Industry Leading Tactics to Make the Workplace More Safe

by Web Master on May 7, 2013

In the U.S, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulate workplace safety. OSHA provides the latest guidelines on workplace safety and enforces safety standards to ensure regulations are not violated. However, many organizations have come up with additional safety and health guidelines for their workers. These guidelines do not just help organizations avoid legal lawsuits from workers but they also assist employees not to get hurt while conducting the affairs of the business. Workforce is an asset that many businesses consider invaluable. Here is some of the latest health and safety standards companies can adopt.

Fall awareness
Many workers in different organizations are injured every year because of falls. Some falls result in minor injuries while others have been fatal. It is important for companies to offer safety education about falling hazards in the office.

In order to reduce the number of people getting injured or losing lives from falls, employers should offer workplace training and education so that they take extra precaution when working. Companies should also install guardrails and safety net systems. Workers should be equipped with fall-arrest equipment such as ropes and harness.

Respiratory Safety
Many industrial settings feature a number of substances that are potentially hazardous to workers. These substances range from odorless and invisible gases to dust and dirt. Workers should be trained on the use of respiratory protection systems including dust masks and self-contained breathing systems. The self-contained breathing apparatus directs air out of the mask. This keeps dust and all particulates out of the workers’ lungs.

Key elements of respiratory safety in the workplace are extensive training and education. Respiratory safety is essential especially where workers face odorless and invisible hazards at the job site. Information and education are the only tools workers can use to protect themselves since they may not be able to detect the hazards through smell or taste.

Hazardous Materials
One type of hazardous material present in the workplace is airborne pathogens. Other materials include radioactive, explosive and flammable materials among others. These substances have harmful effects on the body including chemical burns, irritation and rashes. ired.com keeps management of various organizations informed on all these hazards and safety codes to implement in their firms. The safety body also provides training on OSHA standards concerning the use of hazardous materials. The regulations mostly revolve around two important areas: disposal and clean up.

Different materials call for certain safety precautions. This is why staff education is important. Workers who deal with radioactive materials should use hermetically sealed full body suits. This will seal the worker from the hazardous materials. Those who deal with caustic materials only require an apron and rubber gloves. Workers who are insufficiently protected from hazardous materials are likely to get injuries, long-term disabilities and even death.

Hearing Protection
Workers who deal with power tools and machines are exposed to loud noises that may lead to hearing problems with prolonged exposure. The damage may not be immediate or dramatic as with falls or other forms of injuries. In fact, hearing damage or loss may sometimes not show for years. This means that workers’ ears can be damaged for prolonged periods without their notice.

This is why companies should enforce rules requiring all employees who work in noisy environments to wear hearing protection. Without the protection, many employees will work in such environments assuming their hearing is not being damaged unaware that they are setting themselves up for hearing loss in future.

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Toolbox Topics

by Web Master on June 19, 2012

Toolbox Topics and Work Safety

Toolbox topics cover important points on safety in different work situations. It is quite essential for a company to promote safety awareness amongst their employees by providing effective training. It has also become mandatory for companies to maintain certain level of safety and health standards in their work environments. Non-compliance with safety regulations can cost your business huge amounts by way of punitive fines, and hefty compensations, in case workers suffer injuries.

However, it is quite difficult to cover all aspects of safety and health, especially when you need to show the government that you are doing enough in this department. This is where talks on various toolbox topics can make things simple for the management, and employees will be able to understand safety concepts more easily. Here are some important aspects that should be covered in toolbox talks.

Safety Legislation: It is first important to know the laws that are applicable for safety, for the type of business being conducted. From this, the management will gain a fair idea of their responsibilities regarding safety. This information can be made available to the employees as well, as it will build an image of the company being a fair employer, and will promote open communication in future.

Relevance: Toolbox topics that are discussed should be relevant to the people attending the talks. For instance, welding safety is not relevant to people who locate cable faults. The topic should be work specific; otherwise, it will be a waste of time.

Do not simply talk, but Teach: Toolbox topics are not something that should be narrated to the audience from a piece of paper. Safety meetings should have practical demonstrations of what is being talked. For instance, do not simply read out instructions on how to lift heavy boxes, but rather lift a box the correct way and demonstrate it to the employees.

Keep to the Topic of Safety: When a group of employees is gathered it becomes easy to talk about various other topics of business. Deviating from the subject of safety is not a good idea, as the points discussed will be watered down by other topics. A safety meeting or talk should only be about specific safety topics.

Keep it Important and Interesting: Various safety measures can be discussed from different angles to keep things interesting. Employees should also be made aware that topics discussed at safety meeting are quite important and it has a major role to play in keeping them safe at the workplace.

Research: Talking about relevant and interesting toolbox topics can be quite difficult at times, and it may not be easy to come up with topics to talk about on a regular basis. However, vast resources are available online on safety topics relevant to specific jobs and industries. Here are a few links related to certain toolbox topics that will be helpful for preparing talks.

Construction Industry Safety Topics – http://www.safetyawakenings.com/construction-toolbox-talks-free-best-tailgate-tail-gate-training/

General Industry Safety Topics – http://www.toolboxtopics.com/Gen%20Industry/Gen%20Indus%20Contents.htm

Fleet Safety Topics – http://www.toolboxtopics.com/Fleet/Fleet%20Contents.htm

Safety Topics for Roofing Contractors – http://www.toolboxtopics.com/Construction/index.htm

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Safety Symbols

by Web Master on May 19, 2012

Everything you need to know about Safety symbols

Health and safety signs and symbols would not only warn people about the dangers that they have to be aware of, but also let them know of the protective measures to be taken against these. Most of these signs are legal requirements to ensure the safety and well being of the people though these could appear irrelevant at times.

ANSI Z535

ANSI Z535 is the American national standard for safety signs and symbols as per the International Association of Electrical Inspectors. Set up in 1991 by the American National Standards Institute, these guidelines are designed to regulate the colors and size of words and signs to ensure safety of the public. Companies often use these guidelines to prevent the risks of potential lawsuits and to ensure fool proof safety.

OSHA 1910.145

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces the standards that have to be in place to ensure workplace safety and health. OSHA Specifications for Accident Prevention Signs (1910.145) stipulates the usage of appropriate safety signs to indicate specific hazards that might lead to accidental injury to workers or cause damage to property.

The guidelines stipulate that the warning sign must be used to alert people against potential hazards and unsafe practices. OSHA signs should have round corners and the acceptable colors for these symbols include Red, black and white on a yellow background. The wordings should be easy to read and precise. Examples of OSHA signs include those to denote containers, rooms , materials, hazardous agents and so on .

PPE Signs

Personal Protection Equipment Signs and images are used to warn the employees and visitors of the potential dangers in a work place. These symbols are used to warn about the places where the visitors might need ear or eye protection, glasses, safety shoes or gloves among others.

The choice of PPE would depend on the type of risk factors like chemicals, heat, pressure, light, radiation and  dust  among others. By using the appropriate PPA signs, the employees can guard themselves adequately thereby reducing work place accidents. The new recruits are trained in workplace safety and PPE symbols before they start their work to ensure maximum safety.

NFPA Signs

These safety signs are used to denote the risks of fire, reactivity and health hazards of various chemicals. Custom NFPA Signs are available in multiple sizes; companies also can opt for customized NEPA signs as per their requirements.

SS fire signs

These are used near transmission lines, transformers and power grids to warn the public about the electrical and high voltage hazards that could kill them.  High Voltage sign and label designs also comply with safety standards like OSHA and ANSI

Safety symbols on the Road

A range of  safety symbols are used  on the road to warn the Public on the speed limit, curves, construction sites, steep hills and other accident prone sites. Safety symbols are always colored bright so that people never fail to notice these. Apart from graphical or symbolical representation, large texts like saying “CAUTION” or “WARNING” are used to alert the people.

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Oakley Safety Glasses

by Web Master on April 19, 2012

Oakley Safety Glasses for Complete Eye Protection

Oakley safety glasses offer the best level of eye protection, especially the Industrial M Frame that incorporates superior protection technology. The frame and lens of these glasses confirm to ANSI Z87.1 standards, and CSA Z94.3-02 protection standards of Canada. These safety glasses are trusted by members of the SWAT team, soldiers, industrial workers, and sportsmen all over the world.

Oakley safety glasses are not only highly resistant to impacts but also offer full UV protection and superior vision clarity, which are not seen in other brands. These glasses undergo, high mass and high velocity impact testing to meet the best standards in eye protection. The high mass test involves dropping a metal spike measuring 5 inches and weighing 17.6 ounces, on the lens from a height of four feet. In the high velocity test, a steel ball of quarter inch diameter is shot at the lens at a speed of 102 mph from different angles. Oakley safety glasses passes both these tests, where the lens does not come into contact with the eye during impact, and no part of the lens or frame is ejected to contact the eye.

Oakley uses patented technology for the frame and lens that provides high degree of protection form impact, wind, and harsh rays of the sun. The frame is made of special material that has the right amount of flexibility for absorbing impacts. The lens material apart from resisting impacts have the capacity to completely filter out, harmful blue light of 400nm intensity, and UVA, UVC and UVB rays of the sun. Secondly, this protection is incorporated into the material of the lens and is not a coating on the surface, which can wear off.

Oakley safety glasses are known for their vision clarity as well, which is very important for avoiding hazards in different situations and surroundings. The company uses their patented HDO technology for lenses that provides better sharpness of vision at longer viewing distances. The lenses also have much better prismatic and refractive power for minimizing optical aberrations that usually obstruct clear vision.

Here are some of the best models of Oakley safety glasses available online.

Oakley M Frame Sweep Sunglasses for Men

These safety glasses provide 100% UV protection, and the lens and frame has been tested for high degree of impact resistance. It has a smart wraparound style, and even though these glasses are extremely tough, they are quite light in weight. The design provides a secure and comfortable mount, and lenses are optimally aligned for best clarity. The nose ridge and ear socks are optimized for comfort and offer good grip even while perspiring.

Oakley Livestrong Jawbone Sunglasses

These Oakley safety glasses have a unique Jawbone design that is ideally suited for sportsmen. The frame’s lower rim can be opened to change the lens, and hence you can fit the lens required according to light conditions. The frame also has a superior design for providing comfort without compromising on the grip, and you can have a customized fit by easily replacing the nose piece. The lens of course has the usual high degree of clarity and resistance to impact.

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Safety Meeting Topics

by Web Master on March 19, 2012

Ideas For Safety Meeting Topics

Safety in the work place is a very important issue that needs to be addressed. Holding meetings is important so that everyone feels involved in the formulation of policy, rules and regulations that concern safety. It also saves time and energy because you get to address issues that may be raised by other employees. Safety is not the only reason for having this meeting. A company may be seeking to ensure they comply with regulations. This could help them get certification for having a good safety policy.

First topic would probably be identification of hazards in the workplace. If the organization is new this is a very crucial topic that should not be overlooked. Different types of organizations are faced with different types of hazards. It is important to discuss with employees about these hazards in order to minimize cases of accidents in the workplace. Some employees may bring to the attention of the managers hazards they have spotted. Ideas can be exchanged between employees and management and new solutions may be found.

Safety training programs and establishing operating procedure is important for companies that work with machinery. When accidents happen the auditors usually try to determine if the organization undertook safety training and operational procedure training on how to handle machinery in the workplace. A meeting to determine when and where the training will take place is important.

Ergonomics: Ergonomics are usually designed to enable employees become more productive by minimizing fatigue caused by poor posture. Depending on the organization, poor ergonomics training could be a hazard for the company. In the construction industry and industries where employees are required to carry heavy objects from time to time, poor posture and handling of heavy loads can cause serious accidents. To avoid this, the company must establish and train employees on the correct way to carry such loads.

Fire fighting and equipment location: There are actually a good number of people who do not know what to do incase of a fire. An organization that does not train its employees will be held responsible in the event of a fire. Failing to train employees is not an option. The training should include first aid, the placement of fire extinguishers and a fire drill to determine how well they can respond in case of an emergency.

Safety meeting topics should also capture new trends or changes in the organization. If an organization acquires new equipment that uses a different technology from the old one, then this is an important development that should be discussed. Weather phenomena such as hurricanes, floods or heat waves should be addressed in relation to the current working environment so that workers can be prepared for it.

The objective of safety meetings is not just to eliminate hazards. A manager should strive to promote good attitudes about how accidents and hazards in the organization are handled. When this is done the employees work more proactively to ensure their safety and that of their colleagues in the work place.

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Baby Gates For Stairs

by Web Master on February 19, 2012

How to buy baby gates for stairs

Having a curious toddler at home could make it very important to have a baby gate for stairs to avoid any accidents. There is a range of baby gates available in the market thanks to the tremendous technological advancements of today. The market is deluded with an impressive line up of brands and models including specially built solid gates that ensure maximum safety.

Tag along a few shopping tips to get the best deals in baby gates.

A gate for the stairs should  have a hardware mounted type  of mechanism instead of the pressure gate type as it will not come off even if the child shake or push it. The gate should not be lower than ¾ of your child’s height and should be of the same width as the stairs to ensure maximum stability and safety. Wall mounted gates attached to the wall are more strong than and not as mobile as the pressure mounted ones. It is rated high in safety aspects than the pressure gate model, which can however fit to most of your spaces These are secured through pressure and has rubber bumpers on.

Retractable baby gates can be used for both  narrow  or wider door openings and can be used not only in stairs but also doorways and halls, which makes it a great value for money option. The mesh design prevents the baby from pulling or tampering the mesh.

Do not try  to save a few quick bucks by settling for something that is ridiculously cheap as buying a gate that is inferior in quality could prove costly in the long run.

Regalo Easy Step Metal Walk Through Safety Gate is a popular model that is easy to install and remove. The best part is that it is well suited for pets too. The lever style handle offers an easy one touch release, which makes it a good option for doorways and staircases. Stairway Gate Installation Kit (K12) by KidCo is another trendy item that is worth checking out. It can be attached easily without any drilling. North States Supergate Easy Close Metal Gate  swings open both ways and is well suited for both stairs and as room or hallway partitions. It can also be used for pets. No assembling required. Be safe with Summer Infant Extra Tall Decorative Walk-Thru Gate , which is well suited even for top and bottom stairs. This hardware mounted stairs has a swing closure and automatic locking system. Online shopping is the best option to find all the interesting models on offer.

Position of the Baby Gate

Baby gates can be placed either on the top or bottom of the stairs to prevent the child from accidentally tripping and falling over the steps. It can also be used to protect your baby from the fireplace, for which there are special gates.

Materials to consider

The most durable material would be steel. Wooden gates on the other hand have aesthetic appeal and look good indoors, which makes it a popular choice among parents. Plastic gates are cost effective; nonetheless it is less durable and has a shorter life.

Installing the right baby gate would not just protect the baby from the lurking dangers around but also would ensure peace of mind for the parents.

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Nemesis Safety Glasses

by Web Master on January 19, 2012

Nemesis Safety Glasses for Complete Eye Protection

Nemesis safety glasses offer the best standard of protection to the eyes from flying particles and excess light. Safety glasses form part of the personal protective gear worn by workers in construction, chemical and processing industries. These types of goggles are also great while travelling in open vehicles and on motorbikes.

If you want to protect yourself from any type of eye injuries, while working, or handling chemicals, safety glasses are necessary. They are specially designed for blocking flying particles and splashes of dangerous liquids. These glasses look like standard wraparound sunglasses, except the lenses can withstand quite a bit of impact from particles. Nemesis safety glasses confirm to ANSI Z87.1+ standards, which is a certification for resisting high impact. To confirm to this standard the lens has to undergo an impact test. In this test a steel ball is shot at the lens at a speed of 150 feet per second, and the lens should not break, chip or crack in any way, after the impact.

Apart from the lenses, the frames also have to undergo impact and durability tests. The frames should be resistant to flames and corrosion, and should pass high velocity and high mass impact tests. In the impact test of high velocity, a quarter inch steel ball is shot at the frame at a speed of 150 feet per second from a distance of 10 inches. The shot is fired from various positions and angles, and the frame should not break, nor should the lens detach from the frame. In the impact test with high mass, a 17.6-ounce steel ball is dropped on the frame from 50-inches height through a tube. The result should be the same as the high velocity test.

Nemesis safety glasses are available in tinted, clear, and outdoor/indoor varieties. The tinted ones provide great degree of UV protection, and protect the eyes from high intensity light during welding procedures. The outdoor/Indoor type change the degree of tint to suit the light conditions, and are convenient when one has to move frequently between varying light conditions. Safety glasses are also available with prescription lenses in varying diopters, and as bifocals as well.

Here are some of the best Nemesis safety glasses that are available online.

Nemesis Safety Glasses Jackson 3011375

These safety glasses have copper tinted lens and Camo frame. They are quite light and look very sleek and sporty. At the temple area, there are soft pads for extra comfort, and lenses are a single piece in wraparound style. The lenses confirm to ANSI Z87.1+ impact standard and provide 99.9% protection from UV rays.

Nemesis Safety Glasses Logistics RX

Highly sophisticated design with bigger wraparound lenses for full protection, and nosepiece equipped with special ridges that helps in channeling sweat away. The lenses have a smoke tint offering 99.9% UV protection, and the frame is in deep black matching color. This model is available in +1.0 to +3.0 diopters for assisting vision. The glasses come with a free neck cord that complies to Z94.3 standards.

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