Among the products that are overlooked when buying supplies for your facility, entrance mats are probably one of the most neglected. Far too many people consider entrance mats as decoration. Some think as long as it bears the customary welcome message, any generic variant is considered an adequate solution. This means that many people are failing to use these mats to their full advantage.
Can traffic accidents happen only in parking lots or on busy streets?
Unfortunately, no. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), 20,000 workers are seriously injured each year in the United States due to forklift-related incidents. 100 employee fatalities are also reported due to the same reason. Many workers and employers are unaware of forklift hazards and are not following the procedures set forth in federal regulations or equipment manufacturer guidelines.
Pedestrian safety can be improved with appropriate preventative measures in environments with frequent forklift traffic. Detailed awareness training, effective traffic management, and the use of proper safety equipment make this possible. Both drivers and pedestrians can make a difference in reducing forklift-related accidents.
Employees who work around forklifts (whether directly or not) are responsible for safe forklift operations. The following pointers can help ensure that forklift operations remain safe for pedestrians and operators alike:
Warehouses, industrial plants, and other large facilities should implement protocols regarding the right of way. Vehicle and pedestrian routes should remain separate as much as possible, identified by the proper signage and pavement lines. Operators and pedestrians should be familiar with both routes, not just the ones they are most likely to use. When applicable, facilities should also have traffic barriers set up.
Forklifts must have horns and warning lights. Alarms are also extra safety precautions to add to any machinery in your warehouse. Curved mirrors can improve pedestrian visibility, especially at intersections. Pedestrians should always wear high-visibility vests when walking or working near high-traffic areas.
Pedestrian forklift safety is an important part of your warehouse safety program. Promote forklift safety awareness to constantly remind your employees to pay attention and be aware of their surroundings. Emedco offers innovative warehouse safety products to help reduce accidents involving industrial equipment and improve your facility’s safety tactics.
Losing a life in a video game may not just apply to the video game itself anymore. The new popularity of a certain new mobile gaming app, has the potential to put people’s safety at risk, if they are not paying attention.
With more than 15 million downloads in less than 2 weeks from its release, Pokémon Go has people running around in a frenzy searching for their next capture. The problem? Many people are so excited and involved in the game that they are not watching where they are going.
Today we hear a lot about distracted driving and not talking or texting while driving, but what about distracted walking? The rise in cell phone use over the last 15 years is consistent with the increase in distracted walking injuries; with more than 10,000 injuries occurring in the last decade.
It is important to keep safety in the forefront, especially in the workplace. So whether just out and about, in the workplace or on a work site, reminding people to stay alert by posting No Cell Phone signs is one way to help get that safety message across.
Displaying cell phones prohibited signs is a great way to let cell phone users know about your facility’s cell phone policy, before its use becomes problematic. Signs visually inform visitors and workers about the cell phone rules and regulations of your company, and set the precedence for the work environment.
So whether playing a game, texting or just plain talking on the phone, always be aware of your surroundings and keep safety at the forefront, it could save your life; and remember… never text and drive. Stay safe out there.
July is UV Safety Month and when you think of protecting yourself from UV rays what do you think of first? Most would probably say their skin. After all, it is our body’s largest organ, but what about your eyes?
When it comes to UV rays there are two types, UVA and UVB, and protection against both types are necessary not only for your skin, but for your eyes as well. Exposing your eyes to too much UV light increases your risk of developing cataract and/or cancer in your eye(s).
So what is a person to do in a work environment that has them outside working and the need for proper eye protection? Great news! There are several safety glasses options that allow for UV protection as well as safety protection so you get double the protection in one pair.
When choosing a pair of safety glasses it is important that they block both UV-A and UV-B rays by selecting a pair with anti-UV coating that will absorbs more than 99.9% of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet radiation.
Here are some other tips to help protect your eyes this summer season while working outdoors:
Have some other eye safety tips you’d like to share? We’d love to hear from you, just post them in the comments below.
There you are, in a public place, minding your own business and suddenly you’re subjected to someone else’s personal conversation and you think to yourself “Whoa! Did I just hear that correctly?”.
Cell phone use is at an all time high, and I think we’ve all been in this particular situation at one time or another. Maybe you were in the line at the grocery store, perhaps in an elevator or maybe you were just enjoying your lunch in the cafeteria at work. Either way, chances are you’ve been subjected to someone’s personal phone conversation. For some, cell phones just make us forget our manners.
July is Cell Phone Courtesy Month and a great time to brush up on our cell phone etiquette. Here are some great tips for its use in the workplace:
If your facility doesn’t allow cell phone use, displaying cellular phone prohibited signs is a great way to let people know about your facility’s policy, before its use becomes problematic. Signs visually inform visitors and workers about the cell rules and regulations of your company, and set the precedence for the work environment.
But remember, good cell phone manners don’t just apply to the workplace, they apply everywhere. So the next time you’re in a restaurant restroom and you hear that person next to you on their phone, remember this post.
Have an interesting cell phone story to share? We’d love to hear it; comment below.
For those who work outside having the hot sun beating down on their backs is nothing new. After all, jobs don’t stop when temperatures soar. Unfortunately, the only choice is to work through it — often easier said than done.
The hot summer months pose special hazards for those who work outdoors. Your crew must protect themselves against heat, sun exposure and other hazards. Both you and your employees must be aware of the potential hazards in the work environment and how best to manage them.
Working in direct sunlight can add up to 15 degrees to the heat index, and right now we are in the “dog days of summer”. It’s not too late to training employees on the safety hazards of heat related illnesses and implementing preventative measures for your workers who are exposed to extreme heat conditions.
Through heat stress knowledge and tactics, you can help ensure the health and safety of your workers over the rest of the summer.
Do you have any additional tips you use to stay cool while working in the hot summer sun? Share them in the comments below, your tips could help a fellow worker in the industry.
June 20th is the start of summer and as we enter the summer months, the warm weather has the potential to become very dangerous—even deadly—to workers who perform their job duties outside.
According to OSHA, both environmental and job-specific factors can put workers at risk for heat-related illness. Environmental factors include: high temperature and humidity, radiant heat sources, contact with hot objects, direct sun exposure (with no shade), and limited air movement (no breeze, wind or ventilation).
Job-specific factors include physical exertion and the use of bulky or non-breathable protective clothing and equipment.
Here are some ways to prevent heat-related illness from OSHA:
Employers and employees should learn the symptoms of heat-related illnesses so they can get quickly get treatment for workers who need it. Make sure people know how to recognize the signs of heat stress and be sure to have the proper emergency supplies on hand. Everyone needs to work together to ensure safety on the job.
Do you have any tips for staying cool during the summer months while working inside or outside? If so, post them in the comments below. Your tips may help another this upcoming summer season.
OSHA Issues Final Rule to Help Prevent Workplace Injuries and Illnesses
OSHA issued safety citations to a roofing contractor for exposing workers to fall hazards, as well as other hazards on the job site.
The contractor received citations for three repeated and four serious safety violations after OSHA inspections found employees were not using fall protection.
As a result, the contractor faces proposed penalties of $53,900.
Worker Loses Part of Finger; Employer, Staffing Agency Cited
A candy manufacturer and a staffing agency were cited by OSHA after a temporary worker’s left index finger was partially amputated by a machine.
After the incident, OSHA conducted an inspection, which revealed the following:
The manufacturer faces fines of $46,000, while the staffing agency faces fines of $9,000.
OSHA Schedules Safety Meeting
OSHA has scheduled a meeting of the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health from June 14-15 in Washington, DC.
The meeting is slated to include an update on OSHA initiatives from Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels, comments from Director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. John Howard, as well as an update on OSHA’s major regulatory activities, and reports from the NACOSH Emergency Response and Preparedness Subcommittee and NACOSH Injury and Illness Prevention Program Work Group.
The National Safety Council (NSC) designates every June as National Safety Month. Throughout the month, Emedco will highlight many of the safety topics that the NSC does during this time. The NSC encourages people to use the month to identify risks and learn how to address those risks and keep everyone safe.
June 5th marks the first week of National Safety Month where the focus is “Stand Ready to Respond”. The main message for the week is the importance of being prepared for emergencies. The NSC suggests training in first aid and CPR. Emedco recommends updating your first aid kits and making sure that your AED program is a success.
“Be Healthy” is the theme for Week 2 of National Safety Month, where safeguarding your health is the focus. Among the information NSC provides this week they ask that those who do a lot of shift work be extra conscious of their health. It is believed by some that shift work – which NIOSH defines as working outside the typical daylight hours of 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. – is connected to a variety of health disorders, including diabetes, cancer and hypertension.
Week 3 is the time to “Watch Out for Dangers”. NSC’s main message for this particular week is to stay safe by being alert at all times. This includes simple everyday tasks, such as watching where you are going.
Week 4 is all about how to “Share the Roads Safely” and the importance of focusing on the road instead of distractions. NSC suggests making safe choices on the road, to get enough rest to avoid fatigue while driving, and cautions drivers to be aware of their speed, especially around work zones.
The main take away this June should be to stay focused on safety and help save lives and prevent injuries not just during National Safety Month, but the whole year through.
Do you have plans for celebrating National Safety Month in your facility? If so, we’d love to hear from you. Let us know how you’re bringing attention to safety in your workplace this month in the comments below.
It’s been a long road to compliance; the updated Hazard Communication Standard (GHS) process officially started in 2009 and is set to wrap up this June 2016. A fully compliant GHS facility will bring with it improved quality and consistency of hazard information provided throughout the workplace, better comprehension for workers, quicker and more efficient access to SDS for workers, and a ton of money saved across industries.
With that being said some safety managers are still having trouble understanding a couple of areas of GHS that perhaps aren’t as cut and dry. Read on to get some clarity on these lingering misconceptions in GHS compliance.
Q: The containers within my facility vary in size and some of them are tiny, what is the minimum required information for small bottle GHS labeling?
A: There has been some debate on the minimum required information for small bottles. Initially, OSHA stated that labels must include all the required information. If the container is too small to print everything legibly on the label, then an extended content label would be necessary.
Added cost will not be an acceptable excuse for noncompliance.
There has been recent discussion that the following is the minimum you’re required to print on the small labels.
This might mean you can avoid the added cost of an extended content label.
Q: If there are 3 red squares on a label but I only need two pictograms can I keep the third one blank?
A: No. You either need to use a label template with the exact number of pictogram diamonds you’ll need or you’ll need to completely black out the unnecessary pictogram with black ink. If you’re printing your labels on-demand with a Brady Printer, this will not be an issue. Be advised that if a blank red frame is not fully covered and filled in, the label will not be in compliance.
Q: What is the major change between old HazCom Labeling and New GHS labeling?
A: The Old Hazcom standard was not universal and all business had their own system. Under the New GHS Standard all chemical manufacturers and importers are required to provide a universal GHS labels that includes a harmonized signal word, pictogram, and hazard statement for each hazard class and category. Precautionary statements must also be provided.
Q: Are any chemicals exempt from the GHS regulation?
A: No. GHS covers all hazardous chemicals. There are no complete exemptions from the scope of GHS for a particular type of chemical or product. The term “chemical” is used broadly to include substances, products, mixtures, preparations, or any other terms that may be used by existing systems. The goal of the GHS is to identify the intrinsic hazards of chemical substances and mixtures and to convey hazard information about these hazards.
For more information on the GHS regulations, click here.