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 must provide employees with...
Your respirator may be the most important tool of your job. It protects your most precious asset, your health. Yet, more often than not, respirators find their way to the bottom of tools bags where they become damaged and/or very dirty inside and out. Both of these conditions compromise the...
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many workers in the United States are killed each year by contact with equipment or by being caught up in operating machinery. Bottom line is that these deaths could have been prevented. Cleaning a jammed conveyor, reaching for a wrench, and retrieving a...
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, many workers in the United States are killed each year by contact with equipment or being caught up in operating machinery. Bottom lines is that these deaths could have been prevented. Be Alert Working Around or Operating Machinery The point of operation: That...
Corrosive chemicals can burn, irritate, or destructively attack living tissue. When inhaled or ingested, lung and stomach tissues are affected. Materials with corrosive properties can be either acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH). Cleaning compounds may contain acids or bases. Before using a material, always read the Safety Data...
Corrosive materials are present in almost any workplace, either by themselves or contained in other products, such as cleaning agents. Materials with corrosive properties can be either acidic (low pH) or basic (high pH). Common acid corrosives include hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, acetic acid, and nitric acid. Common alkaline/bases include...
With the average 55-gallon drum weighing between 400-600 lbs., manually transporting, decanting, or otherwise handling drums is not only physically demanding, but a potentially dangerous task for any worker. Risk Factors At least four serious injuries can occur if a 55-gallon drum is not handled safely: fractures, lacerations, hernias, and...
Industrial drums of any size pose a significant workplace risk for anyone employed in warehousing or material handling occupations. With the average 55-gallon drum weighing between 400-600 lb., manually transporting, decanting, or otherwise handling drums is not only physically demanding, but a potentially dangerous task for any workers. In the...
Safe handling and safe work procedures are crucial for workplaces where individuals use toxic materials. It is vital that people working with hazardous materials such as toxics are properly trained regarding the potential hazards. In General, When Handling Toxic Materials: Use only the smallest amount necessary to do the job;...
If you look up the word ‘toxic’ in most any dictionary, you’ll find that it means “poisonous.” Most people want nothing 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, such...