Questions and Answers
WHMIS is an acronym that stands for, “Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.” It is there to provide important information on things that could impact safety and health of employees in the workplace. This system is the national workplace hazard communication standard for Canada. While it is primarily used in Canada, companies that provide goods and … Read more
JSA stands for Job Safety Analysis. It is a procedure that is designed to help bring together various proven safety and health principles into practice in a real-life situation. This is done by looking at each step of a job to pinpoint various potential hazards that may be present. Once these hazards are identified, a … Read more
Closed cell foam is a material that is used in a wide range of different environments because it is strong, yet flexible. The material has millions of internal pores (cells) that are packed very tightly together, but are not connected. This is where the name ‘closed cell’ comes from. Depending on the exact type of … Read more
The General Duty Clause from OSHA identifies several requirements that employers must provide for their employees related to a safe work environment. These are all general requirements that are intentionally vague so that OSHA can use them to enforce workplace safety standards in many situations. Three Clauses This section of OSHA’s requirements is 29 USC … Read more
CBRN stands for Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear. It is often used in the context of ‘CBRN defense,’ meaning what types protective measures can be taken to keep one safe from exposure to these types of hazards. This term can be used in workplaces where dangerous chemicals or other substances are used, for emergency responders. … Read more
TSCA stands for ‘Toxic Substances Control Act.’ This is a law passed by the US Congress in 1976 and is a part of the Environmental Protection Act (EPA). The law regulates the introduction of any new or existing chemicals into a given environment. When the law was originally put into place all chemicals that were … Read more
PDCA stands for Plan-Do-Check-Act. It is a strategy used for continuous improvement in the workplace (or any other environment). It was popularized by W. Edwards Deming who helped to push forward modern quality improvement and quality control strategies. In many ways, PDCA emulates the well-known scientific method, and has been proven to be effective for … Read more
If you work with tools of almost any sort, you undoubtedly know the frustration of not being able to find the tools you need when you need them. You also know how much it costs when you lose (or have stolen) and important tool because you couldn’t properly track them. To solve these problems, it … Read more
EAP stands for, “Emergency Action Plan,” and is a document that a facility has to develop to show the actions that people must take in the event of an emergency. The EAP is required by OSHA for most types of facilities. The specific contents of an EAP will depend on the area for which it … Read more
Employers often require their employees hold OSHA cards. This is a card that is given out by OSHA after a person completes their Outreach Training Program’s 10-hour and 30-hour safety courses. Getting the required training, and the OSHA card, from only authorized locations is essential for ensuring everything is valid. It is also the only … Read more