Blog

By Blake McGowan, CPE Demonstrating the value of your ergonomics initiative and calculating the return on investment (ROI) for specific engineering improvements have become common requests for many safety professionals. Unfortunately, many of us struggle to even begin to justify improvements, let alone choose a meaningful calculator to demonstrate the benefits of improving workplace conditions. […]

As an ergonomist, one of the most common questions I get asked is how to select the right casters and wheels for a specific job. Something as simple as the wrong wheel on a cart may turn into a source of high ergonomic risk exposure to the operator. Therefore, proper caster selection is essential. Here […]

In an office environment, glare on a computer monitor can result in static, awkward neck postures. Straining to look at a monitor can put pressure on the brachial plexus or neurovascular bundle in the neck and shoulder area. There may be reduced circulation in the affected body area, resulting in less oxygen and nutrients to […]

OSHA is planning on publishing a final rule in August that will align the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (GHS). It’s not clear what affect (if any) that alignment will have on the NFPA and HMIS chemical hazard rating and labeling systems. One issue of […]

OSHA used the National Safety Council’s 2010 Congress and Expo to announce the top 10 violations of 2010. Thomas Galassi, OSHA’s Directorate of Enforcement Programs made the announcement with Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of OSHA, in attendance. The list was little changed from 2009, with a couple of violations switching places. Hazard Communication violations […]

In recent months, OSHA has stepped up its efforts to remind employers that employees must be trained in a language they understand. First, on April 14, 2010, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis touched on the issue in an address to the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety. Then on April 28, […]

We have received some questions recently on the “CPE ” designation that appears at the end of the title of VelocityEHS Ergonomics consultants.  In the United States, the most recognized official certification body is the Board of Certified Professional Ergonomists (BCPE).  The Certified Professional Ergonomist (CPE) designation has the following requirements: A master’s degree in […]

In the last couple of weeks, the video of a trench caving in at the exact moment an OSHA inspector is telling the crew that one of the workers can’t be in the trench has gone viral. The video illustrates at least three important lessons for employees and employers: Trenching and excavating are hazardous activities […]

We have noticed a significant number of searches on our database for MSDS information related to Nalco products Corexit 9500 and Corexit 9527, the two dispersants being used in the oil spill cleanup effort. As a public service, and in an effort to assist the EPA in making MSDS information about these two dispersants more […]

Just back from the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) show in San Antonio.  Great show and thanks to all that stopped by our booth.  A number of people at the show asked me if material safety data sheets (MSDSs) are required for consumer products like Windex or Lysol? This is a common question we […]