4/18/2011 High pressure lines, whether compressed air hoses, hydraulic lines or water spray operations for daily decontamination, need to be properly managed as they represent an array of hazards to the operator as well as persons within the immediate area. As hydraulic systems become more complex, and pressures and temperatures Read more…
4/11/2011 Prior to 1982, it was assumed that electric shock was the major risk associated with live electrical work. However, it was during this year that Dr. Ralph Lee first identified arc flash, in a paper titled “The Other Electrical Hazard: Electric Arc Blast Burns.” According to this paper, as Read more…
3/21/2011 So there I was, there I was…in the Congo! No, no, actually I was at the Albuquerque Airport waiting for a plane. I was watching two maintenance workers performing patch work on a wall between a Baskin-Robins and a bookstore (When is “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest” Read more…
3/14/2011 With the exception of the state of Arizona, clocks throughout the United States were reset this past Sunday, moving forward one hour. This means waking up at 6:00 am will be like waking up at 5:00 am. The mornings will be darker, while we will see our evenings having Read more…
3/7/2011 A properly installed and maintained smoke alarm is the only thing in your home that can alert you and your family to a fire 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Whether you’re awake or asleep, a working smoke alarm is constantly on alert, scanning the air for Read more…
2/28/2011 Our skin is a lot more complicated than many of us might expect. After all, it can range in thickness from less than 0.1 millimeters to greater than a centimeter, depending on the specific area (as well as your chosen occupation) while consisting of multiple layers: each layer designed Read more…
2/21/2011 Proper dental hygiene is good for more than just a glowing smile. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Problems in your mouth can signal problems elsewhere in your body. Bacteria in your mouth can cause problems elsewhere in your body. The mouth can be used Read more…
2/7/2011 Bbbbbrrrrrr! “But baby it’s COLD outside!” Is that ever an understatement! That line from the famous Christmas song (performed by such greats as Ray Charles, Dean Martin, Elle Fitzgerald and Bart’s sister, Jessica Simpson) was never as true as this past week. It was COLD – dangerously cold. Temperatures Read more…
1/31/2011 It was not that long ago: 1986, when a construction engineer at the Limerick Nuclear Power Generating Station in Pottstown, Pa. visited the plant’s radiation-detection section. When he stepped into the radiation counting machines, his radiation levels were so high that the monitors hit overload and could not properly Read more…
1/24/2011 When the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 became law, employers were mandated to provide a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. At the same time OSHA had the role to assure these conditions were being met by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and Read more…