This photograph illustrates a hazard seen time and time again in the workplace: workers standing under a suspended load. Yes, that’s danger tape in front of the workers, warning people to stay away from the area. Ironically, a crane crew had delivered a safety talk warning against standing under suspended loads only a few hours before this photograph was taken. (Naval Safety Center)

When your eyes are burning with a splashed chemical and you desperately need an emergency eyewash station, the setup shown in this photograph would be the last thing you’d ever want to encounter. Someone has moved a hazmat shed directly in front of an eyewash station, blocking access to it. No one wants to play hide and seek in an emergency. (Naval Safety Center)

Most workers wouldn’t dream of standing on the top cap of a stepladder, let alone the uppermost rung. But this worker is raising the stakes by standing on top of a bucket perched on the top cap. If this perilous setup started rocking, the worker holding the bucket would have little chance of preventing a serious fall. (Naval Safety Center)

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 workers will take a shortcut by choosing to climb racking to reach stock on shelves—as this photograph illustrates. Australia’s WorkSafe Victoria says that 20 percent of injuries in the retail sector occur as a result of a slip, trip or fall. (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia)

We’re not sure what sort of work these guys thought they would be performing on this day, but they certainly didn’t come prepared with any equipment to keep themselves safe while working at heights. It’s ironic to see the safety cones set up on the ground at left. Safety first, right guys? (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia)

Doubling up on ladders is never a good thing. This construction worker was photographed standing with one foot on each of two stepladders at a Florida building site. If one of those ladders went sideways, this worker could fall backwards and end up permanently grounded. (Naval Safety Center)

A “watch your step” sign at the top of a stairway is a good safety reminder, but this photograph illustrates too much of a good thing. Every step on this stairway has a safety warning, which could actually end up distracting a worker and causing a serious fall.  (www.safetyrisk.net)

We’ve all seen them—traffic cones that are knocked over and bent out of shape. But these cones easily could have been a highway work zone worker struck down by an inattentive driver. This powerful image serves as a good reminder to drivers to slow down and pay attention in work zones. (flaggerforce.com)

We’re not sure how this worker came up with the idea of using a piece of paper as a face shield against hot sparks. Hot work isn’t called hot work for nothing.

Here is another scaffolding system that definitely isn’t engineer-approved. What could possibly go wrong? (Naval Safety Center)

If you believe that a light bulb is a light bulb, you could be in for a surprise of the nature of the one illustrated in this photograph. Placing a 100-watt bulb in a fixture rated for only 40 watts caused a meltdown of the plastic shade. Fortunately it didn’t result in a fire. At home or at work, always check the rated wattage capacity of a light fixture before installing a new bulb. (Naval Safety Center)

Safety never takes a holiday, or does it? This confusing sign likely caused a few raised eyebrows and laughs, unfortunately undermining an important safety message in the process. (Naval Safety Center)

These workers in Pakistan, some of whom are children, are seen working without any protective gear as they manufacture scalpels and scissors. Along with the risk of having a flying object enter their eyes, several of these workers, particularly the man third from the right, are wearing loose clothing that could easily become entangled in the machinery with which they are working. Some workers are paid the equivalent of well under $2 per day for this dangerous work. (BMA Medical Fair and Ethical Trade Group)

Working in any trench that is not protected against collapse is a big gamble, but here we have workers coping with muck and a couple of feet of water in a trench that appears to be at least twice their height—not exactly a safety-inspiring scenario. (Internet)

The rationale behind this alarming location for a fire extinguisher is anyone’s guess. If a fire broke out, there would be a mad scramble to access it. Fire extinguishers need to be fully charged, inspected and within easy reach of all people, not just towering basketball players. (Naval Safety Center Photo of the Week)

One of the worst feelings a worker can experience is to step into space through an unguarded floor or wall opening. It can be all over for a worker before full realization of what’s happening even registers. And it’s so unnecessary. All it takes is a few minutes to secure an opening and prevent a deadly fall. (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia)

 Here’s a perfect picture for the familiar Call Before You Dig safety message. Fortunately, this machine operator snagged a fiber optic line instead of a high-voltage electrical line or gas line. (WorkSafeVictoria, Australia)

Yes! He is. …And there is nothing wrong with this picture.

A Latvian designer named Kaspars Jursons is trying to help solve European water shortages by redesigning the men’s restroom.

“It’s not just a fancy piece of art,” he says. “You are washing your hands in the sink on top of the urinal, and the same water that’s running is also used to flush. You don’t have to use water twice…”

The tap is hands-free and sensor-activated: an in-your-face reminder to wash your hands. The creators purport that their invention is more suitable for hygiene. Fewer men will forget to wash their hands!

While 85 percent of men and 93 percent of women  in North America wash their hands after going to the bathroom, a Michigan State University study has found that only five percent of people wash their hands for long enough to kill germs that can cause illnesses. One-third of the hand washers don’t even bother using soap, according to the study, which was based on observations of 3,749 people in public restrooms. If you aren’t using soap and washing for at least 15-20 seconds, you aren’t killing germs that can make you ill. The study found that on average, people were observed to wash their hands for only six seconds. Yuck.

Admittedly, this situation isn’t as unsafe as a walk off a ship’s plank into shark-infested waters, but it still could result in a nasty injury if this plank should shift or snap. This board is too short, too narrow, ill-supported and doesn’t offer workers safe worksite entry and egress. (WorkSafe Victoria, Australia)

This is the season to be on guard for heat illness, especially when working outdoors under the scorching sun and in high humidity. It’s important for your workers to take periodic rest breaks in the shade, dress in loose, light clothing, wear hats and drink at least one quart (about a liter) of water every hour. Safety-conscious supervisors schedule more physically demanding tasks for cooler times of the day and always provide plenty of water and shade. Heat illness isn’t something to be taken lightly. People can easily suffer life-threatening consequences if they aren’t properly hydrated and their body temperatures spike. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA))