Safety Updates

“Joseph operated his forklift truck in a reckless manner,” said Sybil, the supervisor. “That’s why he got hurt.” “I hope you’re right,” replied Kelly, the plant manager, “because Joseph is suing us. He claims that we failed to adequately inspect …

Continue Reading about Man blames his injury on company’s slipshod equipment inspection, sues

If you’ve been uncertain about how to handle the increased use of marijuana among U.S. workers and the substance’s effect on workplace safety, you’ll be pleased to hear that two influential safety groups have just released guidance documents on …

Continue Reading about You now have new guidance on handling worker cannabis use

“That machine was powered down while our staffer was fixing it,” said George, the supervisor. “We were in compliance with your lockout/tagout rule.” “Yes, the equipment was turned off,” replied Tammy, the compliance officer. “However, the main …

Continue Reading about You Make The Call: Was it OK to use switch to de-energize machine?

A new government report reinforces the importance of making sure piping systems are regularly inspected for defects, particularly in vulnerable areas such as elbows. The factual report from the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) detailed the June …

Continue Reading about Report: Slipshod monitoring caused costly fire, explosion

Incident summary: A crew member put on safety gear before entering a confined space, but there was one problem: It was the wrong type of equipment. The damage: Assigned to drain liquid from a tank that measured 12 feet in diameter by 14 feet in …

Continue Reading about Man chose the wrong safety gear for the hazard he faced

A word to the wise: Recent modifications to OSHA’s enforcement priorities could prompt the agency to change the types of employers targeted for its wall-to-wall inspections. That’s because OSHA just rolled out a new inspection weighting system, …

Continue Reading about How OSHA plans to change its targets for safety inspections