SafetyXChange

The Ides of March

Glenn Demby, Esq. — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 17:00:28 +0000

"Beware the ides of March!" This is the warning issued by the Soothsayer to Julius Caesar in Act I, Scene 2, of the Shakespeare play, Julius Caesar. Caesar just laughs it off. Of course, the Soothsayer’s words prove prophetic. Caesar is stabbed to death on the floor of the Senate on March [...]

The Gap Between Safety Rhetoric & Safety Commitment

Barbara Semeniuk — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 16:58:03 +0000

Safety is like the weather. Folks love to talk about it but they don’t do much to change it. At least that’s the way with a lot of people in the business world. So when I hear management go out of their way to proclaim safety as the primary goal, I can [...]

Mobile Cranes and ANSI

A SafetyXChange Member — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 21:01:55 +0000

A SafetyXChange member asks: Must all Mobile Cranes being imported into the USA meet with all applicable ANSI Standards? Bryan Cronie Emailbalneil@btinternet.com

10 Spring Cleaning Safety Tips

Catherine Jones — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:59:13 +0000

With National Poison Prevention Week (March 16 to 22) and the first day of Spring coinciding, it's important to note that household cleaning substances are among the most common poison exposures for children. So, here are 10 tips to prevent poison exposures during Spring cleaning: 1. Never mix household and chemical products together; this may create a [...]

Poison Prevention at Home

Catherine Jones — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 20:57:40 +0000

What does this number represent? $26 billion It's what poisonings cost the United States in 2000 in medical expenses. Here are a few other poisoning statistics for you: 75% of the total costs of poisoning injuries ($19 billion) were incurred by males 703,702 emergency department visits in 2006 were due to unintentional poisonings 23,618 people died in 2005 [...]

An Overview of Poison Prevention

Barbara Manning Grimm — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 07:00:00 +0000

Next week is National Poison Prevention Week in the United States. If you plan to discuss poison prevention with your workers, here's a safety talk that provides a good overview of the subject. SAFETY TALK: POISON PREVENTION What is a poison? Answer: A poison is any substance that causes harm to the human body - it can [...]

Job Interview Faux-Pas to Avoid

Glenn Demby, Esq. — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:19:32 +0000

Picture this. You're having a conversation with a potential business colleague when your cell phone rings. With a wistful look, you apologize and pick up the call. A pause and then you ask the gentleman: "This is a personal call that I just have to take. Could I trouble you to step [...]

What to Do When You’re ‘Over-Qualified’

Lauryn Franzoni — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:18:23 +0000

It seems so unfair not to get a job because you’re over-qualified--to be rejected because you’re too good. If you really want the job, why should the employer care if the position is beneath you? Indeed, shouldn’t employers embrace the idea of bringing in the extra firepower you can provide? Sadly, this [...]

7 Common Mistakes to Avoid, Part 1 of 2

Ryan Stewart, MSc.(A), ROH, CRSP — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 17:39:14 +0000

When I first started writing this article, I was going to talk about common errors that employees make when dealing with hazardous chemicals. But then I paused and remembered something: Chemical safety in the workplace is a joint effort. It requires employees and employers to work together. So I crumpled up the original piece and [...]

7 Common Hazardous Chemical Errors to Avoid, Part 2 of 2

Ryan Stewart, MSc.(A), ROH, CRSP — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 16:29:38 +0000

Last week, we looked at the first four of the seven common mistakes made by both employers and employees when dealing with hazardous chemicals: 1. Relying too heavily on MSDS information for hazard communication; 2. Not reviewing the MSDS before using the chemical; 3. Not having the proper PPE for chemicals used in the workplace; and 4. Overlooking the [...]