Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Safety at All Levels Individuals infected with a bloodborne pathogen may not know they are infectious because symptoms may not appear immediately. For this reason, employees should treat all human blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) as potentially infectious and use appropriate precautions whenever occupational exposure may occur. Bloodborne...

Avoiding Electrical Shock Electrical hazards exist in nearly every workplace. Contact with electricity can cause shock, severe burns, muscle contractions, falls, heart disturbances, and electrocution. Because electrical hazards are not always visible, employees should treat electrical equipment and circuits with caution and never assume they are safe. Electrical current can travel through...

Assured Equipment Grounding and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) Temporary power, extension cords, and portable electrical tools are common on construction sites and can expose workers to electric shock, burns, and electrocution. OSHA requires protection through Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) or an Assured Equipment Grounding Conductor Program (AEGCP) under applicable...

Hot Work Procedures Hot work includes operations that produce flames, sparks, or sufficient heat to ignite combustible materials. Examples include welding, cutting, brazing, soldering, grinding, torch-applied heating, and other spark- or heat-producing activities. Because these operations can ignite materials some distance from the work, careful planning and fire-prevention measures are required. Before...

Chocks and Blocks Proper use of wheel chocks, vehicle restraints, and cargo blocking is essential when loading and unloading trucks and trailers. Unexpected vehicle movement or shifting cargo can result in serious struck-by, caught-between, crushing, rollover, or loading-dock injuries. Why Chocking Is Important A truck or trailer can move unexpectedly during loading or...

Be Cautious With Sulfuric Acid Sulfuric acid is a highly corrosive chemical used in many industrial processes, including metal cleaning, petroleum processing, fertilizer production, and battery applications. Contact with sulfuric acid can cause severe chemical burns, permanent eye damage, respiratory injury, and other serious health effects. Employees who work with or...

Near Miss Reporting – The Accident That Almost Happened Near miss reporting is an important part of accident prevention. A near miss is an unplanned event that does not result in injury, illness, or property damage but had the potential to do so. Someone trips over a pallet but does not...

Aerial Lifts – Working at Elevations Aerial lifts allow employees to safely reach elevated work areas, but they can expose workers to serious hazards including falls, tip-overs, falling objects, electrical hazards, and contact with overhead obstructions. Employees who operate or work from aerial lifts must be properly trained and understand the...

Health & Safety – Heat Stress Disorders Heat stress can occur whenever the body is unable to adequately cool itself. Although hot summer weather is a common cause, heat-related illness can also occur indoors and during any season when employees work around furnaces, boilers, hot equipment, welding or cutting operations, or...