As we discussed a few weeks ago, hand tools and equipment are used in nearly every field. And while 1910.242 discusses the safe use of these tools, it does not define what these tools actually are. So to avoid confusion, OSHA also created Standard 1910.241, which clarifies and defines what is, and is not, a hand and portable powered tool or other hand-held equipment as well as what the potential safety risks are with certain types of tools. Understanding these definitions can help any business owner determine how to properly regulate their tools and machinery.

This standard discusses and defines explosive-actuated fastening tools, abrasive wheels, and jacks, as well as all of the potential hazards and safety precautions which can be taken. For some tools, the classification is quite obvious, but for others it may not be clear if these standards are applicable. To help you determine if your tools are governed by these standards, you can either refer back to the standards, and attempt to determine if your tools fit their classifications without qualifying for an exemption to a different class, or you can contact a professional, who can help you classify each of your tools. Either way you decide to classify your equipment, it is also important to remember to include these tools in your annual third party safety audits.

If you have any questions about this standard, or how to properly classify your portable and hand powered tools and equipment, please contact us so that we can help you to better understand these definitions and what you need to do with each different class of tool. If you have anything to add about hand and portable powered tools, please leave a comment.

If you work in an industry which requires the use of mechanical handling equipment, then OSHA Standard 1910.176 is surely a concern for you. Or, at least, it should be. This standard was established by OSHA to govern the proper use of mechanical handling equipment, the storage of materials, and the maintenance of the storage locations. It sets very broad requirements and expects you, as the business owner, to ensure you are in compliance.

First, “Where mechanical handling equipment is used, sufficient safe clearances shall be allowed for aisles, at loading docks, through doorways and wherever turns or passage must be made. Aisles and passageways shall be kept clear and in good repair, with no obstruction across or in aisles that could create a hazard. Permanent aisles and passageways shall be appropriately marked.” (1910.176[a]) As you can see from this, ensuring aisles and passageways are clear is an important part of this standard. No equipment or mechanical handling equipment may block aisles and passageways, and permanent aisles and passageways need to be kept clear and properly marked with adequate signage. If you are unsure of what constitutes “adequate,” you might consider hiring a third party to audit your facility, to ensure you are in compliance.

It is also important to remember that the storage and maintenance of materials must not cause a hazard. This means that items stacked upon each other must be properly secured. The location where the materials are held must be kept cure of accumulating materials which can create hazards from tripping, fire, explosion, or pest harborage. Finally, proper signage must be used to mark clearance limits as applicable.

If any of this seems like a potential concern for you and your business, please contact us so we can you ensure you are compliant. And if you have anything to add about Standard 1910.176, please leave a comment.

In 2011, The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that 7.5% of all recordable injuries and illnesses and 14.4 % of all fatal injuries in the private industries involved slips, trips and falls. These statistics are second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities. The National Safety Council’s Injury Facts 2009 edition estimated the average cost of lost time injury was about $43,000 per incident. Slips trips and falls cost the U.S. economy 10’s of billions of dollars annually.

The general duty clause of the Occupational Health and Safety Act mandates that “Each employer shall furnish to each of his employees employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards…” OSHA established 1910.21-27 standards to address the safety concerns of walking and working surfaces in the workplace. In compliance with these standards, employers are expected to keep all places of employment, floors, passageways, stairways, and storerooms clean, orderly, in sanitary condition and free from any health and safety hazard.

Floors should be kept clean and dry as far as possible. Employers are required to maintain drainage, platforms, mats or other dray standing places where wet processes are used. Every workplace floor and passageway should be free from protruding nails, splinters, holes, or loose boards to facilitate cleaning.

Aisles and passageways should have sufficient safe clearances for mechanical equipment and should be marked appropriately. Covers and guardrails should be provided where necessary to protect from the hazards of open pits, tanks, ditches, etc. Loads should never exceed the approved structural load of the building floor. Maximum load should be marked and affixed in the appropriate areas.

Every stairway with four or more risers, floor openings measuring 12 inches or more in their least dimension, ladder-ways, skylight or manhole floor openings, all should be guarded by standard railing. Winding stairs should be equipped with handrail offset to prevent walking on all portions of the treads having width less than 6 inches.

All ladders are required to be free from damage and rungs free from grease and oil. The foot of the ladder should be positioned no more than one-quarter of their working length from the top to prevent slippage. Ladders should not be placed on boxes, barrels, or in places where it could block doorways. Ladders should be used only for their intended purpose not as platforms, runways, or scaffolds.

There is no silver bullet solution to slips trips and falls. It takes a proactive management to clean the clutter, create a safety culture, and train and make employees aware and part of the safety program.

Employees should avoid wearing loose shirts and dragging pants. Employees are expected to wear appropriate footwear and be trained to report any unsafe condition such as: uneven surface, worn tiles, loose mats or rugs, hose or chords in the walkways, cracks, holes, missing hole covers, missing guardrail, spilled coffee, oil leak, etc. Employees should be part of the hazard control process.

Many tripping hazards are housekeeping items. Hoses and chords across walkways are continual hazard. Rerouting or using protectors reduce these hazards dramatically. Cleaning spills and leaks right after they occur or reporting unsafe conditions as soon as they are observed should become the practice and concern of every employee.

A workplace safety program should include pre-shift inspections of all work areas to ensure no slip trip and fall hazards exist. Waste containers and spill cleanup materials should be easily accessible. Work areas should be well lit and any burnt lights should be replaced without any delay.

Comply with OSHA for a safer workplace.

Powered industrial trucks are used on a daily basis by many companies. Most employers don’t think twice about the trucks after they are purchased, and no employees give a second thought to the safety of a piece of equipment they use every day. Unfortunately, that lackadaisical approach to industrial trucks has lead to countless workplace injuries and OSHA fines. To combat workplace injury around these powerful machines, OSHA instituted Standard 1910.178 which covers the fire protection, design, maintenance, and use of fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines (1910.178(1)(2)). So, if you utilize any of these trucks at your workplace, you might want to ensure you are using them properly.

This standard requires that all trucks be used as intended by the manufacturer, with no modifications, and with all preventative maintenance properly performed. If you do modify the trucks in any way, you need to receive written consent from the manufacturer, which ensure the modification does not make the truck unsafe. You also need to ensure any trucks utilized are up to code based upon the American National Standard for Powered Industrial Trucks, Part II, ANSI B56.1-1969. Once you ensure your trucks are approved, you must identify that they have been approved with a label or tag stating their approval. There must also be official markings stating the truck is approved for fire safety purposes based upon the 11 designations defined in OSHA 1910.178. Then, you need to ensure all designations are listed in the correct locations as outlined in the standard.

Next, you need to look at how your trucks are being used. Most trucks have safety guard requirements, based upon the size and type of truck. You also need to consider how the fuel and batteries are handled and stored. Depending upon the type of truck you use, there might also be regulations around the brakes and wheel stops you have in place. Finally, you want to ensure that your operators are fully trained and competent in the use of the industrial truck they are driving.

If you have any questions about this standard and how it relates to particular industrial trucks your company uses, please contact us. Should you have anything more to add about standard 1910.178, please leave a comment.

If you work in an industry that handles hazardous materials, it is important to understand the laws around communicating the potential hazards of said materials. OSHA created Standard 1910.1200, which must be followed when labeling and classifying hazardous materials. And while most companies certainly consulted this standard upon creating their Safety and Health Management System, many have not looked back since. Unfortunately, there was a big update last year which changed this standard to bring it up to code with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labelling of Chemicals, Revision 3. This was the first major revision since 1994 to this standard, and has left many businesses out of compliance.

This standard is extremely specific about how to classify hazardous materials, how to identify hazardous materials, and how to communicate information and appropriate protective measures regarding hazardous materials to employees. This standard applies to laboratories, wholesalers, manufacturers, importers, warehouses, retail stores, and anywhere else hazardous materials might be found. The standard defines what a hazardous material is, what needs to be on the labels, the types of labels required, and what needs to be communicated to employees. It also explains what needs to be included in the written hazard communication program which you develop for your employees. Finally, it discusses what is not a hazardous material, and when hazardous materials are exempt from all or part of this standard. Because of the complexity of this standard, and how it is situated to uniquely handle many different industries differently, it is important that this is a focal point of your annual third party safety audits.

If you are unsure if you are still up to code given the recent changes, then please contact us so that we can further discuss this standard as it relates to your business. And if you have anything to add about the recent changes to hazard communication guidelines, please leave a comment.