after 30 years of faithful service to the State. Lisa served the past several years as the State’s Risk Management Director, where she oversaw an annual budget of $160 million, insuring State property valued at more than $29 billion, 12,000 State vehicles, and 120,000 State employees. Lisa will be missed by all of DOAS – and by everyone else who has had the pleasure of working with her. Congratulations Lisa!

After long careers of faithful service to the State of Georgia, please join us in extending congratulations and farewell to Lisa and all of Team Georgia’s October and November 2014 retirees!

Are you, or is someone you know, retiring soon? Send us a horizontal photo to feature here on this website!

Back injuries account for one of every five injuries or illnesses in the workplace.  Around 80% of these injuries occur to the lower back and are associated with manual material handling tasks. Oftentimes we get drawn into the “let’s get ’er done” attitude with many material handling tasks. The work does need to be completed, but taking a couple of seconds to determine the best way to do the job may prevent weeks of back pain.

When you lift…

– DO –
Plant your feet firmly – get a stable base
Keep the load close to your body
Bend at your knees – not your waist
Tighten your abdominal muscles to support your back
Keep your back upright – keep it in its natural posture
Use your leg muscles as you lift
Get a good grip – use both hands
Lift steadily and smoothly without jerking
Breathe. If you must hold your breath to lift it, then it is too heavy

– DO NOT –
Lift from the floor
Lift loads across obstacles
Twist and lift
Lift from an uncomfortable posture
Fight to recover a dropped object
Lift with one hand (unbalanced)
Lift while reaching or stretching
Hold your breath while lifting – Get Help

Begin each material handling task with the end in mind:  Where are you going to move it? Do you have a good grip? Is there a clear path?

Let’s work together to make Georgia a safer place to work!

Workplace Safety Tips From DOAS Risk Management Services

Is your emergency plan for your home and your work prepared, and is it up to date?  Do you know what to do in case of an emergency at work?  Is your home one of the 50+% in the U.S.A. that has no emergency plan?  Do you know what steps to take to start an emergency plan? Here are just a few guidelines to help you prepare your home or office in case of an emergency.

For additional tips and ideas, check out Ready Georgia.

Supply Checklist for Severe Weather emergencies: 

• Do you have a stored water supply of at least 3 gallons per day per person?
• Do you have a 3 day non-perishable food supply for your family?
• Do you have a manual can opener, batteries, flashlights and a NOAA alert radio?
• Do you have a fully stocked First Aid kit?
• Are you prepared for a cold weather emergency if the power goes out?
• Are you familiar with your local community’s or agency’s emergency plans, warning signals, evacuation routes and locations of emergency shelters.

Fire & Medical emergency preparation for your location or home:

• Are there two ways out of your home or office?
• Have you established a meeting point once you have evacuated?
• Do you have a First Aid kit?
• Are emergency phone numbers posted at every phone?
• Do you know who has First Aid training at your location?
• Do you have a fire extinguisher? If so, does your family know where it is and how to use it?

Flooding preparation:

• Is your home located in a flash-flood-prone area? To find out, contact your county planning department.
• Have you planned or practiced a flood evacuation route with your family?
• Do you know what items you want to take with you during an evacuation?
• Do you have emergency contact numbers in case roads are flooded in your area or at your location? Have you identified that out-of-town family member or friend who will serve as the family contact in case your family is separated during a flood?
• Have you identified potential home hazards and know how to secure or protect them before the flood strikes?
• Have you identified that out-of-town family member or friend who will serve as the family contact in case your family is separated during a flood?

This is just a short list of items to consider as you begin to develop your emergency preparation plan. A few minutes of preparation can save a life or make you far more comfortable in case of an emergency situation.