OSHA describes suspension trauma as “the development of symptoms such as light-headedness, poor concentration, palpitations, tremulousness, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, headache, sweating, weakness, and occasionally fainting during upright standing.” Suspension trauma, also known as “harness hang syndrome” and “orthostatic intolerance,” occurs after a worker has fallen into a fall arrest harness...
When a worker is suspended in a fall harness, the body has no way of going horizontal. The blood keeps pooling and cannot flow properly. This is suspension trauma. And unless the worker is rescued promptly, venous pooling and orthostatic intolerance occurs. This may result in serious damage to the...
Use of fire extinguishers can come with many risks, so workers must be trained on how to safely use them to put out a fire. The most important thing in to do during a fire situation is to get yourself to safety and call the proper authorities to combat the...
Fire extinguishers can be an important tool in preventing a small fire from growing larger. However, they should not be used to combat large or rapidly spreading fires. The most important thing to do during a fire situation is to get yourself to safety and call the proper authorities to...
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms, normally carried in infected blood and bodily fluids, that can cause diseases, some fatal, such as Hepatitis B and C, as well as HIV. Bloodborne pathogens must find a direct route of entry into the body for infection to be possible, but bodily fluids can also...
In the workplace, bloodborne pathogens (BBP) may be transmitted when blood or other infectious body fluids come in contact with mucous membranes (your eyes, nose, mouth), non-intact skin (due to cuts, abrasions, burns, rashes, paper cuts), or by handling or touching contaminated materials or surfaces. Responding to Injuries: Ensure your...
A worker received an electric shock on a piece of equipment he was using. He was not injured, and he did not report the incident. A few days later another worker also received a shock from the same defective equipment and again did not report the problem. Within days a...
A “near miss” or accident without injury is easy to shrug off and forget. But there is a danger in brushing off accidents that don’t hurt, harm, or damage. When a “near miss” happens, it should immediately send up a red warning flag that something was wrong, unplanned, unexpected, and...
Confined spaces frequently contain atmospheres that are flammable, toxic, or whose oxygen level has been depleted or enriched. Natural ventilation is generally insufficient to remove contaminated air from the inside space and to exchange it for fresh air from the outside. The lack of air exchange occurs particularly in confined...
Confined spaces frequently contain atmospheres that are flammable, toxic, or whose oxygen level has been depleted or enriched. Ventilation is the number one way for workers to control and disperse hazardous atmospheres in a confined space. The prime objective in ventilating a confined or enclosed space is to render it...