The Safety Brief

Indoor air quality hazards are a pain in the brain! In this podcast, learn how to avoid worker headaches by ensuring clean air in the workplace. Hear how employers and building owners need to be aware of dangerous gases and substances that could cause employee illness.

And that HVAC systems are the biggest culprit. Workers have a responsibility too. Each individual is capable of causing indoor air pollution, and Dan offers advice on how to avoid doing so.

Falling safely at work. Practice it. Yes, practice breaking your fall on the job. You can reduce injuries when you really have slips, trips or falls. Sounds odd, doesn't it? Listen as Dan Clark advises workers to actually develop a technique for falling safely.

Dan gives tips on how to fall forward and backward. Also, hear information on how to avoid slips, trips and falls in the workplace with good planning, regular housekeeping, the right shoes and more. Scroll down for video demonstrations on falling forward, backward, and to the side.

Hard hat selection and care is critical to safety. It's your brain. Keep it in a good bucket. Hear about the Types and Classes of safety helmets in this podcast. Dan Clark describes Type I and Type II hard hats, and how they are designed for impacts from the top and side.

Also hear about varying degrees of electrical shock protection in the three Classes of safety helmets. Dan also lists the hard hat maintenance DOs and DON'Ts.

The NFPA 70E changes for 2015 are substantial. Business owners and safety managers - not just electricians' need to be aware. Hear from the NFPA's Bill Burke in this podcast.

Bill explains the philosophical shift since the 2012 Standard For Electrical Safety In The Workplace. The 2015 edition of NFPA 70E is in effect now. We talk about new PPE tables, elimination of HRC (0), and the Prohibited Approach Boundary.

Bill also encourages company owners and safety personnel to consider buying the NFPA 70E Handbook, which includes the new code and easy-to-understand commentary.

Fire extinguisher operation is not as easy as point-and-shoot. We explain the types of fires, and the types of extinguishers, and how to use them. / / What?s burning? Is the source wood, gasoline or electrical? What?s inside the fire extinguisher makes a difference. In this podcast, Dan describes the types of fires, and the various types of fire extinguishers to use on them. / / You?re not invincible with a fire extinguisher. Make sure someone is calling the fire department. If you can?t put out the flame in five seconds, the job may be too big.

Forklift violations can be dangerous to workers, and lead to costly OSHA citations. Listen for some of the top forklift violations, and how to avoid them. Lack of operator training is the most cited forklift violation.

Once trained, a worker should be evaluated every three years. Operators should inspect these powered industrial trucks before every use. They must avoid driving too fast, or with an elevated load. Loading docks are especially dangerous, and in this podcast we discuss the hazards. Finally, forklifts should never be operated if they are damaged.

Safety gloves and skin protection can help fingers last a lifetime. Hear about many types of work gloves and how to treat your hands in this podcast. Beware of hand dangers in the workplace. Cuts and scrapes are the least of it.

Protect workers from chemicals, heat, cold and more. Dan discusses it all here. Specific protections in gloves include cut resistance, insulation, chemical resistance and anti-vibration. Listen and scroll down for links on choosing the right glove for the job.

Loading dock safety is difficult to manage because of constantly moving vehicles, people and materials. Listen to this podcast for tips on improving safety at your loading dock.

Workers should beware of trucks backing up trailers, forklifts and other powered transport devices. When walking or driving, employees should be wary of the dock edge. A fall from a typical six to eight from edge can cause great injury.

Warning signs and labels should be observed and heeded. The dock staff will maintain safety by keeping the loading dock clear of debris, liquids and visitors. Incoming and outgoing materials must be checked for proper labeling. Lift materials safely. If any area on the dock becomes unsafe, immediately notify a manager.

Machine guarding is one of OSHA's top 10 most-cited safety violations. Workers should respect these devices that protect them from moving parts. More at https://www.thesafetybrief.com/machine-guarding/

Stretch breaks for employees have big benefits. You lose a little production time, but make bigger gains in productivity. Workers doing the same task all day need to occasionally loosen up to prevent stiffness and workplace injuries.

Company scheduled stretch breaks are an excellent way to encourage employee participation. OSHA says workers should do stretching when they can, if their company doesn?t provide the time.

In this podcast, Dan mentions many computer and mobile apps to schedule and time a stretch break. Links are listed in the transcript below. Also visit YouTube to watch a video of Arthur Boorman who could barely walk, then found a great stretching program from pro wrestler Diamond Dallas Page!