Category Archives: Toolbox Topics

Texting while driving dramatically increases the risk of a motor vehicle injury or fatality. Employers need to make it clear to all workers that their company doesn’t require or condone texting while driving. It’s literally matter of life and death. How businesses can get started: Strong policies Have a strong policy that prohibits the use […]

1926.501 – Fall Protection 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication 1926.451 – Scaffolding 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection 1910.147 – Lockout/Tagout 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks 1926.1053 – Ladders 1910.305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods 1910.212 – Machine Guarding 1910.303 – Electrical, General Requirements *As of 01/05/16 https://www.osha.gov/Top_Ten_Standards.html

In the United States, falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. Every year, on average, between 150 and 200 workers are killed and more than 100,000 are injured as a result of falls at construction sites. The OSHA standard for fall protection deals with both human and equipment-related issues. If there is any doubt […]

You may not realize how important scaffolding safety is.  During a seven-year period, OSHA statistics tell us that approximately 28% of the scaffold accidents that occur are because of construction deficiencies.  This includes things such as not completing the assembly or simply leaving out essential components.  Of the fatalities that occurred, there were 23% that […]

General Safety and Usage Guidelines for Backup Generators Using Portable Generators Safely OSHA PDF Be sure to use your generator correctly. Using a generator incorrectly can lead to dangerous situations: Carbon monoxide poisoning from engine exhaust. Even if you can’t smell exhaust fumes, you may still have been exposed to carbon monoxide. If you start […]

Walking and working surfaces safety Did you know that according to OSHA slips, trips, and falls (STF’s) are listed as the second leading cause of death in the general industry? That means that they account for approximately 15% of deaths in the workplace. How many times have you slipped or tripped and almost fell in […]

  Hazard Communication Standard Final Rule New changes to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Hazard Communication Standard are bringing the United States into alignment with the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), further improving safety and health protections for America’s workers. Building on the success of OSHA’s current Hazard […]

Floods can occur anywhere, with floodwaters rising gradually or flash floods striking suddenly. Flash floods are the number one weather-related killer in the United States — most flood fatalities happen because people try to drive through deadly waters rather than avoid them. (Source: Federal Emergency Management Agency, 2005) Water’s powerful force can easily overtake vehicles […]

Lightning Strikes Did you know that lightning has been known to strike the U.S. as much as 20 million times per year? Lightning usually causes more deaths than tornadoes or hurricanes because of how common it is.  Florida can produce numerous storms at numerous times.  Data from the National Weather Service tells us that lightning […]

Aerial Lifts In 2009 22 workers nationwide suffered a fatal injury while operating an aerial lift. While this equipment can be very useful, it can also be extremely dangerous. Operators are at risk of injury from falls, struck by, caught in between, and electrocution. Aerial lifts have replaced scaffolding and ladders at many job sites. […]