Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Overexertion, slips, trips, and falls cause 60 percent of lost-time occupational injuries in the United States and cost employers over $30 billion in direct workers’ compensation costs in 2013. One strategy you can use to control these costly injuries is an effective worksite stretching program. The aging workforce is one factor that increases the likelihood […]
Adrian Mitchell, an apprentice diesel fitter in Tasmania, Australia, was retracting a 3-inch hose in May 2013 when the hose control became stuck in the “on” position. The hose, which was equipped with a heavy metal fitting at its loose end, began to whip around. It hit Mitchell in the side of the head—but his […]
While the Ebola threat seems to have been contained for the time being in the United States, it is still a problem in other parts of the world. In today’s Advisor, learn how training is helping fight this deadly disease. With the news that Sierra Leone’s vice president was put in quarantine this week after […]
After a Flood If your UST has been in a flood, take the following actions, depending on site-specific conditions: Do not assume everything is OK because water didn’t actually flood over the station. The water table could have risen and caused problems. Make sure the power to any UST-related equipment is off (such as power […]
In October 2014, OSHA reinspected Wood Fibers, Inc., a wood pellet manufacturing facility in Niagara, Wisconsin, for the fifth time in 3 years. The employer had been cited for serious hazards in 2012, but late last year, conditions had not improved much. Wood Fibers was cited for four repeat and eight serious violations, including serious […]
Even if you have insurance to cover repairs, bringing a damaged UST back up to code can be a lengthy process, particularly if the flooding is widespread and qualified UST contractors are in high demand. Damages could include piping connections broken by movement, compromised electrical and leak prevention/detection systems, infiltration by water, and loss of […]
Sometimes, you need an electrical cord that bends a little. Maybe it’s because you have to use your power drill or saw in many different locations during the workday. Maybe it’s because a piece of machinery vibrates when it’s operating and you don’t want to transfer that vibration throughout your electrical system. Or, maybe it’s […]
In October 2009, the General Accounting Office issued a scathing report criticizing OSHA for undercounting work-related injuries and illnesses. As a result of that report and other factors, OSHA has stepped up enforcement of its injury and illness recordkeeping and reporting requirements. Because of this increased emphasis, employers need to take extra care in determining […]
On December 11, 2010, boxmaker Beverly Brown was walking down a vertical staircase at a Wayne Farms chicken processing plant in Decatur, Alabama, when she lost her balance and fell. Her only obvious injury was a cut on her lip, so Brown was taken to the plant’s medical room, where she was given an antibiotic […]
Do You Recognize a Wetland when You See One? This checklist provides some general questions that can help you determine if a wetland is present at the site you want to enhance or develop. For some of the questions (especially 5–7), you may want to refer to the Corps’s Wetlands Delineation Manual. A “Yes” answer […]