Excavation/Trenching Safety Each year excavation and trenching cave-ins result in more than 5,000 serious injuries and 100 deaths in the United States. The key to prevention of this type of loss is good planning. When the side of a trench decides to move it is too late to be thinking about your safety or the safety of others. Here are some good safety rules and practices to follow when working in or around excavations. Evaluation of shoring, sloping, or other means to eliminate the potential for cave-ins must be performed prior to the start of work. Consider these engineering controls at...

Lift It Twice Most of you have heard the general rules of safe lifting. Remember to "Get a firm grip on the load, keep it close, bend at the knees, use your legs to lift the load, and keep your spine in the natural position (with an arch in your lower back)". These principles always apply and should be incorporated into every lift--if possible! Given the enormous number of "risky" lifting situations that you are faced with at your place of work, you may not be able to apply these principles every time. This is why you must always remember to...

Childcare Worker Safety Workers in childcare facilities educate and care for infants, toddlers, and preschool-age children. Childcare may not seem like a hazardous occupation, but every workplace has hazards and risks. Childcare workers should pay attention to their own safety while they nurture children. Use good ergonomics to reduce the risk of strain or sprain injuries. To protect your back, try to find ways to reduce lifting like using steps up to the changing table, sink, or fountain. To comfort a child, kneel down to their level instead of bending over toward them or lifting them. Avoid bending or hunching over when...

Make Shift Work Safe Work Most people in this country think of "work hours" as the daylight hours from 8 or so in the morning until 5 or so in the afternoon. But more than 20 million Americans work a different schedule. For many reasons, their workday either starts in the afternoon and ends late at night, or begins around midnight and ends in the early morning. If this applies to you, be aware that your safety is just as critical as the day crew, but that conditions and hazards may be different. If you work a nonstandard shift, it may be...

Look Out For Your Co-Workers Take a look around at your co-workers. Some are your friends during work hours, and even after work. You know about their families, what they like and don't like, and what they do for fun. So, be on the lookout for unsafe conditions and correct them, or report them to your supervisors as soon as possible. Help your fellow workers get through the shift without an accident: I'll help you lift those heavy items, so you don't have to do it by yourself. I know a back injury can mess up your home life, as well...

Front-End Loaders If you operate front-end loaders, you have probably experienced the bouncing, weaving, and "road walk" that leaves you feeling as if you are not in total control of the equipment. Hopefully, you have recognized this as dangerous and have learned to slow down, especially when traveling downgrade, when empty, or when traveling on a particularly bad terrain. There are other hazards to be considered as well: (1) getting caught in the pinch points of the bucket arms or the pivot area of an articulated machine, (2) collision, (3) running over a pedestrian, (4) spilling a load on others, (5) machine...

Hazcom vs. Hazmat vs. Hazardous Waste What Is The Difference????? AT LAST REPORT there were 213,000 chemicals and chemical compounds being used in this country. And each year thousands of new chemical compounds are produced and become part of our lives at home and at work. Nearly 1.5 billion tons of hazardous materials are transported annually in the U.S., over the road or by rail, aircraft or vessel. A lot of these products improve our lives, but many are harmful to our health and to the environment. The trouble is, these substances become so common to us, we are in danger of...

Shop Hazards & Typical Incidents Shop hazards incidents can be avoided. An incident is defined as "any observable human activity sufficiently complete in itself to permit references and predictions to be made about the persons performing the act." (Whew!) Therefore, it is safe to say that incidents or accidents do not usually just happen; they happen for a reason and are usually due to unsafe acts or conditions. The following is a list of incidents that have typically led to employee accidents. This list focuses upon shop work, but of course there are many other unsafe acts, conditions, or work activities...

Back Injuries - What Is Your Back IQ? Back injuries are a painful, sometimes debilitating, problem in many industries. Back strains can often be avoided by reducing the size or weight of materials handled by employees, by using mechanical aids such as hoists, conveyors or hydraulic lifts, and by making certain that employees are well trained in lifting techniques. But the key to back care lies with the individual worker. Everyone should be a back care "expert" and be able to answer the following questions: Question: What's the most important lifting rule to remember? Answer:  Keep The Load Close! There are many other...

Stacking Up A Pile Of Trouble An alarming number of employee accidents and injuries are associated with forklift operations. Many of these are a result of poorly stacked materials that topple and damage property or injure people. Stacking boxes, bagged goods, and similar items is usually thought to be an uncomplicated job. Yet, like most tasks that are considered to be easy, a lack of attention or knowledge can create safety problems. The stability of a stack is probably the number one concern. If a stacked load is going to be moved, with a forklift or pallet jack, for example, you can...