Practical HR Tips, News & Advice. Updated Daily.
Because earthquakes can occur at any time of year and happen suddenly, without much if any time for advance preparation, having and practicing a plan is key to helping your workers stay safe. To raise awareness, OSHA has launched a new Earthquake Preparedness and Response page. According to OSHA, most earthquake-related injuries result from collapsing […]
Analyzing every job for its hazards can reduce accidents. The purpose of a job analysis is not to evaluate job performance but to find hazards and then determine ways to reduce or eliminate them. Look at each job you do in detail. Often we look at obvious dangers but ignore the simple, everyday things that […]
Toolbox talks are informal discussions that address specific hazards or conditions. They are often delivered before a shift or when there is a change in the job, conditions, or equipment. Safety toolbox talks are less formal and shorter than safety meetings and other types of training sessions. They serve as an excellent refresher and a […]
Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) does not provide much specific direction concerning safe stacking and storage, 29 CFR 1910.176(b) of the material-handling standard does generally require secure workplace storage of materials. The regulation states: “Storage of material shall not create a hazard. Bags, containers, bundles, etc., stored in tiers shall be stacked, […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) takes forklift safety very seriously. In fact, they’ve beefed up the standard to include very specific operator training requirements. OSHA’s standard on Powered Industrial Trucks has specific requirements for operator training (29 CFR 1910.178 (l)(2)(ii)) that require a combination of formal training (classroom, videos, etc.) with practical instruction, […]
According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, workplace violence typically falls into one of four categories. Customize the following information to the type or types for which your workplace is most at risk. Type I: Criminal intent In this kind of violent incident, the perpetrator has no legitimate relationship to the business […]
In 2005, a dozen California workers died of heat illness—a toll that resulted in the promulgation of the nation’s first heat illness prevention regulation. In 2009, California/OSHA conducted more than 3,400 inspections at worksites considered “high risk” for heat illness. The agency shut down 16 worksites that posed an imminent heat hazard and issued nearly […]
One of the biggest challenges for managers of hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities (TSDFs) is hitting all the training requirements. This is because Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) regulations for TSDFs are more stringent than those for generators or transporters and include general facility standards as well as unit-specific design and operating […]
Extreme heat during the summer months poses a risk to outdoor workers, in particular, and creates a potential liability for their employers if steps are not taken to protect workers’ health and safety. The risk is real. Two years ago, there were 31 heat-related worker deaths, as well as 4,120 heat-related worker illnesses, according to […]
Decontamination is a vital process for employees who handle hazardous wastes because it removes or neutralizes contaminants that have accumulated on personnel and equipment. Decontamination serves the following purposes: It protects workers from hazardous substances that may contaminate and eventually permeate the protective clothing, respiratory equipment, tools, vehicles, and other equipment used on-site. It protects […]