Safety Consulting & Training
On-Site and/or On-Line

Most of our clients have some warehousing. When selecting, staging, and anchoring racks there are many factors to consider including the following:

• • Pallet depth vs rack depth
  • Aisle width vs lift trucks to be used
  • Where to place rows compared to structural beams
  • Can racks be moved without disassembly?
  • Length of spacers between back to back rack rows
  • How level is level enough?
  • How high can we stack leveling shims?
  • What size and anchor type should be used?
  • Should we use a racking contractor?

Download this pdf primer for insights on staging and anchoring racks.

RackPlacementAnchoringJE

OSHA published a detailed document describing what they expect companies to be doing to prevent the spread of the Corona Virus. Information should be a key document your company uses to design and implement a COVID Preparedness Program that is appropriate for your work environment and community situation.

You can join Joe Eudy and Brian Rutherford in a webinar Tuesday, August 25, 2020 to discuss this subject. The webinar is sponsored by PIA MidAmerica. Registration: www.piamidam.org.

This is the link to the OSHA document:

https://www.osha.gov/Publications/OSHA3990.pdf

OSHA Depiction of COVID Risk Categories

Just how far are we expected to go with our workplace protections to prevent the spread of COVID-19? OSHA expects us to have protective measures place. However, the extent of our preventive measures needs to be appropriate to match the assessed risks, not necessarily the best of the best practices available in all cases.

A little clarification on the categories in the Risk Pyramid:

• Very High Exposure Risk: Jobs with a very high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of SARS-CoV-2 during specific medical, postmortem, or laboratory procedures.
• High Exposure Risk: Jobs with a high potential for exposure to known or suspected sources of SARS-CoV-2. Workers in this category include:
• Medium Exposure Risk: Jobs that require frequent/close contact with people who may be infected, but who are not known to have or suspected of having COVID-19.
• Lower Exposure Risk (Caution): Jobs that do not require contact with people known to be, or suspected of being, infected with SARS-CoV-2. Workers in this category have minimal occupational contact with the public and other coworkers

I'm personally relieved that my work and the work of most client companies' situations are mostly in the section with "Lower Exposure Risk". However, we may occasionally find ourselves in a "Medium Risk" situation, especially as managers in production plants.

Since our risk of exposures is not extreme, our preventive measures tend to be simple and inexpensive. However, there are many companies that have not put forth the effort to but very basic common controls in place in a consistent manner yet.

If your company has been lax on basic COVID-19 controls (or any other controls required by your county), I suggest you (more…)

               
Automated Check-in.            Manual self-check-in.                  Collection Bin for Privacy.

Companies should have some sort of daily check-in/screening process for COVID-19. The check-in system typically asks employees about whether they've had a fever during the last day, has experienced other possible COVID-19 symptoms, and whether the employee has a likelihood of significant exposure to COVID-19. The check-in process may also include a forehead temperature check.

Follow this link for details and Sample Screening Form. (more…)

The CDC updated the recommended guidelines for employers (7/20/2020) to follow for accepting an employee back at the worksite after an isolation period for COVID-19 (whether their case is confirmed or suspected).

They did not seem to cover all the situations we are seeing, so here's some ideas for you:

Situation 1: Person had symptoms and is getting better (whether tested positive, or never tested)

Must have these:  Symptoms (such as cough or shortness of breath must be improved & no fever last 24 hrs (without taking any fever reducing meds).
And need one of these:
a) 10+ days since symptoms first occurred
b) 2 negative COVID-19 tests taken over 24 hrs apart (Because of lines and delays in results, this may not be a feasible route these days).

Situation 2: Person was hospitalized for COVID-19

Should have a Doctor's note and 2 negative COVID-19 tests taken over 24 hrs apart

Situation 3: Person tested Positive for COVID-19 but never had symptoms (more…)

Gov. Greg Abbott                            Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley

OK - It's official now. When in public, or with a moderate size group,  or within 6 feet of a co-worker -Wear A Mask.

The eye-opening data below shows we need to do a much better job in preventing the spread of COVID.

COVID-19 has created challenges for holding workplace classes and meetings. Impact Safety has created an on-line training program covering Lockout / Tagout. Follow this link (the cartoon graphic) to see a sampling of the new on-line program.

Impact Safety helps companies build and maintain safety programs that employees are proud to support and participate in. We can be especially helpful for companies near Dallas-Fort Worth. If you would like to know more about our services and what's-in-it-for your company, let's start a conversation.

Dallas County commissioners voted today to mandate that businesses require customers and everyone on the premises to wear a mask. Businesses that don't comply could face up to a $500 fine per violation. Note that the requirement for workers in a production setting is only for when a person is within 6 ft of another person.

While the rate of new cases is dropping in the US, the uptick in hospitalizations for COVID 19 in Texas is increasing, causing a significant reduction in available ICU beds.

(more…)

If your printing or manufacturing company is operating through the corona virus crisis, you need to watch this video. Six B Labels was audited for compliance to emergency COVID-19 regulations by the City of Dallas – and they were ready. They had already made simple modifications in operations that greatly reduce risks of employees catching the virus at work.  Follow this link to see for yourself:

• Signage
• Masks
• Distancing & Barriers
• Sanitizing
• Hand washing
• Visitor and Shipping processes

The video provides an overview of "new norms" for production companies, and it shares insights on cultural reactions to life in the "COVID era".