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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1. Wear seat belts – They help protect you not only from traveling at high rate of speeds to the site, but also in the equipment, protecting you inside from rollovers.

2. Avoid slips and falls – Proper housekeeping is the way to avoid these mishaps. Be sure to pick up any loose materials and put smaller equipment, such as shovels or tampers back in their storage areas.

3. Properly enter and exit machinery – This is a 3 step process:

1. Face the equipment and use the access system provided by the manufacturer
2. Make sure contact areas are clear, steps and handrails are secured and that landing areas are properly lit
3. Maintain 3 points of contact when mounting or dismounting – tow hands and one foot or one hand and two feet

4. Dress for protection – Proper footwear can prevent slipping and protect you from falling objects, shirt sleeves of a minimum of 4″ in length are recommend as well as gloves and long pants for extra coverage that can protect you from the sun, cuts and abrasions. Hard hats and safety glasses provide extra protection when you think you might not need it, error on the side of caution. As for hi-visibilty clothing, when working in a  high traffic area or in tight spaces, this may be appropriate to let other crew members as well as passers by know exactly where you are located.

5. Establish a safety procedure on your work site – Regular training and weekly safety updates make a good practice for a safer work site.

6. Make safe attachment changes – As these vary by the tool being used, it is imperative to understand each tool’s limit as far as weight capacity, warning label indicators and  lift restrictions.

7. Conduct walk-around inspections – Taking only a few minutes of your time, this can prove to be invaluable. Carefully inspect all machinery before operation (most machines come with a Operations and Maintenance Manual or OMM which should always be kept with the machine itself) and if something seems wrong or slightly off, don’t hesitate – shut it down. Be very diligent in looking for cuts, leaks, rubbings, cracks or signs of wear.

8. Keep machinery clean – Clean and clear steps, windows and controls allow for a safer use of the machine and can reduce the potential for accidents.

9. Make a commitment to operator training – Train new operators before setting them in place. “Practice makes perfect,” right? So practice it.

10. Secure loads properly – Once again, the OMM will provide you with proper lifting, transporting and load capacities. Do not over-exceed these limits as these are what the manufacture states the machine is capable of handling.

No matter what type of landscaping or construction you perform, Seton has the supplies to keep you safe and compliant.

Safety tips were provided by Greg Sitek, courtesy of Caterpillar Inc. Visit their site for more information.

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Back in April, we notified you that the new EPA Lead Certification was in effect as of April 22, 2010  and of the new requirements it meant for contractors. Click here to see the Seton blog that notified you.

Now, due to unforeseen issues, such as the long processing time for applications and the difficulty people are encountering when trying to obtain the necessary renovator training, the EPA has lifted its April 22, 2010 deadline for certification as follows:

• Renovation Firms: The EPA will not enforce against renovation firms for violations of the certification requirement until October 1, 2010.
• Individual Renovators: The EPA will not enforce against individual renovators if the person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in, a certified renovator training class by September 30, 2010. Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010

This leniency in the certification deadline does not, however, mean that this certification is no longer needed. You must apply and enroll in the proper training by the new deadlines in order to still be considered in compliance.

So if you are one of those contractors having trouble obtaining the certification or training, relax, there are others like you and the EPA has listened and they are working to solve the issues.

If you would like to read more on the EPA’s lift on the Lead Certification deadline, please go here.

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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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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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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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More than 80 workers lose their lives each year in crane-related fatalities. There are significant safety issues to be considered for the operators of the “lifting” devices, as well as for the workers in proximity to them. Employees of specialty trade contractors (foundation, structure, and building exterior contractors; building equipment contractors) usually experience the largest share of crane-related fatalities in the private construction industry.

Crane accidents are usually the result of failure to:

• Maintain the crane in a safe condition
• Properly inspect the crane
• Properly calculate the load
• Rig the load properly
• Manually compute the load as a check-and-control measure against the crane computer
• Understand the physics involved in crane operations and concepts of making a safe lift

Source: ConstructionBusinessOwner.com

One way to help prevent possible crane related injuries and fatalities in the future, is to start by posting clear and direct crane safety signs.

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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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Green or environmentally friendly buildings and initiatives have been in the news for quite a while and their popularity seems to keep rising.  Now, there’s a way to make constructing green buildings fun!

Now Retrofit, an online game from engineering software provider, Autodesk out of California, allows you to build an environmentally sound structure, more sustainable than the structure originally depicted.  Log on and build your own green building. The game’s focus is simple, to raise awareness about sustainable building practices.

Going Green? Go online & play now!

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