Cell Phone Safety Employees often bring their cell phones to work, a choice that could potentially cause numerous hazards on the job. Cell phones can be a dangerous distraction in the workplace. Just like other workplace distractions such as horseplay and chattering with co-workers, cell phones can cause us to...
Aerial Platform Safety Jobsites are not always at ground level. Sometimes workers need to use aerial platforms, aerial ladders, articulating boom platforms, vertical towers, or ladder trucks to reach their work. All work has hazards and risks involved in it, but when you work at an elevated height, extra training...
Atmospheric Testing in Confined Spaces 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...
Trenching and Excavation Safety Two workers are killed every month in trench collapses. The employer must provide a workplace free of recognized hazards that may cause serious injury or death. An excavation is any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in an earth surface formed by earth removal. Trench (Trench...
Housekeeping Did you know that over 2/3 of all accidents involve housekeeping in some way, shape, or form? Approximately 2.5 million disabling injuries happen in the service industry every year with a cost of over 100 billion dollars. Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace hazards and help get a job...
Arc Flash Safety Simply put, an arc flash is a phenomenon where a flashover of electric current leaves its intended path and travels through the air from one conductor to another or to ground. The results are often violent and when a human is in close proximity to the arc...
Portable Fire Extinguishers In the event of a fire, the correct use of a portable fire extinguisher could mean the difference between suffering a minor loss or a major one. Portable fire extinguishers, if used properly, can make that difference. But there are several things to consider in using fire...
Frostbite During winter, many of us will continue to work outdoors, exposed to inclement weather. Just as heatstroke is a serious problem in the summer, frostbite can cause serious injury in the winter. It is important to be able to recognize frostbite symptoms and protect yourself from this serious condition....
Ground-Fault Circuit-Interrupters (GFCI) The most common electric shock hazard, ground faults, can cause severe electrical shock or electrocution. In normal conditions, electricity runs in a closed circuit; electricity flows out on the “hot” wire and returns on the “neutral” wire, completing the circuit. A ground fault occurs when the electrical...
Care for Your Respirator 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...