6 OHSA Changes Those Will Impact Ontario Employers

Amendments called the Stronger, Fairer Ontario Act, 2017 (Bill 177), have been made to the Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and went into effect on December 14, 2017. These amendments are the largest changes that have been implemented into OHSA in over 15 years. Some of the changes include tripling corporate OHSA penalties […]

SWL/WLL/MRC – What do These Abbreviations Stand for and When Should they be Used?

The term safe working load (SWL) has been the foundation of engineering, mainly referring to load-carrying equipment. It is determined by dividing the minimum breaking strength (MBS) of a component by a safety factor assigned to that type and use of equipment. The safety factor generally ranges from 4 to 6, unless a failure of […]

7 Key Advantages to Using a Hydraulic Lift Table.

  What is a hydraulic lift table? A hydraulic lift table is an ergonomic device utilized to raise, lower or tilt workloads such as pallets. They are most commonly seen in warehouse applications; however, there are hundreds of uses for lift tables in manufacturing, warehousing and distribution facilities. Some typical applications include: machine feeding and […]

Seven Steps to Safer Behaviour

  Creating – and maintaining a safe work environment should be a top priority for organizations. Under the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) Law, employers have a responsibility to create and maintain a safe workplace – and comply with all OSHA regulations. Organizations need to actively promote and foster a culture of safety year-round […]

How to Prepare for an Incident?

Though you may take all of the proper preventative measures to decrease the chances of an injury occurring, they still happen and it is important to be prepared for them – that way you can ensure that they are handled correctly. So What Should you do to Prepare for an Incident?   The following graphic from […]

Safety Tip: Be Prepared for the WHIMIS Inspectors

Federal OHS inspectors will be visiting workplaces across the country to check for compliance with the new GHS/WHMIS2015 requirements starting October 1, 2017. What are the GHS/WHMIS2015 Requirements? WHMIS stands for the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System. It is a comprehensive system for providing health and safety information on hazardous products intended for use, handling, […]

The Lifting Equation

  Did you know that The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a lifting equation for calculating a recommended weight limit for one person under different conditions? The lifting equation establishes a maximum load of 51 pounds, which is then adjusted to account for how often you are lifting, twisting of your […]

Overhead Crane Dictionary 101

What directions do Overhead Cranes move in?  There are A LOT of different names for the parts and pieces in the material handling industry. So to help, this blog post will review some of the terminologies that are frequently used in Overhead Crane conversations in addition to providing an Overhead Crane Dictionary. Overhead Cranes Move in 3 Directions: […]

The Signaller and Crane Operator Relationship

Related: Overhead Cranes, How to Extend the Life of Your Crane and Hoists It can be an extremely difficult task to operate a crane with the precision needed to ensure loads are picked up and dropped off without causing any damage to the environment or people around it. For the operator, it may even be […]

Overhead Crane Safety 101

Knowing how cranes should be used and how they should not be used is critical to crane safety.  Being aware of the following misconceptions can save your equipment and increase the level of safety at your facility. Common Misconceptions  “The crane worked yesterday so I can assume that it will work today” -WRONG. Daily inspection […]

Daily Inspection and Maintenance Required for Overhead Cranes

When using an overhead crane for material handling applications, having a preventative maintenance program in place is IMPERATIVE.  This maintenance program should be centred on crane manufacturers recommendations, and based on an effective and thorough safety and inspection program that is conducted regularly.  If a crane inspector detects UNSAFE conditions or deteriorated components during a […]

Push Towards Fixed Access Ladders

Fixed Access Ladders, RoofGuard and Importance of Fall Protection Training & Systems Recently there has been a push to ensure the safety of workers by making sure the way that they access rooftops is safe. No longer are extension ladders being considered a safe way to access a rooftop, instead, there is now a push […]