THIS report has been produced by a confined space "expert" Consultant. Expert because he knows how to spell "compliance," has been in a bunch of spaces, sometimes carries a briefcase, and is not from your hometown! The client is you: the person responsible for entries into permit required confined spaces at your site
ALARM systems, as the name implies, provide an alarm or warning that a problem exists. They may be signaling systems only, which require manual activation, or the more common variety that combines detection with signaling.
DIESEL fuel is among the world's most important commodities. The United States literally runs on diesel and the other closely related "middle distillate" fuels, such as home heating oil, coal oil, gas oil, and marine diesel fuel. During August 2002, daily consumption of diesel fuel and related products in the United States averaged more than 150,000,000 gallons per day.1
THIS accident happened in a large compartment of an Offshore Supply Vessel (OSV). Because of a lack of appropriate ventilation and a toxic atmosphere, it should have been treated as a confined space
IN the face of a still-raw tragedy more than a year ago, Americans were forced to redefine the idea of national security and the actions necessary to ensure their safety. Since then, all-too-frequent disclosures of corporate corruption have destroyed the investment accounts of millions of people, established a business climate of suspicion and fear, and resulted in scores of criminal indictments.
IT was one of the coldest, snowiest Decembers that Scott Knowlen could remember. Even after 40 years enduring Maine's heavy snowfall and average winter temperatures of around 20 degrees, the then-site safety specialist was not prepared for the 90 inches of snow this month would bring.
FIRE protection is a significant concern with which all industrial facilities must contend. Depending on the location, the facility may rely on the local fire department, or it may choose to provide its own protection in the form of an industrial fire department or brigade.
DURING a shift change, an employee removes his eye and ear protection to chat with the worker taking his place. As he walks away, a machine nearby malfunctions, spraying parts and scalding steam in his direction. He is unable to work for two weeks.
IS it an "injury" or an "illness?" Is the broken ankle suffered during the company-sponsored softball game a recordable injury? How should lost work time be recorded? Does that butterfly bandage constitute first aid, or is it medical treatment?
MOST accident/incident investigations tend to look at the injury or incident from an external perspective. In other words, somebody else (typically) investigates the incident or injury, instead of the person who was hurt doing the investigation himself.
CHAIRS are a common point of debate in today's workplace. The questions most frequently debated derive from the differences between an engineering approach and a therapeutic approach to work injury prevention.
Editor's note: Jolanda Janczewski is President and CEO of Consolidated Safety Services Inc., a Fairfax, Va.-based safety and occupational health consulting firm with about 45 employees. CSS was honored in September 2002 as the U.S. Department of State's Small Business Prime Contractor of the Year for on-site testing and decontamination services provided during the October 2001 anthrax episode in the nation's capital. In the following excerpts from a Sept. 19, 2002, conversation with the editors of First Responder, Janczewski discusses the experience and how the safety and emergency response community can prepare for the next crisis.
WE live in a fast-paced society where the world is virtually at our fingertips 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The popularity of everything from fast food to video on demand, to gas stations with pay-at-the-pump options, has spoiled us.
COMPUTER-based simulation of work experience has proven extremely effective in helping learners achieve their training goals. Simulation increases the learner's involvement and interest in online learning; however, bandwidth limits the forms it can take.