The Sam Carbis Solutions Group Safety Blog

  What Is OSHA's Revised Hazard Communication Standard?   HazCom was revised in 2012 to align with the United Nations Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS), providing consistent labels and 16-section Safety Data Sheets across facilities that manufacture, import, or use hazardous substances. Also, it provides quick and visual information about health and physical hazards posed by chemicals worldwide with pictograms that conform to GHS. Labels The Hazard Communication Standard mandates that workplaces provide workers with information on the identities and hazards of chemicals to provide them with enough knowledge for selecting PPE and handling hazardous chemicals in the workplace, as well as reporting any illnesses associated with chemical exposure to their medical provider. To meet this requirement, labels on chemical containers must display new GHS symbols and an individual hazard statement, consistent with those found on a 16...

  The Top 5 Most Common OSHA Citations in Industrial Plants   OSHA enforces standards designed to safeguard employees against dangerous workplace conditions. OSHA inspections identify any potential hazards, and employers must abate those risks to avoid being issued citations by OSHA. OSHA frequently issues citations against companies for violations that pose risks to workers and impact bottom-lines, with falling hazards, hazard communication issues, confined spaces and other risks being among the top five violations in industrial plants. 1. Scaffolding Construction industry workers rely on scaffolding to complete work at higher levels of a building. Although these structures are integral components, if not designed and constructed properly they pose risks that must be managed to ensure workers can perform safely on them. OSHA's scaffolding standards offer guidelines to employers when using scaffolds as a form of protection at work, from tags and weak spots in struc...

  How to Ensure Proper Truck Spotting at Loading Racks   Loading Racks are platforms and loading arms designed to provide workers with access to the tops of tank trucks and railcars. Equipped with tracking gangways that follow along the platform and align themselves with any hatch on a truck or railcar, loading racks allow workers to gain entry easily. Safety equipment vendors need to understand your vehicles and procedures in order to recommend appropriate equipment for your facility, more than simply complying with compliance standards; their primary goal should be worker safety. 1. Know Your Racks Effective truck spotting can be one of the most valuable safety solutions your facility can implement, regardless of OSHA and MSHA compliance status. Spotting involves positioning pneumatic hoppers, proppant boxes or Isotainers safely on a loading rack so drivers can access them without risk. Pallet racking systems come in various designs, but all share certain common ...

  The Top Five Ways to Prevent Workplace Accidents   Workplace accidents can be costly, particularly if employees require time off for recovery. They may also negatively impact productivity if other employees must pick up the slack from those injured employees. Preventing workplace accidents from occurring is the best way to fight them head on, here are the five key strategies: 1. Prevent Slips and Trips. 1. Know Your Job As part of its efforts to minimize workplace accidents, employers should first ensure that employees understand their jobs sufficiently to complete them safely. This requires providing employees with clear job duties and requirements outlined in writing as well as ongoing training sessions that refresh skills and knowledge. Undertaking tasks beyond an employee's physical capacity may result in injuries. To safeguard employees against this risk, employers can conduct pre-placement physicals and pair new hires with jobs that complement their capabil...

  Budgeting For Safety - Making Every Dollar Count   Now is the time of year when companies close out one fiscal year and begin planning for another one. Just like at home, a t times it can be challenging to distinguish needs from wants and sometimes necessities  like safety seem to be an unreasonable stumbling block to big plans.  The expensive helmet to go with the dreamed of motorcycle, for example. A few important things to consider: Cost-Effectiveness Budgeting or revising budgets, it can be easy to overlook safety costs. But an effective safety plan should help avoid injuries, save on medical costs, and keep employees happy - benefits which in the long run more than compensate for the cost of safety measures. As is true with equipment or marketing budgets, safety budgets should consider that safety expenses are ongoing expenses. Aside from training costs and equipment purchases, safety-related tasks may require labor hours as well. Therefore, it is vi...

  How to Design an Industrial Safety Training Program That Works   An effective safety training program shows your employees they are of paramount importance to you. Engaging them in learning will help ensure they retain all the safety information that will keep them protected. Capturing worker feedback during the process of identifying training needs, designing materials, and choosing delivery methods can provide important insights. You can do this in various ways: Identifying Training Needs To create an effective safety training program, it's vital that employees know exactly what they must learn to perform their jobs safely. For maximum effectiveness, this process should involve both workers and managers so that all aspects of the workplace are covered. If your workplace contains potentially hazardous chemicals like hydrogen sulfide, you may require employees to undergo training on how to recognize and report such substances as well as how best to store and disp...

Renewable Energy is Powering the Future   Renewable energy prices are rapidly declining and, in many instances, are now cheaper than oil, gas or coal. Private investment has surged into companies creating green technologies. These new technologies harnessing the infinite power of sunlight, wind, water and earth heat can produce considerable savings in terms of energy use and emissions, increased independence from fossil fuels and more jobs. Solar Solar energy uses sunlight and heat from the Sun as fuel for electricity production using various technologies. Two such approaches include photovoltaic (PV) devices which convert direct sunlight directly into electricity, and concentrated solar power (CSP) plants which focus sunlight onto central towers with mirrors to generate steam for turbines. Both industries have experienced rapid expansion, with costs dropping rapidly to become cost competitive in many markets. Scale economies and innovation are leading them toward becomin...