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Articles | Manufacturing (5)

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Lean Manufacturing and the 5S System

Discover the 5S methodology in lean manufacturing to enhance efficiency, eliminate waste, and improve organization in any workspace.

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Chemical Processing Facility
3 Tips to Safely Manage Ammonia

In refrigeration and HVAC, it's out with old, complex systems and in with new, efficient ammonia systems. When working with low-charge ammonia ...

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Floor tape on a mechanic's shop floor
What is Floor Marking?

Visual safety communication takes many forms in the workplace. Beyond just signs and labels, floor marking is a valuable tool to communicate hazards, ...

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A safety manager talking to a group of employees in a factory
Maximize Safety on a Budget

Budget-Friendly Protection: Smart Tips to Maximize Safety Without Breaking the Bank In order to implement any new plan, it often costs a pretty penny ...

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2023 Top OSHA Violations

Top 10: OSHA Violations for 2023: Stay Compliant & Safe In the realm of occupational safety, staying abreast of the latest developments is ...

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Woman performing maintenance on factory equipment
Women in the Safety Industry

Breaking Barriers: Women Shatter Stereotypes in Health and Safety The lack of gender diversity is an issue for many industries, and changing this has ...

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What Is Kanban?

In the face of declining sales and profits during the 1950s, Eiji Toyoda began looking for ways to improve Toyota's manufacturing processes. He ...

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Hard Hat Requirements

OSHA/ANSI Hardhat Requirements 68,000 injuries in 2020 required an absence from work 1,000 workers killed each year Only 16% of workers wore a hard ...

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What Is Kanban?

In the face of declining sales and profits during the 1950s, Eiji Toyoda began looking for ways to improve Toyota's manufacturing processes. He ...

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3 Smart Ways to Improve Kanban

Sometimes, it's not smooth sailing after a company goes lean. Kanban is a workflow management method to improve efficiency. See how to correct common ...

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Logistics Tracking

Logistics involves managing the movement of resources. This not only includes products, but the movement and storage of materials, tools, equipment, ...

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Planned Maintenance

Planned maintenance is a proactive approach to maintenance in which maintenance work is scheduled to take place on a regular basis. The type of work ...

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Product Identification

Product identification is a broad category of labeling that includes functions such as product traceability, brand protection, and various ...

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Value Stream Mapping (VSM)

Does your organization struggle with methods to spot and solve problems? Bring underlying issues to light with Value Stream Mapping (VSM). Value ...

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Lean Logistics Techniques

Any successful logistics system needs to provide the required materials where and when they are needed. Lean logistics takes this approach a step ...

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Lean Facility

Creating a Lean Facility The global market places significant pressure on businesses and other organizations to increase efficiency, improve profits, ...

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Lean Manufacturing Process

What is the Lean Manufacturing Process? The lean manufacturing process is a method for creating a more effective business by eliminating wasteful ...

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TPM Implementation

TPM Implementation Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) is a continuous improvement program that focuses on improving the equipment in the production ...

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8D Methodology

The 8D methodology (8D=eight disciplines) was developed in Ford Motor Company in the mid-1980s to be used by their suppliers to improve the ...

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Performance Improvement Plan

Performance is the level of achievement reached under defined conditions. Performance improvement means achieving those results more efficiently, ...

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Lean Manufacturing Efficiency

Improving manufacturing efficiency requires eliminating waste. What is waste? Anything that is not adding value to the product or service. This value ...

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What Is ISO 9001

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards for private ...

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Quality Circles

The quality circle originated in Japan in the early 1960's. The objective was to give the responsibility for identification and resolution of quality ...

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Process Cycle Efficiency (PCE)

The Process Cycle Efficiency, sometimes referred to as the "Value Added Ratio," is a measurement of the amount of value-added time in a process. The ...

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Quick Response Codes and Kanban

Quick Response codes, commonly known as QR codes, are two-dimensional barcodes that can be scanned and interpreted by mobile devices, such as ...

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Pull System

What Is a Pull System? A pull system is a lean manufacturing strategy used to reduce waste in the production process. In this type of system, ...

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NIST Certificate Calibration

There are several terms and phrases used to describe calibration standards: NIST Certificate of Calibration NIST Certificate of Compliance NIST ...

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Periodic Inventory System

What is a Periodic Inventory System? A periodic inventory system is an accounting method in which the cost of goods sold is determined periodically, ...

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House of Lean

The House of Lean is a useful tool that can help you understand the order in which lean should be implemented. A "house" is used because it ...

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Stacks of trays are labeled and organized with Kaizen continuous improvement.
Kaizen Getting Started

There is more to implementing Kaizen than we can include on a single web page. However, the following serves as an overview of introducing Kaizen ...

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What Is Lean Manufacturing

Lean is an efficient approach to running a process, business or organization to minimize waste, lower lead times, reduce overhead and the amount of ...

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Safety Signs for Futuristic Times

As robotic workers join the warehouse industry, it is important to have safety signs and other communication to help protect the human workers who ...

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Heijunka Box

Production leveling, also known as heijunka, is a technique for improving efficiency in multi-step production processes. It forms an important part ...

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Tools neatly labels and organized following the 5S system.
Tools for 5S Lean Manufacturing

The 5S system is a lean manufacturing tool that helps to clean and organize the workplace, as well as improve how things are done through ...

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Lean Canvas

Compared to writing a business plan, which can take several weeks or months, you can outline multiple business models on a canvas in one afternoon. ...

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FMECA

The Fundamentals of FMECA FMECA is used to evaluate reliability and identify the most critical failure modes. It systematically examines potential ...

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Lean on Maintenance

What is Lean Maintenance? Lean manufacturing is arguably the single greatest advance in plant efficiency during the past 50 years. Lean has helped to ...

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Cross-Docking

What is Cross-Docking? At its most basic, cross-docking establishes a speedy, efficient system for unloading inbound shipments, sorting and ...

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Quick Response Manufacturing

If you are familiar with lean manufacturing principles, you know that lean manufacturing is about eliminating waste. This typically results in ...

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SIPOC

SIPOC is an acronym for Suppliers, Inputs, Processes, Outputs, and Customers and shows how these business entities interact at the boundary of the ...

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Asset Identification

For Want of a Nail Even when a small, low-value item is missing, it can result in major impact on your business. Asset identification provides a ...

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Andon System

When a worker identifies a problem with the process, he pulls a rope known as an andon rope. The andon rope activates a light known as an andon ...

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Assembly line workers discuss quality control principles in front of a convey belt transporting glass bottles.
Quality Control In Manufacturing

In manufacturing, quality control is a process that ensures customers receive products free from defects and meet their needs. When done the wrong ...

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Inventory Planning

What is Inventory? The word "inventory" can have a number of definitions. In this article, we'll be talking about inventory in the sense of an ...

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A worker uses calipers to measure the connecting rod on a lathe or other manufacturing machine.
DMADV

Six Sigma provides a number of methodologies for driving product defects down to less than 3.4 per million opportunities. Two of the best known ...

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A piece of equipment with a barcode affixed for asset managment.
What Is Asset Management?

Asset management is an accounting method that enables businesses to get the most out of their assets. Historically beginning as a paper-based system ...

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Linking Lean and Visuals

The visual workplace and lean are two distinct yet complementary tools that can improve work processes, make work easier, and reduce costs. Lean is a ...

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Arc flash signs next to a miner
Arc Flash in Mining

Very little can happen in mining without electricity. From drilling equipment and powered shovels to fixed and mobile conveyors, most equipment ...

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Arc Flash Labels

When electrical equipment must be maintained or repaired while energized, an arc flash hazard may be present. Affected workers need to know what ...

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Available Fault Current

The National Electric Code, or NEC, requires that equipment be marked with the available fault current, and that this labeling be kept up-to-date ...

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Arc Flash PPE

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is the last line of defense against injuries. When it comes to arc flash, PPE is necessary to protect workers ...

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Cables Markers Tags

You may be wondering which type of labels you should use for identifying cables and wires. First you need to make sure that when purchasing tags or ...

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A worker in highly protective PPE about to work on electrical systems
What Is An Arc Flash?

An arc flash is an explosive burst of heat and light, caused by a sudden, uncontrolled electrical arc (or current passing through the air). ...

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Arc Flash Accident Videos

With YouTube and other video-sharing websites, an unimaginable number of videos on just about any subject can be accessed by anyone. In this article, ...

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Arc Flash Boundary

NFPA 70E is the major industrial standard for safe electrical work in the United States. It defines three protective boundaries around electrical ...

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Electrical Safety for Humans

There are hundreds of detailed resources on electrical safety. Most of them are written by (and for) electricians. But electricity is a part of daily ...

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Last Line of Defense

Flame retardant coveralls only work if workers put them on before approaching the electrical circuit. Creating a safe environment involves ...

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Worker in Arc Flash PPE standing in front of an open electrical panel
5 Shocking Arc Flash Mistakes

Everyone knows arc flash is dangerous and the hazards that come with electrical work. However, sometimes simple mistakes are made, which can be ...

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Wire Marking 101

As your workplace gets more and more wires and cables, it becomes more and more important to know which cord leads where. A network cable plugged in ...

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OSHA and NFPA 70E

When workers performing maintenance or repairs on energized electrical equipment, they could be exposed to an arc flash hazard. Where this situation ...

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Arc Flash Printers: An Overview

Electrical hazard violations, including arc flash accidents, were the tenth most common OSHA citation in 2015. Year after year, electrical hazards ...

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Incident Energy

Incident energy is a measurement of energy, usually heat, striking a surface. If you were sitting near a campfire, the warmth you would feel would ...

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NEC 110 Labeling Requirements

The most recent NEC Article 110 had new labeling requirements updated in 2011. The latest labels are for equipment rating purposes. These are not arc ...

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Lockout Tagout (LO/TO) Program

The numbers are staggering: Lockout-Tagout (LOTO) violations are consistently among OSHA's 10 most common violations every year. Without proper LOTO ...

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Lockout/Tagout (LO/TO) Procedures

OSHA's requirements for the control of hazardous energy (typically called lockout/tagout, or LO/TO) are found in 29 CFR 1910.147. These rules require ...

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Arc Flash Accident Reports

An arc flash is dangerous and has the potential for causing serious injuries. It typically occurs suddenly and without warning - but not without a ...

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Floor tape on a mechanic's shop floor
What is Floor Marking?

Visual safety communication takes many forms in the workplace. Beyond just signs and labels, floor marking is a valuable tool to communicate hazards, ...

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An OSHA graphic
What is OSHA Compliance?

Dangerous working conditions nationwide sparked the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) in 1970. The goal of the OSH Act is ...

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Types of Floor Marking

As workplaces grow increasingly sophisticated, it's imperative that employers keep workers safe, increase efficiency, and improve organization. Floor ...

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Floor Signs

When employers imagine floor marking, most think of aisle markers, pathway designations, and hazard stripes. However, large floor signs can play an ...

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Cross-Docking

What is Cross-Docking? At its most basic, cross-docking establishes a speedy, efficient system for unloading inbound shipments, sorting and ...

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Forklift floor sign
Floor Marking for Forklift Safety

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported to the National Safety Council (NSC) that approximately 15,000 American workers were seriously ...

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Floor Marking 101

Companies around the world, from major manufacturers down to your local grocery store, all share a common struggle: efficiently managing the movement ...

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Barrels of Toxic Waste
Toxic Waste Risks and Management

What is toxic waste? Toxic waste may be defined as discarded material that may pose a substantial threat or potential hazard to human health or the ...

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NFPA 704

NFPA 704 Labels NFPA 704 - Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response, 2012 Edition Chemicals are used ...

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Permissible Exposure Limit

The OSHA Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) establishes the upper limit for employee exposure to chemicals or other physical materials. These limits ...

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NFPA 704 vs HazCom 2012

A variety of labeling standards and classification systems are available for managing chemical safety. This array of standards and changing ...

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Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)

What Are Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs)? Think of yourself as a lab rat. Chemicals synthesized in a laboratory before you were even born are now ...

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ANSI Cutting Standard

ANSI Cutting Standard The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has updated its hand protection classification standard from ANSI/ISEA ...

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Canadian TDG Labeling

The Canadian Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) Act requires that containers holding dangerous materials be marked to show the nature of the ...

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An instructor standing at the front of an adult class with a Hazcom label projected on the wall
HazCom Training

OSHA's HazCom rules, sometimes called the Hazard Communication Standard or HazCom 2012, cover requirements for providing workers with information ...

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An OSHA graphic
What is OSHA Compliance?

Dangerous working conditions nationwide sparked the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) in 1970. The goal of the OSH Act is ...

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Hazard Pictograms

What are Hazard Pictograms? Hazard pictograms are graphic symbols used on GHS labels to communicate information about the hazards of a chemical. ...

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GHS Purple Book

The GHS is described in a book, informally known as the "Purple Book." This book contains information on all the classification classes and ...

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Short Term Exposure Limit

People have long recognized that no substance is absolutely safe. The Swiss physician Paracelsus, who lived from 1493 to 1541, said: All substances ...

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DOT Labels

49 CFR 172.400 specifies that Department of Transportation (DOT) Labels must be used for hazardous materials when they are being transported. It ...

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Explosive Hazard

A ranch worker was grinding a 300-pound gasoline tank late Wednesday when the tank exploded, killing the worker and seriously injuring two other ...

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REACH Training

REACH is an acronym for Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and restriction of Chemicals. REACH is a regulation of the European Union, adopted to ...

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GHS Label Information

Appendix C to the 2012 (OSHA 1910.1200) Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) specifies the mandatory "allocation of label elements." What this means ...

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NFPA 704 Hazmat Diamond

NFPA 704 is titled "Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response." NFPA 704 defines a visual information system used to provide ...

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HazCom compliant label on a dangerous bottle of chemicals.
What is Hazcom?

What is HazCom? "HazCom" is short for "Hazard Communication," which works to keep people safe by providing information about potential sources of ...

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Canada Aligns to GHS

OSHA announced a continued partnership with Health Canada to align U.S. and Canadian regulatory approaches to labeling and classification ...

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A stack of chemical drums with chemical safety labels.
BS5609 Compliance and GHS

BS5609 is the British Standard for pressure-sensitive adhesive labels used for marine applications. Also known as the Marine Immersion Label Testing ...

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Lab Safety Labels

Permanent Container Safety Labels OSHA requires employers to ensure that no worker uses, stores, or allows any other person to use or store any ...

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49 CFR Transportation

CFR is the abbreviation for "Code of Federal Regulations." CFR 49 ? Transportation, contains nine volumes that cover all forms of surface ...

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Hazardous Waste Symbols

Symbols and pictograms are the fastest, most efficient and reliable way to communicate warnings. People comprehend the meaning of symbols much ...

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Occupational Exposure

The term "occupational exposure" refers to a potentially harmful exposure to hazards chemicals in the workplace. These may be toxic substances, ...

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From MSDS to SDS

OSHA's HazCom 2012 rules require companies to have a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for every hazardous chemical in the workplace. The SDS sounds like the ...

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Hazardous Waste Disposal

According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), subtitle C of the Resource Conservation Recovery Act (RCRA) creates a cradle-to-grave ...

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Hazardous Chemicals Overview

In the eyes of OSHA, hazardous materials run the gamut from household cleaners to deadly gasses. Effects can range from mild skin irritation to ...

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Worker in Arc Flash PPE standing in front of an open electrical panel
5 Shocking Arc Flash Mistakes

Everyone knows arc flash is dangerous and the hazards that come with electrical work. However, sometimes simple mistakes are made, which can be ...

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SHOW MORE
Chemical Processing Facility
3 Tips to Safely Manage Ammonia

In refrigeration and HVAC, it's out with old, complex systems and in with new, efficient ammonia systems. When working with low-charge ammonia ...

Read
A safety manager talking to a group of employees in a factory
Maximize Safety on a Budget

Budget-Friendly Protection: Smart Tips to Maximize Safety Without Breaking the Bank In order to implement any new plan, it often costs a pretty penny ...

Read
2023 Top OSHA Violations

Top 10: OSHA Violations for 2023: Stay Compliant & Safe In the realm of occupational safety, staying abreast of the latest developments is ...

Read
Woman performing maintenance on factory equipment
Women in the Safety Industry

Breaking Barriers: Women Shatter Stereotypes in Health and Safety The lack of gender diversity is an issue for many industries, and changing this has ...

Read
Hard Hat Requirements

OSHA/ANSI Hardhat Requirements 68,000 injuries in 2020 required an absence from work 1,000 workers killed each year Only 16% of workers wore a hard ...

Read
Beware of Introducing New Hazards

Risk assessments need to be thorough and regular for all changes in the workplace, even when those changes are meant to increase safety. A plumbing ...

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OSHA Fines Increase

Penalties may increase by as much as 80%, the first increase since 1990. Inflation has finally caught up with workplace penalties. President Barack ...

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Respiratory Health Toolkit

OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) released the Hospital Respiratory Protection Toolkit, a resource for ...

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Ways to Save Money in Maintenance

Numerous and continuous problems can occur when facilities postpone or fail to plan maintenance. It will cost more in the long run by increasing the ...

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Chemical Processing Facility
3 Tips to Safely Manage Ammonia

In refrigeration and HVAC, it's out with old, complex systems and in with new, efficient ammonia systems. When working with low-charge ammonia ...

Read
ANSI Standards

ANSI is the American National Standards Institute. It is a private organization involved with coordinating and publishing voluntary consensus ...

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Pipe marking found on pipes in a warehouse
The Benefits of Pipe Marking

Pipe Marking Benefits Industrial pipe marking is an economical solution to any facility's complex pipe infrastructure. Properly marked pipes provide ...

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The Dangers of Abandoned Pipes

Whether a pipe contains chemicals, water, or nothing, it's important to know if it's hazardous. ANSI/ASME A13.1-2020 clarifies how to label abandoned ...

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Electrical Safety for Humans

There are hundreds of detailed resources on electrical safety. Most of them are written by (and for) electricians. But electricity is a part of daily ...

Read
The Dangers of Abandoned Pipes

Whether a pipe contains chemicals, water, or nothing, it's important to know if it's hazardous. ANSI/ASME A13.1-2020 clarifies how to label abandoned ...

Read
Worker in Arc Flash PPE standing in front of an open electrical panel
5 Shocking Arc Flash Mistakes

Everyone knows arc flash is dangerous and the hazards that come with electrical work. However, sometimes simple mistakes are made, which can be ...

Read
Use Forklift Safety That Sticks

There is no shortage of work for forklifts in material handling and other industries. Injuries and accidents involving forklifts can happen at any ...

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Beware of Introducing New Hazards

Risk assessments need to be thorough and regular for all changes in the workplace, even when those changes are meant to increase safety. A plumbing ...

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A Talk with Oregon OSHA

Aaron Corvin is the Department of Consumer and Business Services Oregon OSHA Public Information Officer, located in Duralabel' home state of Oregon. ...

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Space, The Next Mining Frontier

Mining industry leaders say they attribute recent improvements in safety goals to technology, a united approach to safety, and corporate culture for ...

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Worker in Arc Flash PPE standing in front of an open electrical panel
5 Shocking Arc Flash Mistakes

Everyone knows arc flash is dangerous and the hazards that come with electrical work. However, sometimes simple mistakes are made, which can be ...

Read
CMMS and Safety in the Workplace

Manufacturing and other industries are harnessing the power of CMMS for maintenance efficiency and safety. The adage of "time is of the essence" ...

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Safety Signs for Futuristic Times

As robotic workers join the warehouse industry, it is important to have safety signs and other communication to help protect the human workers who ...

Read
SHOW MORE