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.

Technorati Tags: Combustible, flammable, Liquids, OSHA, Safety

Tags: Combustible Liquids, Flammable Liquids, OSHA, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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I  received an email today from the folks at Hidden Electrical Hazards:

I thought you might be interested in a new study commissioned by the Fire Protection Research Foundation revealing how often potentially hazardous electrical conditions remain hidden in older homes. The Foundation also launched www.HomeWiringSafety.com to not only house the findings but to educate consumers on the safe use of electricity in our homes and how to look for hazards that too often go unnoticed or unseen. The site also has videos and other resources to help protect people from electrical hazards.
I hope you’ll visit this new resource and promote it to your readership. Please let me know if  you have any questions, or would like additional information.

It really is an excellent resource regarding the “Hidden Electrical Hazards” in your home and I have to say that I learn a thing or two while reviewing their site…

Have a read, I know you will learn something too!!

Technorati Tags: Electrical, Fire Protection Research Foundation, NFPA, Safety

Tags: Electrical, 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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Several positive developments in highway work zone safety are taking place this year, highlighted by a federal rule on temporary traffic control devices (23 CFR 630 Subpart K) that takes effect Dec. 1. Connecticut’s Gov. M. Jodi Rell signed a bill June 1 that could penalize drivers who seriously injure a work zone employee with fines up to $5,000 ($10,000 if the worker dies), and the ANSI A10.47 Work Zone Safety and Highway Construction rule may be finalized by the end of this year, Chairman Scott Schneider says. Last Friday, a 54-minute FHWA/ARTBA webinar explaining the Subpart K rule was posted with an accompanying PowerPoint presentation about the new rule.

More than 40,000 people are hurt in work zone crashes per year, and almost three deaths per day occur in work zones on average, presenter Chung Eng of the National Work Zone Clearinghouse says in the webinar.

Subpart K applies to all state and local agencies that receive federal-aid highway funding. It was issued in response to Section 1110 of the current federal highway funding law, which directed DOT to enact regulations on the use of uniformed law enforcement officers, positive protective measures between workers and motorized traffic, and installation and maintenance of temporary traffic control devices during construction, utility, and maintenance operations on such projects, which will be requlred to have separate pay for major categories of traffic control devices, safety features, and work zone safety activities. While the rule does not require the use of law enforcement officers on projects, it does require the agency to develop a policy addressing their use and to consider situations where the use of uniformed law enforcement officers could improve the safety of road users and workers.

Connecticut’s new law says someone who is driving in a work zone commits the offense “endangerment of a highway worker” when they exceed the posted speed limit by 15 miles per hour or more, fail to obey a traffic control device, drive through or around the zone in any lane not clearly designated for traffic, or physically assault, attempt to assault, or threaten to assault a highway worker with a motor vehicle or other instrument. The law creates a Highway Work Zone Safety Advisory Council to make ongoing recommendations to improve safety in these zones.

Schneider, OSH director of the Laborers’ Health and Safety Fund of North America, said Friday that he hopes the A10.47 standard can be finalized by the end of 2008. The A10 committee, of which ASSE is the secretariat, is meeting today and tomorrow in Washington, D.C., but the standard is not yet ready for balloting to the full committee, Schneider said. The proposed standard includes procedures and precautions for traffic control, flagger safety, runover and backover protection, equipment operator safety, power tool safety, fall prevention, materials handling, illuminated night work, and PPE, he said.

Find more information here: http://wzsafety.tamu.edu/node/8802

Find the law here: http://frwebgate.access.gpo.gov/cgi-bin/getdoc.cgi?dbname=2007_register&docid=fr05de07-6

Technorati Tags: Laws, Safety, Work Zone

Tags: DOT, Driving, Safety by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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Safety Tips To Live By In Construction

1. Stay Alert – keep your full attention on the road
2. Turn Your Headlights On – the simple fact of having your headlights on makes you more visible to others
3. Don’t Speed – note posted speed limit especially in works owns in comply with them carefully
4. Don’t Change Lanes – watch for postings as to which lane you’re supposed to be in and stay there
5. Expect The Unexpected – be alert for construction workers and their equipment
6. And Pay Close Attention – watch for signs and signals from flaggers
7. Don’t Tailgate – back off and give that vehicle in front of you plenty of room, it will be to your advantage, if traffic stops suddenly
8. Keep Up With Traffic – try to match your movements with the other traffic in the zone unless it means exceeding the speed limit
9. Try To Minimize Distractions – don’t change radio station CDs or tapes and don’t talk on the telephone
10. Be Patient – state, try to keep the big picture in mind the temporary inconvenience will result in a much better road for you to travel in the future.

Technorati Tags: leadership, Safety Culture, Safety Tips

Tags: Safety, Safety Culture, leadership by David Wright - IamSafetyGeek
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