Hazard Recognition I've never met a worker who intentionally injured himself or herself. This should go without saying. Unfortunately, many workers are seriously injured each year and many people still believe that accidents "just happen." But, accidents do not just happen! What Goes Wrong? Usually, an error that is within the control of one or more people is at the bottom of things. Often, several errors take place, at the same time, for an accident to occur. So when we analyze accidents, we should focus on which aspects of a task were controlled and which were not. Assuming that workers have been...

Protection Against Workplace Violence Each year in the workplace, an estimated 1.7 million workers are injured in assaults and approximately 800 homicides occur. Workplace violence incidents include verbal assault, simple or aggravated assault, robbery, rape and homicide. Anyone can become the victim of a workplace assault, so it is important to know the risk factors. Factors that increase the risk of workplace violence include contact with the public; the exchange of money; and guarding or delivering valuable property. Other factors include mobile workplaces (cars or trucks); working in high-crime areas, and working late night or early morning hours. Finally, workers that have...

Motion Injuries - General Safety Taking the time to think about everyday tasks and their affects on our bodies is a good way to prevent injuries. The following scenarios will demonstrate how inadequate planning leads to pain and disability, affecting on- and off-the-job activities. At the breakfast table you rush to clean everything up before going to work. You stretch awkwardly across the table to lift your infant baby out of the highchair. Half standing, you start to lift your baby, but then stop, reacting to a sharp pain in your back. Instead of using your leg muscles to lift, you used...

Inspect Your Slings Inspecting your synthetic web slings prior to use is one of the easiest ways to prevent a serious accident from occurring. By adhering to the following suggestions, you can spot potential problems before you find yourself, literally, over your head in trouble. Inspect your equipment before, during and after use. This increases your chance of catching a defective sling before anyone uses it. What do you look for when you inspect a sling? Look for obvious abnormalities in the integrity of the material. Run your hands along the fabric and feel for irregularity such as tears, holes, snags and frayed...

Mobile Cranes Mobile cranes are responsible for the most accidents, injuries, and fatalities of all of the crane types. Be aware of the hazards if you operate or work around mobile cranes. Get proper training on crane operation and load preparation and securing. Wear hard hats, safety boots, and high visibility clothing when operating or working around cranes. Falling loads from mobile cranes pose a severe hazard to operators and nearby workers. Never exceed the load capacity of the mobile crane. If you are unsure about the load size and weight, calculate the weight to ensure that it meets your crane’s capacity....

Office Safety Practices It is amazing how many people who work in offices take safety for granted. Most people think of a construction site or factory when they think of safety. Well, that's not the way it should be. Granted, construction sites and factories are potentially extremely dangerous; but offices can be too, especially when no one considers office safety. Let's review some of the situations that increase exposure to injury and what we can do about them. Avoid walking and reading at the same time. If it is important enough to read, then stop and read it. Never leave file cabinets...

Painter Safety (1) A painter applies coatings to surfaces and products to protect and/or beautify them. They use chemicals such as solvents, fillers, etchers, primers, color, and clear coats. Be familiar with the chemicals you use in the workplace. Read and understand the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the proper use of each chemical. Chemical containers require labels with at least the name and the primary hazard of the chemical inside. Choose chemicals that have lower hazard ratings for fire, health, and reactivity. Spray painting and the use of solvents may cause you to inhale dust, vapors, and mists of coating chemicals. Do...

Emergency Eye Wash & Deluge Showers Let's hope you never need an eye wash, but if you do let's hope it's clean and accessible. If you get foreign particles in your eyes or a chemical spill on your body, an emergency eyewash station or deluge shower is the most important initial step in first-aid treatment. Chemical burns to the eye are among the most urgent of emergencies. An eyewash/shower is required if: The Safety Data Sheet indicates a chemical in use is caustic, toxic, or corrosive. The SDS informs that serious eye damage may result. Warnings such as "causes chemical burns" or...

Changing Crops During Drought The California agriculture industry grows half of the fruits, vegetables, and nuts consumed in our nation. As drought conditions intensify, many farmers are changing their crops to less water intensive plants, drought resistant crops, or leaving their lands fallow. With this shift, causing needed changes in cultivation and harvesting, require farmers to conduct a hazard analysis to update safety procedures for equipment, tools and chemicals related to new crops and processes. New crops may require changing implements on your farming equipment. Make sure to: Get training on the operation of any new blades, discs, or other implements Use...

Emergency! Where's The Fire Extinguisher? As you walk toward the maintenance shop, you smell something burning and see light gray smoke coming from the window. You run into the shop and find the contents of the plastic trash can burning. What will you do? What is burning in the trash can? Where is the closest fire extinguisher? What type of extinguisher is it? Is the fire too big for you to put out? Do you even need a fire extinguisher? Are there people in the shop that should be warned of the danger? These are questions that should be going through your...