Tag: PPE

Facemask at work

UPDATED: Can Employers Mandate the Use of Facemasks, and What If Employees Can’t (or Won’t) Wear Them?

This article was last updated and reposted on July 20 in accordance with more up-to-date guidance and links to additional resources. The world has changed in an unprecedented way since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, and employers have a lot of questions for our experts at Safety.BLR.com®. Read on to see how experts answered […]

Healthcare PPE

COVID-19 Crisis Puts Spotlight on PPE at Healthcare Facilities

The ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has brought a renewed focus on personal protective equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. COVID-19 is a respiratory disease caused by a novel coronavirus—referred to as 2019-nCOV or SARS-CoV-2—first identified in Wuhan City, China, in December 2019.

Respirator Fit Test

The Respiratory Protection Standard: From Dust to Smoke to Coronavirus

Nationwide, approximately 1.4 million workplaces provide at least some of their employees with respiratory protection. Studies indicate that at these workplaces, gaps exist in their written respiratory protection program, their understanding of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requirements, or the administration of the program. These gaps lead to issues in mandatory compliance or recommended […]

Boosting PPE Compliance in the Workplace

Each year, countless accidents, injuries, and fatalities occur as a result of missing personal protective equipment (PPE) or the failure to properly wear the provided PPE. PPE minimizes exposure to biological, chemical, physical, safety, and ergonomic hazards, and it is the last line of defense between a workplace hazard and the worker. As important as […]

Electrical PPE

Electrical Safety Tips: Using NFPA 70E to Protect Workers

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has increased compliance activities related to electrical safety regulations and standards over the past few years. This began with the heightened interest in arc flash hazards related to the 2000 National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 70E standard and became more active after the 2004 edition was published.

Oilfield technician checking H2S gas with his pocket type H2S Gas detector at well head in oilfield

5 Common Myths About Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) Safety

Are your workers and business protected against the potential dangers of hydrogen sulfide (H2S) exposure? It may surprise you that subjection to the toxic “sour” gas remains one of the leading causes of workplace gas inhalation deaths, and OSHA recently cited a Texas employer after H2S exposure in a confined space resulted in a fatality. There […]

Contractor

A Burning PPE Question: What’s an Employer’s Liability?

When an employer provides personal protective equipment (PPE) to all onsite workers (including contractors and subcontractors), does it have any liability or exposure if the PPE fails? Does the fact of whether the PPE was provided for free come into play? This question was recently posed to experts at Safety.BLR.com®—read on to see their response.