With the recent concerns about the spread of H1N1, a number of customers have implemented the use of antiseptic wipes and/or cleaning products within their factories to prevent the transfer of viruses and bacteria.

Before you hit America’s highways for that long-awaited summer vacation, you need to stay on top of vehicle maintenance. Overlooking something as simple as your tires’ air pressure can cause problems.

OSHA plans to require improved worker protection from tripping, slipping and falling hazards on walking and working surfaces. “This proposal addresses workplace hazards that are a leading cause of work related injuries and deaths,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels.

Protecting yourself when performing welding operations depends on your understanding of the hazards involved and the proper way to control them. Control of welding hazards include avoiding eye injury, respiratory protection, ventilation of the work area, protective clothing and having safe equipment to use.

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) recently released a safety video warning of the hazards of welding and other hot work activities in and around storage tanks containing flammable materials.

The symptoms of heat stress disorders are very slow to start, but increase in intensity if precautions are not taken. The on set of the initial symptoms are mild and usually involve headaches, thirst, and tiredness.

OSHA has weighed in on the question of whether Deepwater Horizon cleanup workers in the Gulf of Louisiana and Mississippi must wear respiratory protection while laying boom, cleaning up shoreline and performing other related cleanup tasks. Believe it or not, OSHA does not feel that, at this point in time, respirators are necessary.

The recommended TLV for Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S) has gone down from 10 ppm to 1 ppm; for Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), the levels dropped from 5 ppm down to 0.25 ppm. This is pretty significant!