General Safety - "Take Two" Picture this scenario. You are walking through your operation and notice a puddle of oil on the floor. Hopefully, you recognize that this is a safety hazard and proceed to clean up the oil. Feeling that you have done all you can to prevent an accident from occurring, you return to your usual job. But did you really do everything you could have done to prevent an injury? How about if I told you that the next day your co-worker slips and falls on the same puddle of oil and injures his back? You may argue...

Attitude and Behavior Humans instinctively seek to avoid pain and death. And yet, we may behave in a manner that is a threat to our well-being. There are a couple of reasons why this occurs. The first is lack of knowledge. What you do not know, can hurt you! The second reason we may act in a risky manner is attitude. Now might be a good time to do a quick self-analysis. What is your attitude toward safety? When asked, some may say they are all for it. Others may complain about any safety effort being made. The difference between the two...

Scaffolding Inspections Scaffolding is a temporary, field erected structure used for working aloft. Because it is temporary and field erected, it is subject to wear and abuse, improper assembly, and unauthorized changes. Construction standards require that a "competent person" inspect scaffolds for defects before every work shift. Yet, in all industries, every employee who works on or around scaffolding should be aware of safety requirements. The following list includes things to watch for: Scaffolding must be erected on firm footing capable of carrying the maximum intended load. Boxes, barrels, loose concrete blocks or brick must not be used to support the...

Eye Injury Prevention Personal Protective Equipment  One thousand eye injuries occur in American workplaces every day. These injuries are responsible for over $3,000,000.00 annually in medical, lost production and workers' compensation costs!! Why are these injuries occurring? Three out of five injuries happen because the worker was not wearing any eye protection at the time of the accident. About 40% of the injured workers were wearing some type of eye protection, but it was the wrong kind and failed to protect adequately. The leading cause in this category is the lack of side shields. Accident studies reveal flying or falling objects and sparks...

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...