The National Safety Council has a team of consultants who travel across the country – and the world – to visit worksites and conduct safety audits. But no matter where each team member is, chances are good that he or she will spot one or more of seven common safety hazards. Here, NSC consultants JoAnn Dankert, Namir George and Rachel Harrington identify for Safety+Health the workplace hazards they see over and over again. 1.Working at height It shouldn’t be a surprise that Dankert, Harrington and George frequently spot hazards associated with working at height. Bureau of Labor Statistics data shows that falls to a lower level accounted for 14 percent of all fatalities in 2014, and OSHA standards related to scaffolding and ladders are regularly among the most frequently cited violations. Dankert, an NSC senior consultant based in Arizona, said hazards associated with working at height can originate from a lack of understanding. Employers may not know they have to provide fall protection, or the fall protection gear may not be worn properly or not hooked up to anything. Some employers don’t even have a written fall protection procedure or process. Employers need to identify all locations where fall protection is necessary – as well as where the engineered anchor points are – and train employees and regularly audit the fall protection program, she said. Some of those locations may be surprising. Dankert recently visited a manufacturing facility that was expanding and had added to its roof a new 12-foot-tall chiller next to three existing ones. But something was missing. The old equipment had proper fall protection, including swing gates and a railing for when maintenance work is needed, but the new chiller didn’t. “The fall hazard was not about doing work and falling off the roof – it was the equipment on top of that roof,” Dankert said. “These are hidden places you don’t go to very often, and you just don’t think about it.” Dankert cites this case as an example of the need for safety professionals to have a seat at the table when decisions on design or purchases are made. Their input, she said, can save employers time and money. More advice: Buy the correct-sized gear for workers, and keep in mind that although some work environments may have anchor points readily available, other locations may need an engineer to install them. Remind employees to hook to the anchor point when working at height, and keep a close eye on how well personal protective equipment is holding up. Environments with sharp edges, chemicals or welding, for example, can weaken a harness. Regularly inspect gear, and remove damaged PPE from service. “Fall protection is like other PPE – it’s not good forever and ever,” Dankert said. In some situations, it may be beneficial to forgo using personal fall protection equipment and instead build a platform with standard railings and a swing gate in front of a fixed ladder. Although such a platform costs money, Dankert said, it may be less costly than creating a fall protection plan, buying the PPE, and training and re-training employees. 2.Poor housekeeping Clutter blocking fire exits, aisles and emergency exits is a housekeeping problem that George, who is based in the United Kingdom as NSC’s manager of international consulting services, sees often. Another common hazard? Over-stacking loads on racks in a warehouse that bring them too close to a sprinkler head, which can limit the sprinkler’s efficiency in an emergency. Clutter, leaks or standing water also can contribute to slips, trips and falls. Workers shouldn’t wait for housekeeping or sanitation crews to take care of these issues, Dankert said. Instead, they should clean as they go. “Just because it’s a dirty process doesn’t mean you shouldn’t clean up spills,” she said. If the clutter or spill requires specialized training to clean up, then employees need to alert their supervisor, who can send in the appropriate staff. Additionally, Dankert recommends setting aside a few minutes at the end of each shift, or on a Friday afternoon, to clean up before leaving for the day. When it comes to storage, employers need to make sure appropriate areas are made available, notes Harrington, an NSC senior consultant based in Illinois. Harrington said she often sees electrical rooms used inappropriately for storage, with supplies blocking electrical installations. Even if clearance between the stored supplies and the circuit breakers is appropriate, Harrington pointed out, employers need to consider situations that could arise in which someone would need easy access to that room. “Think about an emergency where lights are out, something has gone wrong, and it’s full of chairs,” she said. “I wouldn’t recommend storing anything in an electrical room beyond what’s in the use of that room. I wouldn’t recommend it at all.” 3.Electrical – Extension cords Blocked breakers aren’t the only electrical hazard NSC consultants frequently see. Many electrical hazards spotted are related to inappropriate use of extension cords. Dankert often witnesses “daisy-chaining” – using multiple extension cords or power strips for a device. At one manufacturing facility Dankert visited, she saw as many as five extension cords chained together. “It was almost like Christmas tree lights,” she said. “All you really saw were all these electrical cords everywhere.” Because the employer is a developer of prototype equipment, the layout of the manufacturing floor was regularly being changed. And in most other aspects, the employer was conscientious about safety – the extension cords being used were new and heavy-gauge, and the facility was very clean. “They were trying to do the right thing, but it also made me think it’s not really temporary,” Dankert said. And that’s the point: Although extension cords can be useful for temporarily supplying power for certain operations, the key word is “temporarily.” When a cord is used for several weeks or months, Dankert said, OSHA doesn’t consider the use temporary. This opens the door for a violation. Beyond that, extension cords lying on the ground for extended periods of time are a trip hazard. They also can be subject to traffic abuse if run over by forklifts or feet, which can wear down insulation and create shock hazards. When cords are daisy-chained, they can easily overdraw electricity from the circuits, causing the wires to heat up and potentially result in a fire. Employers should assess whether extension cords are truly being used for temporary measures – perhaps to power a fan on an especially hot day. In such an event, Dankert said, the cord should be gathered up at the end of the shift and stored. She recommends establishing a system to periodically inspect extension cords, and training employees on that system to ensure the cords stay in good working condition and worn-out cords are placed out of service. Workers need to ensure they’re using the right extension cord for the job. Typically, a more expensive cord has a heavier gauge, which allows it to take more power without getting hot. The same applies for using a single power strip to plug in several different devices – the power strip may not be rated for the combined wattage needed for all the high-draw appliances being plugged in. If the extension cords are not being used for a temporary fix, employers should consider bringing in an electrician to drop in a line and outlet. 4.Forklifts What’s a leading cause of forklift-related hazards in the workplace? In George’s experience, it’s when workers feel compelled to work quickly. “What dictates their activity is production,” he said. “They’re all under pressure, and when you’re under pressure, they start taking shortcuts.” Shortcuts include driving with too large of a load or driving distracted. The end result may be hitting a rack, damaging a wall or product, or even injuring a co-worker. How employers react to these occurrences is critical, but their responses often miss the mark, NSC consultants say. George said a common attitude after an incident is to blame the individual and instill discipline. The forklift driver is re-trained, re-tested and then put back into the system. But employers fail to identify the root cause, which often is not enough staff or trucks to manage the current workload. Compounding these problems is a lack of maintenance and daily checks of trucks, and failing to segregate vehicles from pedestrians, George said. Trucks should be regularly inspected to ensure they are in proper working order, and employers should create designated walkways. 5.Lockout/tagout Proper lockout/tagout procedures can help prevent serious injuries, but only if those procedures are followed. “A lot of organizations, they’ve got the best procedures in place, but it’s the implementation of the procedures that fails,” George said. Some examples:
Violation of lockout/tagout procedures often boils down to three reasons:
6.Chemicals Chemicals can be expensive, and workers in some industries may never know when they’ll need to use a certain chemical again in the future. But according to Harrington, this kind of thinking can lead to serious hazards. “Before you know it, you have all these chemicals no one wants or needs,” she said. “There’ll be literally hundreds of chemicals on the shelves.” She added that although it may be easy to overlook a small, 5-gram bottle, those 5 grams can become unstable over time. For example, after a year or so, ether can degrade into explosive peroxide. When an organization purchases and uses chemicals, it needs to have a control system, Harrington said. It needs to know what the chemicals are for and why they were ordered. OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard requires facilities to keep an inventory of all products. Mark down the chemical’s expiration date, and use the chemical by that date or dispose of it properly. This is more than just a safety issue, Harrington said – stockpiling a huge cache of unwanted chemicals can be illegal. It also can be very expensive to dispose of large quantities of expired chemicals. Another potential hazard is transferring chemicals from one container to another. Even if employees feel comfortable around the chemicals and have worked with them for years, the containers must be labeled as required under the hazcom standard. 7.Confined spaces Confined spaces can present a number of hazards. George said many tragedies involving confined spaces have occurred because an employer didn’t issue a permit or failed to carry out a risk assessment. In one scenario George encountered, a confined space’s hazardous atmosphere wasn’t assessed properly because the equipment being used was out of date. A fire broke out. “I’ve seen people go inside drains without a permit, and didn’t even know it was a confined space,” he said. “Someone’s gone inside to pick up something and he collapses because the standby person was distracted.” If the risk assessment and permit process are done correctly, and all steps are followed, employers won’t have a problem, George said. “Everything is all planned,” he added. “If you don’t plan it correctly, you plan for a disaster.”
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Did you ever wonder what does a demolition expert do?Are you interested in pursuing this career, but have no idea what are the formalities involved with this job? Firstly, you need to know who a demolition expert is, and only then can you know what they do. Demolition experts or explosive workers are managers of any construction work and are experts in every sort of demolition work. Now, what do they specialize in? They just don’t break things, if that is what you are thinking, a lot is involved here. Some of the important activities, an explosive worker undertakes are:
These are just to name a few. Seems like a lot of responsibilities, doesn’t it? Now the next question is what the educational qualifications you would require for this job? A traditional college degree is not necessary to become a demolition expert. You can, of course, have additional merit if you graduate with a bachelor’s degree in engineering or construction. This might not seem much, but a person requires a lot of skills to become a demolition expert. Do you think you have what it takes? Find it out yourself! The necessary skills required to pursue this career are as follows:
You have seen what skills are required to work as a demolition expert, but do you think this job is suitable for you? Take A Look at The Pros and Cons of Working In This Field: Pros
It is not suitable for those who are not willing to work for long hours as this job takes up to 40 hours per week. Hopefully, this guide can help you as it almost covers everything that you need to know about pursuing a career as a demolition expert. Personal safety equipment is important for both the safety of employees as well as the company. Hard hats, safety gloves, and other devices can make a huge impact on your personal well-being.
But what are some of the most commonly used safety equipment? How exactly does it go about keeping you safe? Read on to learn more about the history of PPE and discover the important role personal protective equipment has played in the workplace. The history of workplace PPE While the history of personal protective equipment dates back beyond modern times, it wasn’t until 1970 that the US Government passed the Occupational Safety and Health Act. From that day, it put forth a new era where the entire US workforce would become protected from job-related injuries, illness, and even death. After OSHA became established in 1971, the new agency set forth on a unique mission. To create a thorough program which would meet the legislative intent of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. After creating the program, they then went on to define the appropriate list of PPE for every job description a company could have. Since then, OSHA has continued to make extravagant advances in workplace safety and safety equipment. Personal protective equipment Even though laws have passed requiring the use of personal safety equipment, accidents still occur every year. But what are the most commonly used PPE that can keep skilled laborers safe while on the job? Head protection Most common on constructions sites, it’s easy to identify day laborers and skilled laborers by the hard hats they wear at work. Design to protect your head from falling objects such as equipment or materials. Protective head wear has protected workers for years from objects that would otherwise impact or penetrate them. While some hard hats cover only your head, they can become quite intricate. Options are available offering extra protections with face shields, earmuffs, and more. For optimal protection, it’s important to wear head protection that is well-fitted and fits snugly on your head. Eye and face protection As important as head protection, laborers should take precautionary measures to keep their eye and face safe too. Products such as full-face shields protect your face from flying debris. Eye protection like safety goggles are necessary for skilled laborers who work with metal, wood, and hot temperatures. Hand and skin protection Important in just about every line of skilled labor or day labor, hand and skin protection can literally save the skin on your hands. Typically required by all jobs in the construction industry, it’s important to have adequate PPE such as gloves to avoid skin injury. Use hand and skin protection that help you avoid occupational hazards. Good skin protection would include rubber gloves, cut-resistant gloves, and heat-resistant gloves. Respiratory protection If you work on a site where toxic substances are present, it’s important to wear proper respiratory protection. You’ll want to keep vital organs like your lungs in good working order. Remember, just because you can’t see something doesn’t mean it can’t hurt you. PPE like respirators are not only designed to protect you from paint spray and dust, but they can also protect you from other danger. These can include substances such as pesticides, fumes, and other hazardous contaminants. While those in the workforce may not be able to escape dangerous conditions all the time, you can do your best to protect yourself. Doing so, you’ll be able to take part in the workforce longer, get out alive, and remain healthy. Workplaces aren’t the same and have different health and safety hazards. But, there are a couple of common workplace safety hazards that you can easily avoid if you are aware of them. Even if you think your workplace is at low risk for these dangers, it is always better to be safe than sorry as some can be costly. Accidents can happen when you least expect, therefore, for the interest of your company as well as your employees, everyone at the workplace should be educated on where the safety hazards lie.
6 Safety Hazards and How to Avoid Them 1. Falling Hazards Employees can slip, trip and fall anywhere, whether the location is on a highly dangerous job site or in a small office space. This kind of accidents can cause head and back injuries, broken bones, cuts, sprains and pulled muscles. Employees can slip on wet surfaces, fall over cables and equipment or due to uneven surfaces. No matter the location, when an area is wet, it is important to put a caution sign out or to dry the area asap. Cables should be installed neatly so that they do not cause obstruction and equipment should be put in place after use. When working in areas where uneven surfaces are being faced, the right footwear should always be used. 2. Electricity HazardsWires that are exposed can cause electrocution directly or indirectly, and faulty wires can even lead to a fire. Electrical installments should be done by a trusted professional and maintenance should be kept in consideration. In areas where working with equipment is part of the job, workers should wear electrical hazard rated footwear. 3. Fire Hazards The first step to fire safety is to make sure your business has a fire detector and fire alarm installed as well as fire extinguishers throughout the building. Maintenance checks to these installations should regularly be made. Employees should familiarize themselves with how the alarm system and fire extinguishers work. When a fire should happen when no one is around, having a fire alarm system can help prevent disaster. In the case of a fire during working hours, it can help save lives if a proper escape plan was presented to the employees beforehand. The employees should also be aware of fire hazards that can be caused by equipment or appliances that are left on or flammable liquids and gases. 4. Ergonomic Hazards A strain on our body can be caused when you stay in the same position for a long time. Whether you are working in sitting position or standing position, your body can be at risk of injury. The same goes for a job that involves repetitive movement that affects your back and posture. The ergonomic principle should be implemented in your working environment to help avoid pain, fatigue, or even illnesses. When doing the heavy lifting, there are specific guidelines to follow that can help stay clear of injuries. Having breaks at certain times do not only prevent ergonomic hazards, but they give you a mental break as well. 5. Biological Hazards Workers that are working with chemicals are in most cases well aware of how harmful exposure to certain chemicals can be if they are not taking the needed precautions. But, there are other exposures that employees might come in contact with unknowingly. These are biological hazards, which are often not easy to notice and therefore overlooked. Bacteria, viruses, insect, and droppings from animals as well as bodily fluids are natural hazards that can cause illnesses and diseases. Personal hygiene is the first step to keep yourself protected. Maintaining a clean working environment is vital for good health. And calling in sick (when you are!), will avoid spreading viruses to your co-workers. Another biological hazard that is hard to notice is black mold that can occur in a building when moisture is high, because of poor ventilation or water damage to the roof. If mold symptoms are detected, it is essential for the health of your employees to contact a professional who can take care of the “silent killer.” 6. Noise HazardsLoud noises can indeed cause permanent damage to your hearing, unfortunate for those music festival lovers out there. Hearing loss can happen over time when exposed to loud noises on a regular basis and also immediately in cases where explosive sounds are produced. In specific jobs, it is impossible to avoid loud noises. Therefore, it is up to the employer to provide hearing protection in areas where needed. By controlling the exposure to loud noise through closing off areas where the noise occurs, you keep those employees who are not involved with the noisy act itself safe. Not all working areas call for frequent training on workplace safety and equipment. Roofers for instances will be trained on the dangers that lie on top of a rooftop, while factory workers would be educated on the dangers of factory machines, electricians will focus more on electrical safety, and the list goes on. Some workplace safety hazards are apparent, and sometimes all it takes is some common sense to avoid an injury. Either way, it is in your best interest to inspect your business for safety hazards and educate your employees on how to prevent incidents. A safe working environment will help your employers feel at ease and can even help increase the work efficiency. It’s a thing of the past when the workers were left at the mercy of their employers. Since the dawn of the 20th century, employees around the world have gained a lot throughout the years. Today, every business considers employees as an immensely important part. There are numerous laws in the modern world that protect workers’ rights and make sure they don’t become victims of any kind of discriminations, as well as ensuring their safety and well-being.
As an employee, you need to be aware of your rights, so you don’t get denied anything that is yours by law. Maybe you are already familiar with some of the following workers’ rights, and maybe some will come as a surprise to you. Either way, take a closer look and learn more about your privileges and working place rights. 1. Protection from harassment Any kind of discrimination is forbidden in working place. This includes being forced dating anybody from the company, being given racial or gender-related comments or being bullied psychologically or physically. In case any of these types of discrimination happens to you, you should stand up for yourself and speak up, as is your right. 2. Minimum wage ensured Every country has a limit of a minimum wage that must be provided to each and every employee in any company, without exceptions. Furthermore, overtime hours have to be paid even more by the hour. In short, no matter what company you are working in, your right to a minimum wage needs to be fulfilled. If that is not the case, you need to talk to your employer so as to correct the paycheck. 3. Using appropriate tools and machines – safety issues Whenever you are using tools or machinery, make sure you follow safety procedures, as ignoring them can lead to serious injuries. It is your right to warn your supervisor if you are not properly trained to handle a certain tool or a machine. Another way of getting injured is not lofting or moving heavy items properly. You need to be provided with an appropriate tool if you are to handle heavy items. There should be a clear procedure for handling smaller and bigger items in the workplace. In short, if you are working in dangerous conditions, you have the right to file a report in case the standards of safety have not been fulfilled and you feel your safety is endangered more than necessary. 4. Having an emergency and disaster plan Eventually, something unexpected will occur and the company needs to be prepared for that. The emergency action plan is a must in every company, and it should include practicing fire drills, storm or earthquake drills, as well as teaching employees to keep water and snacks within their reach in case of a disaster. The first aid kit needs to be regularly updated, while the offices have to be insured. If you, as an employee, notice some of these points have not been covered, talk to your employer and make sure the emergency plan is solid and detailed, for your own safety and safety of others. 5. Family leave Inform yourself on how many unpaid weeks per year you have the right to. In case you decide to stay at home after having a baby, it is your right to do it. Also, if a family member is suffering from a serious disease, it is also a time you can exercise your right for a family leave. 6. Workers’ compensation In case of an injury at work, you are eligible for appropriate medical treatment, as well as compensation. For example, you can get hurt because of your employee’s fault or negligence. In this case, you have the right to come back to work once you are capable of work or get a similar job. If you have to move to another position because of the injury, you are entitled to the same level of pay and benefits as before. To be completely familiar with your rights after an injury, professionals like Withstand lawyers will help you understand and exercise your rights. 7. Having a safety task force There is a possibility to gather several employees in the company to assemble a safety task force whose task would be reviewing safety standards and manuals, as well as focusing on keeping the offices safe. They can also talk to the staff about their worries and suggestions about how to improve safety at the office. In short, it means getting a direct input from those whose safety is at risk every day and coming up with a solution. This may not be obligatory in a company, but sure can be a recommendation for the future. Final comment Every worker needs to feel appreciated and safe in the workplace. Workers’ rights today are on a much higher level than a century ago but it still doesn’t mean that somebody’s rights are being violated. The way to make sure it doesn’t happen to you is to know exactly what your rights as an employee are. |
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