Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
SWIMS is an easy acronym you can use for SPCC training to help your workers remember what to do after a spill has occurred: Stop the leak. (e.g., shut the valve, shut off ventilation, shut off all ignition sources in the immediate area) Warn others. Call spill response coordinator, supervisor, and first responders. Isolate the […]
Asbestos fibers are tough, flexible, heat- and fire-resistant, and it provides effective insulation and soundproofing. Typically, it may be found in ceiling and floor tiles, insulation materials, in car brake and clutch linings, and in heat-resistant clothing. When the fibers stay bonded together, asbestos is safe. Make your employees aware of asbestos and its potential […]
Any powered equipment is potentially dangerous—even if it’s supposed to be shut down. Many needless accidents occur when somebody turns on a machine that’s supposed to be locked out. Lockout/tagout accidents are not only needless, but serious. They result not in small cuts or scratches, but often cause amputations, serious fractures, or death. Any energy […]
Yesterday, we explained how to calculate PELs. Today, we talk about how to comply with them. To achieve compliance with PELs, OSHA says a facility must determine and then implement administrative or engineering controls whenever feasible. Engineering controls involve the use of: Exhaust and general ventilation Enclosure of the source of emissions Process and equipment […]
A University of Vermont–hosted safety site has published what it calls the “Fatal 5″—the primary causes of LO/TO-preventable injuries. Make sure these hazards aren’t present in your workplace. OSHA requires you to train employees to prevent lockout/tagout (LO/TO) accidents in the workplace. Have you explained how to avoid the "Fatal 5" to your employees? 1 […]
OSHA requires authorized and affected employees to be properly trained in lockout/tagout requirements and procedures. Do your employees have the knowledge they need to prevent deadly accidents? Here’s a true story excerpted from BLR’s Interactive CD: Lockout/Tagout that dramatically illustrates to employees why lockout/tagout is so important. Laundry Worker Fatally Injured A laundry worker propped […]
Compliance with OSHA’s Control of Hazardous Energy standard involves a variety of issues other than the basic lockout/tagout procedures. It’s a comprehensive standard, and you need to comprehend all its requirements. Because you’re probably already familiar with the basic lockout/tagout procedures, let’s skip ahead to some lesser-known facts about lockout/tagout compliance. (NOTE: If you’re looking […]
Workplace horseplay can cause serious issues for both employees and companies. In a prior article, we looked at a case where an employee broke his leg engaging in horseplay. Although the injury was bad enough, there was the added difficulty of conflicting stories of the incident, and a dispute over workers’ compensation. Reduce your risk […]
Yesterday we looked at the 10 steps OSHA requires authorized lockout/tagout (LOTO) employees to follow. Today we turn to the LOTO standard’s training requirements and look at a tool that takes the pain out of providing LOTO training. As we discussed yesterday, OSHA’s LOTO standard (29 CFR 1910.147) requires you to train three groups of […]
Even with a solid safety program in place, workers need a safety pep talk from time to time. Here are some tips from our Safety Training Tips editor.