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Though ladders don’t seem like the most dangerous tools in the industrial field, KC Supply has repeatedly emphasized is the importance of safety when working in heights. Even when personnel climb ladders, safety precautions should remain in place.

The Numbers

The CDC has reported that 20% of workers across all industries have had accidents or falls on ladders. It’s exceptionally high among construction workers. Overall, 81% of falls in emergency rooms come from ladders. Any business with workers on ladders needs to remain vigilant on ladders safety based on these numbers alone.

OSHA Requirements and ANSI Regulations

Some of the crucial requirements and regulations for ladders of all types include:

General Rungs and Steps Requirements:

• Ladder rungs and steps should not be spaced less than 10 inches and not more than 14 inches apart.
• Fixed rungs and steps on telecommunication towers must be spaced not more than 18 inches apart.
• There must be a minimum clear width of 11.5 inches on portable ladders and 16 inches for fixed ladders.

General Ladder Requirements:

• Wooden ladders must not be coated with materials that obscure structural defects.
• Metal ladders must be made with corrosion-resistant material.
• All ladder surfaces must be free of puncture and laceration hazards.
• Workers must only use ladders for the purpose for which they were designed.

Fixed Ladders:

• Ladders must support the maximum intended load.
• Grab bars should not protrude on the climbing side beyond the ladder’s rungs.
• Grab bars must extend 42 inches above the access level or landing platforms.
• Ladders that have a pitch greater than 90-degrees should not be used.

Portable Ladders:

• All rungs and steps must be corrugated, knurled, dimpled, coated with skid-resistant material, or any other method to minimize slippage risks.
• Workers should never load ladders beyond the maximum intended load.
• Workers must use no single-rail ladders.
• Stepladders’ top step and caps should not be used nor function as steps.
• Ladders should not be placed on boxes, barrels, or other unstable bases.

 The full list is extensive. But KC Supply believes that a vast majority of them are crucial to preventing accidents and falls on ladders and are worth knowing.

It’s not enough to simply have safety equipment. You also have to be well-informed on the regulations. To find more critical safety precautions and important OSHA guidelines, visit KCSupply.com.

Lockout/tagout procedures are rigorously implemented in any workplace for a reason. For KC Supply, staying safe in the workplace is a thorough knowledge of the safety procedures for specific situations, such as handling and operating machinery for hazardous energy. The lockout/tagout procedures are critical in maintaining a safe working environment when working around machines.

Lockout/Tagout Procedures to Remember

• Ensure that all workers are aware and prepared for the shutdown. Everyone in the surrounding area should have already been trained or received proper instruction on hazardous-energy-awareness, as well as the sources.
• All affected employees should be notified. Ensure that everyone is paying attention to know that the lockout is about to begin.
• Shut down the equipment in a safe and orderly manner. Depending on the machinery used, employees should follow the careful steps precisely in the shutdown manner. Always consult with the equipment-specific procedures or the machine’s operating manual.
• Isolate all hazardous energy sources. During this part of the lockout/tagout procedure, take extreme precautions. Ensure that the circuit breaker or valve has gotten completely isolated to prevent any risk of accidents.
• Apply lockout/tagout devices to the energy sources. For example, use specific logs and tags. No one else except assigned personnel to each of the locks and tags can do this procedure, nor can anyone else remove or move the locks and tags unless with complete approval from a supervisor.
• Release any stored energy. This could be excess steam, hydraulic energy, and other types. No energy should be in the area before you move the equipment.
• Test the controls and return them to the off position. This is the final phase of the lockout/tagout procedures. You need to test the controls to ensure that they are disconnected, are nonfunctional, and have no risk of an accidental restart. Once you’ve confirmed it’s shut down, you can return the control to the off position.

KC Supply emphasizes the need for intense precautions during the lockout/tagout procedure because of the hazardous energy that could put everyone at risk. To learn more about crucial workplace safety, visit KC Supply’s website.

Before making a PPE selection among the different variants in the market, certain conditions and situations about the nature of your work and your employees’ work need to be considered. This is critical to ensure that you can select the correct variation of PPE that will give you and your employees the ideal protection.

• Sizing: Excellent fit matters when using PPE. Consider the side range available to you and how well they’ll fit the employees who need to wear them. A complete protective seal is crucial.
• Kit Weight: Some PPEs are made of different materials from others used for specialized applications. However, that could also make them heavier. Before making a PPE selection, consider the weight of the whole suit put together and think about whether your workers will be able to move and do their work for long periods while wearing the PPE.
• Workplace Hazards: What kind of dangers do you expect to find in the working area? As mentioned, different PPE have different functions. Select a kit that will give you plenty of flexibility if you expect general workplace protection. Meanwhile, if you expect your workers to work in areas with hazardous gases, choose PPE that works best against that specific hazard.
• Reputable Distributor: Many PPE types are available now, but remember that you need to check if you’re getting the real deal and not a cheap knockoff before making your PPE selection. In the case of workplace safety and protecting your employees from hazards, you do get what you pay for. Choose PPE that is made by authentic brands and distributed by reputable resellers or shops.

Making a PPE selection is more than just choosing a protective suit. Remember that your workers’ lives are at risk, and that is what the PPE should defend them against. Find quality PPE selections and more by visiting KC Supply.

When selecting a safety harness for your workplace, there are several considerations you have to make before making a purchase.

• Understand the basics of safety harnesses. 

The safety harness you select should cover the vital areas of the body. Its purpose is to shield a worker from injury from falling from great heights and keep them upright. Find harnesses that have positioned D-rings that are used to anchor a worker to lifelines. This is the most vital part and purpose of a harness.

• Understand the different types of safety harnesses. 

What kind of work does your company do? The activity will dictate the type of safety harness you need. There are:

• Fall arrest harnesses: Stops workers from falling.
• Ladder climbing: The D-ring is located in the front to facilitate workers climbing up.
• Descent control: Think of it like rock climbing—the harness is meant to help a worker safely go down from a great height.
• Confined space entry: This is a critical harness for workers entering small spaces or going into grain bins.
• Suspension/rigging harnesses: If your work involves ropes, towers, rescue, and other similar jobs involving workers getting suspended up in heights and working there, you need this one.
• Consider your workers and their comfort. 

Who among your colleagues or employees will be wearing the safety harness? Consider their convenience when wearing this harness. They will be wearing the harness for extended periods. Furthermore, comfort matters because the harness fits them correctly and won’t cause them injury should an incident occur.

• Don’t skimp out on the price. 

With a safety harness, you get what you pay for. A single harness could mean life or death for a worker wearing it. The cost of the harness reflects the superiority of the material and quality of it, and therefore it’s more reliable. Remember that you’re placing lives at stake with this harness.

Safety harnesses are critical components of workplace safety, especially in situations involving rigging and suspension. Remember to consult with specialists if you’re not sure of the correct type of harness to get. Contact KC Supply today and find out more about harnesses.

Confined space hazards are seen as a critical threat to many farmers and workers in the agricultural industry. While methods in modern farming have given rise to many conveniences and improved efficiency, especially during the harvest season, they also created the risk of confined spaces that could lead to accidents or critical situations.

Gas Hazards

Confined space is hazardous when gases are involved. In a closed-off location with no windows or adequate airflow, dangerous gases could gather and lead to a worker’s suffocation or even death. There are many different types of gases found on a farm that could pose a risk to farmers.

One gas-related confined space hazard is hydrogen sulfide, formed when manure (used for fertilizer) decomposes. Because of this, farmers need to ensure that areas that have the presence of this type of gas have adequately ventilated spaces to work in.

Dust Hazards

Another familiar danger to farmers in agriculture is dust. Dust, particularly during grain harvest, is an extraordinarily flammable or combustible substance. This dust accumulates as grain is harvested, gathered, and contained. Furthermore, the dust can be highly hazardous to the lungs, causing respiratory problems among workers.

Because of the risk, farmers need to ensure that grain storage spaces are clean and dry. Furthermore, to reduce the likelihood of respiratory damage from these confined space hazards, any workers in the area should be wearing oxygen masks and have tanks to facilitate their breathing.

Further Precautions and Reminders

It’s important to ventilate any confined space before entering the area. This eliminates the accumulation of gases or dust in the area. If possible, workers should first test the atmosphere of the confined space to check if it’s safe to work within it.

Finally, an essential precaution is communication between the workers inside the space and those outside it. This way, someone is always aware of what is going on in the space and if the worker inside needs immediate aid.

Discover more important reminders and regulations about dealing with workplace hazards by visiting KC Supply for more resources.

During the harvest season, dump pit safety comes to the forefront of concerns for people in the agriculture sector. As work will increase substantially, so does the risk around the different equipment and tools used for the harvest. Workers need to be especially vigilant around the dump pit, as accidents are more likely to happen.

• Never walk in front of the vehicle — Even if the vehicle does not appear to be in gear, if it is moving or stationary, never walk in front of it just in case.
• The driver must know where you are at all times — If you’re working around the vehicle, makes sure that the driver is aware of your presence. Dump pit safety rules require drivers and workers to be aware of each other’s presence and location.
• Use safety zones when working around vehicles — Ensure that all the workers and drivers know where the designated “safety zone” is around the dump pit. This should be the only area where employees can stand close to the large vehicle or perform a task around it.
• If there are any issues with the dumping mechanism, make sure the operator is aware — Inform the driver of the vehicle or the workers around it and stand aside while trying to determine the best way to resume flow.
• Absolutely no smoking around the dump pit — It’s critical for dump pit safety to prevent any smoking or the use of lighters and similar devices. If the dump pit is holding grain, it could be incredibly flammable and pose the risk of an explosion.
• Do not begin hoisting until instructed, do not move the vehicle until the operator signals an OK — The dump pit is a massive vehicle, and it can pose a tremendous risk to the workers around it, especially if it’s carrying a substantial amount of grain. Operator and driver must be in good contact and signal to one another before any movement with the vehicle is made.

This harvest season, enforce the dump pit safety rules to prevent accidents and minimize the hazards to workers and equipment alike. Harvest can proceed smoothly and safely.

Visit KC Supply to find more resources if you’re looking for more vital safety information and equipment during harvest season.

Grain bin accidents are one of the deadliest incidents that could happen during grain handling and processing. According to studies, six out of ten workers who fall victim to grain bin accidents don’t survive.

It’s one thing to hear about grain bin accidents and how dangerous they are; it’s a specter that could hover over an agricultural workplace. But somehow, such accidents are so much more real when you learn of the experience from someone who’d survived it.

Arick Baker’s Experience

In a story that made news even to mainstream outlets, Arick Baker has recounted the harrowing experience of being buried alive in a grain bin. He had been warned by his father, even as a child, that “if you go down in the corn, you don’t come out.”

Baker was standing in the 60,000-bushel grain bin trying to break up chunks of rotten corn that were impeding the flow of the grain. He was using a PVC pipe to do it and, fortunately, wearing an oxygen mask. As Baker’s father left him on his own, the corn gave way beneath Baker, and he fell into an air pocket in the corn that was now rapidly filling, threatening to drown him. Only his fingers were sticking out in the grain.

The Rescue

He was unable to move from the weight of the corn, and he explains that it felt like he was being squeezed from the pressure all over his body, as though thousands of snakes were strangling him. Baker was stuck in the corn for a harrowing three to four hours before someone noticed he was missing in the grain bin, and Iowa Falls Volunteer Fire Department came in. At first, they couldn’t even find him until they heard him yelling beneath the grain, with the oxygen mask slowly running out of batteries. And then they started digging.

The grain shifted five times and avalanched back down before the fire department brought the grain bin rescue tube. It turned out to be a life-saving device as it was key to finally getting Baker free. The firefighters used it as a protection against the avalanching grain while getting Baker out of the corn.

It took a few more hours of digging before Baker finally was freed, his heart pushed to the limit, and corn being surgically removed from being embedded into his skin. It was a near-death experience that no one will ever forget.

And for people who work in agriculture, it’s a cautionary tale of the dangerous risks of handling grain.

Grain bin tubes and other life-saving devices are critical when working with any kind of grain in the grain bins. Visit KC Supply and learn more about them.

During harvest season, ways to protect workers start to gain traction among agricultural businesses. And few issues are as key to the season as grain bin safety. Grain handling is considered a significantly high hazard industry where six out of every ten workers who get trapped in a grain bin don’t make it out alive. It’s imperative for industries and businesses that handle grain products to be incredibly vigilant about worker safety.

Here are some critical reminders and tips for grain bin safety:

• Alert everyone that workers will perform an activity in the grain bin. If it’s absolutely unavoidable to do work or a specific task while there is still grain in the bin, first alert everyone working on or around it about the activity.
• Protect workers through a team system. No one should be working in the grain bin alone. A team of two or more, at the very least, is best. This way, there is always someone looking out for the worker inside and listening to their movements.
• Test the air before entry. Before anyone goes into the bin or the silo, test the air for the presence of dangerous gas, combustible dust, and gases, and if there is enough oxygen in the silo for the worker to breathe comfortably.
• Provide the whole team with safety equipment. The team in and around the grain silo needs to have standard safety equipment like lifelines, boatswain chairs, and other similar lifesaving gear. Even better, have a grain bin safety tube on standby ready to protect workers entering the silo if needed.
• Check the positioning of the grain before entry. Has the grain accumulated onto one side of the silo or the bin? If so, do not enter that bin. There is a high risk of built-up grain falling in an avalanche on top of the worker, thus suffocating them.

These are just some of the critical safety reminders issued to protect workers working in and around the grain bin. Everyone must do their due diligence and ensure the safety of all workers during this season.

Need more information on how to keep workers safe in grain bins? Visit KC Supply to learn more about regulations and reminders.

Fall harvest is rapidly approaching, and while it’s still the sunny summer months, it’s always good to be prepared. This season is the peak of the harvest time, and there will be a lot of work to do for both large and small farms. Safety during harvest season should be the utmost priority of any landowner or business owner, so get ready for the season with these important reminders.

• Prepare grain bins and safety equipment. A great deal of grain gets harvested during the fall season. Therefore, it is of utmost importance to prepare the grain bins and silos, so they’re ready to receive the year’s harvest. Furthermore, you need to prepare the safety equipment for handling grain, including grain bin tubes and other life-saving equipment, to prevent fall harvest accidents. 
• Ensure the bins are clean and all components are working. Cleaning the bins prevents any issues from coming up later on. Checking for the bins’ structural integrity, foundations, and even its walls can ensure that it’s strong enough to handle the harvest operations and the crop it’ll hold. Make sure to check for leaks and that an access ladder is present at all times. 
• Be aware of the machines at all times. Workers in the fields need to be thoroughly aware of where the harvesting machine is and whether it’s on or off. Regardless, no one should be near the harvesting machine when it is in the field during the fall harvest. No one should also maintain the machine while it is out on the field and operational. 
• Provide workers with proper training. One of the best ways to avoid incidents is to ensure that all workers and supervisors have the proper briefing and training on their jobs. If you’ve hired more personnel for the harvest, be sure that they are appropriately trained and that they are aware of what their jobs will entail. Emphasize safety protocols and regulations to them. 
   
  The fall harvest can be an incredibly hectic but rewarding time. With the proper preparation, things should go off without a hitch.Always be mindful of the proper safety procedures during any season. Visit KC Supply to find out what equipment you might need for the fall harvest.

Heat-related illness and incidents are a prime concern in many industrial and agricultural industries, especially during the summer months. Over time, the summer season has become hotter and hotter. With that comes the substantial risk of heat-related incidents, especially for workers who do many tasks outdoors or labor indoors in enclosed, unventilated spaces.

Here are several critical ways by which you can prevent these incidents from happening at work.

• Provide adequate hydration.
  Make sure all workers have plenty of access to water or a cold drink. As much as possible, they need to keep their body temperature down and avoid the risk of overheating. Urge them to drink water or liquids frequently to prevent heat-related illness. 
• Emphasize the importance of breaks.
  After toiling long hours in the heat, workers need to take a quick break in between. Workers need to eat lunch and drink water in the shade, and take a rest before they go out there and resume their duties once again. Pacing themselves, especially during heavy labor and physically taxing tasks, is critical. 
• Require the use of sunscreen and light-colored clothing.
  Sunscreen prevents outdoor workers from getting sunburns and reduces the risk of skin cancers or melanoma. Furthermore, sunburns can affect how the body regulates its temperature and thus need to be avoided. Light-colored clothing also keeps them cool by reflecting the hot sunshine. 
• Be aware of the signs of heatstroke.
  Though heat-related illness prevention is better than a cure, it’s still important to know the signs if someone is showing symptoms of heat stroke or fainting. Workers may become disoriented, stop sweating, or collapse completely. To prevent the problem from worsening, spot and address the situation immediately, getting them the medical help they need. Heat-related illnesses are severe matters and could endanger the lives of workers. It could also come at a significant cost to any business. Avoid the risks of heat stress and be prepared for high temperatures.

  KC Supply prioritizes the safety of your workers and your team. Visit KC Supply to find much-needed safety equipment and more workplace safety tips.