|
|||||
|
If you have a giant stack of the best personal protective equipment (PPE), but don’t use it, or just as important, don’t use it properly, are you trying to become an OSHA statistic? Knowing how to protect yourself from occupational hazards is a critical part of your job. When providing guidance on the selection and use of PPE, it is critical for occupational safety and health experts to understand not only the technical issues surrounding the use of PPE as an exposure control method, but also the regulatory compliance burden placed on the employer. I recognize that “just” complying with OSHA standards is not equivalent to meeting industry best practices, but is important to understand the what might be considered the ‘back-bone’ of PPE programs in the US. This blog lists who buys what and which standards the required PPE is to meet. When are hard hats required to be worn? The Simple Answer: If you are working where ANYTHING MIGHT fall, drop, fly, splash, or land on your head OR your head could come into contact with ANYTHING that MIGHT injure you, like moving equipment, chemicals or electricity, you need to be correctly wearing a properly fitting, ANSI-approved hardhat. Learn more about hard hats and the rules that protect your head on the job! A construction and renovation project within any facility creates a range of situations which can release debris, pollutants and contaminants that can impact the indoor air quality. These contaminants may be transported to other areas via HVAC systems, personnel coming and going through encapsulation barriers, and other factors that can subsequently affect people beyond the project area. Consideration of the effect upon indoor air quality is particularly important in healthcare settings when performing construction or renovation projects. What is the plan? When recalling our onsite environmental, health and safety work following 9/11, Emilcott’s health and safety staff often discuss that respirators were either not worn or improperly worn by many first responders and subsequent waves of workers and construction crew members at Ground Zero. The tenth anniversary of 9/11 seems like a good time to re-examine the issue of preparedness. At Emilcott, we frequently run into job sites with high potential for poison ivy exposure…think about the uncleared, overgrown or unkempt places that surveyers, highway workers, laborers, HazWOPER workers, engineers, inspectors, construction workers, and landscapers, often find themselves! Outdoor workers who can be exposed to poison ivy must know how to recognize, prevent and administer first aid. For the company, job site or RPP administrator who does not understand why a qualified and empowered Respiratory Protection Program Administrator is a big deal, this blog highlights a triple-play of Top 5 facts that illustrate the importance of qualified training for Respiratory Protection Program Administrators: Top 5 OSHA violations, Top 5 reasons to be qualified, and Top 5 OSHA compliance indicators! I was pleased to see that companies are requesting contractors and service providers to be prequalified for safety during the bidding process. Conceptually, prequalification for safety should “raise the safety bar” and, companies with a well-developed safety plan should be rewarded for their proactive ethos with a competitive edge in the marketplace. Does on-line verification actually does improve health and safety plans or just rubber-stamp paper safety programs? For every job, there are specific OSHA requirements that are designed to keep you safe – your health and safety office or EHS group should be a resource for information as well as monitoring the worksite for safety needs. John DeFillippo explains how to dress for occupational health and safety success and provides links for more information. Have you been properly trained to use your respirator and fit-tested to make sure it is actually stopping hazards from reaching your lungs?Are you confident that you are using your respirator properly and that the respirator that you have selected is the best for the contaminants you are exposed to? How about the person next to you – are they in compliance? Learn why compliance with respirator regulations is good for you and your lungs. |
|||||
|
Copyright © 2012 EHSWire - All Rights Reserved |
|||||