Respirators Instructor Note: Prior to making a safety presentation, obtain and review your company respirator protection program. Our company has developed a separate respirator protection program. It is an important program because of the exposure we face in the workplace. We want to protect your body and lungs. Guide for Discussion Generally: No respiratory program is required when filtering-facepiece respirators are the only respirator used and they are used voluntarily. Respirators will be worn when the employee is exposed to hazards such as fumes, gases, mists, vapors and sprays Fit testing shall occur prior to allowing an employee to wear the Employees should...

CARBON MONOXIDE (CO) Carbon monoxide is a clear, odorless, heavier-than-air gas that is created by inefficient combustion emissions. The most common sources in industry are gasoline or diesel-powered pressure washers, air compressors, forklifts or other petroleum-fired machinery. The chemical makeup of CO is a carbon molecule linked to an oxygen molecule. The carbon molecule makes CO heavier than air and will not allow the lungs to absorb oxygen into the bloodstream. Without oxygen, you will slowly suffocate to death. What does this mean for workers? As the CO fills the space, it displaces oxygen and will affect workers as follows: Slight headache and...

The Silent Dangers of Confined Space Workers tend to put their faith in most indoor or confined atmospheres, thinking someone else has checked for safety.  Air, whether life sustaining or killing, is usually colorless, odorless, and tasteless.  The atmosphere in a confined space, for example, may seem like any other.  But that is one work place that must never be taken for granted.  Confined spaces have fooled scores of workers killed or injured every year because they thought someone had checked for safety or because they “followed their noses” and guessed the air smelled OK.  The air may look safe and...