Thermal Imaging With A Smartphone

February 25, 2016 by Dan Clark

3 min read Thermal imaging can make a safer workplace. Add-on thermal imaging devices are available for your smartphone. Soon we’ll see the first smartphone with a built-in thermal camera. Workplace safety and efficiency can increase with thermal imaging: • Electricians can discover electrical shorts and overheating wires. • Plumbers can trace hot water pipes and find water leaks. • Contractors can find missing insulation and air leaks. • Rescue workers can use it to find buried victims. …

4 Hazards of Storm Cleanup

January 28, 2016 by Dan Clark

2 min read Storm cleanup done by company employees can cause them injury. Listen for tips on how to protect workers from the four major dangers of storm cleanup. Slips, trips and falls, water hazards, electrical hazards, and debris hazards all need to be avoided if a company chooses to do its own cleanup after a storm. Dan Clark details each of the hazards and how employees can prepare for them. TRANSCRIPT: (:00) intro music and effects (:04) …

Temporary Wiring Is OK In Only 4 Situations

January 14, 2016 by Dan Clark

2 min read Temporary wiring (like an extension cord) gets the thumbs-up from OSHA in just four settings. In only a couple of minutes, Dan Clark lays out the details. In this podcast, hear about OSHA’s temp wiring standard in workplace remodeling, experimentation, holiday lighting and emergencies. We also list considerations when selecting and using extension cords and other flexible wiring. TRANSCRIPT: (:00) intro music and effects (:04) Dan Clark: Sometimes you have to use temporary wiring such …

Arc Blast Hierarchy Of Controls

January 12, 2016 by Dan Clark

3 min read Arc blast dangers can be minimized with a Hierarchy Of Controls. Hear the difference between arc flash and arc blast, plus the five methods to prevent them. The surface of the sun is cooler than an arc blast. This explosive electrical hazard can easily kill and injure. In this podcast we present the Hierarchy Of Controls to prevent arc blast: Elimination/Substitution; Engineering Controls; Administrative Controls; Work Practice Controls Personal Protective Equipment. The hearing protection requirement …

Arc Flash and Winter Underwear

December 15, 2015 by Dan Clark

2 min read Arc flash can melt synthetic underwear right to your skin. Wear arc-rated base layers, socks and briefs beneath an arc-rated jacket. An arc-rated coat may seem like an all-protective shield, but don’t be fooled. Thermal hazards are just waiting to overheat your non-arc-rated undergarments! What about spandex waistbands? In this podcast, Dan Clark reviews the 2015 OSHA clarifications on the flammability of spandex. Also, hear about the polyester molecule that’s flame-resistant in modern arc-rated wear …

Power Line Safety At Work Sites

October 20, 2015 by Dan Clark

3 min read Power line safety must be checked and double checked when working with lines overhead or underground. Observe the 10 foot Circle Of Safety at any work site. Dan Clark describes the hazards of equipment or vehicles making contact with power lines. Learn about the Circle Of Safety, step potential and touch potential. Dan also gives important advice on how to hop and shuffle out of an area of land which has been energized. TRANSCRIPT: (:00) …

Wind Energy Safety

July 30, 2015 by Dan Clark

3 min read Wind energy safety is a careful blend of fall protection, electrical hazard awareness and much more. Hear the best practices for working on wind turbines. Working 30 stories up can a challenge for a worker. Add in unpredictable weather, high voltages, fire hazards, and confined space. This dangerous combination is business-as-usual at a wind farm. In this podcast, Dan Clark describes the ways to stay safe when working on and below a wind turbine. TRANSCRIPT: …

Eye Protection – Summer Outdoor Workers

June 10, 2015 by Dan Clark

3 min read Eye protection should ramp up in summer, when outdoor workers are exposed to more hazards. Hear how cheap sunglasses may actually be ok. In this podcast, Dan Clark says that UVA and UVB protected eyewear does not have to cost a lot. But beware, lens color is not an indicator of protection. Also, Dan tells how to guard against dust, chemicals and other things flying through the outdoor air during summer. TRANSCRIPT: (:00) intro music …

9 Volt Battery Myths And Facts

March 19, 2015 by Dan Clark

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3 min read Battery myths. Can 9 volt batteries start fires, and how do you avoid them? Can 9 volt batteries fatally shock you? We peel away fiction, reveal the truth. Facilities and vehicles can burn down, all because a 9 volt battery was unsafely stored. Even partially charged batteries can put property and people at risk. Hear how to properly store and use 9 volt batteries in this podcast. Dan Clark also tells of the conflict between …

Counterfeit Electrical Products

February 17, 2015 by Dan Clark

2 min read Counterfeit electrical products, such as circuit breakers and electrical panels, can cause a building to go up in flames. Hear how to spot the counterfeits. Not just consumer products. There are fake electrical products now at the very heart of electrical safety in building construction. Wiring, infrastructure and switches—which detect a fault condition and interrupt current flow—are all being counterfeited and sold at hard-to-believe prices. In this podcast, Dan Clark explores the danger of counterfeits, …