Trenching and Excavation Safety

TrenchExcavation and trenching are among the most hazardous construction operations. OSHA defines an excavation as any man-made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the earth’s surface formed by earth removal. A trench is defined as a narrow underground excavation that is deeper than it is wide, and is no wider than 15 feet (4.5 meters).

Dangers of Trenching and Excavation

Cave-ins pose the greatest risk and are much more likely than other excavation related accidents to result in worker fatalities. Other potential hazards include falls, falling loads, hazardous atmospheres, and incidents involving mobile equipment. Trench collapses cause dozens of fatalities and hundreds of injuries each year.

via Trenching and Excavation Safety.

What is Lockout/Tagout Safety Procedure?

QPC_Loto_Lock6Lockout-tagout (LOTO) or lock and tag is a safety procedure which is used in industry and research settings to ensure that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work. It requires that hazardous power sources be “isolated and rendered inoperative” before any repair procedure is started. “Lock and tag” works in conjunction with a lockusually locking the device or the power source with the hasp, and placing it in such a position that no hazardous power sources can be turned on. The procedure requires that a tag be affixed to the locked device indicating that it should not be turned on.

A good Lockout/Tagout Procedure, at a minimum, should contain the following elements:

1. All maintenance personnel shall be provided with a good lock. The lock shall have the individual workers’ name and other identification on it. Each worker shall have the only key to the lock.

2. The worker shall check to be sure that no one is operating the machinery BEFORE turning -off the power. The machine operator shall be informed before the power is turned off. Sudden loss of power could cause an accident

3. Steam, air and hydraulic lines shall be bled, drained, and cleaned out. There shall be no pressure in these lines or in reservoir tanks.

4. Any mechanism under tension or pressure, such as springs, shall be released and blocked.

5. Each person who will be working on the machinery shall put a lock on the machine’s lockout device(s). Each lock shall remain on the machine until that worker’s work is complete.

6. All energy sources that could activate the machine shall be locked out (blocked/tagged).

7. The main valve or main electrical disconnect shall be tested to be sure that the power to the machine is off.

8. Electrical circuits shall be checked with proper and calibrated electrical testing equipment. An electrical failure could energize the equipment even if the switch is in the off position. Stored energy in electrical capacitors shall be safely discharged.

9. When working on machinery such as power presses and welding presses that have a ram that could fall, the ram shall be supported with safety blocks or pins. Fully interlocked safety blocks are the safest.

Company President Sentenced to Prison for Safety Violations

4d3a3e5a017800b690f6c5c6af330f18hands-in-handcuffsA company president in the United States has been sentenced to serve up to 20 years in prison for his role in safety deficiencies that caused the death of two men. The prison sentence is in addition to a $ 1.2 million penalty levied against the company in 2010 and a personal penalty of $10,000 levied against the president and primary business owner, Craig Sanborn, as part of the criminal sentencing.

The penalties were issued in connection with the May 2010 explosion at the Black Mag LLC plant in New Hampshire, United States that killed two employees who were manufacturing a gunpowder substitute. An investigation conducted by the U.S. Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) following the explosion resulted in issuance of 16 willful safety violations and more than 30 serious safety violation citations. The company was also forced to surrender its Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms explosives manufacturing permits, which put the company out of business.

Safety violations included:

  • failure to implement essential protective controls including remote starting procedures;
  • failure to isolate operating stations, establish safe distancing, and erect barriers or shielding;
  • failure to provide personal protective equipment and other safety measures required for safe work with hazardous materials; and
  • failure to provide sufficient training on workplace hazards.

via Company President Sentenced to Prison for Safety Violations – EHS Journal.

The Purpose of a Health & Safety Committee

28940Health and Safety Committees should be established for the following purposes:

  • To increase and maintain the interest of employees in health and safety issues.
  • To convince managers, supervisors and employees through awareness and training activities that they are primarily responsible for the prevention of workplace accidents.
  • To help make health and safety activities an integral part of the organization’s operating procedures, culture and programs.
  • To provide an opportunity for the free discussion of health and safety problems and possible solutions.
  • To inform and educate employees and supervisors about health and safety issues, new standards, research findings, etc.
  • To help reduce the risk of workplace injuries and illnesses.
  • To help insure compliance with federal and state health and safety standards.

via Safety Committee Guidelines.

Back Injury and Back Pain

Back-Injury-300x200Back symptoms are among the top ten reasons for medical visits. For 5% to 10% of patients, the back pain becomes chronic.

  • In 2001, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported 372,683 back injury cases involving days away from work. Most cases involved workers who were aged 25–54 (79%), male (64%), and white, non-Hispanic (70%)
  • Two occupational groups accounted for more than 54% of back injury cases: operators, fabricators, and laborers (38%); and precision production, craft, and repair (17%)

Data from scientific studies of primary and secondary interventions indicate that low back pain can be reduced by:

  • Engineering controls (e.g., ergonomic workplace redesign)
  • Administrative controls (specifically, adjusting work schedules and workloads)
  • Programs designed to modify individual factors, such as employee exercise
  • Combinations of these approaches

via CDC – Workplace Health – Implementation – Work-Related Musculoskeletal Disorders (WMSD) Prevention.

What is a Drug Free Workplace?

drug-free_workplace_signA drug free workplace is an employment setting where all employees adhere to a program of policies and activities designed to provide a safe workplace, discourage alcohol and drug abuse and encourage treatment, recovery and the return to work of those employees with such abuse problems. The intent of the program is to educate adults on the problems relating to substance abuse. The one place where there can be mandated adult education is the workplace. This empowers the individual and the family, resulting in stronger communities.

via The Council on Alcohol and Drugs: Drug Free Workplace FAQ.

Leading Indicators for Injury Prevention

safety-indicatorsForward-thinking safety leadership requires leading indicators, which enable the understanding of the effectiveness of safety efforts underway at an operation. Management that dedicates time to continuous improvement uses leading indicators not only as a way to prevent injuries, but also to continuously improve productivity and quality in plants.

via Leading Indicators for Injury Prevention.

Welding, Cutting, and Brazing

fabbigWelding, cutting, and brazing are hazardous activities that pose a unique combination of both safety and health risks to more than 500,000 workers in a wide variety of industries. The risk from fatal injuries alone is more than four deaths per thousand workers over a working lifetime.

Welding, cutting, and brazing is addressed in specific standards for the general industry, shipyard employment, marine terminals, and construction industry.

via Safety and Health Topics | Welding, Cutting, and Brazing.

Health Promotion at Work

home-imageThe workplace is an important setting for health protection, health promotion and disease prevention programs. On average, Americans working full-time spend more than one-third of their day, five days per week at the workplace.

While employers have a responsibility to provide a safe and hazard-free workplace, they also have abundant opportunities to promote individual health and foster a healthy work environment for more than 139 million workers in the United States.

via CDC – Workplace Health – Business Case – Home.

What is Safety Culture?

Safety-CultureSafety culture is the ways in which safety is managed in the workplace, and often reflects “the attitudes, beliefs, perceptions and values that employees share in relation to safety”. The related concept of safety climate represents employees’ shared beliefs about how safety behaviors are rewarded and supported.

via Safety culture – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.