August 2018 OHS

August 2018

  • CONFINED SPACES: How to Change the Statistics of Confined Space Injuries and Fatalities
  • PROTECTIVE APPAREL: The Benefits of High-Performance FR
  • PROTECTIVE APPAREL: The Selecting Chemical-Protective Clothing
  • LOCKOUT/TAGOUT TRAINING: Training Workers on Control of Hazardous Energy
  • VISION PROTECTION: The Everyday Balance of Vision Protection Programs
  • HAND PROTECTION: Goal Zero: Reducing Injuries Through Advances in Hand Protection
  • HAND PROTECTION: Seven Ways to Improve Hand Injury Data
  • HAND PROTECTION: Take Matters into Your Own Hands: Understanding Hand Injuries in the Workplace
  • HAND PROTECTION: Fentanyl Risks Put Focus on Hand Protection in Many Environments
  • IH/GAS DETECTION: Why Do You Need 10% Vol Oxygen to Operate a Catalytic Bead LEL Sensor?
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Cover Story

There are a few gloves on the market today that meet or exceed NIOSH recommendations for safety, allowing no permeation of either fentanyl or gastric acid for greater than 240 minutes. (Ansell photo)

Fentanyl Risks Put Focus on Hand Protection in Many Environments

By Joe Kubicek

Those most likely to be exposed, such as police and fire personnel, EMTs, ER staff, and forensic lab personnel, should be transitioning to gloves that provide comprehensive protection against fentanyl.


Features

Specialized fabrics have been around for over 20 years. They were created to boost workers

The Benefits of High-Performance FR

By Brad Sipe

Want to improve safety culture? Try high-performance FR fabrics.


Remind employees to stay alert and focused, and offer them the opportunity to take regular breaks to sit down, stretch, or take a walk.

Take Matters into Your Own Hands: Understanding Hand Injuries in the Workplace

By Amy Meister

All too often, hand injuries occur when employees are distracted and aren't focused on where they are or what they're doing. It's incredibly important for employers to eliminate as many distractions as possible.


Drilling down to the root cause of an injury may bring to mind "five whys" exercises.

Seven Ways to Improve Hand Injury Data

By Jennifer Choi

The real work of analyzing hand injury trends begins with the physical improvement of the organization's hand safety program after the data has been scrubbed.


The market for impact gloves has expanded dramatically in recent years, driven in part by advances in technology and the range of materials available. (D30 photo)

Goal Zero: Reducing Injuries Through Advances in Hand Protection

By Blanche Maass

Companies are turning workplace safety into a personal matter. Bringing innovative materials science to PPE is a priority for end users and brands alike.


Industrial Scientific does not recommend using catalytic bead LEL sensors in an environment with less than 10% vol O2. (Industrial Scientific Corporation photo)

Why Do You Need 10% Vol Oxygen to Operate a Catalytic Bead LEL Sensor?

By Yong Wang

Catalytic bead LEL sensors need a certain level of oxygen to correctly read combustible gas up to 100% LEL.


There is no continuous focus from the employers on realistically preparing, supervising, and protecting our workers before entry.

We Must Change the Statistics of Confined Space Injuries and Fatalities

By Chris Koester

The reality is permit required confined spaces are still the leading cause of multiple fatalities in the workplace.


The OSHA lockout/tagout standard spells out what procedures an authorized employee must follow before he or she removes lockout or tagout devices and before energy to the machine is restored.

Training Workers on Control of Hazardous Energy

By Jerry Laws

OSHA's lockout/tagout standard, 29 CFR 1910.147, explains exactly why employees must be trained. It also requires different levels of training for three categories of employees.


JSA/JHA: Does every worker at your facility have one in place and know what his/her role is in it? Are these updated as needed and evaluated at least annually or when job duties change?

The Everyday Balance of Vision Protection Programs

By Linda J. Sherrard

Every job needs to have not only a job description, but also a hazard analysis, which can change over time.


Performance of any particular garment will depend on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, design, seams, closures, accessories, duration of use, maintenance of garment, and proper handling. (W.L. Gore & Associates Inc. photo)

Selecting Chemical-Protective Clothing

By Paul Dacey

Each end-use situation must be evaluated for its particular risks.


Departments

Growing Leadership

By Robert Pater

Are there "weeds" in your company whose value hasn’t yet been seen and tapped? Can you find ways to turn some of these individuals into powerful Safety proponents?


Housecleaning 2018

By Jerry Laws

I may have discarded a truckload of such materials this time. But I'm saving some things, of course, reference materials I can't stand to lose and extra copies of our best past issues, in my estimation.


Artificial Intelligence