Bench And Pedestal Grinders grinderAlmost every maintenance shop has a bench or pedestal grinder. They are most commonly used to shape or sharpen the cutting edges of tools such as chisels or lawn mower blades. These are powerful, useful tools, but they are also potentially dangerous because users take them for granted. Serious injury and even death can result from improper handling, installation or use of abrasive wheels. Cracked or defective grinding wheels can "explode" when in use. Secure both pedestal and bench style grinders securely to the floor or work bench to prevent movement during usage. Store grinding wheels carefully on...

The Three-Point Rule - Truck Safety You Don't Have To Fall Off A Truck! Falling while getting into or out of heavy equipment, a truck or tractor cab, hooking up air and electrical lines, or mounting or dismounting trailers is a sure way to get seriously hurt. An insurance industry study showed that falls from vehicles produced injuries that were almost 25% worse than other types of injuries. Even an ankle sprain can play havoc with your ability to use the clutch. Minor injuries can cost you big in terms of lost income and downtime. The biggest single cause of falls from a vehicle...

Allergies, Antihistamines & Drowsiness Spring is here! It is time to put away the heavy coats and break out the sunglasses. But the weather conditions that lead to "spring fever" also give rise to another affliction that affects many of us-hay fever. Hay fever can make those who are sensitive to pollen miserable, interfering with work and play. Fortunately, modern medicine has developed drugs which give temporary relief from hay fever's common symptoms. As users of antihistamines and decongestants know, however, there are side effects to these over-the-counter drugs. The side effects most often experienced is drowsiness. A Gallup survey of allergy sufferers...

Don't Get Sore At Your Computer! It's hard to imagine getting along without computers today. Many of us spend hours at the keyboard-both at home and at work-writing letters, reports, memos, keeping records, etc. With a computer, we can do most of our work sitting in one place, with little need to go to the file cabinet, the pencil sharpener, or the mailbox anymore. As a result, many people stay fixed in front of their VDT monitor for hours at a time-which is not a normal, healthy way for the body to operate. Muscles, tendons and joints put up with it...

Crane Operations Working Under The Load When you think about it, the human body is totally out-matched when it tries to go against crane operations working under the load. Think of the dangers for a moment. First, the load is being lifted by a mechanical device operated by a human being. We know that both are subject to limitations and failures. Something can go wrong despite our best intentions. Loads can be heavy, difficult to rig, and are subject to unexpected movement. There is only one sure way to avoid injury, stay clear of the load! Crane movements should always be considered...

Painter Safety (2) A painter applies coatings and paint to interior and exterior building surfaces with a variety of job sites, chemical use, and physical and ergonomic demands. A lot of painting work is done from heights. Inspect ladders daily, set them properly, and work from ladders safely. Make sure a qualified person properly installed your scaffolding. Do not use makeshift ladders or scaffolds that could fail and cause a fall. Know when to use fall protection and how to use it properly. Read the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to learn about the chemicals in paints and surface preparation materials you use. Even...

Hazardous Atmospheres In Confined Spaces Employees in many industries enter a variety of confined spaces for inspections, testing, repair or cleaning. A confined space is any area that: (a) has limited openings for entry and exit; (b) may contain or produce toxic air contaminants; (c) has a high concentration of an inert gas; (d) is not intended for continuous occupancy; and (e) may have an oxygen-deficient atmosphere. All such spaces must be analyzed and tested before entry. Workers should also be trained to understand the hazards that may be found in these spaces. A few of the potentially hazardous gases are: Freon®...

Reporting And Investigating An Accident A good accident investigation tries to answer these questions: What happened? When did it happen? Where did it happen? Who was involved? Why did it happen? How can it be prevented from happening again? When these questions are answered for all accidents and near misses, patterns often emerge and preventable causes are often discovered. But the patterns may not be true unless information acquired during the investigation is complete and accurate. The observations of co-workers, as well as from employees that were directly involved, can be critical. It helps if everyone will: Make mental or written notes...

Tire Explosions Equipment Hazards There have been instances of brand new truck and tractor experiencing tire explosions. These tires spontaneously, and violently, exploding with no apparent cause while still mounted on the vehicle. The forces involved in this type of tire explosion are very powerful and capable of causing serious injury to anyone in the immediate vicinity, or a collision if this occurs while the vehicle is being driven. Although the causes of tire explosions are often difficult to determine, some of these explosions are believed to be caused by flammable vapors that somehow enter the tire. When the vehicle is being operated,...

Trenching Safety A trench is a narrow channel (up to 15 feet wide), generally deeper than it is wide, made below the surface of the ground. An excavation is any man-made hole or trench that is made by removing earth. Trenching is recognized as one of the most hazardous construction activities. The greatest risk is a cave-in and even a small job can present serious safety hazards. The key to preventing this type of accident is good planning. Each year in the United States trenching cave-ins result in hundreds of serious injuries and dozens of deaths. Trenches are needed to build roads,...