Pedestrians are some of the most vulnerable employees in a warehouse setting simply because (as we’ve stated in some of our recent articles) in a physical battle between man vs. machine, the machine is going to win…especially when that machine is a rolling piece of equipment weighing...

(FOREST GROVE, Ore.) Fire officials say one person died and a second was successfully rescued today, after they became trapped in the confined space of an underground manhole on NW Timmerman Road west of Forest Grove. This recent headline could have been taken from just about any newspaper...

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...

Despite efforts to reduce falls, they still remain the number one killer in construction.  They also account for approximately 12% of fatal occupational injuries across all industries (http://www.bls.gov/news.release/cfoi.t01.htm). We educate, inspect, and discipline, yet falls continue to...

Installing rooftop smoke vents is a great way to reduce the dangers of a fire in a building.

However, one of the biggest concerns of safety professionals is to ensure that the solution to one hazard doesn’t create a new, unaccounted-for hazard. 

Any time we cut a hole in a walking surface...

IBC is the law and should not be taken lightly.

International Building Code (IBC) is,

"…a model code that provides minimum requirements to safeguard the public health, safety and general welfare of the occupants of new and existing buildings and structures."

In short, IBC...

If somebody was walking on a construction site and saw a large hole in the roof with nothing around it, they would immediately recognize this as unsafe. It is an opening that leads you to a 30’ drop onto a hard surface.

When it comes to safety, it may seem like a no-brainer that those who have OSHA to guide them would not become complacent. However, for those who work in the construction or warehousing fields, it does not work like that.

Workers need regular reminders about safety so that accidents do...

In my experience,  it is not uncommon to hear of self-retracting lifelines and/or lanyards daisy-chained together to create a longer connection to an anchor point.  This typically happens when someone buys a product that is long enough for an application on one job, but finds that they need...

On November 24, 2008, a new federal regulation, 23CFR634, went into effect...

Let’s be honest, the best way to build safety railing like a professional is to be a professional, but that’s not always possible.  Lucky for those who aren’t, there are some very strict rules regarding safety rail construction that don’t leave much to chance.  Don’t get me wrong, I’m not...

There are many types of work platforms: aerial work platforms (such as scissor lifts), scaffolding, or prefabricated, permanently-installed platforms. Which one you choose to use depends on the type of work you plan on doing and the duration of that work.  A quick paint job, for instance,...

There is nothing simple about roof anchor points.

Being that is our aspiration to create simple and safe solutions for all workers at heights, we felt it necessary to address one of our most commonly asked questions.

Unfortunately, like many...

Falls from height are still a primary killer when it comes to workplace fatalities. A business with a Safety First mindset will perform a hazard assessment in every area of their business, and the rooftop is no exception. Read through to explore best practices when it comes to rooftop safety audits.

If you’re a mechanical contractor, perhaps you can relate to this scenario. You’ve finished installing or replacing some rooftop units and the project seems like it’s just about wrapped up.

Let’s be honest: not everybody has the personality to be a trainer. It’s easy to hand somebody some information and say, “Here, go teach this to your workers.” They might be able to rattle off that information to their audience, but can they do it in such a way that their...

Falls cause the most worker fatalities and injuries during rooftop ice and snow removal. Workers can fall off roof edges, through skylights, and from ladders and aerial lifts (OSHA source). If you live in a...

One of the most overlooked areas of a fall protection plan is the rescue section. For many professionals, this is due to heavy emphasis put on protection and prevention rather than rescue and retrieval.

From a young age we learn that 911 is THE ANSWER when any accident happens. In fall...

Who is responsible for your safety?  Is it the safety manager?  Is it your supervisor?  Is it the owner of the company for which you work?  Sure, each of these people plays a part in building a framework that allows you to perform your job in a safe working environment, but in the end, the...

There are obviously times when somebody will need to access the roof of your building or facility, whether it’s maintenance workers, contractors, or inspectors.  As we’ve discussed, roofs are inherently dangerous, so we develop policies to direct the behaviors of our employees and...