Scaffolds and their components are among the most common features on construction sites and in industrial settings — and one of the most inherently dangerous. Workers take them for granted and fail to give them a second thought. While they may be ordinary and utilitarian, when they fail, it’s usually in dramatic, newsworthy ways. Although scaffolding systems may not get …

Spray painting and sandblasting serve two entirely opposite functions, yet from a safety standpoint, they create many similar hazards for workers. Both operations rely upon the use of compressed air to spray a material across surfaces, but while spray painting is normally used to apply a coating to those surfaces, sandblasting uses the material to either remove its current coating …

Ice and snow can be beautiful, but on construction projects and other outdoor jobsites, winter can transform even the safest spaces into treacherous places. We know that we have to walk carefully, so we won’t slip and fall, but other winter workplace hazards aren’t always as obvious. Frostbite is no fun If you think the skin injury we know as …

Most contractors have a wide array of equipment. Some of it is used on nearly every job, while some pieces may be hauled out only occasionally for specific needs. Then there are those projects that call for something that used so rarely it doesn’t make sense to own one, or that are large enough that the need is bigger than …

One of the most familiar — and frustrating — aspects of life on most construction sites is the tendency of workers to participate in the strange contest called the blame game. Anyone who has been a supervisor on a site for any length of time is certain to have encountered this odd contest. Something goes wrong, and everyone in earshot …

Nobody goes to work expecting a fire to break out, except for professional firefighters. Yet many jobsites have products and processes that present an elevated risk for fires. Even common objects such as vehicles and gasoline-powered compressors can present fire hazards. Fires are always a surprise, and if workers (and jobsites) aren’t prepared, the results can be devastating in terms …

It would stand to reason that a device that produces an intense flame or concentrated electric arc would be inherently dangerous. But welding and cutting equipment has become so familiar on many of today’s worksites that it’s easy to lose sight of the potential hazards. Safety professionals know that few things are more dangerous than complacency. When workers stop thinking …

Indianapolis – On June 28, 2019, 220 golfers representing 52 companies converged at the Eagle Creek Golf Club in Indianapolis to participate in Safety Management Group’s 17th Annual Charity Golf Outing. Proceeds raised this year resulted in over $55,558.10 benefiting Riley Hospital for Children and $10,000.00 benefiting the Hoosier Burn Camp. As Indiana’s first and only comprehensive hospital dedicated exclusively …

While you may not think of food poisoning as a workplace hazard, an outbreak caused by contaminated foods or liquids can lead to a significant amount of lost time. Given that the effects of food poisoning often last for two or three days, a worker could easily miss a couple days as he or she recovers. For people with other …

You may not be able to see radiation, but you’re probably aware that it can be deadly in high doses. Many people who came of age during the Cold War have a strong fear of nuclear weapons. And when a tsunami crippled Japan’s Fukushima nuclear power plant nearly a decade ago, leading to one of the largest accidental releases of …