Safety

If you haven’t noticed, OSHA has been following through on its commitment to do more to update, create and modify guidance provisions, at least in the way of providing new guidance documentation.  The agency has released two new guidance publications in recent months, both happen to address dust-particle dangers. The latest document, Controlling Silica Exposures […]

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 […]

Yes, it’s that time of year, when the sweltering heat of summer begins to set in and brings with it a host of additional safety and health concerns for employers and workers across the country.  Being able to identify and respond to the warning signs of heat stress can truly become a life or death […]

As you can guess, we get this question often.  So let’s clear the air once and for all.  The answer, of course, is YES… as long as you meet these three criteria: Have a back-up system in place in case of a foreseeable emergency. Ensure that your system is integrated into your overall hazard communication plan. […]

On a recent post at NAEM’s GreenTie blog, Alex Pollock asked for our thoughts on the “demise of the Industrial Hygiene profession as we know it.” He noted changes in staffing, reliance on “EHS generalists” and changes to the profession over the past 20+ years. It is my experience that the changes within the IH […]

In a post titled “The 8 Top Corporate Wellness Programs“, Konstantin Koss comments that “Health Risk Assessment (HRA)”…is used to ” determine the safety and health concerns of workers by assessing the appropriateness of the facilities and equipment against the needs of the employees.” In our experience, this statement blurs the facts and may overstate […]

I am surprised at the increasing number of presentations, discussions, and blog posts using 5S and ergonomics synonymously. As Lean programs begin to realize that good ergonomic design can reduce waste of motion, many people are making a leap assuming they are one in the same. The two are very distinct. Occupational ergonomics (as defined […]

Think about the responsibilities of Health and Safety Manager/Technician/Team in an ergonomics process. Its typically answering the call of the people on the shop floor about an issue or following up during an injury investigation. Classic “Whack-a-Mole-Management”! Douglas Ross writes in a recent blog post “Whack-a-mole is a popular carnival game in which you try […]