In the last three years, we have seen sweeping changes in the arena of safety on the jobsite. One of which has been the new OSHA guidelines instituted in 2017. These new mandates changed the way silica-based materials are handled on the jobsite and are designed to ensure that all persons working on a project are safe.
Some of the tools and practices used on the job, even when handled properly, can be dangerous. Careful thought and planning is needed to create a safe environment through the determination of risk assessment. Here, potential hazards need to be identified and how likely they may occur on the job. Within this process, safety measures need to be put into place that will lessen the possibility of an accident. No one wants to see anyone hurt on the job and beyond that, time-lost injuries, which can be painful for the injured worker can also mean lost wages. When an accident occurs, productivity suffers.