Occupational, Industrial, and Safety Shares for your company or organization

Peroxides

6/16/2016 Peroxides: These are chemical compounds that contain an oxygen–oxygen single bond or the double oxygen anion, O2−2. One of the first synthetic peroxides, barium peroxide, was synthesized by Alexander von Humboldt in 1799 as a by-product of his attempts to decompose air. Nineteen years later, Louis Jacques Thénard recognized that this compound could be used for the preparation of a previously unknown compound, which he described as oxidized water: now known as hydrogen peroxide. Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

Nail Gun Safety

8/21/2017 Nail guns are popular tools. They are used in various construction sites as well as for home use. They are powerful, easy to use and can increase production.  Yet, they are responsible for an estimated 37,000 injuries that require visits to the emergency room each year.    About two-thirds of these injuries occur in framing and sheathing work. Injuries also often occur in roofing and exterior siding and finishing. How likely are nail gun injuries? Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

The Steps of an Accident Investigation

8/14/2017 Ethyl Mercaptan got out of her car and took in the view of the project site. She was here to help with an accident investigation. The other day there was a pretty bad incident where a worker was hit by a water truck that was spraying the roads as a dust control measure. She heard the initial scenario earlier this morning when she had a phone conversation with the site superintendent who frantically described Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

Air Quality and Dust Masks

8/7/2017 (Note: This SafetyShare was written prior to the wide use of dust masks used during the Covid-19 Pandemic and is not intended to draw any association to this event) Something that we are seeing more and more these days are people walking on city streets, airports and shopping malls wearing dust masks. Occasionally we even see people walking briskly, jogging and even riding a bicycle while donning these articles of protection. In large cities Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire

7/31/2017 One of the purposes of presenting S&H topics is to look at past events and to learn from these experiences: whether they are tragic or just amusing.  Many of the recipients of the Darwin awards fit into both categories. By studying past events we have the opportunity to see how mistakes happen and hopefully learn for them so we can develop proper controls, thereby preventing similar tragedies in the future.  But probably, just as Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

Rock n’ Roll and Hearing Loss

7/24/2017 I love rock n’ rollSo put another dime in the jukebox, babyI love rock n’ rollSo come an’ take your time an’ dance with me! Joan Jett and the Blackhearts…….ah, the words and music of one of Rocks’ most notable songs.  Simple, crass and unashamedly LOUD! It’s a fact that rock is loud and as many would quickly defend this genre, the extreme decibel level is one of things that makes rock n’ roll Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

BE FAST for Strokes

5/22/2017 In the latter part of the nineteenth century, Benjamin Disraeli, held the post of England’s Prime Minister for two separate terms.  He is credited with the popular saying, “There are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.” Lots of people have quoted Disraeli since. And while lies may be undeniable falsehoods, statistics can tell quite a different tale. For instance, there is the statistic that tells of the number of Americans that Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

The Great Molasses Flood

5/15/2017 Undoubtedly when we are pressed to think of great disasters in history, the tragedy of the Titanic comes to mind. And while the story of the titanic has a multitude of points to be learned, other tragedies have their stories that should not be forgotten; if not for the memory of the unfortunate and unsuspecting victims, but to remember that by not examining a particular process or piece of equipment thoroughly, potential hazards can, Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

Lactic Acid

9/12/2016 Over his Olympic career, Michael Phelps stood on the podium 28 times; 23 of those were for the coveted gold metal.  This is an unprecedented accomplishment. No athlete in modern times can boast such a feat.  It was during the recent summer games in Rio de Janeiro, that I heard an interesting story about this remarkable swimmer.  That is, Michael Phelps has been scientifically proven to produce less than half of the lactic acid Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago

Wash Those Hands!

4/25/2016 Note: This SafetyShare was written almost 4 years prior to our Country’s COVID-19 Pandemic Keeping hands clean is one of the most important steps we can take to avoid getting sick and spreading germs to others. Many diseases and illnesses are spread by not washing hands with soap and clean, running water.  If you’ve ever had any doubts about the personal hygiene habits of people in your workplace, well, the fact is, a recent Read more…

By Robert Brounstein, ago