Ergonomics

OSHA and PHMSA recently hosted a public meeting to discuss proposed changes and updates to the GHS in preparation for the 37th session of the United Nations Sub-Committee of Experts on the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals (UNSCEGHS). During the meeting, OSHA accepted stakeholders’ comments on a series of working papers […]

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 […]

EPA issued a final rule in April 2019 that imposes new restrictions on products that contain asbestos. Let’s take a moment to review the new rule and the impacts it may have on human health, as well as your business. The Background Asbestos is a naturally occurring fibrous mineral found in rock and soil. For […]

 In the series Ergo U:  Ergonomics Research Notes from the Field, VelocityEHS Director of Research and Ergonomics Engineer Blake McGowan meets with ergonomics researchers from leading universities and associations across the country to share their latest findings.  Field Notes:  On an icy January morning, Blake had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Jack Lu and Dr. […]

The recent chemical-related incidents in the news are a reminder of how important it is to have an accurate, up-to-date inventory of the chemicals you have on-site. Not only is an accurate inventory essential for safety, it’s a requirement under hazard communication regulations. For example, under OSHA’s HazCom Standard, employers must include a list of […]

We all know it’s important to design workstations based on anthropometric data. And we know that one of those key design guidelines relates to height. But height of what? The part? The working surface? The tools? Here are two different heights to consider in your design: Hand-working height: Think of this as the height where […]

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 […]

Most EHS professionals know that they need to have safety data sheets (SDSs) for the chemicals in their workplace, but often wonder if they need to have SDSs for all of their chemicals. If they do not, what are the exceptions and when do they apply? At VelocityEHS, we get this question often. That’s why […]

There have been some exciting technological breakthroughs in ergonomics over the past decade, particularly for practitioners. When I began my career as an ergonomist back in “the good old days,” we conducted musculoskeletal disorder risk assessments using pen and paper (observation-based). Those days are over, thanks to technology. Here are a few major technological advancements […]

Canada’s adoption of GHS — the UN’s Globally Harmonized System for Classification & Labeling of Products — has introduced the most significant changes to the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) in nearly thirty years. It’s not surprising then that so many workplaces are still confused about the new WHMIS 2015 requirements and how to […]