Atmospheric Testing in Confined Spaces Atmospheric testing is required for two distinct purposes: evaluation of the hazards of the permit space and verification that acceptable conditions exist for entry into that space. Evaluation testing: The atmosphere within a confined space must be tested using equipment that is designed to detect...
Trenching and Excavation Safety Two workers are killed every month in trench collapses. You can be trapped before there is time to react. So it is important that every excavation be prepared correctly, allowing you to complete your job safely and efficiently. Remember that every trench is different....
Housekeeping 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...
Arc Flash Safety Simply put, an arc flash is a phenomenon where a flashover of electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another or to ground. The results are often violent and when a human is in close proximity to the arc...
Portable Fire Extinguishers Using a portable fire extinguisher is an important safety skill. You never know when you might have to use it; but do not attempt to use one if you haven’t been trained to use it. You could make things much worse. Responding to fires: Sound the fire...
Frostbite Low temperatures, humidity, and wind velocity all are 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...
Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupters (GFCI) 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 a fast-acting...
Care for Your Respirator 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...
Machine Safety According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, over 1100 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 could have...
Scaffolding Safety 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 almost all scaffold accidents can be prevented by proper training. Scaffold hazards: • Falls from elevation due to lack of...