According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, maintenance workers, including plumbers, experience more injuries and illnesses than nearly any other occupation. Fortunately, responsible plumbers can avoid the vast majority of these threats by adhering to plumbing safety tips and using proper protective gear. Plumbing Accidents: The type, frequency, and severity...
Workers that stumble or fall onto exposed steel bars can be pierced or impaled on them, resulting in serious internal injuries and death. Impalement protection is managed by using protective guard systems to cover the protruding ends. Steel reinforced rebar caps provide the strongest and best impalement protection for workers....
Costumes should be light-colored with reflective strips so that children are more easily seen at night. (And remember to put reflective tape on bikes, skateboards, and brooms, too!) Costumes should be short enough to avoid tripping. Remind children to keep away from open fires and candles. (Costumes can be extremely...
Hard hats are commonly used in many types of workplaces to protect employees from head trauma caused by falling objects, striking the head against an object, or electrical hazards. Hard-hats use an internal suspension structure that absorbs the shock from objects coming into contact with your head. Even in instances...
Conveyors are used to transport materials horizontally, vertically, at an angle, or around curves. Hazards depend on the type of conveyer, the material conveyed, the location of the conveyor, and how close the conveyer is to workers. Conveyors eliminate or reduce manual material handling tasks, but they introduce amputation hazards...
Prolonged exposure to cold and/or freezing temperatures while on the job may cause serious health problems such as trench foot, frostbite and hypothermia. In extreme cases, exposure to cold temperatures can lead to death. Cold-stress Controls: Employees must recognize the early stages of cold stress in themselves and others. The...
A burn can be painful or painless, according to the degree. The degree of a burn is determined by its location on the body and the number of skin layers affected. A burn can be caused by heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation. The first response in a burn situation is...
Combustible dust is any “finely divided solid material that is 420 microns or smaller in diameter and presents a fire or explosions hazard when dispersed and ignited in air.” Materials such as sugar, flour, animal feed, plastics, paper, wood, rubber, furniture, textiles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, paints and resins, dyes, coal, and...
Avoid Chipper Accidents, Follow These Precautions: Suit up for the job. Anyone working near a chipper should wear eye and hearing protection, tight-fitting clothing, a hard hat or helmet, and gloves with no cuffs. Work boots with skid-resistant soles can prevent slips and falls near the feed chute. Leave the...
Overhead shop cranes move heavy items in manufacturing and production areas. Although shop cranes are useful, “overhead” can sometimes be “out of sight and out of mind” when it comes to safety. Workers need training on crane hazards and operation, and they should never forget the safety hazards moving overhead....