Recently, many companies and organizations have required their sub-contractors to have OSHA 10-hour training.  This is a very common practice in the construction industry.  Previously companies just had to show that the supervisor had an OSHA 10-hour card but now, some companies are requiring all the workers from the sub-contractor to have an OSHA 10-hour card. 

The first half of the OSHA 10-hour Construction Course covers certain OSHA-mandated topics, such as an overview of OSHA, tips on how to locate specific OSHA regulations, basic electrical safety, & fall protection. But the remaining 5 hours of the class can be customized to address other OSHA Construction training topics that pertain specifically to your operations (example: scaffolding, excavations, stairways & ladders, cranes, PPE, and tools & equipment . . .).  These classes should be taught by and OSHA 500 or 501 trainer.

OSHA 500 and 501 are the train-the-trainer classes that are taught through The OSHA Training Institute and The National Safety Education Center and other OSHA training sites.

If you are considering hiring a sub-contractor do you want all the workers trained in safety or just the supervisors?  Your call.

The Compliance Resource Center usually does not talk about products, however the Smart Monitor Series by Ericson can help the construction industry to help meet OSHA’s construction site gound fault protection.

Ericson Manufacturing announces the release of our newest “smart” series of electrical plugs and connectors. The Smart Monitor Series utilize a new “thinking” module which detects many common electrical problems including loss of earth ground which effects lack of compliance to OSHA’s Worksite Assured Grounding Program. The dual color RED & BLUE LEDS indicate correct or incorrect electrical conditions on the cordset. Smart Monitor Plugs & Connectors constantly monitors these conditions:

No Ground
Loss of Ground In Cord
Hot/Neutral Swap
Reverse Polarity
Hot on Ground
Open Neutral.
RED LEDs indicate an electrical problem (and lack of compliance to OSHA’s Worksite Safety Program), where as a bright BLUE indication shows the cord or supply is “Good-to-Go”.

THIS time of year, it’s often dark by the time we leave our offices. This, together with the upcoming bustle and busyness of the holiday season, makes it a great time to review the security practices at your workplace.

Security company Protection One suggests these tips for keeping your office, employees and inventory secure during this season and year round:

• Make well-lit, access-controlled parking available, and suggest a “buddy” system within the parking area.
• If possible, make security escorts available to and from employee parking.
• Register all guests and accompany them during their visits.
• Never leave your reception area unattended.
• Do not allow entry doors to be propped open if no one is present or nearby.
• Don’t allow unknown service personnel free access to your office space.
• Report broken doors, windows and locks to building security personnel.
• Monitor and report suspicious activity in or near your facility.
• Consider an integrated, monitored security and fire system as well as a remote/IP video system, which allows easy access to facility cameras via the Internet.
• Install an electronic access system, and closely inventory all photo badges, ID cards, etc.
• If you already have a security system, request regular system inspections and evaluations.
• Do not open suspicious packages: Report them to local authorities.
• Employ updated computer security software for your entire network.
• Back up and store sensitive and critical information and databases.
• Shred or destroy old documents containing sensitive business information.
• Keep an inventory of your most critical equipment, hardware and software.
• Develop fire and emergency plans and regularly practice drills.
• Keep facilities well-lit, inside and out, even during non-business hours.
• Form a safety team to help keep safety and security issues a focus.
• Encourage employees to secure valuables, including documents that might contain personal information, in their work areas at all times and especially during company gatherings or breaks.

ON Oct. 5, NOISH announced the online availability of a publication that offers recommendations to prevent injuries and deaths while working with metal ladders around overhead power lines.

A NIOSH review of the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries data from 1992 to 2005 identified at least 154 electrocution deaths that resulted from contacting overhead power lines with portable metal ladders (excluding truck-mounted and aerial ladders). Of these 154 deaths, 36 involved a person of Hispanic origin. Although Hispanic workers accounted for 23 percent of these electrocution deaths due to ladders contacting power lines, it is estimated that they made up only 11 percent of the workforce during this period.

Employers, workers, general contractors and ladder manufacturers should take the steps outlined in the NIOSH publication to protect workers while working around overhead power lines. Many of these steps are required or suggested by OSHA regulations.

Steps employers can take include:

• Identify the location of overhead power lines as a routine part of all initial worksite surveys for jobs involving the use of ladders.
• Always note power line heights and distances from work areas on site diagrams to provide key information for site supervisors and workers.
• Avoid or limit proximity to power lines whenever possible. Consider ladder length and room for ladder staging (safely raising and lowering ladders).
• Notify the local electric utility company for assistance if work needs to be done near energized, overhead power lines.

The publication can be accessed at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/wp-solutions/2007-155.

An arc flash can happen without warning and occurs much too fast for you to react.

The heat released during an arc flash can reach as high as 35,000 degrees Fahrenheit — hotter than the surface of the sun. Large arc flashes can cause an explosion noise loud enough to cause hearing loss and injuries from being thrown back from the electrical explosion.

To better address this issue, the Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) has teamed with NIOSH and the Centers for Disease Control to distribute Arc Flash Awareness, a DVD training course, available in both English and Spanish. The DVD includes basic information about arc flash awareness and contains the first hand accounts of three electrical workers who were severely injured in arc flash accidents.

Surprisingly, it has just been in recent years that the term “arc flash” has garnered much attention. Many companies have started to raise awareness about the problem. Some companies, however, do not think that arc flash is a serious concern because they have not yet had an arc flash incident.

An arc flash can result from the spontaneous failure of equipment during normal operation or from accidentally bridging two live electrical contacts with a conducting object, like a metal screwdriver or wrench. Other causes may include the improper use of electrical multimeters, poor housekeeping that allows the buildup of conductive dust, or severe corrosion that allows connections to break.

How large is the problem?
– According to CapSchell, Inc., a Chicago-based research and consulting firm that specializes in workplace injury prevention, there are five to 10 arc flash explosions every day in the United States.
– The final cost to employers and their insurers for a single, serious injury can approach $10 million. (CapSchell)
– 2,000 workers are admitted annually to burn centers for extended injury treatments caused by arc flash, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.
– A recent study from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) determined 17,101 injuries were caused by electric arc flash burns between 1992 though 2001.

With statistics like this, companies cannot afford to ignore electrical safety issues surrounding accidental electrocution from arc flash explosions.

For more information on Arc Flash or to order a copy of the Arc Flash Awareness DVD visit the ESFI Library on the ESFI’s website, http://www.electrical-safety.org/ or call ESFI at 703-841-3229.
 

The BIG show is almost here.   The National Safety Council’s Congress & Expo is scheduled for October 15, 16, & 17 in Chicago.  This is the largest Safety & Health expo in the world.  There will be about 140 educational sessions, 32 professional development seminars, and over 800 exhibitors.  Many companies send their safety teams to attend the educational seminars and then have their annual safety meeting afterwards.  It is also a great place to network and look for jobs.  My favorite part has always been the people I have met.  Safety and Health professionals from all over the world.  Click here for a link to the keynote speakers. 

If you have the opportunity, come and check it out, you won’t be sorry.