Personal protection equipment, or PPE, is critical for keeping people safe in the workplace. There are many different types of PPE available, each of which is designed to provide a specific type of protection to the person wearing it. While some PPE items is designed to be used once and then disposed of, most of it is able to be used many times as long as it is not damaged. For reusable personal protection equipment, …
Plummet, a new game for iPhones, requires players to navigate the path of a person who has just fallen down a deep construction hole. Users move the person by tilting their phones to the right or left and they try to accumulate as high a score as possible. So what does this have to do with workplace safety? The game is based on the experience of the game’s developer, Mark Major, who fell into an approximately …
In many industrial and construction workplaces, contaminated clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) are an everyday occurrence. Dust, dirt and more hazardous contaminants such as lead and asbestos can cover workers, making their protective gear or clothing dangerous. Too often, employees carry these contaminants home on their clothing, getting the materials into their cars and homes where it can impact the health of their families and friends. A study performed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety …
Yesterday, we took a look at flame-resistant (FR) clothing for the workplace. This clothing can protect workers against fires because it is either made from naturally flame-resistant materials or materials treated with flame-retardant chemicals. This discussion touched on the importance of finding FR clothing that isn’t too stiff or too thick, as this clothing can make workers too hot, especially during summer months. What should you do, though, if you have the opposite problem? What …
Flame-resistant (FR) clothing is either made of materials that are naturally flame resistant (such as wool or cotton) or that are treated with a flame retardant. These materials, used to make shirts, pants, jackets and coveralls, protect people performing work around potential fire and electrical hazards. This type of personal protective equipment (PPE) falls under OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.132 (General Protective Equipment) as well as 29 CFR 1910.269 (Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution). Additional …
Noise exposures in the workplace can lead to hearing loss for workers down the road, and companies and regulatory agencies have focused for quite some time on limiting noise levels through the use of quieter equipment and appropriate protective measures. Noise isn’t the only threat to your workers’ hearing, though. Certain substances used in the workplace, referred to generally as ototoxic substances, can impact the cochlea and nerves in the ear, leading to hearing loss over …
Did you know the most common work-related injury in the United States isn’t back injuries or sprains? It’s actually noise-induced hearing loss, and 22 million workers experience noises in the workplace that are loud enough to cause hearing damage, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). When noise levels in the workplace reach 85 decibels (dB) or higher, OSHA requires employers to take steps to reduce this hazard and prevent hearing loss …
When you think about hazardous chemicals in the workplace, the first ones that come to mind may not be cleaning chemicals. Chemicals used for cleaning, though, can pose a number of hazards to worker health and safety, especially for workers who use them on a daily basis like janitorial staff. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), 2.8 million people in the cleaning industry are potentially exposed to dangerous cleaning chemicals on a daily basis, …
What you need to know: Respiratory 101 Respirators are a worker’s first line of defense against areas with insufficient oxygen, harmful dusts, fogs, smokes, mists, gases, vapors, and sprays. Without the proper protection, these can all lead to fatal situations. Workers that have been exposed to these hazards have suffered from lung impairment, diseases, cancer, and even death in some instances. OSHA estimates that nearly 5 million workers are required to wear respirators in 1.3 …
Some will flat out tell you that workplace accidents are inevitable and that they just happen. While this is true to an extent, there are definitely things you can do to limit and hopefully prevent workplace accidents from happening. The National Safety Council defines an accident as an “undesired event that results in personal injury or property damage.” There’s no question that accidents are undesired, but the question we should all be asking is; Are …