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For industrial workers, personal protective equipment (PPE) isn’t optional. PPE in the workplace provides a crucial layer of protection from toxic substances and chemicals. Employers have a responsibility to provide appropriate PPE for the task at hand and provide workers with training.

Oil spills are hazardous — and while oil doesn’t present the same immediate threat as battery acids or other industrial liquids, oil can certainly damage equipment and create serious slip-and-fall hazards. Oils can also create serious fire and explosive risks. Of course, most industrial businesses deal with large quantities of oil on a regular basis, and spills are practically inevitable.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) plays a crucial role in keeping battery room workers safe. Lift truck batteries are typically refillable, and their electrolyte solution contains a dangerous amount of sulfuric acid. Contact with battery acid can cause severe chemical burns, but symptoms may not appear for minutes or hours after contact — acid-resistant PPE limits the risk significantly.

Commercial trash dumpsters aren’t the most exciting purchase, but they play an important role in keeping your facility clean and organized. The right dumpsters — when properly placed — can improve efficiency and throughput. After all, there’s a reason why lean manufacturing experts focus on keeping things clean.

Every battery charging area needs spill kits — and response kits serve an important function outside the battery room, too. They’re vital for maintaining a safe work environment following a leak, spill, or boil-over. Maintaining an adequate supply of spill response kits helps employers comply with OSHA, and more importantly, the kits can prevent chemical injuries and property damage.

Thanks to nationwide vaccination efforts, many businesses in the United States are reopening their doors, but the pandemic still presents serious concerns for workers. In June 2021, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported 15,168 federal complaints related to COVID-19 protocols along with 53,175 state-level complaints.

Every operation should keep an appropriate supply of spill response equipment. That includes absorbent pads, booms, socks, and pillows, which contain (and in some cases, neutralize) spilled liquids, allowing for safe, compliant cleanup. To find absorbent materials for your operation, you’ll need to perform a hazard assessment. This is particularly important for laboratories and other facilities that work with hydrofluoric (HF) acids and other chemicals.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is essential in the battery room. That’s not just our opinion: OSHA 1926.441(a)(5) specifically states that “face shields, aprons, and rubber gloves shall be provided for workers handling acids or batteries.”

Great waste management allows for a much more efficient operation. That’s particularly true for warehouses, construction sites, factories, and other businesses that generate a large quantity of waste and recyclables. When workers spend their time emptying roll-out carts, they’re not at their most productive — and when containers aren’t movable, excess materials and waste will stack up quickly.

As the federal agency charged with keeping workplaces in the U.S. as safe as possible, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces regulations about personal protective equipment (PPE) in the construction industry — but it’s not always easy to figure out what the OSHA PPE standards really mean to employers.