Ladders are something we take for granted; everybody has been on one at some point in their life...

Updated on March 6, 2020

Every safety professional wishes there was a simple answer.

One height across all tasks and industries would certainly make enforcement easier, but this is not the case. OSHA’s intent is to keep people safe across most industries, however, keep in mind that...

Choosing the right anchor point can be difficult.

The main criteria most people look for when shopping for an anchor point is that it will withstand a 5000 lbs. load.

Though that is the main selling feature on some anchor points, there are times when your attachment may fail before...

Fall protection regulations consist of some complicated and confusing standards. When exceptions to some of these standards come into play, there’s bound to be some people who get completely lost. To fully understand the fall protection regulation related to scaffolding, you must first...

Extension ladders: who hasn’t used one to access the roof of their home, praying every moment that it won’t fall back, slip to the side, or just buckle under your weight?  A tool so common can still be extremely dangerous and the facts are alarming:

Employee safety should be a top priority in any company. Apart from the obvious heartache associated with worker deaths and injuries, workers who are injured on the job could sue the company for financial damages. They may also be less productive when they do return to work. Therefore, it...

The short answer, probably not.

OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1926.152(a)(1) states "Only approved containers and portable tanks shall be used for storage and handling of...

Nothing could be worse in safety than a false sense of security. Somebody who believes they are protected by a certain piece of equipment might take more chances – even unknowingly – than they would if they believed they had no protection at all.  Yet, we see it every day:  an unsecure...

The very fact that you are concerned with which type of fall protection to use while operating a lift already puts you ahead of the game. How often have you seen workers in boom lifts with absolutely no fall protection? I’m willing to bet it’s pretty often.

An emergency action plan (EAP) should address emergencies that the employer may reasonably expect in the workplace.  Some examples include: fires; hazardous materials spills; tornadoes; floods; and others.  The following text identifies the main components...

Even with the best of intentions, Self-Retracting Lifelines (e.g. SRL’s) can cause more injuries than almost any other kind of fall protection when they aren't used properly. Using an SRL gives the feeling of extra assurance because you’re clipped in, however, if proper measures are not...

When companies determine that their employees need some type of safety training, the knee-jerk reaction is most often, “Well, get them an OSHA 10 or 30.” They say “10 or 30” because they usually don’t know how much training their workers are required to have. The idea that a 10 or 30 hour...

Not all safety harnesses are created equal.

It is easy to think that because a harness has ANSI stamped on it that is will be safe and compliant with OSHA. That is not necessarily the case. So, how do we assure that the harness we purchase or currently is designed to hold my weight and...

Toeboard is required on safety railing whenever it would be potentially hazardous for an object to fall from the edge. Ask this basic question: "If my hammer were to fall at this edge, could it hit a person or any dangerous machinery?" If "yes",...

It’s no secret in the world of Safety that falls are one of the major causes of fatal injuries in the workplace and the number one killer in construction. A fact that flies a little more under the radar is that in the past decade 43% of all fall fatalities have involved a ladder. Yet, tell...

During fall arrest your body needs a way to reduce the amount of force, and that happens through a shock pack. Shock packs can be added to your personal fall protection system as an extension lanyard, and as part of a single or double leg lanyard. In addition, shock packs can also be ...

Falls remain the number one killer in Construction.  Try as we might, we seem to have difficulty changing that fact. The overwhelming majority of fall fatalities occur because the worker was either not provided with proper fall protection, was not trained in its use, or chose not to use it...

Workplace safety should never be taken lightly with any business.  Doesn’t matter if you’re 1,000 employees strong or 10.  Any businesses regardless of size must account for safety regulations, steps and more detailed options for their staff from the get-go.  Preventative measures against...

Figuring out how to work on a roof without fall protection is easier than you think. Simply consider the task you are performing – whether that be maintenance, construction, or really anything else – assess the hazards, divide by the number of workers and factor in the use...

Everybody has an idea of what this phrase means, but for somebody in the EHS field – more specifically, for somebody whose career revolves in some way around OSHA – “Competent Person” has a very specific two-part...

Ladders tend to be one of those tools that get taken for granted because they are used so often in the home.  Therefore, sometimes ladder safety gets as much consideration at work as it does at home, which is to say: zero.  That needs to change.  In a recent CDC article, it was noted...