Near Miss - The One That Almost Happened What is a "near miss?" Webster defines it as: "A result that is nearly, but not quite, successful." What does this mean to the industry? It simply means that a serious accident almost occurred. Someone trips over a pallet but doesn't fall. Two forklifts almost collide in a corner. A tool is dropped, but toes are missed…this time. Statistics tell us that for every 300 near misses there is one serious injury. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), 6.1 million injuries occurred during 1995. If we multiply each injury by 300, the...

Aerial Lifts - Working at Elevations Injuries from falls are one of the most common and severe workplace accidents. Employees must understand how to identify fall hazards and the ways they can protect themselves. Areas Where Fall Hazards Exist: Any height greater than 4 feet is considered a hazard and must be protected. This includes: Roofs Floor Openings              · Loading Docks               · Work Platforms   Ways to Protect Employees from Fall Hazards: The most effective way to protect employees from falls is by eliminating the hazard. Passive systems such as guardrails and covers remove the employee’s exposure to the hazard.   Passive Systems Administrative Controls Active Systems Guardrails Covers Boundary Lines Signs / Access Control Fall...

Health & Safety - Heat Stress Disorders Although summer heat is the largest cause of heat stress disorder, it may also occur when workers are exposed to confined areas such as pipelines, shipboard spaces with limited ventilation, and any confined area involving welding or cutting. Symptoms The symptoms of heat stress disorders are very slow to start, but increase in intensity if precautions are not taken. The onset of the initial symptoms are mild and usually involve headaches, thirst, and tiredness. Heat stress can move to heat stroke, a life-threatening medical emergency, quickly when the body's natural cooling system breaks down and causes the...

Sleep Deprivation Whether it’s due to workloads, or working side jobs, the result is the same – sleep deprivation. Many workers are arriving on the job overly tired or sleep-deprived. Sleep deprivation or fatigue can affect a worker’s manual dexterity, reaction time, and alertness. Worker fatigue or lack of sleep can affect judgment and safety. And workers aren’t the only ones suffering the consequences of sleepiness on the job it’s costing employers money and, in some cases, putting the public’s safety at risk. Studies show that workers are not only getting less sleep than they should; they’re getting less than they used...

Personal Ergonomics What is Ergonomics? Ergonomics is the science of matching tools and tasks to the work environment. In other words, ergonomics tries to make your job fit you, rather than making you fit your job. The purpose of ergonomics is to reduce or eliminate injuries and illnesses that can result from stress on muscles, nerves, and joints. These types of injuries have been common to workplaces for a long time, but safety standards concerning them are new. If OSHA finds that poor ergonomics is a threat to employee well-being, it can cite a company for violating its duty to provide...

Safe Housekeeping Most of you probably have house cleaning responsibilities at home. For some of you, it's a regular weekly chore. Whatever the case may be, you'll agree that good housekeeping practices are important at home. However, what we sometimes overlook is that good housekeeping is a key duty on the job, too. The orderly arrangement of work areas is vital to the safety of all workers, regardless of whether they are involved with machines and tools or with appliances and furniture. It's a fact that approximately 6,000 persons are killed on the job annually in the United States, and an estimated...

Hard Hats Shall = Mandatory.  Should = Advisory. There really isn't any excuse for not wearing hard hats on jobs that require it. The miracles of chemistry and manufacturing have turned out head protection to fit every need and about every taste. The colors are attractive and have proved to be positive factors in morale and in comfort. In some cases, the type of job a crew performs is identified by the color of its hard hats. This type of team identification—and protection—is also used by football teams, pilots in Air Force units and other groups. The color of a hard hat...

Construction Safety - Floor Openings Unprotected holes in the floor, deck or roof have been responsible for a number of very serious injuries. Yet, through planning and personal attention, falls through openings under foot are easy to prevent. If you make a hole, guard it. Before cutting the hole, barricade the work area to keep people out. If the hole must be open, install permanent barricades around the perimeter. Like railings around the edge of a building or stairwell, these should be a minimum of forty-two inches high, have a mid-rail and be capable of withstanding a 200-pound load. Toe boards are...

Personal Protective Equipment Probably the last thing that comes to mind when you watch a pro football game is safety. It starts in the locker room before the game when the players put on their uniforms. To play the game, they must wear personal protective equipment, including a shock-absorbing helmet with face guard, shoulder pads, knee pads, and cleated shoes. These things can get pretty bulky and uncomfortable, especially when its 95 degrees on the field and the only shade you can get is from someone's shadow. Football is a rough game, and if a player wants to be with his family...

Ladder Safety Tips We have all worked with ladders at some time in our lives, either at work or at home. The following are some tips that may make your interaction with ladders less hazardous: Before using a ladder, inspect it for faults, such as broken rungs or rails. If it is an extension ladder, inspect the pulleys, ropes and locks for excessive wear. Also, check the footings and pads to make sure they still provide a non-skid surface. If any defect is found, the ladder should be tagged unsafe and taken out of service. If it cannot be fixed, make...