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.
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.
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.
INTERESTINGLY, it may be perfectly acceptable to wear tennis shoes while installing sheet metal weatherproofing on a steeply pitched roof. At least, that was the thrust of a May 2004 interpretation letter from the chief of OSHA's Construction Directorate.
FEW workplace injuries leave more noticeable scars and jagged reminders than head/face injuries. Scarring, burns, pitted or uneven skin texture, severe sunburn or frostbite damage, or disfiguring skin pigmentation changes can be forever present after an injury to the face or head.
IN bridge-building environments where natural foot-level anchorage points exist, contractors and inspectors can look at installing horizontal lifeline systems for their means of fall protection.
ACCORDING to OSHA 1910.95(b)(1), when harmful workplace noise cannot be controlled by other means, "personal protective equipment shall be provided and used . . . ." This may seem like an easy task, but it's not. With a plethora of product options available and new technologies offering improved capabilities, safety professionals are often at a loss to understand which product is best in which application.
A common misconception: All flashlights are created equal.
THE kitchen at any one of the 84 Cheesecake Factory restaurants nationwide can be a pretty hectic place. This popular, casual-dining restaurant chain attracts thousands of customers every day for both eat-in and take-out service from its extensive menu--keeping the cooks and the wait staff very busy, given the way people pack in to eat at the upscale eateries.
Editor's note: Respiratory protection in emergencies is not a one-size-fits-all proposition. Employers must assess their operations fully, determine the potential hazards and escape routes, and then equip and train their employees adequately so they can get out when necessary.
IT is a never-ending battle to get workers to wear any type of personal protective equipment. All types of PPE have their advantages and disadvantages, comforts and discomforts. Getting workers to use it is an endless task.
DOUBTLESSLY, you have heard that "You must use the proper tools to make the job easier and to end up with the desired result!" Well, this statement applies not only to the traditional hand and power tools you use for home projects and specialized tools you use on the job, but also to the sound respiratory protection program that should be followed in the workplace.
PUBLISHED in August 2003, ANSI Z87.1-2003, the revised American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices, brought end users, eye care practitioners, and PPE suppliers a new classification system--"Basic Impact" and "High Impact" protectors--with testing requirements and performance criteria to support it. Z87.1
WHEN performing a quantitative respirator fit test (QNFT), the "way it's always been done" has been to perform several exercises as stated in the accepted protocols listed in the respiratory protection standards of the Federal Register (29 CFR 1910.134).
THE purpose of this article is to review developments that have taken place in the industrial safety eyewear market within recent years, help the reader take full advantage of the present offerings, and possibly provide some insight into what may be around the safety eyewear corne
A high-pressure pipe bursts or a barrel falls off of a forklift. An accident can happen in an instant! Thousands of industrial and commercial accidents occur each year involving airborne particles and chemicals such as corrosives (acids and bases), oxidizers, and solvents.
YOU have read the MSDS for the special alcohol that your plant uses and it says to use eye protection. But what does that mean?
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.
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.
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.