The safety industry in recent years — in both industry publications and in the workplace itself — has experienced a barrage of thin-gauged gloves that offer high levels of dexterity and comfort. These styles have helped to persuade employees who traditionally have been bare-handed or non-glove users to wear gloves.
You might think that workers who put in more than eight hours a day in dangerous environments would want the very best head protection. After all, when they buy a helmet for their kids for riding their bicycles, they will pay upwards of $50 to protect their child’s head for less than two or three hours a week of riding!
The Respiratory Protection Equipment Technical Committee (TC) of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) is in the final stages of developing an updated performance standard for open-circuit self-contained breathing apparatus used by emergency responders.
A McWane-owned company and four of its managers have been convicted in New Jersey on criminal counts ranging from polluting the Delaware River to intimidating workers and covering up details of a workplace fatality.
In one of the largest penalties ever issued nationally by safety regulators, OSHA last week fined BP Products North America, Inc. more than $2.4 million for unsafe operations at the company's Oregon, Ohio, refinery. An agency inspection identified numerous violations similar to those found during an investigation of last year’s fatal explosion at BP's Texas City, Texas, refinery that killed 15 workers and injured more than 170 others.
Many people believe that switching from poly/cotton blend work garments to non-flame resistant 100% cotton is an “upgrade†in safety when it comes to electric arc flash. Safety experts across the country today are busy trying to dispel this very dangerous myth.
Many articles have been written on the topic of confined space entry since federal OSHA issued the final rule in 1993. However, few have focused on the ugly “back story†of this topic — what alleged violations are cited when major disaster strikes, serious injuries and/or fatalities occur, citations are issued, fines are levied and the matter heads for the courtroom.
Wes (a good friend of mine) and I were inspecting a vessel to make sure it was safe for entry. We had to climb ladders from level to level, and it was August on the Texas Gulf Coast, so it was hot and humid. We were acclimated to the heat because we were out in it daily. We were aware of the problems that could occur when working in the heat; we had actually presented classes on the subject.
To understand where the industrial hygiene industry is, you have to understand how very far it has come in just the past few years. We’ve moved from a fairly limited “industrial†exposure to an enormous and diversified exposure set. As new processes, products and chemicals have been developed, IH has grown right along with it.
Gas detection equipment usage and maintenance complexity is considered high. For usage, products require basic understanding of hazards (gas stratification and subsequent sampling techniques), action steps upon alarm, and comprehension of display (gas readings, battery life, etc.) no matter how simple the operation is. For maintenance though, the level of complexity can be even higher.
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