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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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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For information on all types of safety and identification topics, visit:

“SetonStream” – Seton’s very own YouTube Channel!
The newest Video, entitled “Protect Your Employees with Personal Protective Equipment” is a handy PPE Checklist for any business that needs full- or partial-body protection for their workers.

PPE Hard Hats

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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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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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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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Reminding employees to wear safety glasses is not the only requirement employers should have. Remember to also protect your investment and remind employees to frequently clean their eye wear. Invest in quality cleaning tissues that are tough enough to get the grime and grit off but are also gentle enough not to leave scratches or abrasive marks. Also make sure to have dispensers that are well sealed to keep the dirt out. These simple steps will help ensure the longevity of your facilities safety eye wear.

Lens cleaning comes in all shapes, sizes and formulas. When choosing a formula or a station for your workplace, consider the following:

Formulas

• Silicone is ideal for enhanced anti-fogging and anti-static protection
• Non-Silicone is used for work conditions that require product purity and or prohibit the use of silicone (for example spray painting)

Stations/Dispensers

• Permanent dispensers are designed for heavy dirt and high-traffic areas where maintenance is available
• Disposable dispensers are ideal for dirty areas where maintenance is minimal or not available

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