March 2011 Blog Posts (32)

Spirometry, most of us have no idea what the word even is (my spell checker certainly didn't). Turns out, however that it's pretty important when it comes to measuring lung health.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) came out with documents designed to drive home the importance of spirometry, a test that measures lung capacity and how well we move air in and out of our lungs.

One…

About nine percent of children who suffer from cardiac arrest outside a hospital and 27 percent of those who experience cardiac arrest in a hospital setting will survive—most of them thanks to a healthcare professional certified in pediatric advanced life support (PALS).  Health Education Solutions,…

Fine Woodworking's website has a fun little quiz that you can take to test your knowledge of safety when it comes to table saws.

The test, found here consists of 10 questions.

Here's a sample of the types of questions:

The proper place to stand when operating a…

I met an 81 year old fireman a couple of weekends ago. Being a scavenger, I am always on the lookout for free wood and/or firewood so when I saw an ad on freecycle.com for a bunch of free wood, I called and went out to see what the wood was. I was met by Mike. Mike is 81 years old and an ex-firefighter who has long since retired. While I knocked the old fencing apart and stacked it in my truck, Mike and I got to talking. Turns out that he suffers from a variety of health issues, many of…

Fall arrest and fall restraint are not interchangeable terms. They are two very different and separate categories in the fall protection area of safety (the third one being "positioning"). So what's the difference and when should one be used over the other?

Fall Restraint is designed to keep a worker from falling in the first place. It is intended to keep the worker away from the edge. This means guardrail systems that effectively block access to the edge. Guardrail systems can be…

Insulated clothing can provide maximum protection in work environments that requires insulated clothes for long periods of time. Work environments such as cold storage warehouses, meat packaging facilities, frozen food processing storage areas or even outdoor work  requires cold weather protective clothing that can easily withstand -0 or above working conditions. Insulated clothing is made of thick layers of inner insulation from 7 ounces of foam insulation to 15 ounces. These insulated…

According to an article on the British Safety Industry Federation website (www.bsif.co.uk) fake or counterfeit PPE is an increasing common issue in Britain. Personal Protective Equipment that doesn't meet the standards for quality established by the BSIF are apparently showing up with the CE insignia on them even though they are manufactured with sub standard materials.

It…

Most of us only think about our electrical system when it shorts or blows. By then, it's usually something that requires an electrician and is going to cost us. Whether we are talking about your home or your place of business, there are some simple things that you can do to make sure you don't have to call the electrician, or worse, end up with an electrical fire.

1. Use surge protectors on all computers, televisions, sound systems and other electronics. A surge protector is cheap,…

The U. S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board released a new video on their website on Monday March 21, 2011. Entitled "Fire in the Valley" the 16 minute video depicts "events leading to the August 28, 2008, catastrophic explosion and fire at the Bayer CropScience facility in Institute, WV, that fatally injured two workers."

A combination of safety lapses, inadequate training and negligence led to the explosion in the methomyl pesticide manufacturing unit. It could have…

When it comes to fall arrest and protection, most people are familiar with the back D-Ring as the place to tie off to. It is by far the most widely used D-ring. There are, however, other types of connections for fall arrest and retrieval. There are 4 different types of connections that are made between a worker and the tie off connectors.

1. Fall-Arrest – This is the back D-ring that…

When we purchased and moved into the building that we presently own, it was being used as a woodworking shop where high end office furniture was built. In spite of the fact that the previous tenants used vacuums to suck up the saw dust we found dust everywhere. Even now, years later, we find that dust still accumulates for where it leaks in areas we didn't access or clean out properly.

Wood dust can seem fairly harmless. It is, after all, natural. Wood dust however can cause a number…

In a timing that probably has more to do with coincidence than it does with the nuclear power plant issues and concerns over in Japan, OSHA just released its final ruling concerning the "handling whistleblower retaliation complaints under the Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 and six environmental statutes consistent with retaliation complaint procedures under other OSHA whistleblower provisions."

While perhaps not massive in its scope or that important in the grand scope of…

No, I'm not OSHA, the title of today's post is actually the title of a new brochure put out by OSHA available for download on the OSHA website.

"We Are OSHA We Can Help"is a pdf brochure that outlines worker's rights. In brief, they are:

• Ask OSHA to inspect their workplace;…

Today's post is an article by Jack Cameron of Guardian Fall Protection on guardrail guidelines

Guardrail Guidelines

By Jack Cameron

One of the simplest ways to keep people safe on a worksite is the use of…

Ansell has announced the launch of its Touch N Tuff® 92-616, a 100 percent nitrile, medical exam grade glove that offers high level puncture resistance, superior fingertip sensitivity and exceptional durability. The green friendly gloves are available in a redesigned 150-pack, reducing packaging waste and…

6. The Training

The final step in establishing a respiratory program involves training. It is of little use to go through all the above steps unless the user has been properly trained in how to put the respirator on, when to change out the cartridges, how to clean and maintain the respirator in good working order, how to inspect the respirator for wear and tear and damages.

Having spent a number of years out in the field selling safety supplies and helping…

Our country borders the same crustal tectonic plate as Japan does and we are just as vulnerable as they are. If you think it was bad over there, wait till you see what happens when California gets the next big one. Pay attention to what is happening and notice that they are without WATER and FOOD. I urge all that live in California to be aware that Japan was the best prepared country in the world and they were still devastated. There is no way we will do any better. Do yourself a good deed…

5. The Fit Test

Before anyone can start wearing a respirator, and after they've passed the medical evaluation, they need to be fit tested. A respirator that is the wrong size and that isn't being worn correctly will allow contaminated air to pass through the face seal without going through the filters which means that the user will be inhaling the very stuff that he's trying to protect himself against.

A fit test must be done by authorized and properly trained…