Hazards

There are a lot of safety and health hazards that go hand in hand with welding. Many of these happen during the process, but some even happen after. There are two types of hazards present during the welding process. The first is chemical hazards and the second is physical hazards.

The chemical hazards consist of:

• Metal and contaminant fumes and gases
• Organic vapors that are either used or produced in the welding process

The physical hazards would include:

• Loud noise
• Radiation
• Thermal stress on your body
• Welding sparks, spatter, open flames
• Mechanical hazards

Both of these types of hazards effect your health as a welder. A few of the health effects could include, but are definitely not limited to are:

• Irritation and damaging of ears, eyes, skin, nose, throat, and lungs
• Respiratory system failure
• Substernal pain, headaches
• Muscle aches
• Nausea and vomiting
• Loss of smell
• Dizziness and confusion

The CWB Group offers trainings and certifications courses for welders. These courses talk more about the general risks and hazards of the welding industry.

Welding Safety

Safety work practices sometimes depend on the complexity of the task at hand and on the conditions of the worksite. But even the smallest task can turn into a massive fire and put you in the hospital.

Canadian Standards Association work hard to improve the health and safety of welders. They provided an improved and much needed update to the welding standards and regulations. An example of the update is the PPE portion of the standards. They are as follows:

• Protective clothing – depending on the welding task being performed, welders are to wear fabric that is heat and fire resistant. Long sleeved top and pants should not have cuffs.
• Footwear – Minimum boot height of 150 ml, with an outer shell made up of leather or other non-flammable material.
• Respiratory protection – strong recommendations of powered air purifying respirators.
• Helmet – fits over the head and is hinged so that it can be raised after welding.
• Safety goggles – should be worn under the helmet at all times to protect your eyes from any flying particles.
• Gloves – should be gauntlet style to protect the wrist areas.
• Ear protection – comes highly recommended to protect from flying particles and noise.

PPE isn’t the only thing that will protect you. Developing safe working habits and practicing your work safely will decrease all of the risks and hazards in your workplace. A few examples of safe work practices are listed below:

• Inspect welding equipment’s before proceeding
• Do not touch the metal parts of the electrode holder with your skin or wet clothing
• You should remain in the work area for at least 30 minutes after you finish, this will ensure there is no smoldering fires.

For more information on this topic you can visit our Compliance for Canada Hard Hat Training Series. Our training course, Welding Online Training, goes more into depth about all the hazards and safety practices of welding. Good luck out there!

Do you need a license to operate an excavator in Ontario? Honestly, it’s good to have licensing and certification to prove you know what you’re doing with an excavator; otherwise, you may find yourself with limited work.

But do you need a license to operate an excavator in Ontario? The answer to that is more complicated; you can get Excavator Operator Certification, but not an excavator license. That being said, there are a few other licenses and qualifications you should have in order to operate an excavator. Let’s go over those briefly.

Licensing

As we covered previously, Ontario does not require you to have an excavator-operating license. However, if you plan on driving the excavator on the road or otherwise transporting it, you will need to have a legal driver’s license and a commercial driver’s license.

Besides allowing you to transport your excavator legally, having these driver’s licenses will also open more opportunities for work with construction companies.

Qualifications

Operating an excavator does not happen overnight; in fact, it can takes weeks, even months, of training before you can be a qualified operator. There are even criteria you have to meet before you begin training; first, you must be at least 18 years old, and second, you need to have a high school education. If you meet these requirements, there are three training options available to you:

1. On-the-job Training: this means you can learn how to operate an excavator with the guidance of a skilled trainer.
2. An Apprenticeship Program: this is a hybrid of on-the-job training and in-school training. An apprenticeship program will require a specific number of hours in each setting in order to receive your certification.
3. In-school Training: this kind of training is theoretical and covers safety principles, inspection checklists, and other information that is relevant to excavator operation and handling.

Excavator operation may vary from employer to employer, so you should always check to see if they require any other kind of licensing or certification.

There is a lot more that goes into operating excavators, so be sure to check out our online course for more information!

If your interested in any of the other safety trainings we offer, feel free to visit our website! The Hard Hat Training series is all about your safety in the workplace, in every form, so don’t hesitate to contact us there is a training you’re looking for, but we don’t have (yet)!

Good luck and stay safe!

What is Frostbite?

Frostbite happens when your skin is exposed to freezing temperatures. Frostbite damages areas of your skin and sometimes even damages the tissue underneath. It is treatable, but it can be a very serious condition. HHS says it can take as little as 30 minutes for frostbite to begin to set in. So it is very important to pay attention to the early signs of frostbite.

Different Stages of Frostbite

If you are experiencing redness or sore skin, you are probably entering the first of three stages of frostbite. You can find the different stages and their symptoms listed below.

Early stage - your skin begins to turn a pale yellow, almost white color. During this stage, the exposed area may itch, sting, or even burn.

Intermediate stage - the affected area of skin will begin to harden, and the surface of the damaged area will look shiny or even waxy. When the skin thaws from this stage blisters full of puss or blood will form on the frostbitten area.

Advanced stage - during this stage, the area of skin will be very hard and cold to the touch. The skin will also darken quickly, turning black or blue.

Frostbite Treatment

You can treat frostbite at home depending on the stage, if it is severe, it is recommended yoh get it treated at the hospital.

• At home frostbite treatment
  • First, get to a warm place to begin to thaw the cold or frozen area. Do not place frostbitten skin into hot water. Doing this could further damage your skin or tissue. Instead, place the damaged area of skin into warm water or use a warm washcloth. As your skin begins to thaw it may sting or become red.
• Hospital frostbite treatment
  • Your nurse will try to warm you and restore blood flow to the affected area. Warm sponges may be placed onto the frozen areas of your skin. The hospital may provide you with pain medicine for the nerve pain and tissue damage. You can also expect to have an MRI taken to determine how deep the damage went. They also may scrape skin off of the affected area

Preventing Frostbite

According to the Center of Preparedness and Response, the best way to prevent frostbite is to layer yourself with clothes that allow your body heat to travel. The most common places to get frostbite are the fingers, toes, ears and nose. So don’t skimp on covers such as sock and gloves.

For more information on frostbite and how to treat it, please visit the Hard Hat Training Series!

What Are Safety Shoes?

Safety shoes are footwear designed to protect your feet from different impact or other hazards in the workplace. Your feet are the reason that you can stand or move from place to place. Safety shoes are part of personal protective equipment (PPE). In this post, we’ll discuss what qualities needed for safety shoes. For more information regarding Canadian standards, refer to the Protective Footwear standards.

What Are The Main Qualities For Safety Shoes?

• Impact resistance – safety shoes should have a built-in metatarsal guard, and an in-toe guard. Wearing safety shoes protects your feet from objects falling or striking your feet.
• Slip-and-fall resistance – safety shoes contain a good grip that help you avoid slipping and falling.
• Comfortable – when wearing safety shoes, you should be able to work effectively and without any confinement in your feet.

Types of Safety Shoes

There are other kinds safety shoes that fit to different environments and workplaces. Get to know these different kinds of safety shoes so that you know what type of protection you need.

• Heat resistance – wearing this type of safety shoes insulate your feet from extreme heat. Wear heat-resistant safety shoes in workplaces that involves molten metals.
• Cold resistance – just like heat resistance, this type of safety shoes protects your feet from extreme cold. An example of this type are winter boots.
• Electrically conductive – wearing this type of safety shoes will help you avoid producing static electricity. Wear these types of safety shoes around areas of high-risk explosion.
• Electrical Safety-Toe – these shoes are the opposite from the electrically conductive shoes, as they protect you from electric conductors. Think of them as electric-resistant.

Conclusion

The different qualities of safety shoes will help you select the right kind of safety shoes. Safety shoes may look heavy and hard but wearing them provides your safety in your feet. For more information, Hard Hat Training provides training about safety shoes and other PPE for your feet. Good luck and stay safe!

PPE, or personal protective equipment, comes in many forms and there are standards in place to ensure a worker’s PPE provides the maximum possible protection. In fact, many industries and employers are required to provide their employees with PPE, but does that mean they are required to pay for PPE as well? The short answer to that question is “well, now, that depends…”

Let’s take a quick look at what our answer depends on. Paying for PPE depends on:

• Where you live
• The kind of industry you work in, and
• The PPE in question

Where You Live

You may be wondering why it’s important to know where you live regarding who’s going to pay for your PPE. This is because different locations have different standards. For example, paying for PPE in Canada varies from province to province; some provide PPE at no cost to their employees, others leave it up to employment contracts and unions.

The United States, on the other hand, has standards that require employers to pay for their employees’ PPE. Yet, this does not mean employers have to pay for every single piece of PPE. Protective footgear or prescription safety glasses are personalized to the wearer and thus cannot be standardized for risk of creating a hazard.

Industry

Different industries will require different PPE. For example, a construction company will provide a range of PPE, including hard hats, gloves, helmets, safety glasses (generic), safety vests, and fall protection equipment. A healthcare facility, however, may only need to provide as little as a face mask and latex gloves to as much as surgical gowns, gloves, face shields, biohazard suits, and respirators.

Specific PPE

Our talk on the specific industry relates to the specific equipment needed. As we mentioned, hospitals are going to require different PPE than construction sites. While your employer may provide most of what you’ll need, equipment such as proper shoes, specific work glasses, or work clothing outside of a standard uniform is up to the employee to provide.

Always check with your employer about any PPE required for your job and what they will cover. In some cases, you may have to pay for it, but if that’s the case they should tell you the correct type of equipment to purchase. Again, it just all depends on where you are, who you work for, and what gear you need.

The Hard Hat Training series has a lot of information about PPE and other topics, so be sure to check out our site for more information. Good luck and stay safe!

What does WHMIS stand for?

WHMIS stands for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.

You recognized that some objects in the workplace have warning labels in them such as flammable or fragile. Those warning labels fall under WHMIS. WHMIS allows information regarding hazardous products to be shared amongst workers and employers. It is also a national law and standard in Canada. WHMIS is another term for Hazard Communication or HazCom.

Every employee has a right to know what hazards they could potentially be exposed to; how to recognize those hazards; and what to do in case a hazardous situation arises. WHMIS applies to manufacturers, distributors, importers, and employers.

WHMIS / HazCom Delivery

WHMIS has three main ways on how to share information about hazardous products:

1. Labels – are attached to the hazardous product. The label contains images or pictograms, precautionary and hazard statements, manufacturer information, signal words, and the identity of the product.
2. Safety Data Sheets (SDS) – details the hazards, hazardous products, how to handle them safely, and the hazard classes. The hazard classes are Health, Physical, and Environmental.
3. Education and Training Programs – help workers to understand how WHMIS works and how to apply it in the workplace, the hazardous products, and the purpose of labels and safety data sheets.

Conclusion

Every worker will have to encounter or use a hazardous product in the workplace. No matter how experienced you are on handling such products, being trained on WHMIS helps raise your awareness and safety. For more specific details regarding WHMIS and the delivery methods of WHMIS, we invite you to look over our Hazard Communication training. Following WHMIS or Hazard Communication standards will help you use those hazardous products safely. Good luck and stay safe!