Category: Special Topics in Safety Management

It’s just dust. How could it be dangerous, let alone explosive? Any combustible material can burn rapidly and explode in a finely divided form. Dust suspended in air in the right concentration can become explosive. The force from such an explosion can cause employee deaths, injuries, and destruction of entire buildings. In addition to explosion […]

Permit-required confined spaces are regulated strictly by OSHA because the hazards are so great. Here’s a quick review of OSHA’s requirements for permit spaces. As we said in yesterday’s Advisor, which reviewed confined space hazards, OSHA defines confined spaces as tanks, silos, sewers, and similar spaces large enough to work in, but difficult to get […]

Industrial workplace safety and health depend on getting employees involved in the process. When they’re asked to contribute to the safety of others, employees are more likely to work safely themselves. "If employees don’t understand the ‘why,’ not just the ‘how’ [of workplace safety], they’ll never get beyond a certain point," says Fred Rine, founder […]

Annual physical exams for some or all employees may be a good idea for many reasons. But make sure your policy is clearly communicated to employees and meets legal requirements. There are many legitimate reasons for requiring employees to have annual physical exams—for example, to ensure that individuals are physically capable of performing the required […]

Wellness programs seem like a simple, appealing way to reduce skyrocketing healthcare costs. But be aware that some programs can run afoul of federal and state laws. Wellness programs encourage employees to adopt or maintain healthy lifestyles—or at least take the first steps toward learning about healthy alternatives. Choosing healthier alternatives to reduce cholesterol levels, […]

More Americans than ever—some 50 million—report suffering from chronic pain and may be taking pain medications. This reality can have a profound effect on safety in the workplace, not only because some of these meds have potentially dangerous side effects, but also because more people are becoming addicted and may continue using the drugs even […]

One in five workers says they have been put in danger or injured because of a co-worker’s substance abuse. To keep your workplace safe, you have to recognize alcohol abuse that affects job performance and take steps to correct the problem. Recognizing alcohol abuse is the first step in preventing it in your workplace. A […]