Editor's note: Skanska USA Building Inc. (www.skanskausa.com) of Parsippany, N.J., has tied IFE into incentive bonuses for its six Co-Chief Operating Officers who oversee company operations, the Account Managers who report to them, and each AM's project teams.
GOOD ergonomics is good business. According to a November 2003 productivity study in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), lost productive time from common pain conditions among active U.S. workers costs an estimated $61.2 billion per year while at work and in work-related absences.
NOISE is a particularly insidious hazard. It can be enjoyable and hazardous at the same time. The effect that it has on our hearing generally depends on how long we have been exposed to the noise and how loud the sound is.
AT the end of the day, the goal of occupational health and safety professionals is not only to keep all employees safe, healthy, and on the job, but also to send them home safe and sound to their families and loved ones. Getting to that goal has sparked numerous debates and philosophical discussions over the years.
PROTECTING our quality of life is dependent upon how well we identify potential risks and apply our knowledge of the five basic types of hand protection.
SUDDEN cardiac arrest takes more than 460,000 lives in the United States each year. Despite prompt recognition of the event and immediate CPR, survival rates of less than 5 percent are still commonplace.
THE number one cause of safety incidents isn't sprains, strains, repetitive motion injuries' or any other line item on a monthly incident report. It's a lack of commitment to safe work practices. No matter how you slice your safety statistics, virtually all injuries at any company are preventable with the right preparation and focus.
OSHA has adopted the most recent ANSI Z87.1-2003 Standard, Practice for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection. It is imperative that employers know the standard and comply with OSHA directives.
"WHEN you have bacon and eggs for breakfast, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed!" I don't remember where I first heard that saying, but it humorously portrays the difference between participating in an event and being an intimate part of the action. In that regard, it also applies to spill and splash accidents at industrial sites.
If you've visited an amusement park or outdoor fair in recent years, you've likely encountered with relief the misting stations that are something like the distant cousins of these fogging systems. Heat is by far the number one source of illness and injury at theme parks, largely because visitors often aren't acclimated to the extreme temperatures or aware until it's too late how vulnerable their bodies are to the conditions.
So just how hazardous is mold, and what are the real risks to a facility and its occupants? Here's what we know: Mold is naturally occurring fungi that can thrive wherever moisture is present, especially in combination with poor ventilation and humidity above 60 percent.
OXYGEN deficiency is one of the most common of all categories of atmospheric hazards. It stands to reason that the sensors used to measure oxygen concentration are one of the most widely used types of sensors included in portable atmospheric monitors, especially those used in confined space monitoring procedures.
RESPIRATOR protection is a broad subject that can be complicated and misunderstood by even the most experienced people. The importance of proper respiratory protection cannot be understated. This article will cover only a small segment of this vast subject.
WHILE you might not realize it, the chemical chlorine (Cl2) and its compounds are part of almost everyone's daily life. The water you drink, the food you eat, the medicine you take, the clothing you clean, the pool you swim in, the car you drive, and thousands of other products are sanitized or manufactured with chlorine.
SAFETY interlocks, safety light curtains, and other safety equipment are the visible part of a machinery safeguarding system. As such, they receive the most attention. However, true safety goes well below the surface of any machinery guarding control system.
"THOSE who can not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."1 There is no better sentiment to begin a discussion on accident investigation than this. It is a bad thing when a person is injured.
UNLIKE the days of long ago, in our modern workplaces the armor of Personal Protective Apparel (PPA) awaits almost any situation from the extreme to the daily grind.