Suspension Trauma 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...
Fall Protection Falls are the second leading cause of occupational fatalities and disabling injuries in the United States. Each year, over 500 workers die in fall-related accidents and over 300,000 workers suffer a disabling injury. No work should proceed unless the necessary fall protection is in place. The use of...
Working Safely from Scaffolding Every year nearly 100 fatalities and 10,000 injuries occur on scaffolding across the country, despite numerous safety regulations aimed to prevent such incidents. The good news is that proper training can prevent almost all scaffold accidents. Scaffold hazards: Falls from elevations due to lack of fall...
Amputation Hazards Amputations are some of the most serious and debilitating workplace injuries. They are widespread and involve a variety of work activities and equipment. Amputations occur most often when workers operate unguarded or inadequately safeguarded machines. Amputation protection: Machine safeguarding with the following equipment is the best way to...
The Deadly Dozen Unsafe Acts: Unauthorized use or operation of equipment; Failure to secure or tie down materials to prevent unexpected movement; Working or operating equipment too fast; Failure to issue warnings or signals as required; Using defective tools or equipment; Removing guards; Improperly using tools or equipment; Standing in an...
Worksite Safety – Oil or Solvent-Soaked Rags The accumulation of oil- or solvent-soaked rags in the normal daily function of a shop, manufacturing, or construction environment can be a major safety issue. Oil-soaked rags are a spontaneous combustion hazard because as the oil oxidizes, heat is released. If the heat...
Working with an Air Compressor Compressed air mishaps usually involve abuse, misuse, or inattention to hoses or nozzles. Lack of attention to safety or not knowing the proper procedures when handling compressed air have led to many accidents and deaths. Compressed air can strike you blind, deaf, or dead at...
Worksite Safety – Power Tools Accidents involving portable power tools happen all the time. You’ve all heard of cases where a chip flew off a drill and hit someone’s eye or of someone getting a shock because a tool had a faulty ground. And then there’s the person who lost...
Worksite Safety – Housekeeping In the workplace, ‘good housekeeping’ is the term used for keeping the worksite clean, neat, and free of hazards that can cause injury. Housekeeping is a safety concern that is often overlooked or taken for granted. But far too many accidents happen because people don’t keep...
Workzone Traffic Safety Employees being struck by vehicles or mobile equipment on a construction job site leads to many work zone injuries and fatalities. Work zones are required to have traffic controls consisting in signs, cones, barrels and barriers. Drivers, employees on foot, and pedestrians must be able to see...