Tag Archives: chemical

Hand Protection

THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT HAND PROTECTION

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If your need for gloves is for gardening or at-home jobs, there are specific types of gloves that fit the bill.  When your employment requires that you wear Personal Protective Equipment, including gloves, employers must conduct extensive hazard assessments to ensure that potential injury to hands of workers is avoided.  The employer should determine which type of protection is needed for the utmost safety, by selecting the proper glove, finger guards, or elbow-length glove that is appropriate for the task at hand.  There are numerous selections of work gloves, even gloves with a light on them for working under the hood of a car!  Whether you are an employer, employee, or performing jobs at home, it’s important to make the right choices.

Factors that should influence your decision in choosing gloves:

  • Types of chemicals you are exposed to.  Also the nature of contact (splash, total immersion.)
  • Duration of contact.  Area of body that requires protection.
  • Thermal Protection.
  • Abrasion/Resistance Required.
  • Mechanical hazards that you are around, such as rough, sharp objects, at home or work.
  • Proper fit to avoid dropping products in assembly.
  • Furnish good grip for wet/dry, hot/cold working conditions.
  • Styled for tasks that require delicate, intricate handling.
  • Gender specific.

Gloves generally fall into four groups:

It is important that employers are aware of any employees who are allergic to materials of gloves, such as latex, or those with powder.  Persons who are sensitized should have emergency identification specifying their allergy and carry a prescription for epinephrine from their allergist.  Workers must be prepared to recognize and treat a person who might go into anaphylactic shock.

Gloves serve a very important purpose for almost all walks of life: the medical field, military, law enforcement, and industrial environments.  They are necessary for certain jobs at home and many different sports.  Best of all, they help us stay warm!

Source: OSHA

Eye Protection, First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Protective Clothing

DO YOU WORK WITH CHEMICALS?

More than 32 million workers are potentially exposed to one or more chemical hazards; there are over 650,000 existing chemical hazards in more than 3 million workplaces, and new ones being developed annually.  OSHA’s Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) requires chemical manufacturers to evaluate hazards and furnish information through labels and more detailed Material Safety Data Sheets, which are to be included with shipments of their products.  Failure to do so is a serious violation of the standard.

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are also available at the workplace, and should be readily accessible to each work shift, as they are designed to instruct workers and emergency personnel on procedures for handling/working with certain substances in a safe way.  This system catalogues information on chemicals, chemical compounds and chemical mixtures that contain potential hazardous materials.    Labels, MSDS, and proper training are to be utilized to identify and prevent occupational injuries or health problems of workers.  Because more comprehensive information is contained in the MSDS, it is important that each employee understands how to use them.  Continuous training is also important, as there will be new employees, different chemicals, or different methods in use.  MSDS binders should be kept up-to-date.

Employers and workers should determine the correct PPE to be furnished, such as foot protection, medical protective clothing, etc., depending on the type of work environment.  Employees have the right to know what they are going to be exposed to, and the best way to avoid health or safety risks that apply.

At home, one should read labels on cleaning products or sprays, as they contain harmful chemicals, as well.  Carcinogens, volatile organic compounds and phosphates are three types of such chemicals.  They are contained in items such as oven cleaners, floor wax, laundry detergent, and air fresheners.  Each type of chemical is related to different health risks and environmental damage.

General Safety Issues, Respiratory Safety

DOWN ON THE FARM – PESTICIDES

As we drive down the highway, going through beautiful farmland, most of us don’t have a clue as to what goes on behind the scenes to create such a picture, and produce a successful crop.  Pests are a huge concern to farmers, and we want to share some information on the subject of pest control.

Pesticides help our agriculture industry through the EPA’s (Environmental Protection Agency) Integrated Pest Management system.  In agricultural settings, their approach is that less risky pest controls are used first (biopesticides).  The second stage is determining the level at which the pest is an economic threat to the crop.  Next, to monitor and identify when and what type of pesticide is needed.  Rotating different crops, pest-resistant varieties, or pest-free rootstock can be a more economical way to deter damage from pests and provide little or no risk to humans and the environment.  Broadcast spraying of a non-specific pesticide is a last resort.

New EPA safety requirements are meant to protect agricultural workers against pesticides used in crop fields.  Soil fumigants are pesticides that go into the soil and create a gas that kills several types of soil-borne pests in the fields.  This type of pesticide can cause health problems ranging from eye or respiratory irritation to more severe and irreversible effects.
Since these are restricted-use pesticides, only specially trained personnel can apply and oversee these types of operations.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, responsible use of soil, air and water resources for the production of food, feed and fiber must be balanced with the need to minimize impacts on human health, and preserve natural ecosystems.  As agrochemicals remain a cornerstone of pest management in U.S. agriculture, there is a continuing need to evaluate environmental transport processes and factors in assessing risk and in the development of mitigation strategies. Research is needed for an understanding of fate and effects. Such efforts will permit better science-based decisions as a basis for policy regarding the use of agrochemicals in U. S. agriculture.  Farmers need a variety of sustainable production options since no production system will be appropriate for every set of circumstances.  The use of agrochemicals must be evaluated due to the ecological risks associated with them.

Pest control is just one of the many problems that our agriculture industry copes with as they produce the nation’s food.  Keeping farm workers safe from the effects of pesticides is foremost.

USDA
EPA