Safe Workplace and Safety News

How many problems can you spot with this sign? It's easy to see three or four, but can you find eight or more problems?

There are ten problems with this sign.

Visit the DuraLabel web site and take the quiz to see how many problems you can correctly identify with this sign. It's a multiple choice online quiz that is offered free... you don't even need to sign up to take the quiz.

Labels: safety signs, Safety Training

This morning's Daily Item reports from Lynn, Massachusetts that the Lynn Chamber of Commerce reported that "two men recently tried to scam the organization by insisting the government workplace safety posters they were selling for $30 each were mandatory for businesses.

JoAnn Power, the chamber's communications director, said the pair were selling state and federal labor law compliance posters from a company called Compliance4Less and warned that businesses failing to purchase the items could be fined up to $17,000 by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)."

This type of misleading sales of OSHA posters has been going on for a long time. The following is an OSHA press release from 2001:

WORKPLACE POSTERS ARE AVAILABLE FREE - DESPITE MISLEADING ADVERTISING

Advertisements suggesting that OSHA workplace posters must be purchased from private companies to avoid fines may be misleading employers. OSHA reminds employers that its official posters are available free for the asking.

The official OSHA poster was redesigned last year to make it easier to read and understand. The new poster, called "It's the Law!" is available in English and Spanish. Employers need not replace older posters with the new ones, if they prefer to use them. Employers are required to display one of the two posters in a prominent location.

The OSHA poster informs workers of their rights to a safe and healthful workplace, how to file a complaint, report an emergency, and seek OSHA advice, and advises them of their right to confidentiality. It also lists the toll free number for OSHA, 800-321-OSHA, as well as phone numbers for regional OSHA offices around the country.

For a copy of OSHA's poster, visit OSHA's website at http://www.osha-slc.gov/Publications/poster.html. For the Spanish version, see http://www.osha-slc.gov/Publications/poster2.html. Employers can order multiple copies online by visiting www.osha.gov, then Newsroom, then Publications. Complete the order form online, and fax your request to Publications at (202) 693-2498. You can also call (202) 698-1888 or write to: U.S. Department of Labor/OSHA, OSHA Publications, P.O. Box 37535 Washington, D.C. 20013-7535.

Labels: OSHA, rtk labels, safety regulations, safety signs

I mostly go to the same places over and over, year after year. Some are exciting and far away, such as an annual trip to Russia. But most are close to home. Today, however, I had the opportunity to visit a paper mill I had not been in for 18 years.

I was surprised, not much had changed. The main office building was closed and I had to check in at the front gate. That was different. But the refiners were the same, the paper machines the same, the storage tanks looked the same. The boilers I had inspected 18 years ago were worn out and were just now being replaced, but everything was pretty much the same except...

...there were labels and signs everywhere. 18 years ago labels and signs were not used nearly as much.

But here is what really caught my eye...

Most mills have banners exhorting employees to improve safety or productivity. Here the maintenance shop had a banner I loved: LABELS, Read Them, Heed Them.

It's an important safety message.

This is obvious to us. Pay attention to labels. Although after 18 years the contrast was noticeable to me, for those who work there (in any industrial environment) it is easy for the labels and signs to become a part of the background. We need a constant reminder to pay attention to the labels and signs in our work place. And we also need to have labels and signs that clearly communicate their message. Effective visual communication is critical to safety.

Labels, Read Them, Heed Them... it's a message to pay attention to.

For more information about labels:
Pipe Markers
RTK Labels
Arc Flash Labels
Wire Markers

Labels: Industrial Safety, safety signs

Graphic Products has started shipping their new DuraLabel PRO 300 label and sign printer. This is a high resolution, 300 dpi, high speed industrial printer. It is suitable for printing self-adhesive safety and informational signs and labels such as: arc flash labels, RTK labels, OSHA safety signs, pipe markers, tamper evident labels and more.

The unique feature of this new label printer is that it combines high resolution printing with high speed printing. In the past high resolution label printing was slow. But, by incorporating high speeding digital processing the DuraLabel PRO 300 gets labels to start coming out of the printer sooner, resulting in faster printing.

The DuraLabel PRO 300 uses the continually growing line of DuraLabel PRO supplies. From continuous vinyl in over 30 colors, to specialty supplies such as oily surface labels and low temperature tapes. They are six types of die-cut RTK labels and a unique two-color continuous vinyl tape is only available for DuraLabel PRO printers. Supplies are available for making everything from reflective parking lot signs to small shrink tube labels for wires.

The DuraLabel PRO 300 is the industrial label printer that gets the job done... and gets it done right. Visit the DuraLabel PRO 300 web site for more information www.DuraLabelPRO.com

Labels: Arc Flash, rtk labels, safety labels, safety signs

The following is a November 27th press release from NEMA:

The National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA) has published ANSI Z535.2-2007 American National Standard for Environmental and Facility Safety Signs. This publication contains the requirements for safety signs to be used to alert and inform viewers of the existence of potential hazards to personnel or property in the environment or in facilities, the nature and potential severity of the hazard, and the steps to be taken to avoid the hazard.

According to Allen Clapp, chairman of Subcommittee Z535.2 on Environmental and Facility Safety Signs, this document also includes requirements for signs describing safety procedures, the location of safety equipment, and directional arrows used to alert viewers of safe locations or safety equipment. The requirements cover both fixed signs and larger, movable signs that are sometimes used on large industrial sites with changing conditions.

"This edition helps users differentiate hazards that are likely to result in personal injury from hazards likely to result only in damage to facilities," Clapp said. "The safety sign formats in this standard are consistent with those of ANSI Z535.4 for product safety signs and labels, and ANSI Z535.5 for temporary safety tags and barricade tapes. This standard, however, appropriately reflects the different requirements for environmental and facility safety signs to alert viewers at greater distances, so that they may avoid entering—or take appropriate cautions before entering—the location containing the hazard."

This standard incorporates a new annex to help users estimate and evaluate risks from potential hazards in the environment or in facilities, and select the appropriate alerting signal word and sign format consistent with the type and degree of hazard. Updated references also help users design effective, efficient safety signs.

The table of contents and scope of ANSI Z535.2-2007 may be viewed, or a hardcopy or electronic copy purchased for $78 by visiting NEMA’s website at www.nema.org/stds/z535-2.cfm Copies may also be purchased by contacting IHS at 800-854-7179 (within the U.S.), 303-397-7956 (international), or 303-397-2740 (fax).

NEMA is the trade association of choice for the electrical manufacturing industry. Founded in 1926 and headquartered near Washington, D.C., its approximately 450 member companies manufacture products used in the generation, transmission and distribution, control, and end-use of electricity.

Labels: safety signs