THE seeds for creating safer workplaces were sown in the early 1900s. In 1912, the Bureau of Labor Statistics fielded its first full-scale survey of safety and health conditions in the American workplace, with its study of industrial accidents in the iron and steel industry. Today, the focus on workplace safety is tightly woven through the fabric of nearly every American industry.
STUDIES confirm that most workplace injuries are preventable. The level of prevention achieved, however, will depend upon the manufacturer's commitment to safety and also employees' willingness to become involved in injury prevention.
IN today's environment, a company simply cannot afford the financial or lost productivity costs associated with work-related injuries. Skill necessary to perform most tasks requires significant training, and time lost to injuries not only costs a company in medical expenses, but also in lost productivity and morale.
Editor's note: Safety directors should be aware of who's buying protective footwear, what types the workers are buying, and how much they are spending. Workers, for their part, must buy footwear suited to their hazard exposure and must watch for damage and obtain replacements when necessary, advise Mark Fancourt, who works in product development for Lehigh Safety Shoe Company (www.ejfootwear.com) of Vestal, N.Y., and Paul Russo, Executive Vice President of Global Sourcing and Marketing for Iron Age Corp. (www.IronAgeShoes.com) of Westborough, Mass. Fancourt and Russo discussed best practices for employer purchase programs and other issues on May 26 and May 31, 2005, respectively, with Occupational Health & Safety's editor. Excerpts from those conversations follow:
IMAGINE this: An employee walks into a hazardous workplace environment and sustains a foot injury that could have been prevented. While the employee must now endure a painful injury and lost time from work, his employer is faced with a dip in productivity and exposure to a potentially damaging worker's compensation claim.
RECENT years have seen rapid developments in the number and types of products available to provide hearing protection as mandated by OSHA in 29 CFR 1910.95(b)(1). Not only has the design of hearing protection devices (HPDs) evolved, but the technology and materials used in their construction have advanced, as well.
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.
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