Poorly maintained equipment is a hazard for obvious reasons, and that’s why safety and maintenance often go hand in hand. This means that operators need to inspect their equipment, immediately report any damage or defects and waste no time in taking a faulty machine out of service. The maintenance department then has to play its […]
A 49-year-old technician with 19 years of experience was killed when a roof-mounted 10-inch water pipe he was working on burst and launched him off of a scissor lift. U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) investigators found that the technician wasn’t wearing fall protection at the time. While the employer had lockout/tagout procedures for […]
Fall hazards can occur anywhere in any industry, not just in the construction industry. That’s why workers need to at least be aware of the ones they may have to deal with for a particular task. Construction workers and roofing contractors are typically at least somewhat aware of the danger since it’s part of the […]
A new U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) initiative will emphasize compliance efforts at chemical facilities using hydrogen fluoride (HF). The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) applauded the initiative. In February 2023, the CSB sent a letter to EPA urging the agency to begin emphasizing inspections and compliance actions at facilities that use […]
Elidio Hernández Gomez was working on a California farm during an August 2023 heatwave. When he collapsed and died, the coroner called it a heart attack. His family and others claim it was heat illness. The United Farm Workers (UFW) union sided with the family, arguing that Hernandez died because of the extreme heat. “Elidio […]
Traffic deaths in the U.S. are on a slight decline through the first six months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022, according to preliminary estimates from the National Safety Council (NSC). An estimated 21,150 people died in preventable crashes between January and June 2023, down 3% when compared to the first six […]
The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) is urging the chemical industry to act now to prepare for what is currently predicted as an “above average” hurricane season. Preparations for the 2023 hurricane season should include the possibility of “more frequent and more powerful hurricanes and other extreme wind events in the months […]
Two contract haul truck operators were electrocuted when an energized high-voltage power line in a mine staging area was pulled down and contacted their trucks, according to federal investigators. The U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found that the mine operator and the contractor failed to install signs warning of the power lines and […]
Extreme heat and worker heat illnesses have been a major concern so far in 2023, but there is another hazard that hides in plain sight to keep in mind when it comes to high temperatures: Contact burns. Contact burns occur when a person’s skin contacts a superheated surface, even for a short time. The damage […]
