Friday, October 22, 2010

Protect your Employees with 30 Hour OSHA training Course

Protect your Employees with 30 Hour OSHA training Course
The industrial revolution has changed a lot, and safer workplaces have been created for the workers, but the hazardous conditions still remain the same for most workplaces. The number of deaths and injuries of workers still keeps on rising. To tackle all these, OSHA has enforced certain industrial standards which all industries have to follow.

Meeting regulatory requirements, improving work productivity, reducing absence and safeguarding the lives of employees is what every organization sets to achieve. A simple solution to all these is safety training.

When you train your workers, not only will it help to meet OSHA’s regulations but it will also protect your employees, improve their productivity and keep your organization safe.

The OSHA safety training program has been designed to train and educate workers on the different types of hazards that they might face while at work and how they can reduce those occupational hazards.

The most common types of OSHA safety training courses are the 10 and 30 hour outreach training. Workers will know the basic concepts of occupational safety and health. Seven states in America have mandated the training program for their contractors, construction & general industry workers and employers to undergo these training courses. Upon completion of the course, employees will receive the Outreach card and certification. In any industry today, workers with an OSHA card are a big plus point.

So, if you want to protect your workers, help them by training them with this safety training program. It will be a big investment for your company.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Scaffolding Training - Why It’s Important

Scaffolding Training - Why It’s Important
Scaffolding incidents in the industry has been making news since last year. It had topped the most cited violation according to OSHA and even this year, it is still dominating the chart.

Scaffolds are used in the commercial and industrial construction sites every day and painters, miners, bricklayers and electricians use the scaffolds to reach to higher levels.

There are 65% of construction personnel working on scaffoldings every year. The scaffolding accidents often result due to the negligence of maintenance and construction. Annually, out of the 500,000 injuries occurring in the construction industry, 10,000 are related to scaffolding.

The personal injuries while using scaffolds are caused by many ways. Some of the most common are listed below:
  • Improper use of scaffolds for other unrelated tasks.
  • Improper Installation.
  • Defective components used while erecting the scaffolds.
  • Unskilled personnel constructing the scaffolds.
Some of the hazards associated with scaffold work are falling off, scaffold collapse, tools falling off and electric shock.

Employees working with scaffolding must receive a proper OSHA safety training course to recognize and prevent three major types of scaffolding hazards that are: fall hazards, falling object hazards and electrical hazards.

OSHA has also indicated that employees must go for the required training standard whenever they are going to build, work or certify that the scaffolding is safe for use.

The trainees will be made aware of the safety hazards which they should watch while working with scaffolding. The OSHA safety training for scaffolding provides a detailed overview of the safety measures required while working with scaffolding. You will be introduced to the various types of scaffolds used in the industry. It also outlines the requirements of OSHA and the preventive measures taken into account for the safety of the employees. The training must meet the requirements of OSHA’s Construction Industry Scaffolding Regulations for scaffold users, 29 CFR 1926.454.

Why scaffolding training is required is that, the deaths and injuries of workers due to scaffolding incidents could have been prevented if employees knew about the hazards. When they are careful enough, such death and injuries can be avoided. Even the employers must instill this value in their employees.

The training can be taken online these days. There are no hassles of going to a class or allot time in between you work schedule. Join an online course if you want to complete the course soon and efficiently.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Safe Storage and Handling Options for Inflammable Liquids

Safe Storage and Handling Options for Inflammable Liquids
There are certain special containers fabricated essentially for combustible liquids. Organizations like OSHA, ANSI have developed and laid down some specifications against which these containers are matched and approved. Most manufacturers of flammable liquids use these approved containers for storage purposes.

A variety of different storage cans are designed. These types depend upon the quantities and classes of combustible and flammable liquids. For instance, a safety has a capacity of no more than 5 gallons. It has been approved and comes equipped with a spring closing lid and a spout cover. These cans are basically used for relieving internal pressure when exposed to fire conditions. Another example is that of a closed container. These containers are sealed tightly by a lid to prevent liquid or vapors from escaping at room temperatures.

A special cabinet is designed for storing combustible liquids. OSHA 30 hour general industry courses instruct to use these approved cabinets to protect these liquids from external fibers. The storage cabinets come equipped with vents which are generally plugged by the manufacturer. Conspicuous labels saying something like “FLAMMABLE – KEEP AWAY!” should be stuck on these cabinets.

Similarly, all the ignition sources in the area, where flammable sources are used, should be controlled. Spark producing equipments should not be used in these areas. While working with open containers, a laboratory fume hood should be used to control the flammable vapor from getting accumulated. Metal containers that are electrically bound should be used while transferring flammable liquids from one to another.