Aggressive Driving Every year, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports approximately 500,000 collisions with 200,000 injuries and 4,000 fatalities as a result. Unsafe speed, improper turning, failure to yield the right of way, and obey traffic signals were the most frequent causes, which led the Department of Transportation (DOT) to estimate that two-thirds of traffic fatalities may be caused by aggressive driving. Aggressive driving can be caused by longer commutes, traffic congestion, and other drivers’ behaviors. It can also be caused by your own mood, reactions, and ability to deal with stress on and off the road. Aggressive driving is triggered by...

Accident Prevention Effective implementation of, and consistent compliance with, the requirements and guidelines described below are critical to the protection and well-being of everyone on the project, including our customers, vendors, and the public. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to read and fully observe all of these safety and health practices while working on this project. Basic Safety and Health Practices Daily Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is an important tool used to identify and address hazards associated with your work Tasks. The JSA is a requirement. Your supervisor will review the safety and health requirements for each work task with you prior to...

Close Calls Take a Close Look at Close Calls Close calls 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 “close call” happens, it should immediately send up a red warning flag that something was wrong, unplanned, unexpected, and could happen again. The next time it happens, it could result in serious damage, injury or death. For every accident there are usually several contributing factors, most of which can be controlled. The best way to prevent the reoccurrence of an accident is by looking...

Active Shooter Preparednes The Department of Homeland Security defines an active shooter as “an individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined and populated area.” These incidents usually involve firearms and randomly selected targets or victims. Anyone involved in an incident should call emergency 911 as soon as it is safe to do so. Active shooter events are usually over within 10-15 minutes (sometimes before law enforcement arrives), so know how to respond if the unthinkable happens. Active shooters may be current or former workers, family or friends of co-workers, or complete strangers. While it is difficult...

Chemical Storage Is A Matter Of Safety And Common Sense There are many work situations where chemicals are routinely relied upon to get the work done. But just as important as the safe handling of these chemicals is their safe storage. If not stored properly, chemicals can cause a fire, explosion or personal injury. There are some real and common sense safe storage procedures that should be followed to keep workers and the workplace free of chemical-related accidents. The most important factor in chemical storage safety is keeping chemicals in their original containers. Next, check that each chemical container has a label....

Caught or Crushed Injuries Each year, workers suffer approximately 125,000 caught or crushed by injuries that occur when body parts get caught between two objects or entangled with machinery. These hazards are also referred to as “pinch points.” The physical forces applied to a body part caught in a pinch point can vary and cause injuries ranging from bruises, cuts, and scalping to mangled and amputated body parts, and even death. Workers in field, industrial, and office settings are all affected by caught or crush hazards to some degree. Get training and learn about the caught/crush hazards and pinch points specific to...

Bloodborne Pathogens What are Bloodborne Pathogens? Bloodborne pathogens (BBP) are microorganisms that can cause disease when transferred from an infected person to another person through blood or other potentially infected body fluids. The microorganisms are capable of causing serious illness and death. The most common diseases spread in this manner are Hepatitis B (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Examples of other bloodborne diseases include malaria, Hepatitis C and syphilis. Who is at Risk? Workers in health care and public safety jobs could be potentially exposed to these disease pathogens. These workers include, but are not limited to, doctors, dentists, nurses, paramedics, police, laboratory...

Back Injuries Get Your Workers Back in Control Jokes about nagging back pain get standup comedians a lot of laughs, but back injuries, strains and sprains are not at all funny, nor should they be an unavoidable curse to anyone. Back injuries suffered in workplaces last year ran up a bill of millions of dollars. Those disabling back injuries were no laughing matter for the workers who lost time from work or from their personal activities. The sad truth is that most of the pain and lost time could have been prevented if workers had been more aware of how their backs function...

Arc Welding Arc welding involves the use of a powerful electric arc to make and repair plain, coated, or treated metal items. Welders can be stationary, electric powered or portable, diesel/gas powered. Install electric-powered arc welders to code. Ground equipment and place it on an independent circuit with the correct-sized fuse or circuit breaker. Overloading circuits or improper installation can lead to fire, a ground fault, or equipment failure. Mount a safety disconnect switch near the user work area. Operate diesel/gas powered arc welders in well-ventilated areas to control combustion fumes. Do not add fuel to the engine while it is running...

Aerial Platform Safety Jobsites are not always at ground level. Sometimes, workers need to use aerial platforms, aerial ladders, articulating boom platforms, vertical towers, or ladder trucks to reach their work. All work has hazards and risks involved in it, but when you work at an elevated height, extra training and attention to safety procedures is a necessity. In order to work safely with aerial platforms, get training on the operating procedures for your job site and task. Get specialized training on each aerial lift model you will use. Know the risks and hazards involved with aerial work, including your own risk...