The Orange County Sanitation District in Huntington Beach, California provides wastewater collection, treatment, and disposal services for approximately 2.6 million people. They had a combination of loud industrial equipment, cavernous space, and highly reflective surfaces creating an acoustic nightmare.
Dust particles become airborne during indoor metalworking processes like welding and plasma cutting. They also become airborne during the manufacturing and processing of food, chemicals, pharmaceuticals and other dry products.
As technology improves and changes, it is crucial to make sure procedures and practices are up-to-date, modern and match up with required safety standards.
When COVID-19 struck the global economy, it did particular damage to the food industry. Many restaurants were forced to close. Those that survived had to quickly adopt technological systems and practices that allowed for continued business.
As employees return to work, many employers may find they have fallen behind on workplace EHS training. Others find they need to modify training in light of social distancing guidelines that restrict large gatherings of workers with in-person classroom sessions or on-site consultants.
During this pandemic year, think how difficult and sad it has been not hearing the sounds we love. Now, imagine if your hearing were gone forever or seriously impaired. It’s not a good situation, but it’s a real one, especially in the industrial workplace.