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.
Wellness programs seem like a simple, appealing way to reduce skyrocketing healthcare costs. But be aware that some programs can run afoul of federal and state laws. Wellness programs encourage employees to adopt or maintain healthy lifestyles—or at least take the first steps toward learning about healthy alternatives. Choosing healthier alternatives to reduce cholesterol levels, […]
More Americans than ever—some 50 million—report suffering from chronic pain and may be taking pain medications. This reality can have a profound effect on safety in the workplace, not only because some of these meds have potentially dangerous side effects, but also because more people are becoming addicted and may continue using the drugs even […]
OSHA requires you to have an effective lockout/tagout program and train employees involved in or affected by LOTO. All employees who work with or around machinery and equipment should be trained to understand the importance of lockout/tagout and how it affects workplace safety. All employees who work with and around equipment that can be locked […]
According to OSHA, some 3 million workers face the risk of injury or death from hazardous energy–related accidents. Compliance with lockout/tagout rules keeps about 120 of them alive each year and prevents some 50,000 accidents. Three men were performing maintenance inside an asphalt mixer. One of them was still inside the mixer when the power […]
One in five workers says they have been put in danger or injured because of a co-worker’s substance abuse. To keep your workplace safe, you have to recognize alcohol abuse that affects job performance and take steps to correct the problem. Recognizing alcohol abuse is the first step in preventing it in your workplace. A […]
Alcohol and workplace safety don’t mix. If any of your employees are reporting to work under the influence, they’re putting themselves and others at risk. Take advantage of Alcohol Awareness Month to promote an alcohol-free and drug-free workplace. Workplace use of alcohol and drugs is a problem that costs American businesses more than $100 billion […]
Noise isn’t a new hazard in the workplace, but it’s one that sometimes doesn’t get the attention it deserves. Repeated, unprotected exposure to loud noise can lead to permanent hearing loss. OSHA requires you to implement a hearing conservation program when information (such as noise monitoring) indicates that any employee’s exposure may equal or exceed […]
Monday and Tuesday we talked about eye protection. Today, we turn to the important subject of hearing conservation. The inaugural Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards were awarded in 2009 by NIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) to four U.S. employers that "have shown their dedication to the prevention of noise-induced hearing […]
If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to improve indoor air quality, look no further than the common houseplant, says a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). Indoor exposure to mold can cause allergic reactions and even infections. Taking precautions, however, can limit exposure and help prevent health […]
If you’re looking for a cheap and easy way to improve indoor air quality, look no further than the common houseplant, says a study by NASA and the Associated Landscape Contractors of America (ALCA). A while back NASA got together with ALCA and conducted a study to see if houseplants could help improve indoor air […]