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Workplace Safety & Health Company IH consultants are trained to inventory and assess confined spaces of various types and sizes.
Industrial Hygienists may wear Hazmat or other chemical protective clothing when evaluating highly hazardous atmospheres or environments.
An IH consultant uses sound level meters to assess noise levels in industrial environments.
Industrial Hygienists place noise dosimeters on factory employees to monitor employee exposure to noise levels.
Lockout/tagout involves assessing a machine’s operation and identifying all energy sources.
Tagout of electrical switches in a control room warns employees not to start equipment.
An Industrial Hygienist uses an X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) analyzer to determine lead-based paint concentrations on a facility’s exterior.
We do air sampling for airborne contaminants using sorbent tubes.
Industrial Hygienists use a filter cassette equipped with a cyclone to collect respirable dust samples.
Workplace Safety & Health Co. Inc. Blog
Drowsy Driving is Nothing to Yawn At
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Every year about 100,000 police-reported crashes involve drowsy driving, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Low estimates say these crashes result in more than 1550 fatalities and 71,000 injuries, as it’s difficult to determine if someone was drowsy at the time of the crash. Some estimates say it’s as high as 328,000 crashes annually with 109,000 injuries and 6400 fatalities!
To heighten awareness of drowsy driving, this year’s National Sleep Foundation’s annual Drowsy Driving Prevention Week is November 3-10. According to the Foundation, about half of U.S. adult drivers admit to consistently driving while feeling drowsy, and 20% admit to falling asleep behind the wheel at some point in the past year.
Driving while drowsy is similar to driving under the influence of alcohol when it comes to reaction times, awareness of hazards and ability to sustain attention all being compromised when feeling sleepy. Driving after going more than 20 hours without sleep is the equivalent of driving with a blood-alcohol level of .08%, the U.S. legal limit.
The American Academy of Sleep Medicine states the following are signs and symptoms of drowsy driving:
• Frequent yawning or difficulty keeping your eyes open
• “Nodding off” or having trouble keeping your head up
• Inability to remember driving the last few miles
• Missing road signs and turns
• Difficulty maintaining your speed
• Drifting out of your lane
• Hitting a rumble strip on the side of the road
Drowsy driving is a major hazard, especially for long-distance truckers, delivery people, and other who drive regularly for work. Employers of such jobs should be emphasizing in their trainings about the risks of drowsy driving, the importance of getting enough sleep and refraining from or taking a break from driving if you are feeling drowsy.
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