Everyone knows that working in construction can be dangerous. Most major construction projects involve working in excavations and trenches, working from scaffolds, and using heavy machinery to pour concrete for building walls and foundations. Working in factories and healthcare centers can be just as dangerous. There are countless incidents involving employees being injured on assembly […]
Accidental releases of industrial products lead to fires, explosions, and death. Famous ones make the news. But in an average year, there are 34,000 hazmat incidents in the US, which makes this a very prevalent hazard across a variety of industries and job sites. More than half are spills of fewer than 10 gallons. The […]
Some 43 million American workers need to be trained by December 1st on the new update to the OSHA HazCom standard called the Globally Harmonized System or GHS. In announcing the requirement, OSHA officials trumpeted that “the Hazard Communication Standard in 1983 gave the workers the ‘right to know,’ but the new Globally Harmonized System gives […]
Crane operator duties involve more than just hoisting stuff from one place to another. To drive and maintain those iconic behemoths of industry requires training, experience and testing to get a certification that has to be renewed about every five years. There’s more: There are actually three separate categories of crane operations distinguished by the type […]
Building workplace safety awareness on the job can be an application of two extreme views of managing people. The first would be analogous to the army first sergeant, who might tell his troops, “What I’m about to teach you will save your life, because if you don’t learn it I will kill you!” Or there’s the less […]
About 65 percent (2.3 million) of all construction workers in the United States depend on competent and safe scaffold erection, assembly and safety training. Current OSHA standards for scaffolds have been in effect since 1996 and are published in 29 CFR 1926, Subpart L. Key to those new standards is the presence of a competent person “capable of […]
Pursuant to Section 18 of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (Federal OSHA), States may administer their own job safety and health programs, or State Plans, if they meet minimum federal requirements. There are 22 states and jurisdictions that administer State Plans covering both public and private sector employees. Five states administer State […]
Thinking about qualifying as a crane signal person? Want to know more about crane signal person duties? The National Commission for the Certification of Crane Operators (NCCCO), a nonprofit organization formed in 1995 “to develop effective performance standards for safe crane operation to assist all segments of general industry and construction” is your reference. Here’s a […]
Sing to the show tune, “Whatever Lola wants…” and substitute “OSHA” for “Lola” and your sung response would be, “OSHA gets”; followed by “And little boss, great big OSHA wants YOU!” (You need to see the Broadway musical “Damn Yankees” to fully understand that allusion, of course.) But unlike watching Gwen Verdon strut her entertaining […]
It’s all in 29 CFR 1910 and OSHA’s take on crane rigging safety training is as comprehensive as the 25 states (including the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico), which have adopted much the same standards as OSHA. Ranging from general industry to marine terminals and longshoring to the construction industry, OSHA has published a daunting listing of standards, requirements […]
