September 2004
Cover Story
By Cindy L. Firari, RN, BSN, MS
ALTHOUGH there are many employees who are compliant and wear safety shoes, far too often the employee does not truly understand the importance and value of the shoe. Ultimately, it is incumbent on the employer to direct the employee to footwear that will provide an adequate level of protection in relation to the job hazards he or she may encounter.
Features
By Adrian Gostick
HERE's the deal: Deliver more than 3.1 million packages per day, log 2.5 million miles per day (the equivalent of 100 trips around the world), connect markets that comprise a large portion of the world's economic activity within just one to two business days, and by the way--Do it safely!
By Jennifer Juergens
THE Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise, Idaho has a well-earned reputation for being an excellent place to work. In 2004, the hospital was the recipient of the National Quality Health Care Award given by the National Committee for Quality Health.
By Roger Brooks, Jr.
LOOK up the word "plenum" in Webster's New World Dictionary and you'll find it defined as a "space filled with matter." Look in the open-air--or plenum--spaces between floors in your office building and you're likely to find the definition holds true.
By Jonathan Klane
HOW does the theory of adult education fit into Hazard Communication training? What truly is "effective training" as required by OSHA? Does HazCom training have to be boring?
By Jeff Morris, Vladimir Ostrovsky
YOUR hands are essentially the most important tools you have on the job. Without them, all other equipment is useless. After all, the best tools on the market still need a skilled person behind them to make them function.
By Arleigh Hartkopf
BECAUSE hand protection plays such a major role in keeping workers safe, questions often arise concerning gloves and their use, care, and disposal. Below are several questions that are often asked by end users.
By Timothy L. Rink, Ph.D.
ON July 1, 2002, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration announced a significant change in policy as it pertains to recording occupational hearing loss cases on the OSHA 300 Log.
By Craig Halls, John Rhodes
EMPLOYERS often struggle with the effects workplace injuries and illness have on employees, their families, and companies' financial health.
By Casey Hayes
WE see it in all areas of our lives: The more complex something becomes, the more likely we are to need someone who specializes in it. So it is with emergency equipment design, specification, installation, and maintenance.
By Jacki Burns
WHEN assessing their compliance programs, many companies are diligent when focusing on training, documentation, and facilities maintenance.
By Jerry Laws
Editor's note: The prospect of jetting away to an exotic destination to ski, cruise, or bask in the sun can be tremendously motivating, experts say.
By Peter Ducanson, CMR
A fire can ravage a business, as one startling statistic makes clear: more than 75 percent of businesses that suffer a serious fire go out of business within three years of reopening. Businesses that prepare contingency plans, train their employees for emergency situations, and call for immediate professional help with the cleanup stand a much better chance of a solid recovery.
By Robert Ambrose
CARDIAC arrest, the equal opportunity killer, took 1,261 Americans' lives yesterday, most of them before they reached the hospital.
By W. David Lough
THERE are hundreds, if not thousands, of available fall protection systems and temporary anchors that end users can buy, install, and use when and where they are required. For example, a worker can use an ANSI-approved anchorage connector (strap) in conjunction with an ANSI-approved energy absorbing lanyard and ANSI-approved full body harness to create a compliant fall arrest or fall restraint system in any number of situations.
By Fred Elliott
MANY industries must maintain rigid adherence to mandatory safe practices in machine maintenance and operations. For workers in laboratories, paper and wood products, chemicals, recycling operations, automotive assembly and repair, and many other settings, successful lockout/tagout is essential to safety and survival.
By Bill Sokol
THE issue of hearing protection in the process industries--food processing, tobacco, and pulp and paper--is more complex than in other industries.
By Matt Reid, Steve Willett
MANKIND has been utilizing material technology to protect its hands, feet, and other body parts from the hazards associated with living and working since cavemen first wrapped themselves in skins. Occasionally, advances in the material technology associated with personal protective equipment have even presaged dramatic changes in social and political structure.
By Dave Alexander
WITHOUT a doubt, highly trained people and corporate dedication to safety are the key elements of any good ergonomic program in industry.
By Beth Loy, Ph.D., Linda Carter Batiste, J.D.
IN the past 30 years, the United States has enacted several laws addressing workplace safety, including specific regulations for air, fire, construction, and occupational safety.
By Michael Kalbaugh, CSP
IN our time, it's hard to find a company that does not seek the tools to develop a world-class safety system. Now more than ever, businesses understand one of the most vital components of success is protecting the safety and health of their employees.
By David S. Risi, CIH, CSP, CHMM
THE article "Eight Steps to Selecting Health & Safety Software," published in the January 2004 OH&S magazine, provided a guide to help you select the best software solution to fit your needs. This article takes the next steps: how to ensure a successful implementation of the software.
By Woody Dwyer, CPE, Christy Lotz
MOVING raw materials and finished products through a facility is a common process in industry. Throughout the process, operators routinely lift/lower, push/pull, and carry an object, presenting a significant challenge to health and safety professionals.
Departments
By Jerry Laws
ADD it up. Add your total noise exposure for a 24-hour period, that is, if you want to know how much damage is being done to your hearing.
By Gerry Murak, MBA, PHR
TO turn around the performance of a troubled company, a new leader or change agent must gather information in the shortest possible time.
By Ronnie Rittenberry
IT sounds like urban legend, but it's not. A 50-year-old Swedish scientist was using his laptop computer while sitting in an armchair one evening in his home. With the computer on his lap, he typed for about an hour, occasionally feeling heat and what was later described as "a burning feeling on his lap and proximal thigh," a sensation the scientist dealt with and temporarily relieved by slightly adjusting the computer's position as he went on with his work.