first-aid first’-aid’ (fûrst’ād’) adj.
n.
Emergency treatment administered to an injured or sick person before professional medical care is available.

First Aid Kits and Supplies include everything from Storage Cabinets and First Aid Kits to Refills on Pain Medications and Bandages. First Aid Kits and Supplies are necessary in every facility or warehouse, regardless of the type of product being produced. First Aid Signs, Labels and Tags are also available to remind employees of First Aid locations and procedures.

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Did you know that March is Workplace Eye Wellness Month? The Prevent Blindness America website reports that “more than 2,000 people injure their eyes at work each day”. Those are some scary statistics and what is even scarier is that “of the total amount of [eye] work-related injuries, 10-20 % will cause temporary or permanent vision loss”. We at Seton want to remind you about the importance of wearing proper eye protection and posting eye protection signs in your workplace. We want to help keep you and your employees safe and offer many safety signs to suits your individual facility needs. We have a large selection of OSHA Safety Signs to post in work areas, where eye wear is required. We also have various signs for posting near eyewash stations and first aid stations so employees can locate them quickly. Remember, work safe and stay safe not only in March, but all year long.

For more info on Workplace Eye Wellness Month please visit the Blindness America website for tips on how to prevent eye injuries the type of safety eye protection you should wear.

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Employers are required to protect employees from workplace hazards that can cause injury; including sharp edges, falling objects, flying sparks, chemicals, noise and a variety of other potentially dangerous situations. To learn more about OSHA’s requirements for PPE use in the workplace visit: OSHA.gov

Some general guidelines for introducing PPE:
- Know the different types of PPE
- Selecting appropriate PPE products for a variety of workplace situations
- Understanding the proper use and care of PPE

Seton offers a full selection of PPE to meet all your needs – welding and protective clothing, safety eyewear, headwear, hearing protection, gloves, fall protection and respirators from the brands you have come to trust. Check it out today!

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Construction sites are very busy places. Have you ever noticed all the workers, all the equipment and all the commotion? Construction sites have many comers and goers  that bring a variety of noises and commotion inside and out.

Each of the workers, depending on their specialty/trade, comes equipped with different pieces of machinery and tools, creating a variety of noises at different points throughout the construction project.

The Importance of Hearing Protection

While OSHA’s limit of 90 dBA requires the use of hearing protection devices (HPDs), many construction sites often can exceed this and many  construction employees do not always wear hearing protection.

Some of their most common complaints are that hearing protectors are uncomfortable, hot and create a situation where they cannot hear warning signals or fellow workers. In addition to employees finding it a nuisance to wear the appropriate hearing protection, other common issues that prevent workers from wearing their HPDs are that they are not trained properly, do not have access to the appropriate HPDs or simply are unaware of the need for hearing protection.

While this may be the point of view of the worker, the use of proper hearing protection must be reinforced by the contractor or project manager to protect the worker themselves and to also reduce the risk of OSHA fines against the construction company responsible for the project. There are many types of hearing protection available to meet employee needs in terms of both compliance and comfort.

How to Choose Proper Hearing Protection

• The noise level and even the frequency of the predominant noises may need to be considered. This may require the assistance of a health and safety professional.
• Next, maintenance of the hearing protectors must be considered. Construction sites often can be very dirty, and therefore, employees may want a product that is easy to maintain or requires little or no maintenance, such as earplugs or hearing bands.
• Finally, a very important factor is how the hearing protector interacts with other personal protective equipment such as hard hats, eye protection and welding hoods. The hearing protector should not interfere in any way with other safety devices. If it does interfere with other safety devices, an overall assessment of personal protective equipment might be needed.

Employers are advised to refer to OSHA’s noise in construction standard, 29 CFR1926.52. If feasible, though not required, the construction employer may wish to consider OSHA’s general industry noise standard — 29CFR1910.95 — which is a more in-depth program and provides more guidance in protecting workers.

No matter what type of construction you perform, Seton has the hearing protection and other personal protective equipment supplies to keep you safe and compliant.

Safety tips were provided by Jeff Birkner, a Certified Industrial Hygienist, courtesy of EHS Today Visit their the EHS Today site for more information.

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Courtesy of hartfordcourant.com

The Northeast this week has seen record-breaking high temperatures, often accompanied by high levels of humidity. The first heat wave of the year hit Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York this week with temperatures soaring through the 90s, reaching the danger zone.

Are you being cautious? Are you watching how much time you spend outside, wearing sunscreen and making  sure you are well hydrated?

We recently blogged about ways you can reduce heat-related injuries for yourself and your workers.

Take a look back at our recent blog and make sure you are looking out for you.

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Workers from a US Postal Distribution Center in Scarborough, Maine have been repeatedly exposed to severe electrical shocks including arc flashes and blasts. Fines totaling over $430,000 were issued on Monday June 28, 2010.

According to OSHA,

“The citations and sizable fines reflect the Postal Service’s failure to equip its workers with the necessary knowledge and skills to safely work with live electrical parts,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “The Postal Service knew that proper and effective training was needed for the safety of its workers but did not provide it.”

OSHA’s investigation began in late December 2009 when an employee compliant came through. One of the reasons why the fines are so steep is because they are considered “willful”.  OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. For more information on this story please visit http://osha.gov/

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The evolution of ergonomics.

In a recent survey, 40% of construction workers said “working while hurt” is a major problem. This no doubt reduces overall worker productivity. Continuing to work while hurt or impaired can lead to serve injuries and possibly end a career in construction.

Ergonomics is defined as the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. In addition to, when done properly, ergonomics can lead to a more productive, healthier happier workplace.

Ergonomic changes, generally, are not expensive and can be very simple. Types of ergonomic changes can include:

• Planning/Process Development: Plan the job to minimize manual handling of heavy materials, storing materials so they are accessible and easier to get to, even making sure that walkways are clear and even so carts and dollies can be easily employed
• Tools & Equipment: Using better, ergonomically-designed tools which may be lighter weight, require less force to operate or fit the hand better and are more comfortable to use
• Cooperation: Getting help when needed to handle heavy loads as well as organizing stretching programs before work begins each day
• Materials: Use lighter materials, such as lighter weight block
• Training: Training workers and foremen to identify ergonomic risk factors and common solutions

What ever your level of ergonomics is in your workplace, Seton can help you develop, integrate or enhance with our line of ergonomic products and training materials.

To read more on this topic, visit the Laborer’s Health and Safety Fund of North America.

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As the weather gets nicer, warmer and the daylight lasts longer, more outdoor construction projects will be picking up. With working outdoors, the potential to be exposed to heights increases.

Last week, a NJ contractor was sited by OSHA, for 3 repeat violations, totaling over $47,000 for exposing his workers to fall hazards as high as 24 feet while performing masonry work on the exterior of a building.

“Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry,” said Patricia Jones, director of OSHA’s Avenel Area Office. “It is vital that employers protect their workers from these deadly hazards, and provide an overall safe and healthful workplace.”

Each year, on average, between 150 and 200 workers are killed and more than 100,000 are injured as a result of falls at construction sites. Source www.osha.gov.

For more information on OSHA’s Fall Protection standards and helpful tips, please click here.

For a wide variety of fall protection devices, visit Seton for all your lanyard and harness needs.

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In an article by EHS today author Laura Walter writes,

According to OSHA, cleanup workers can face potential hazards from oil byproducts, dispersants, detergents and degreasers. Drowning, heat illness and falls also pose hazards, as can encounters with insects, snakes and other wild species native to the impacted areas. OSHA is consulting with BP, as well as federal agency partners, to ensure that workers receive appropriate training and protective equipment.

It is important to constantly remind ourselves that a disaster like this one can strike at any time. Being prepared can save lives. If your business runs the risk of ever having a natural disaster like this one take place you should make sure your personal protection equipment is up to date and in place.

A personal protection equipment program is imperative for the safety of your workers. In addition it will ensure that disasters like these can be tackled right away. If workers are not well prepared and cannot immediately be dispatched to work on cleaning up a disaster like an oil spill valuable time is lost.

Don’t let an incident like this happen to your business and your workers. Visit Seton.com today and make sure that you have all the personal protection equipment that you need in place.

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Are the different kinds of gloves being used correctly in your workplace? Remember to continue to educate and remind employees that hand protection has different uses and all types are cared for differently.

With the diversity of industrial glove applications, OSHA publishes guidelines regarding single or repeated use. Disposable (single-use) gloves,for example  surgical or examination gloves, should be replaced as soon as they become contaminated. They should be washed or decontaminated for reuse.

Utility gloves may be decontaminated for reuse if the integrity of the glove is not compromised. If gloves are cracked, torn, punctured or exhibit other signs of deterioration, or when their ability to function as a barrier is in question, they must be discarded.

This is just one example of what to do with this particular type of glove. There are many other forms of materials and hand protection that meet different uses. To learn more, visit www.OSHA.gov.

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