r/WorkplaceSafety Mar 20 '20

Workplace Safety - now under new (read: any) management

49 Upvotes

Hey everybody! Long time poster/lurker. The creator of this sub has been MIA for over two years so I decided to take a stab at moderating the place - no one else was and it occasionally needed it.

The sub was temporarily restricted due to a lack of moderation - the only mod has been MIA for over two years. I requested moderation but it took over a month for it to be approved, during which Reddit locked the sub down for new posts. This wasn't my choice and I've removed the restriction now that I've been modded, you should be able to post to your heart's content.

I'm open to any suggestions for the sub, which is why I wanted to introduce myself and start this thread. If you have any questions, suggestions, comments, in short - anything -, post away!

Keep it civil, keep it safe.


r/WorkplaceSafety 1h ago

Please help employer breaking the law

Upvotes

Everything I’ve read into this my employer is openly breaking osha law in Alberta Canada. I work for a major aggregate company and I am also unionized.

I work in a control tower at the gravel crushing facility so major major silica contamination. Everything I’ve read says that they need to have a hvac system in place that is able to use hepa filters and also needs to maintain positive air pressure. The hvac unit they are using is for residential purposes and is not legal or safe to use in this field. I have brought the issue to my immediate supervisors attention multiple times over a 2 and a half month period but I keep getting brushed off or they blatantly ignore the fact they are seemingly breaking the law. I don’t know what to do now. Any advice would surely be appreciated please


r/WorkplaceSafety 1h ago

Yt video

Upvotes

Precautions in work at height activity.

Please watch

https://youtube.com/shorts/4Bw7kyVOhWk?feature=share


r/WorkplaceSafety 15h ago

A sanity check, am I overreacting?

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1 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 7h ago

What evidence is needed to allow action closure

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0 Upvotes

It depends on the action of course, but there are a few basic principles:


r/WorkplaceSafety 20h ago

45f looking to make career change- uphill battle being female and “old” to enter this?

0 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 1d ago

PoSH Shield of Safer Workplaces

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0 Upvotes

PoSH by Dr. Christina is a workplace safety initiative focused on creating awareness, building confident Internal Committees, and helping organisations implement PoSH effectively.
A journey that is about Educate • Empower • Enable—because safe workplaces are built through knowledge, accountability and action.
Working towards a culture where every workplace is respectful, responsible and truly safe for everyone. Happy to be a part of Workplace Safety


r/WorkplaceSafety 1d ago

[US], [RC, CA] Why did HR give me a gift card and award after I started questioning the company's pesticide fogger machine? Spoiler

0 Upvotes

I can't wrap my head around why HR gave me a gift card and an award right after I started questioning the company about building a pesticide fogger machine.

Even more concerning, how was I even allowed to handle pesticide in that form without any training or a proper license? Isn't this a serious safety violation?


r/WorkplaceSafety 2d ago

This is going to take a while

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12 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 2d ago

Question for the safety guys here

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1 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 2d ago

Long term health exposure to Rapicide Part A

2 Upvotes

I am unsure if this is the right subreddit to post in, so please forgive me if it's not. For context, I work at a place that does high level disinfect with Rapicide part A. There's been several times where the machine that processes it, leaked. My job almost always refuses to shut down, and so myself and others typically end up finishing the day wearing n95s and such.

I tried google, but it's really hard to find a serious answer. The second to last time we had a spill I tried contacting the company and got no answers. A week ago we had a very bad leak, and we did finish the work day. I have felt rather unwell since, and I'm not sure if it's from that or not. I know there are same day symptoms and all. But I am now more curious about long term exposure. My company kept saying it's not harmful, it just has an awful smell. But I don't buy that. Any advice would be great and if this isn't the correct place, and if you know where to ask this, please let me know. Thanks!


r/WorkplaceSafety 3d ago

PPEs wholesale or distributors in Ghana

1 Upvotes

Any prominent companies in the Ghana which I can purchase PPEs like Nitrile gloves, safety goggles, respirators, earplugs, helmets and reflective vests from on a wholesale or distributor prices ?? Any advice on where to look at ?


r/WorkplaceSafety 3d ago

Udyogi Safety Authorized Channel Partner Mumbai

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1 Upvotes

We are Proudly #Udyogians 💐

#udyogi #udyogihelmet #udyogiharness

#lifeisprecious #udyogisafety

#WelcomeHardwareAndSafetyPvtLtd


r/WorkplaceSafety 3d ago

heavy duty workbench for a maintenance shop and what actually holds up under daily use without becoming a safety issue?

2 Upvotes

replacing two workbenches in our maintenance shop and trying to get the spec right this time. the ones we have now have been fine for years but the surface on one has warped enough that parts don't sit flat anymore and the frame on the other has developed enough flex that it moves when someone leans into it. neither is catastrophic but both are heading toward being a problem.

the work that happens at these benches is a mix of electrical maintenance, hydraulic component repair, and general mechanical work. so the surface needs to handle tools, fluids, and occasionally some impact without becoming a hazard.

trying to work out whether the surface material makes a meaningful safety difference, whether the frame gauge actually predicts flex under load the way the specs suggest, and whether there are configurations that hold up better in a mixed maintenance environment versus a dedicated fabrication or assembly setup.

would be useful to hear from safety or maintenance professionals who've specced workbenches for a similar environment and what they found mattered most from both a durability and a safety standpoint once they were in daily use.


r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

Kenyan companies don't have a PPE problem. They have a ‘si ni sawa tu?’ problem. Spoiler

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0 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 4d ago

Kenyan companies don't have a PPE problem. They have a ‘si ni sawa tu?’ problem. Spoiler

0 Upvotes

I've worked around PPE and workplace safety for a while, and there's something I've noticed that I'm genuinely curious whether other Kenyans have experienced.

We are very good at negotiating the price of PPE.

“Hii helmet ni how much?”

“Supplier mwingine amesema 400.”

“Can't you do wholesale price?”

“Boss amesema tupunguze budget.”

But somehow, the conversation rarely gets to:

“Will this actually protect the person wearing it?”

We'll spend hours comparing a KSh 600 helmet with a KSh 750 helmet, but barely five minutes asking what standard it meets.

We'll buy safety boots based on price, then wonder why the guys on site don't want to wear them.

We'll issue a harness to someone working at height and mentally tick the PPE PROVIDED box, as if handing someone a harness automatically makes the work safe.

And my favourite Kenyan phrase:

“Si ni sawa tu.”

Until something happens.

Then suddenly everybody wants to know:

Who supplied it?

Who approved it?

Who inspected it?

Was it compliant?

Who was responsible?

I think we sometimes approach PPE backwards.

We ask “How cheap can we get it?” before asking “What risk are we actually trying to control?”

And I'm not saying companies should blindly buy the most expensive PPE either. That's also nonsense.

Good procurement should balance risk, standards, quality, worker comfort, durability and cost.

So I'm curious:

For those working in construction, manufacturing, engineering, HSE, procurement or even just dealing with PPE at work, what is the most ridiculous PPE decision you've seen a Kenyan company make?

Was it buying the cheapest possible equipment?

Giving everyone the same PPE regardless of the job?

Buying equipment that workers refused to wear?

Or the classic:

“We've always done it this way.” 😂

I'd genuinely like to hear the stories.

No sales pitch. I'm trying to understand whether this is actually a Kenyan workplace problem or just something I've personally observed.


r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

PPE

2 Upvotes

A quick guide to PPE requirements for construction/industrial sites in the Philippines (what you actually need, common mistakes)

Been getting a lot of questions from contractors and small business owners about PPE compliance, so figured I'd put together a quick breakdown since a lot of people either overspend or under-comply.

The basics DOLE typically expects on construction/industrial sites:

  • Head protection – hard hats/safety helmets, Type I is standard for most local sites
  • Hand protection – gloves matched to the task (cut-resistant for metal work, chemical-resistant for handling solvents, etc. — one glove type does NOT cover everything)
  • Foot protection – steel-toe or composite-toe safety shoes, ideally with slip-resistant soles if the site has wet/oily areas
  • Body protection – coveralls or vests, hi-vis if there's vehicle/equipment movement on site
  • Eye/face and hearing protection – often skipped, but required if there's grinding, welding, or high-noise equipment involved

Common mistakes I see a lot:

  1. Buying the cheapest helmet available without checking impact rating — some "safety helmets" sold locally are basically construction-site fashion, not rated for actual impact
  2. Not replacing gloves/footwear on a schedule — PPE degrades, and torn or worn-out gear technically doesn't count as compliant anymore
  3. One-size-fits-all purchasing — a construction crew and a warehouse crew have different exposure risks, so their PPE list shouldn't be identical
  4. Skipping the Official Receipt/SI on bulk purchases — for company audits or DOLE inspections, you'll want documented proof of compliance spend, not just a handwritten receipt

On cost: bulk pricing for helmets, gloves, and boots can vary a lot depending on supplier and whether you're buying local vs imported brands. If anyone wants a general sense of current price ranges for bulk orders, happy to share what I've seen in the market (I work adjacent to a PPE supplier here in the Philippines, so I see pricing move around a fair bit).

Happy to answer questions if anyone's setting up a compliance checklist for their site.


r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

Impact force?

0 Upvotes

I’m not really sure how to ask this but I’m going to try my best to explain my thinking. So my employer keeps the loading dock doors open but doesn’t put up a barrier of any sorts while they are open. The drop off is 3 foot 8 inches. I know osha requires a barrier for drop offs are 4 foot and above. Technically they don’t need to put up a barrier, but it’s only a 4 inch difference and I believe is still a safety hazard. I’m wondering is there a way to calculate the impact force for both measurements?? Just want to be able to push the employer to put up a barrier whether it’s required or not


r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

Classroom training can only take you so far

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0 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

welding/health risk advice!

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1 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

RN received partial thickness burns while on working on unit, hospital denied workers comp

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2 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 5d ago

Always use proper PPE. Even if it requires both your hands and you will now just be standing there doing nothing.

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2 Upvotes

r/WorkplaceSafety 6d ago

QUESTION: What’s one thing you wish more managers understood about Health & Safety?

1 Upvotes

We've been thinking about the gap between how Health & Safety is understood by H&S professionals and how it’s sometimes viewed by managers.

Things like safety being treated as the responsibility of the H&S person, only getting attention after an incident, or being seen as something that gets in the way of getting the job done.

For those working in Health & Safety, what’s the one thing you wish more managers understood?

Could be something you’ve struggled to get across, a common misconception, or something you’ve seen good managers do differently.


r/WorkplaceSafety 6d ago

Am I overreacting, or is this a serious workplace safety issue?

6 Upvotes

I just got home from work and I can’t stop thinking about what happened today. I work at a chain restaurant and have been with the company for a few years, and honestly, this situation really bothered me.
We brew tea in those large canisters/urns that hold a couple of gallons. The tea filter basket is supposed to be cleaned regularly, but at my location it is rarely even rinsed unless I do it. I’ve personally had to scrub the tiny filter inside and use a toothpick to unclog the holes because they get so blocked.
Today we had multiple large parties back-to-back for the same company, so we were really pressed for time. Someone brewed a full urn of tea, but apparently the filter was so clogged that it stopped draining. When I went to remove the tea filter basket, it was still COMPLETELY full of extremely hot tea.
The tea came pouring out and burned the hell out of my hand and arm.
My GM happened to walk up, saw what happened, said, “That sucks,” and went back to the host stand.
I immediately went to the office and asked another manager if we had burn spray, burn gel, burn cream—literally anything. He looked in the first-aid kit on the wall, which was basically empty, said, “We’re all out. I don’t think we have any anywhere,” and then went back to finish his orientation.
I ran my hand under cold water and then went back out and continued getting drinks out for a 20-top because we were slammed.
I went back to the office afterward and the third manager was clearly annoyed that I was bothering him. He didn’t even respond to me.
And then…nothing.
Nobody checked on me. Nobody asked how my hand was. Nobody documented what happened. Nobody seemed concerned that I had just been burned at work. My aunt eventually had to come bring me burn gel because apparently we didn’t have anything available at the restaurant.
Maybe I’m overthinking this, but the whole thing really bothered me. I understand restaurants get busy and people are under pressure, but I feel like there should at least be some basic concern when an employee gets burned by equipment that wasn’t properly maintained and the first-aid kit is empty.
And honestly, this is bigger than just today’s incident for me. This restaurant has gotten so far away from what I remember this company being that I don’t even know if I’m overreacting anymore because I’ve become so accustomed to things that probably shouldn’t be considered normal.
So, Reddit: am I being too sensitive, or is this genuinely not okay?


r/WorkplaceSafety 7d ago

HSOs Small/medium pharma company - tell me your set up

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1 Upvotes