SAFETY BLOG

Frostbite Emergencies

Working outside in the winter weather can be a very hazardous undertaking.  Extreme cold can pose many threats to our personal safety.  Frostbite should always be taken very seriously.  Please review the following safety huddle with employees that may be exposed to cold temperatures.

Frost Bite Emergencies

• Occurs when skin tissues freeze
• Two causes of frostbite:
1. Cellular death at exposure
2. Narrowing of blood vessels in extremities due to the shunting of blood from the extremities to the core of the body, thus leaving less oxygenated warm blood for the areas farthest from the core
• Most commonly affected areas of the body are nose, cheeks, ears, fingers & toes
• There are three degrees of frostbite:
• 1st Degree: irritates the skin
• burning, numbness, tingling, itching & cold sensations
• appears white in color and feels frozen but retains resistance in the skin
• 2nd Degree:  blisters with no major damage
• decrease in sensation
• swelling and blood filled blisters over white or yellowish skin that looks waxy
• turns purplish-blue when rewarmed
• significant pain with rewarming
• ache and throbbing in 2-3 days
• 3rd Degree (deep frostbite):  all layers of skin affected, permanent tissue damage
• sensation is completely lost
• no resistance, hard to the touch
• only time will reveal the final amount of permanent tissue damage
• Treatment:
• call for professional medical help
• keep affected area elevated to reduce swelling
• move to a warm area to prevent further heat loss
• always look for symptoms of hypothermia to accompany frostbite
• remove all constrictive jewelry and clothes which may further constrict blood flow
• provide warm, nonalcoholic, noncaffeinated fluids
• apply dry, sterile dressings or bandages
• place cotton between fingers and toes to prevent friction damage
• do not rewarm if the affected area may refreeze
• avoid gradual thaws
• rewarm area quickly
• rapid transport to a hospital is critical

 Stay safe out there!

Developing Safety & Health Programs

Safety and Health Program Guidelines:

• Effective management of workplace safety and health programs:
• reduces the extent and severity of work related injuries and illnesses
• improves employee morale and productivity
• reduces worker compensation costs
• Exemplary workplaces use organized and systematic methods to:
• assign responsibilities to managers, supervisors, and employees
• regularly inspect for and control workplace hazards
• orient and train all employees to eliminate or avoid hazards

A written safety program should include:

1. A statement of commitment and support for the safety and health program from the administration
• statement to be signed by the CEO or other designated employee
2. A statement that defines the appointment of, the authority of, the training of, and the funding of a safety officer
3. A worker compensation policy that defines the parameters of the program and how employees access the program
4. A safety and health program for each OSHA standard that requires a hazard evaluation and risk assessment
5. A program that addresses the procedures to take when investigating a safety incident or accident
6. A program that addresses identifying and correcting unsafe work conditions and practices
7. A program that addresses each job task and job description from a safety and health standpoint in a manner to prevent on the job injuries and illnesses
8. A formal safety and health orientation
9. A periodic safety and health training program that addresses OSHA and site-specific safety and health issues such as PPE, engineering controls, hazardous materials communications, etc.
10. An outline of employer and employee responsibilities with respect to safety and health on the job

 Be safe out there!

Standards for Concrete Equipment

The following safety huddle reviews OSHA regulations pertaining to construction safety standards.  Today's safety huddle details the regulations that govern tools and equipment used in concrete and masonry operations.  The following standards are quoted from 29 CFR 1926.702

Requirements for equipment and tools:

• Bulk cement storage, containers, and silos shall be equipped with the following:
• Conical or tapered bottoms, and
• Mechanical or pneumatic means of starting the flow of material
• No employee shall be permitted to enter storage facilities unless the ejection system has been shut down, locked out, and tagged
• Concrete mixers with one cubic yard or larger skips shall be equipped with the following:
• A mechanical device to clear the skip of materials
• Guardrails installed on each side of the skip
• Powered and rotating type concrete troweling machines that are manually guided shall be equipped with a control switch that will automatically shut off the power whenever the hands of the operator are removed from the equipment handles
• Concrete buggy handles shall not extend beyond the wheels on either side of the buggy
• Concrete pumping systems using discharge pipes shall be provided with pipe supports designed for 100 percent overload
• Compressed air hoses used on concrete pumping systems shall be provided with positive fail-safe joint connectors to prevent separation of sections when pressurized
• Concrete bucket equipment with hydraulic or pneumatic gates shall have positive safety latches to prevent premature or accidental dumping
• Buckets shall be designed to prevent concrete from hanging up on top and sides
• Sections of tremies and similar concrete conveyances shall be secured with wire rope in addition to the regular couplings or connections
• Bull float handles, used where they may contact energized electrical conductors, shall be constructed of nonconductive material or insulated with a nonconductive sheath
• Masonry saws shall be guarded with a semicircular enclosure over the blade
• A method for retaining blade fragments shall be incorporated in the design of the semicircular enclosure
• No employee shall be permitted to perform maintenance or repair activity on equipment (such as compressors, mixers, screens, or pumps used for concrete and masonry construction) where the inadvertent operation of the equipment could occur and cause injury, unless all potentially hazardous energy sources have been locked out and tagged

 Be safe out there!

Aerial Lift Safety

On October 12, 2009, a construction worker in Philadelphia was killed when the aerial lift he was working from toppled over dropping him 125 feet.  In light of this tragic accident, now would be an excellent time to review the OSHA standards that govern aerial lift safety.  The following standards refer to 29 CFR 1926.453.

Scope and Application:

• Aerial lifts acquired for use on or after January 22, 1973 shall be designed and constructed in conformance with the applicable requirements of the American National Standards for "Vehicle Mounted Elevating and Rotating Work Platforms"
• Aerial lifts include the following types of vehicles:
• Extensible boom platforms
• Aerial ladders
• Articulating boom platforms
• Vertical towers
• A combination of any such devices
• Aerial equipment may be made of metal, wood, fiberglass reinforced plastic, or other material
• May be powered or manually operated
• May be field modified for uses other than those intended by the manufacturer provided that modification has been certified by manufacturer or any other equivalent entity

 Requirements:

• Aerial ladders shall be secured in the lower traveling position by the locking device on top of the truck cab, and the manually operated device at the base of the ladder before highway travel
• Lift controls shall be tested each day prior to use
• Only authorized persons shall operate an aerial lift
• Belting off to an adjacent pole, structure, or equipment while working from an aerial lift shall not be permitted
• Employees shall always stand firmly on the floor of the basket
• Shall not sit or climb on edge of basket
• Shall not use planks, ladders, or other devices for a work position
• Fall protection shall be worn and a lanyard attached to the boom or basket
• Body belts no longer acceptable as of January 1, 1998
• Never exceed boom or basket load limits
• Brakes shall be set when outriggers are used
• Outriggers placed on pads or solid surfaces
• Wheel chocks used when aerial lift is used on incline
• Aerial lifts shall not be moved when the boom is elevated in a working position when men are in the basket
• Except equipment that is specifically designed for this type of operation
• Articulating and extensible boom platforms shall have both upper and lower controls
• Lower controls shall not be used unless permission granted from employee in basket
• The insulated portion of lift shall not be altered in any manner

 Always consult OSHA standards for more details.

Be safe out there!

Workplace Safety in Question

The construction industry has suffered another workplace accident that has taken a man's life on Monday, October 12.  A construction worker in Philadelphia was working from a mobile lift platform when it toppled over while performing construction work on a church roof.  National news is reporting that it was believed the platform rolled over a sidewalk grate which became unstable and caused the lift to become unbalanced, thus falling over with the employee in the basket.  It is believed the boom on the lift was fully extended at the time of the accident and the worker fell approximately 125 feet.

Once again workplace safety will be examined to determine if this construction accident could have been avoided.  The safe utilization of mobile platform lifts is regulated by OSHA standards.  While the details of this accident are still sketchy, we must assume that an adequate safety assessment of the days work may have identified potential hazards to the stability of the lift.  How many more workers are we going to lose in this country before workplace and construction safety is taken seriously?

Employee Substance Abuse

October is drug-free workplace month.  Substance abuse among employees can greatly decrease workplace safety and drastically increase costs for their employers.  This safety huddle will outline the dangers of substances in the workplace, the basic elements of a successful drug-free workplace program, and helpfull lifelines for employees in need.

Statistics

When we hear the term "substances" we must realize that this is not exclusive to illegal drugs, but rather to any legal or illegal substances that are prohibited in the workplace.  Employees must read their employers substance abuse policy and be familiar with the substances and levels of those substances that are prohibited.  The bottom line; substance abuse is extremely dangerous and costly in the workplace.

• Substance abusers are 5 times more likely to have an accident in the workplace.
• Their accidents are 150% more severe than the normal employee.
• not only are they more likely to injure you at work, but they are more likely to maim or kill you
• Substance abusers have 5 times more worker compensation claims that the non-abuser.
• Abusers use 300-400% more of their employee health benefits for themselves and their dependents.

 Program Basics

A successful drug-free workplace program will prohibit the use of illegal substances and the abuse of legal substances.  A common complaint among anti-program employees is "what I do in my free time is none of the company's business".  We do agree that an employee's personal time is their own, but when they arrive to work and the substances that they have been abusing are still in their systems affecting their physical and mental abilities, thus decreasing safety to themselves an others, then it becomes everyones business.  The following are the basic components of a successful drug-free workplace program:

• A program will never succeed without supportive and committed leadership within a company.
• A thorough written policy that is signed by all employees is the foundation for a successful program.
• Must state company view on substance abuse in the workplace
• Must list all substances tested for
• Must list the blood alcohol composition (BAC) that will put an employee in violation of the policy
• Must list the different criteria that warrant drug testing in the workplace
• Must state the consequences of violating the policy
• Employee education and training
• Covers the structure of company's program
• Discusses the dangers and health effects of substances
• Discusses socio-economic effects of substance abuse
• Drug testing
• A good written policy is worthless without the enforcement of actual drug testing
• Potential criteria for drug testing:
• Pre-employment testing
• Post-accident testing
• Return-to-duty testing
• Random Testing
• Reasonable suspicion testing
• Help resources for employees in need (non-mandatory)
• Does the company offer an Employee Assistance Program (EAP)?
• Lists of potential counselors and treatment centers within the community?
• Management support within company for employees voluntarily seeking help.
• Job protection
• Follow-up support services for post-treatment employees.

Generally, the employees who have a problem with drug testing in the workplace are the employees who have something to hide.  Every employee has the right to go home safe at the end of the day.  Substance abusers greatly decrease your chances of making it home in one piece.

Be safe out there!

Warning Line Systems

The following safety huddle lists the OSHA standards that regulate and define the specifications for warning line systems in construction fall protection.  Refer to 29 CFR 1926.502(f) for more details.  Remember, workplace safety is every everybody's responsibility.

Definition: warning line system means a barrier erected on a roof to warn employees that they are approaching an unprotected roof side or edge, and which designates an area in which roofing work may take place without the use of guardrail, body belt, or safety net systems to protect employees in the area.

Warning line systems and their use shall comply with the following provisions:

• Shall be erected around all sides of the roof work area.
• When mechanical equipment is not being used, the warning line shall be erected not less than 6 feet from the roof edge.
• When mechanical equipment is being used, the warning line shall be erected not less than 6 feet from the roof edge which is parallel to the direction of mechanical equipment operation, and not less than 10 feet from the roof edge which is perpendicular to the direction of mechanical equipment operation.
• Points of access, materials handling areas, storage areas, and hoisting areas shall be connected to the work area by an access path formed by two warning lines.
• When the path to a point of access is not in use, a rope, wire, chain, or other barricade, equivalent in strength and height to the warning line, shall be placed across the path at the point where the path intersects the warning line erected around the work area.
• or the path shall be offset such that a person cannot walk directly into the work area.
• Warning lines shall consist of ropes, wires, or chains, and supporting stanchions erected as follows:
• the rope, wire, or chain shall be flagged at not more than 6 foot intervals with high-visibility material.
• shall be rigged and supported in such a way that its lowest point (including sag) is no less than 34 inches from the walking/working surface and its highest point is no more than 39 inches from the walking working surface.
• stanchions shall be capable of resisting, without tipping over, a force of at least 16 pounds applied horizontally against the stanchion, 30 inches above the walking/working surface, perpendicular to the warning line, and in the direction of the floor, roof, or platform edge.
• The rope, wire, or chain shall have a minimum tensile strength of 500 pounds.
• The line shall be attached at each stanchion in such a way that pulling on one section of the line between stanchions will not result in slack being taken up in adjacent sections before the stanchion tips over.
• No employee shall be allowed in the area between the roof edge and a warning line unless the employer is performing roofing work in that area.
• Mechanical equipment on roofs shall be used or stored only in areas where employees are protected by a warning line system, guardrail system, or personal fall arrest sytem.

 Be safe out there!

Positioning Device Systems Compliance

The following safety huddle represents OSHA's safety compliance regulations for positioning device systems 1926.502(e).  Always consult directly with OSHA compliance standards and manufacturer recommendations before utilizing these systems.  Positioning device systems are not fall arrest systems, but they are personal safety devices that can be used to prevent an employee from falling.  They are an invaluable tool for fall protection but employers and managers must understand how to use them properly.

• Positioning device systems and their use shall conform to the following:
• Shall be rigged such that an employee cannot free fall more than 2 feet.
• anchor points for these systems must be capable of supporting twice the potential impact load of an employee's fall or 3,000 pounds, whichever is greater.
• All connectors shall be drop forged, pressed or formed steel, or made of equivalent materials.
• Connectors shall have a corrosion-resistant finish, and all surfaces shall be smooth.
• Connecting assemblies shall have a minimum tensile strength of 5,000 pounds.
• Dee-rings and snaphooks shall be proof-tested to a minimum tensile load of 3,600 pounds without cracking, breaking, or taking permanent deformation.
• Snaphooks shall be sized to be compatible with the member to which they are connected, or shall be a locking type designed and used to prevent disengagement.
• As of January 1, 1998, only locking type snaphooks shall be used.
• Unless the snaphook is a locking type and designed for the following connections, snaphooks shall not be engaged:
• directly to webbing, rope or wire rope
• to each other
• to a Dee-ring to which another snaphook or other connector is attached
• to a horizontal lifeline
• to any object which is incompatibly shaped
• Shall be inspected prior to each use for wear, damage, and other deterioration, and defective components shall be removed from service.
• Body belts, harnesses, and components shall be used only for employee protection (as part of a fall arrest system or positioning device system) and not to hoist materials.

 Be safe out there!

Elements of an Emergency Action Plan

An emergency action plan (EAP) should address emergencies that the employer may reasonably expect in the workplace.  Some examples include: fires; hazardous materials spills; tornadoes; floods; and others.  The following text identifies the main components of an EAP as outlined by OSHA.

• An EAP must be in writing, kept in the workplace, and available to employees for review.  Employers with fewer than 10 employees may communicate the EAP orally.
• An EAP must include at a minimum:
• procedures for reporting a fire or other emergency
• procedures for emergency evacuation, including type of evacuation and exit route assignments
• use floor plans or workplace maps which clearly show the emergency escape routes
• color coding will aid employees in determining their route assignments
• procedures to be followed by employees who remain to operate critical plant operations before they evacuate
• i.e. plant power supplies, plant water supplies, and other essential services that cannot be shut down or have to be shut down in stages
• procedures to account for all employees after evacuation
• procedures to be followed by employees performing rescue or medical duties
• the name or job title of every employee who may be contacted by employees who need more information about the plan or an explanation of their duties under the plan
• An employer must have and maintain an employee alarm system.
• the alarm system must use a distinctive signal for each purpose and comply with the requirements in section 1910.165
• An employer must designate and train employees to assist in a safe and orderly evacuation of other employees.
• assure an adequate number of employees are available at all times to act as evacuation wardens in times of emergencies
• one warden for every twenty employees in considered adequate
• make wardens thoroughly aware of facility layout, places of refuge (interior and exterior), and any and all handicapped or disabled employees who may need extra assistance
• An employer must review the EAP with each employee covered by the plan.
• when the plan is developed or the employee is assigned initially to a job
• when the employee's responsibilities under the plan change
• when the plan is changed

If you need more information or are looking to have an emergency action plan created for your company, just click on this link. EAP 

Be safe out there!

Employee Health & Wellness

Research is beginning to shed more light on successful companies.  We are starting to find out that the general health and wellness of a company's employees directly relates to the efficiency and success of that company.  Healthy employees are efficient employees.  Tests have shown that employers who promote health and wellness among their employees have a more dedicated, satisfied, and successful workforce than those employers that do not.

Areas of health and wellness to promote in your company:

• Workplace Safety-
• The first and top priority in any workplace should be the health and safety of its employees.  Just like at home, an employee wants to feel nurtured and safe in their work environment.
• The first step is having a management staff that is committed to protecting their employees from all hazards and dangers.  They must practice what they preach.  If an employee knows that their management cares about them, then a level of trust will take root and the employee will dedicate more energy and talent to the benefit of the entire company.
• Next, comprehensive safety protocols must be developed to protect employees from known or potential hazards.
• Finally, training and education is the best way to increase knowledge of safe practices and to developing a safety-minded company.
• Aesthetics and ergonomics-
• The look and feel of the office or workplace can have a major effect on the emotional wellbeing of its employees.
• Limit restrictive barriers such as cubicles and solid wall offices in the workplace.  Maximize space in a way to promote socializing and idea creation.
• Maximize natural light and fresh air.  Encourage outdoor breaks, lunches, brainstorming sessions, etc.
• A fresh coat of paint with balanced color schemes can go a long way to substitute for the industrial feel of many workplaces.
• Utilize artwork that reflects the dedication and ideals of the company's employees.
• Many employees who are involved in repetitive movements can be plagued by soreness and long term injuries.
• Invest in a comprehensive ergonomics study within your workplace.
• Upgrade to equipment, furniture, and procedures that will minimize repetitive movement injuries.
• Mental and emotional health-
• Provide access to confidential mental health professionals that can assist employees with common life difficulties such as depression, divorce, death in the family, etc.
• Develop a comprehensive substance abuse program within the workplace.  This program must deter substance abuse among employees, educate employees on the dangers of substance abuse, and provide treatment and recovery options for employees that are seeking help.
• Physical health and wellness-
• Educate employees on the impacts of eating healthy, exercising and monitoring health.
• Set health goals as a company.
• For example, an office of 15 people will strive to lose 100 pounds in one month.
• Replace unhealthy foods and beverages in vending machines with fresh and healthy foods.
• Develop a healthy workplace program that will cover all areas of health and wellness for the work force.
• Provide interoffice wellness checks for employees on a regular basis.
• Blood pressure checks
• Influenza vaccinations
• Prostrate cancer screenings
• Breast cancer screenings
• Encourage yearly physicals for employees in high-risk operations.

 Take care of yourselves and your employees, they are the best asset you will ever have.

 Be safe out there!