Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Safety is a process, and as such, needs to be managed. This section offers resources to create a viable safety program, sell it to senior management, train supervisors and employees in using it, and then track and report your progress. Look also for ways to advance your own skills in these areas, both for your current job, and those that follow.
Free Special Report: 50 Tips for More Effective Safety Training
Yesterday, we talked about preventing amputations. One of the best protections is machine guarding, the topic of today’s Advisor. The purpose of machine guarding is to protect the machine operator and other employees in the work area from hazards created by: Ingoing nip points Rotating parts Cutting and shearing Punching and bending Reciprocating and transversing […]
Workplace accidents resulting in amputations are often severe, sometimes disabling, and always preventable. A moment’s inattention—and a hand is caught in machinery. A single misstep; a foot slips in. Maybe the amputation is immediate, or perhaps the doctors determine later that a limb is too damaged to repair. Either way, it could have been prevented. […]
Authorized employees who service or maintain machinery and equipment need special training on lockout/tagout procedures. Today’s Advisor includes a training exercise that you can use to help train your workers. The information in today’s issue comes from BLR’s PowerPoint® presentation, "Lockout/Tagout—Authorized Employee Training." The objective of the following exercise is to evaluate authorized employees’ understanding […]
Work-related ATV injuries are on the rise. Forty-one workers were killed using ATVs in one recent year. According to OSHA, the primary reasons for All-Terrain Vehicle (ATV) accidents in work situations involve: Unbalanced loads and loads in excess of the ATV’s specified limits (especially overloading the rear cargo rack) Operating at excessive speeds for the […]
Surface or ground conditions are an important part of safe powered industrial truck operation. In today’s Advisor we focus on hazardous conditions in your workplace that can lead to forklift accidents. Physical conditions in the workplace that can lead to forklift accidents include slippery conditions, obstructions and uneven surfaces, flooring and load limits, overhead clearances, […]
Yesterday, we introduced you to Marvin Windows’ safety program. Today, we talk about another company that is forging a successful safety and health effort with a variety of effective strategies. Indiana-based Bremen Castings, Inc. is known worldwide for iron machined castings and operates its own machine shop and foundry. The company, which employs 300, was […]
Today and tomorrow, we go inside the safety departments at two companies that share a top-down commitment to worker protection, employing a combination of big ideas and small strategies. At Marvin Windows and Doors (Warroad, Minnesota), Corporate Safety Manager Greg Peterson explains some of the key strategies his company uses in its nine manufacturing sites […]
Yesterday, we talked about drug-free workplace programs, issues to consider when creating a program, and federal laws that might apply to such programs. Today, we focus on another important aspect involved in curbing alcohol and drug abuse on the job—alcohol and drug testing. If you implement a drug and alcohol testing policy, the policy should […]
April is Alcohol Awareness Month and an opportunity to review the risks for your workers and your business. For many employers the place to start controlling risks is with a drug-free workplace program. The Drug-Free Workplace Act is a federal law that requires federal contractors or grantees to have and distribute a written policy explaining […]
What makes a successful safety committee member? Find out. Safety committee members must: Set a good example. Committee members must set a good example! Committee members must be above average in their safe work habits and their positive attitude about safety. Be visible. Names of safety committee members should be posted prominently in their departments. […]