Machine Shop Safety In a machine shop, metals and composites are cut and shaped into finished products using hand tools and machines such as saws, lathes, drills, and grinders. Common injuries in machine shops include debris in the eye, cuts, and caught/crush machine injuries. Choose proper personal protective equipment (PPE) for the machine shop.  Wear safety glasses at all times in the shop.  At any time, debris may fly out of a machine and into your eye.  Consider a face shield when you are working up close with grinding and cutting job tasks.  Wear comfortable shoes with a non-slip sole. Consider toe...

Commercial movers face safety challenges on the job. Commercial movers face challenges, whether moving a business across town or a family across the country, movers must focus on proper ergonomics, material handling, and proper housekeeping. Ideally, in preparation of the move, visit the sites that you will be packing from and moving into. If this isn’t feasible, consider a site checklist you can send to the client or site contact to evaluate unusual scenarios or any potential hazards. Also, prepare ahead for types of environments you will be working, such as locations on hills, narrow, winding, or flights of stairs, or other features...

Agricultural Worker Transport Agricultural workers use trucks, cars, station wagons, and buses as transportation on and off farms and fields in California. As with any motor vehicle, there is a risk of an accident and injury when using agricultural transport on the roadway. Agricultural workers need to know that there are safety rules for agricultural transport designed to keep them safe on the job. Workers should make certain that the vehicle they are using is in good operating condition and meets the safety standards required by law. Transport vehicles require functional steering, working lights and turn signals, brakes, a leak-free fuel system,...

Disposable Respirators Filtering facepiece respirators are disposable and come in various styles and designs to protect you from non-hazardous contaminants in the workplace. The filtering material in the disposable respirator can be made of cloth or paper that cleans the air as you breathe it to prevent you from inhaling irritating substances. Some filtering facepiece respirators (dust masks) are used to control nuisance contaminants such as dust, non hazardous fibers, animal dander, and pollen. Other filtering facepiece respirators can have added features for use with infectious diseases, organic vapors, chemical fumes, and nuisance odors. While disposable respirators are convenient, you should be...

Bloodborne Pathogens What are Bloodborne Pathogens? Bloodborne pathogens (BBP) are microorganisms that can cause disease when transferred from an infected person to another person through blood or other potentially infected body fluids. The microorganisms are capable of causing serious illness and death. The most common diseases spread in this manner are Hepatitis B (HBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). Examples of other bloodborne diseases include malaria, Hepatitis C and syphilis. Who is at Risk? Workers in health care and public safety jobs could be potentially exposed to these disease pathogens. These workers include, but are not limited to, doctors, dentists, nurses, paramedics, police, laboratory...

Chemical Inventory Lists Hazard Communication Standard, requires employers to make a chemical inventory list of the hazardous chemicals present in the workplace. The chemicals on these lists are identified with markers to easily find the corresponding safety data sheet (SDS). Quick and easy access to the chemical inventory list and safety data sheets allows employees to find important information about the chemicals in their workplace. Additional benefits include: Employees are able to find information on chemical hazards, properties, first aid, personal protective equipment (PPE), emergency procedures, and disposal methods. Emergency responders can quickly access chemical safety and hazard information. Regulatory chemical and waste...

Pesticides - Agricultural Pesticide Use Regulations Pesticides can be hazardous to workers if they are exposed to them through the skin, eyes, mouth, or the air we breathe. Agricultural pesticide handlers should get the proper certificates, permits, and training to use pesticides safely, correctly, and according to the requirements of the law. The California Department of Pesticide Regulation (DPR) governs pesticide use in agricultural operations and classifies pesticides as “general” or “restricted” use. Workers must be certified to buy, use, or supervise the use of restricted pesticides and usually require a permit from the local to do so. Workers must read and follow...

Aggressive Driving Every year, the California Highway Patrol (CHP) reports approximately 500,000 collisions with 200,000 injuries and 4,000 fatalities as a result. Unsafe speed, improper turning, failure to yield the right of way, and obey traffic signals were the most frequent causes, which led the Department of Transportation (DOT) to estimate that two-thirds of traffic fatalities may be caused by aggressive driving. Aggressive driving can be caused by longer commutes, traffic congestion, and other drivers’ behaviors. It can also be caused by your own mood, reactions, and ability to deal with stress on and off the road. Aggressive driving is triggered by...

Accident Prevention Effective implementation of, and consistent compliance with, the requirements and guidelines described below are critical to the protection and well-being of everyone on the project, including our customers, vendors, and the public. Accordingly, it is your responsibility to read and fully observe all of these safety and health practices while working on this project. Basic Safety and Health Practices Daily Job Safety Analysis (JSA) is an important tool used to identify and address hazards associated with your work Tasks. The JSA is a requirement. Your supervisor will review the safety and health requirements for each work task with you prior to...

Close Calls Take a Close Look at Close Calls Close calls or accident without injury is easy to shrug off and forget. But, there is a danger in brushing off accidents that don’t hurt, harm or damage. When a “close call” happens, it should immediately send up a red warning flag that something was wrong, unplanned, unexpected, and could happen again. The next time it happens, it could result in serious damage, injury or death. For every accident there are usually several contributing factors, most of which can be controlled. The best way to prevent the reoccurrence of an accident is by looking...