Be Cautious With Sulfuric Acid Sulfuric acid is widely used in industry for a variety of purposes such as metal cleaning and etching, the production of fertilizers, petroleum products, dyes and explosives. Like all acids it is reactive. Simply put, this means that when the liquid comes into contact with another material, something is going to happen. This is where the danger lies. If sulfuric acid comes in contact with any part of your body, rapid destruction of tissue takes place, capable of causing severe burns. When a burn occurs, it also gives rise to the possibility of secondary problems such...

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...

Avoid Improper Drum Handling Improper drum handling and barrels can result in severe injuries. These include painful back sprains, smashed toes and fingers, or exposure to hazardous chemicals if the contents are leaking. Proper work practices can minimize your risk of injury, so consider the following tips. Prior to handling the drum, read the label on the drum and look for symbols, words or other marks which indicate if its contents are hazardous, corrosive, toxic or flammable. If the drum isn't labeled, consider the contents hazardous until they are positively identified. Look around the drum to see if it is leaking....

Protective Headwear One serious blow to the head can leave an otherwise strong and healthy person permanently brain-damaged or disabled for life. At best, a blow on the head can give you a whopper of a headache. Therefore, it is crucial to protect it from the impact of falling objects, painful bumps, and in some cases, from high-voltage electric shock. ANSI-approved head protection is generally required when there is "a potential for head injury from falling or moving objects" and where employees' heads are exposed to electricity. Hard Hats: The American National Standards Institute has established guidelines for helmets, the latest of...

Respirator Fit Check - Personal Protective Equipment Although negative pressure respirators are an accepted way to reduce exposure to airborne contaminants, engineering controls should always be your first choice. Sometimes strategies such as adequate ventilation can reduce contaminants to levels where personal protection is not required. However, if you do choose this equipment, you must be certain of two things: Have you selected the proper respirator with the correct filtering media, and does it fit properly? No amount of training or respiratory equipment will provide the protection you need unless a good seal is made. Prior to entering a contaminated atmosphere, you...

Report Unsafe Equipment Equipment Hazards Your employer does its best to keep equipment in good condition, but maintenance personnel are only human and can't keep up with all the problems in the field. Some defects will go unnoticed in spite of every effort made. Those of you who work with and around machines and equipment are in a good position to notice hazardous conditions. Get in the habit of reporting things that can lead to accidents so that corrections can be made before they result in costly accidents and/or employee injuries. Keep in mind that the person who sees a situation that should...

Safety Considerations For Sandblasting Sandblasting operations can be overlooked when preparing safety plans because they are generally a small part of a larger project such as cleaning and refinishing or painting. As a result, many workers are exposed to the hazards of sandblasting without adequate protection. Even if all sandblasting equipment is properly designed and regularly inspected, users must always be alert to the hazards of these operations and take precautions against harmful exposures. Airborne dust: This is one of the most serious hazards associated with blasting operations. When evaluating this hazard, it's important to consider the concentration of dust and the...

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...

Metal Worker PPE for Hands and Eyes Metal workers drill, press, punch, cut, bend, shape, and fasten pieces of sheet metal to make construction and consumer products.  The most common injuries to metal workers are hand lacerations and eye injuries from metal pieces.  Proper use of personal protective equipment (PPE) can prevent these. Choose appropriate work gloves for the job task.  They should be well-fitted so they don’t get caught by moving or rotating machine parts.  The gloves should be flexible enough to allow your hands to move freely while holding stock materials and using tools.  They should be sturdy enough to...

Battery Charging - A Multitude Of Hazards! Explosive hydrogen….Acidic liquids and vapors….Electrical burns….Strains, sprains, hernias and compressed discs. All of these hazards arise when servicing, charging, or jumping the common lead-acid battery found in cars and trucks. The hazards can be minimized by following a few common sense safety rules. Eye Protection: First, always wear safety goggles or a face shield when working around a battery. Batteries contain corrosive acids that are capable of eating away metals. It takes just one droplet to cause serious eye damage. Just popping open the vent cap may throw out a droplet. A short or faulty...