The Safety Blog - I am Wright.com

Over the next four weeks on Wednesdays we are going to discuss how to safely use and store both flammable and combustible liquids, but first lets define what they are.

Flammable Classifications

A flammable liquid has a flash point below 100°F. (The flash point is the temperature at which the liquid gives off enough vapors to ignite.) Flammable liquids are also called Class I liquids. Class I liquids are further divided into IA, IB, or IC depending on their flash points and boiling points.

· Class IA liquids have flashpoints below 73°F (22.8°C) and a boiling point below 100° (37.8°C). Liquids in this category include ethyl ether, isoprene, pentane, and petroleum ether.

· Class IB includes liquids having flashpoints below 73°F (22.8°C) and a boiling point at or above 100°F (37.8°C). Examples of liquids falling in this category include acetone, benzene, denatured alcohol, gasoline (all), isopropyl alcohol, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), and octane.

· Class IC includes liquids having flashpoints at or above 73°F (22.8°C) and below 100°F (37.8°C). Liquids in this category include amyl acetate, banana oil (isoamyl acetate), styrene, and turpentine.

Combustible Classifications

Combustible liquids have flashpoints above 100°F and below 200°F combustible liquids are Class II or Class III liquids. The class description depends on a liquid flash point. Lower numbers and letters reflect a greater hazard.

· Class II includes liquids with flashpoints at or above 100°F (37.8°C) and below 140°F (60°C), except any mixture having components with flashpoints of 200°F (93.3°C) or higher. Class II liquids include diesel fuel, fuel oils, kerosene, and mineral spirits.

· Class III liquids are those with flashpoints at or above 140°F (60°C). Included in this category are aniline, glycol, glycerine, and butyl “cellosolve.” This class is subdivided into two subclasses.

· Class IIIA includes liquids with flashpoints at or above 140°F (60°C) and below 200°F (93.3°C), except any mixture having components with flashpoints of 200°F (93.3°C) or higher when the volume makes up 99 percent or more of the total.

· Class IIIB includes liquids with flashpoints at or above 200°F (93.3°C).

Since many flammables can ignite at temperatures at or below room temperature, they are much more dangerous than combustibles. Combustibles become much more dangerous when they are heated. If a combustible liquid is heated to within 30°F of its flash point, it must be treated like the next lower (more dangerous) class of liquid.

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Tags: Combustible Liquids, Flammable Liquids, OSHA, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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Over the next four weeks on Thursdays we will be discussing Electrical Safety…

Generators

One of the common tools utilized following the loss of power or no power on sites are portable generators. Most generators are gasoline powered and use internal combustion engines to produce electricity.

Carbon monoxide is a colorless and odorless gas produced during the operation of gasoline powered generators. When inhaled, the gas reduces your ability to utilize oxygen. Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include headache, nausea and tiredness that can lead to unconsciousness and ultimately prove fatal.

• DO NOT bring a generator indoors. Be sure it is located outdoors in a location where the exhaust gases cannot enter a home or building. Good ventilation is the key.
• Be sure that the main circuit breaker is OFF and locked out prior to starting any generator. This will prevent inadvertent energization of power lines from back feed electrical energy from generators and help protect utility line workers from possible electrocution.
• Turn off generators and let them cool prior to refueling.

Power Lines

Overhead and buried power lines are especially hazardous because they carry extremely high voltage.

• Fatal electrocution is the main risk, but burns and falls are also hazards.
• Look for overhead power lines and buried power line indicators.
• Stay at least 10 feet away from overhead power lines and assume they are energized.
• De-energize and ground lines when working near them.
• Use non-conductive wood or fiberglass ladders when working near power lines.

Technorati Tags: Electrical, generator, Power Line, Safety

Tags: Electrical, OSHA, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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According to a new report released by the Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), an annual average of 22 construction workers were killed in crane-related incidents from 1992 to 2006. The report offers recommendations to prevent additional fatalities, such as implementing a national certification program for crane operators and inspectors.

The report, which was authored by Director of Safety Research Michael McCann and two CPWR colleagues, draws on data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The authors identified 323 construction worker deaths involving 307 crane incidents from 1992-2006, and also lists examples of crane incidents that resulted in both construction worker and bystander fatalities or injuries.

According to the report, the most common cause of death was overhead power line electrocutions, which represented 32 percent of crane-related fatalities. Half of all electrocutions were associated with the crane boom or cable contacting an overhead power line, while others involved a power line coming into contact with unspecified parts of the crane.

Crane collapses were the second leading cause of death at 21 percent. One-fifth of these incidents were caused by cranes sitting on an unstable, uneven or icy surface. Collapses caused by overloading the crane and shifting of the crane load or boom accounted for 16 percent and 8 percent of these fatalities, respectively.

Another 18 percent of fatalities were caused by a construction worker being struck by a crane boom/jib.

Recommendations

CPWR’s report notes that employees working for small contractors represented one-third of the total number of crane-related deaths from 1992-2006. More than half of the deaths were among construction laborers and heavy equipment operators, and mobile cranes were involved in most of the fatalities.

“Possible explanations for these findings are a lack of worker and supervisor training, lack of jobsite safety plans, lack of adequate crane inspections, and lack of proper investigation and reporting of crane accidents and fatalities,” the report read.

CPWR made eight recommendations in the report to help prevent create-related deaths:

1. Crane operators should be certified by a nationally accredited crane operator testing organization, such as the National Commission for the Certifications of Crane Operators (NCCCO).
2. Riggers who attach loads to cranes and signalpersons who audibly and visibly direct where the crane operator places the load should be certified.
3. Crane inspectors also should be certified, and should have the same degree of qualification as crane operators.
4. Cranes must be inspected thoroughly by a certified inspector after being assembled or modified, such as “jumping” a tower crane.
5. Only trained workers should assemble, modify or disassemble cranes, and they should remain under the supervision of the person meeting both the definitions of a qualified and competent person.
6. Crane loads should not be allowed to pass over street traffic. If rerouting is not possible, streets should be closed during the work.
7. More complete reporting of data, particularly after a crane collapse, is necessary, and OSHA should conduct more thorough investigations of crane-related fatalities.
8. After OSHA publishes the proposed crane and derrick standard in August 2008 for public comment, all efforts should be made to speed up the adoption of the standard and other recommendations.

Waiting for OSHA Standard

The Buildings and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO, Greater New York Building Trades Council and the Operating Engineers Union joined CPWR in the release of the report and its recommendations.

“CPWR’s recommendations would benefit all construction workers, as well as those who live and work near cranes, if they are implemented nationwide,” said Mark H. Ayers, president of the Building and Construction Trades Department, AFL-CIO.

“We need to hold government accountable for its role in ensuring the lives of America’s workers,” said Vincent J. Giblin, president of the International Union of Operating Engineers. “We need OSHA to enforce the standards they have and create new standards where there is an obvious need.”

Ayers agreed that OSHA should step up to address these fatal crane-related incidents and help protect workers.

“OSHA needs to put in place its Safety Standards for Cranes and Derricks, which have been gathering dust at that agency for four years,” he said. “Meanwhile, more construction workers die, bystanders and first responders are injured, killed and put at risk, and we wait for OSHA to act.”

For more information, visit CPWR’s Web site, http://www.cpwr.com.

Find the article here…

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Tags: OSHA, news by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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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.

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Tags: Excavation, OSHA 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, Sloping, Trench Box

Tags: Excavation, OSHA, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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