Blog

Nearly every type of industrial site has confined spaces - manholes with plumbing, or sheds that house pumps or generators.  These are areas where the atmosphere may become toxic or oxygen-depleted and unsafe for entry.  If you or your crew don't do much work in these areas you may not be aware of the dangers or the regulations surrounding them. Here are a few things that you will need if you are preparing to enter a confined space.  They are all important, most of th …

While roof work in many parts of the country is slowing down or confined to winter repair projects, in California there are still roofing projects in full swing. Because I work for a safety company I can't help but look to see what safety equipment (if any) they're using when the work is happening in my neighborhood. So far, even since the OSHA rule changes earlier this year, only about half of the crews I see working are wearing the mandated fall protection. This is probably due to …

OSHA changed the rules for residential construction workers on March 15th, 2013. No longer will they be issuing reduced fines, helpful hints, and consultations on compliance with the fall protection regulations. They are in full-enforcement mode, and you should be in full-compliance mode if you want to avoid serious penalties. Unless you are able to plausibly demonstrate why conventional fall protection is not feasible or why it presents an even greater hazard when used, your residentia …

Residential roofers are scrambling to find an affordable roof safety system that keeps them compliant and lets them get on with their work. Horizontal systems are a great choice because once in place, they allow a greater area to be covered in safety. The problem with using a single fixed point roof anchor is the danger of swing falls. Once a worker moves away from the vertical line from the anchor, any fall will include not only the vertical forces, but the slapping, whip-you-around …