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“This way to the Egress!” Back in the 1800’s, promoter P.T. Barnum posted these words on the walls of his museum in New York City to keep customers from lingering too long. Not knowing that “egress” was another word for “exit” many patrons hurried toward it, only to find themselves back outside. Egress is still […]

Exactly thirty years ago, the deadliest industrial accident of all time took place. On December 3, 1984, a leak in a pesticide plant caused the release of 40 tons of methyl isocyanate into the air in the city of Bhopal, India. About 4,000 people were killed outright, and another 15,000 passed away in the weeks […]

What is Hexane and Where Can it Be Found? Hexane is a chemical commonly extracted from petroleum and crude oil. It is a colorless liquid that gives off a subtle, gasoline-like odor. Hexane is highly flammable, yet it can be found in many household products such as stain removers for arts and crafts projects. Because […]

Early Saturday morning, a toxic leak of methyl mercaptan gas (also known as methanethiol) killed four workers at a DuPont chemical plant in La Porte, Texas, just outside of Houston. A fifth worker was hospitalized and released. Yesterday, teams from the EPA, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, and the United States Chemical Safety Board […]

According to a letter addressed to the American Coatings Association, OSHA has stated that it is willing to use its enforcement discretion to determine whether chemical manufacturers have made a good faith effort to obtain information necessary to comply with the June 1, 2015 chemical reclassification and safety data sheet authoring deadline. The deadline is […]

by Rick Barker, CPE Most ergonomists discourage the use of wrist braces as an injury prevention strategy. There is no compelling evidence that braces help prevent musculoskeletal injuries. In many jobs, introducing a brace actually increases awkward shoulder and elbow postures as the employee uses different arm positions to compensate for the lack of wrist […]

You may not have heard of toluene, but you’ve almost certainly encountered household products that contain this potentially harmful chemical. Toluene & Its Chemical Uses Toluene is a colorless, water-insoluble liquid with a sweet, pungent odor. This chemical (previously known as toluol) can be produced industrially or in a laboratory, and it also appears in […]

OSHA named the Top 10 OSHA violations of 2014 at this year’s National Safety Council Congress and Expo in San Diego. Not surprisingly, Fall Protection, Hazard Communication and Scaffolding kept a tight lock on the top three spots. Here is the complete Top 10: Most Cited Violations of 2014 Fall Protection (29 CFR 1926.501) – […]

On Monday we asked readers how they would fix the job “Screwing Bolts to a Metal Plate”. Thanks to those who participated in the conversation. Your solutions were great.  For a reminder of the task and to view the “before” photo, or to add your solution, view the link above. The “fix” was… Solution Description: The […]

Methanol is a natural by-product of wood alcohol, natural gas and coal. It has also recently garnered attention for being used in biofuel. But don’t let the “green” of this chemical fool you. Methanol is very dangerous and can cause death when mishandled. Therefore, it is crucial to understand how to handle methanol in a […]