Content tagged with "safety"
Results: 100
Article
January 14, 2010
Love your gloves
To get the best results from your welding gloves, it is imperative to match your process with the appropriate materials.
For many welders, pulling on a pair of welding gloves is second nature. What may not be second nature, however, is choosing the right glove to fit your needs of... Read more...
Article
October 8, 2009
A giant among machines
The idea of ordering a 40-foot-long press brake was no problem for Greiner Industries, Mount Joy, Pa. The real work started when the brake was ready for delivery. The company had to find a way to get the mammoth machine to its shop. The machine, a 2,750-ton Baykal press brake, ordered... Read more...
Article
September 1, 2009
Getting the SPA treatment
Figure 1 A gas-saver flowmeter regulator can help minimize gas waste. Appearance counts heavily when it comes to assessing a weld, but a lot more comes into play when you evaluate for strength and quality. Likewise, a job shop's gas welding and fabricating operation might appear to be... Read more...
Article
June 29, 2009
Venting on the subject of clean shop air
For a ventilation system connected to a thermal cutting machine to function properly, it is best that the equipment is placed away from open shop doors and standing fans. A moderate breeze can overpower the ventilation effort very quickly.
However, another reality is that today's... Read more...
Article
May 26, 2009
Sensors in the welding environment
Figure 1
A sensor that is not expected to last beyond exposure to 5,000 weld flashes might have a very limited life in a robotic welding cell.
Sensors play a pivotal role in ensuring production quality in welding environments. The automotive industry, for example, relies heavily on... Read more...
Article
May 26, 2009
Article
January 13, 2009
More than just southern hospitality
It's a jungle out there. The environment is dynamic, fiercely competitive, and full of threats. Resources are scarce. Every inhabitant is either predator or prey.
It's the U.S. tube and pipe industry, and the main hazard is foreign competition. The industry's domestic output has grown... Read more...
Article
October 14, 2008
Steady as she goes
Editor's Note: The information in this article came from three sources: Combilift USA; National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Publication No. 2001 – 109 (June 2001), "Preventing Injuries and Deaths of Workers Who Operate or Work Near Forklifts"; and Occupational... Read more...
Article
August 26, 2008
Shake, rattle, and the toll
Angle grinder manufacturers are faced with the challenge to make the tool lighter, safer, and more comfortable to operate. An angle grinder may not be the most important piece of equipment on the welding shop floor, but don't underestimate its effect on those who use the tool. Powerful,... Read more...
Article
August 12, 2008
Building relationships, ensuring safety
I study business principles in an effort to understand which principles seem to work in which industries. Costco is an example of a company led by a man who believes the real value of the company rests in the quality of its employees. Jim Sinegal, the co-founder and CEO of Costco, is... Read more...
Article
July 15, 2008
Preventing torch fires in welding and cutting operations
Sparks from welding and cutting torches can easily ignite structural members and insulation, as well as combustible gases and liquids. Photo courtesy of NFPA.
In March fire destroyed the 150,000-square-foot Cargill Meat Solutions plant in Booneville, Ark., and forced residents in the... Read more...
Article
May 13, 2008
What not to leave at work
You may have heard the admonition to leave work at work and not take your job duties or concerns home. That's good advice, especially if you want to live a balanced life in harmony with your loved ones. Besides leaving work at work, you also should leave the company's property there,... Read more...
Article
April 15, 2008
Predicting and preventing workplace accidents
Over the past eight years I have become somewhat obsessed with the idea of being able to predict accidents that might occur in my company's facility. I want to know not only the type of accident, but also to whom and when it might occur. To add an even more challenging twist to the story, I... Read more...
Article
January 15, 2008
Welding helmets in view
Lincoln Electric's VISTA Choosing the right welding helmet is not as easy as it once was. Technology advances have turned these once simple pieces of protective equipment into smart, lightweight safety devices that, in some cases, can adapt their settings automatically to accommodate... Read more...
Spanish
October 9, 2007
Mejorando la Calidad del Corte Manual por Plasma
Figura 1
Un secador y un filtro de aire ayudan a mantener la calidad del aire requerida para cortes óptimos.
El corte por plasma es fácil de aprender, y los cortadores son simples de usar. De hecho, es tan fácil que muchos usuarios se ponen a trabajar inmediatamente tan pronto... Read more...
Article
September 11, 2007
Creating a pressroom preventive maintenance program
Many fabricators rely on fire-house maintenance when a machine goes down, all available resources are marshaled to fix the problem. This approach works most of the time, but at a high cost. To minimize this cost, stampers need to design a press maintenance program that decreases downtime,... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2007
Why doesn't my fume extraction work?
Many welding manufacturers today have experienced a great disappointment with fume extraction systems for their welding processes. Often this problem has little to do with the actual filtration equipment itself, but with the way it is applied to the application. Improper sizing and... Read more...
Spanish
July 10, 2007
No hay nada más sano que una bocanada de aire fresco
La mayoría de los soldadores que usan poderosas herramientas y equipo comprenden los riesgos de seguridad asociados con éstos.
Algunos riesgos para la salud relacionados con soldar, especialmente con soldadura por arco, son obvios. Por ejemplo, usted sabe que no debe ver el arco, pero puede... Read more...
Article
June 26, 2007
It's the small things
Have you ever noticed in life that it's the collection of small things that determine our quality of life? This concept also can be applied to an industrial safety program.
Aeroglide's Safety Committee compiles a list of safety topics at the end of each year. These topics then are... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
Locking in safety
Last year the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued more than $750,000 in citations to the metal fabrication industry for equipment-related safety violations. This includes tool usage and guarding issues, control of hazardous energy (lockout/tagout), and electrical... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2007
Improving manual plasma cutting quality
If you're maintaining the proper travel speed, the sparks will exit the workpiece at a 15- to 20-degree angle.
Plasma cutting is easy to learn, and cutters are simple to use. In fact, it's so easy that many users go right to work as soon as they remove the unit from its packaging.... Read more...
Article
February 13, 2007
Safeguarding tube benders with laser scanners
The optimal safeguarding equipment for each tube bending operation varies, depending on the application, the identified tasks, the risk level, and the applicable regulations and standards. Typically, tube bending machine safeguarding is needed in front of the machine where the tube is bent... Read more...
Article
February 13, 2007
Protecting metal stamping dies
In most industries, improving process efficiency is an imperative part of product manufacturing. It is becoming increasingly important in metal stamping facilities throughout the world as competition requires that products to be made at a much faster rate and at a greater level of conformity.... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2007
Safety still pressing for press brakes
Press brake safety equipment must ensure safety without hindering speed or productivity.
The leading trend in press brake safety is to protect the operator without sacrificing speed or hampering operators' ability to work productively, according to press brake and safety equipment... Read more...
Article
January 9, 2007
Benefits of autodarkening helmets come to light
In 1981 Hrnell, now part of 3M, commercialized its first autodarkening filter for a welding helment. Twenty-five years later autodarkening technology has established a firm place in the welding industry not only as a piece of equipment that provides excellent protection, but also as a means... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
Drive fast, weld right
"Drive fast, turn left" may be a popular motto among race car drivers, but motorsports fabricators have their own: "Drive fast, weld right." A successful racing team is the sum of its parts, from the fabricators to the painters to the drivers. One of the most critical components is welding,... Read more...
Article
November 7, 2006
Fabricator finds tubular niche
Although Illinois is known primarily for its fertile fields and agricultural output, it's home to many manufacturing companies too. John Deere incorporated Deere & Co. in Moline. DaimlerChysler manufactures automobiles in Belvidere. Caterpiller's worldwide headquarters is in Peoria. Where... Read more...
Article
October 3, 2006
Fuel your safety knowledge
The following is an oxyfuel safe practices overview that includes newer changes to the "dos and don'ts." The preliminary "do," of course, is training, which you should have before you pick up a torch.
Experiencing Withdrawal?
One of the most common errors in oxyfuel system... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2006
How Safely Do You Weld?
Safety must be designed into the job, whether it's welding a 100-mile pipeline, repairing a 100-foot length of pipe, or fabricating a 100-millimeter tubular part. By failing to consider welding hazards, a company risks the safety and health of its employees, as well as the added... Read more...
Article
August 8, 2006
Keep on truckin'
The use of fork trucks to handle and store materials and products efficiently is vital to the metal fabricating industry. Unfortunately, unsafe fork truck use often results in injuries, property damage, and costly Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) citations. Each year... Read more...
Article
July 11, 2006
Control risk with lockout/tagout
In March 2002 a California welder was asked by his supervisor to remove a jammed piece of metal from the hydraulic door of a scrap metal shredder. As he'd done several times before, the man grabbed his ladder, torch, and padlock and went to the hopper. While lying across the top edge of... Read more...
Article
June 13, 2006
Saving money by spending on safety
Although the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires and enforces the use of proper safety devices, many companies continue to overlook safety, grossly endangering their employees. The main reason they give for not implementing proper machine safety guarding is the... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Hitting pay dirt -- in pipe
72-in.-dia., 1-in.-wall pipe is being welded using preheating coils on each side of the weld. A torch bracket reaches over the coils. Oil refineries aren't the only ones hitting pay dirt in Canada. Northern Alberta is the land of opportunity for welders and pipe fitters these days.... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Optimizing flow through robotic welding workcells
Figure 1
One of the new CNH systems welds on a loader chassis. Veteran industrial robotic user Case New Holland (CNH), Fargo, N.D., recently installed three robotic welding systems. Each system consists of an inverted robot on a large, three-axis traveling column and two... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
New handling instructions
The stamping industry has seen its share of consolidation over the last six years. As a result, many in the U.S. wondered what mode of metal forming would be likely to survive the twin terrors of cost-reduction pressures and threats from overseas stamping shops. Conventional wisdom... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Emergency response—A critical component of workplace safety
The Accident — Part I It was a Tuesday afternoon, only 11 days before Christmas Day. Aeroglide plant employees were busy wrapping up year-end work before the holidays. John Smith was working in the shipping department using a pneumatic nail gun to put pallets together. He was thinking... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
Stop pickin' up bad vibrations
For years vibration overexposure has shortened many careers, causing irreversible damage to workers' nerves, muscles, bones, joints, and blood flow. By understanding the risks associated with overexposure to vibration, you can take safety measures that will prolong your career and result... Read more...
Article
May 9, 2006
OSHA's new hexavalent chromium standard
Photo courtesy of 3M Occupational Health & Environmental Safety Division, St. Paul, Minn. On Feb. 28 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) amended the existing standard that limits occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium . This new rule significantly reduces... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Machine safeguarding with optoelectronic sensors
When a metal forming machine is being designed, the potential safety risks must be analyzed and minimized. Some risks cannot be eliminated through design, however, so it is necessary to use safety devices. These devices safeguard operators and other individuals from residual hazards like... Read more...
Article
February 7, 2006
Don't get stuck
Incline and vertical magnetic conveyors are designed to conserve valuable floor space. Soft-belt magnetic conveyors feed presses and transport parts from one workstation to another or from production to inspection, storage, or packaging operations. Magnetic conveyors can be configured... Read more...
Article
January 10, 2006
Don't fall down on the job
Falls from elevated work surfaces continue to cause worker deaths and injuries at a high rate. In one year alone, falls caused five deaths in the construction industry. Many workers may not consider fall protection necessary, that it's something only ironworkers on high-rise construction... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2005
Safety Bingo
What is most important in your business? Is profitability the driving factor? Delivery? Quality? Safety? Success in each of these fundamental areas is critical to ongoing business success. Just as the spinning dish juggler who performed on the Ed Sullivan Show was deemed successful only... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2005
Safety: The burning issue in oxyfuel torch use
Typical Oxyfuel Welding Setup Three distinct oxyfuel flames are used for welding, brazing, and cutting. The nature of these flames depends on the proportions of oxygen and fuel in the mixture. The flames are produced by the combustion of the oxygen and fuel gases and are called... Read more...
Article
September 13, 2005
Keys to success in laser welding
A technician explains the features of an Nd:YAG laser. Involving production personnel early in the process is an important way to ensure the success of a laser project.
Engineers and project managers sometimes reduce the success of a manufacturing process to a few... Read more...
Article
July 12, 2005
Changing workplace raises safety and health questions
Editor's Note: Much of the content for this article was taken from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) publication " The Changing Organization of Work and the Safety and Health of Working People: Knowledge Gaps and Research Directions ." The organization of... Read more...
Article
May 10, 2005
Electrical safety practices save lives
Cord- and plug-connected equipment without a grounded connector Electricity improves life. During power failures, much work and many routine activities grind to a halt. However, electricity can cause serious injury and even death if you fail to follow electrical safety practices,... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
MIG welding tips and resources
Photo courtesy of AlcoTec Wire Corp. Motorcycle- and hot rod-building shows on TV have put welding in a very positive light lately. In fact, Jesse James, the star of Discovery Channel's "Monster Garage," was named the American Welding Society (AWS) Welder of the Year because of his... Read more...
Article
April 11, 2005
Addressing behavior-based safety issues
Figure 1 Courtesy of Shape Corp. Nearly every resource for successful safety performance touts the need for management support, first and foremost. Management support clearly is necessary to resolve behavior-based safety problems. However, as we found at the Shape Corp., developing... Read more...
Article
February 8, 2005
Safety faux pas
Figure 1
No Triggering Device Protection
In the more than 25 years that I've been in the precision sheet metal trade, I have seen many examples of safety faux pas. Most were mistakes and oversights committed because of inattentiveness, lack of training, and... Read more...
Article
December 7, 2004
Article
November 9, 2004
Pay Attention! To safety
Those who conduct environmental, health, and safety training for welders and others in welding-related jobs face many challenges in delivering it effectively. Coordinating conflicting schedules, finding quality training materials, and making sure everyone is trained on time are all... Read more...
Article
November 8, 2004
Having a safe office party
Editor's Note: Originally published on December 11, 2003. It's that time of year when companies celebrate the holidays. Whether the celebration involves a lavish holiday party held off-site or a casual get-together in the office, both party organizers and attendees should follow safe... Read more...
Article
October 12, 2004
Preventing welding-related fires
In 2002 in Irving, Texas, 1.4 percent of the city's residential fires and 10 percent of its commercial fires were welding-related. These and welding-related fires elsewhere probably could have been prevented if welders had been more diligent in adhering to safe welding practices. Before... Read more...
Article
October 12, 2004
Welding hazards affect nonwelders too
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and several industry trade groups have published information focused on welders' safety. An equally important issue is the safety of nonwelders who work near or pass through welding areas. Unfortunately, nonwelders are sometimes at... Read more...
Article
August 10, 2004
Playing it safe with robotic welding
This robotic welding workcell is guarded on all four sides. The back of the workcell uses the control panel and hard guards to prevent entry to the safeguarded space. The wall must be high enough to ensure that no one can reach over it into the protected area. In 2002 the Robotic... Read more...
Article
July 13, 2004
Article
July 13, 2004
In-running nip point hazards
In-running nip points are frequent sites of injuries from machinery. Nip points exist where material enters a gradually narrowing opening, for example, pulling rolls, and the material is strong enough to pull body parts, such as fingers, hands, arms, and hair, into the pinch point. U.S.... Read more...
Article
June 8, 2004
Safeguarding machines with an ergonomic spin
Figure 1 While the NSC publications provide generous guidance, two aspects they do not address fully are the application and implication of ergonomics and human factors in the design of machine safeguards. The National Safety Council (NSC) published the fifth edition of the Power... Read more...
Article
June 8, 2004
Safety makes good business sense
Editor's Note: Charlie McCarthy is a member of the FMA/CNA Safety Committee, an organization devoted to improving safety in the metal manufacturing environment. As a businessperson performing your normal responsibilities, you think about many things during your average workday. The... Read more...
Article
May 4, 2004
Working safely in busy times
It may be premature to say that manufacturing has turned the economic corner to recovery, but signs at the end of first-quarter 2004 look promising. Overall, nonfarm payrolls increased by over 500,000 in the first quarter, according to recent U.S. Labor Department reports, and factory payrolls... Read more...
Article
April 6, 2004
Personality + Protection
For welders, it's more important than ever to do more—perform more processes, know more about metals, be familiar with more welding situations—with safety equipment that can meet the requirements of every situation. At the same time it's important to maintain a safe work... Read more...
Article
April 6, 2004
Machine-guarding problems—one company's solution
Editor's Note: Safety expert Cheryl Henderson is a member of the FMA/CNA Safety Committee. Watch for other committee-authored articles in upcoming issues of thefabricator.com. What would it take to have press guards in place, adjusted, secure, and working properly every day, through every... Read more...
Article
March 25, 2004
Obesity—a problem for workers and employers
Unless you have sworn off all media forms—which you haven't if you're reading this—you know that obesity has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S. It ranks No. 2, second only to smoking, as the leading cause of U.S. deaths. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention... Read more...
Article
March 11, 2004
Welding fume health hazards
In 2003 NIOSH published a comprehensive review of scientific literature on health effects associated with welding. The article, "Health Effects of Welding,"1 noted that past investigations have found bronchitis, airway irritation, and other respiratory illnesses in large numbers of... Read more...
Article
February 26, 2004
Three optional techniques for beveling
All of these methods generate no dust or fumes and produce paintable edges without distortion or a heat-affected zone (HAZ). Finished edges have consistent angles along the bevel's entire length. Punch and Nibble Method Punch and nibble-style bevelers are portable power tools... Read more...
Article
February 12, 2004
Emergency preparedness: A critical safety program component
The guy who works next to you suddenly sustains a serious injury or has a medical emergency. Do you know what to do? You are injured on the job or have a medical emergency. Do your co-workers know what to do? If you answered no to any of these questions, you and those around you are... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2004
Appliancemaker reduces downtime with stamping press feed system
Most of the parts are stamped out of light-gauge metals. "On the majority of our machines, we're feeding 0.0040 inch and less," said Dan Partin, senior process engineer at Whirlpool. Partin reported that the company had noticed excessive downtime on some of its key presses that were running for... Read more...
Article
January 13, 2004
Resolve to have a healthy, injury-free 2004
Begin With the Basics Achieving and maintaining good health is a lifelong endeavor. You've been taught the basics of good health throughout your life: Have regular checkups, including dental. Get plenty of rest. Exercise regularly. Drink plenty of water. Eat a healthy,... Read more...
Article
November 20, 2003
Workers' compensation—Managing the process
Editor's note: Portions of this article were published previously in an issue of FMA/TPA "Member Connections." State workers' compensation laws were enacted to ensure that covered employees who are injured on the job are provided with monetary benefits to cover medical expenses and to... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Material handling safety
How the material or goods are unloaded or loaded is a key factor in reducing employee injuries. Persons involved in material handling should be able to lift and hold the weight of the material or goods used in their operations. They also must be properly trained in the correct way to lift... Read more...
Article
October 23, 2003
Take control of safety
Often invisible to the human eyes, airborne contaminants can have serious consequences for your health. Be familiar with the potential hazards and the effects they can have on your respiratory system. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standard 1910.134... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
Selecting the best lens for welders' eye protection
The Dangers of Ultraviolet and Infrared Light Radiant energy exposure, also called optical radiation, occurs with work applications that involve intense concentrations of ultraviolet (UV), infrared (IR), and intense visible light. Arc welding and cutting, as well as laser welding,... Read more...
Article
October 9, 2003
Promoting back safety—one company's approach
Over the years, our midsize company, Aeroglide Corp., has used numerous methods to battle back injuries. We have tracked injuries in five-year increments and developed battle plans based on the trends we've observed. Dealing with Injuries We noticed that very few of the injuries were... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Making the most of hydroforming
Figure 1 To help ensure successful part development, it is necessary to establish a multitask project team. Designers, hydroforming technologists, and material specialists should be involved in the component stage. To achieve possible economic benefits from this process, it is... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Stamping 101
Figure 1 The Catalyst To make the facility a reality, in 2000 Mike Chester, president and co-owner of Buhrke Industries, a Tier 1 and Tier 2 automotive stamper, donated 1,750 square feet of space in one of Buhrke's buildings. Once a location was established, many Chicago-area... Read more...
Article
September 25, 2003
Protecting yourself from gases and fumes
Protecting yourself from fumes and gases often means overcoming objections. Some welders mistakenly argue that running a fan to blow smoke away eliminates risk. Others avoid using protective equipment because it's uncomfortable or takes too long to set up. Worse, your workplace might not... Read more...
Article
September 10, 2003
Exposure to metalworking fluids
To make a very long story short, the Secretary of Labor signed a charter establishing a Standards Advisory Committee (SAC) to address the issues on August 28, 1997, four years after the UAW petition. The SAC submitted its final report in 1999. Currently, there are no OSHA standards... Read more...
Article
August 28, 2003
Safety pays
Now more than ever, fabricators must believe that safety pays . It pays to make safety a high priority, to invest in safety training, and to provide a safe workplace. The pressure to reduce costs during this very competitive time is great, but it is imperative that owners and managers... Read more...
Article
August 14, 2003
Article
August 14, 2003
Article
August 14, 2003
Workplace stress—Part 2
In his bestseller, Spontaneous Healing , Andrew Weil, M.D., wrote, "All illnesses should be assumed to be stress-related until proved otherwise. Even if stress is not the primary cause of illness, it is frequently an aggravating factor. To say that a bodily complaint is... Read more...
Article
August 14, 2003
Virtual tryout
In this era of global warp speed and virtual reality, calculating the deep draws of progressive dies or the springback of metal is performed by simulation software instead of the earlier trial-and-error method. These software programs essentially replace the artistic methods of diemaking... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Taking the heat, keeping the current
A DaimlerChrysler powertrain control module cover/heat sink assembly needed to be thermally conductive yet electrically isolated. The populated circuit board—one with all components in place—had to be bonded to the heat sink and postcured in a vacuum laminating press. The... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Workplace stress—Part 1
Among the many definitions of stress in The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language is "A mentally or emotionally disruptive or upsetting condition occurring in response to adverse external influences and capable of affecting physical health, usually characterized by... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Advancements in waterjet technology
Stream Lag Caused Taper, Corner Problems Budd said he courted the gear processing market, but prospective customers wanted parts with a perpendicular edge, which he was not able to achieve with the 2-D abrasive waterjet equipment he was using. In 2-D abrasive waterjet cutting, the... Read more...
Article
July 24, 2003
Maximizing a coil fed press
Modern Coil-fed Presses Stamping processes revolve around two basic styles of tooling, transfer and progressive dies. They both require feed-to-length systems but differ in many key areas. Blanking processes could be added but are progressive in nature. Transfer tooling requires material to be... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2003
What price workers' compensation insurance?
According to an article in the June 23 issue of The New York Times , the cost of workers' compensation insurance has soared to its highest rate in nearly a decade, adding yet another heavy burden on businesses and the struggling national economy. Nationwide, the average cost of the... Read more...
Article
July 10, 2003
Six dangerous misconceptions about crane safety
Nearly every product today has a warning label. In fact, many products have multiple warning labels, lights, and bells. We even have warnings telling us our coffee is hot! It's little wonder, then, that many of us suffer from warning overload and just ignore the warnings. Unfortunately,... Read more...
Article
June 26, 2003
Making the workplace safe for Spanish-speaking employees
Over the past several years, the U.S. has seen a dramatic increase in its population of Hispanic, Spanish-speaking people, with a corresponding impressive increase in the number of Spanish-speaking citizens who are entering the manufacturing work force. Having employees who speak limited... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2003
Al GMAW: CC or CV?
I've read that constant-current (CC) power supplies are preferred for gas metal arc welding (GMAW) aluminum, but when I visit companies that sell welding equipment, they tell me I want a constant-voltage (CV) power supply. What's the real story? Can I use the more common CV power supplies or... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2003
Your best safety resource
The committee is made up of busy people—presidents, CEOs, vice presidents, directors, managers, and engineers. They come from businesses located in several states—from New York to the Deep South. They share the common struggle of helping their businesses weather the current economy,... Read more...
Article
June 12, 2003
Loading up on quality, productivity, safety
Like the products it manufactures, CNH Global N.V. has to stay on the move—technologically. The company's Wichita, Kan., facility uses robotic welding to help produce Case- and New Holland-brand skid steer loaders. Powerful yet quick, skid steers can spin on a dime and move heavy... Read more...
Article
May 29, 2003
Don't be a hot dog with heating heads
Welders use heating heads to preheat steels before welding, maintain heat between welds, heat treat after welding, and heat before straightening or bending. Heating heads can be safe every time they're lit when you use them safely. However, heating attachments probably are the most dangerous... Read more...
Article
April 10, 2003
Slash maintenance inventory costs
Typically, managers hesitate to initiate a cost-cutting project in this area because they fear that critical parts may not be available when they are needed. And the number of parts that can be reduced—typically one or two—may seem too few to yield meaningful cost savings. In fact,... Read more...
Article
March 27, 2003
Substance abuse in the workplace—Part 1
Editor's Note: Part 2 of this series outlined preventing and dealing with the problem. Substance abuse and the workplace are a lethal mix that can raise costs, reduce profits, and lead to serious injuries and fatalities. The most recent numbers from the National Council on Alcoholism and... Read more...
Article
March 27, 2003
Escape the 'Silent Killer'
Like this plumber, many professionals who occasionally weld, braze, or cut metals don't wear respirators because they think infrequent exposure to fumes and gases produced by the process won't cause lasting damage. However, numerous health hazards are associated with even short exposure... Read more...
Article
March 13, 2003
Dealing with worker injuries
For as long as I have been in the business of occupational safety and health, "keep-the-injured-person-working" has been a mantra of business, physicians, insurance carriers, and educators. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) www.osha.gov validated this... Read more...
Article
January 16, 2003
I CAN'T HEAR YOU!
No, this "I can't hear you" isn't the bark of a marine drill sergeant. It's the lament of a worker exposed to hazardous noise without using proper hearing protection. Noise in the workplace has been a constant threat since the industrial revolution. Too much noise exposure can cause a... Read more...
Article
January 16, 2003
Article
October 24, 2002
Evaluating the Danger of Loud Noises in Tube and Pipe Shops
DoALL continuously tests and develops quieter band sawing blades. Here a technician uses an audiometer to measure noise levels created during sawing. Loud noise in the workplace traditionally has been associated with employee hearing loss. However, the Occupational Safety and Health... Read more...
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