Recently I was working on updating our respiratory program, and training that both the employee and supervisor could easily understand and still meet OSHA 1910.134. How fortunate that on February 12, 2011 the DOL came out with a new training video.

The 33-minute video explains the major components of a respiratory protection program including fit-testing, medical evaluations, training, and maintenance. The video also discusses the difference between respirators and surgical masks, and features a segment on common respiratory hazards found in healthcare settings, including airborne infectious agents that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, pandemic influenza, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), chicken pox, and measles.

Demonstrations also show how respirator use helps protect workers from exposure to airborne chemical hazards such as formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde, which are used commonly in hospital laboratories to preserve tissue samples for medical analysis. These toxic substances can cause eye and nasal irritation, headaches, asthma, and other symptoms. Additionally, formaldehyde is a carcinogen and has been linked to nasal and lung cancer, with possible links to brain cancer and leukemia.

“Employers can’t rely on respirators providing the expected protection if they don’t train their workers on how to use them properly,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “This video is an important training tool that teaches proper respirator use and discusses employers’ responsibilities under OSHA’s respiratory protection standard.”

Intended for both employers and employees, the 33-minute video covers the main components of a respiratory protection program, the difference between respirators and surgical masks, and common respiratory hazards in health care settings – including airborne infectious agents that cause diseases such as tuberculosis, according to an OSHA press release.

ReCellular, a leading electronics sustainability firm, recently announced a new partnership with TerraCycle to establish over 1,000 “phone brigades” by the end of the year, building on a similar concept previously launched by TerraCycle. The brigades will collect and donate cell phones, raise funds for local causes and keep e-waste out of landfills.

“Economic, social and environmental sustainability have been at the core of our business long before the term ‘triple-bottom line’ was coined,” says Chuck Newman, CEO and founder of ReCellular. “Today, we are proud to be a part of the emerging green economy, and to partner with an innovative company such as TerraCycle. We look forward to expanding this relationship over the coming months.”

The Phone Brigade program could be a way to earn money for your favorite charity.
The partnership provides a solution for TerraCycle to expand their upcycling efforts to include consumer electronics. First launching the Brigade concept in 2006, TerraCycle pays schools and non-profits to collect 20-ounce soda bottles. Today, more than 20,000 participating locations are part of the Brigades, and the programs have raised more than $100,000 from millions of reused and recycled soda bottles, yogurt cups and snack wrappers. This money, primarily, has been donated to public-school organizations.

According to TerraCycle, the company “decided to expand their upcycling collections to help address the estimated 65,000 tons of cell phones that are discarded every year.” Cell phones contain both hazardous chemicals and valuable materials for reclamation, making them ideal for recycling.

Anyone can sign up to participate in the TerraCycle Phone Brigade, and volunteers will receive donation boxes for collecting and shipping phones. Brigades will be compensated for each item they collect, which provides schools and other grassroots organizations with new ways to fundraise.

The phones will be delivered to the ReCellular phone processing facility, where they will be either refurbished and reprogrammed for reuse, or are recycled to reclaim materials needed to make new electronics equipment.

In 2008, ReCellular collected over 5.5 million phones and raised over $4 million for charities across the country.

The Compliance Resource Center has reported that both the domestic hazardous materials transportation regulations and international rules for shipping batteries have undergone significant changes over the past two years.  All batteries, alkaline, lithium, lead, nickel metal hydride, carbon zinc, etc., or battery powered products are subject to 49 CFR 173.21(c) in the U.S. hazardous materials regulations.   Many batteries that were previously unregulated or under-regulated must now be thoroughly evaluated to determine hazard potential. Detailed packaging and communication standards must be followed under. 

Adding complexity to the issue is the fact that shipping requirements vary greatly, depending on the mode of transport and the type of battery.  Battery shipping regulations affect a wide array of industries from manufacturers and part suppliers to freight forwarders and distributors.  Regardless of whether a lithium or lithium ion cell or battery qualifies for the exceptions in the regulations, shippers must still comply with requirements of 49 CFR 173.21(c). That is, the cells and batteries must be securely packaged and offered for transportation in a manner that prevents the dangerous evolution of heat and short circuits.

Both FedEx and UPS will refuse to accept packages not meeting FedEx, Government or IATA requirements.

OSHA is proposing to add two PortaCount® quantitative fit-testing protocols to its Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134); the proposed protocols would apply to employers in general industry, shipyard employment, and the construction industry. The first of the two proposed protocols consists of the eight fit-testing exercises described in Part I.A.14 of Appendix A of the Respiratory Protection Standard, except each exercise would last 30 seconds instead of the currently required 60 seconds.\1\ The second proposed protocol would eliminate two of the eight fit-testing exercises, and each of the remaining six exercises would last 40 seconds; in addition, this proposed protocol would increase the current minimum pass-fail fit-testing criterion from a fit factor of 100 to 200 for half masks, and from 500 to 1,000 for full facepieces.

Every employer has a responsibility to make sure all employees have a safe and stable work environment. These employees should have access to safety equipment and information at anytime they are on the jobsite. These employees should be able to go to their superiors with fears or concerns about safety without fear of termination or retaliation. In order to accommodate employees in such a fashion, we have compiled a short and condensed version of what an employer of the construction industry should have documented and in place for emergencies or for an OSHA inspection.

Management Commitment to Safety and Health

Employers and managers should lead by example. If your employee sees a superior taking safety seriously, they will too! Assign Safety and Health Responsibilities to employees. If you involve and rotate employee responsibilities, everyone will feel important and compliant. Give the assigned employees to correct minor issues. When a subordinate is give a little more power than their position requires, they are more likely to do what it takes to keep earning your trust and respect.

Assure your employees that they may voice their concerns regarding safety without any repercussions. These employees are the front line guys and they often see the danger in a position before a manager does. Listen to what they have to say and respect their position on safety. Most state laws protect whistleblowers, so check your states regulations. Inform employees of any hazards that you are aware of. Again, it is the employer’s responsibility to safeguard their employees, so keep the lines of communication open. If you are sharing a worksite with other companies or their employees, it is your responsibility to communicate any known hazards to them. Share a safe workplace. Post the OSHA state or Federal poster where all can see it. Employees have a right to know the law.

Hazard Identification and Determination

Carefully evaluate all operations, procedures, facilities, and equipment to identify hazards to employees and others. Monitor exposure levels of noise, air quality, heat, electricity, silica or dust, and moisture. Set aside time to do routine inspections. If you create a habit of safety awareness, you will create a timeless good habit. If you have an accident, conduct an investigation. The best way to prevent history from repeating itself it to identify and address the factors that caused the accident to begin with.

Do a PPE assessment. For every position within construction, evaluate the potential dangers associated with that assignment, then create a list of personal protection equipment that should be worn while performing these tasks. Determine if it goes beyond simple protection and what precautions should be taken. Document all of your findings.

Hazard Elimination and Control

Inspect and ensure all machines and tools are in proper working order with relevant standards. Develop positive practices with workplace safety and health so that it becomes second nature. Housekeeping is a must. Jobsites should be free of debris and cleaned up daily to ensure the safety of others.

Emergency Response Planning

Develop emergency response plans for your jobsite. If you are in an industry where your jobsite changes frequently, you still need to have a response plan. These do not have to elaborate, but clear enough to communicate what needs to be done in case of an emergency. Have an emergency route to evacuate injured employees. If your jobsite is in a new development area that the emergency response team may not have access too, have in a convenient location that is easily accessible by all employees. Use established landmarks and turn by turn directions. Have a list of all the jobsite emergency contact information including any pre-existing medical conditions and allergies that emergency personnel may need to know.

Training

Employers should train employees to recognize hazards and unsafe working conditions and how to avoid them. Employers need to provide training on safe work practices, safe operation of machinery, and equipment, and how to recognize when things are not safe. Access ladders, stairways, confined space, and enclosed space entry hazards are all subjects that need to be trained and documented.

Recordkeeping

You must record and post injuries and fatalities. This is otherwise known as the 300-log. Maintain medical records and exposure records for all employees and past employees. You must maintain all appropriate documents and tags for abatement purposes. If you do not have these items, it could mean hefty fines.

Shock, electrocution, arc flash, and arc blast are responsible for one worker death per day and 3,600 disabling injuries per year on average in the United States. Now NFPA 70E–the Standard developed for OSHA–is revised to address safety gaps and increase electrical worker protection, while helping companies comply with OSHA 1910 Subpart S and OSHA 1926 Subpart K. Major changes recognize new hazards and address safety gaps.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) protects personnel and can significantly reduce the risk of injury in an arc flash. To help electrical engineers calculate incident energy–the vital first step in determining the correct type of PPE for a given task–revised Annex D consolidates all equations, adds new tables, and offers more options to detailed calculations.

Improved work practices reduce risks.

•A new requirement for Fire Rated clothing for H/R Category 1 precludes the use of cotton clothing. This change reduces the risks for second-degree thermal burns.
•An expanded Table in Article 130 covers added tasks such as thermographic imaging, and new equipment including arc-resistant switchgear.
•Added Article 350 provides first-time requirements for the protection of electrical personnel in R&D labs.
•A new exception verifies that 240 V and less power systems fed by a single transformer less than 125 kvs no longer require an arc flash hazard analysis.
•Expanded requirements for multi-employer relationships address potential areas of oversight.
•New recordkeeping requirements for training and safety program audits answer OSHA’s need for records.
Annexes expand knowledge about electrical safety.

•Understand the Hazard/Risk evaluation procedure with clarification and sample worksheets in Annex F.
•Evaluate layering of PPE with new Annex M–Layering of Protective Clothing and Total System Arc Rating
•Follow safe work practices with new Annex N–Example Industrial Procedures and Policies for Working Near Overhead Electrical Lines
Engineers, designers, risk managers, maintainers, safety directors, contractors, and owners need the 2009 NFPA 70E to improve worker safety and avoid citations, rising insurance fees, and increased workman’s comp costs.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released the “Powered Industrial Trucks (Forklift) eTool,” its latest online safety-training resource. OSHA exists to ensure that all employers provide a safe workplace for employees by establishing and enforcing occupational standards as well as providing training and education on related topics; the agency maintains a strong presence in the industrial marketplace. The eTools, which date back to 1998, are interactive, Web-based training tools that cover a specific occupational safety or health topic. The Forklift eTool is the latest to join a library of more than 160 topics.

OSHA developed the content with input from expert members of the Alliance Program. The program partners OSHA representatives with labor unions, trade and professional associations, and educational institutions for regular cooperative interaction. Specific contributors to the Forklift publication included the Industrial Truck Association; the Association of Equipment Manufacturers; the American Forest and Paper Association; the Pulp and Paper Safety Association; and the Precision Metalforming Association.

(more…)

Here are the last set of answers.  I hope you did well.  Let me know (info@thecrcenter.com or use the comment area below) how useful this quiz was.  How did you use it and would you like more of these.  

Answers to Electrical Safety Quiz Part-2
11.    b./Are capable of being accidently approached nearer than a safe distance.

12.    a./If they are not locked/tagged out

13.    c./Is familiar with the construction and operation of the equipment and the hazards involved

14.    a./Must be done by a qualified person

15.    d./Both a. and b

16.    c./No one is allowed to stand near the grounding location

17.    a./Must be inspected before use on every shift

18.    d./The area contains exposed energized parts

19.    c./Use a non-conductive ladder

20.    b./It must be determined that it would be safe to reenergize the circuit before the circuit breaker can be re-set
 

 

Think you need eye protection?  Everyone does, including people who talk about baseball.  You never know when a ball is coming your way.  Proper safety glasses provide protection for a variety of reasons. 
When dealing with wire installation tools, it is important to protect yourself. You are mistaken if you think a hand tool cannot bring damage to your face. According to the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) about 1,000 eye injuries happen in American workplaces each day. And about 70 percent of eye injuries on the job are caused by flying particles in which the particles are smaller than a pin head. When tugging on wires there is plenty of opportunity for your eyes to become injured. Make sure you wear eyewear that meets American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and OSHA requirements so you know you are being well protected. About 90 percent of eye injuries can be avoided with proper eye wear, according to OSHA.
ANSI Z87.1-2003, the American National Standard for American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Personal Eye and Face Protection Devices, establishes performance criteria for eye and face protection. This standard was developed by the Accredited Standards Committee Z87, and approved by ANSI in June 2003.
The draft revised ANSI standard for eye and face protection is available for public comment.  Accredited Standards Committee Z87, administered by International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), is seeking review and comment on a revision to ANSI/ISEA Z87.1, American National Standard for Occupational and Educational Eye and Face Protection Devices.  The review period closes August 4.
With the new PPE standard that requires employers to pay for THE PROPER safety equipment, everyone should have safety glasses that are protective and comfortable to wear.