Practical Facilities Tips, News & Advice.
If you have forklifts at your facility and have an opinion on the rules that govern their safe operation, now is your chance to weigh in with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA is seeking comment and information about possible deregulatory action involving general industry, construction, and maritime standards for forklifts and other […]
Winter is here, and many parts of the country are seeing snow. With the seasonal changes come the hazards of outdoor work in cold conditions, snow and ice removal, and other dangers. At its Winter Weather resource site, OSHA lists 10 common winter weather hazards that employers should train employees to recognize.
At last year’s annual conference of the American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP), ASSP’s outgoing President Jim Smith presented a session titled “The A1264.1 Standard: Wall and Roof Openings; Stairs and Guardrails/Handrails.” The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Standards 1264.1 and 1264.2 could be helpful for facilities management professionals looking to design their workplaces with […]
If your facility has been cited by OSHA, EPA, the EEOC, or another regulatory agency, it’s important to take steps immediately to address violations and bring your workplace into compliance. While some corrections may fall solely upon your environment, health, and safety (EHS) department, others may require the involvement of facilities management (FM) pros in […]
OSHA’s illumination standards for construction (29 CFR 1926.56) and shipyard employment (29 CFR 1915.82) set minimum lighting requirements in terms of foot-candles, a term that has been somewhat indistinct for employers and one that OSHA itself has acknowledged does not provide clear direction on how much light is needed for specific tasks.
An OSHA standard directed at mitigating workplace violence in healthcare facilities is not looming on the horizon, but not because OSHA is unaware of the main provisions such a standard would include. As it currently stands, it is not uncommon for OSHA to issue citations against healthcare employers whose employees are attacked, harmed, threatened, or […]