OSHA Hot Topics

Working in Outdoor & Indoor Heat

Environments

Information provided by OSHA's Occupational Heat Exposure Page

Many people are exposed to heat on the job, in both indoor and outdoor heat environments. Operations involving high air temperatures, radiant heat sources (e.g., sunlight, hot exhaust), high humidity, direct physical contact with hot objects, or strenuous physical activities have a high potential for causing heat-related illness.

Indoor workplaces with hot conditions may include iron and steel foundries, brick-firing and ceramic plants, glass products facilities, electrical utilities (particularly boiler rooms), bakeries, commercial kitchens, laundries, chemical plants, material handling and distribution warehouses, and many other environments.

Outdoor workplaces with work in hot weather and direct sun, such as farm work, construction, oil and gas well operations, landscaping, emergency response operations, and hazardous waste site activities, also increase the risk of heat-related illness in exposed workers.

Every year, many workers become sick from occupational heat exposure, and some are fatally injured. These illnesses and fatalities are preventable.

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Slips, Trips, and Falls

Information provided by OSHA's Benfits of Good Housekeeping Practices

Good housekeeping implies that a workplace is kept in an organized, uncluttered, and hazard-free condition. While this is a relatively simple concept, the benefits that can be realized from good housekeeping practices are far reaching, and affect not only workers' safety but also their health and productivity. Improvements in worker health and productivity, in turn, lead to lower operating costs thereby providing benefits to both the workers and the employer.

Good housekeeping is not just about cleanliness; it lays the basic foundation for accident and fire prevention. It requires attention to details, such as the layout of the work site or facility, identification and marking of physical hazards, ensuring the adequate number of storage facilities, and routine maintenance. Here are some of the many benefits that can be gained when implementing good workplace housekeeping:

Improved Worker Safety
Improved Worker Health
Increased Worker Productivity/Reduced Costs

The U.S. Department of Labor reports that slips, trips, and falls (STFs) account for approximately 15 percent of all accidental workplace deaths and are second only to motor vehicle accidents as a cause of worker fatalities. Good housekeeping practices can substantially reduce the underlying causes of STFs in employment.

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Trenching & Excavating

Information provided by OSHA's Trenching & Excavation Page

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, excavation and trench-related fatalities in 2016 were nearly double the average of the previous five years. OSHA has made reducing trenching and excavation hazards the Agency's Priority Goal. Trench collapses, or cave-ins, pose the greatest risk to workers' lives. To prevent cave-ins:

SLOPE or bench trench walls
SHORE trench walls with supports, or
SHIELD trench walls with trench boxes

Employers should also ensure there is a safe way to enter and exit the trench. Keep materials away from the edge of the trench. Look for standing water or atmospheric hazards. Never enter a trench unless it has been properly inspected.

Head over to our Construction Industry page to find out more information what CF Safety can do for your company to make it OSHA compliant.