Chemicals

In Part 1 of our blog series on Industrial Hygiene Program Management, “SEGs: The Foundation of a Great Industrial Hygiene Program”, we learned how to create similar exposure groups (SEGs). This step of characterizing your workplace and forming SEGs is a prerequisite for performing qualitative exposure assessments (QEAs). If you haven’t already, we recommend reviewing […]

Many company managers, and even some experienced safety professionals still maintain the view that some workplace accidents ”just happen” — that not all workplace incidents are preventable, and that we therefore shouldn’t always expect to find root causes for why they occurred. The reasons behind this attitude vary, with some individuals claiming that such ambitious […]

The term musculoskeletal disorder (MSD) is widely accepted in the world of ergonomics to indicate damage associated with conditions that ergonomics guidelines seek to prevent. But what is a musculoskeletal disorder, and how does it occur? In a study by Barbe et al., the extent of the MSD development process in muscles, tendons, bones, ligaments […]

by Phil Molé An employee at a popular chain restaurant recently died due to chemical exposures from a reaction between common, but incompatible, cleaning compounds. This incident, like many others before it, is disturbing because the chemicals used are so common, and tragic because it is avoidable. It’s an unfortunate reminder that HazCom management is […]

Today’s workplace is far different than it was in the past. Workers from multiple employers are increasingly working side-by-side at the same worksites, and employers are sharing responsibility for worker safety more and more. When chemicals are involved, confusion can arise over who has obligations under OSHA’s HazCom Standard. We know that, because people often […]

The job of an EHS professional is never over. There’s always work that needs doing, including an ever-growing list of tasks we need to complete to address risks and maintain effective workplace safety programs. Making life more difficult, the work has a way of multiplying. Sometimes, it seems that for every item we cross off […]

Welcome to the sixth and final installment in our “Intro to HazCom” series! If you missed our previous posts in this series or want to refresh your memory, just follow the hyperlinks to read about the basics of HazCom (Parts One and Two), the challenges of chemical container labeling (Part Three), the requirements for a […]

In the previous installments of our “Intro to HazCom” series, we went over the basics of HazCom (Parts One and Two), tackled some of the challenges of chemical container labeling (Part Three), and discussed how to develop a solid written HazCom plan (Part Four). If you missed any of these, don’t worry! Simply click the […]

It’s been over a year now since ISO 45001 was first published, and many companies have achieved certification. If your company is one of them, congratulations on an important milestone in your safety journey! For companies that haven’t earned certification yet, ISO 45001 can still provide an invaluable tool to help you improve your workplace […]

Welcome to the latest installment of our ongoing Intro to HazCom series! Some of you might be familiar with previous posts, and are waiting for the latest in the series. If so, your wait is now over. But if you’re asking “what Intro to HazCom series?” and are looking for a broad overview of HazCom […]