Bites and stings are a relatively common occurrence for people who work outdoors and in enclosed environments where bees and wasps, fire ants, insects and arachnids (spiders, scorpions, ticks and mites) feel at home. Employers and workers are encouraged to understand exposure risks, how to recognize and respond to stings...
If you look up the word ‘toxic’ in most any dictionary, you’ll find that it means “poisonous.” Most people want nothing to do with poisonous materials, but many people work with them every day. In fact, toxic materials have thousands of uses in industry. Many of the benefits we enjoy,...
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 been prevented....
At times, workers may be required to work in hot environments for long periods. When the human body is unable to maintain a normal temperature, heat illnesses can occur and may result in death. It is also important to consider that hot work environments may exist indoors. Working outdoors in...
It used to be thought that only children were exposed to lead poisoning hazards–primarily from eating lead-based paint chips that fall from doors or windows in the home. This is no longer the case. Studies conducted over the past few years now suggest many adults are exposed to lead in...
The accumulation of oil-soaked 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 is not dissipated, it can build up...
Air tools are powered by compressed air and include chippers, drills, hammers, sanders, spray guns, air ratchets, grinders, nibblers, needle scalers, and many more. There are several dangers associated with the use of air tools. First and foremost is the danger of getting hit by one of the tool’s attachments...
Millions of U.S. workers are exposed to heat in their workplaces. Although illness from exposure to heat is preventable, every year thousands become sick from occupational heat exposure; and some cases are fatal. Most outdoor fatalities, 50% to 70%, occur in the first few days of working in warm or...
It often seems that attention is focused on unusual hazards with the most severe outcomes, not the more common hazards found in the workplace. A good example of a common hazard that can be overlooked is trip hazards. It is important to give attention to trip hazards in your work...
Each year, millions of workers suffer workplace injuries that could have been prevented. Some of the most common and preventable injuries are cuts and lacerations. Although statistical data differs from study to study, cuts and lacerations often rank as the second or third most frequent workplace injury. Approximately 30 per-cent...