A permit-required confined space has the potential to present inherent risks to worker health and safety and should be entered only when necessary and always with extreme caution. Unfortunately, there are times employees need to enter these work areas.

The potential for a combustible dust explosion is a reality in many manufacturing and processing operations, even within a dust collection system itself. An explosion in an unprotected dust collector can fragment the housing and send heat, flames and dangerous projectiles into the workplace.

While we tend to think only in terms of the visibility factor, it is important to remember that the latest ANSI/ISEA 107-2015 standard covers both basic design and performance of high visibility in work garments.

Most organizational leaders are aware of the direct impact that a dust explosion could have on their facility. Even when it is understood that hazards exist within a system and that protection measures have been recommended, a flawed cost-benefit analysis could result in no action being taken.

Most Americans spend close to 90 percent of their time indoors, so creating environments that are safer, cleaner and built with wellness in mind is more important than ever. But finding solutions that prove a real return on investment and offer true safety benefits to the public can be difficult.

Manufacturing locations can be dirty, dusty environments by nature, depending on what is produced in a given location. As a result, many manufacturers are no stranger to airborne dust and the health hazards it can pose to workers regularly exposed to it.

With so much going on, it can often be difficult to spot the contrasting elements. The ability to discern a human being from their environment shouldn’t be as challenging as spotting a chameleon. Of the many concerns we have as drivers, the safety of pedestrians should be a cornerstone.

Women got the vote. Prohibition began. The National Football League was founded. And, the construction industry was forever changed by the invention of an often overlooked but significant worker safety advancement – the hard hat.