Update: This post was updated in June of 2018 to align with the new Walking-Working Surface Rules posted by OSHA.

Warning line has received a bad reputation over time. Should it have? Maybe. Warning line is the equivalent of someone saying, "Hey, don’t go over there!" When I think of...

I recently wrote an article detailing how to ensure you are using your fall protection equipment properly.  If you are the inquisitive type, it may have left you asking the question, “How, exactly, does a safety harness work?”  In reality, there is a fairly simple answer to this question:...

For many years now, falls have been the leading cause of death on construction sites.  From small residential projects to large commercial structures, people continue to add to the fatal fall statistic – regardless of the focus placed on this epidemic.  Sometimes this is the result of a...

Safety is a big issue on construction sites. The ways in which serious accidents can occur are countless, thanks to the nature of construction. Federal OSHA’s statistics show that of the roughly 4,600 fatal work-related accidents in the U.S. in 2011, the most recent year for which data...

Industrial Ergonomics: What Is It and Why Should I Be Concerned?

Ergonomics is defined as “the study of people’s efficiency in their working environment.” Yet in the world of health and safety, it tends to denote fitting a job or a task to a person. This is done for many reasons:...

When a company doesn’t plan ahead or take the time to do a job hazard analysis, unsafe work conditions can sneak up on them. This lack of diligence means that employers often reach for the “quick and easy” solution. That solution is usually Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)....

It is common to see paths present on flat rooftops. They are visible by laying down pavers, rubber mats, or something similar, and they meander around the entirety of the roof. Once you have accessed the roof, ideally this path or walkway will lead you to the necessary areas.

Can you...

California OSHA code (Cal-OSHA) is notorious for being more stringent across the board on their requirements than federal OSHA. Their fall protection requirements are no different. Because of this, we here at Simplified are constantly asked, "This says it meets OSHA, but what about Cal-OSHA?"...

Warehouse and loading dock safety often requires the use of safety railing. Safety railing can be used for a number of different purposes in the loading dock and warehouse context. Safety railing can be used to protect people from walking off the end of the dock where the truck pulls up....

Trenching and Excavation work is a dangerous task that construction workers face daily. Workers who dig or excavate trenches are at risk of death if they enter an unprotected trench and the walls collapse. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 271 workers died in trenching or excavation...

There is little doubt that safety is serious business. We hope this list will help you get a few laughs and think seriously about fixing some of the hazards that jeopardize the lives of the people you work with.

Take a look around the neighborhood you live in.  How many fences do you see?  Probably quite a few, right?  And, where you see fences, how many have no gates?  I would venture to guess that the answer is “very few if any.”  That’s because a fence is put up for a reason: to keep...

As if falling were not enough, falling onto exposed rebar can turn a survivable fall into a disaster.  Rebar caps protect the falling worker from impaling themselves on the concrete rebar that is protruding during the construction process. 

Rebar...

Perhaps you decided to read this because you thought, "Of course not!  Everyone knows that is a crazy dangerous, not to mention non-productive." However, studies show that walking and texting are pretty much akin to walking blindfolded.

Researchers at Stony...

It is easy to look at a roof edge and understand the risk of going near it. However, what fall hazards cross your mind while you’re standing in the center of the roof?

The roof access hatch is often an overlooked and underestimated fall hazard. While it is closed, a user may feel safe...

Some of the safest people on the job do some of the most foolish things at home.  It seems that safety takes on a whole new meaning when you’re at home because, well, nobody is making you pay attention to it.  OSHA has no jurisdiction over what you do in – or on –  your own...

Changes to OSHA's General Industry skylight screen requirements may have forced you out of compliance.

We have covered in great detail the changes and additions to the Working/Walking Surface rules posed by OSHA back in January of 2017. The focus, however, has been on the specific...

The following safety huddle lists the OSHA standards that regulate and define the specifications for warning line systems in construction fall protection. Refer to 29 CFR 1926.502(f) for more details. Remember, workplace safety is everyeverybody's responsibility.

Definition: warning line...

When the conversation turns to fall protection, railings, skylight screens, horizontal lifelines, and mobile anchor points are often discussed , but what about vertical lifelines?  We tend to not hear as much about this solution, yet there are many situations in which a vertical lifeline...