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Asbestos Alert
Electrical workers today are often exposed to asbestos on wires and various
electrical outputs due to its famous ability to insulate against heat.
Asbestos wire insulation was commonly used in offices, stores, and even
homes that we still occupy to this day. Tampering with insulation can pose
the risk of releasing the asbestos into the air, leaving the workers and
occupants lungs vulnerable to deadly asbestos fibers.
In my fight against cancer, I have been helped greatly by the Patient
Advocates at Mesothelioma.net. I feel it is my duty to give back to the
community--to inform people of asbestos diseases.
They have recently posted an article about the use of asbestos in electrical
work
https://mesothelioma.net/asbestos-electrical-wiring/
Isn’t 99.9% safe good enough?
If things were done right 99.9% of the time:
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We’d drink unsafe water one hour each month
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There’d be two unsafe plane landings at an airport every day
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20,000 incorrect drug prescriptions would be issued each year
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Doctors would drop 50 babies every day
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There would be 500 incorrect surgical operations each week
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22,000 checks would be deducted from the wrong account every hour
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Your heart would miss 32,000 beats each year
99.9% isn’t very safe after all. Working for 100$ makes a lot
more sense. So, let’s work together to make it happen. No one gets to get hurt
today, not on my watch!
OSHA Tornado Preparedness
Preparedness involves a continuous process of planning, equipping, training
and exercising. Planning for tornadoes requires identifying a place to take
shelter, being familiar with and monitoring your community’s warning system,
and establishing procedures to account for individuals in the building.
See guidelines
National Sleep Awareness Week
This week, we turn our focus to National Sleep
Awareness Week as sleep deprivation can significantly alter your performance at
the work site. Although OSHA does not have regulations on sleep deprivation,
making sleep a focus is key to a safe work environment. Nearly 20% of all
workplace accidents have been said to be influenced by lack of sleep.
A few topics that
assist your team in managing possible workplace accidents from lack of sleep
include
Safety Awareness, Distracted
Driving and
I2P2: Injury and Illness Prevention.
These three topics discuss injury prevention and how to keep safety a focus at
your workplace.
Lessons Learned
Type of Incident:
Silica exposure
Description of Incident:
A concrete company was dry cutting concrete which created a
large dust cloud that encompassed the work area. The exposure was inside and
lasted 15-20 minutes. The electricians working in the area asked the concrete
company to cease the dry cut and implement a wet cut and the company complied.
Lessons Learned:
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Always use a wet saw when cutting inside to eliminate the dust.
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Job scheduling should be reviewed to coordinate with all the trades.
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Respiratory protection should be available.
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The employees are commended for speaking up to stop the unsafe condition.
See more lessons learned
Cold Stress Equation Card
Low Temps + Wind Speed + Wetness = Injury
[Click here
to download your card]
OSHA Fines to Rise for First Time Since 1990
by Alexander Berzon, Nov.3, 2015
Even after expected increase of up to about 80%, workplace-safety fines to
be tiny compared to those issued by other agencies.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/osha-fines-to-rise-for-first-time-since-1990-1446603819
Federal penalties for workplace-safety violations were increased this week
for the first time
since 1990, thanks to a little-noticed provision of the budget bill
signed into law by President Barack Obama.
The move would bring the fines in line with inflation over the past 25
years.
In the
future, fines from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration
and state workplace-safety agencies would continue to rise with inflation.
Still, even after an expected increase of as much as roughly 80%, OSHA fines
will remain tiny compared to those issued by many other regulatory agencies,
such as the Environmental Protection Agency.
The new fines are
due to be set some time next year.
[See
all]
OSHA Hot over Heat Stress
OSHA is now focusing on heat related illnesses in the workplace even though it has no Standard which specifically addresses working in a hot environment. It is aggressively pursuing employers and, in a Washington memo to OSHA’s Regional Administrators, it stated that “this memo directs the Field to expedite heat-related inspections and to issue Citations … as soon as possible.” Therefore, employers need to take action now to ensure a workplace free of heat hazards or face costly citations and litigation.
Click here to see more >> OSHA Hot over Heat Stress
Redoubling our efforts to end fall fatalities; new CPWR study analyzes falls from roofs. One year ago, OSHA, NIOSH and CPWR joined together with members of the NORA Construction Sector Council to launch a nationwide campaign targeting fall fatalities in construction. It's not hard to figure out why -- almost every working day somewhere in the United States a workplace fall takes the life of a man or woman in the building industry. Every year more than 10,000 construction workers suffer serious injuries from falls.
Click here to see more >> www.stopconstructionfalls.com
HEADS UP... GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals) Scheduled for 2014
Beginning in 2014, under OSHA guidelines, the U.S. and several other countries will transition to GHS (Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling Chemicals). It is a standardized system that has already been adopted in the EU and Japan. Without GHS, every country has different systems for communicating chemical-hazard information, with little or no consistency among the systems.
Your workers will need to be trained and all MSDS labeling will need to be changed to SDS labeling. Below are links to information that will get you started in the process. Don't wait until the end of the year. Start the process now by referring to the following information releases:
What is GHS and what might it mean in the near future. This new international standard in classifying hazardous materials will have a major impact across the globe. Review or download materials linked below.
See Overview
See OSHA communications
See Power Point review
Cell Phones in Safety Zones... Risky Business
"...It has been proven that you cannot successfully divide your attention between the conversation on the phone and safely performing tasks requiring manipulation with your hands. If your job requires you to be within striking distance of a hazard such as: pinch, burn, arc, rotation, etc. you are at risk when distracted..." [see more]
Emergency Plans:
The Difference Between Unfortunate Events and a Tragedies
Organizations that plan, train, communicate, and assess their emergency response are likely to have the best outcomes in terms of damage to people and property. People mistakenly assume that community emergency responders will be available with a plan in the event of such events. This is an incorrect assumption.
That's why some companies encourage that employees become CERT-trained. CERT (Community Emergency Response Teams) is a local government program, supported by FEMA, that educates people about disaster preparedness. Training includes fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations. Emergency action plans are strongly suggested that could include:
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Assembly
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Emergency notification
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Medical procedures
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Utility failure
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Elevator failure
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Civil disturbance
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Emergency preparedness
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Supplies
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Drills
See More
"Team + Work = Safety"
The following information is excerpted from an article entitled "Team + Work = Safety" published a while back in the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Marine and Aviation Operations Safety and Environmental Management monthly newsletter.
The article quoted several managers about the importance of teamwork:
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"It takes everyone working together cooperatively for everyone to be truly safe."
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"Teamwork means taking the time to show someone else the safe way to do a job and asking for help if you are not sure what to do."
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"Cooperation of this sort is necessary because we’re all in this together—in life itself—and life, like work, is not only safer and more productive but even more fun when we cooperate.
Remember, new employees need to feel they're part of your safety team from their first day on the job. This is especially important since statistics show that the first few weeks on the job are the most dangerous for new workers.
So don't let new members of your team get sidelined by an accident before they have a chance to make their mark. Welcome them personally to your safety team and encourage their participation in making a safe workplace.
Marijuana Use Doubles Risk of Car Crash, Study Says
Cannabis is the most widely used illicit substance globally and recent statistics have shown a significant increase in use across the world. Rates of driving under influence have also increased, the paper said.
[see more]
Asbestos Rule changes took effect March 2, 2012 and will affect contractors, landfills, and large projects.
Ohio EPA is announcing changes to Ohio’s Asbestos Emission Control regulations took effect as of March 2, 2012. These rules affect contractors, landfills and large projects. The rule changes were implemented to provide clarification and to make the rules consistent with the federal asbestos NESHAP regulations at 40 CFR Part 61, Subpart M. Some of the changes include:
A change to the definition of “small fragments” in Ohio Administrative Code (OAC) rule 3745-20-01. OAC Rule 3745-20-01now defines “small fragments” as four (4) square inches or less to be friable or regulated asbestos containing material (RACM). Also, large projects involving the renovation/demolition of multiple residential structures are to be considered a “Facility”.
OAC Rule 3745-20-05has been changed to require that all category two material (Cat ll) to bedisposed at a regulated asbestos landfill.
[see details]
Two common types of burns in the workplace are electrical and chemical. Customize the training information in this tip to the burn hazards that are present in your workplace.
Regarding electrical safety, explain to your employees that "unqualified workers" are employees such as machine operators, operators of powered industrial trucks, construction workers, and others who are not qualified to perform electrical work, but who need to know important information about the hazards of electricity and how to prevent serious injury. Electrical burns are one of the biggest hazards and can happen in a fraction of a second. Give your workers these facts about electrical burns.
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Burns are a common shock-related injury.
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Electricity generates heat in the body.
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Thermal burns can occur from hot surfaces and fires.
Electricity in the body generates heat because the body produces resistance. The heating of body tissues results in electrical burns. Second-degree and third-degree burns can occur on the skin, or they may be internal, so that the person may not look seriously injured.
Critical Stroke Indicators
A neurologist says that if he can get to a stroke victim within 3 hours he can totally reverse the effects of a stroke...totally. He said the trick was getting a stroke recognized, diagnosed, and then getting the patient medically cared for within 3 hours, which is tough. [See more]
Fight back the FLU
It’s that time of year again! Each year the flu accounts for 200,000 hospitalizations, 41,000 deaths and an economic impact in excess of $80 billion. However, the risk of outbreak in your place of employment can be significantly lowered through the implementation of engineering controls, administrative controls and work practices.
[see details]
Outrigger Deployment
A recent safety awareness alert concerns outrigger deployment and cites five steps of responsibility in avoiding accidents. [see more]
Excessive Levels of Lead
You may be interested to learn that a recently filed lawsuit claims that Disney’s park in Anaheim, California is poisoning visiting children with lead. It seems to be a serious, legitimate case.
That is the allegation by the Mateel Environmental Justice Foundation, which has gone to court seeking to force the Disney company to post warning signs about the lead or to cover lead-laced surfaces throughout the 56-year-old theme park in Anaheim, CA.
Environmental groups say the Disneyland theme park, which opened in 1955, is riddled with lead. You can find the article here: http://www.paintsquare.com/news/?fuseaction=view&id=6548&nl_versionid=1417
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