According to OSHA §1910.335(b),employers are required to use safety signs, labels and tags to warn and protect employees from hazards that could cause injury due to arc flashes, electrical shock, burns or failure of electrical equipment.  This is one example of how to utilize labels in your workplace.  Seton provides labeling solutions to meet all your business needs.  We offer 1,000’s of labels ranging from standard OSHA and shipping labels to custom bar code and promotional labels made to your specifications.

Whatever your labeling needs, Seton is here to safeguard your assets, facility, equipment and property.

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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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The ENERGY STAR Challenge is a national call-to-action to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more.  The Challenge for Industry recognizes industrial sites that improve their energy efficiency by 10% within 5 years.

Who Can Take the Challenge for Industry?

Any manufacturing site can take the Challenge for Industry. However, to receive EPA recognition, you need to be an ENERGY STAR partner.  Not an ENERGY STAR partner?

Join today!

Why Take the Challenge for Industry?

Be part of the solution by reducing greenhouse gases caused by energy use.  Companies and sites that step up to the Challenge:

• Demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment by pledging to improve energy performance with ENERGY STAR
• Leverage the most recognized name in energy efficiency to motivate sites
• Utilize ENERGY STAR resources and communication tools
• Create momentum for energy initiatives by establishing a public goal
• Establish energy management practices for tracking and benchmarking energy performance that will help drive results.

Sites that achieve a 10 percent reduction in energy intensity within 5 years and whose parent company is an ENERGY STAR partner are recognized by the US EPA for their commitment to protecting the environment by fighting global climate change. The site earns:

• Official framed certificate from EPA’s ENERGY STAR program documenting savings
• A profile on the ENERGY STAR web site
• Letters from EPA to the company’s CEO and to the site’s US Senators and Congressional Representatives highlighting their accomplishments
• Materials for communicating the site’s ENERGY STAR Challenge achievement to employees, stakeholders, customers, and others

For more information on how your company can participate in the Energy Star challenge, visit the Energy Star site here.

Source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=industry_challenge.industry_challenge

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Tags are an important way to communicate certain information to your employees. Whether you color code or need a durable tag for a harsh environment there are a variety of tags to meet your businesses needs. There are also a variety of tag fasteners each serving a different purpose.

Here are the different fasteners to consider when choosing your tag:

Cotton String Ties - attach tags to equipment quickly and efficiently

Elastic Knotted String Ties - tie on easily and they don’t have to be attached so they can be reused again

Release Style Nylon Ties - a more durable tie  that can be reused

Steel Wire Ties – Great for harsh conditions and will securely hold your tag in place

Snap Hook Loop Ties – Tougher than wire and easily squeezes open to attach

#6 Beaded Chain Ties - extremely flexible for easy attachment and perfect for use in extreme temperatures

Nylon Ties – are non-conductive as well as strong and economical

Colored Lock Style Nylon Ties - ideal for color coding and lock with out any tools

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Think you misread, no you didn’t.

A hair salon in New Jersey is stepping up and helping out anyway they can by collecting and recycling hair clippings from their customers. Don’t think its true? It is, read more here.

The website that this salon owner found online, Matter of Trust, is an ecological organization that collects shampooed hair and nylons for oil absorption. All hair is able to be donated, including human, pet and even alpaca and llama fleece furs. Plus, you don’t have to be a business owner or farmer to support the cause.  Individuals and pet owners can send in their donations (hair or monetary) and know that it is making a difference. All donations are going towards the creation of booms that are being used all along the Gulf Coast.

Courtesy of Alabama Press Register

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Do you work in construction or own a construction company? Then look no further.

OSHA has developed a site specific to the construction industry. By visiting www.osha.gov you can find resources, training, hot topics and even compliance issues that affect the construction industry.

“Every day in this country, more than 14 workers lose their lives in preventable workplace tragedies — close to 100 deaths every week.”
- David Michaels, OSHA Assistant Secretary

Don’t be another statistic! Use the resources that are available to you now.

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Be sure to badge and identify visitors — from the time they pull in the lot to the time they walk out the door. Here are a few simple steps to make sure your visitors and your facility remain secure.

• Visitor-themed identification allows everyone in your facility to quickly and easily identify visitors at a glance

• High-quality products make a professional, lasting impression on your visitors

• Use reusable lanyards, reels and plastic badges to ensure visitors check out when leaving to return badges; also ideal for long-term visitors

• Have adhesive paper badges on hand for quick visits or for providing badges that don’t need to be returned

• Have a visitor log book to track important visitor information and to easily account for visitors in an emergency

Remember keeping track of visitors will keep them and your employees safe

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On EHS Today writer Sandy Smith shares a news story about OSHA citing  Acies Group LLC for three repeat violations and one serious violation related to fall hazards at a construction worksite in Lebanon, N.J. Proposed penalties total $47,000.

“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.”

As the summer months approach and more construction jobs appear outdoors are you making sure that your employees have the necessary fall protection equipment? As you can see the fines can be extremely costly for your business. More importantly the welfare of your business depends on the safety of your workers.

“OSHA initiated an investigation on Jan. 19 as part of a local emphasis program focused on fall hazards in the construction industry after investigators observed workers being exposed to fall hazards as high as 24 feet while performing masonry work on the exterior of a building.”

There are several ways to avoid fall hazards first and foremost starting with the proper fall protection equipment. Ensure that you have easily accessible shock-absorbing lanyards, harnesses, and fall protection kits to meet all the needs of your employees. Make sure employees are trained on the proper use of the equipment. Also make sure you have correct sizes so workers are comfortable and more likely to always wear the fall protection equipment.

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As the summer months approach are you making sure your warehouse is safe for your employees? A very hot warehouse can slow production down and be harmful to employees. Here are a few steps to check before summer arrives to keep your employees safe.

• Be sure to check that there is proper ventilation. There should be a cooling system in place or fans

• As an extra precaution leave out easily accessible respiratory equipment.  Dust or other particles can get blown around from a cooling system or fans and cause breathing issues

• Make sure any protective eye-wear that is worn can be easily cleaned from sweat or other conditions caused by the heat

• Water should be easily accessible to make sure all employees stay well hydrated

• Place signs as reminders to employees to drink a lot of water and stay safe

These are just a few of the steps to take.  Prepare before the heat arrives.

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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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