The Safety Blog - I am Wright.com

Water Accumulation:

The standard prohibits employees from working in excavations where water has accumulated or is accumulating unless adequate protection has been taken. If water removal equipment is used to control or prevent water from accumulating, the equipment and operations of the equipment must be monitored by a competent person to ensure proper use.

OSHA standards also require that diversion ditches, dikes, or other suitable means be used to prevent surface water from entering an excavation and to provide adequate drainage of the area adjacent to the excavation. Also, a competent person must inspect excavations subject to runoffs from heavy rains.

Hazardous Atmospheres:

Under this provision, a competent person must test excavations greater than four feet in depth as well as ones where oxygen deficiency or a hazardous atmosphere exists or could reasonably be expected to exist, before an employee enters the excavation. If hazardous conditions exist, controls such as proper respiratory protection or ventilation must be provided. Also, controls used to reduce atmospheric contaminants to acceptable levels must be tested regularly.

Where adverse atmospheric conditions may exist or develop in an excavation, the employer also must provide and ensure that emergency rescue equipment, (e.g., breathing apparatus, a safety harness and line, basket stretcher, etc.) is readily available. This equipment must be attended when used.

When an employee enters bell-bottom pier holes and similar deep and confined footing excavations, the employee must wear a harness with a lifeline. The lifeline must be securely attached to the harness and must be separate from any line used to handle materials. Also, while the employee wearing the lifeline is in the excavation, an observer must be present to ensure that the lifeline is working properly and to maintain communication with the employee.

Access and Egress:

Under the standard, the employer must provide safe access and egress to all excavations. According to OSHA regulations, when employees are required to be in trench excavations 4-feet deep or more, adequate means of exit, such as ladders, steps, ramps or other safe means of egress, must be provided and be within 25 feet of lateral travel.

If structural ramps are used as a means of access or egress, they must be designed by a competent person if used for employee access or egress, or a competent person qualified in structural design if used by vehicles. Also, structural members used for ramps or runways must be uniform in thickness and joined in a manner to prevent tripping or displacement.

Technorati Tags: Excavation, Excavation Safety, OSHA, Safety, Trenching

Tags: Excavation, OSHA, Safety, TWIS by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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Eating fish is known to be good for your heart and, it not appears, may benefit your brain as well.  The key is Omega 3 that is found in fatty fish such as salmon and sardines.  These fatty acids are an important component of brain cells and can also be found in a variety of other foods and supplements. Eating fish weekly may lower your Alzheimer’s risk according to a recent study.  Researchers exploring possible benefits of fish consumption to brain function, and fish oil supplements are showing promise for mood regulation.

Follow these guidelines to include omega 3 in your diet safely:

• Eat a variety of fish in moderation - 2 or 3 times a week.
• Mackerel, salmon, sardines, canned light tuna, herring, and anchovies are rich in omega 3s.  Concerned about mercury in seafood?  Call the FDA hotline at (888) SAFEFOOD  and you can also take omega 3 supplements that are easily found in your vitamin section.  If you are considering vitamin supplements you should consult your physician before hand.
• If you eat salmon, choose wild or canned.
• Pregnant women, nursing mothers, and children need to take extra care when eating fish.  See www.cfsan.fda.gov for more information.

Technorati Tags: brain food, fish, Health, omega 3

Tags: Health by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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The standard requires the employer to provide support systems such as shoring, bracing, or underpinning to ensure the stability of adjacent structures such as buildings, wells, sidewalks or pavements.

The standard prohibits excavation below the level of the base or footing of any foundation or retaining wall unless:

1. a support system such as underpinning is provided,
2. the excavation is in stable rock, or
3. a registered professional engineer determines that the structure is sufficiently removed from the excavation and that excavation will not pose a hazard to employees.

Excavations under sidewalks and pavements are also prohibited unless an appropriately designed support system is provided or another effective method is used.

In addition, the standard permits excavation of two feet or less below the bottom of the members of a support or shield system of a trench if:

1. the system is designed to resist the forces calculated for the full depth of the trench, and
2. there are not indications, while the trench is open, of a possible cave-in below the bottom of the support system. Also, the installation of support systems must be closely coordinated with the excavation of trenches. As soon as work is completed, the excavation should be backfilled as the protective system is dismantled. After the excavation has been cleared, workers should slowly remove the protective system from the bottom up, taking care to release members slowly.

In addition to cave-ins, there are other hazards from which workers must be protected during excavation-related work. These hazards include exposure to falls, falling loads, and mobile equipment. To protect employees from these hazards, OSHA requires the employer to take the following precautions:

• Keep materials or equipment that might fall or roll into an excavation at least 3 feet from the edge of excavations, or have retaining devices, or both.
• Provide warning systems such as mobile equipment, barricades, hand or mechanical signals, or stop logs, to alert operators of the edge of an excavation. If possible, keep the grade away from the excavation.
• Provide scaling to remove loose rock or soil or install protective barricades and other equivalent protection to protect employees against falling rock, soil, or materials.
• Prohibit employees from working on faces of sloped or benched excavations at levels above other employees unless employees at lower levels are adequately protected from the hazard of falling, rolling, or sliding material or equipment.
• Prohibit employees under loads that are handled by lifting or digging equipment. To avoid being struck by any spillage or falling materials, require employees to stand away from vehicles being loaded or unloaded. If cabs of vehicles provide adequate protection from falling loads during loading and unloading operations, the operators may remain in them.

Technorati Tags: Excavation, Excavation Safety, OSHA, Safety, Trenching

Tags: Excavation, OSHA, Safety, TWIS by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration today issued an interim final rule allowing commercial motor vehicle drivers up to 11 hours of driving time within a 14-hour, non-extendable window from the start of their work day, following 10 consecutive hours off duty (11-hour limit). The rule takes effect Dec. 27 and permits motor carriers and drivers to restart calculations of the weekly on-duty time limits after the driver has at least 34 consecutive hours off duty. FMCSA said the rule “is necessary to prevent disruption to enforcement and compliance” with the hours of service (HOS) rules when a federal court’s stay of the rules expires.

“This IFR will ensure that a familiar and uniform set of national rules governs motor carrier transportation, while FMCSA gathers public comments on all aspects of this interim final rule, conducts peer review of our analysis, and considers the appropriate final rule that addresses the issues identified by the Court. FMCSA is fully committed to issuing a final rule in 2008,” the agency stated in the rule. Comments are being accepted until Feb. 15 (identify Federal Docket Management System Number FMCSA-2004-19608 at www.regulations.gov).

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit has blocked the rules from taking effect. “It is important to note that the D.C. Circuit found fault with various procedures related to the Agency’s adoption of the 11-hour limit and the 34-hour restart, but not with their substance,” FMCSA said in today’s rule. Having analyzed its stance after the latest court decision, “We found that the 2005 rule has maintained highway safety outcomes while enhancing operational flexibility for the motor carrier industry. Every alternative, including immediate restoration of a 10-hour driving limit with no 34-hour restart, entails a risk of disrupting that achievement,” the agency stated. To respond to the court’s decision, “we need to issue an IFR, with an opportunity for public comment, to ensure there will not be a patchwork of laws across the nation — with some states enforcing a 10-hour limit while others enforce no limit, and still others retained the 2005 limits — without a clear general understanding of what federal regulation is in place. Undoubtedly, this would create confusion, inconsistency, and have an unpredictable impact on safety, since law enforcement may reduce its enforcement as a result of varying state laws.”

The news release can be found here. 

Technorati Tags: DOT, FMCSA, Hours of Service, Safety, TWIS

Tags: DOT, Driving, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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Everywhere I look I see see people coughing and sneezing and they are all saying that they are not sure if it is a cold or the flu so I thought that I would look it up and see what I could find…

In my doctors office he has this poster and I thought it would be a good way to start.

This is what the CDC (Center for Disease Control) has to say:

What is the difference between a cold and the flu?

The flu and the common cold are both respiratory illnesses but they are caused by different viruses. Because these two types of illnesses have similar flu-like symptoms, it can be difficult to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

How can you tell the difference between a cold and the flu?

Because colds and flu share many symptoms, it can be difficult (or even impossible) to tell the difference between them based on symptoms alone. Special tests that usually must be done within the first few days of illness can be carried out, when needed to tell if a person has the flu.

What are the symptoms of the flu versus the symptoms of a cold?

In general, the flu is worse than the common cold, and symptoms such as fever, body aches, extreme tiredness, and dry cough are more common and intense. Colds are usually milder than the flu. People with colds are more likely to have a runny or stuffy nose. Colds generally do not result in serious health problems, such as pneumonia, bacterial infections, or hospitalizations.

The following are some GREAT pages that I found on the topic:

• The Food and Drug Administration
  
• The American Lung Association
• The WebMD website
• The Family Doctor has a nice flow chart to help determine whether it is a cold or flu and how to treat.

Technorati Tags: cold, common cold, coughing, Flu, is it a cold or the flu?, sick, sneezing

Tags: Cold and Flu, Health, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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