Pipe Marking for Your Facility

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Pipe marking is essential to any workplace that transports liquids or substances throughout their facility via pipes. Having an effective pipe marking strategy often requires more than just printing a simple label and putting it on a pipe. Whether it’s ANSI/ASME standards or just tips from the pros, the following are best practices to consider before embarking on your pipe labeling journey. Requirements for Pipe Marking While OSHA has not developed specific requirements when it …

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Implementing Floor Markings in your Facility

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Having a visual factory is essential for keeping a workplace runningsmoothly. It can greatly improve safety, increase efficiency, and promote organization in nearly any type of workplace. There are several components that go into an effective visual communication strategy including using signs, labels, and floor marking. Floor marking encompasses several components like floor tape, floor shapes, and floor signs/floor stickers. Floor tapes come in many different colors and materials, so you can truly customize your …

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Organizing Your Workplace

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Organization in the workplace is essential in keeping a facility efficient and workers safe. By taking a few simple steps and implementing easy organization practices, you’ll find workers will not have to spend extra time searching for specific materials and tools, thus ensuring your customers will receive their orders as fast as possible. There are several areas and spaces around a workplace that could use some practical organizational strategies including workbenches, work cells, shelves, walkways, …

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GHS labels: What you need to know

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Hazard communication is often essential to workplace safety, an GHS labels are a cornerstone of HazCom. Originally introduced and developed by the United Nations in 1992, the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals has been required by OSHA since 2012. In this post we look examine each component of a compliant label and how to ensure your facility is aligned with the GHS standard. What’s on a GHS label? No matter …

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Understanding the NFPA Diamond [NFPA 704 Standard]

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The “NFPA 704: Standard System for the Identification of the Hazards of Materials for Emergency Response” is a standard developed and maintained by the National Fire Protection Association. The standard is a system consisting of a label with a “fire diamond” or “safety square” that communicates with both workers and emergency personnel on the severity and other components on nearly any type of chemical container. Paramedics, police officers, and firemen are usually trained to read …

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Improving Electrical Safety in the Workplace

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Electricity can pose a dangerous a hazard to employees and the workplace. People can be severely injured, a fire could be started, and electrical incidents could even result in death. Although there are a number of requirements and tips for achieving proper electrical safety, here are just a few to get you started. Identify hazards in a Gemba walk: One of the best ways you can effectively address present electrical hazards in by going and …

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Arc Flash Safety Requirements

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Arc flashes are one of the most dangerous hazards found in a workplace. The potential property damage of an arc flash includes metal on equipment melting, a fire breaking out, or even break windows and splinter wood, and the potential for human injury is extremely serious. Workers who experience an arc flash could be burned badly, be electrocuted, have permanent hearing or eyesight damage, and can be fatal in extreme cases. Although arc flashes can …

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Keep an Eye on Safety with ANSI z87.1

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Eyes are one of the most vulnerable organs of the human body, and as an employer you areobligated to keep your workers safe, including their eyes. Providing compliant and effective personal protective equipment (PPE) can dramatically reduce the chance of eye injury and even vision loss. Whether your workplace is a construction site, a laboratory, or a manufacturing warehouse, there are a number of hazards the eye faces. Fortunately, the ANSI z87.1 standard was developed …

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5 Kaizen Tools to Start Using

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Kaizen is both a methodology and a philosophy at the core of Lean manufacturing. Continuous improvement is synonymous with kaizen, meaning no process is fully developed, people should always be looking for ways processes can be improved. Kaizen focuses on improving processes, standardizing processes, involving workers from all levels, and much more. The following are five strategies, out of many, that kaizen uses: Gemba: The phrase “go to Gemba first” is common when talking about …

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Safety Signs in the Workplace

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Hazard and visual communication are essential to safety in the workplace. Hazard communication encompasses all types of signs and labels: caution signs, danger, notice, warning, and safety instruction signs. ANSI Standards The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has developed some of the most widely adopted standards used in the workplace. One of the essential set of standards is the ANSI Z535 series, regarding the design of safety signs and labels. The components include colors used, …

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