Cleaning Products Can Lead to Asthma In 2013, a report published by the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) estimated that more than 974,000 adults have asthma caused or aggravated by substances they use or are exposed to at work. This number represents about 40% of all adult asthma sufferers in California. This condition is referred to as “Work Related Asthma” (WRA). WRA can trigger an asthmatic response in workers who already have asthma or even be the cause of new-onset asthma. The asthma is caused or triggered by substances called asthmagens or sensitizers. The more the body is exposed to an...

Cuts, Lacerations, and Punctures Cuts, lacerations, and punctures are common injuries in the meat packing and butchering industry.  Knives, slicers, grinders, and sharp bones are all potential hazards that can be minimized with the use of personal protective equipment (PPE), inspections, and safe work practices. Cuts are usually clean openings in the skin while lacerations have jagged edges.  Punctures create shallow or deep holes in the skin.  Cuts and lacerations often have free flowing blood while puncture wounds often close on their own, reducing bleeding.  For shallow puncture wounds, remove the object if it is small and easy to do so.  If...

Hand Protection, Handle with Care Hand protection is one the most important parts of our body when it comes to doing our work. They’re involved in almost everything we do. Yet many of the things we do with our hands are done without any deliberate thought. Your hands have no fear. They’ll go anyplace they’re sent and they only act as wisely as the person they belong to; so before you use your hands think of their safekeeping. Here are the most common types of hand injuries and what you can do to prevent them: Traumatic injuries often occur from careless use of...

Handyman Safety A handyman or maintenance man is often called on to perform odd jobs in a variety of the trade fields including plumbing, carpentry, roofing, electrical, painting, and concrete work. You need a broad range of work and safety skills to get the job done. You may do window and roof work, fix roofing leaks, or repair dry rot on roofs and eaves. Choose the correct extension ladder for your work. Inspect the ladder before you use it. Set ladders up on a solid surface and at the correct 4:1 angle ratio. Always face the ladder and hold on with both...

Auto Body Work Repairing auto body damage requires sanding, grinding, and sometimes welding to repair the vehicle before it can be refinished. Get training in collision repair. Know the techniques and tools to complete bodywork. Review the Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for the chemicals you use to identify the personal protective equipment (PPE) to wear and how to mix and use materials properly. Eye injuries are common in auto body shops. Always wear eye protection when you are grinding, sanding, welding, and painting. Safety eyeglasses, goggles, and/or shields can protect your eyes from flying particles, sparks, and splashes. Grinding and sanding the paint off...

Working Safely with Chemicals Chemicals come in various forms and can affect those exposed in different ways. A chemical can take the form of a mist, vapor, liquid, dust, fume or gas. The type of chemical, the way it is used, and the form that it takes determine its effect and what should be done to avoid harmful exposure. Some basic safety precautions should be understood and followed including: Know what to do in an emergency. If there is a leak or spill, keep away from the area, unless you know what the chemical is and how to safely clean it up....

Eye Protection Seeing is Believing In just the blink of an eye, an incident can injure or even blind a worker who is not wearing proper eye protection. The type of eye protection-safety glasses, goggles, face shields, or helmets must meet the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). In hazardous workplaces, street wear eyeglasses should only be worn in conjunction with ANSI-approved additional cover protection. Eye safety requirement signs should be posted for anyone entering a work area that requires industrial-quality eye protection. Warning signs should be placed near machines, equipment, or process...

Foot Safety It's a Shoe in for Safety Foot safety is something that doesn’t get much attention unless there is a problem. Therefore, to avoid possible injury, it’s important to think about safeguarding the foot before undertaking any job. Workers may be exposed to various hazardous conditions on the job, including slippery surfaces, climbing hazards, handling or working around heavy equipment and machinery and working around electricity. These different working conditions may require different safety footwear to protect the foot, and the worker, from injury. When choosing safety footwear, you must select the legally approved shoe or boot required for the job activity, equipment,...

Emergency Wash Stations Emergency Wash Stations - Many new chemical products are introduced into the workplace each year and even with careful planning and safety measures, harmful chemical-exposure accidents occur.  Because of the potential for exposure, a list of all hazardous substances should be maintained at each worksite.  Safety Data Sheets on these substances should be readily available with substance descriptions including their location, risks, manufacturer’s precautions, and treatment or antidote measures should there be a harmful exposure. Emergency wash fixtures must be provided in the workplace if there is a reasonable risk that workers may be exposed to caustic chemicals or...

Personal Protective Equipment One way to prevent injury at work is to wear proper personal protective equipment. Some protective equipment is necessary for specific jobs, while other items are necessary for any work. Employers should know the hazards their workers face on the job, then provide the proper equipment to protect against those hazards. It’s important that workers be trained on how to use and care for the equipment so it will provide maximum protection. Hard hats should be worn by all workers where there is a danger of flying, falling, and moving objects. Hard hats can mean the difference between life...