Globally Harmonized System (GHS) For many years now, employees could gather limited information about the hazardous chemicals they work with by looking at container labels and reading Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs). However, there was not a set format to govern how the companies that produced or distributed those chemicals...
Spill Clean Up Unplanned release of a chemical can have devastating effects. Skin and eye burns, damage to the lungs, fire and explosion, corrosive damage to materials, pollution of air, soil, and water, and danger to the public are just some of the possible consequences of a chemical spill. Chemical...
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Carbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, toxic gas that interferes with the oxygen-carrying capacity of blood. CO is non-irritating and can overcome persons without warning. Many people die from CO poisoning, usually while using gasoline powered tools and generators in buildings or semi- enclosed spaces without...
Dangers of Hydraulic Hoses Leaks from high-pressure hydraulic lines are not just messy, they are dangerous. Leaks create slip and fall hazards, fire danger, and they contaminate the environment. Leaks can cause skin burns and, under high pressure, can penetrate the skin. The most common causes of leaking hoses are...
Chemical Inventory The Hazard Communication Standard requires employers to make a chemical inventory list of the hazardous chemicals present in the workplace. The chemicals on these lists are identified with markers to easily find the corresponding safety data sheet (SDS). Quick and easy access to the chemical inventory list and...
Picking the Proper Glove Your hands are one of your most valuable assets. Without them, you wouldn’t be able to touch, hold, feel, write, or gesture. In fact, you couldn’t do much of anything. Too often, however, we take them for granted. We don’t pay attention to how we treat...
Suspension Trauma Fall arrest systems are often seen as the ultimate lifesaver for workers at heights. A worker’s fall protection harness may keep him or her from hitting the ground, but that worker is not in the clear yet. Suspension trauma is often overlooked as a serious risk for workers...
Fall Protection Falls are the second leading cause of occupational fatalities and disabling injuries in the United States. Each year, over 500 workers die in fall-related accidents and over 300,000 workers suffer a disabling injury. Most of these fatalities and disabling injuries, according to the National Institute of Occupational Safety...
Working Safely from Scaffolding Every year nearly 100 fatalities and 10,000 injuries occur on scaffolding across the country, despite numerous safety regulations aimed to prevent such incidents. There are a number of different scaffold types that have different rules and regulations surrounding their assembly, fall prevention requirements, and inspection procedures....
Amputation Hazards Amputations are some of the most serious and debilitating workplace injuries. They are widespread and involve a variety of work activities and equipment. Amputations occur most often when workers operate unguarded or inadequately safeguarded mechanical power presses, power press brakes, powered and non-powered conveyors, printing presses, roll-forming and...