Confined Space – Atmospheric Testing Atmospheric testing is required for two distinct purposes: evaluation of the hazards of the permit space and verification that acceptable conditions exist for entry into that space. A confined space is one that is large enough to enter and perform assigned work in; it has...
Preventing Accidents – Unsafe Acts Consider this statistic: 80 out of every 100 accidents are the fault of the person involved in the incident. Unsafe acts cause four times as many accidents and injuries as unsafe conditions. Accidents occur for many reasons. In most industries people tend to look for...
Heat Stress Causes Body Reactions Four environmental factors affect the amount of stress a worker faces in a hot work area: temperature, humidity, radiant heat (such as from the sun or a furnace) and air velocity. Perhaps most important to the level of stress an individual faces are personal characteristics...
Laboratory – Chemical Spill Response Many spills in the laboratory work area can be prevented. Development and implementation of good laboratory practices will significantly reduce the likelihood of spills. In spite of our best efforts, spills happen. When they do, it makes sense to respond to them as carefully and...
Warning: Read the Signs Safety signs are too important to be ignored. They provide us with vital hazard information in a number of ways: through colors, words, and pictures. Signs tell you where the hazards are and how to protect against the danger. Safety signs come in all sizes, colors,...
Powered Industrial Trucks Forklifts are excellent laborsaving 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...
Hydrogen Sulfide Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable, extremely hazardous gas with a “rotten egg” smell. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas and can be produced by the breakdown of organic matter and human/animal wastes (i.e., sewage). It is heavier than air and can collect in low-lying...
Laboratory Safety – Labeling and Transfer of Chemicals Hazardous chemicals present physical and/or health threats to workers in clinical, industrial, and academic laboratories. Hazardous laboratory chemicals include cancer-causing agents (carcinogens), toxins that may affect the liver, kidney, or nervous system, irritants, corrosives, and sensitizers, as well as agents that act...
Compressed Air Safety Compressed air is present across just about every industry; companies are using compressed air for many functions, from running huge equipment to powering simple air tools. Compressed air is a valuable utility and is a safe power source when used properly. As with any other energy-carrying power...
Blind Spots in Mobile Equipment A blind spot is the area around a vehicle or piece of construction equipment that is not visible to the operators, either by direct line-of-sight or indirectly by use of internal and external mirrors. Two recent incidents in the news involving construction equipment backing over...