The number one priority of any industry or business is safety. A safe work environment is crucial in fast paced, industrial businesses like construction and manufacturing. U.S. Nameplate offers a variety of products to help business better adhere to the safety standards set in place by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA released a list of the ten most frequently cited standards as a way to alert organizations and allow for improvements. The great news is, the violation of these standards is preventable through the use of proper safety labels, distribution of information to employees, and other preventative measures. Below, learn more about the ten most frequently cited standards and ways to prevent them from happening at your workplace.
- 1926.501 – Fall Protection- This standard is set in place to protect employees from accident and injury by requiring employers to implement fall protection. Fall protection comes in the form of fences, barricades, skylight covers, guard railing and reinforcing steel, or safety nets. Additional fall protection employers provide for workers could include custom safety labels or signage that informs employees of danger, risk of fall, or holes/edges. Custom Safety Labels that require employees to wear hard hats or fall protection equipment are also extremely important to maintaining the safety standard set in place by OSHA. Custom safety labels from U.S. Nameplate warn employees of risk, lowering an organizations risk of accidents or injuries.
- 1910.1200 – Hazard Communication- Communicating the risk of exposure to toxic and hazardous substances is the second most violated OHSA safety standard. Employers can protect their employees by communicating the risk of dangerous chemicals, through container labeling and other forms of warning, safety data sheets and employee training. Custom safety labels from U.S. Nameplate increase work place safety by providing information tailored to your specific need and industry.
- 1926.451 – Scaffolding – For industries that use scaffolding, keeping employees safe with a strong, wide platform is crucial. To adhere to OSHA standards, proper use of suspension ropes, and connecting hardware is required. Employers must also adhere to weight limits, load accordance, and proper use instructions to pass OSHA standards.
- 1910.134 – Respiratory Protection – Industries at risk of harmful dust, fumes, gases, or vapor exposure must adhere to OSHA standards set out to protect individuals from respiratory harm. To do this, employers must have knowledge of the harmful nature of the workplace and wear proper respiratory protection. Procedures to test the air, ensure air quality, and life of respiratory protection equipment is also required under OSHA standards.
- 1910.178 – Powered Industrial Trucks- This standard is set in place to ensure proper “fire protection, design, maintenance, and use of fork trucks, tractors, platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, and other specialized industrial trucks powered by electric motors or internal combustion engines” (OSHA 1910.178(a)(1)). Adhering to these standards requires manufacturers and employers to operate equipment with a label or mark indicating approval by a testing laboratory. Additionally, employers are required to keep labels in legible condition at all times. Custom safety labels from U.S. Nameplate can withstand 2-5 years of outdoor exposure and are coated in a UV clear coat to prevent fading. Easily adhere to OSHA standards for your equipment and vehicles with custom safely labels from U.S. Nameplate.
- 1910.147 – Lockout/Tagout – OSHA sets standards for general equipment controls to ensure the control of hazardous energy. This standard includes the service and maintenance of machines and other equipment. The standard also involves situations where the release of stored image could harm employees. The custom safety label below is an example of workplace safety label from U.S. Nameplate that protects employees from unexpected energization or startup of machines and equipment.
- 1926.1053 – Ladders – Ladders and Stairways pose risk to many different industries. OSHA has set in place standards to keep employees who frequently use stairways and ladders safe. Especially in construction, ladders should be able to support designated loads with accident or injury. A variety of standards including material coating ladders, clearance between rungs, and methods of use have been set to keep employees safe when using ladders.
- 1910.305 – Electrical, Wiring Methods- This standard lays out the proper wiring methods, components and equipment for industries general use. These standards are set in place to protect businesses and employees of wiring issues including fire and circuit breaks.
- 1910.212 – Machine Guarding – Machine guarding is important in protecting machine operators and employees nearby from dangerous equipment. Guards that protect from rotating parts, flying chips and sparks, and points of operation are required under this standard.
- 1910.303 – Electrical, General Requirements – General electrical requirements ensure that proper electrical conductors and other equipment is used at all times. This standard keeps employees safe from serious injury or death by ensuring all equipment is installed correctly, using the correct voltage and capacity, and other factors.