|  Work Safety    OSHA Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses You must record any significant work- related injury or illness. Personal Protective Equipment
OSHA Publication 3155 (2003), 305 KB PDF, 44 pages. Discusses equipment most commonly used for protection for the head, including eyes and face and the torso, arms, hands, and feet. The use of equipment to protect against life-threatening hazards is also discussed.http://www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3151.pdf Worker Safety Series Construction  | Head protection. - 1910.135
Regulations (Standards - 29 CFR)
• Part Number: 1910
• Part Title: Occupational Safety and Health Standards
• Subpart: I
• Subpart Title: Personal Protective Equipment
• Standard Number: 1910.135
• Title: Head protection.
1910.135(a)(1)
The employer shall ensure that each affected employee wears a protective helmet when working in areas where there is a potential for injury to the head from falling objects.
1910.135(a)(2)
The employer shall ensure that a protective helmet designed to reduce electrical shock hazard is worn by each such affected employee when near exposed electrical conductors which could contact the head.
1910.135(b)
Criteria for protective helmets.
1910.135(b)(1)
Protective helmets purchased after July 5, 1994 shall comply with ANSI Z89.1-1986, "American National Standard for Personnel Protection-Protective Headwear for Industrial Workers-Requirements,"which is incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6, or shall be demonstrated to be equally effective.
1910.135(b)(2)
Protective helmets purchased before July 5, 1994 shall comply with the ANSI standard "American National Standard Safety Requirements for Industrial Head Protection," ANSI Z89.1-1969, which is incorporated by reference as specified in Sec. 1910.6, or shall be demonstrated by the employer to be equally effective.
[59 FR 16362, April 6, 1994; 61 FR 9227, March 7, 1996; 61 FR 19547, May 1, 1996] |
Hard Hat Replacement Guidelines Users of industrial head protection devices must realize that these products do not have an indefinite useful life. Argus recommends that a regular head protection replacement program be conducted by employers as a responsive solution to the task of addressing service life of hard hats/caps. Since the details of such a program must be developed based on work conditions at each job site, it is impossible to provide a specific time frame for cap replacement. As a general guideline, many large corporations replace all employees' caps every five years, regardless of the cap's outward appearance Where user environments are known to include higher exposure to temperature extremes, sunlight or chemicals, hard hats/caps should be replaced automatically after two years of use. This is based on information and cap samples returned after exposure to such conditions. In certain rare instances, a cap should be replaced within less than two years. If a cap has been struck by a forcible blow of any magnitude, both the hard hat shell and suspension should be replaced immediately, even if no damage is visible. The following is a simple field test that can be performed by an employee or supervisor to determine possible degradation of polyethylene shells: Compress the shell inward from the sides about 1" (2.5 cm) with both hands and then release the pressure without dropping the shell. The shell should quickly return to its original shape, exhibiting elasticity. Compare the elasticity of the sample with that of a new shell. If the sample does not exhibit elasticity similar to that of a new shell, or if it cracks due to brittleness, it should be replaced immediately. http://onlinesafetysource.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=CTGY&Category_Code=HDP How Hard Hats Protect You | | Hard hats protect you by providing the following features:
- A rigid shell that resists and deflects blows to the head.
- A suspension system inside the hat that acts as a shock absorber.
- Some hats serve as an insulator against electrical shocks.
- Shields your scalp, face, neck, and shoulders against splashes, spills, and drips.
- Some hard hats can be modified so you can add face shields, goggles, hoods, or hearing protection to them.
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Head Protection: Don't Abuse the System - Head Protection: Don't Abuse the System By Stephen G. Minter
Hardhats protect the body's most important organ.
So why do they get so little respect?  Canadian Injured Workers Alliance Work Zone Safety  | Workplace Violence | | | Hazard Awareness |
 Violence on the job
Real Media Streaming Videos Downloadable Flash Video* http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/video/violence.html  Occupational Violence
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/violence/ Occupational Injuries Illinois  Occupational health Occupational Health Nurses and Nursing Nurses have a particular interest in eliminating violence. As health care professionals, nurses often have first line contact with the increasing numbers of the victims of violence. Regrettably, a small number of nurses have also been known to be perpetrators of violence, patient or colleague abuse in violation of nursing's code of conduct. Nurses also suffer from societal tolerance of violence. The legal system has on several occasions refused to grant compensation to nurse victims. This was justified on the principle that to practise nursing was to accept the risk of personal violence. Nurses themselves often feel that they are "legitimate targets" and that violence is "part of the job". Ninety-five percent of nurses around the world are women. Attitudes towards women are often reflected in interactions with the profession. What are some of the relevant statistics? - Health care workers are more likely to be attacked at work than prison guards or police officers.
- Nurses are the health care workers most at risk, with female nurses considered the most vulnerable.
- General patient rooms have replaced psychiatric units at the second most frequent area for assaults.
- Physical assault is almost exclusively perpetrated by patients.
- 97% of nurse respondents to a UK survey knew a nurse who had been physically assaulted during the past year.
- 72% of nurses don't feel safe from assault in their workplace.
- Up to 95% of nurses reported having been bullied at work.
- Up to 75% of nurses reported having been subjected to sexual harassment at work.
A campaign for zero-tolerance of violence at the workplace needs to address the contributing factors, namely: working in isolation, inadequate staff coverage, lack of staff training, poor inter-relationships within the work environment such as managers' disinterest, difficulty dealing with people who have been drinking or taking drugs, and with people under stress, frustrated, violent or grief-struck. | |