Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has revised its draft indoor heat illness prevention standard to address stakeholders’ concerns. Employers would have to maintain the indoor temperature and heat index below 87 degrees Fahrenheit when workers are present under the standard.
By Timothy P. Fagan, BLR Air Expert tfagan@blr.com National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) The CAA required EPA to develop NAAQS for six pollutants commonly found throughout the United States. These pollutants, referred to as “criteria pollutants,” are: Sulfur dioxide; Particulate matter (PM-10 and PM-2.5); Carbon monoxide; Ozone; Nitrogen dioxide; and Lead. For each criteria […]
As a safety supervisor, your New Year’s resolutions may have included improving safety training in your workplace. Now that January’s almost over, how’s that resolution holding up? One way to fulfill that resolution is to develop an annual training calendar to keep you on track and ensure that you cover all necessary topics. That includes […]
Since you never know when a disaster will hit and how it will affect your workplace, the key is to be prepared. And a first step for that is to evaluate—or reevaluate—your disaster plan. Here are six steps to take to insure a comprehensive review of your workplace disaster preparedness plan. Step 1. Assign priority […]
Pneumatic power tools such as nail guns, chippers, drills, hammers, and sanders are found not only in the workplace but also in the hands of many consumers—and not all of them are construction workers who use those tools during their day jobs and receive appropriate training. Make sure that not only your tradesmen but also […]
The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is not the only agency that makes rules protecting worker safety and health. Nuclear plants, for example, are subject to the rules of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC); airlines are subject to safety rules issued by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Railroads, too, have their own safety […]
A pallet jack is meant to help workers handle heavy loads safely. Think how easily workers could be injured if they tried to move the same materials without the assistance of a pallet jack. However, if they don’t use the equipment safely, they can be injured just as easily. Pallet jacks clearly aren’t as dangerous […]
Carpenter Severiano Barajas was pushing wood through a jointer on May 7, 2012, when the piece he was cutting became stuck. Barajas wiggled the piece back and forth, trying to work it free. While he was doing so, the glove he was wearing on his left hand caught on the jointer’s blade, became entangled, and […]
As we near the end of National Burn Awareness Week (February 1-7), our Safety Training Tips editor says it is an ideal time to teach your employees about the nature and treatment of workplace burns. Burns are a common workplace injury. When they’re not too serious, burns can usually be effectively treated with simple first […]
It should come as no surprise that, in addition to specific PPE standards, many other OSHA regulations also require PPE. Here’s a complete list for general industry and construction. Here’s a quick review of some minimum PPE requirements. OSHA’s PPE general requirements standard (29 CFR 1910.132) says that all protective devices have to meet these […]