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.
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.
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.
FALL hazards are a year-round challenge. Some are lurking underfoot in the safest of workplaces; workers encounter others anywhere from a few feet to hundreds of feet above the ground. It helps to have the mindset that fall protection applies at any height, not just at the height where protective equipment is mandatory.
WHEN a recognized hazard cannot be eliminated through engineering controls (at the source) or reduced through administrative controls (staff rotation, procedure development), the last line of defense is through the use of personal protective equipment. One common type of PPE that is also often downplayed is foot protection.
MAINTENANCE and inspection of the sloping, 600-foot face of Hoover Dam is not a task that can be accomplished in a great many ways.
WITH more than 25 percent of all workplace accidents involving hand and finger injuries (and each disabling hand injury costing as much as $26,000), many companies and organizations are placing a higher priority on identifying the critical issues associated with the workplace environment.
WHAT do a police officer approaching a suspicious looking person and a quality control technician inspecting an integrated circuit board have in common? They both need good visual acuity.
DOES anyone know the NRR of a pinky finger? Hearing protectors have evolved a great deal from their early days. Innovation has been driven by performance measures. Manufacturers have continued to raise the bar in levels of comfort, softness, attenuation levels, ease of use, and convenience.
RECENT studies by two sheet metal manufacturers placed the cost of a single hand injury requiring stitches at $22,000 and $30,000, respectively. T
ASSESSING your company's respiratory protection program is serious business. In some instances, it may mean the difference between life and death.
WHEN OSHA's revised Respiratory Protection Standard for General Industry, 29 CFR 1910.134, became effective on April 8, 1998, it provided employers with an all-inclusive reference source for fit testing guidelines.
THE final rule on recording hearing loss (HL) was published in the Federal Register on July 1, 2002. It is a revision of 29 CFR 1904, Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting Requirements, as they pertain to recording HL. Details are reported in the Federal Register (Vol. 67, #126, pp. 44037-44038). Major provisions are the following:
WEARERS of hard hats will look and feel better as helmet manufacturers continue to develop products that improve comfort and ease of use.