Welding is a routine job on many worksites. However, this common task has hazards that can result in serious injury and property damage. Welding operators, as well as bystanders, can be directly affected by these hazards. Fires on industrial sites are caused by a variety of activities including welding or...
A “near miss” or accident without injury is easy to shrug off and forget. But there is a danger in brushing off accidents that don’t hurt, harm, or damage. When a “near miss” happens, it should immediately send up a red warning flag that something was wrong, unplanned, unexpected, and...
Noise is unwanted sound that can affect job performance, safety, and your health. Psychological effects of noise include annoyance and disruption of concentration. Physical effects include loss of hearing, pain, nausea, and interference with communications when the exposure is severe. Here’s How to Protect Your Hearing: Reduce the noise reaching...
According to OSHA regulations, no one at a workplace is supposed to use a fire extinguisher unless they have been trained to do so. Though this may seem awfully restrictive, there are several good reasons for this rule. If an untrained person tries to extinguish a blaze, some serious mistakes...
Pallets are used at many job sites and companies each and every day. From shipping product out the door to moving items internally, pallets are part of our daily life. Pallets are a fundamental part of warehouse and industrial life. They’re immensely helpful in allowing workers to move loads around...
Static electricity can become a huge threat in the workplace, especially when working on or around fueling operations. If there is a discharge of static electricity while fuel is being dispensed, there is a possibility of an explosion or fire erupting. In simple terms, static electricity is an imbalance of...
One of the most significant health hazards in the welding process is the generation of fumes and gases. Do you weld on galvanized metals? Zinc is the coating used on galvanized metals and when you heat the metal, it produces vaporized metal droplets, which are called “fumes.” This is the...
Unplanned release of a chemical can have devastating effects. Skin and eye burns, damage to the lungs, fire and explosion, corrosive damage to materials, pollution of air, soil, and water, and danger to the public are just some of the possible consequences of a chemical spill. The time to deal...
Driving conditions in the winter months can be full of treacherous hazards including winter ice, poor visibility, strong winds, snow, rain, and more. We all know that driving in snow and on ice covered roads can be perilous. Regardless of your driving skill or vehicle preparation, there are some winter...
Low temperatures, humidity, and wind velocity are all contributing factors to overexposure from the cold. Usually the victim is unaware of frostbite until someone else observes the pale, glossy skin. Frostbite results when crystals form, either superficially or deeply in the fluids and soft tissues of the skin. Frostbite is...