Workplace Safety

Methods for Machine Guarding

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Machine Guarding

The industrial workplace is filled with machines, many of which have sharp or moving parts that can pinch, crush, or cut workers. Too often, machines are even responsible for amputations and fatalities when proper procedures for performing maintenance (like lockout/tagout) aren’t followed. According to OSHA, about 18,000 amputations, lacerations, and other injuries are sustained by employees who work around machines each year. To prevent these accidents, workplaces…

Prevent Backover Accidents in Construction

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construction

A recent review of fatalities at road construction sites by the Bureau of Labor Statistics revealed that 143 deaths between 2003 to 2010 were the result of being struck by a vehicle or mobile equipment that was backing up. Dump trucks were responsible for the greatest number of backover fatalities (84), but other vehicles like semis, forklifts and garbage trucks are frequently involved in these accidents, too. The…

Five Quick Hazard Communication Improvements

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Hazard Communication

There are many times when a facility will take on major projects that are meant to make significant improvements toward a set goal. While these are a great and necessary thing, it can be equally beneficial to try to make improvements in a quick and simple way. If you want to improve your facilities hazard communications, for example, you may want to implement one or all of…

Fall Protection (Training Requirements)

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Fall Protection Training Requirements

Essential Training Requirements for Fall Protection Providing proper training in the workplace is essential for keeping things running smoothly. While most types of training are necessary to ensure everyone is following standards and best practices, some of it is actually required by regulatory organizations like OSHA. One important area where you need to make sure you are giving great training is with fall protection. There are quite…

Use Tools Safely

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tools, hand tools

  Construction sites are filled with tools. Workers use hand tools like hammers, screwdrivers and wrenches all the time. They use power tools like drills and chainsaws on a regular basis, too. Tools may seem pretty straightforward, but you shouldn’t assume that everyone understands how to use tools properly and safely. (A recent survey even found many millennial workers don’t possess as much knowledge of tools as…

Construction’s Fatal Four

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fatal four, tractor

Construction sites pose many risks to employees ranging from contact with dangerous equipment to lifting heavy materials. It’s no surprise then that 19.3 percent of fatal workplace accidents in 2012 (806 of 4175) occurred in the construction industry. While fatal accidents can happen in a variety of situations, more than half of these accidents at construction sites fall into four main categories: falls (34.6 percent), struck by object…

Ladder Safety Precautions

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ladder safety, construction

Fall prevention at construction worksites should receive a lot of attention, as 279 out of 806 fatalities at construction sites in 2012 were the result of falls. That is a significant number of preventable accidents. While falls from large heights are dangerous and do cause fatal injuries, training employees in the appropriate use of ladders can also help avoid many accidents. Workers may already consider themselves experts in…