WHETHER a company stores, uses, or transports hazardous materials (hazmat), there is always the potential for a chemical spill. And beyond regulatory requirements that all employees are trained to handle chemical spills, it is also the responsibility of an owner to keep employees safe when doing so.
HE sounded just like a hundred other managers: "We don't need a trained first aid team for our site. We're only five minutes from the hospital, fer cryin' out loud!" His pronouncement was right up there with "We can't afford to do first aid training in this economy" and "If someone gets hurt we'll just call 911, that's what they're for." These are common proclamations from people who do not necessarily see the value of first aid teams and the associated training.
SOME years ago, I built a harness for an ironworker who had an 80-inch waist and 54-inch thighs. He was bigger around than he was tall. I asked the Safety Director if a person this size should even be 6 feet off the ground.
SINCE Sept. 11, 2001, America has been under the looming threat of another terrorist attack. The country is responding to this threat by increasing its level of awareness and protection on national, local, and individual levels. In particular, security and occupational safety professionals must prepare for and protect against this new threat.
THE next time one of your employees reaches for his safety eyewear, he might need to do a double take in order to ensure he's getting the right level of protection for the job. That's because the American National Standards Institute is all but set to publish a revision to its current standard, ANSI Z87.1-1989, in order to make it easier to select the specific eye protection needed for a given task.
WITH an estimated 650,000 hazardous chemicals in the workplace, tens of thousands of chemical manufacturers creating material safety data sheets, and a vague OSHA standard defining its framework, we are left with a discombobulated mess of MSDSs. Yet we are required by law to maintain them in the workplace for our employees.
MERCURY is a known neurotoxin that is extremely toxic even in small amounts. It directly affects the central nervous and renal systems, causing developmental delays and motor and brain problems like those associated with autism.
WHILE preventing fires, gas leaks, power failures, chemical spills, collapses, and other disasters is a top priority for safety professionals, it's equally important to have a well-developed evacuation plan that can be put into action at a moment's notice. As a former New York City Fire Department officer, I've seen firsthand just how crucial a well-coordinated evacuation is to save lives, prevent injuries, and even reduce property damage.
SUMMER brings us long days and a great deal of work outdoors for many Americans, from farm laborers and loggers to road and highway construction crew members. The hottest season of the year also naturally reminds us of heat stress hazards.
FALLS have long been the bane of construction work in this country. Last fall, the third edition of "The Construction Chart Book" from the Center to Protect Workers' Rights pinpointed falls as the leading cause of death for two construction occupations in 1999.
IN today's hectic world, most of us are spending more time at work and have increasingly less time to look after our health. For a long time, employers have understood the benefits associated with keeping workers well: increased productivity from reduced absenteeism and lowered disability claims.
WHEN I first became an EHS manager, I thought I knew most of what I needed to know as a professional (during the years since then, I have found out just how much I didn't know), but I would, somewhat infrequently, seek help from an external consultant either to confirm my thoughts or to provide creative solutions for the "opportunities" I had identified.
IN the post "9/11" era, many businesses have recognized the need for improved security and disaster response. The threats of anthrax, car bombs, bioterrorism, and numerous other hazards have forced business managers to consider the possible risks to their organizations.
BOEING Commercial Airplane has used test-based methods to improve the accuracy of an acoustic aircraft cabin model that can save engineering time by predicting acoustic properties of new cabin configurations prior to physical testing.
WHEN it comes to a foot protection program, many employers think once their employees lace up a task-approved boot, their program is complete. While these employers might deserve a pat on the back for doing this much to protect their employees' feet, they've really only just begun.
MANY who have responsibilities for employee safety and health have been working with OSHA's new Occupational Injury and Illness Reporting and Recordkeeping standard (29 CFR 1904) for more than a year now. For some, the new requirements make less sense then the former rules.