Safety Meeting Toolbox Topics and Tailgate Talks
Approximately 20 percent of disabling workplace incidents are hand related. Your hands are important because you use them all the time - both on and off the job. Just imagine how you would suffer if you disabled your hand or hands in some manner. Injuries can run from minor cuts, scratches, burns, chemical exposures and abrasions to amputations.
One of the key issues associated with hand tool safety is choosing and using the right tool. Unfortunately, many people use tools improperly at home, where they improvise with what they have on hand. Also, many people view hand tools as simple to use, so there is little concern for safety. In reality, a person using hand tools, no matter what they are, should always follow safety precautions.
Compressed air is sometimes characterized as the fourth utility following water, electricity and natural gas. It is present in industrial, commercial, and agricultural settings and many do-it-yourselfers use it off the job as well. Since air is a compressible fluid it can be very dangerous when and if there is an uncontrolled eruption.
Colors and markings communicate important safety information to workers both on and off the job. Most people encounter and recognize some safety cues every day from colors and markings they see routinely (traffic signals). Unfortunately, we observe some colors or markings so often that they just seem to become part of the background clutter.
In May of 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced it was revising the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). The revision aligns HCS with the United Nations' global chemical labeling system or Global Harmonization System (GHS). The alignment will prevent an estimated 43 deaths and prevent an estimated 585 injuries and illnesses annually according to OSHA.