Hearing Safety: What’s Making the Most Noise in the Workplace?
An estimated 22 million workers each year are exposed to noise loud enough to cause hearing damage.¹ Additionally, 24% of all hearing difficulty among U.S. workers is due to occupational exposure.² Reducing the exposure to noise begins with understanding the issue, effects and causes.
Forklift Safety: Facts, Stats and Tips for Safe Operation [Infographic]
How many workers are injured each year as a result of forklift misuse? We could say “too many,” but to be precise, the total number of injuries per year (non-serious, serious, and fatal) is 96,785. That’s right, nearly 100,000 workers are injured per year due to improper training or sheer carelessness on the job.
A New Approach to Prevent Silica Dust Exposure in Fiber-Cement Siding Installation
When trying to prevent employee exposure to silica dust, recognized as a deadly hazard for nearly a century, the technology has improved and the dangers are more clearly quantified, but the National Institute for Occupational Health may have found a simple solution for cash-strapped contractors using fiber-cement siding in construction and renovation.
How Easy is it For OSHA to Come Knocking? Are You Prepared?
If you think that the only way that you can get cited by OSHA is through a formal inspection process that requires an inspector to appear at your front desk, talk you through the inspection, walk through, cite violations, and debrief, think again. It is as simple as an inspector seeing a violation while driving […]
Protecting Workers from Heat Related Illnesses
You can’t control the weather, but you can control how workers are exposed to it. Each year, thousands of workers—especially those in agriculture, construction, and forestry—fall ill due to one of the most preventable hazards in the workplace.
OSHA’s 2014 Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations Infographic
Each year, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) releases its ‘Top 10’ list of most commonly cited standards from its year of inspections. The goal of course is to help warn employers what inspectors will be looking for during an inspection. Here are the top 10 most frequently cited standards for fiscal year 2014 (Oct. […]
Voluntary Protection Program Could Become Permanent
After 33 years of success, an initiative that has protected over 1,000,000 workers at 2,200 worksites could finally become law. Sponsored by Todd Rokita of Indiana, the newest Voluntary Protection Program Act will bring to law a program designed “to assure so far as possible every working man and woman in the Nation safe and […]
Focusing on the ‘People’ Factor in Developing a Safety Program
Generally started as a result of reactivity (as opposed to proactivity), organizations let safety go unchecked until the drastic happens. An inspection, an injury, or any other form of unexpected tragedy leaves organizations scrambling to take action by throwing money at the issue without considering how it affects the workers. The workers, who walk on […]
What You Need to Know about the New Confined Spaces Construction Standard
Necessary ruling for an often-necessary task in construction. The latest ruling by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration finally catches the construction industry up to counterparts in manufacturing and general industry by offering protections that will save the lives of construction workers each year. A necessary part of many construction projects, entry of confined spaces—manholes, […]
Lyme Disease and the Workplace
Did you know that May is Lyme Disease Awareness Month? Yes, a full month dedicated to raising awareness of one of the fastest spreading diseases and the most prevalent vector-borne disease in the United States. However, while many may worry about their vacations, the workplace is a common place cited for Lyme Disease. It’s also […]
Hazard Communication: Major Changes and Effective Dates
As you should know, in December of 2013 OSHA began implementing the Globally Harmonized System in which the information for hazardous materials is communicated consistently across all borders of the globe. The Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals (GHS) is expected to prevent injuries and illnesses and improve the knowledge of hazards throughout […]
Criminal OSHA Charges Brought Against Operations Director and Safety Manager
A recent OSHA Legal Update from Matt Horn of SmithAmundsen discussed recent charges brought against an operations director and safety manager. “On October 11, 2013, an employee at a Bumble Bee Foods plant in California entered a large oven used to sterilize cans to make an adjustment inside the oven. While the employee was in the oven, […]
