Portable Light Strings - Electrical Safety Follow these precautions when using portable light strings: Inspect the wiring and fixtures before stringing the lights or before they are energized or plugged in. Make sure the outer insulation is not damaged, the plug ends are intact, and the fixtures are not cracked. The light string must be grounded. Make certain the plug has a ground prong. Never cut one off. The quality of the ground must be tested frequently. A good ground could save your life if an electrical fault develops, especially when working in wet conditions or on metal structures. If a...

Cold Weather Driving Living and working in cold areas means having to navigate cold weather driving. In Wyoming, the weather can change very quickly. Many accidents could be avoided if you take the time to learn and practice these tips for driving safely during snowy and icy conditions: Perhaps the deadliest danger of all is "black ice." Black ice forms on a roadway, usually due to snow melting and re-freezing. Since it is almost invisible, drivers fail to recognize black ice conditions and may drive at normal speeds-often resulting in very serious accidents. Always be alert to the possibility of black ice when...

Assured Equipment Grounding and Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCI) Electric shock, and too often fatalities, occur on construction jobsites when temporary power systems are in use. All construction workers who operate power tools should receive training in the systems that safeguard them from electrical hazards. What is the difference between an "Assured Equipment Grounding Program" and GFCI? An Assured Equipment Grounding Program is a scheduled system for testing construction site electrical tools and extension cords to assure their proper grounding, polarity and resistance. A Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) is equipment that serves as a circuit breaker if continuous ground continuity...

Construction Safety - Floor Openings Unprotected holes in the floor, deck or roof have been responsible for a number of very serious injuries. Yet, through planning and personal attention, falls through openings under foot are easy to prevent. If you make a hole, guard it. Before cutting the hole, barricade the work area to keep people out. If the hole must be open, install permanent barricades around the perimeter. Like railings around the edge of a building or stairwell, these should be a minimum of forty-two inches high, have a mid-rail and be capable of withstanding a 200-pound load. Toe boards are...

Safety Rules For People Working Around Forklifts Call them what you like -- forklifts, lift trucks, bulls. They can be a large part of any industrial operation. Most forklift safety training concentrates on the operators, with good cause. They are the ones who are maneuvering the heavy, and sometimes awkward, loads through aisles, around corners and up ramps. A well-known lift truck manufacturer recently stated that 60% of injuries/fatalities involving lift trucks are sustained by co-workers, not operators. Like I said, most of the training concentrates on operator safety, not on the people who work around the lift trucks. The following 7 tips...

Front-End Loaders If you operate front-end loaders, you have probably experienced the bouncing, weaving, and "road walk" that leaves you feeling as if you are not in total control of the equipment. Hopefully, you have recognized this as dangerous and have learned to slow down, especially when traveling downgrade, when empty, or when traveling on a particularly bad terrain. There are other hazards to be considered as well: (1) getting caught in the pinch points of the bucket arms or the pivot area of an articulated machine, (2) collision, (3) running over a pedestrian, (4) spilling a load on others, (5) machine...

Safe Use Of Hand Trucks What's the best way to move something? Ask someone else to do it for you! What's the next best way? Be sure you know the proper way to move materials yourself. If you could transfer the risk of handling heavy, large and awkward items and not get hurt, wouldn't you do it? However, for many people who must move heavy items on a regular basis at work or at home, this is not a reality. One of the best ways to avoid suffering a muscle strain or sprain is to use a hand truck. The use of...

Temporary Heat Safety Temporary heat safety devices are a vital part of working effectively in cold weather. They allow temperature-critical work to continue on schedule, and provide for more comfortable working conditions. However, as a result of poor selection and careless use of portable heaters, injuries, and damaging fires occur every year. If improperly used, temporary heating devices can lead to burns, fires, explosions, carbon monoxide poisoning, and the creation of oxygen-deficient atmospheres. So, with the winter season upon us, it's important to review the many types of temporary heating devices that are available, and be sure they are used safely. A variety...

Food Safety - E. Coli Escherichia coli, more commonly called E. coli for short, comes in many strains. E. coli normally lives in the intestines of humans and other warm-blooded animals without causing disease or illness. However, the strain called E. coli 0157:H7 is different. This strain, first linked to human illness in 1982, produces a dangerous toxin that is very harmful to humans. Anyone can contract E. coli, but elderly people and those under five years of age appear more likely to develop serious infections. Infection can cause a complication called hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS). This is a disease in which red...

Electrical Safety – How about your Workplace? (NIOSH), studies electrocutions occurring between 1982 and 1994. The NIOSH researchers analyzed 224 electrocutions that resulted in 244 workplace fatalities. The information they learned provides valuable lessons for everyone that works with or around electricity. Younger males die most often New hires need to take the most care. Construction workers had the highest percentage of electrocutions and other predominate industries included: transportation/communication/public utilities. Utility line workers (linemen) typically receive extensive training in electrical safety, yet they had the highest number of fatal injuries of linemen fatalities were caused by failure to use required...