Practical EHS Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
The phaseout of incandescent lightbulbs has led to an increase in the use of energy-efficient fluorescent bulbs, including compact fluorescent lightbulbs or lamps (CFLs). Traditional long-tube fluorescent bulbs and the compact variety contain mercury vapor and may have small amounts of liquid mercury, both of which can be released when the bulbs are broken or […]
Lasers—intense, focused beams of nonionizing radiation—are in widespread use today. You can buy a laser pointer at your local drugstore to draw attention to your upcoming presentation. Bar-code scanners in retail cash registers use lasers to automatically retrieve the purchase price of consumer goods. Laser surgery clears our vision. We can use laser guidance and […]
On January 5, OSHA announced the renewal of an alliance with the Laser Institute of America (LIA) to protect workers from exposure to beam and nonbeam lasers in industrial, construction, medical, and research workplaces. The word “laser” stands for “Light Amplification by Stimulated Emission of Radiation.” Lasers are cavities that are filled with crystal, liquid, […]
As you prepare your safety training program for the rest of 2015, check out the information in today’s Advisor from a new white paper put out by the American Red Cross that details the benefits of blended learning in safety training. The most effective safety training method has long been a subject of debate. Is […]
As with most labor-saving devices, nail guns decrease the amount of labor while increasing risk. The tool’s ability to fire several nails per second at a velocity of more than 1,000 feet per second presents obvious hazards.
Pneumatic power tools such as nail guns, chippers, drills, hammers, and sanders are found not only in the workplace but also in the hands of many consumers—and not all of them are construction workers who use those tools during their day jobs and receive appropriate training. Make sure that not only your tradesmen but also […]
On August 6, 2012, a fire at a refinery in California shut down the facility for months and sent more than 15,000 nearby residents to local hospitals with breathing problems. The fire occurred when a 52-inch section of pipe leading from a crude oil distillation tower began leaking flammable hydrocarbons that formed a vapor cloud […]
On November 15, 2014, workers at a pesticide plant in Texas were trying to restart the methomyl production line after a 5-day shutdown. They were having problems: A line was plugged and the building ventilation wasn’t working properly. Around 4 a.m., workers opened a drain valve in the vent system to release pressure, without realizing […]
On the one hand, you really need people to show up for work. On the other hand, if people show up for work when they’re sniffling, sneezing, coughing, feverish, and miserable, how much work are they really getting done? And how many of their coworkers will call in sick the following week, because of their […]
Right in the thick of debates over whether to restrict air travel from countries where the Ebola epidemic rages, and the sudden emergence of enterovirus-D68 as a deadly threat to children with underlying respiratory issues, comes flu season, with its annual U.S. death toll in the tens of thousands. What’s a worried employer to do?