Cargo Dock Safety An accident in a warehouse can injure you or your co-workers, damage equipment, and ruin cargo. It is a potential for a multiple loss. The most common warehouse accidents involve forklifts and manual material handling. The forklift is one of the most important mechanical devices you have. It can also be one of the most dangerous if not properly used. Statistics show that forklifts are involved in only about 1% of lost time accidents, yet they account for about 10% of the serious injuries. Some of those injuries occur when: A forklift strikes a pedestrian. A load falls on...

Carelessness Have you ever done anything stupid, something that you know puts you at increased risk of injury? When you realize how stupid you were, whether you got hurt or not, do you ask yourself, "Why did I ever do that?" For your own future preservation, this should be a very important question for you to answer yourself. Consider the fact that approximately 20% of injuries are due to unsafe conditions and 80% are caused by unsafe acts. If you realize that most unsafe conditions are brought about by human failure, then virtually all accidents are brought about by unsafe acts....

Safety Eye Wear - For Sun & Shade The days of old style safety glasses are numbered. Today, you have a selection of protective eye wear that rivals the style of designer glasses. Employees can now select a style that is most flattering to their face. They also have a choice of different colors, protection factors and prices. When choosing "safety glasses" the primary consideration is to ensure that the glasses provide necessary impact protection and that they meet or exceed the ANSI Z87.1-1989 standard. Both frame and lens must meet this standard. The idea is to prevent flying and splashing objects...

Head Injuries - After The Fall You can work for years and hardly get a scratch, then one day a fall can turn your life around. Fall injuries may cause abrasions, fractures and dislocations. However, one of the most serious results of a fall, other than death, can be a head injury. How this will affect you depends upon which part of your brain has been injured as a result of a fall or impact. Broken bones usually heal, but head injuries can result in life long serious problems, such as: Changes in personality, such as increased anxiety, depression or anger. ...

Shop Safety Checklist The following are common, important safety guidelines to remember when working in the shop environmen. Follow this shop safety checklist: Under no circumstances should unapproved people be allowed to use the shop equipment. Do not allow unauthorized persons to visit or loiter in the shop. Secure the shop when no one is present. It goes without saying that you should never leave a machine in operation while it is unattended. Check emergency equipment such as first aid kits, emergency lighting, fire extinguishers and eye wash stations monthly. Periodically check all hand tools, portable power tools and larger shop...

Welding On Galvanized Metals One of the most significant health hazards in the welding process is the generation of fumes and gasses. Do you weld on galvanized metals? Zinc is the coating used on galvanized metals, and when you heat the metal, it produces vaporized metal droplets which are called fumes. This is the smoky haze which consists of fine particles of metals or silicates. When you breathe these fumes, they may work deeply into your lungs. The typical effect of breathing zinc fumes is metal fume fever. One or two hours or more after welding-without proper personal protection-you may experience severe...

Skin Protection Should be a Priority Skin protection is a necessity. The skin is the single largest organ of the body. The skin, when healthy, protects us from chemical, physical, and biological hazards. Skin weighs about 10% of our total body weight and is approximately one-eighth of an inch thick. The skin is made up of two layers, the epidermis (outer layer) and the dermis (inner layer). The outer layer of skin is only 1/250th of an inch thick and is the part of our skin that forms the protective barrier. There are many skin irritants that employees may be exposed to...

Employee Responsibility What is employee responsibilty? An effective Accident Prevention Program should include the defined responsibilities for management, supervisors, and employees. Management, by law, has responsibility for the safety and health of all employees as well as providing a safe workplace. Supervisors have responsibility for providing a safe work place as well as managing the production issues. Now we need to address employee responsibilities and what those entail. Employers and supervisors should expect the employees to be responsible. This starts with getting to work on time, working safely through the day, and addressing concerns to their supervisor. Suggested Areas of Responsibility Employees are responsible...

Safety Signs You might see over 100 of them as you ride to work. Safety Signs -- they are everywhere. How many of these do you actually notice? Probably not many. That creates a problem. Not only do signs litter the streets, they may also be all over your work place. Do you see them? Do you notice them? Do they mean something or do they just make the work place look safer to the outsider? Safety Signs are placed to warn and educate. They are not simply decoration. Safety Signs can be permanent or temporary. Signs lose their impact if they...

Electrical Hazards - Anatomy Of An Accident A crew of four linemen were installing intermediate poles on an existing single phase 14.4 KV distribution line. Three of the workers were journeymen with 30 or more years of experience. The fourth was an apprentice with almost 3 years experience. The following summary describes a tragic accident: One of the journeymen and the apprentice were belted off below the neutral bracket on a newly installed pole, using hot sticks to tie off the energized conductor. Another journeymen on the ground was using a hold-down to keep the conductor in place while the wrap-lock...