Cold Weather Driving Living and working in cold areas means having to navigate cold weather driving. In Wyoming, the weather can change very quickly. Many accidents could be avoided if you take the time to learn and practice these tips for driving safely during snowy and icy conditions: Perhaps the deadliest danger of all is "black ice." Black ice forms on a roadway, usually due to snow melting and re-freezing. Since it is almost invisible, drivers fail to recognize black ice conditions and may drive at normal speeds-often resulting in very serious accidents. Always be alert to the possibility of black ice when...

Chemical Hazards Hazardous Materials Identification System Under the Hazard Communication Standard put forth by OSHA, virtually all hazardous chemicals used in the workplace are required to have labels that indicate the type and level of the potential hazard. The warning labels used to identify chemical hazards have a universal color and numbering system. They also utilize a letter designating what type of personal protective equipment is needed. This makes it easier for you to tell what type and level of hazard you are dealing with. Colors are used to show the specific kind of hazard, and numbers within the colors are used...

Dermatitis Dermatitis is an inflammation of the skin from exposure to an irritant. The degree of inflammation is affected by the type of skin (pigmentation, dryness, hairiness), age, sex, season of the year, history of previous skin disease or allergies, and personal hygiene. Although one exposure to a substance may be enough to cause a skin reaction, workers can become sensitized through prolonged and repeated exposures to a substance. The delay can be as short as a day, but can be as long as several months. Generally, causes of dermatitis are chemical, mechanical, physical, or biological. Chemicals can produce reactions ranging from chemical...

Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Bloodborne Pathogens - Safety At All Levels Individuals who are infected with a bloodborne pathogen may not know they are infectious. Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) may not show symptoms. For this reason, all human blood and body fluids should be considered as if infectious, and all precautions should be taken to avoid contact. This simple rule is known as "universal precautions." 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,...

Hot Work Procedures Hot work may include spark and high heat-producing job tasks such as grinding, welding, soldering, thermal or oxygen cutting or heating. Advanced planning and safe work procedures help prevent workplace fires caused by hot work activities. Get training on hot works tools and processes. Know how to assess the fire risk, prevent fire, extinguish a fire, and activate an emergency response. If you are a designated fire watch, get annual training on these procedures. Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment for hot work, including tinted eye protection and a face shield. Wear fire-retardant clothing and a welding vest and...

Chocks And Blocks An essential part of a safe working environment when loading or unloading trucks and trailers is the proper use of equipment, which includes chocks and blocks. Every year, workers are severely or fatally injured because the wheels of a truck or trailer were not chocked. Vehicle drivers are also injured when trailers overturn because unblocked freight shifted during travel. When wheels aren't meant to roll. Accidents are caused each year when a truck or trailer rolls away from the dock because no one took time to chock the wheels. In some cases, drivers who got out of the cab...

How to Choose a Ladder Most fatal falls in the workplace are from ladders.  Choosing the correct ladder for your work tasks is an important part of your ladder safety program that should include training, proper maintenance and storage, inspections, and safe work procedures. First, assess the height of your work task.  Stepstools and short ladders elevate you slightly.  Stepladders and extension ladders can get you to further heights.  What type of work will you be doing?  Is the ladder used to enter and exit a work area, or will you be working from it?  Platform ladders and work platforms provide stable,...

Near Miss - The One That Almost Happened What is a "near miss?" Webster defines it as: "A result that is nearly, but not quite, successful." What does this mean to the industry? It simply means that a serious accident almost occurred. Someone trips over a pallet but doesn't fall. Two forklifts almost collide in a corner. A tool is dropped, but toes are missed…this time. Statistics tell us that for every 300 near misses there is one serious injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 6.1 million injuries occurred during 1995. If we multiply each injury by 300, the...

Aerial Lifts - Working at Elevations Injuries from falls are one of the most common and severe workplace accidents. Employees must understand how to identify fall hazards and the ways they can protect themselves. Areas Where Fall Hazards Exist: Any height greater than 4 feet is considered a hazard and must be protected. This includes: Roofs Floor Openings              · Loading Docks               · Work Platforms   Ways to Protect Employees from Fall Hazards: The most effective way to protect employees from falls is by eliminating the hazard. Passive systems such as guardrails and covers remove the employee’s exposure to the hazard.   Passive Systems Administrative Controls Active Systems Guardrails Covers Boundary Lines Signs / Access Control Fall...

Health & Safety - Heat Stress Disorders Although summer heat is the largest cause of heat stress disorder, it may also occur when workers are exposed to confined areas such as pipelines, shipboard spaces with limited ventilation, and any confined area involving welding or cutting. Symptoms The symptoms of heat stress disorders are very slow to start, but increase in intensity if precautions are not taken. The onset of the initial symptoms are mild and usually involve headaches, thirst, and tiredness. Heat stress can move to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical emergency, quickly when the body's natural cooling system breaks down and causes the...