Companies that hold general housekeeping of work areas to a high standard usually have a better safety culture than those companies that do not. Housekeeping is an important part of a robust safety program. Poor housekeeping promotes inefficiency and leads to injuries and property loss. Housekeeping is everyone’s job –...
How many times have you tripped over something you did not see or turn around and get startled because someone was in your area of whom you were not aware? It happens to many of us often. Depending on what is preoccupying our minds, our emotions, the distractions around us,...
Skid steering loaders are a common piece of heavy equipment found on many jobsites. They are capable of being equipped with a multitude of implements operated from the host machine’s hydraulic system. Skid steer loaders are small, powerful machines that may be operated safely by following the general safety requirements...
There are multiple safeguards to control any one hazard. Each level of these safeguards serves to protect employees. Some safeguards or controls are more effective than others. The hierarchy of controls outlines the controls used to mitigate a hazard from most effective to least effective. The Hierarchy of Hazard Control...
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...