When employers provide portable fire extinguishers for their employees to use in the workplace, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires those employers to mount, locate, and identify the fire extinguishers so employees can quickly and safely access them. Under OSHA’s portable fire extinguishers standard, 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.157, there are several specific requirements for the placement and setup of portable fire extinguishers. It’s crucial that you follow these requirements to stay in compliance with the standard and avoid any citations.
A handful of best practices and helpful tools can make most safety-related tasks more manageable. To see which of these measures may benefit you, consider the following seven things you don’t want to do—practices that could be making environment, health, and safety (EHS) practices more difficult than they need to be.
The biggest workplace danger may not be as obvious as heavy machinery, ladders, or hazardous chemicals. It can lie in the risks posed by worker fatigue and sleep-deprived employees.
This article will cover everything you need to know about lockout/tagout, including how to build a rock-solid program and avoid incidents, as well as Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fines. Whether you’re very familiar with lockout/tagout procedures already or are just learning about it, this article will have something for you. What is lockout/tagout? […]
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Employees across America service machines every day, which can be dangerous if the correct procedures aren’t followed, as was the case with the Bumblebee Tuna tragedy. Many serious injuries, even fatalities, have occurred when workers thought a machine they were servicing, or its power source, was turned off. Machines can unexpectedly start up because of stored energy that wasn’t properly released or because another employee didn’t realize it wasn’t safe to turn on. These types of incidents can be avoided by lockout/tagout (LOTO), which disables the equipment and prevents the release of hazardous energy while service and maintenance are performed.
There’s no question effective training saves lives, and inadequate training can cost lives. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the implementation of injury and illness prevention programs can minimize injuries by 15% to 35% for employers that lack safety and health programs. Hence, supervisors entrusted with the responsibility of training employees should have the necessary knowledge required to do so. It’s the safety manager’s duty to guarantee that individuals have the necessary knowledge to carry out their jobs safely and efficiently.
Learn about common electrical hazards in the workplace, including overhead power lines, faulty equipment, overloaded circuits, and wet environments. Discover essential safety measures like proper grounding, inspections, and Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) procedures to prevent electrical injuries and improve workplace safety
Despite the PSM regulations, numerous fatalities and catastrophic process-related incidents prompted OSHA to establish a PSM Covered Chemical Facilities National Emphasis Program (PSM NEP), which targets PSM facilities for OSHA inspections. As a result, OSHA enforcement of the PSM standards is very active, often resulting in six-figure fines. To ensure your company stays compliant, avoids fines, and continues to improve employee safety, use the following tips to give your PSM program a boost.
Here are several ways in which your utility company can provide its workers with the tools to effectively manage safety.
