Working in a confined space can be hazardous but working in a permit-required confined space (permit space) is often downright dangerous.

Workplaces can sometimes be dangerous and that’s why OSHA requires employers to alert employees to hazards that they could encounter. A proactive way to provide this protection is to use the necessary signage, alarms, and signals to alert workers to these hazards.

Material handling consists of the moving, handling, and storing of materials in a facility using manual force, employee-operated equipment (forklifts), and automated equipment (conveyors). The handling and storing of materials inside a facility includes activities like:

When employees are performing construction work six feet or more above a lower level, you need to provide them with some type of fall protection. There is an exception for working on scaffolding — the threshold height for fall protection is ten feet. OSHA regulates falls at 1926 Subpart M.

Crystalline silica is one of the most common elements on the planet, just behind oxygen. About 2.3 million workers are exposed to it in their workplace. It’s about 100 times smaller than sand and can be found on construction sites in building materials such as concrete, block, stone, sand, and mortar.

Preventing falls from heights when performing construction work is a top priority because falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2017, there were 366 fatal falls to a lower level out of 971 construction fatalities.

When employees perform maintenance on machinery or equipment, you must ensure that they know how to protect themselves from the release of hazardous energy. OSHA’s control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout) standard at 1910.147 requires you to create procedures for employee protection.