Corrosive materials are present in almost any workplace, either by themselves or contained in other products, such as cleaning agents. Materials with corrosive properties can be either acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH). Common acid corrosives include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, and nitric acid. Common alkaline/bases include...
Industrial drums of any size pose a significant workplace risk for anyone employed in warehousing or material handling occupations. With the average 55-gallon drum weighing between 400-600 lbs., manually transporting, decanting, or otherwise handling drums is not only physically demanding, but a potentially dangerous task for any worker. In the...
H2S is a colorless, flammable, explosive and highly toxic gas. It may have a rotten egg odor, but it can also become odorless because it deadens your sense of smell, and you may not notice it after prolonged or repeated exposure. H2S can be found in many industries, including the...
Fire can be one of our deadliest enemies. It can mutilate us, kill us, and destroy in a few minutes what took a lifetime to build. Fire can take away our workplaces and our jobs. How can fires be stopped? The answer is prevention. However, to prevent fires, we must...
Workers may find themselves in a situation that they feel the need to report to OSHA. Maybe their employer has not done anything about a safety violation they pointed out, or maybe a worker was injured on the job, and is being denied workers compensation. Whatever the reason, whether it...
Forklifts, or industrial trucks, are useful for lifting and transporting cargo in many environments from manufacturing warehouses to construction sites, and shipping/loading docks. Forklift operators should have training on the forklift they will be using to operate it safety. Operators need awareness of the triangular center of gravity for loads...
According to the CDC, every single year there are 735,000 Americans who suffer heart attacks. Out of that number, 525,000 are first time heart attack victims. Heart disease and heart attacks are an unfortunate reality in our country. There is a good chance that sometime in your lifetime you will...
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. Heat, electricity, chemicals, or radiation can cause a burn. The first response in a burn situation is to stop...
Back injuries are the most common injury in the workplace and the cause of most missed work time. The injury can be caused by a strain, spasm, or sprain to the ligaments or muscles of the back. This can happen due to lifting something that’s too heavy or over-extending (overstretching)...
January is National Radon Action month, and many people don’t realize that radon is the second leading cause of lung disease, right behind smoking/vaping. The Environmental Protection Agency, the American Lung Association, and the Center for Disease Control and Prevention all have information on their websites about radon, its effects,...