Hydrogen sulfide is a colorless, flammable, extremely hazardous gas with a "rotten egg" smell. It occurs naturally in crude petroleum and natural gas, and can be produced by the breakdown of organic matter and human/animal wastes (e.g., sewage). It is heavier than air and can collect in low-lying and enclosed, poorly ventilated areas such as basements, manholes, sewer lines and underground telephone/electrical vaults.
Read MoreAudits can apply to your job. From a safety standpoint, there is only one way to do a job - the safe way. Safety needs to be the first consideration in everything we do. It is possible that we may not always be doing this, so our continuing efforts to review or think about our jobs are auditing.
Read MoreStress. Many of us are faced with it every day, but we might not know how to deal with it. It is important to learn how to handle stress because it can affect our performance and relationships in our work and home. At work, stress can lead to distraction and cause an unfortunate accident. At home, stress can put a strain on family relationships.
Read MoreHaz Com is the short term for the HAZARD COMMUNICATION STANDARD. This standard was developed to ensure that the hazards of all chemicals produced or imported are evaluated and that the information gathered about their hazards is transmitted to employers and employees. Neither workers nor employers are exempt from this standard.
Read MoreIt is hard to believe that the hazard communication standard has been around for years and yet violations of this standard in our industry are in the 'top ten list' of citations issued by OSHA. As an employee, you need to know what types of chemicals you are using and what hazards are associated with them.
Read MoreYou most certainly have heard recent news stories about an outbreak of Coronavirus across the globe that generated in China, as well as the diagnosis of a small number of related cases here in the United States.
Following is the most recent information provided by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on the virus what you need to know and what you can do to protect yourself and your family.
Read MoreLadders. Where would we be without them? On the ground. We use them nearly every day and all day long. It would be tuff if not impossible to do our job without them. If you've been roofing for a while, climbing a ladder is like walking.
Read MoreDo you realize you may be risking serious injury many times a day and not even know it? Well, it's true if you don't lift correctly. Improper lifting may cause back injuries that can take months and even years to heal. Sometimes they are permanent and disabling. A little know-how, however, can enable you to lift correctly.
Read MoreIt is important to protect yourself and coworkers from injury. It's equally important to protect the general public and surrounding property from injuries or property damage.
Read MoreThe average hard hat weighs about 14 ounces. That's less than one pound. The average man's head weight is 14 pounds, so there's an ounce of protection for every pound of head -- provided that the head protection is worn. The brain is the control center of the body. The slightest damage to any part of the brain will cause malfunction of some area of the body. T
Read MoreThere is no job throughout construction that does not carry a potential eye hazard. In analyzing eye injury cases, it is found that the most common are caused from foreign bodies in the eye, flying objects, dust, and horseplay. The jobs include office workers, laborers, operators, warehousemen, millwrights, drivers, mechanics, carpenters, and so on down the line.
Read MoreWhen a crane boom fails, watch out. As the heavy piece comes crashing down, lives can be snuffed out and thousands of dollars worth of property damaged. Crane boom failure can be one of the biggest disasters on a construction job; yet it can be caused by poor planning on the simplest lifting job. The time to discuss crane boom failure is before it happens, not afterwards. So pay close attention to what we're going to discuss today. The suggestions we're going to make could save lives.
Read MoreYou've heard lots of talk, read lots of words, about working safely on our projects. Sure it's "old stuff" - and important stuff.
There's lots at stake for YOU in working without injury or damage. You have much to gain by keeping fit and unhurt. One reason has a big dollar-sign in front of it. But there are other important reasons: other people who count on you for happiness, and perhaps for financial support; they also have a big stake in your safety as a construction worker
Read MoreIt's a smart move on your part to stay out from under suspended hooks and loads. There's always a chance that during a lift, the load could shift and fall. It may be a slim chance because of the good rigging techniques we use. But once is all it takes to cause a serious injury or a fatality. Also, stay clear of swinging loads. That big "I" beam can squash you like a bug if you get in the way.
Read MoreThe proper treatment of a burn is determined by the seriousness or degree of the burn.
Read MoreIt's a terrible thing to realize that hardly a workday goes by without a construction worker falling off a scaffold to his death. And those who survive scaffold falls are often crippled for the remainder of their lives.
These tragedies are sometimes caused by faulty design or poor construction. But in most cases, the basic cause is poor maintenance or improper use - something that you can do something about.
Read MoreWhen you hear this request at a service station, you can be pretty sure the job will be done safely. Service station operations and equipment are designed with safety in mind. But what happens when you fill up that front-end loader or portable generator on the job?
Read MoreNo materials or mechanical equipment can be stored outside the warning lines. And workers outside the warning line area must be protected by guardrails, personal fall arrest system, or a safety monitoring system.
Read MoreWe’ve all had dust and dirt in our eyes. Some of us have been hit in the eye by chips of wood, concrete, and stone. A little bigger, a little faster—these particles could leave us with limited sight or none at all.
Read MoreA 70-lb metal beam fell from the seventh story of a condominium development and struck a worker on the head, face, and torso. The man was taken to hospital in serious condition but survived. Police credit the man’s hard hat with saving his life.
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