The message on the bright yellow caution sign shown here, warning that the area in front of this electrical panel must be kept clear for 36 inches, seems to have been lost on the person who parked a bicycle right in front of it.
It's Fire Prevention Month--a good time to point to hazards at work and around the house that need to be addressed before a fire occurs. This photograph shows a power bar that has overheated and could easily have caused a fire. Worse yet, it was still in use, under a bed.
Picture This! Vertical Vertigo Holding an extended extension ladder upright [...]
Making do with what you have is good advice in many situations, but in the world of workplace safety, making do often translates into taking dangerous shortcuts. Here we have a situation where someone has shoved bare electrical wires into a power outlet and then taped the makeshift wiring to hold it in place. (WorkSafeVictoria, Australia)
Taking shortcuts with scaffolding is risky business. Here is a photograph showing a makeshift scaffold that was cobbled together by a person who should have known better, namely a safety supervisor.
This photograph illustrates a hazard seen time and time again in the workplace--workers standing under suspended loads. Yes, that's danger tape in front of the workers, warning people to stay away from the area. It appears that these workers didn't get the memo.
When your eyes are burning from contact with a splashed chemical and you desperately need an emergency eyewash station
What would you tell a worker using a ladder in this way?
Picture This nearly always focuses on unsafe work practices, but this week we have a photograph showing workers doing the right thing. In this case, a worker is shown using a bucket and rope to hoist tools to an elevated work area. This arrangement allows workers to maintain three points of contact when ascending or descending ladders. (eLCOSH)
It's unfortunate that in spite of having ready access to a ladder, many retail workers will choose to climb racking to access stock on shelves, as this photograph illustrates. Australia's WorkSafe Victoria notes that one in five injuries in the retail sector involve slips, trips or falls.
Here we have a photograph of two workers working at a significant height without any form of fall protection. They did take the time to place safety cones on the ground, which lends a sad irony to this scenario.
Gymnastics should be considered one of the skills of safe ladder use. This worker is shown straddling two ladders, with one foot on each. This looks like a recipe for a nasty or even fatal fall.
A well-placed safety sign is a good reminder for your workers and visitors, but this photograph shows a dizzying array of "watch your step" warning signs that could actually distract workers and lead to a fall on this stairway.
What happened to these cones?
We are not sure what possessed the worker shown here to believe that a piece of paper wedged around his eyeglasses would provide face protection against a shower of sparks while performing hot work.
The only potential safety feature in this photograph is the grass at the base of this unsafe scaffolding. It might slightly cushion the impact should a worker fall from it.
Assuming that any old light bulb will work in a light fixture could lead to a meltdown like the one shown in this photograph. Worse yet, it could cause a fire.
Some confusing wording on a safety message probably raised a few eyebrows.
This photograph shows workers in Pakistan, including children, making scalpels and scissors without personal protective equipment or machine guarding. They could easily suffer eye injuries or machine entanglement injuries.
Working in any trench without safeguards against collapse is risky, but this photo shows workers toiling in a deep, mucky one with lots of water in the bottom. It's a recipe for disaster.
Location is everything, particularly when one is speaking about access to a fire extinguisher during an emergency. This device is well out of reach for all but the tallest people.
Walking on solid ground one second and suddenly stepping into nothingness through an unguarded floor opening has to be one of the most frightening experiences for a construction worker. With a little planning, these often-deadly falls are preventable.
You never know what you might snag if you excavate before calling to find out the location of underground utilities.
Does this graphic ACTUALLY depict a man washing his hands in a urinal? What is going on?
This skinny plank, which barely spans its supports at both ends, provides workers with a potentially exciting, yet unsafe, means of getting to and from their worksite. It could easily snap or shift, or a worker could simply lose his balance and fall from it.
Since it's your first time, you may want to checkout some of the video tutorials.
800-ICW-SAFETY (800.429.7233)
SAFETYOnDemand@icwgroup.com