NFPA 70E-2004, published in April of this year, is the new "how you work on it" standard in electrical safety. With the coupling of NFPA 70E's work practice standard and the "how you build it" approach of the NFPA 70 National Electric Code's (NEC) construction standard, industry now has a more complete picture of how to protect employees who are exposed to shock and arc hazards.
Editor's note: Hair, saliva, and sweat testing technologies for drugs are moving toward approval this year for programs that test federal employees. Getting a federal OK is important not just to companies marketing these alternatives, but to employers generally.
OF all the dangers inherent to confined space work, it's the invisible threat of atmospheric hazards that poses the greatest risks to employees.
PERMIT-required confined spaces are death traps if entry teams don't take proper precautions.
WHAT matters is not how much you wear, but what you wear to stay dry and comfortable while working in hot, wet, or cold conditions. When a workers' body overheats or drastically cools, it makes him or her lose concentration and greatly affects his performance. Wearing the right apparel helps with productivity and safety.
THE Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have left their marks on all of us. For those who were present in the New York and Washington areas when these coordinated acts of terror occurred, the joy of surviving the assault was tempered by concerns over the safety of local relatives and colleagues.
THE smell of scorched coffee fills the air on Monday morning. The only sound is that of high-pitched, heatedly arguing staff members, about whose responsibility it was to have shut off the pot before the weekend, as they fan the thin haze of smoke out of the break room.
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.
WHAT is it that draws women into the realm of safety consultants? Like many others, Pamela Ferrante, CSP, a consultant in Pittsburgh, was searching for a new career that would provide the potential for more income, and she knew that potential could be found in male-dominated fields.
COMPUTER simulation is helping to protect astronauts on board the International Space Station from carbon dioxide buildup when the crew quarters ventilation system is out of service.
MANAGING hazardous materials in a safe and compliant fashion can be a complex and daunting task unless proper planning and procedures are in place. Many environmental, health & safety (EHS) professionals turn immediately to OSHA and EPA regulations to determine what is required, then provide guidance to those who will ultimately be held responsible for proper use and storage of the hazardous materials.
MANY hospitals today find their financial health in critical condition. Increasing worker's compensation claims, an ongoing nursing shortage, higher operating costs, and reduced government funding contribute to a challenging operating prognosis.
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.
ACCORDING to the National Safety Council (2000), falls represent one of the most common causes of unintentional injury deaths in the United States annually (approximately 14,200 in that year). Only motor vehicle accidents and poisonings ranked higher, with 42,900 and 14,500, respectively.
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.