We're finally here! Welcome back to the 4th (and final) part of Safety Training Service's web series on general office safety! If you haven't had a chance to read parts 1 through 3, you may find them here:

 Part One | Part Two | Part Three

According to OSHA, the majority of general industry accidents come in the form of slips, trips, and falls. These can result in back injuries, strains and sprains, contusions, and fractures.

OSHA also states that 15% of all accidental deaths are caused by slips, trips, and falls. In fact, they are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. The standards for slips, trips, and falls are in the Code of Federal Regulations, under the heading "Subpart D" or 29 CFR 1910.22-30. This covers cause and prevention and included are housekeeping, ladder safety, floor openings and stairways.

Slips can occur when floors or other working surfaces become slippery due to wet or oily processes, floor cleaning, leaks, or from materials and debris left in walkways.

Trips can occur due to uneven floor or working surfaces, protruding nails and boards, from stretched carpet or bunched floor mats intended to prevent slipping, from holes or depressions in working surfaces, and from step-risers that are not uniform in height.

Falls can be a result of both slips and trips. In addition, improper ladder maintenance/use and stairways or elevated working surfaces that are not designed properly can result in a fall accident.

What can cause slips, trips, and falls? Just to name a few, ice, wet spots, grease, polished floors, loose flooring or carpeting, uneven walking surfaces, clutter, electrical cords, open desk drawers/filing cabinets, damaged ladder steps.

Two things I would like to mention, but won't spend as much time on is temperature/humidity and noise.

Lifting

If lifting is included in an employee's tasks, then the employer is obligated to teach the employee the best way to lift. You may choose to have safety training for your employees covering ergonomics and lifting limits. Ultimately employees should know how to properly lift, when to get help, and when to use mechanical means rather than manually lifting an object.

Remember for more relevant safety information, be sure to subscribe to our STS Blog & 'LIKE' us on Facebook. Feel free to leave a comment below to let us know what you think, and remember if you have any questions/concerns about your or your company's safety, you can contact Safety Training Services, Inc. by clicking the button below! 

Thank you Authority Safes for the great advice on Christmas Tree Fire Safety and Holiday Lights! For all those who celebrate the holiday of Christmas, have a SAFE one! Always be mindful of electrical and fire hazards around your tree as well--fake or not! And finally, here's the great video we posted at the end of November on Christmas Tree fire safety. Click here for video

Welcome to Part 3 of our web series on general office safety!

Emergency Exits

OSHA states that a workplace normally must have at least two exit routes (I will cover what that means in just a moment) for proper evacuation. Just so we’re clear though, as you’d expect, there are exceptions to every rule. Basically, a workplace should have as many or as little exit routes as needed to safely evacuate all employees/personnel.

Getting back to exit routes, the OSHA definition is pretty straightforward. An exit route is a continuous and unobstructed path of exit travel from any point within a workplace to a place of safety. They go on to explain that an exit route consists of three parts:

• Exit access – portion of an exit route that leads to an exit.
• Exit – portion of an exit route that is generally separated from other areas to provide a protected way of travel to the exit discharge.
• Exit discharge – part of the exit route that leads directly outside or to a street, walkway, refuge area, public way or open space with access to the outside.

Easy, right? Well also, per OSHA’s instruction, make sure to locate exit routes that are as far away as practical from each other in case one is blocked by fire or smoke.

Safety Plans

These are unfortunately many times overlooked and underutilized!

Emergency Action Plans (EAP)

Although OSHA only requires an EAP when there is an applicable standard that would require it, it is strongly recommended that all employers have one. For companies with 10 or fewer employees, you have a choice to communicate your plan orally. However, if you are more than 10 employees strong, you will not only have to write down your plan but also keep it in the workplace and make it available for employees to see/review.

You may ask yourself, “What goes into an emergency action plan?” Well, good thing, because I am going to give you a good idea right here, per OSHA:

• Procedures for reporting fires and other emergencies.
• Procedures for emergency evacuation.
• Procedures to account for all employees after evacuation.
• Alarm system to alert workers.

…just to name a few and give you an indication of what should go in. Trust me, there’s more to it, but know that essentially it is a means to keep all employees safe during an emergency and to keep some order in doing so. Make sure to review the plan and train your employees whenever the plan changes or employees responsibilities change under the plan.

Fire Prevention Plans (FPP)

As you may or may not have suspected, the same scenario is at play here as far as OSHA is concerned.

• 10 or less employees = orally discuss FPP
• More than 10 = written plan, kept in workplace, available to employees
• Must have FPP if standard requires it
• Strongly recommended regardless of requirement

I would be remiss to not include what types of information should be found in a FPP, so here we go (Thanks again OSHA for this info)!

• List of all major fire hazards, proper handling and storage procedures for hazardous materials, potential ignition sources and their control, and the type of fire protection equipment necessary to control each major hazard.
• Procedures to control accumulations of flammable and combustible waste materials.
• Procedures for regular maintenance of safeguards installed on heat-producing equipment to prevent the accidental ignition of combustible materials.
• Name or job title of employees responsible for maintaining equipment to prevent or control sources of ignition or fires.

Again, remember to review this with your employees (especially those parts of the fire prevention plan necessary for self-protection). And you must inform your employees of any fire hazards they may be exposed to.

Any questions related to Emergency Exits, Safety/Fire Plans can be addressed through our Consulting Services--we’ve never charged for phone calls!

Remember! OSHA states that each employer must provide relative safety training to their job responsibilities prior to first task. Make sure to keep training relevant and up-to-date! Remember your annual refresher courses for any subject can keep employees proficient. Training should communicate workplace hazards and how to avoid or control hazards. Safety training (even if/when not required) should be well-documented and kept in a known spot for providing proof when necessary.

Welcome back to part 2 of our 4 part series on general office safety! If you missed out on part one, you may check it out here!

PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

PPE is designed to protect you from hazards related to your work. Examples of PPE are hard hats, foot guards, safety shoes, leggings, glasses/goggles, shields, earplugs, respirators, gloves, vests and coveralls. OSHA requires you to complete a Hazard Assessment to determine what these hazards are, provide workers with appropriate PPE and require them to use and maintain it in a sanitary and reliable condition. 

Pictured examples of safety equipment along with other some information on safety equipment can be found (rentals & sales) through the STS Equipment Page.

SDS (Safety Data Sheets; formerly known as MSDS)

Global Harmonization changed the label from MSDS to SDS, with a permanent change that came in 2015. OSHA requires that these data sheets be available to employees for potentially harmful substances handled in the workplace. Basically, these are intended to provide the workers and also emergency personnel the information necessary to safely handle/work with said substances. This information may include physical and/or chemical data and format may differ (currently there is no official way to format SDS). Below are some examples of what information you may find on SDS.

Ladder Safety

OSHA states that falls from portable ladders are one of the leading causes of occupational fatalities and injuries.

Well, the first thing I am going to say about ladder safety is that it does not matter if you are a backyard amateur wrestler (people still do that, right?), putting up lights on the roof, cleaning your gutter, or simply photographing a rock climber, knowing and following some easy-to-remember tips can very easily make a difference in your life.

Ever heard of the three point-of-contact climb?

Chances are, a lot of you readers have heard of this concept. Essentially, it is used to keep the climber stable so that if one limb slips, they still will likely be able to keep on the ladder. 

10 Tips to Remember About Ladder Safety

1. ALWAYS read/follow the labels on the ladder. Until the climber is familiar with this information, they are not considered "adequately" trained!
2. Never jump down from a ladder/slide down the rungs. Hopefully that is common sense to you, but also remember not to climb up or down more then one rung at a time either.
3. Inspect the ladder prior to using it! What kind of environment is around? Any water? Any electrical apparatuses? And make sure if a ladder is damaged to remove it and tag it for service or replace it.
4. Make sure to select the correct ladder/size for the job. How do you know? Well the ladder must be long enough so that the climber does not use the top rung. The only exception should be if said rung/step was designed for that purpose.
5. All locks should be properly engaged on extension ladders. 
6. The maximum load rating is there for a reason! Adhere to it! And make sure to note that added tools and equipment need to be factored in, not just YOUR weight.
7. Ladder's don't care about the "buddy system." As in, only ONE climber on a ladder at a time (again, the exception is when the ladder is designed otherwise).
8. Wind/storms are BAD. Do not use ladders in such conditions.
9. Are you tired? Dizzy? Discombobulated? Accident prone? Do not get on a ladder. 
10. Lastly, ladders should be used on stable surfaces, preferably level. Make sure to secure ladder (both top and bottom) so as to eliminate the ladder falling over. And PLEASE do not set up ladders on boxes or barrels or OTHER ladders or any other ridiculously ingenious (but TOTALLY UNSAFE) thing I've seen.

<----- Don't do this ------>

When you think of office safety, what are some of the first things to come into your head?

Fire extinguishers? First aid kits? Excellent! You are on the right track, but there are some other key pieces to that puzzle we love called “safety.” However, talking about ALL of them would take me MUCH longer then one simple web blog; which is why I have decided to span the information out to a 4-part web series that will take place all throughout the month of December.

Ok, so the first thing a lot of us think is first aid kits, right? Remember these tips while searching for a kit.

• First aid kits should be easily accessible to all employees
• Remember to make sure the kit is adequate for the number of people in your workplace
• Keep it stocked & fresh; no sense in having a great-looking kit with the contents expired (Don’t forget bandages & wraps have expiration dates too!)
• Decide how you will keep it up-to-date; buy items individually, buy refill packs or just hire someone to do it for you
  

Don't wait until there is an emergency! Make sure you have a working, satisfactory kit that will be there ready when you are. Oh you don’t? Or you aren’t satisfied with the service you currently have? Well then I have some great news for you, Safety Training Services can help. Visit our “Technical Services” page and find out how. Or just contact us below and ask!

Fire extinguishers come in various shapes and sizes, and can be either rechargeable or non-rechargeable. Rechargeable are made to be reused and non-rechargeable must be replaced after use (even if only partially discharged); though both types (rechargeable & non) need to be serviced annually by a certified person/company. Servicing is also necessary whenever seal is broken. This could result from continual use, age or even just external tampering. Once a seal is broken, the unit is in danger of not working. Monthly checks should also supplement your professional annual checks. Learn how to do your own monthly extinguisher checks! 

Keep in mind that fire extinguisher training is available as well. There is little value in having a fire extinguisher if you do not know how to use it!

Know your fires…

Not all are the same! As you may or may not be aware, fires start from an array of materials. Because of this, they are classified into 4 groups:

• Class A – These are fires started with ordinary solid combustibles (things such as wood, cloth, paper, etc.).
• Class B – These are fires started with flammable gases and liquids (things like paints, grease, tar, alcohol, etc.).
• Class C – These are fires started by energized electrical equipment (things like short-circuiting, overloaded cables, etc.).
• Class D - These are fires caused by the combustion of metals such as Aluminum, Magnesium, Lithium, Sodium, Potassium and their alloys.
• Class E - These are fires involving electrical apparatus. 
• Class F/K – These are fires started generally in the kitchen or a kitchen-like setting (things like oils and fats).

The good news is that the first three classes of fires can be fought with one particular extinguisher. The “ABC” fire extinguishers are filled with mono ammonium phosphate, which is a dry chemical agent. Class D fires will require special purpose powder extinguishers. If you feel you may need one of these extinguishers or have questions regarding these extinguishers, please contact one of our fire extinguisher professionals here. Class E extinguishers use carbon dioxide to treat the fire. And lastly, Class F/K fire extinguishers (again, generally associated with kitchens & cooking appliances) are filled with a blend of potassium acetate and potassium citrate; which makes them ideal and very effective in combating those types of fires.

What about clean up?

Clean can be as simple as wiping the area with a towel or just vacuuming the residue up. The biggest challenge is simply knowing what chemical your extinguisher contains. I have linked a great do-it-yourself for fire extinguisher clean up found here.

Make sure to consult a professional here at Safety Training Services, Inc. when buying/renting fire equipment so you have the right tool for the job or if you have any further questions regarding the subject. We are here to help; much of our staff are career firefighters. Feeling up to more reading on the subject? Click here to be whisked away to our “Fire Extinguisher Services” page.

 If any of you are like my family, you are probably creating some sort of strategic list of where to hit and when.

Well I would like to take a moment or two to help you stay safe this Friday and hopefully we can avoid this.

That video is just....ridiculous. Is that what people want their children to know about the holidays? That it is just about mommy or daddy fighting for their lives to get a toy or doll or video game? Let's take a step back, realize we are here to HELP one another and try to be as safe as possible; both for ourselves and for our neighbors.

I have been scouring the internet for all the best safety tips and practices so I now present to you the 10 best to remember this while preparing this Thursday!

1. Have a good awareness of your surroundings. You never know when things will go sour. Whether you are outside waiting to get in, or inside perusing, be alert and attentive. If you see any "mob" behavior forming, just leave the area. Its not worth it getting Timmy a Wii U if it means you have to spend the holidays in the E.R. 
    
2. It is really recommended that you leave the little ones at home. If you must bring children with you, make sure you have a plan if separated. Select a meeting place/central location and stick to it. I don't recommend one of those "kid leashes" but keep an eye on them, its easy to get distracted with so much going on. If you are shopping with friends/family, stay close and be ready to defend or pull to safety if the schnitzel hits the fan.
    
3. Avoid getting into a verbal or (and especially) a physical altercation. It should go without saying but even verbal arguments can escalate very quickly. Gaming systems, electronics, etc. are often culprits here. Make sure you have a cell phone with you in case of an emergency and the need to contact the cops or another friend/family member.
    
4. Remember you are a human and not an octopus! Buy only as much as you can carry. Setting down a whole slew of bags to look at a deal on hand towels is definitely not going to be worth it when you realized someone nabbed the Tablet out of your bag and slipped it into theirs.
    
5. Car safety. Let me explain this in two parts. One is that you need to conceal your purchases. Lock your new stuff in the trunk, nothing screams "Take me, take me" to a thief then a 50" flatscreen tv clearly visible in a car with a bunch of bags next to it. Second, have your keys ready while walking to your car! And make sure to check your back seat and around your vehicle before getting in.
    
6. Ladies, please strongly consider wearing (or even investing in) a cross body bag. Stylish or not, a pickpocket will hard a much more difficult time getting to your wallet/important items if they are close and secure to your body while shopping even in the biggest of crowds.
    
7. Probably goes without saying but, save your receipts! This time of year, most places won't take your stuff back unless you have receipts. Not only for yourself (those clothes you bought on a whim and decided you didn't want) but also for those you gift. In the heat of the shopping experience, you may have forgotten that little Suzie already has that My Little Pony and now she is stuck with two (I've been a fly on the wall for THAT conversation). 
    
8. Embrace 2012 and our wonderous technology! Guess what? A lot of Black Friday deals aren't even going on in stores. Online shopping is a way to curb some of the tramplings & stampedes of Black Friday. Who doesn't love shopping from the comfort of their own home in their PJ's? Just make sure that site you are buying from is credible. If the deal is too good, it probably is. And never give your credit card information if you have second guesses on who might be receiving it on the other end.
    
9. Set up a game plan. Figure out where you will go and when. My family does this every year at Thanksgiving and they seem to have a good Black Friday outing every year. Just like a good salesman doesn't just get into his car and drive somewhere to pitch a product, you have to make a plan of attack so you can be everywhere you want to be and get home safely and in good time. Stop at home (or a relative's if they're closer) to empty your vehicle if it gets too full (remember rule 5).
    
10. Lastly, if you see an unattended bag or package, tell a security guard or store employee right away. You can never be too careful, and some people are just plain "nuts."
     

Well everyone, there you have it. Keep these tips in mind while you are shopping and have a great, safe week!

Falls & Workplace Safety

According to OSHA's commonly used statistics, the leading cause of worker's deaths on construction sites were falls. In fact, 35% of total deaths in the field of construction for CY 2011 were from falls.

It is also OSHA's number two most frequently cited standard violation in FY 2011 (29 CFR 1926.501).

How can falls be reduced?

First, we must look at how OSHA requirements help with reducing these accidents. OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces and six feet in the construction industry. In addition, OSHA requires that fall protection be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance.

OSHA requires employers to provide working conditions that are free of known dangers. The company must provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers. Floors in work areas must be kept clean and dry (as much as possible). 

(Quoted from OSHA's website):

To prevent employees from being injured from falls, employers must:

• Guard every floor hole into which a worker can accidentally walk (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover).
• Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform, floor or runway.
• Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment (such as a vat of acid or a conveyor belt) employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards to prevent workers from falling and getting injured.
• Other means of fall protection that may be required on certain jobs include safety and harness and line, safety nets, stair railings and hand rails.

OSHA wants to help reduce (hopefully eliminate) these accidents, and Safety Training Services, Inc. is here to facilitate as well.

Contacttoday and let us help you by providing "Real Experience. Real Training. Real Results."

The Question: Should you have a supervisor or senior employee be your trainer or should you hire an outside training company?

Here are a few points to consider in that decision:

Universal Language of “Money” – outside trainers are without question less expensive compared to the organizational risk, salary differential, overtime and cost of retraining a new trainer if the current one leaves the company. Dollar for dollar, an outside trainer has little downside risk for the company since there is no loss of expertise when the trainer leaves the organization. You get exactly what you need, whenever you need it; regardless of any personnel changes within your organization.

Consistency of Quality – outside trainers maintain the same quality and consistency of training in both their course content and the delivery of that content. High quality training is their commodity; and they are counting on your complete satisfaction. They have more objectivity and are free from internal social or political biases so often affecting a company’s internal training results.

Compliance and Updates - changes often occur in safety and compliance with OSHA training regulations. Outside trainers can update the customer, keep them compliant and informed of new developments and interpretations by OSHA that may affect the company. Outside firms have personnel regularly available with the experience in the training industry to offer their customers additional and on-going counseling and advice regardless of the specific topic.

Flexibility and Mobility - training firms can conduct training in most venues and locales regardless of distance or accommodations. They are focused on getting the training done correctly and not on the “sacrifice” they are making for the company in terms of their other duties. Contracted Trainers carry literally suitcases of training equipment and materials that allows them to conduct a session in almost any situation, geographic location or audience.

Credibility/Record Keeping – outside trainers bring a resume of experience in training competitors, similar industry companies, and leading industry companies. The client gets the direct benefit of these diverse and experienced trainers. This experience and know-how is very hard to find in-house for the average company. Trainers are often former supervisors, managers and safety professionals that have done the job themselves successfully and have the skills and training to deliver training for others. Lastly – record keeping is extremely important to the company in order to validate the students training credentials to the company and certainly to OSHA when requested. Professional training firms maintain these records very well, both in printed and electronic forms. 

Safety Training--Why So Important?

September is National Preparedness Month, but we here at Safety Training Services, Inc. feel it is important to speak briefly about the importance of training at any date, especially in the workplace.

Merriam-Webster defines "training" as the skill, knowledge or experience acquired by one that trains. Specifically, "safety training" is for employees or even individuals working within the industrial and/or construction industries. 

OSHA states that education and training provides employers, managers, supervisors, and workers with:

• Knowledge and skills needed to do their work safely and avoid creating hazards that could place themselves or others at risk.
• Awareness and understanding of workplace hazards and how to identify, report, and control them.
• Specialized training, when their work involves unique hazards.

Many in these industries utilize equipment that has associated hazards intrinsic to its' use.

For example, forklifts, scissor lifts, boom lifts, even ladders, scaffolds or powered hand tools; just to name a few. Employee safety training is the necessary action or preventative action in order to instruct and teach your employee about the hazards and provide them the correct OSHA policies and procedures to stay safe while operating the machine or tool within the workplace. 

 Specifically, there are many benefits to training:

• Statistically, less accidents!
• Increased efficiency & productivity
• Improves employee morale
• Less time/manpower wasted on supervision and/or micromanagement

If you utilize aerial lifts (scissor, boom, rough terrain fork lifts) in your business, you are required by OSHA to provide appropriate training to your operators; and if that training was performed by an equipment rental company, you would expect that training to be effective and complete. Right?!--Maybe… 

You may have simply received “equipment familiarization” and received a signed certificate for it.

Per ANSI/OSHA Standards, TRAINING must include 12 information/ instruction components and include equipment demonstration proficiency.

This cannot be accomplished with a 1-hour video! Could you imagine if learning to drive an automobile was taught this way? 

For years now the aerial lift industry has been relying on the OEM’s “canned” training materials - usually a video or DVD provided by local aerial lift dealers to achieve the ANSI/OSHA requirement of “qualified person” status for operators. As we are finding out, this simple approach just does not do a good enough job of providing appropriate safety training to operators.