BWC

Free BWC Classes at the North Canton Office this Spring

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The following classroom classes are not PCSC events but do qualify for up to 1 safety council eternal training credit.*

Free BWC Classes at the North Canton office:

  • Hazard Communication Half-day Workshop – March 5
  • Controlling Workers’ Compensation Costs – March 18
  • Powered Industrial Trucks: Developing a Training Program Half-day Workshop – March 19 AM
  • Violence in the Workplace – March 19 PM
  • Restaurant and Food Service Safety Workshop – March 23 AM
  • Ergonomics:  Developing an Effective Process – April 1
  • Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Refresher – April 14

Click here for more info.

Trenching Hazards: March’s Safety & Hygiene Corner

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Question: I am hearing a lot about trench & excavation hazards recently.  Besides cave-ins, is there any other hazards I should be aware of?

Answer: Many construction workers are injured and killed in trench and excavation collapses each year.  Although collapsing is the major hazard with trenches and excavations, there are others that you should be aware of, as well.

  1. Trenches and excavations can be deficient of oxygen or could contain hazardous concentrations of gases like carbon monoxide. Stay out of the trench or excavation and report to your supervisor if either hazard is a possibility.
  2. Watch out for buried electrical cables that could cause injuries or electrocutions. Excavators are supposed to call local utilities before they dig, but its safest to assume that they haven’t.  If you see a cable, assume it is hot.  Get out immediately without coming into contact with it and report to your supervisor.
  3. Watch for water lines and avoid breaking them. Broken lines will cause trenches and excavations to cave in quickly.  If you see water inside a trench or excavation, get out immediately and contact your supervisor.
  4. Watch for buried gas lines and other buried hazards. They could cause injuries.  For example, a broken natural gas line could be ignited by a welding spark, torch, cigarette or other source.
  5. Be aware of falling and moving objects while working, especially when an equipment operator is lowering pipe, shoring materials or other objects into the trench or excavation. Keep well away from the process.
  6. Remember that changing weather conditions may affect the stability of the soil in a trench or excavation. When changes in weather occur, such as rain, snow, ice storms, heavy winds or extended periods of hot, dry, weather.  Stay out of the trench until it is inspected by someone with the knowledge and experience to know whether entering could be hazardous.
  7. Always maintain an accessible means of exiting the trench or excavation such as a ladder or ramp. There should be an accessible exit within 25 feet of every worker inside the trench or excavation.

Provided by the Ohio BWC safety consultants.

Ohio Safety Congress 2020

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This event is not a PCSC event but does qualify for up to 1 safety council eternal training credit.

From the Ohio BWC……

Join us at OSC 2020

The Ohio Safety Congress & Expo, now in its 90th year, is the second-largest occupational safety, health, and workers’ compensation event in the U.S. Last year’s event attracted more than 8,000 attendees from Ohio businesses and government, and more than 300 exhibitors. Registration is FREE!
For three days, OSC 2020 provides world-class workplace safety and health education, in-depth workshops, live demonstrations and much more. The Expo Marketplace, with more than 300 exhibitors on hand, will be abuzz with energy throughout the event.

For a recap of last year’s event, check out the highlights in our Twitter recap and scroll through our blog recap.

Click here for more info.

December 2019 Newsletter

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Welcome to our monthly newsletter for December 2019!

Our goal for the newsletter is to connect our members to relevant safety resources, all linked together in one convenient location every month. We hope you find this resource useful and valuable!

Please share with your colleagues!

SAFETY RESOURCES:

  1. [Safety Blast] Winter Walking-Working Surfaces Standard. Cari Gray, Safety Consultant Specialist for the Ohio BWC, gives us a snapshot of OSHA’s walking-working surfaces standards in regards to inclement winter weather often experienced in Northeast Ohio and beyond! (2:19)
  2. Training Common Sense to Improve Winter Safety. Cari Gray, Safety Consultant for the Ohio BWC, shares why it’s important to train workers in what appears to be common sense during the winter weather season! (7:10)
  3. How to Avoid Slips, Trips & Falls in Winter Weather Conditions. Cari Gray, Safety Consultant Specialist for the Ohio BWC, called in to share some tips on how to avoid slips, trips & falls in winter conditions! (7:20)
  4. The Effects of Drugs at Work (Live). This is a live recording of our monthly workplace safety luncheon on March 14, 2019. The topic was The Effects of Drugs at Work: Warning Signs & Prevention and it was presented by Dr. Amanda Burke, Prevention Specialist at Townhall II. Click here to view the power point used in the presentation. (43:34)
  5. December’s Safety Update from the Ohio BWC Library. Each edition provides up-to-date news & safety information.
  6. OSHA’s Cold Stress Guide.
  7. Bandsaw Guarding: December’s Safety & Hygiene Corner.
  8. 7 Short Lessons On Electrical Safety That Everyone Should Know. Article by Ving!
  9. PCSC Podcasts: Our podcasts are now available on iTunes, Spotify, Google Play, Podbean, & Stitcher! local & relevant workplace safety information right through your phone! Subscribe today!

PCSC NEWS:

  • NEXT MEETING: Thursday, December 12, 2019, 11:30am-1:00pm. The topic will be Practical Application of Electrical Safety,  and it will be presented by Karl Cunningham, Global Electrical Safety, Maintenance and Project Specialist, ES Squared, Inc.. RSVP deadline is 12pm on Monday, December 9th.
  • Holiday Food Drive on December 12th! The first 50 attendees who donate at least one non-perishable food item at our 12/12/19 luncheon will receive a free Bridges Out of Poverty book! Donations will go to Kent Social Services.
  • January Will Be Workplace Wellness Month! January 2020 will be Workplace Wellness month at the PCSC! We’ll be releasing a related podcast every Monday of the month. More info and resources coming soon!

PROGRAM UPDATES:

  • Monthly Meeting Power Points. We post them on our website after the presenters send them to us and give us permission to publish. If the speaker provides additional info, we’ll post it there as well.
  • External Training Credit Opportunities: We post them on our blog as outside organizations send them to us. A maximum of 2 external training credits are allowed per program year to help members earn the 10 minimum attendance credits required by the rebate. Please Note: ETC certificates of completion must be submitted by June 30 every year in order to qualify. Click here for ETC guidelines.
  • Rebate Participation Spreadsheet. Rebate eligible members can review how close they are to fulfilling the minimum rebate eligibility requirements by reviewing the Participation Spreadsheet which is typically updated on a monthly basis.

WORKPLACE WELLNESS:

  • Flu Prevention. In this Safety Talk, Susan Forgacs, Public Health Nurse from the Portage County Combined Health District gives us some timely tips on flu prevention. (7:50)
  • The Costs of Improper Handwashing at Work. In this interview, Justin Rechichar of the Portage County Health District shares that according to CDC statistics, employers lose an average of $1,685 in production per employee every year. Something he says that can be significantly reduced by proper handwashing. (14:21