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.
Properly conducted accident investigations analyze and eradicate the hazards that cause accidents. Investigations also educate and motivate to prevent future incidents. Accidents happen. Despite your best efforts, zero accident policies, and well-trained employees, things sometimes go wrong. So what happens after an accident or near miss happens in your facility is a question you have […]
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in one recent year there were 5,488 fatal occupational injuries and 1,158,900 injuries involving days away from work. Add to that all the accidents that resulted in minor injuries, and you have somewhere in the vicinity of 4 million plus recorded workplace accidents. Thorough analysis and understanding of […]
Forklift accidents are costly in both human and economic terms. But those are costs you won’t have to pay if you train your forklift operators to recognize hazards and follow proper operating procedures. Most accidents with forklifts involve pedestrians. The most common hazards include: Having an obstructed view—the operator cannot see the pedestrian because of […]
Most workplaces couldn’t do without forklifts. But they certainly could do without forklift accidents and the resulting injuries. These tips can help keep both forklift operators and pedestrians safe. (These tips are provided courtesy of our sister publication, the Cal/OSHA Compliance Advisor) A truck driver from Iowa delivered new light poles to the football field […]
Because electricity is used in every workplace, the threat of electrocution is present in almost every job. Simple steps can protect workers and prevent electrical accidents. When your employees think of electrical hazards, they may get an image of high voltage overhead power lines. Unless they see such a threat, they may not realize they’re […]
OSHA says that its specifications for workplace safety signs and tags apply to the design, application, and use of all signs or symbols intended to indicate and define specific hazards. According to OSHA, all workplace safety signs must: Contain sufficient information to be easily understood. Be concise, accurate, and easy to read. Identify the hazard. […]
All employees need to know the meaning of the different colors you use on safety signs and tags around your facility. Colors indicate at a glance the nature of hazards and levels of danger. Color coding is a brilliant safety idea because workers can tell at a glance—almost without thinking—that they’re facing a hazard and […]
Each year, more than 2,000 workers are treated in burn centers with severe arc flash injuries. The cost of treatment per injured worker can exceed $1 million, not counting litigation fees, insurance increases, and the costs of accident investigations and possible penalties. An arc flash is a short circuit through the air. In an arc […]
Yesterday, we talked about OSHA-required fire prevention plans. Today, we turn our focus to workplace fire prevention policies. A comprehensive fire prevention policy backs up your emergency plans and formalizes your fire prevention program. A clear, comprehensive, and well-communicated fire prevention policy is the foundation of any workplace fire prevention program and gives purpose and […]
There are some 100,000 workplace fires every year in the United States, resulting in losses in the billions of dollars. And the human toll is high as well. The National Safety Council estimates that fires and burns account for 3 percent of all occupational fatalities. Because of the substantial risks and costs associated with workplace […]