According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, one-fourth of all compensation indemnity claims involve back injuries. Overall, these injuries cost U.S. businesses billions of dollars each year. The good news is that by evaluating your existing administrative and engineering controls and making necessary changes, you can reduce the risk of back injuries due to lifting—the cause of three out of every four occupational back injuries.

An arc flash is an electrical breakdown where electric current jumps through an air gap between conductors. With a flash of bright light, intense radiant heat and loud noise, an arc flash explosion can produce a temperature of 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. Both the heat and the energy can cause substantial damage to equipment, fire or severe injury or death.

Careful facility planning and design can be helpful as the first line of defense to prevent hazardous material leaks or spills, or to mitigate the effects if a leak or spill does happen. When using ammonia refrigeration equipment, facilities should be designed so the system's machinery is in a detached building, or at least a separate room, from the rest of the facility. As well, vapor tight separations and mechanical gasket-sealed doors should be used in as many areas of the facility as possible to reduce the risk of an ammonia leak spreading inside the facility. Considering these and other building design plans can significantly reduce the negative effects of a leak or spill before they occur.