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EARTHQUAKE! “A well my hands are shaky and my knees are weak I can't seem to stand on my own two feet Who do you thank when you have such luck? Oh San Andreas, I'm all shook up yeah, yeah, yeah” All Shook Up – 1957 written by Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley. (Cleverly modified 8/2014) In the breaking dawn of August 17 th, 2014, a 6.0 earthquake struck Northern California. Major structural and property damage, as well as more than 120 people, were injured. This was the l …

In order to get out of your protective clothing without subjecting yourself to the materials you've been so careful to avoid, field decontamination procedures should be followed carefully. This process does not make the garment safe for re-use. Rather it is a way to extricate yourself from the clothing that has protected you before it is discarded. DuPont's protective Tychem garments, like their more common Tyvek hazmat coveralls are designed for limited-use applications. Even the he …

Fear of Ebola is spreading much faster than the actual virus. We've been inundated with questions over the past week about protective clothing. And since the internet is filled with the opinions of Preppers and armchair physicians weighing in on the decision to transport American aid workers infected with Ebola to an Atlanta hospital, we decided we'd weigh in with our more informed recommendations for protective equipment along with information we've gleaned from our discussions with DuPon …

The need to be seen is especially important for workers who spend their days around moving traffic. Garbage collectors, utility workers, school crossing guards, and airport baggage handlers all fall into this category. These folks have specific safety precautions they are required to take under ANSI/ISEA 107-2004 which is the authoritative government tome on reflective and high-visibility clothing. But there are more options when meeting those standards than you might think. This series of …

With oil production continuing to expand in areas like Midland, Texas and The Bakken, OSHA regulators haven't been far behind. It's not just drillers and chainhands that fall under the protection guidlines, but toolhands and other contractors who need to be fully equipped to deal with the health hazards associated with oil and gas extraction. We're going to take this space to discuss the personal protective equipment (PPE) that takes care of the OSHA requirements. In addition to those w …

With so many hazards and so many types of coverall protection, it's difficult to know what's right for they type of work you do. Here are our suggestions for protective clothing for the most common workplace hazards. I'm a big believer in the old grease monkey coveralls. I wear them when I'm working on my car or doing other non-toxic jobs. But once you move from sweeping up dust or changing the oil in your car to work with the types of particles and liquid materials you know you're bett …

We may be going a little overboard with this photo for our safety boots. If this was a television commercial there would probably be warnings about not trying to jump through a concrete wall and fly. If you think these industrial boots will allow you to do this, you may be disappointed. However, if you're looking for something that will keep the muck out of your boots, or let you work comfortably while sloshing through mud or water, the Onguard PVC boots are a great choice. They can …

Waste collection has always been a more injury-prone occupation than most. In both fatal and non-fatal accident categories, refuse collectors are at high risk. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics shows many of the fatal accidents being caused by transportation - either passing cars, other work vehicles, or their own refuse trucks. Slips, falls, and trips also occur with regularity, along with cuts and lacerations. Safety equipment is critical for these workers, and is most often supplied …

For thousands of people affected by Hurricanes, cleaning up and making their homes and businesses habitable again is a big challenge. When the flood waters recede it is often replaced by mold in damp materials like wallboard, insulation, carpeting, wallpaper, and wood paneling. All of that material needs to be removed, and workers need to be protected from airborne mold spores that can get into cuts and scrapes, ears, nose, mouth, and even the mucous membrane of the eye. To remove these hazar …

There is a lot to like about the Capstone Goggles with Combination Face Shield from Pyramex Eyewear. For one thing, it gets rid of the need for secondary eye protection which is required when you are wearing a regular face shield. It's lightweight and comfortable to wear. And it makes you look a little like Jason from Friday the 13th. But when I was watching their video about this new product, I was skeptical about the part where it says you can wear it with your regular prescription glass …