Ergonomics

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 […]

EPA recently updated its Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) inventory, which lists the chemicals being actively manufactured, processed and imported in the United States. Let’s take a closer look at this update and what it means for chemical safety and compliance. The Background In 2016, President Obama signed the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for […]

Ladder safety violations pose a common workplace hazard, consistently appearing on OSHA’s annual top 10 most frequently cited standards list. It’s a widespread and costly problem, but many ladder-related injuries can be prevented with proper training. March is National Ladder Safety Month, so there’s no better time to review ladder safety practices in your business. […]

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 […]

Powered hand tools are common in manufacturing (and other) work environments. Unfortunately, heavy users are at a greater risk of injury due to the transmission of vibration to a body area. To combat the negative effects, many turn to anti-vibration gloves. The abundance of products to choose from claim to be ISO certified. While some […]