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Purging of fired heater coils using steam (winterizing)

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Recently a serious injury occurred to a chemical truck operator’s assistant when a diesel fired heater was being “winterized” by purging the internal heater’s coils using a process called... More ≫

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Recently a serious injury occurred to a chemical truck operator’s assistant when a diesel fired heater was being “winterized” by purging the internal heater’s coils using a process called “steaming out the coils”. The seat of the diesel fired heater’s external outlet valve failed, releasing a jet of steam that propelled the operator’s assistant into a nearby truck’s bumper resulting in serious head injuries and steam burns.

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Animal services workers safety precautions

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An Animal Services Clerk at an animal services centre was mauled by an American bulldog that was brought in by a member of the public. The incident left the clerk with permanent disabling... More ≫

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An Animal Services Clerk at an animal services centre was mauled by an American bulldog that was brought in by a member of the public. The incident left the clerk with permanent disabling injuries. This safety bulletin was developed to assist all animal shelters, animal services centres, humane society facilities and SPCA facilities to be aware of potential hazards and worker injury prevention measures while handling unpredictable or potentially dangerous animals.

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Use of flammable hydrocarbon mixtures as CFC and HFC substitutes in vehicle air-conditioning systems

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This Safety Bulletin presents the health and safety risks associated with using substitutes that consist of flammable hydrocarbon mixtures.

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Manually energizing power systems after an unplanned outage : an Alberta electric utility best practice

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The purpose of this Best Practice is to standardize, to the extent possible, the minimum steps that an electric utility must include in its own practices for manually energizing a power system... More ≫

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The purpose of this Best Practice is to standardize, to the extent possible, the minimum steps that an electric utility must include in its own practices for manually energizing a power system after an unplanned outage. This Best Practice is not meant to eliminate all manual recloses. It is intended to balance the risks to public safety resulting from a loss of power versus the potential risk of injury to non-utility workers or members of the public as a result of a manual reclose.

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Good product design : avoiding the average

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A good design takes into account that people vary widely in size and shape.

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Focus on human performance. Part one: sleep inertia

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Most humans need some time to go from deep sleep to complete alertness. This short information sheet looks at the effect of “sleep inertia” on workplace environments such as those for first responders. More ≫

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Most humans need some time to go from deep sleep to complete alertness. This short information sheet looks at the effect of “sleep inertia” on workplace environments such as those for first responders.

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Selecting hand tools

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Poorly designed hand tools — too heavy, poorly balanced, with a grip that is too large, the wrong shape, or slippery — can lead to injuries of the hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, and neck. Hammers... More ≫

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Poorly designed hand tools — too heavy, poorly balanced, with a grip that is too large, the wrong shape, or slippery — can lead to injuries of the hand, wrist, forearm, shoulder, and neck. Hammers or pliers with bent handles keep the wrist and forearm straight to reduce injury and increase power. Pliers and cutting tools with spring-assisted jaws require less finger and hand effort to repeatedly open the jaws. Power tools with foam or rubberized grips help reduce the transfer of vibration to the hands and arms.

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Push it or pull it?

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Carts and wheeled equipment help to make work safer and more efficient in almost every workplace. For example, dollies move heavy equipment parts on shop floors, and wheeled carts carry supplies... More ≫

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Carts and wheeled equipment help to make work safer and more efficient in almost every workplace. For example, dollies move heavy equipment parts on shop floors, and wheeled carts carry supplies and materials in office buildings. It’s important, though, to understand how best to work with wheeled equipment since between 9 and 20 per cent of the injury claims for low back pain are the result of pushing and pulling activities.

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Proper height of work surfaces

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Too high? Too low? Just right? Workers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And the tasks they perform can vary from light precision work to assembling heavy and awkward equipment. Is one... More ≫

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Too high? Too low? Just right? Workers come in a variety of shapes and sizes. And the tasks they perform can vary from light precision work to assembling heavy and awkward equipment. Is one workstation appropriate for every worker and every task? Ask the tall worker with neck pain, crouched over a low bench for hours. Or the short worker, who has to raise her arms and shoulders too high, making it both uncomfortable and difficult to apply much force when necessary. Ideally, work surface heights should be adjusted to accommodate different workers and different tasks.

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How to use wrist rests

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Wrist rests for computer keyboards and mice have become commonplace accessories. Like most tools, they have the potential to help or harm you, depending on whether you use them as intended. This... More ≫

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Wrist rests for computer keyboards and mice have become commonplace accessories. Like most tools, they have the potential to help or harm you, depending on whether you use them as intended. This brief information sheet presents some tips for choosing and using a wrist rest.

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