Inadequate lighting contributes to many on-the-job accidents. One study shows that “accidents can be reduced about 20% by improving lighting conditions”. But how do you know if you have enough lighting for a specific task or area? Before conducting your first lighting survey you will want to review the fundamentals of illumination. Here’s a link to […]
When my dad was young, 80% of workers in the United States worked on a farm. Back then, when an industry hired a new employee they could assume that the new employee already knew allot about machinery, electricity, chemicals , heavy vehicles, working at heights, equipment maintenance, and confined spaces because of their experiences on the farm. I grew […]
A new study in the Journal of Injury Prevention looks at the dangers of “distracted walking”. Crossing a busy intersection while texting or talking on a smart-phone can be deadly. Texters are four times more likely to disregard traffic lights. Pedestrians talking on a phone are likely to forget to look both ways before crossing […]
Above is a photo of my favorite hearing protection – the QB2HYG by Howard Leight. For most Safety Professionals (and others who are not in noisy areas all day) this may offer the best combination of protection, comfort, ergonomics, and price! This unique type of hearing protector was specifically designed “for for people who are exposed to intermittent […]
Air testing is performed to evaluate the potential risk of airborne contaminants, and to prove that an airborne health hazard does not exist. Either way, it is important that proper sampling procedures be followed to insure that results are accurate and legally defensible. I have personally witnessed numerous sloppy air tests performed by either unqualified insurance company inspectors, or in-house […]
I am often asked these four questions on hard hats: 1. Are hard hats required for this job? 2. What type of hard hat do I need? 3. Are stickers & paint allowed on hard hats? 4. Can hard hats be worn backwards? In the USA, OSHA’s General Industry standard uses vague and non-specific language where it […]
There’s a quick and easy fix any company can do to improve the quality of their accident investigations. I’ve seen this simple technique dramatically improve the accidents records at three companies. Is this a magic pill that will turn around a poorly performing safety program? Maybe! In the early 1980’s I was hired to help an air conditioning manufacturer […]
Our friend, Tony Huynh (a content marketing specialist with BigRentz.com) asked me if I wanted to post a link to a free, downloadable, infographic on “construction noise” that he’s developed for the BigRentz.com blog. I checked it out and said “sure, it’s a quality document that I believe many SafetyAwakenings.com readers would like”. Please click here […]
Just because something stinks, does not mean it is it toxic. Sewage treatment plants stink, but those I’ve consulted with did not have toxic concentrations of any air borne contaminants. Clearly not all unpleasant odors are health hazards. A few years ago a company introduced a new chemical on the production floor. This chemical smelled bad and in short order […]
To be an effective safety manager you will need the trust, respect and cooperation of the workers. I didn’t learn this in school, I learned it through 40-years of experience on the work floor. Below are the twelve maxims that have helped me to improve my relationship and credibility with factory workers: Spend lots of time on the work floor. At […]