Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace hazards and help get a job done safely and properly. Poor housekeeping frequently contributes to accidents by hiding hazards that cause injuries. Effective housekeeping is an ongoing operation: it is not a hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally. Periodic “panic” cleanups are costly and ineffective in...
Your respirator may be the most important tool of your job. It protects your most precious asset, your health. Yet more often than not, respirators find their way to the bottom of tool bags where they become damaged and/or very dirty inside and out. Both of these conditions compromise the...
The OSHA First Aid standard requires trained first-aid providers at all workplaces of any size, if there is no “infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees.” If an employee is expected to render first aid as part...
When a worker is suspended in a fall harness, the body has no way of going horizontal. The blood keeps pooling and cannot flow properly. This is suspension trauma. And unless the worker is rescued promptly, venous pooling and orthostatic intolerance occurs. This may result in serious damage to the...
Use of fire extinguishers can come with many risks, so workers must be trained on how to safely use them to put out a fire. The most important thing in to do during a fire situation is to get yourself to safety and call the proper authorities to combat the...
In the workplace, bloodborne pathogens (BBP) may be transmitted when blood or other infectious body fluids come in contact with mucous membranes (your eyes, nose, mouth), non-intact skin (due to cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, paper cuts), or by handling or touching contaminated materials or surfaces. Responding to Injuries: Ensure your...
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...
Confined spaces frequently contain atmospheres that are flammable, toxic, or whose oxygen level has been depleted or enriched. Ventilation is the number one way for workers to control and disperse hazardous atmospheres in a confined space. The prime objective in ventilating a confined or enclosed space is to render it...
There are many examples of people being seriously injured or killed by machinery and electrical equipment. Often, these tragedies happen because people carelessly try to repair or maintain the equipment without making sure its energy source has been shut off. Common Causes of Accidents: The machine or piece of equipment...
Every day an estimated 1,000 eye injuries occur in American workplaces. No matter where we work, flying particles, dusts, splashes, or flying objects are apt to expose us to potential eye injury. Fortunately, we can protect against these hazards by using the appropriate protective eyewear for our jobs. In just...