Among the early EHS technology adopters: Bechtel, Turner, Clark Construction, Allergen, Siemens. There are others, mostly Fortune 500 companies. What EHS technologies are they using?
More organizations are abandoning paper-based health and safety management, and purchasing software to achieve leading indicator-based health and safety potential. The biggest mistake organizations make is believing that by a flip of the switch, health and safety software will solve all issues.
The Trump administration’s drive to deregulate the American economy and workplaces means the occupational health and safety profession faces an inescapable moment of truth.
If practiced routinely and extensively, the seven life lessons reviewed here will do more than prevent workplace injuries. Human welfare will be improved by less interpersonal conflict and bullying, and enhanced work productivity, environmental sustainability and life satisfaction.
In industries where there has been success in error reduction, a common element is that there is a distinct focus on the quality of safety activities and processes, with leadership actively fighting against safety processes becoming 'tick the box' activities.
As the safety coordinator of Uline’s Chicago-based distribution warehouse, Scott Barthuly takes employee emergency training very seriously. Every other year, all first responders on staff in the large shipping and industrial supplies distributor for the Midwest receive training in First Aid, CPR and AED use.
The PPE market has certainly changed over the years. There is a long history of personal protection from animal parts and hides to sophisticated materials and designs used today. The role of PPE in America’s workforce has continued to expand, improve and drives positive results.
A good pair of safety boots is essential equipment in many industries. Safety boots are precision constructed to protect against common workplace dangers: slip and fall accidents, electrical shock, chemical burns, and broken bones.
A big question when selecting work gloves today is touchscreen compatibility. Understanding what constitutes touchscreen compatibility is not straightforward and there is more to it than just the glove.
Whether a sanitation worker loses consciousness due to oxygen-deficient atmospheres during a routine maintenance check, or a firefighter is overwhelmed by toxic gases during a rescue situation, respiratory protection is paramount to any confined space entry.
If outdoor workers are outfitted with proper PPE, their risks of getting hypothermia, frostbite, or catching a cold are greatly diminished. A side benefit of wearing proper PPE in harsh elements is that workers are more comfortable, which helps to improve performance and productivity.
Safety data sheet information is not always clear about the hazards represented by a material or its ingredients. How do EHS leaders identify problematic documents and acquire the information necessary for effective decision-making about materials on site, exposure and worker protection?
Employers faced with these fall hazards tend to ignore the three lines of defense and go straight to personal protective equipment to solve their fall issues. What is needed is an understanding of the revised OSHA rule on walking and working surfaces and related fall protection consensus standards.
The GHS provides harmonized classification criteria for health, physical, and environmental hazards of chemicals, as well as standardized label elements that are assigned to these hazard classes and categories.
Like climbing ladders or stairs, there are steps to take to implement a dropped objects prevention plan on your jobsite. Regardless of industry, the following steps lead to success
The appropriate safety gear is a critical part of making sure your teams go home safely to their families. It can be tempting to make the decisions based solely on the per-unit purchase price. But when it comes to keeping your people safe, reliability, durability, and usability should be priorities.
Designs of noise dosimeters have evolved over the years from instruments that used to be worn on the belt with a cable microphone on the shoulder to now where the whole instrument is small enough to be worn on the shoulder during the shift.
A disposable glove re-evaluation can lead to improved protection, efficiency and possible glove consolidation. Every facility has its own unique complex processes and tasks. A close examination of each process and the elements the user comes in contact with will lead to the best glove choice.
A new approach to dust monitoring is starting to spread throughout the industrial hygiene field. It is the use of a device that simultaneously does real-time direct reading combined with standard method in a compact wearable product. The beauty of this type of device is three-fold.
Did you know that electrical workers are now required to wear arc rated head and neck protection while on the job? The most recent update to OSHA 1910.269 mandates that when working on or around electrical hazards, 360-degree FR protection is required.
In this article, we’ll examine hearing loss and leading causes, an overview of the history of hearing protection, and seven elements that workplaces should consider when implementing a Hearing Conservation Program (HCP) or Hearing Loss Prevention Program (HLP).
Periodic reviews are the best way to make sure that chemical inventories are still accurate, the people responsible for coordinating elements of the hazard communication program are still performing needed duties and training continues to addresses chemical hazards appropriately.
Human nature is what makes it necessary for companies to institute safety protocols, and it’s the reason why they need to reinforce those protocols through a safety incentive program that encourages employees to work safely and reward them when they do.
Keeping up with the ever-accelerating pace of technological advancements can be difficult. This article will look at some of the latest advancements in respiratory PPE, then analyze principles that underpin effective PPE and give your company a competitive advantage.
When skin is exposed to sweat for a prolonged time, it weakens and becomes more vulnerable. In short, gloves are a necessary precaution, but without taking steps to reduce sweat buildup gloves quickly become a source of discomfort and health issues.
Personal safety remains a constant challenge that employees face primarily on their own. How each perceives and responds to workplace exposures, ultimately determines their likelihood of being injured.
One thing we can always count on in life is change. And with change comes transformation. Although we are no longer making near as many obsolete technology products, there is always the need for the fundamentals in safety such as regulations, PPE and the like.
I drove 109 miles criss-crossing the greater Philadelphia region this summer accompanying an ISHN sales rep on customer calls. It's always good for editors to climb down from their ivory towers and encounter the real world.
Old pros were trapped in a prescriptive career- the OSHA regulation says this, now do it. Doing it took nearly all of the pro's time. There was little time for best practices. The old pros did, however, build great foundations upon which young pros may leap from compliance practices to conformance objectives.
Most employees, whatever place they occupy on the org chart, can’t make everyone else do what they want just because they said so. Even if they could, influence works much better than force.
To safety and health pros, perhaps confused by the dizzying array of FR clothing options, here’s one simple suggestion: Google search “What you should know about FR clothing.”
According to the Grocery Manufacturers Association, the majority of companies who go through a Class I recall can expect to see $10 million or more in losses as a result. A big part of the problem is traceability in food manufacturing. Not only do traceability issues allow problems to spread, they also lead to increased recall scope and cost.
OSHA’s regs and enforcement have framed health and safety work for decades. If OSHA reduces its regulatory activity (delaying or reversing current regulations) and moves toward technical assistance, what might the impact be?