The weather outside is getting warmer and generally "nicer." May is here and so are some of our favorite two-wheeled vehicles. 

DuPont has issued a few good, quick motorcycle safety tips in infographic form to provide assistance in understanding the hazards associated with them. The first infographic describes the "S.E.E." method and the second describes what to check EVERY time before you get on your motorcycle!

Forklifts have been around since the very early 20th century.

Used as a practical machine to move products over short distances, they evolved from hoists and have become one of the most important, yet overlooked, industrial innovations in modern times.

World War II was a big catalyst in the development of forklifts, as the amount of goods continually being moved through that period made it a necessity for the forklifts of that time to last longer and needed to get through an eight hour day without constant recharging.

It was in the 1950s when warehouses were being built bigger and were expanded up more-so then out. With these increased lift heights, there were more concerns with safety and newer, more efficient models were being made.

Unlike cars and trucks, forklifts are often steered with their rear wheels. This increases maneuverability in tight corners, but makes for a different experience than traditional driving. Also the instability of a forklift is a noteworthy characteristic. They are rated for loads at a specified maximum weight and a specified forward center of gravity. An operator must be properly trained so as to take the load (raised or not), unit's speed, centrifugal and gravitational forces into account in order to avoid a disastrous tip-over accident. Information on load limit/loading for reference can usually be found on the forklift unit itself. Fitting it with specific safety equipment, such as a cage or a "cherry picker" (type of aerial work platform that consists of a platform or bucket at the end of a hydraulic lifting system), can also allow a forklift to be used as a personnel lift.

Safety in the Workplace:

With the intrinsic hazards associated with forklifts, there is a high need for companies to establish "rules" for the workplace to keep employees safe. Suggestions include:

• Establish speed limits
• Mark forklift lanes (don't forget proper signage as well)
• Drivers must yield to pedestrians
• Drivers must sound horn at any/all intersections
• Drivers of forklifts must stay a safe distance from ramps, platform edges, and other forklifts/vehicles
• Be sure to slow down and take turns slowly and safely
• Always stop before going into reverse
• Seatbelts, seatbelts, seatbelts! (make mandatory)
• Basically, operators shall:
  • i. Use seatbelts at all times.
  • ii. Obey traffic safety rules.
  • iii. Never allow riders.

Training:

Companies must get into the habit of supplying employees with "appropriate" training on forklifts.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has the most important standard with regards to forklift safety, ANSI B56. This standard is for safety requirements relating to the design, operation and maintenance of power industrial trucks (PITs). The standard is used as a guide to formulate safety rules and regulations.

ANSI B56.1-2005, Section 4.19, regarding operator training states,

"Personnel who have not been trained to oper­ate powered industrial trucks may operate a truck for the purposes of training only, and only under the direct supervision of the trainer."

"The training program shall be presented to all new oper­ators regardless of previous experience." ANSI B56.1-2005, Section 4.19.2

ANSI B56.1-2005, Section 4.19.4

(a) fundamentals of the powered industrial truck(s) the trainee will operate
(b) operating environment and its effect on truck operation
(c) operation of the powered industrial truck
(d) operating safety rules and practices
(e) Operational training practice

OSHA also steps in with their regulations, under 29 CFR 191.178, for PITs.

OSHA states that training must be conducted by someone with, as OSHA puts it, "the knowledge, training, and experience to train operators and evaluate their competence." And quite simply, training shall (to mean: MUST) include:

• Formal instruction
• Practical training
• Evaluation of the trainees' performance in on-the-job situations

Forklifts are such a huge asset to us, but are dangerous pieces of machinery. Keep your eyes & minds open while working in or around them. Tell your company you want real, appropriate training before working with them. I'll leave you with what happens "when forklift training gets forgotten." The link to your REAL forklift training is below....the question is why wait until something happens to YOU?

The OSH Act (That created OSHA) was passed over 40 years ago in order to protect America’s workers. Since then, great progress towards keeping America’s workers safe has been made. However, more work must still be done as we still have the statistics, almost daily, about serious injuries and/or fatalities.

In 2010 alone, over 4,600 workers were killed and 3.8 million workers reported injuries (and think about how many DIDN’T report). That makes an average of almost 13 injuries per day!

So a return to a previous idea of updating OSH Act in the form of a bill, Protecting America’s Workers Act (PAWA), with the intent to expand & strengthen workplace safety laws. PAWA was introduced a few different ways before in several congressional sessions, but never passed.

What is PAWA? Well it looks to update/amend OSHA to cover more workers, update penalties, strengthen protections, enhance public accountability, clarify an employer's duty to provide safe work environment. What does it entail? Let’s take a look at what PAWA aims to do:

• Over 8.5 million workers are not covered by OSHA. This includes federal, state, local public employees and some private sector.
• PAWA would include flight attendants, state correctional officers and workers in government agencies and provides OSHA protections to these workers.

Increase penalties for law-breakers

• Current law says willful OSHA violations that lead to a worker's death may be charged, at most, with a misdemeanor.
• Repeated and willful OSHA violations that result in serious injury or death can be charged as felony.
• Updates OSHA civil penalties (unchanged since 1990). Sets minimum penalty of $50,000 for worker death caused by a willful violation.

Protects whistle-blowers on unsafe conditions in the workplace

• OSHA's whistleblower provisions have had no update since adoption...in 1970.
• Updates those whistleblower protections by incorporating successful administrative procedures adopted in other laws (like the Surface Transportation Act).

Enhances the public's right to know about safety violations

• Improves public accountability and transparency.
• Mandates Department of Labor (DOL) investigates all cases of death or serious incidents of injury at work.
• Gives workers (and their families) the right to meet with DOL investigators.
• Requires employers to inform workers of their OSHA rights.

Clarifies employer's duty to provide a safe work environment, equipment and track recordable injuries/illnesses for all workers on-site

• Amends the General Duty Clause to include all workers on the worksite.
• Clarifies employer responsibility to provide the necessary safety equipment to their workers (example: PPE).
• Directs DOL to revise regulations  for site-controlling employers to keep a site log for all recordable injuries and illnesses among all employees on the worksite.

---

That about wraps up PAWA and its goals. Think for a moment about these questions and then comment what you think in the box below!

• Does this frame of mind have merit? 
• Do you think this should be passed? 
• As an employee, do you feel this is headed in the right direction? 
• As an employer, do you feel this is headed in the right direction? 

No matter what side of the fence you are on, how can workplace safety training companies continue to assist employees & employers while its being negotiated?
 

...and has really been going through major changes since 1970. It has often been considered to be an indicator of a country's economic progress, due to steel's critical role in infrastructural and overall economic development.

There has been a massive increase in the demand for steel since the turn of the millennium due to the economic boom of both China and India. World steel demand increased during the early 2000's; at the same time, many Indian and Chinese steel companies have risen to notability. Although China, as a whole, is both the the largest steel producer and consumer, ArcelorMittal is, in fact, the world's largest steel producing company.

The world steel industry peaked in 2007, when the steel-using sectors plunged and the construction industry used 50% of steel produced (the next highest usage was mechanical machinery & metal products with about 15% each). Although it deserves to be said that the slowdown was occurring already before the worldwide great recession that started in 2008. Demand was weak in 3 of the 4 major steel countries (NA, JP, EU) and steel mills strongly reduced output. Heavy cutbacks in construction caused falling prices (down about 40%) due to a sharply lowered demand. 

The industry witnessed a turnaround in late 2009 and continued to grow together with the global economic recovery. World crude steel production went up from 851 megatons (Mt) in 2001 to 1,548 Mt in 2012. This outperformed 2011 by almost 1.5%. Specifically, the U.S. steel sector will be dealing with excess capacity as its most significant issue due to the continued growth in new steelmaking facilities. However, on a good note, global steel demand is expected to improve gradually this year in comparison to 2012. In the United States, growth will be supported by attempts to sustain the economy's momentum, an improving labor market, strong momentum in the auto sector and recovery in construction markets. Increased demand should lead to improved profitability for 2014 and 2015, driven by better utilization rates. European steel demand is likely to fall further this year before a mild rebound takes hold in 2014. The big challenge for steelmakers in 2013 is to be cost competitive while maintaining enterprise value.

“The steel market in 2013 is off to a slow start, but signs of strength in some of the most important steel consuming market such as autos and energy (with a large inventory overhang at this point), provide some reason for optimism as we move into the usually seasonally stronger second quarter.”

--David Phelps, president of the American Institute for International Steel

Safety and Health in the Iron and Steel Industry
 

The original code of practice on safety and health in the iron and steel industry was adopted in 1981.

The International Labour Organization (ILO), founded in 1919, became the first specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) in 1946. The main aims of the ILO are to promote rights at work, encourage decent employment opportunities, enhance social protection and strengthen dialogue on work-related issues. The newest version of this code, updated 2005, reflects the many changes in the industry, its workforce, the roles of the competent authorities, employers, workers and their organizations, and on the development of new International Labour Organization  instruments on occupational safety and health, focuses on the production of iron and steel and basic iron and steel products.

According to Part II, Section 5.1 of the Safety and Health in the Iron and Steel Industry Code, the choice and the implementation of specific measures for preventing workplace injury and ill health in the workforce of the iron and steel industry depend on the recognition of the principal hazards, and the anticipated injuries and diseases, ill health and incidents. Below are the most common causes of injury and illness in the iron and steel industry: 

(i) slips, trips and falls on the same level;
(ii) falls from height;
(iii) unguarded machinery;
(iv) falling objects;
(v) engulfment;
(vi) working in confined spaces;
(vii) moving machinery, on-site transport, forklifts and cranes;
(viii) exposure to controlled and uncontrolled energy sources;
(ix) exposure to asbestos;
(x) exposure to mineral wools and fibres;
(xi) inhalable agents (gases, vapours, dusts and fumes);
(xii) skin contact with chemicals (irritants (acids, alkalis), solvents and sensitizers);
(xiii) contact with hot metal;
(xiv) fire and explosion;
(xv) extreme temperatures;
(xvi) radiation (non-ionizing, ionizing);
(xvii) noise and vibration;
(xviii) electrical burns and electric shock;
(xix) manual handling and repetitive work;
(xx) exposure to pathogens (e.g. legionella); 
(xxi) failures due to automation;
(xxii) ergonomics;
(xxiii) lack of OSH training;
(xxiv) poor work organization;
(xxv) inadequate accident prevention and inspection;
(xxvi) inadequate emergency first-aid and rescue facilities;
(xxvii) lack of medical facilities and social protection.

 

As you can see quite well, the importance of safety and safety training in the steel and iron industry. With hazards ranging from noise to physical to chemical to ergonomics, it is a inherently dangerous industry to work in. Specific PPE should include, but not be limited to:

(a) molten metal resistant jackets and trousers;
(b) face shields or vented goggles;
(c) molten metal resistant gloves;
(d) safety footwear insulated against heat;
(e) respiratory protective equipment;
(f) protective helmets;
(g) hearing protection; and
(h) eye protection.

If you work in the industry, your next step should be to identify these issues at work. Have you found a problem in not knowing how to handle a situation listed above? Has any of these common injuries happened at your job? Is a problem in regards to training (or lack thereof)? Or retraining (annual refresher courses)? Unsatisfied with previous training/trainers? Safety Training Services, Inc. will train (and/or retrain) you and your employees on safety code compliance, confined spaces & other safety-related courses. Our site or yours, our hands-on courses will provide you with appropriate training to keep you safe and trained consistent to safety code requirements.

Maybe your issue is equipment or PPE? Whether you need new, used, rentals, servicing or just to figure out what equipment to use for a specific job, speaking to one of our professionals in our Technical division will help you find the right tool for the job in whatever capacity necessary. 

Or simply contact our safety consulting division at (219) 554-2180 and found out how we will help identify problems and conduct a safety-related gap analysis for your company. 

"All employers have a general duty to provide employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm."

Mandate of OSH Act of 1970 Section 5(a)(1)

I will start out by saying overall; a lot of us spend more time with coworkers then our own family. When you think about it, we spend 8 to 10 hours a day with these people, 5 to 7 days a week; there's LOADS of potential there for violent acts (physical or otherwise). That was meant lightheartedly, but in all seriousness, we can spend seemingly TOO much time with our coworkers. You may ask, “Why is this relevant to me?” Well, the answer lies in the statistic that the most common motive for job-related homicide is robbery; it accounts for 85% of workplace violence deaths. How many times have you taken the last donut in the box? Have you ever stolen someone’s stapler? Many of us have seen the aftermath of what can happen if so! Also, according to the National Crime Victimization Survey (NCVS), in America, 2 million assaults and threats of violence occur annually at work. The most common type of workplace crime was assault (average of 1.5 million a year).

3 facts we, as workers, should be aware of.

1. Nearly 2 million Americans report they've been victims of violence at work.
2. In 2010, 1-in-9 workplace fatalities were homicides.
3. Homicide is the most common cause of workplace fatalities in women.

The way OSHA states it, workplace violence can strike anywhere, and no one is immune. Some workers though, are at an increased risk. Workers that exchange money with the public (banking, retail workers); deliver passengers, goods, or services (taxi drivers, couriers); or work alone or in small groups, during late night or early morning hours (utility employees, service installers), etc.

Other occupations at greatest risk include police, detectives, sheriffs, gas station workers, and security guards. In the NCVS study, retail sales workers were the most numerous victims, with 330,000 being attacked each year.

Protecting Yourself/Your Employees?

In most workplaces where risk factors can be identified, the risk of assault can be prevented or minimized if employers take appropriate precautions. According to OSHA, the best protection employers can offer is to establish a zero-tolerance policy toward workplace violence against or by their employees. This policy should cover all workers, patients, clients, visitors, contractors, and anyone else who may come in contact with company personnel. OSHA believes that a well written and implemented Workplace Violence Prevention Program, combined with engineering controls, administrative controls and training can reduce the incidence of workplace violence in both the private sector and Federal workplaces.

Nothing can guarantee that an employee will not become a victim of workplace violence, however, learning to recognize, avoid, or diffuse potentially violent situations by attending personal safety training programs and supervisors to any concerns about safety or security and report all incidents immediately in writing can help reduce the odds.

3 strategies to implement:

1. Handheld metal detectors. Facts: A Detroit hospital found that after implementing these for 6 months; 33 handguns, 1,324 knives, 97 mace-type sprays were found/confiscated.
2. Utilizing ID badges/color-coded passes/limiting access to certain floors. Facts: A New York City hospital implemented this strategy and reduced violent crimes by 65%.
3. A database that identified those with a history of violence. Facts: A veteran's hospital in Oregon found that this action reduced violent attacks by 91.6%.

OSHA encourages employers to develop additional methods as necessary to protect employees in high risk industries.

In closing, if you stay vigilant in knowing your employees, you can take preemptive measures and action that may prevent an occurrence of workplace violence. 

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) partnered to designate March 3-9, 2013, as National Severe Weather Preparedness Week, and is calling upon all Americans to Be a Force of Nature.

Safety Training Services, Inc. is committed to Being a Force of Nature and pledges to do so by: knowing our risk, taking action, and being an example for our families and community by sharing the steps we took. Because we live in an area prone to floods, severe thunderstorms, snow, etc., the recent severe snow and weather reminded us that this weather can strike anywhere and at any time.

Just last year, there were more than 450 weather-related fatalities and nearly 2,600 injuries. Each time severe weather threatens we hear stories of ordinary Americans who do the extraordinary to save loved ones – a mother protecting her children by shielding them from flying debris, a homeowner opening up his storm shelter to neighbors, neighbors helping a senior in a wheelchair get to a safe shelter, individuals ensuring friends are aware of the current watch or warning in their area. 

For those with seniors and people with disabilities, this disaster preparedness guide is a free resource that shares valuable information about their safety and mobility in case of a natural disaster.

Tornadoes struck approximately 46 states, caused over $1.6 billion in damage and nearly 70 fatalities. There were more than 935 tornadoes in 2012, with 206 in April alone. While April and May are peak months, tornadoes happen all year round.

Building a Weather-Ready Nation requires that every individual and community take action because severe weather knows no boundaries and affects us all. Be a Force of Nature by making a public pledge to be prepared at ready.gov/severe-weather.

What can you do to Prepare?

Knowing your risk, taking action and being an example by sharing your knowledge and actions through your social network are just a few steps you can take to be better prepared and assist in saving lives.

Know Your Risk: The first step to becoming weather-ready is to understand the type of hazardous weather that can affect where you live and work, and how the weather could impact you and your family. Every state in the United States has experienced tornadoes and severe weather, so everyone is exposed to some degree of risk. Check the weather forecast regularly and visit ready.gov/severe-weather to learn more about how to be better prepared and how you can protect your family during emergencies.

Pledge and Take Action: Be a Force of Nature by taking the Pledge to Prepare at ready.gov/severe-weather. When you pledge to prepare, you will take the first step to making sure that you and your family are prepared for severe weather. This includes filling out your family communications plan that you can email to yourself, putting an emergency kit together, keeping important papers and valuables in a safe place, and getting involved.

Obtain a NOAA Weather Radio, and check to see if your cell phone is equipped to receive Wireless Emergency Alerts and sign up for localized alerts from emergency management officials. Stay informed by having multiple sources for weather alerts - NOAA Weather Radio, Weather.gov, and Wireless Emergency Alerts. Subscribe to receive alerts at www.weather.gov/subscribe.

Be an Example: Once you have taken action and pledged to Be a Force of Nature, share your story with your family and friends. Create a video and post on a video sharing site; post your story on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, comment on a blog, or share through any other social media site. Technology today makes it easier than ever to be a good example and share the steps you took to help us achieve the vision of a Weather-Ready Nation.
Join us today and pledge to prepare for the severe weather in our area.

Information on the different types of severe weather such as tornadoes, severe thunderstorms and flooding is available at www.weather.gov and ready.gov/severe-weather or the Spanish-language web site www.listo.gov.

During their 2012 fiscal year (which ran from October 2011 through September 2012), federal OSHA conducted almost 41,000 workplace safety and health inspections. Very interestingly enough, it seemed as though companies didn’t take the hint from the previous year in that the top cited violation is not only still number 1, but actually increased from fiscal year 2011. Below, you find the top 10 citations they handed out to companies for 2012 and further down you may be interested to see the previous year’s top 10 as well.

OSHA’s Top 10 for 2012

1. Fall Protection--General Requirements (1926.501) 7,250 violations (No change)
   

2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 4,696 violations (Up 1)
   

3. Scaffolding (1926.451): 3,814 violations (Down 1)
   

4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 2,371 violations (No change)
   

5. Ladders (1926.1053): 2,310 violations (Up 3)
   

6. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 2,097 violations (Up 4)
   

7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 1,993 violations (No change)
   

8. Electrical--Wiring Methods (1910.305): 1,744 violations (Down 2)
   

9. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 1,572 violations (Down 4)
   

10. Electrical--General Requirements (1910.303): 1,332 violations (Down 1)

OSHA’s Top 10 for 2011

1. Fall Protection--General requirements (1926.501): 7,139 violations
    
2. Scaffolding (1926.451): 7,069 violations
    
3. Hazard Communication (1910.1200): 6,538 violations
    
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134): 3,944 violations
    
5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147): 3,639 violations
    
6. Electrical--Wiring Methods (1910.305): 3,584 violations
    
7. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178): 3,432 violations
    
8. Ladders (1926.1053): 3,244 violations
    
9. Electrical--General Requirements (1910.303): 2,863 violations
    
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212): 2,748 violations

Don't become a statistic!

So what should you do, now armed with this knowledge? Well, first thing is get up and simply take a look around your office/plant/factory. Do you see any of these standards violated? In the safety world, if you think you have a problem....chances are you do! If you do not know you have violations or do not know how to look for them, that's perfectly understandable--you are not alone. This is where Safety Training Services can help!

Your next step should be to identify these issues. Have you found them to be problems in training (or lack thereof)? Or retraining (annual refresher courses)? Unsatisfied with previous training/trainers? Remember, ignorance is bliss....until you get a visit from OSHA. We will train (and/or retrain) you and your employees on OSHA compliance & other safety-related courses. Our site or yours, our hands-on courses will provide you with appropriate training to keep you safe and trained consistent to OSHA requirements.

Maybe your issue is equipment? Whether you need new, used, rentals, servicing or just to figure out what equipment to use for a specific job, speaking to one of our professionals in our Technical division will help you find the right tool for the job in whatever capacity necessary. 

Or simply contact our safety consulting division at (219) 554-2180 and found out how we will help identify problems and conduct a safety-related gap analysis for your company. 

February is the month dedicated to raising awareness about heart disease. This blog post is dedicated to increasing knowledge about prevention, educating ourselves on the dangers of, and to helping get on track to better heart health!

According to the CDC, heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

Let’s first talk about some important facts about heart disease. This is information from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

• Every year, about 600,000 people die of heart disease in the United States; that’s about 1 in every 4 deaths!
• As stated earlier, heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. In fact, in 2009, more than half of the deaths due to heart disease were in men.
• The most common type of heart disease is coronary heart disease (CHD); it kills more than 385,000 people annually.
• About 935,000 Americans have a heart attack in a year. Of that number, 610,000 of these are an individual’s first heart attack. That means that 325,000 happen in people who have already had a heart attack (we will talk about prevention in a moment).
• Coronary heart disease alone costs the United States $108.9 billion each year. This total includes the cost of health care services, medications, and lost productivity.

Let’s talk about warning signs and symptoms, because early action is very important. Do you know the symptoms? Help you or your loved ones prevent death or serious injury by knowing these warning signs:

• Chest pain or discomfort
• Upper body pain or discomfort in the arms, back, neck, jaw, or upper stomach
• Shortness of breath
• Nausea, lightheadedness, or cold sweats

Many sudden cardiac deaths occur outside a hospital. This suggests that many people with heart disease don't act on early warning signs. Remember the adage, “Knowledge is Power.” As knowing these, acting fast, and acting EARLY can reduce these unsettling statistics. Most recognize chest pain as a symptom of a heart attack, but knowing all major symptoms and knowing to call 911 when someone is experiencing a heart attack is what saves lives.

About half of Americans have at least one of the three key risk factors for heart disease. But what are they?

High blood pressure, high LDL cholesterol, and smoking.

Other medical conditions and lifestyle choices can also put people at a higher risk for heart disease. Here are 5 examples:

• Diabetes
• Overweight & obesity
• Poor diet
• Physical inactivity
• Excessive alcohol use

So after some of this staggering data, where’s the silver lining? How do you protect yourself/your loved ones? Well, I do have good news for you!

The good news is that you can lower your blood pressure and cholesterol to reduce your risk of heart disease. Here are 4 ways you can do this (in no particular order):

1. Consult a doctor; follow their instructions and stay on your medications.
2. Eat a healthy diet that is low in salt; low in total fat, saturated fat, and cholesterol; and full of fresh fruits and vegetables.
3. Take a brisk 10-minute walk, 3 times a day, 5 days a week.
4. Don't smoke. If you already do, quit as soon as possible. For tips on quitting, visit smokefree.gov or cdc.gov/tobacco.

Have a great February, remember what we’ve learned today, and don’t forget to comment if you have anything to add and subscribe to our STS Blog and ‘Like’ STS on Facebook for more relevant safety news and information!

Very interesting infographic to check out! Take a look at the deadliest jobs as well on the right side!

Biohazards?! That sounds like something out of a science fiction movie or better left to somebody in a white coat in a lab somewhere, right?

WRONG!

Biohazards are anything of biological origin that can cause harm to humans. So, although you WOULD find these things in a laboratory or in a sci fi flick, you also become contaminated with them on a pretty regular basis even at your workplace. 

Ask yourself these questions....

"Did anyone sneeze around me today and NOT cover their nose/mouth?"

"Have I flown in an airplane recently?"

"How often are the door knobs cleaned in your workplace bathroom?"

"Has a co-worker asked you to assist putting a Band-Aid on?"

If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes." then chances are, you were exposed to a biohazard or biohazardous material(s). "Bio" means life and "hazard" is something potentially dangerous. 

In an era of biohazards, first aid training is a must. Of course we see the need for trained responders, first aid kits and AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) in the workplace, but do you know how to wrap a gauze bandage? Do you see the need to wear disposable gloves? Despite causing serious or lethal disease and sometimes death, bloodborne pathogens and other biohazards command little attention from most people. 

Bloodborne pathogens are pathogenic microorganisms that are present in human blood and can be transmitted and cause disease in humans. These pathogens include, but are not limited to human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis B virus (HBV). These are examples addressed by the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens standard 29 CFR 1910.1030. Malaria (mosquito-borne infectious disease) and syphilis (sexually transmitted infection) are also caused by bloodborne pathogens. Body fluids (other than blood; saliva, urine, etc.) may also transmit diesases. Many of these diseases are infectious and should be addressed not only for your health but to prevent the spread of infection to others in the workplace and beyond.

There are six common ways in which infectious agents spread:

So how to avoid we avoid spread of infectious disease? Well, the simplest answer is to maintain good hygiene (wash hands/body), be aware of the proper PPE for dealing with biohazards, and to remember to always sterilize/disinfect your working area and equipment.

But for a more clear, concise idea of how to keep safe from bloodborne pathogens as a first responder, we will now discuss the 9 best practices for doing so.

Check back often for more great safety info from Safety Training Services, Inc. And don't forget to "Like Us" on Facebook or subscribe to our newsletter for additional information on appropriate safety training!