PPE - Picking The Proper Gloves Your hands are one of your most valuable assets. Without them, you wouldn't be able to touch, hold, feel write or gesture. In fact, you couldn't do much of anything. Too often, however, we take them for granted. We don't pay attention to how we treat or mistreat them! Just a few examples of when your hands should be protected is whenever you are cutting, painting, welding, or handling sharp metal, chemicals, needles, or blood samples. And it is very important to wear the right gloves for each specific task since no one glove protects...

What's This In Our Tool Box?! All right, now that we are gathered around for our weekly Tool Box Safety Meeting, lets actually take a look inside the tool box to see what we might find. Is there a box of horrors waiting for us when we reach in? Field shop boxes, mechanics' chests in shops, the boxes on the backs of our pickup trucks, or the bucket we carry with saddle bags for our personal tools...

Wrenches Wrenches—a very good name for this tool in that all too often it is the condition of a worker’s back after misusing a wrench. (Wrenched back, get it?) It is not only a back that can be injured, as we will see after our discussion. Guide for Discussion Proper Care Inspect on a regular basis Replace sprung jaws, cages and faces Replace all bent handles Keep the jaws sharp Keep the wrench clean and free of grease and oil. Proper Use Always use the proper size wrench for the job. Never use a shim to make a wrong size wrench fit a nut. ...

Electric Hand Saws The electric hand saw is one of the most common power tools found in residential construction.  It is also one of the most abused being tossed around, kicked out of the way, but depended on to get the job done. Today we are going to discuss basic safety rules, guard rules, and saw blade rules. Guide for Discussion General Safety Rules Use only grounded or double-insulated tools. Use only extension cords that are in good condition. Make sure there is an assured grounding program or ground fault interrupter (GFI) being used. (See Electrical section for more information.) Make sure all...

Butcher Safety Butchers prepare a variety of meat products, so butcher safety needs to be the number one ingredient behind the meat counter. When moving boxes of cut meats and carcasses, use proper handling techniques to prevent strains and sprains.  Use carts and other lifting devices for heavy items.  Lift with the legs while keeping your back straight.  Hold the loads close to your body and make more frequent trips with lighter loads. Place meat cuts on a work surface that allows you to work comfortably without overreaching or bending your back.  You may need different surface heights for different tasks.  Cutting, trimming,...