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Let's face it, people don't read so much anymore. That's why OSHA has decided to put more pictorgrams and fewer blocks of tiny, difficult-to-read text in their new Safety Data Sheets (SDS). SDS will replace the traditional Material Safety and Data Sheets (MSDS). See? Fewer words in the title as well. OHSA has transitioned to the new SDS format in order to provide workers with clear representation of the dangers, safe handling, and use of hazardous chemicals. Their hope is the new format …

Ventilation is one of the central pillars of confined space safety. Fumes, vapors, and volatile organic compounds accumulate and create an atmosphere that is not conducive to breathing. And I think we can all agree that breathing is a central pillar of living. OSHA calls ventilation one of the most important engineering controls available to maintain a safe work environment. We agree. And we've got a number of smart ways to accomplish replacing the atmosphere of your toxic environme …

Most people have heard the expression: "dress for success”. Here at PK Safety, we like to dress to stay safe. It’s critical that workers can be seen when working in road construction sites and alongside traffic to prevent “struck-by” accidents. One of the most important forms of protection for workers is high-visibility apparel. OSHA requires high-visibility clothing but doesn't call for it outright. Under the federal worker-safety "general duty clause" companies and business owners are …

Many different types of work require repetitive motion or lack of movement altogether. Workers who frequently shift from standing to sitting can damage their knees. Others stand for long periods with little variety of movement, causing lower back stress and joint pain. If they experience muscular, nerve, or joint pain regularly, and believe that it's work related, the cause may be repetitive strain injury (RSI). RSI is generally caused by performing a particular activity repeatedly or for a l …

In the event of a fall, traditional harnesses, lanyards and self-retracting lifeline (SRL) combinations can save a worker from serious injuries. However, they may leave workers just out of reach from work platforms. Rescue operations to retrieve fallen worker(s) are dangerous and the training for such scenarios aren't the easiest to pick up right off the bat. On top of all that, suspension trauma is an ever present danger for workers left hanging for extended periods of time. The lack of p …

Every year, approximately 30 million people in the United States are occupationally exposed to hazardous levels of noise according to OSHA. Since 2004, the Bureau of Labour Statistics has reported nearly 125,000 workers have suffered significant, permanent hearing loss. Surgery and hearing aids can only help with hearing loss, not correct it. OSHA's permissible exposure limit (PEL) is 90 dBA for all workers for an 8 hour day. For each additional 5 dBA, the exposure time is cut in half. NIOS …

Contact with objects" incidents are the 3rd highest cause of death in the workplace. When it comes to a defense against falling tools, people often rely on hard hats, tool nets, and toe boards. In the last annual Bureau of Labor Statistics report, 52,260 workers were struck by falling objects. That's just the incidents that were reported to OSHA, the real number is likely much higher. Since the year 2000, Python Safety has been addressing the need for protection against falling objects. …

An arc flash occurs when an electrical current leaves its intended path and travels from one conductor to another. This may result in fire, flying objects (traveling at more than 700 mph), blast pressure, sound blast (exceeding 160 dB) and heat (exceeding 30,000 F). If an arc flash makes contact with a person, injury and death may occur depending on proximity of the worker to the source, temperature, and time for the circuit breaker to be disengaged. OSHA last issued an arc flash related rule …

"When you do things right, people won't be sure you've done anything at all" (Futurama). Most days employees arrive, do their jobs, and then leave for the day. Often, it isn't until an injury occurs, that people question the safety policies in place or the person that designed them. Welcome to the role of the Industrial Hygienist. What is industrial hygiene? The practice of industrial hygiene, also known as occupational health, involves identifying existing and potential hazards in …

For electricians and electric power industry workers the threat of electrical arc is the most serious they face. During their short blasts, flash hazard temperatures can be literally hotter than the sun. Combine this with the pressure wave from the explosion and searing flying metallic particles, and you've got yourself a seriously bad situation. The clothing electrical workers choose can play an important role in how serious an injury is received in the event of one of these arc blasts. …