02 May Preventing Silicosis
Preventing Silicosis There is a general lack of awareness about the nature of the disease silicosis and about the sources of silica exposure in the worksite. More than 1 million U.S. workers are exposed to crystalline silica (free silica). Overexposure to crystalline silica can cause silicosis, a disabling lung disease. Sand, rock, and soil are the most common materials that contain silica. The most common form of crystalline silica is known as quartz. Inhalation of airborne dusts that contain crystalline silica can occur in a wide variety of settings: mining, quarrying, and stone cutting; foundry operations; paint-blasting and sand-blasting; glass...
02 May Power Press Safety
Power Press Safety A power press can present serious hazards to its operator. A power press injury can result in the amputation of fingers, hands, or arms and cause other disabling injuries. Proper safeguards, employee training, press maintenance, and inspections are vital to the prevention of injuries. A power press can be used in more than one production system and there may be several ways to safeguard each system. For operators, the greatest danger is at the point where stock is inserted, held, or withdrawn by hand. Safeguards are designed to eliminate the possibility of the operator or other workers...
20 Apr Insect & Spider Bites
Insect & Spider Bites Each year many workers experience insect and spider bites serious enough to make them lose time off the job. If you are stung by a bee, remove the stinger gently (with tweezers, if possible) and avoid squeezing the poison sac. Apply an ice pack or a cloth dipped in cold water to reduce swelling and itching. A sting from a yellow jacket can be deadly. These insects feed on dead animals and can cause blood poisoning. If you have an allergic reaction to a bite, get medical help immediately. Of spiders causing serious medical problems only...
13 Mar Arc Flash Protection Safety Program
Arc Flash Protection Safety Program
Table of Contents
- PROTECTING YOU AND YOUR WORKERS
- DEFINITIONS
- PROTECTION AGAINST ARC FLASH
- ARC FLASH HAZARD ASSESSMENT
- DETERMINE ELECTRICAL ARC FLASH HAZARD BOUNDARY
- CREATING A SAFE WORK ZONE
- PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT
- CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF PPE
- OTHER HIGH VOLTAGE REQUIREMENTS
02 Mar Hearing Protection Devices
Hearing Protection Devices Hearing protection devices (HPD) such as earmuffs and earplugs can be an effective measure to protect hearing in noisy work environments. However, hearing protection devices are only effective if they are properly sized and carefully fitted into or over the ear. The two common HPD categories are earplugs and earmuffs. There are several common types of hearing protection devices: Formable earplugs made of expandable foam. One size fits most people. Premolded earplugs made from flexible plastics. Often sold in different sizes, they should be selected to provide best fit for each ear. Semi-aural devices, or canal caps,...
20 Feb CAL/OSHA Heat Stress Changes
CAL/OSHA Heat Stress Changes Over the objections of employer groups and applause from labor representatives, the Cal/OSHA Standards Board approved major revisions to the state’s heat illness prevention standard. Executive Officer Marley Hart said the board would request an early effective date for the revisions from the Office of Administrative Law – April 1 instead of July 1. That means that employers must revise their heat illness programs and train employees on an accelerated schedule, with barely five weeks before the changes become enforceable. Under normal circumstances, the changes would trigger on July 1, as OAL sets effective dates quarterly...
17 Feb Handle Glass Safely
Handle Glass Safely The risk of injury from the storage, handling and disposal of glassware or broken glass exists in most workplaces. Broken glass can cause lacerations, cuts, and puncture wounds which may result in severed arteries or tendons, amputations, eye injuries, or exposure to disease. For situations involving broken glass, workers should know the safe handling procedures, the necessity of proper protective equipment, and the importance of obtaining prompt and effective first aid for injuries. Workers should know to keep glass containers off machines, work benches, or window sills and off the floor. They should never throw glass, whether...
10 Dec Fall Protection
Fall Protection It may seem that a job can be performed more efficiently without spending the time to protect against falls. Lack of fall protection remains one of the top causes of fatalities in construction. Workers have fallen off edges of every description, especially floors and roofs, and through openings in floors, roofs, and walls. Fall protection is required whenever a worker faces serious risk of injury, including: on structures where a worker could fall more than 7 feet; on thrust outs, trusses, beams, purlins, and plates at heights over 15 feet; on a sloped roof. To prevent accidental falls...