Asbestos, an important topic for
many industries, can often be a confusing subject. Among the many
environmental due diligence services provided by August Mack
is an Asbestos Survey. If you you would like to read more on
the topic to get a better background understanding of
Asbestos, check out the helpful
Asbestos Fact Sheet on the OSHA website.
On December 20th, join in on a
free webinar which discusses Job Hazard Analysis. To sign up for
this event, click on the photo below:
August Mack Environmental will be
re-broadcasting one of our best attended 2011 free webinars. Based
upon the attendance and positive feedback comments, we thought we
would again offer this webinar. To sign up:
--- CLICK HERE ---
Have you ever imagined what it would be like to wake up one morning and not be able to hear birds singing, music playing or the voices of your children and/or grandchildren? Unfortunately, there are more than 22 million Americans who are at risk each day for just such a situation. Their exposure to noise at work can rob them of this indispensable sense.
Hearing loss is one of the most prevalent “injuries” that occurs in our workplaces each year. It is difficult to look at this condition as an...
Call 317.916.8000 and ask for Nancy
Wade. Or try 614.798.9922 and ask for Josh Smith.
Asbestos is the name given to a group of naturally occurring minerals used in certain products, such as building materials and vehicle brakes, to resist heat and corrosion. Asbestos includes chrysotile, amosite, crocidolite, tremolite asbestos, anthophyllite asbestos, actinolite asbestos, and any of these materials that have been chemically treated and/or altered.
We are entering that delightful
time of year with football in full swing and cooler weather. Fall
is in the air! But since we are an EH&S consulting
company, have you evaluated your fall protection program lately? Do
you need the help of the experts? Give Tom Anderson a call at
317.916.3105 and he will direct you to the best resources.
OSHA maintains a database that
allows people to search for a specific establishment/workplace and
pull up the data they maintain related to it. Are you in their
database or want to see what they maintain in this database?
If you suspect a mold problem at
your facility or place of business, we can help you assess the
situation. Give Tom Anderson a call at 317.916.3105 and he will
direct you to the right resources based upon your geographic
location.
Need information about the required OSHA Workplace Poster. Click on
the link below to access the OSHA web site to get more
information about this topic:
With the recent weather events
along the east coast, flooding has wreaked havoc and the chance for
the development of mold is vastly increased.
Review the linked article to take proactive steps
now. If several weeks go by and you are concerned
whether you have mold problems at your facility or place of
business, call our office in Pennsylvania and ask for Susan Burkett
at 717.399.9587. August Mack Environmental has the capability to
perform mold surveys.
If you do work related to grain storage bins, see the OSHA Hazard
Alert issued earlier this month:
Blocked
Electrical Panels and Fire Extinguishers: The vast majority of
electrical panels must have a three foot clearance all the way
around the panel. Many facilities install bollards to ensure
that they stay unblocked. Fire Extinguishers must
also be easily accessible and unblocked. In some cases
these items look like an inviting place to hang an extension cord
or put a pallet of material. Be aware that these are very
identifiable OSHA citations.
Forklift Seatbelts: If the manufacturer installed them, you have to use them. Sometimes this is a tough one to comply with since workers are on and off of them constantly in some cases. OSHA has stated that they will issue citations for fork lift seat belts regardless of reason. OSHA’s direct answer to the question: OSHA does not have a specific standard that requires the use or installation of seat belts, however, Section 5(a)(1) of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) requires...
Read More »Abrasive Grinders: Guards are inevitably out of adjustment. The tongue guard should be ¼ inch from the wheel and the work rest should be 1/8 inch from the wheel. This is a tough one to keep track of but once you look at it a few times it will jump right out at you. Here is a great OSHA checklist: http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/machineguarding/new-grinder-checklist.html. It takes a lot of diligence to keep grinder guards adjusted properly but is usually works the best when made the responsibility of...
Read More »Compressed Gases: Compressed gas containers should be stored separately from fuel gases either by a 30-minute fire wall or by 20 feet. Gas containers should also be stored upright and secured. Containers should also be stored away from potential ignition sources. Many facilities have compressed gas cannisters out of place.
We have been conducting A LOT of safety audits lately and it seems that the more safety audits that I conduct the less I am surprised to find some very prominent, obvious, and preventable violations. Over the following days I will go through some of the heavy hitters that I see at most every facility that pop out like a sore thumb to me…and therefore, I would assume to an OSHA inspector.
USE
RESPIRATORS
- Wear appropriate respirators as directed
- Conduct user seal check each tim a respirator is donned
- Be aware of your company's respiratory protection program; understand the limitations and potential hazards of respirators
AVOID EXPOSURE (some
tips)
- Use proper personal protective equipment (PPE)
- Wash hands and face after work and before eating
- Launder clothing daily
- Never wear clothes and shoes that were worn during lead exposure (when away from work)
- Never enter eating areas wearing PPE
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