Concrete is easy to work with, versatile, durable, and economical. By taking a few basic precautions, it is also one of the safest building materials known. Relatively few people involved in mixing, handling, and finishing concrete have experienced injury. Nonetheless, concrete work is usually hard physical labor that presents many...
Falls represent the number one preventable cause of injury and death in the workplace. More than a million people suffer injuries and more than 16,000 people die as a result of falls in any given year. Obvious injuries occur from falls from six feet or more, but about 60 percent...
OSHA requires employers to identify and protect against breathing hazards. Engineering controls are the preferred form of protection, e.g., ventilation, using less toxic measures, and enclosing operations that create air contaminants. When air measurements reveal that engineering controls haven’t brought air hazards to safe levels, employers must provide employees with...
Air that’s contaminated or lacks oxygen can be very harmful to your health. Inhaling chemical vapors, gases, or fumes and dust can irritate and even seriously damage the lungs, respiratory systems, or other organs, sometimes fatally. Lack of oxygen can cause death in minutes. Wear the respirator designed to protect...
‘Ergonomics’ literally means “the rules of human strength.” Engineers interested in the design of work environments originated the word in the 1950s. Today, the purpose of ergonomics in the workplace is to create a better match between workers, the work they perform, and the equipment they use. A good match...
Noise is unwanted sound that can affect job performance, safety, and your health. Psychological effects of noise include annoyance and disruption of concentration. Physical effects include loss of hearing, pain, nausea, and interference with communications when the exposure is severe. Most workers take good hearing for granted. Hearing loss can...
Forklifts are excellent labor-saving devices. They save time and reduce the likelihood of injury associated with manual material handling activities. However, forklifts can become very dangerous if operated by a reckless or untrained operator. All operators should receive safety training prior to being allowed to operate a forklift. Forklift accidents...
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)...
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...
Flammable liquids are those with a flash point of less than 100 degrees Celsius. This is the lowest point at which the liquid produces enough vapor to form a flammable mixture with air. Red labels that also contain a fire symbol are used to identify flammable liquids. Flammable liquid vapors...