Rigging safety is a critical part of work Rigging is used to lift heavy materials to heights with cranes and other devices. Riggers also act as signalmen. Improper rigging of a load or a rigging failure can expose riggers and other workers nearby to a variety of potential hazards. Over...
‘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 the worker, the work they perform, and the equipment they use. A good...
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) estimates that each year, about 4,000 injuries associated with electrical extension cords are treated in hospital emergency rooms. About half of the injuries involve fractures, lacerations, contusions, or sprains from people tripping over extension cords. CPSC also estimates that about 3,300 residential fires...
Do you know how to extinguish a fire? According to OSHA regulations, no one at a workplace is supposed to use a fire extinguisher unless they have been trained to do so. Though this may seem awfully restrictive, there are several good reasons for this rule. If an untrained person...
Pinch points are places where a body part or a piece of clothing can get caught up in machinery, between equipment or between a lid and a container when closing. Pinch point injuries can be very serious, resulting in the loss of limbs or even death. Each year, workers suffer...
If you’ve ever been the first one on the scene at an automobile accident or have been working next to someone who had a traumatic injury at work, then you know how important it is to know what to do. So often in the stress of the situation we forget...
Although we’ve seen it in the cartoons and in the movies a million times, not many people actually slip on banana peels. But while the results may produce a few chuckles in the theater, falls are nothing to laugh at. In fact, some estimates put the number of disabling injuries...
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. Hearing protection is essential when noise exposures can’t be controlled...
Solvents are so common in many work places that workers forget how dangerous they are. A solvent can be generally described as a substance, usually a liquid, that is used to dissolve another substance. Although solvents can be used safely, health problems can result from skin contact with solvents or...
Confined spaces can present conditions that are immediately dangerous to workers if not properly identified, evaluated, tested, and controlled. OSHA has developed a new construction standard for Confined Spaces (29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA)— any space that meets the following three criteria: • Is large enough for a worker to...