Workplace Safety

New Fall Protection Website for Residential Construction Workers

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House Being Built

Falls are the number one cause of fatal accidents in construction, with these deaths accounting for 36.9 percent of construction fatalities in 2013. Many of these deaths occur in residential construction, and beginning in 2010, OSHA began enforcing its fall protection standard for all residential construction sites, not just commercial construction sites (see 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13)). To assist residential construction companies in achieving compliance with this standard, OSHA has…

Respiratory Protection – 5 Tips to Keep your Employees Healthy

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Respiratory Protection Safety Sign

When looking at workplace safety on construction sites, most people focus on things like fall protection and avoiding objects being dropped from above. While these are certainly important hazards, they are not the only ones. On many construction job sites, one of the biggest types of hazards is actually breathing. This is because there is often a lot of chemicals, vapors, and other potentially toxic things that…

Lead Hazards in the Workplace

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The hazards of lead are well known, so people may assume exposures to this dangerous metal have been reduced. To a certain extent to this true; lead levels in the general population have decreased since the 1970s. In some workplaces, though, lead continues to be a serious problem. The Seattle Times recently published a series of investigative articles about lead poisoning at shooting ranges across the country and…

Permit-Required Confined Spaces – Do You Know What They Are?

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Confined Space

Confined spaces in the workplace are common, and they may even be more common than you think. For example, sewers, storage bins and tanks can all be confined spaces, but in many cases so are silos and open pits. Some confined spaces may not pose great harm, but others can be very dangerous to anyone entering them. One example of a tragic accident involving a confined space occurred…

Fall Prevention – 5 Reason why Prevention is better than Protection

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Fall Prevention

One of the most common, and potentially most dangerous, types of accidents in most workplaces is related to falling. Whether this means falling down stairs, falling from great heights or just tripping and falling, it is important to make sure to take precautions in order to minimize this risk. Most facilities do a fairly good job with fall protection by using harnesses (such as the Miller Harnesses)…

Pipe Marking – 7 Things You Should Know

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Pipe Marking, Pipe Labels

Does your facility have pipes? If so, those pipes need labels. While pipe labeling may seem like a confusing process with many requirements, it doesn’t have to be difficult. Starting with a plan will make your pipe-labeling project easier and more organized. Then once your facility’s pipes are labeled, you’ll see communication about pipes improve. Using visuals like labels makes communication direct and simple, and it reduces…

How to Fall Safely (and Avoid Falling in the First Place)

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Fall Safely, Fall Prevention

Slips, trips and falls are some of the most common accidents in many kinds of workplaces, and these incidents often result in injuries that prevent people from doing their jobs. Businesses should take steps to reduce the hazards that cause slips, trips and falls such as implementing housekeeping procedures for floors, using salt or sand on icy patches of ground, keeping cords out of walkways and installing…

Is Being OSHA Compliant Good Enough

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Most facilities spend a lot of time, effort and financial resources working to remain compliant with regulations from OSHA and other organizations. While this is good, and certainly necessary, it is important to ask whether it is sufficient. The regulatory organizations provide guidelines and requirements that are meant to be the minimum acceptable levels of safety. In order to help keep employees and the facility itself as…

Demolition Safety Planning

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construction, demolition safety

Construction sites pose many hazards, and as OSHA puts it, demolition is “construction in reverse, with additional hazards.” Therefore, OSHA has dedicated extra time and attention recently to demolition safety, and it developed a resource page explaining the standards specifically related to this kind of work (29 CFR Part 1926, Subpart T). This emphasis on demolition safety came in the wake of a series of fatal accidents including the…

10 Places to Use Safety Signs & Labels in the Industrial Workplace

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Safety Signs, Safety Labels

A visual workplace is one where information related to safety, rules, instructions, machines and other commonly asked questions is communicated through visuals like signs, labels, and posters. Visual cues allow workers to easily see and understand what they need to do in many situations without needing to stop and ask questions. This type of workplace is often very efficient. Time isn’t wasted and employees feel more confident about…