Labor day weekend… we look forward to a long weekend, time off work, weather permitting a BBQ and a party. Sales and consumption of alcohol increases and, unfortunately, so does the number of impaired drivers on the road.

The Department of Transportation wants another number to increase as well, namely the number of arrests for drunk driving. In order to reduce the number of impaired drivers on the road this coming weekend, they have kicked off their annual "Over the Limit, Under…

In an August…

I get a lot of different email newsletters from different safety-related sites and agencies. I got one this morning from the Home Safety Council on Do-It-Yourself Safety Tips that I thought I would share with you.

Do-It-Yourself Safety Tips

Taking on home improvement projects can be fun and save you money, but do them safely. The State of Home Safety in…

Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures

In our look at stormwater management part 3 we need to have a look at a rule that went into effect back in 1974 and amended in 2002 under the auspice of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act entitled the Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasures (SPCC). It was designed to help make sure that oil, grease, gasoline, diesel fuel, and other oil-based or chemicals and other solvents did not leech into the waterways.

The basics of…

In yesterday's blog post we examined the nature of the problem of stormwater management. In today's post we will look at the solutions.

Solutions to the problem

The obvious solution to the problem of polluted stormwater is, of course, to make sure that pollutants don't end up on the ground, on the lawn or in the storm drains. This means proper disposal of any and all products that might contain hazardous chemicals, bacteria or sediment as well as yard waste.

Organic…

Stormwater Management

Stormwater flows through gutters, through gardens, through streets, through the sewers, into rivers and into oceans and lakes. Any chemical, oil or sediment that is present anywhere along the line ends up causing environmental issues. A quick look at any newspaper or news website will turn up any number of environmental issues as they relate to stormwater.

The National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) is the system…

Jun 27, 2010

Thanks to the heroic efforts a quick-acting bystander and the on-site availability of an automated external defibrillator, a tragedy was averted and a life saved recently at the Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport. On a recent June morning, Gaylord Hall and his wife were using the check-in kiosk at the Delta ticket lobby, when Hall suddenly collapsed. Dennis Tracey, M.D., the medical science liaison for Birmingham, Ala.-based Veinwave USA, happened to be…

Kimberly-Clark doesn't just show up at the NSC Congress and stand around talking to customers. A new study, available for download on their website here, found that 87% of safety professionals acknowledged having observed workers not wearing the appropriate PPE. They further identified the top reasons for this:

1. They didn't think that PPE was required for the job that they were doing.
2. It was too hot to wearing the PPE
3. The PPE didn't fit properly
4. The PPE…

In the category of "I wish I didn't have to say that I told you so!" an article published in the paper today (Read the full article here), reports that hearing loss in American teens has increased by 30% in the past 15 years for teens with slight hearing loss and 70% for those with mild to severe hearing loss.

The study eliminated inner ear infections as well as gunshot noise or…

Electrical Safety Issues

The basic principles of welding involve electrical current that is essentially being shorted at the tip of the welding rod to produce the heat needed to melt the rod and the steel long enough for them to bond and create the weld. This means, of course, that we are dealing with electrical current and that certain precautions must be taken in order to work with that current without danger.

1. Both the electrode, as well as the work are hot (have…

Arc Ray Safety

Arc Rays can cause retinal burns and eye injuries. The following chart, available from AWS (The American Welding Society) and available for free download here, outlines the different shades needed for specific types of welding.

The proper eye protection, however, does nothing if not worn when needed and properly.…

Heat/Burns/Fire

Welding is hot work! Temperatures can reach 10,000 degrees F. To make matter worse, flux, metal particles and other super heated "bits" can be skipping or flying around as a result of the welding process. This means, of course, that the danger of burns and fires increases dramatically.

Certain precautions therefore have to be taken in order to avoid burns. Bare skin is, of course, not recommended. Flame retardant and fire resistant clothing is necessary. In…

Yesterday we outlined the 5 areas of safety that need to be addressed in order to make sure that welding stays safe.

We started by looking at one of the least considered ones, noise. Today we are going to look at the most common one, respiratory/Fumes

Fumes/Respiratory

Fumes and gases are the most obvious hazard associated with welding. Many of the metal give off fumes that are immediately noticeable and can cause burning of the eyes, skin irritation and rashes,…

The new Hexavalent Chromium standard, as well as other welding related respiratory issues have been at the forefront of safety related issues long enough for most of us to be aware of some of the hazards associated with welding.

Respiratory protection issues, though certainly important, are by no means the only hazards to be aware of when looking at welding. Today and in the next couple of days we are going to be looking at the hazards associated with welding and how…

We have talked extensively about hot weather and heat related issues as they relate to safety.

Hot weather, however, isn't the only weather that needs to be considered with regards to working or operating outside.

Rain and high winds are other weather related safety issues that should be considered.

Rain

• Wear the appropriate non-slip footwear. This means boots with the proper sole for channeling rainwater away from the treads so that they…

Jonathan Snare, a representative of the…

NETS (the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety) has partnered with the DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) to help raise awareness of the dangers of distracted driving.

I personally know someone who was on the phone with a co-worker when she went off a bridge while on her cell phone. He told me that he can never get the scream that he heard as she plunged to her death, out of his mind.

Go to…