Welding is a routine job on many worksites. However, this common task has hazards that can result in serious injury and property damage. Bystanders, as well as workers involved directly with welding, can be affected. Experts estimate that 6% of all fires on industrial properties are caused by welding or...
For some of you, welding is a hands-on job, but welding safety is really up to everyone. It involves not only the welder, but also those working in the vicinity of welding operations. We also need to watch out for hazards should a contractor enter our facility to do a...
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. Evaluation Testing: The atmosphere within a confined space must be tested using equipment that is designed to detect the chemicals that may be...
A confined space is one that is large enough to enter and perform assigned work in; it has limited or restricted ways to enter or exit the space; and it was not designed to be occupied continuously by a worker. A permit space is a confined space that has one...
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 or having our minds on something other than our...
Cell phones can be a dangerous distraction in the workplace, just like other workplace distractions such as horseplay and chattering with co-worker’s, cell phones can cause us to lose focus on the task at hand. When used inappropriately these devices can get employees in trouble at work as well as...
Effective housekeeping can eliminate some workplace hazards and help get a job done safely and properly. Poor housekeeping frequently contributes to accidents by hiding hazards that cause injuries. Effective housekeeping is an ongoing operation: it is not a hit-and-miss cleanup done occasionally. Periodic “panic” cleanups are costly and ineffective in...
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 done...
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 tool bags where they become damaged and/or very dirty inside and out. Both of these conditions compromise the...
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...