The Safety Brief

Wildfire smoke is a creeping health hazard in the western US. Hear how to breathe safely as the smoke moves from burning forests to populated areas. Listen for tips on how to cope with wildfire smoke if you work outdoors, and how to keep it out of homes and businesses. See important links in the transcript: https://www.thesafetybrief.com/wildfire-smoke-health-effects/

Fall protection with personal fall arrest systems in residential construction is no longer a controversy. A new study says a PFAS anchored to wood is safe. Many construction companies have said that personal fall arrest systems aren’t feasible in residential work. New research proves them wrong. Safe tie-offs are possible with wood frame construction. A link to the full study is in the transcript: https://www.thesafetybrief.com/fall-protection-wood-frame-tie-offs-ok/

Traffic deaths have jumped by 14% from the same period in 2014. Injuries are up even more. We dig into the National Safety Council’s data on the causes. During the first six months of 2015, road fatalities have really increased. Injuries skyrocketed by 30 percent in the same period. In this podcast, Dan Clark explains the research findings, and how workers need to be more vigilant during on-the-job driving.

Hear about smartglasses that can keep drivers and heavy equipment operators safe. This wearable technology can stop workers from nodding off.

In this podcast, Dan Clark looks at three safety glasses with sensors to monitor the eyes for signs of fatigue: Opalert; Jins Meme and Google Glass.

Eyewashes can hurt eyes if the water is allowed to stagnate. OSHA issued a reminder about flushing and cleaning eyewash stations. In this podcast, Dan Clark explains flushing self-contained units and plumbed systems. Dan also warns that those sealed saline water bottle systems need care.See the transcript for links to OSHA’s InfoSheet, and the ANSI standard: https://www.thesafetybrief.com/eyewashes-cause-eye-infections/

Earthquake kit sales are up after an article in The New Yorker about an earthquake risk off the coast of Washington and Oregon. It’s motivated many to buy an earthquake kit. However, no matter the location, a company would be wise to be prepared for an earthquake or other emergency.In this podcast, Dan Clark features information on preparedness in the workplace from Melinda Davis, Preparedness and Partnerships Manager of The American Red Cross, Cascade Region. See links in the transcript for earthquake kit lists and more.

Wind energy safety is a careful blend of fall protection, electrical hazard awareness and much more. Hear the best practices for working on wind turbines. Working 30 stories up can a challenge for a worker. Add in unpredictable weather, high voltages, fire hazards, and confined space. This dangerous combination is business-as-usual at a wind farm. In this podcast, Dan Clark describes the ways to stay safe when working on and below a wind turbine.

Fire shelters for firefighters may soon withstand more heat, thanks to NASA. Testing is on now for fire shelters made with spaceship heat shield technology. Hear how two NASA engineers approached the US Forest Service about their research on protecting stuff reentering the atmosphere! Winds can shift. Forest fires and wildfires can turn on a firefighter. In this podcast, Dan Clark tells how personal fire shelters might be improved to help them, withstanding up to 3000°F.

The US government may soon require underride guards on the backs of trucks to save lives in rear-end collisions. Semi-trailers already have underride guards. Single unit trucks, such as dump trucks, are not required to have them. Adding the guards would stop a passenger vehicle’s roof from being sheered off. Hear Dan Clark talk with David Zuby of the Insurance Institute For Highway Safety, an advocate for better truck underride standards. A link to their website is in the transcript of this podcast at: https://www.thesafetybrief.com/truck-underride-protection-coming/

Work-related asthma can be stopped dead in its tracks if employers and employees work together. Hear nine ways to prevent this occupational lung disease. Work-related asthma causes difficult breathing. It can happen in any work environment, indoors out out. In this podcast, Dan Clark explains how company owners and workers should be proactive in preventing this incurable disease. Hear about substances that trigger work-related asthma, and ways to avoid them.