Safety Tips

Consistent and thorough inspections of scaffolding are crucial to ensure worker safety.

Working with metals often requires interaction with certain oils and other synthetic fluids that can be irritating or damaging to the skin. According to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, a variety of skin problems can develop from exposure to metalworking fluids, the most common of which is dermatitis.

Some of the most significant safety hazards that ironworkers face are encountered during the erection of open web steel joists, according to the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries.

A machine operator was killed while operating a palletizing machine at an ice cream manufacturing facility.

Computer vision syndrome, a condition with symptoms including headaches, dry eyes and blurred vision, can occur in any work environment that requires extended periods of time looking at a computer monitor.

Working with cranes can be very dangerous if time is not taken to carefully inspect equipment and follow safety guidelines.

According to OSHA, the fatality rate for excavation work is 112 percent higher than general construction. Performing difficult work, often with machinery and in confined spaces, can create a number of hazards.

A forklift/baler operator was killed after being crushed between the cage and the mast of the forklift he was operating. The victim was working the first shift at an envelope manufacturer.

Improperly using electrical equipment can create very serious hazards for workers. Special safety features built into equipment often are rendered ineffective when equipment is manipulated or misused.

Working alone presents employees with a number of challenges. Yet lone work is not inherently unsafe, according to the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety in Hamilton, Ontario.