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...

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...

Sleep Deprivation Whether it’s due to workloads, or working side jobs, the result is the same – sleep deprivation. Many workers are arriving on the job overly tired or sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation or fatigue can affect a worker’s manual dexterity, reaction time, and alertness. Worker fatigue or lack of sleep can affect judgment and safety. And workers aren’t the only ones suffering the consequences of sleepiness on the job it’s costing employers money and, in some cases, putting the public’s safety at risk. Studies show that workers are not only getting less sleep than they should; they’re getting less than they used...

Personal Ergonomics What is Ergonomics? Ergonomics is the science of matching tools and tasks to the work environment. In other words, ergonomics tries to make your job fit you, rather than making you fit your job. The purpose of ergonomics is to reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses that can result from stress on muscles, nerves, and joints. These types of injuries have been common to workplaces for a long time, but safety standards concerning them are new. If OSHA finds that poor ergonomics is a threat to employee well-being, it can cite a company for violating its duty to provide...

Safe Housekeeping Most of you probably have house cleaning responsibilities at home. For some of you, it's a regular weekly chore. Whatever the case may be, you'll agree that good housekeeping practices are important at home. However, what we sometimes overlook is that good housekeeping is a key duty on the job, too. The orderly arrangement of work areas is vital to the safety of all workers, regardless of whether they are involved with machines and tools or with appliances and furniture. It's a fact that approximately 6,000 persons are killed on the job annually in the United States, and an estimated...