The intent of a “stop work authority” (SWA) when included in a safety program is to empower employees to take action when they see a situation that is unsafe or think a worker may get injured. Though the SWA process and practice may seem as beneficial at many levels in dealing with operational risk and worker safety; there potentially may be some unforeseen barriers or challenges to its actual utilization.
Natural and artificial disasters aren’t always preventable. In fact, they’re likely to become even more frequent in years to come. And, once the wildfire is extinguished or the storm has passed, that doesn’t mean the danger is over. How can we protect disaster cleanup teams from these safety risks?
The VPPPA 2022 Safety+ Symposium and Expo opened Tuesday, August 23, 2022 in Washington, D.C. with an opening address from Doug Parker, OSHA’s Assistant Secretary of Labor. Parker began by emphasizing the importance of making real change means not just focusing on compliance.
It is important, as part of pre-construction protocols to identify hazardous building materials before beginning a restoration or remediation project. Although there are many hazardous building materials, the most common include asbestos, lead, mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB), chlorofluorocarbons, and radioactive sources.
Electric vehicles are most commonly advertised as passenger vehicles, designed to help the average commuter reduce their carbon footprint and pay less at the pump. But they're making their way into the commercial sector in the form of heavy equipment electric vehicles. How are EVs changing material handling?
By now, most people are aware of just how essential fleets are to our daily lives — we have the pandemic to thank for that. Click-and-collect culture met with the supply chain fiasco of 2022 has compounded the need for fleets to keep the supply and demand chain moving, enable technicians to deliver field services, and transport both the niceties and essentials of modern life.
It’s no secret – natural disasters have devastating effects. Whether it be a flood, wildfire or hurricane, these severe events can tear apart local communities, displace families and result in fatalities. For first responders on the scene helping resolve or clean up the sites, there are significant dangers they need to be protected against.
It can be challenging to build an effective occupational safety and health (OSH) team under any circumstances. But in this competitive job market, you may face new hurdles in recruiting top talent.