Electrical Safety – Using GFCIs A ground fault occurs when the electrical current does not complete its circuit and unintentionally flows to the ground. Ground faults can cause fires and are dangerous when they flow through a person to the ground. The GFCI, as it is commonly called, is simply...
Using Portable Fire Extinguishers Do you know how to extinguish a fire? According to OSHA regulations, no one at a workplace is supposed to use a fire extinguisher unless they he or she has been trained to do so. Though this may seem awfully restrictive, there are several good reasons...
Using a Ladder Safely There is absolutely no reason for anybody to get hurt, disabled, or killed while using a ladder. Yet it happens every single day. Virtually every single ladder accident could and should have been prevented. It only takes a little bit of common sense about ladder safety...
Reporting – A Near Miss 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...
Working with Machinery Safely According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 1,100 workers in the United States were killed last year by contact with equipment or by being caught up in running machinery. That’s 20% of all fatalities in the workplace. Over a thousand people killed in ways that...
Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Hazards 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. Bloodborne...
Electrical Safety For Construction The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year, about 4,000 injuries associated with electric extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms. About half of the injuries involve fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains from people tripping over extension cords. CPSC also estimates that...
Eye Wash Safety We all hope we never need an eyewash station, but if an accident should happen, it’s our wish that it’s clean and accessible. If a foreign particle enters the eyes, an emergency eyewash station is the most important initial step in first-aid treatment. Chemical burns to the...
Safety in Hot Work Welding is a routine job on many worksites. However, this common task has hazards that can result in serious injury and property damage. Experts estimate that 6% of all fires on industrial properties are caused by welding or cutting. The main cause is the sparks or...
Powder-Actuated Tools Safety Whenever you operate a powder-actuated hand tool, safe work practices must always be followed. These tools are designed to drive nails or other fastening devices into material such as concrete, steel, and masonry, which are not easily penetrated. These devices use explosive charges similar to a firearm....