Last week, members of the University of Massachusetts Amherst Faculty Senate voted for a policy to ban all uses of tobacco products on campus. This policy will also prohibit the use of tobacco products in vehicles and doesn’t go in effect until July 2013.  Most people understand that colleges and universities have policies in place for no smoking within buildings. This new policy is different since you will not be allowed to smoke anywhere on the grounds…including parking lots, sidewalks, athletic fields – anywhere on the University’s property. Similar policies have been proposed across the country.  Any student, employee or guest  would have to drive or walk completely off the property in order to smoke. Is this infringing too much on your personal life? Is this a new trend emerging? A bigger question is how and will this be enforced? UMass officials say it most likely will be on a voluntarily basis to comply. Some wonder if this policy even work then without proper enforcement.  UMass has two years to figure out the best way to implement this effectively..until then, we will watch other no smoking ban trends across the country. What are your thoughts on this potential new trend?

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I think we all know the importance of posting warning messages, but when is it too much? I recently read an article posted by Forbes.com that read “Only a moron would try to wash her daughter in a washing machine; or shake hands with the business end of a chainsaw; or light a match to check the contents of a gas tank.” Although these warnings are geared toward consumer use products, what about warning messages in your facility? Some say you can never be too safe. After all, it’s better to be safe than sorry, right?

Seton is here to help you create the perfect safety sign for your needs with Custom Safety Signs. So whether you want to remind a person to save their eyes by wearing goggles while working or not to hold the wrong end of a chainsaw, we can help you do that. Visit Seton.com to Design Your Own sign online and make your work facility a little safer.

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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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The atmosphere in a confined space can be extremely hazardous due to the lack of air circulation. Because fresh air can’t move freely in and out of a confined space like storage tanks, pipes, silos and manholes, a variety of hazardous conditions can be created. Deadly gases may be trapped inside, especially if the confined space is used to store or process chemicals. There may not be enough oxygen in the space to support life, or the air could be so oxygen rich that it could cause a fire or explosion if ignited. There are three types of hazardous atmospheres that confined space workers should be aware of:

1. Toxic Atmospheres: The product found in a confined space can be absorbed into the walls and floors of the confined space and give off toxic gases. For example, sludge cleaned out of the inside of a tank can give off deadly hydrogen sulfide gas. Also, the work being performed in the confined space can also generate toxic fumes. Welding, cutting, sanding, scraping and cleaning can all give off toxic vapors.
2. Oxygen-Deficient Atmospheres: An oxygen-deficient atmosphere has less than 19.5% available oxygen. Any confined space with less than 19.5% oxygen should not be entered without wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus. Oxygen can be removed from the atmosphere by work such as welding, cutting or brazing. Oxygen levels can also be decreased if replaced with other gases like carbon dioxide or nitrogen, or by chemical reactions inside the confined space like rusting or fermentation.
3. Flammable Atmospheres: Two things make the atmosphere flammable, oxygen in the air and a flammable gas, vapor or dust in the right mixture. If a source of ignition like a spark from a tool occurs an explosion will result. An oxygen-enriched atmosphere (over 21% oxygen) will cause flammable materials like clothing and hair to burn violently. Therefore, don’t use pure oxygen to vent a confined space. Ventilate with normal air.

Never trust your senses to determine if the air in a confined space is hazardous. Many toxic gases and vapors can’t be seen or smelled. Be sure to test the atmosphere with a properly calibrated testing instrument. If testing reveals a hazardous atmosphere, be sure to take precautions like ventilating the space or ensuring workers have the proper respiratory protection. Posting Confined Space Signs will also remind workers to take proper precautions and wear the appropriate protective equipment before entering any confined space.

Source: “A Guide to Safety in Confined Spaces” by Tom Pettit and Herb Linn

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The warmer weather has arrived and with summer vacation upon us many will be heading out to theme parks both locally and around the country. This got me to thinking about workplace safety, in these kinds of venues, and I’ve found some interesting info on the subject.

It appears that injury and fatality rates of workers at amusement and theme parks are one of the highest in the industry. Many workers have been run over, dragged and struck by different theme park rides causing them serious injuries and many have lost their lives. To help prevent these accidents from occurring it is important to provide workers with the proper training on the hazards and safe work practices for each piece of equipment they operate, as well as on the mechanical hazards associated with rides and the lockout/tagout procedures.

Seton offers many lockout/tagout products as well as numerous safety signs. Visit www.seton.com to view our wide selection and remember to work smart at the park this summer.

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I’m sure you’ve seen those commercials on TV asking if you or a loved one is suffering from mesothelioma and if so to call now. So you’ve seen the commercials, but if you’re like me, the first time I heard of mesothelioma I wondered what the main culprit was. If you’re thinking asbestos, you’ve hit the nail on the head. So how exactly does asbestos contribute to this deadly disease? Well it is a material that can easily break into tiny fibers when disturbed. It then floats in the air and when inhaled can cause deadly diseases such as mesothelioma, asbestosis and lung cancer.

Now here is an interesting statistic from www.asbestos.com, “approximately 80 percent of diagnosed [mesothelioma] cases can be directly linked to a job where asbestos was present.” So I’m sure you can imagine the importance of identifying this dangerous substance with the proper asbestos warning signs and labels.

When it comes to asbestos in the workplace one must consider the risk of exposure to workers and others. The use of a management system is a great way to identify, assess and properly manage any asbestos-related materials in the facility. It will also help to eliminate exposure to this harmful substance whenever possible.

Here are just a few of the steps that should be taken to ensure the safety of all exposed:

• Assess any work to be performed to be certain that materials containing asbestos won’t be affected
• Display warning signs or labels on materials containing asbestos
• Provide asbestos-related training to employees on the proper handling of asbestos-containing materials and it’s disposal

Remember to stay safe and to work safer.

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The US Chemical Safety Board has been investigating an explosion that occurred on April 14,2010 which resulted in a death of a 21-year old man.  CSB investigators determined that a lit cigarette or lighter was the likely ignition source for the explosion. This happened when the man was peering down a tank full of crude oil.   The resulting explosion and fire engulfed the victim and caused a second explosion in an interconnected tank. The victim suffered third-degree burns over 85% of his body.  Another individual suffered second-degree burns. The investigation details are quite shocking.

“The catwalk leading to the top of the tank was unsecured and readily accessible,” said CSB Investigator Vidisha Parasram. “The tank hatches had no mechanism which would permit them to be secured or locked. No fire or explosion warning signs or other warning signage was visible anywhere on the site following the accident.” Ms. Parasram said the CSB would continue to study whether any signage could have been destroyed in the fire, but that even the undamaged portions of the facility and the entrance gates had no posted warnings. Eyewitnesses said they saw no signs on the night of the accident or during previous visits to the site.”

Further investigation show that explosive warning signs could have prevented this tragedy. The man was just interested to see what was inside the tank according to witnesses. If there had been correct signage it might have been a different ending.

Source : http://www.csb.gov/newsroom/detail.aspx?nid=315

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Often, when confined space accidents happen, it’s not carelessness or a blatant disregard for safety that is the cause. In many instances, confined space accidents happen simply because the site supervisor didn’t recognize the space as a hazardous one that could cause injury or death.

Before working in any space, it’s essential to evaluate the scene and determine if any confined space hazards exist. There are three criteria that must be met for a work scene to be considered a confined space:

1. The space is fully or partially enclosed
2. The space is not designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy
3. The space has atmospheric hazards because of its location, contents or the type of work done in it

Again, all three criteria have to be met before a space is recognized as a confined space.

The Construction Safety Association of Ontario has defined these criteria as follows:

Partially or fully enclosed spaces

Because air can’t move freely in and out of a partially or fully enclosed space, there is a potential for a hazardous atmosphere to be generated inside. This is especially true for spaces such as vaults, tanks, pits, trenches, or manholes.

Spaces not designed and constructed for continuous human occupancy

Confined spaces are not designed or constructed for people to work in them on an ongoing basis. They are usually designed and constructed to store material, transport products, or enclose a process. But occasionally, some work must be done inside the space.

Atmospheric hazards

A hazardous atmosphere is one which contains any of the following:

• An accumulation of flammable, combustible, or explosive agents
• Less than 19.5% or more than 23% oxygen
• An accumulation of atmospheric contaminants that could result in acute (short-term) health effects which pose an immediate threat to life, or interfere with a person’s ability to escape unaided from a confined space

For more information on confined space hazards visit the Construction Safety Association of Ontario.

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National Pet Week (May 2-8) was jointly founded in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the AVMA Auxiliary to foster responsible pet ownership, recognize the human-animal bond, and increase public awareness of veterinary medicine.  National Pet Week has become widely celebrated throughout the United States.  The 2010 theme for National Pet Week is “Pets and People—Healthy Together,” promoting the importance of exercise for people and pets.  According to the American Obesity Society, 65% of adult Americans are overweight or obese,  and 44% of dogs and 57% of cats in the United States are overweight or obese, according to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.

So a great way if you didn’t already celebrate with your pet is exercising with them.  Maybe try a new route in your daily walk or a dog park in the area.  Keeping your pet safe should always be your number one priority whether its in your own home or out in public. Be aware of Pet Control Signs in your area and check for them when entering a new surrounding.  If your area needs more messaging Seton has the signs to relay your message.  Source: http://petweek.org/index.cfm

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Happy Earth Day!

The first Earth Day was celebrated 40 years ago on April 22, 1970.  It was founded as a way to encourage people to value our natural resources and to keep our planet clean and healthy.

Besides Halloween and Christmas, Earth Day is the third most celebrated holiday, with 175 countries participating in observances around the world.

To celebrate Earth Day this year, remember to reduce, reuse and recycle as much as you can  – including those old traffic signs!

The School Crossing Sign Briefcase, the Speed Limit Sign Chair and other recycled traffic sign products can be found at uncommongoods.com.

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