Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

The potential for serious injuries and even fatalities is very high when thinking about work involved for concrete and masonry workers.  Precast concrete, lift-slab operations, and masonry construction all pose different types of risk, and all have the potential for multiple employees to be hurt or killed if these risks are ignored.

One such example can be found on OSHA’s accident report website.  During construction of a Walmart in Warner Robins, GA, an unbraced masonry block wall collapsed.  The result was the death of one employee and hospitalization of seven others.  The employees involved weren’t directly working on the wall at the time; some of the employees were cleaning debris at the base of the wall, and some were dismantling a scaffold in the same area of the masonry wall when it collapsed. No limited access zone had been established at the worksite.

What’s the Danger?

Concrete walls can weigh upwards of several thousand tons. So, it makes sense that collapse of these walls is a significant hazard to workers.  Causes of collapse depend on the method of construction and type of structure being built.  In general, removing framework too early, incorrect use of equipment, improper or inadequate shoring, and not guarding reinforcing steel can all pose dangers for construction collapse.

Specifically, for precast concrete, collapse is imminent if there is not enough support for the panels during construction, or if lift inserts and hardware do not meet load-bearing limits.

When working on lift-slab operations, there is increased risk if working without a fully formed design plan, and if working with inadequate, damaged, or overloaded jacks.

During masonry construction, danger is significantly increased when working without a limited access zone – as was missing in the example above.

For all construction types, allowing open access to all areas of construction for essential and nonessential employees increases the dangers involved.

How to Protect Yourself

There are some general things to keep in mind to protect yourself:

• Appropriate use of PPE is essential. Specifically, protective head/ face equipment must be worn when applying cement, sand, and water mixtures using a pneumatic hose.  Hardhats, safety glasses, gloves, visible clothing, safety shoes, and any other PPE instructed by your employer is necessary to protect yourself while you work.
• Structural design must be adequate. While this is ultimately the responsibility of your employer, it is up to you to be aware that the structure is supposed to be able to support intended loads.  If you are unsure or hesitant, speak up!
• The site is a “need to be” basis. Only essential employees should be permitted to the areas of operations.  Signs and barriers must be in place to limit access and increase awareness of construction operations for employees.

Preventing overturning and collapse in precast concrete depends on adequate support of wall units, structural framing, and tilt-up wall panels.

• Lift inserts attached to tilt-up wall panels must be able to support at least TWO TIMES the max intended load.
• Lift inserts for other precast members must be able to support FOUR TIMES the load.
• Lifting hardware must be able to support at least FIVE TIMES the max intended load.

Lift-slab operations must be designed and planned by a registered engineer; these plans should include detailed instructions, sketches, methods, and provisions for ensuring lateral stability.  Additionally, care when operating jacks is of utmost importance.

• Jacking equipment must be marked with manufacturer’s rated capacity and must be able to support at least TWO AND A HALF TIMES the load being lifted.
• Jacks must be designed and installed so that they will not lift when loaded more than their rated capacity.
• Jacks must have a safety device which will cause the unit to support the load at any position in the event of malfunction or loss of ability to continue to lift.

When doing masonry construction, the most vital part of hazard prevention is ensuring a limited access zone.

• Zones must be set up before construction starts and must be equal to the intended height of the wall plus FOUR FEET and run the entire length of the wall.
• Zones ensure restricted entry – only workers actively engaged in constructing the wall are allowed in the limited access zone.
• Zones must stay in place until the wall is supported so that it prevents overturning and collapse, unless the wall is braced (for walls over 8 ft high), in which case the bracing must remain in place until permanent support of the structure is in place.

Final Word

Preventing collapse of concrete and masonry constructions is the best way to maintain safety for workers.  Purposeful and appropriate planning and use of equipment based on the specific needs of the construction will ensure a secure worksite.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Aerial lifts are commonly used by utility workers. Aerial lifts include boom-supported aerial platforms, such as cherry pickers or bucket trucks, and elevating platforms, such as scissor lifts.

Aerial lifts can be dangerous pieces of machinery that require caution and alertness because there are risks from both their use and the work being carried out from them.

What’s the Danger?

Being in a raised lift while it is moving is very dangerous and a prime cause of falls and equipment tip-overs.  The higher the lift, the more unstable it is, especially if it is moving.

Shock and electrocution from coming in contact with live electrical lines are also serious hazards of aerial lift work.

How to Protect Yourself

6 easy ways to stay safe in an aerial lift

1. Stay in the lift

• In a boom lift, always wear a personal fall arrest system, preferably short enough to stop you falling out of/off the lift. And definitely one short enough to prevent you from hitting the ground if you fall.
• Anchor any personal fall system to the lift, most have specific anchor points.
• Stand on the floor of the aerial lift; do not climb or sit on the guardrails.
• Do not use planks, ladders or other materials to extend your working position.

2. Get low

• Lower the aerial lift before moving it to another work area.
• Do not exceed vertical or horizontal reach limits.
• Do not operate aerial lifts in high winds or severe weather.

3. Working with electricity

• If the aerial lift could contact energized lines, then at least one of the following must be done:
  • The energized lines exposed to contact must be covered with insulating protective material; or
  • The aerial lift must be insulated, and uninsulated portions of the lift must maintain the minimum approach distance from live parts.
• Utility workers must be protected by implementing all the following:
  • Each piece of equipment (trucks, trailers, etc.) must be grounded.
  • All pieces of equipment must be bonded together.
  • Ground mats must be used around the equipment.
  • Insulating protective equipment or barricades must be used to reduce the risk of conducted electricity.

4. Avoiding electricity

• Do not position aerial lifts between overhead hazards.
• Treat all overhead lines as if they are energized power lines, unless you know it has been de-energized, and stay at least 10 feet (3m) away (maybe more depending on voltage).
• Have power lines of known voltage de-energized if you are required to work within the prescribed safety clearance area.

5. Stay put

• Set outriggers on a level, solid surface, or on outrigger pads if the surface is uneven.
• Set brakes when using outriggers.
• Use wheel chocks to prevent accidental movement.
• Set up work area warnings, such as cones and signs.

6. Lift people – not things

• Do not use the lift as a crane to lift an object.
• Do not carry objects larger than the platform.
• Do not exceed load capacity or boom platform angle limits.

Final Word

Aerial lifts are commonly used by utility workers and are generally safer than working on ladders. However, there are still risks associated with their use, so follow these and other safe work practices outlined by your company.

Flammable and combustible liquids are responsible for workplace fires and fires at home. You may not realize it, but you probably have at least a few containers hanging out in your garage, basement, or under the kitchen sink.

1. In a recent report, there were 334 incidents involving dangerous goods that required a report to Transport Canada in 2015, down 13.2% from 2014 and almost 40 fewer reportable incidents than the 10-year average dating back to 2006.
2. Almost 70% of these incidents occurred in facilities such as terminals or warehouses.
3. Close to 94% of incidents involved four dangerous good classes – including nearly 61% from Class 3 Flammable and Combustible Liquids.
4. The top 3 causes for the incidents were improper loading/unloading/handling, overfill, and defective fittings, valves, and dome covers.
5. In 2007-2011, U.S. municipal fire departments responded to an estimated average of 51,600 fires per year involving ignition of flammable gas as the type of material first ignited, including 20,260 fires per year in or at homes and 31,340 fires per year in or at other properties. Nearly all these fires involved natural gas, LP-gas, or unclassified or unknown-type gas. The other specific gases identified – acetylene, anesthetic gas, and hydrogen.

Regardless of the location, year, or country, flammable and combustible liquids are a serious fire hazard if not properly used, handled, and stored.

One of the biggest challenges when you are investigating an incident is sorting out the irrelevant information from the relevant information. More specifically – determine what is relevant to what happened, how it happened, and especially why it happened.

One way to do this is by using a systematic approach to investigate all incidents that focuses on finding the root causes. Doing so, means you can implement relevant and meaningful corrective actions.

You can use this 4-step approach to guide you. It can also be used as a training tool for members of your investigation team.

Step 1 – Preserve and Document the Scene

After you have verified the scene is safe and victims are being care for, the first step in the investigation is to secure the incident site to prevent evidence from being moved, altered, or tampered with.

• If evidence goes missing or is messed with – you are going to miss out on important clues on what caused the event.
• Use cones, tape, or barriers to physically block off the scene.
• You can use photos or videos to preserve and document the scene.

Document the incident facts:

• Date and time of incident
• Investigator
• Name/s of the injured
• Injury description
• Date, time, and location of incident

Step 2 – Collect Information

Collecting information of events leading up to the incident, the incident itself, and other important information is necessary to establish a timeline, identify victims and witnesses, and begin to uncover the initial and root causes of the incident.

One of the primary ways to gather information is to interview witnesses and the victim/s. The sooner a witness or victim is interviewed, the more accurate and candid his/her statement will be.

Set the interviewee at ease:

1. Clearly state the purpose of the investigation and interview – to learn how to prevent future incidents and not to blame any one person.
2. Interview witnesses separately – as least initially. A witness might say more if they aren’t in the same room as their supervisor, co-worker, or the victim. The same is true for when you interview the victim.
3. Let employee know they have a right to have employee representative (e.g., labor representative) present, if available/appropriate.
4. Conduct interviews in a quiet space, although in some cases, it might make sense to interview someone at the scene of the incident. It might help them explain something better, jog their memory, or help you both put questions and responses in context.

Now you’re ready to begin the interview.

1. Ask the individual to recount their version of what happened and don’t interrupt them.
2. Take notes and/or record the responses; interviewee must give permission prior to being recorded.
3. Have paper and pen/pencil available for interviewee.
4. Ask clarifying questions to fill in missing information; repeat back to the interviewees the information obtained; and correct any inconsistencies.
5. Ask the individual what they think could have prevented the incident.

In addition to interviews, other sources of helpful information include:

• Equipment manuals
• Industry guidance documents
• Company policies and records
• Maintenance schedules, records and logs
• Training records (including communication to employees)
• Audit and follow‐up reports
• Enforcement policies and records
• Previous corrective action recommendations

Step 3 – Determine the Root Causes

The root causes are the underlying reasons why the incident occurred. Root causes generally reflect management, design, planning, organizational and/or operational failings (e.g., employees were not trained adequately; a damaged guard had not been repaired).

If you truly want to prevent a repeat of an incident, you must go beyond the easy surface causes – “worker was careless” or “employee didn’t follow the SOP.” Focusing on the easy causes is a lazy way out and it won’t get you the answers you need to put meaningful corrective actions in place.

Remember: Investigations are not effective if they are focused on finding who to blame because they will stop at the initial incident and stop short of discovering the root causes.

Step 4 – Implement Corrective Actions

Your investigation isn’t done until all the underlying causes of the incident have been identified and corrective actions are in place.

Some of the corrective actions will be quick and easy fixes; others may take more time and planning. Some may be specific and address a root cause directly and others may be sweeping improvements to the safety program in general.

Regardless, it is important that you communicate the corrective actions throughout the workplace. Employees pay attention to what management pays attention to and what management ignores. If you ignore incidents or don’t follow through on corrective actions your employees will get the message loud and clear.  Employee safety isn’t valued.

So, take time to develop appropriate corrective actions and manage them through to completion.

The use, storage, and handling of flammable and combustible materials is critical to the safety of workers, property, the community, and the environment. This is a general checklist designed to give you a starting point. Edit the list as necessary for location specific regulations and codes and based on the types and quantities of flammable and combustible liquids on site.

Inspector: _________________________________Date: _________________________________

Inspector Signature: ________________________________________________________________________

https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2004-101/chklists/r1n39f~1.htm

https://work.alberta.ca/documents/WHS-PUB_fex002.pdf

http://www.wsps.ca/WSPS/media/Site/Resources/Downloads/Flammable_Liquids_Storage_Final.pdf?ext=.pdf

https://www.ccohs.ca/oshanswers/prevention/flammable_general.html

Water-related deaths are a sad part of every summer. The following stats are meant to bring awareness to just how often drowning deaths and diving-related injuries occur. There is also an important link to a blog post, Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning, that I highly recommend reading – it is eye-opening.

1. On average over 400 Canadians drown each year. In the U.S., that number tops 3,000 annually.
   • Young children ages 1 to 4 and men ages 15 to 44 are at the greatest risk of drowning.
   • A small child can disappear in seconds and can drown in only 1-2 inches (2 -7 cm) of water-enough to cover the mouth and nose.
2. Small children are the most vulnerable group for near drownings.
   • For every death, there are an estimated 4-5 additional near-drowning incidents, which require hospitalization and often result in varying degrees of brain damage.
   • Almost half of the children who drown do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult.
   • In 10% of these drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening. Read more on drowning here – you could save a life!
3. If you ever encounter someone who is drowning it’s important to remember the correct order of action. The Red Cross Says: If you see a swimmer in distress,
   • First, shout for help.
   • Second, reach or throw a rescue or flotation device.
   • Third, call 9-1-1 if needed.
4. Diving is the 4^th leading cause of spinal cord injury for men and the 5^th for women, according to the National Spinal Cord Injury Statistical Center.
5. You can break their neck and/or suffer spinal cord injury from diving into water 5 feet (1.5 m) or less.
   • Just because you used to dive somewhere does not make it safe. You may have grown, and underwater surfaces may have shifted.
   • Some injuries are caused by hitting the far side of a pool or swimming hole. Depth is not the only thing to be concerned about.
6. Young swimmers should be taught to dive into the minimum depth of 5 feet (1.5 m) from the earliest age.
   • Most of us are taught how to dive at an early age and taught in shallow water – 3-4 feet or less.
   • Few of us are taught that once get older (teens and beyond), it is unsafe to dive into such depths of water.
   • The dangers of shallow depth diving should be reinforced throughout the lives.

Sources:

• http://www.redcross.ca/training-and-certification/swimming-and-water-safety-tips-and-resources/take-the-canadian-red-cross-water-safety-quiz
• http://www.aquaticisf.org/diving.htm
• https://www.shepherd.org/resources/injuryprevention/diving

A woman in Utah was at a BBQ restaurant when she took a drink of what she thought was sweet tea. She immediately spit the tea out and said, “I think I just drank acid.” Within seconds of the sip, her mouth and throat started to burn.

Analysis of the drink revealed the tea had been mixed with the cleaning product, Clean Force Fryer Cleaner, by an employee who thought it was sugar; it has a similar appearance. The cleaning product was made of almost 70% sodium hydroxide (lye), a caustic and dangerous chemical.

According to court documents, in addition to looking like sugar, the cleaning product was shipped to the restaurant in large, unmarked plastic bags placed in cardboard boxes. At some point, the court filing says, a bag of the cleaning product became separated from its cardboard container and it was poured into a new container. The product was then mistaken for sugar and accidentally mixed into a sweet tea drink dispenser. The victim was the first customer of the day to drink the tea.

This incident illustrates just how easily chemicals can be mistaken for common things – in this case sugar. It also shows how these types of mix-ups can happen in most workplaces, even those that don’t seem particularly dangerous.

The rules for labeling and storage of any chemical, including flammable and combustible liquids, are designed to prevent:

1. A catastrophic accident and loss of life due to a fire/explosion caused by flammable vapors or a chemical reaction.
2. Injury or harm.
   1. Death from ingesting/drinking a toxic chemical.
   2. Inhaling noxious fumes that cause long-term health effects or immediate death.
   3. Serious burns or blindness if the chemical gets in eyes or contacts skin.

Let’s assume the containers in the picture are filled with gasoline and kerosene. What are some of the finer points when it comes to handling, use, and storage for flammable and combustible liquids?

• Chemical containers must have lids and the lids must be securely closed when the chemical is not being used.
  • Failing to close them allows the flammable vapors escape; and as you likely know, it’s the vapors that can ignite.
  • Open containers can spill or become mixed or contaminated – possibly causing a violent chemical reaction.
• All chemical containers must be properly labeled with a WHMIS or HAZCOM label. All other containers should also be clearly labeled.
• Use safety cans to reduce the risks associated with flammables.
  • Safety cans have a limited capacity (typically not more than 5 gallons/~19 liters);
  • Spring-closing lid and spout cover, mesh flame arrestor screen; and are
  • Designed to safely relieve internal pressure when subjected to heat and fire.
• Look for safety cans that are approved by independent testing agencies such as, Underwriters Laboratory (UL) or Underwriters Laboratory of Canada (ULC).
  • Some local laws and insurance carriers require safety cans to be approved by these testing agencies.
• Finally, check with your federal, provincial, state, and local safety regulations and fire codes for more specific information on requirements for such things as:
  • Maximum allowable quantities of Class I, II, and III flammable and combustible liquids.
  • If containers must be glass, metal, or plastic.

Final Word

Confusing, missing, or damaged labels can easily lead to a dangerous or deadly situation. It’s worth the extra effort to use, handle, and store flammable and combustible liquids safely.

All incidents – regardless of size or impact – need to be investigated, including near misses. The time spent, and the detail involved will vary depending on how complex the incident is.

Investigating every incident allows you to look beyond what happened and discover why it happened. It also allows you to identify and correct deficiencies in your safety and health programs, management shortcomings, and unsafe processes, conditions, and actions.

Finally, and most importantly, an investigation gives you the chance to:

• Fix a hazard before it can cause harm – in the case of a near miss; or
• Prevent additional harm – in the case of an incident with injuries, property damage, or fatalities.

It is estimated that, on the average, preventing a workplace injury can save almost $40,000, and preventing a fatality more than $1.4 million.

Investigating incidents helps you and your organization:

1. Prevent injuries and illnesses
2. Save lives
3. Save money
4. Show a commitment to health and safety
5. Boost workplace morale

Since the point of an incident investigation is to figure out WHY it happened – don’t waste time finding who’s at fault, who’s to blame, or who to point the finger at. Rarely will the cause be that straightforward and simple.

To help you get to the “why”, one common approach is a “systems approach” to incident investigation. A systems approach looks beyond the immediate causes of the incident – operator error, faulty equipment, unsafe conditions, and asks WHY. Here’s a simple example of how it works:

A worker suffers an injury from a piece of equipment or machinery, the investigator or incident investigation team must keep asking “why” until the root cause or causes (it’s often multiple causes) are identified.

• Was the machine adequately guarded?
  • If not, why not?
    • Was the guard damaged or non‐functional?
      • If yes, why hadn’t it been fixed?
        • Had the damage been reported?
          • If not, is there a reporting process in place?
          • If yes, where did the breakdown in the process occur?
        • Was a procedure or safety rule not followed?
          • If yes, why was it not followed?
            • Did production pressure play a role?
              • If yes, why were production goals allowed to be more important than safety?
            • Was the procedure out of date?
              • If yes, why had the issue not been identified before?
              • If it had been identified, why had it not been fixed?
            • Had the employee been trained properly in the procedures to do the job safely?
              • If yes, why wasn’t the training effective?
                • Had too much time has passed since training?
                • Was training too general?
              • If no, why not?
                • Is there an established training program?
                  • If no, why?
                  • If yes, go back to the previous questions and figure out why the training was not effective.

In a systems approach, investigations don’t focus on solely worker behaviors or “what the worker did wrong.” Instead it focuses on uncovering the root causes of the incident. This allows you to fully understand why an incident occurred and what corrective actions will be the most effective. Without getting down to the root of the problem, you’re just putting a band-aid on a problem that needs sutures.

Next month we will look at how to establish an effective incident investigation program.

A 35-year-old employee died from injuries sustained during a flammable gas explosion. Five employees were making routine repairs on a 2” polyethylene (PE) gas distribution main. The workers were replacing a section of a 2” PE line approximately 4’ long that included two tee fittings. During the time between removing the old section and installing the new pipe natural gas began entering the work space. It was most likely ignited by static discharge. Three employees were hospitalized, and the victim died nineteen days later.

The employer was cited for not having procedures developed, documented, and used for the control of potentially hazardous energy – in this case natural gas vapors. The gas flow had not been stopped and locked out to prevent the leakage of natural gas at the repair site.

The employer was also cited for not furnishing employees conditions of employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

Final Word

Flammable and combustible vapors aren’t just a concern when liquids aren’t being stored, used or handled safely, i.e. the use of bonding and grounding to dissipate static electricity when transferring liquids from one container to another. Flammable vapors can be present in many different situations. Monitoring atmospheric conditions and training employees on the hazards and potential hazards of a job are important steps to take to prevent these types of incidents.

July 5, 2013 – Tom Harding, the lead engineer and sole crew member of a 70+-car train operated by Montreal Maine and Atlantic Railway (MMA) parked the train on a hill a few miles above the town of Lac Mégantic, Quebec, Canada. The lead engine was experiencing mechanical problems and Tom was instructed by headquarters to set the air brakes on the lead locomotive (he left it running to keep air pressure supplied to the air brakes) and applied seven hand brakes. He left the train and checked into a local motel – he was going to deal with the mechanical issues in the morning.

The train was carrying tanker-cars of highly combustible crude oil. Around midnight the lead locomotive caught fire due to multiple oil leaks. The fire department put out the fire and shut down the lead locomotive to prevent more oil from leaking.

With the locomotive shut down, the airbrake slowly began to lose pressure and the train started rolling down the hill towards the town – picking up speed along the 7.2 miles to Lac Mégantic. When the unmanned train hit a curve (at a speed of 65 mph/104 kmh) it derailed and almost 6 million liters (158,000 gallons) of crude oil spilled, ignited and exploded sending fireballs towards the city center, flames 200 feet high, and contaminating the area with spilled oil. Tragically, the fire killed 47 people and destroyed much of the town’s historic downtown.

Tom Harding, and two other railroad employees were arrested and accused of being responsible for the disaster. They were ultimately found not guilty.

It became evident the true (root) causes of the incident were multiple failures by management including inadequate training, lack of internal safety auditing system, taking short-cuts to save money, by-passing safety and maintenance protocols, and other deficiencies. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s (TSB) investigation also uncovered weak oversight of MMA by the railroad’s regulatory body, TC Canada and TC Quebec.

Here are the TSB findings for the 18 contributing factors that lead to the accident.

The point of this Fatality File is to highlight how easy it is to focus on WHO to blame for an incident and not focus on the WHY. These three workers faced life in prison if they were convicted – and yet, the lead engineer was doing what he had been instructed to do and with the limited amount of knowledge he had.

When we focus on blame and not on uncovering the root causes of an incident we risk wrongly placing the blame and we miss the chance to prevent future events from happening.

Click the links further analysis and findings and the jury’s decision.

Here’s a great staged image from WorkSafeBC that shows a bushel of unsafe acts and conditions that could easily lead to a near miss, injury, or illness. While this shows orchard workers, the hazards are universal and understanding what’s wrong here can help keep you safe wherever you are. Let’s look at some of the hazards.

1. The orchard ladder is set up facing downhill – not uphill. The ladder’s tripod is also set at an unsafe angle and the ladder is set too far from the trees. These conditions mean the ladder is not going to be stable, the worker is forced to act unsafely because of the ladder’s position. He will have to pick from an awkward position, over-reach and ultimately be off-balance on the ladder. The chances of falling are high – will he be lucky and end up with only a few scrapes?

a. Always set up ladders on an even, level base. Orchard ladders specifically must have the tripod pole positioned uphill if it’s on sloped ground.

b. Orchard ladders must be firmly in the ground to keep it from collapsing, slipping, moving, or falling. When placing extension and other non-self-supporting ladders, remember the four-to-one rule: for every four feet of height you climb, move the base one foot away from the wall.

2. The worker pouring chemicals into the “Stainless” tank is not wearing PPE, she’s using the wrong container to add chemicals to the tank, and she shouldn’t be on her cell phone.

a. When working with chemicals correct PPE is a must. It’s likely the worker in this photo should be wearing a respirator and an impervious chemical suit, (not t-shirt, shorts, and sandals) and she should absolutely be wearing goggles, a face shield, and closed-toed shoes.

b. She should only use properly labeled and approved containers to transfer chemicals. Not what appears to be a water bottle – or any other random bottle she finds. It’s far to easy for someone to take a drink from an improperly marked bottled and end up sick, injured, or dead.

c. Lastly, she shouldn’t be talking on her cellphone. Cross-contamination is possible, and she could unwittingly expose herself and her family to harmful chemicals.

3. The white storage shed is being used to store chemicals, but it is not marked, there is no visible ventilation, and items such as the respirator, first aid kit, and food shouldn’t be anywhere near it.

4. You might have also noticed the lunch bag hanging out on the chemical barrels.

a. Chemicals and food and drinks don’t mix! Don’t store or place any food or drink on or near chemical storage areas or anywhere chemicals are used or stored.

b. Wash your hands after working with chemicals and before eating or drinking.

5. A few last unsafe conditions in this photo include the ROPS (roll over protection system) on the tractor should be up and in use. The pole in front the of the storage shed door is an obvious tripping hazard. So too, are the tall weeds and the pail on the steps.

The world’s 3.2 billion workers are increasingly unwell: they are growing old; they suffer more chronic disease; they are stressed, unhappy, and sometimes unsafe at work; and they face significant economic insecurity. This is according to a January 2016 report by the Global Wellness Institute, entitled The Future of Wellness at Work.

Unsafe working conditions and unsafe work practices lead to a staggering number of workplace and work-related injuries, illnesses, and deaths. The International Labour Organization compiles statistics from across the globe and here are some of their findings.

• $3 trillion – that’s the annual cost to the global economy from accidents and work-related diseases.
• 3 million women and men around the world succumb to work-related accidents or diseases every year.
• This corresponds to over 6,000 deaths a day.
• 340 million occupational accidents and 160 million victims of work-related illnesses occur worldwide annually.
  • The construction industry has a disproportionately high rate of recorded accidents.
  • Younger and older workers are particularly vulnerable. The ageing population in developed countries means that an increasing number of older persons are working and need special consideration.
• Diseases related to work cause the most deaths among workers. Hazardous substances alone are estimated to cause 651,279 deaths a year.

Seventy-five percent of all accidents are preceded by one or more near misses, according to the National Safety Council.  So, if you’re trying to reduce the number of injuries and incidents with property damage and other incident-related loss, it makes sense to measure and manage your near misses.

Why Near Misses Are So Important

It’s been recognized that focusing on minor incidents, including near misses provides the wherewithal to reduce the probability of major incidents. Near misses occur much more frequently than serious incidents. They’re also smaller in scale, simpler to analyze and easier to resolve.

Working from the top down, major incidents can often be traced back to several minor ones that happened earlier. By addressing the causes of these “precursor events,” you can prevent the major events from ever occurring.

Example: Several rows of shelving collapse in a storeroom. No one is hurt, and only minor property damage is done. The investigation reveals the shelves collapsed because they were overloaded. Once you know this, you can revise your stocking restrictions, ensure that shelves are safely loaded and prevent any more shelves from collapsing due to overloading.

9 Step Workplan for Near Miss Management

Near miss reporting, investigation and correction have become common practice. And like other safety activities, years of practice have provided insight on near miss management. Research from the Wharton Business School and others has identified several hallmarks of an effective near miss management program:

1. Define “Near Miss” Broadly

The first thing researchers noticed is that at companies that manage them effectively, the term “near miss is defined broadly to include not just events but things like unsafe conditions and unsafe behaviors. Event triggers were also broad typically including:

• Minor incidents/injuries that had the potential to be more serious;
• Events where injury could have occurred but didn’t;
• Events where property damage resulted or could have resulted but didn’t;
• Events where a safety barrier was challenged, such as by a worker bypassing a machine guard regardless of whether it caused a potential injury or damage event; and
• Events where potential environmental damage could result.

The definition recommended by the researchers to maximize near miss management effectiveness: “A near miss is an opportunity to improve health and safety in a workplace based on a condition or an incident with potential for more serious consequences.”

2. Setup Clear and Simple Reporting Procedures

You can’t manage near misses and learn from them unless you know they’re occurring. So once a near miss is identified, it should be reported, preferably in writing, by either the person who identified the near miss or by a supervisor to whom a near miss was reported to. The researchers recommend having a clear and simple procedure for reporting near misses to encourage this process and increase the probability of reporting near misses.

3. Provide Training

Workers may be reluctant to report near misses. They may be afraid of being disciplined if the near miss involved a violation of your safety rules or procedures. Or they may not believe management will actually do anything to improve safety if they report a near miss. So, they stay mum about their close calls.

To overcome workers’ reluctance to reporting near misses, train them on the value of near misses and their role in properly managing these events. This type of training should cover the following:

• What near misses are and how to identify them;
• Why near misses are important;
• The role of each person involved in near miss reporting;
• What a near miss management system is and how it works, including the responsibilities of all management levels;
• How to report a near miss; and
• How to prioritize a near miss.

You can also encourage near miss reporting by providing incentives or by telling workers that they’ll be disciplined for not reporting near misses. And taking swift action in response to a reported near miss can also encourages reporting because it demonstrates to workers that management is listening and taking safety seriously.

But the researchers don’t recommend that you allow anonymous near miss reporting for two reasons. First, it’s often necessary to follow-up with the person who reported the event to determine its root cause. Second, anonymous reporting suggests that near misses are unfavorable and undesirable events.

4. Prioritize Near Miss Incidents

Once near misses are reported, you need to prioritize them to determine:

• What steps to take next;
• How much attention to give the incident;
• How deeply to analyze its causes;
• The resources available to implement solutions; and
• How, if at all, you’ll disseminate information about the incident throughout the company.

5. Distribute Relevant Information

Companies that manage near misses effectively do a good job of distributing appropriate information about the incident. In such systems, the information is:

• Transferred quickly;
• Routed to all appropriate people; and
• Communicated in a useful and understandable format.

6. Determine the Cause

Near miss management requires identification of indirect and direct causes of an incident. Don’t hesitate to form investigative teams when the causes of incidents aren’t readily apparent.

7. Determine Solutions

The next hallmark of effective near miss management is to determine one or more solutions to the identified causes. Of course, hazard elimination is always the preferred solution; but the system must provide for hazard management or control where total elimination isn’t feasible. The hierarchy:

• Elimination of the cause of the hazard;
• Reduction of the potential hazard level or degree of risk of exposure to it;
• Installation of safety devices;
• Installation of warning signs to alert people to the hazard;
• Implementation of new safe work procedures to account for the hazard; and
• Increased worker awareness of the hazard, such as through safety talks.

8. Implement Solutions

Once you identify the necessary solutions, implement them and inform anyone affected by the near miss, such as workers and supervisors who work with the equipment involved or in that section of the workplace. And if the solution includes new or revised safety procedures, make sure to train all workers who’ll have to use these procedures.

9. Monitor Solutions

The final phase of near miss management is monitoring the changes made to ensure that they effectively address the causes of the near miss incident. In addition, remedying one problem can sometimes create other unforeseen hazards, particularly for subtle changes. Thus, managing these changes and ensuring no new hazards are created is critical to the success of a near miss program. And make sure that the person who reported the near miss is aware of the outcome of this process.

Bottom Line

Near misses are a largely untapped safety improvement resource. An effective near miss management program can help you tap the potential of this valuable source of safety information and use it to improve your workplace’s overall safety program.

Flammable and combustible liquids can create a fire and explosion risk. Fortunately, most of the risk can be eliminated through careful use, storage, and disposal. This Workplan sets out a strategy you can implement over a 30-day period (and beyond) to prevent flammable and combustible liquid fires, fatalities, injuries and costly citations.

Step One: Perform Hazard Assessment (Day 1-5)

The first step is to identify and evaluate the use of flammable and combustible liquids in your workplace. Methods to use include:

1. Identifying and inventorying all flammable, combustible or explosive substances in the workplace.
   • Flammable and combustible liquids are chemicals and under WHMIS and HAZCOM standards, an employer is responsible for developing, maintaining, and always knowing, what hazardous products are in the workplace and in what amount.
2. Identifying all ignition sources.
   • Anything that can cause flammable, combustible or explosive substances to ignite.
3. Identifying all work operations involving the use of flammable and combustible liquids.
4. Evaluating how these materials are used, handled and stored and observing workers performing these operations.
   • Are safe work procedures being used?
   • Do safe work practices need to be updated or created?
   • PPE – is the correct PPE being worn and is it being worn correctly?
5. Interviewing workers and supervisors to find out more about how liquids are being used and stored.
6. Identifying other hazards, such as:
   • Fire safety aspects of storage, e.g., flammable and combustible liquids not stored near exits or in offices.
   • Improper use of storage containers, missing or damaged labels, failure to use approved safety cans; failure to properly use flammable storage cabinets, etc.
7. Evaluating current alarm and notification equipment in the event of a spill, leak, ventilation system issues.
8. Evaluating the effectiveness of current fire safety and spill response procedures.
9. Evaluating whether adequate fire extinguishers and spill cleanup materials are on hand.
   • Have workers been trained on how to use fire extinguishers?
   • Have workers been trained how to report spills, safely clean up spills and dispose of spill clean up waste?
10. Reviewing written records of worker complaints or safety committee recommendations involving the use or storage of flammable and combustible liquids.

Implementation Strategy: In carrying out your hazard assessment, be on the lookout for the risk factors that can cause hazards, including:

1. Unsafe use, storage, and handling of flammable, combustible or explosive substances.
2. Hot work and other potentially spark or flame-inducing processes.
3. Proximity of hazardous liquids to heat or ignition sources.
4. Areas where accumulation of fumes or vapors are or are probable. i.e. confined spaces, storage areas.
5. Unlabeled containers, open containers or containers missing lids.
6. Amount of liquids on site that are over allowable amounts. Check storage rooms, flammable cabinets, and other designated storage areas.
7. Failure to use flammable cabinets for storage. i.e. paints, solvents, etc. that are being stored on work benches, regular shelving, etc.
8. Accumulations of dangerous debris such as oily rags.
9. Failure of workers to follow good housekeeping practices.
10. Lack of flammable and combustible liquids awareness on the part of workers.

Step 2: Implement corrective actions to reduce or eliminate the hazards. (Day 6-15)

Incorporate and implement a plan for the safe use, handling, and storage of flammable and combustible liquids. It can be part of your fire prevention plan or a separate policy/plan. The plan must be available for workers to review.

Additionally, the plan must describe the measures used for the safe use, handling, and storage of flammable and combustible liquids.

Eliminating a hazard (i.e. substitution of safer liquids or process change) is always the safest action to take, but this is often simply not possible.

When this is the case you do your best to manage and control the risk. In order of regulatory preference here are three ways to accomplish this:

Level 1: Engineering Controls: Start with engineering controls or mechanical equipment and systems that do something to physically minimize the hazards posed by these liquids. Engineering controls might include:

• Installation of HVAC and ventilation systems in buildings and chemical storage areas.
  • Ensure processes that use or make flammable materials do not exhaust back in the work site.
  • Ensure equipment, such as spray booths, where flammable materials are used, are exhausted outside of the building, and away from air intakes.
• Building design features that reduce the risk of fires, i.e. use of fireproof materials; storage areas designed to contain spills and slow the spread of a fire.
• Installation/use of non-sparking electrical equipment in chemical storage spaces and removal of other possible ignition sources.
• Installation of fire alarms, smoke detector, sprinklers, and other fire suppression systems.
• Furnishing portable fire extinguishers and other firefighting equipment in/near hazardous liquid storage areas. Check with fire and building code standards for specifics of quantity and location.

Note: Your engineering controls must meet the safety standards set out in federal, provincial, and state regulations and local building and fire codes.

Level 2: Work/Administrative Controls: The next layer of hazard control is the use of safe work practices and/or administrative controls. These controls deal with how work operations are carried out. These controls often must meet at lease a minimum of certain regulations and fire/building codes, including:

• Controlling Ignition Sources
  • Identify ignition sources.
  • Don’t place ignition sources (hot materials, flames, or sparking equipment) in the general vicinity of these liquids. If possible, replace open flames by electrical heating.
  • Ground equipment likely to produce a static spark, i.e. whenever liquids are transferred from one container to another, both containers must be bonded and grounded to dissipate static electricity.
  • Use adequate ventilation to reduce vapor buildup.
• Proper Storage
  • Keep only the amount needed on site and only the amount needed for a task at work locations.
  • Ensure all stored containers, storage cabinets, and storage areas are in good condition, closed and properly labeled or marked.
  • Identify compatible/incompatible materials – isolate and separate incompatibles.
  • Store waste and residue in covered containers and dispose of daily, i.e. oily rags must be kept in a covered metal container and emptied daily.
• Safe Use and Handling
  • Use flammable/combustible liquids in a fume hood to prevent buildup of ignitable vapor/air mixtures or inhalation of toxic vapors or gases.
  • Transfer liquids:
    • By means of a safety pump.
    • By gravity through an approved self-closing safety faucet.
    • Through a closed piping system.
    • From safety cans.
  • Fire Control
    • Implementation of an emergency evacuation and action plan for responding to spills, fires and other workplace emergencies.
    • Don’t permit flames or smoking in or near areas where flammable/combustible liquids are stored or used.
    • Store materials that react with water in a different room from flammable/combustible liquids.

Level 3: PPE & Protective Clothing: When a hazard cannot be eliminated or reduced to a safe level then you must provide workers with the right PPE. Use the Safety Data Sheet or label, manufacturer instructions, regulations or industry best practices to determine what PPE is required. Typical PPE includes:

• Safety glasses/goggles
• Face shield
• Gloves
• Respirators
• Protective aprons

Implementation Strategy: Engineering, work controls and PPE are not mutually exclusive, i.e., not either-or, and should be used in combination with each other.

Step Three: Provide Flammable and Combustible Liquids Training (Day 16-20)

The next step is to provide training to workers. At a minimum, training should provide a review of your Flammable/Combustible Liquids plan, including these 12 items:

1. Major hazards they are exposed to.
2. Methods used to control those hazards.
3. Safe work practices to follow to control each hazard.
4. Housekeeping requirements they’re expected to meet.
5. How to check their work areas for hazards and protocol to follow when hazards are found.
6. Other general use, storage, and handling information and education.
7. Required PPE and protective clothing and how to use/care/store/dispose of it.
8. Safe way to clean up small spills – and explain what defines “small”.
9. Alarm and detection systems in place to warn of fires, spills, or leaks.
10. How to report a fire, spill, or other emergency.
11. The firefighting equipment necessary to control fire hazards.
12. The fire emergency and evacuation procedure.

You must also have a program to educate workers on general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards of “incipient stage firefighting,” i.e., fighting fires capable of being controlled or extinguished by portable fire extinguishers in their early stage without the need for protective clothing or respiratory protection. Most regulations require fire extinguisher training be provided to workers expected to use extinguishers when they’re first hired and at least every year after that.

Implementation Strategy: Use training programs and resources, such as those offered by SafeSupervisor and SafetyNow, to deliver effective and compliant safety training. Keep in mind that simply providing training isn’t enough. You must also ensure that workers understand and can apply their training on the job. Methods of verifying the effectiveness of training include:

• Quizzing workers on the lesson after you deliver it. (Quizzes are included in all SafeSupervisor/SafetyNow “Meeting Kits” and e-Learning courses.)
• Making workers demonstrate the safe work procedures covered during the training.
• Making workers demonstrate proper use of the PPE covered during the training.
• Observing workers on the job to ensure they’re following their training.

Step Four: Inspect, Monitor, Reinforce and Improve (Day 21-30 and forever after)

The final step is to monitor hazard controls and safety measures to see if they’re effective and determine if changes or corrective actions are necessary. Monitoring should also include reviewing training records, observing employees at work and helping when needed.

Implementation Strategy: Monitoring must be done on an ongoing and regular basis. For example, storage areas, storage cabinets, and containers should be part of monthly work inspections and scheduled safety audits, and in response to red flags like:

• Worker complaints.
• Incident and injuries.
• Changes to operations, equipment, personnel, etc. that weren’t accounted for or anticipated in the previous hazard assessment.

If your workers drive as part of their jobs, it’s important that you have road safety policies and practices in place particularly in the winter when weather conditions make the roads especially hazardous. Have any worker who drives on the job use this checklist to ensure that their vehicles are properly prepared for winter driving conditions, such as by having winter tires and an emergency survival kit.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Choking occurs when a foreign object lodges in the throat or windpipe, blocking the flow of air. In adults, a piece of food often is the culprit. Young children often swallow small objects. Because choking cuts off oxygen to the brain, first aid must be given as quickly as possible.

What’s the Danger?

When someone is choking with a completely blocked airway, no oxygen can enter the lungs. The brain is extremely sensitive to this lack of oxygen and begins to die within four to six minutes. It is during this time that first aid must take place. Irreversible brain death occurs in as little as 10 minutes.

How to Protect Yourself

1. Determine if there is a choking emergency. Common signs of choking include:

• Hands clutched to the throat.
• Inability to talk.
• Difficulty breathing or noisy breathing.
• Trying to cough, but unable to cough forcefully.
• Skin, lips and nails turning blue or dusky.
• Loss of consciousness.

2. Stay safe

• Call 911, 1^st in an emergency.
• Assess the scene.
• Proceed with care only if it’s safe to do so.

3. Keep coughing

• If the person can cough, this should be encouraged. They may manage to clear the obstruction themselves.
• Reassure them and encourage them to pause in their coughing for a count of 3 and then cough again-this increases the pressure behind the cough.

4. Know the 5 and 5

• Give 5 back blows. First, deliver five back blows between the person’s shoulder blades with the heel of your hand.
• Give 5 abdominal thrusts. Perform five abdominal thrusts (also known as the Heimlich maneuver).
• Alternate between 5 blows and 5 thrusts until the blockage is dislodged.

5. Do back blows correctly

• Stand to the side of the person.
• Lean them forward.
• Using the heel of your hand, give five forceful back blows between the shoulder blades.
• Each back blow should be a separate attempt to get the object out.

6. Abdominal thrusts (the Heimlich Maneuver) on a choking victim.

• Stand behind the person and wrap your arms around their waist and tip the person forward slightly.
• Make a fist with one hand and position it slightly above the person’s navel.
• Grasp the fist with the other hand and press hard into the abdomen with a quick, upward thrust — as if trying to lift the person up.
• Perform a total of 5 abdominal thrusts, if needed.
• If:
  • The blockage still isn’t dislodged, repeat the five-and-five cycle.
  • You’re the only rescuer, perform back blows and abdominal thrusts before calling 911.
  • Another person is available, have that person call for help while you perform first aid.
  • The person becomes unconscious, perform standard CPR with chest compressions and rescue breaths.

7. Helping a choking and unconscious person

• Lower the person on his or her back onto the floor and clear the airway.
  • If a blockage is visible at the back of the throat or high in the throat, reach a finger into the mouth and sweep it out.
  • Be careful not to push the food or object deeper into the airway, which can happen easily in young children.
• Begin cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) if the object remains lodged and the person doesn’t respond after you take the above measures.
• The chest compressions used in CPR may dislodge the object.
• Remember to recheck the mouth periodically.

8. Are you choking?

• Perform abdominal thrusts (Heimlich maneuver) on yourself.
• Call 911 or your local emergency number immediately.
• Place a fist slightly above your navel.
• Grasp your fist with the other hand and bend over a hard surface — a countertop or chair will do.
• Shove your fist inward and upward.

9. Assisting a pregnant or obese person who is choking

• Position your hands a little bit higher than with a normal Heimlich maneuver, at the base of the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs.
• Proceed as with the Heimlich maneuver, pressing hard into the chest, with a quick thrust.
• Repeat until the food or other blockage is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious.

10. Clear an infant’s airway (under age 1)

• Sit down with the child and hold the infant face down on your forearm, which is resting on your thigh.
• Thump the infant gently but firmly five times on the middle of the back using the heel of your hand. The combination of gravity and the back blows should release the blocking object.
• Hold the infant faceup on your forearm with the head lower than the trunk if the above doesn’t work.
• Using two fingers placed at the center of the infant’s breastbone, give five quick chest compressions.
• Repeat the back blows and chest thrusts if breathing doesn’t resume. Call for emergency medical help.
• Begin infant CPR if one of these techniques opens the airway but the infant does not resume breathing.
• If the child is older than age 1, give abdominal thrusts only.

Final Word

Being around someone who is choking is a dramatic and scary event. Stay calm and always call 911 for help. It doesn’t matter if your first aid works, the person will still benefit from being checked out by a paramedic.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Flammable and combustible liquids are present in most workplaces. Common liquids you’re likely familiar with at both work and at home include gasoline and diesel fuel, solvents, thinners, cleaners, paints, polishes, and adhesives.

What’s the Danger?

When used and stored properly these liquids rarely present a problem. But, when that’s not the case, the results can be catastrophic.

How to Protect Yourself

Being knowledgeable when it comes to common terms and key concepts related to flammable and combustible liquids is one of the best ways to protect yourself.

1. What are flammable and combustible liquids?
   a. Flammable and combustible liquids are liquids that can burn.
   b.They are classified by their flashpoints.
   c. Flammable liquids have a flashpoint below 100°F (37.8°C).
   d. Combustible liquids have a flashpoint at or above 100°F (37.8°C) and below 200°F (93.3°C).
2. What is a flashpoint and why is it important?
   a. The flashpoint of a liquid is the lowest temperature at which the liquid gives off enough vapor at the
   surface of the liquid to start burning (be ignited).
   b. In addition to distinguishing flammable liquids from combustible liquids, knowing the flashpoint
   will alert you to when conditions are more favorable for a liquid to ignite.
3. What is an auto-ignition temperature?a. The auto-ignition temperature of a substance is the temperature at or above which a material
   will spontaneously ignite (catch fire) without an external spark or flame.
   b. At the auto-ignition temperature, the temperature alone provides sufficient energy to induce combustion.
   c. Most common flammable and combustible liquids have auto-ignition temperatures in the range
   of 572°F (300°C) to 1022°F (550°C).
4. Does the flammable or combustible liquid itself burn?
   a. Flammable and combustible liquids themselves do not burn. It is the mixture of their vapors and
   air that burns.
   b. Example 1: Gasoline is a flammable liquid with a flashpoint of -40°F (-40°C), which means that even
   at temperatures as low as -40°F (-40°C), it gives off enough vapor to form a
   burnable mixture in air.
   c. Example 2: Phenol is a combustible liquid with a flashpoint of 175°F (79°C), so it must
   be heated above that temperature before it can be ignited in air.
5. What are flammable or explosive limits?
   a. There is a minimum concentration of gas below which a flammable or combustible gas will
   not ignite and an upper concentration above which the air will be “too rich” to ignite.
   b. These boundary lines are known as the upper and lower explosive (or flammable) limits. They
   are usually expressed as a percentage.
   * The minimum concentration of a gas or vapor necessary for it to combust in air is defined
   as the lower explosive limit or lower flammable limit (LEL or LFL).
   * The maximum concentration of a gas or vapor that will allow it to burn in air is the upper
   explosive limit or upper flammable limit (UEL or UFL).
   c. Every combustible gas or vapor has a specific range of fuel to oxygen mixture during which it will
   ignite. The flammable range for every gas or vapor is the range between the LEL and UEL.
   d. Example: Hydrogen has an LEL of 4%. This means if the atmosphere has less than 4.0% hydrogen,
   an explosion cannot occur even if a source of ignition is present.

Final Word

Stay safe by understanding and respecting the conditions and limits of flammable and combustible liquids.

What’s at Stake?

Electric forklifts produce zero emissions, virtually eliminate the hazard of carbon monoxide poisoning, and run more quietly than internal combustion forklifts. However, the lead-acid batteries used to power these forklifts present four serious, and potentially life-threatening hazards.

What’s the Danger?

There are four main dangers to be concerned about when it comes to battery changing and charging:

1. Weight – Forklift batteries are very heavy and may weigh up to 900 kg (2,000 lbs.) or more. When the batteries are suspended or being moved by battery handling equipment there is the potential to be struck-by or crushed-by the battery.
2. Corrosive Liquids – Sulfuric acid is the acid used in lead-acid batteries and it is corrosive. If you come in contact with sulfuric acid when pouring it or when handling a leaky battery, it can burn and destroy your skin, eyes, respiratory tract and your digestive system.
3. Explosive Gases – Without proper ventilation, the hydrogen gas batteries emit during the charging process can build up to dangerous levels and cause fire or an explosion.
4. Electrical Hazards – Active battery cells hold an electrical charge that can short circuit if you touch them. This can cause serious burns. Electrical arcing also increases the chance of explosion.

How to Protect Yourself

Only charge and change batteries in specially designated battery rooms or areas. A properly equipped battery charging and changing area will have the following items, among others:

• Warning signs posted – i.e. No Smoking.
• A dry chemical, CO2 or foam fire extinguisher and other emergency equipment such as an emergency shower and eyewash.
• Soda ash, water, or other neutralization materials for flushing and neutralizing spilled electrolyte.
• Adequate ventilation to prevent the build up of hydrogen gas.

When charging or changing batteries do these steps first:

• Safely position the truck and apply the brakes.
• Don’t allow sparks, open flames or electric arcs – this means no smoking, removing metal jewelry and keeping tools and other metallic objects out of the area and away from the top of uncovered batteries.
• Use a battery extractor or other suitable material handling equipment to lift and move a battery.

Next, check the following:

• Electrolyte and water levels. Do this before beginning active charging, but don’t add water until after charging.
• The voltage. If the battery has sealed vents, do not recharge with a current greater than 25 amperes.

Before connecting or disconnecting the clamp connections:

• Unplug and turn off the charger first.
• Then attach the positive clamp, usually red, to the positive terminal first and then the negative clamp, usually black, to the negative terminal.

Be alert:

• If the battery becomes hot or the electrolyte fluid comes out of the vents, turn off the charger and restart charging at a lower charging rate.
• Do not overcharge a battery.

Then:

• Check the water level after charging and add distilled or de-ionized water if needed.
• Remember! When mixing the electrolyte, always pour acid into water, not the other way around and pour slowly.
  • Because of the reactive properties of sulfuric acid, the water in a strong acidic solution can boil and fizz, creating spillover.
  • When acid is poured into water, the solution is weaker, and the risk of spilling electrolyte is reduced.

The right PPE:

• Wear rubber or neoprene gloves and apron, acid-resistant safety shoes or boots, safety goggles, and a face shield when watering and changing batteries, and during cleaning and neutralizing acid spills.
• If you wear contact lenses, you must wear chemical splash goggles during battery charging.
  • If acid were to splash into your eye, the contact lens could hold the acid to your eye, making it more difficult to flush the acid away and causing more serious eye damage.

Final Word

Lead-acid battery safety is a mixed bag of hazards but with the right set-up, safe work practices, and PPE it’s possible to work safely with them during charging and changing.

Safety Talk

What’s at Stake?

Workplace fire safety is about preventing fires from starting — but also vital is dealing with a fire when it does start.

If fire breaks out in your workplace, do you know what to do?

1. Your first responsibility is escape, for you and other occupants of the area.
2. Second in order of importance is calling for in-plant or community firefighters.
3. The third thing to do is try to put out the fire with an extinguisher – if you are trained to do so safely.

What’s the Danger?

You must sound the alarm for any fire. Don’t put yourself and others in danger by underestimating a fire and assuming you can take care of it alone. Instead, give everyone a chance to escape and the firefighters a head start on handling it.

How to Protect Yourself

Once evacuation is underway and firefighters have been summoned, you can consider tackling the fire with an extinguisher — if you know how to use one and if you won’t be putting yourself in danger.

You need to be trained to use a fire extinguisher because doing it wrong can make things worse.

Different fire extinguishers are designed for use on different kinds of fires; you must use the correct one:

1. Class A extinguishers are for use on ordinary combustibles such as wood, cloth, paper, rubber and plastics.
2. Class B extinguishers are for use on flammable liquids such as gasoline, oil, grease, oil-based paint, lacquer, varnishes, solvents and fuels.
3. Class C extinguishers are for use on energized electrical equipment such as wiring, circuit breakers, machinery, appliances, computers and other electronics.
4. Class D extinguishers are used in specialized workplaces on flammable solids such as powdered metals.
5. Class K extinguishers were developed for modern, high efficiency deep fat fryers in commercial cooking operations.

And here is how:

Get ready. Remove the extinguisher from the mounting bracket. Stand about six feet (two meters) from the fire. Point the nozzle toward the fire and use the PASS method:

1. Pull out the pin securing the handle.
2. Aim the nozzle at the base of the fire.
3. Squeeze the handle.
4. Sweep the stream of extinguishing agent from side to side across the base of the fire until it is completely out.

Remember these important points:

• Watch for the fire to re-ignite. If it does, continue to apply extinguishing agent until the extinguisher is empty.
• Hands on training and practice with an extinguisher before you have to use it in an emergency is important. You need to have experience pulling the pin and get accustomed to the weight and velocity of the extinguisher.
• You also need to be aware of the importance of using the right extinguisher. For instance, putting water on a Class B (flammable liquid) fire can spread it instead of extinguishing it. Water on a Class C, electrical fire can result in fatal electric shock.

Final Word

When you use an extinguisher, your own safety is your first responsibility. Make sure you have a clear path to an exit. Don’t let the fire get between you and your escape route. Never turn your back on a fire, even if you think it is out.

Defining the Problem

As a host employer you may find yourself responsible for the safety and health of your workers, temporary workers provided by staffing agencies, and workers employed by other contractors or subcontractors, such as electrical contractors, machine installation or maintenance vendors, or long-term contractors that provide ongoing services such as building cleaning and maintenance.

This can create several challenges and hazards for you and your workers, and contractors and their employees.

To keep it simple, we will be referring to contractors, subcontractors, and staffing agencies as “contractor/s” and their respective employees as “contractor employees.”

Three Reasons for Concern

1. Contractors Are Vulnerable

Contractor personnel are unfamiliar with your machinery and work processes which makes them vulnerable to accidents and injuries.

• You don’t get to train them the way you do your own workers.
• They don’t know their way around your site.
• They’re more likely to inadvertently work on energized equipment or improperly enter confined spaces.

2. Contractors Can Put Your Workers at Risk

Having contract workers on your site can compromise your safety program and put your own workers at risk.

• Contract workers who aren’t familiar with your safety systems may inadvertently shut off or disable key controls or start up processes or equipment.
• Workers unfamiliar with your workplace or processes may accidentally cause a leak or spill or even start a fire or explosion.
• Your workers may not be aware of the hazards associated with the work contract workers are performing.

3. You Could Be Liable for Contractors’ Injuries

• Various OHS and OSHA legislation in both Canada and the US hold host employers at multi-employer work sites responsible for contractor injuries.

Setting the Goals

The safety of everyone on site is enhanced when you have reliable systems in place for coordinating tasks, jobs, and projects and communicating safety procedures, hazards, and injury and illness information.

The goal is to ensure that before coming on site, contractors and their workers are aware of:

1. The types of hazards that may be present.
2. The procedures or measures they need to use to avoid or control their exposure to these hazards.
3. How to contact the host employer to report an injury, illness, or incident or if they have a safety concern.

And, that host employers and their workers are aware of:

1. The types of hazards that may arise from the work being done on site by workers employed by contractors.
2. The procedures or measures needed to avoid or control exposure to these hazards.
3. How to contact the contractor – and who to contact if they have a safety concern.
4. What to do in case of an emergency.

The Solution

So, how do you successfully make this happen? The Occupational Health and Safety Administration offers these suggestions for establishing effective communication and coordination between host employees and contractors.

Establishing Effective Communication

Each host employer establishes and implements a procedure to ensure the exchange of information about hazards present on site and the hazard control measures in place. Thus, all workers on the site are aware of worksite hazards, and the methods and procedures needed to control exposures to them.

Getting there…

• The host employer communicates with contractors to determine which among them will implement and maintain the various parts of the safety and health program, to ensure protection of all on-site workers before work begins. These determinations can be included in contract documents that define the relationships between the parties.
• The host employer establishes and implements procedures to exchange information with contractors about hazards present in the workplace and the measures that have been implemented to prevent or control such hazards.
• The host employer gathers and disseminates information sufficient to enable each employer to assess hazards encountered by its workers and to avoid creating hazards that affect workers on the site.
• Contractors regularly give the host employer any information about injuries, illnesses, hazards, or concerns reported by their workers and the results of any tracking or trend analysis they perform.
• Each contractor establishes and implements a procedure for providing the host employer with information about the hazards and control measures associated with the work being done by its workers and the procedures it will use to protect workers on the site.
• The host employer gives contract employers the right to conduct site visits and inspections and to access injury and illness records and other safety and health information.
• The host employer communicates with contractors and their workers about nonroutine and emergency hazards and emergency procedures.
• Information is communicated before work starts and, as needed, if conditions change.

Establishing Effective Coordination

Host employers and contractors coordinate on work planning, scheduling, and resolving program differences to identify and work out any concerns or conflicts that could impact safety or health.

Getting there…

Host employers:

• Include in contracts and bid documents any safety-related specifications and qualifications and ensure that contractors selected for the work meet those requirements.
• Identify issues that may arise during on-site work and include procedures to be used by the host employer and contractors for resolving any conflicts before work starts.

Host employers coordinate with contractors to:

• Ensure that work is planned and scheduled to minimize impacts on safety.
• Ensure contract workers are adequately trained and equipped before arriving on the worksite.
• Harmonize their safety and health policies and procedures to resolve important differences, so that all workers at the site have the same protection and receive consistent safety information.

Host employers and staffing agencies:

• Work together to deal with unexpected staffing needs by ensuring that enough trained and equipped workers are available or that adequate lead time is provided to train and equip workers.
• Make sure that managers with decision-making authority are available and prepared to deal with day-to-day coordination issues.

Question

Your workers are about to enter a storage bin to perform cleaning operations. The bin is a permit confined space; and since it has an IDLH (immediately dangerous to life and health) atmosphere, workers must use a respirator to do the work. Normally, that’s not a problem. But you’re in the middle of a July heat wave and workers are concerned that wearing a respirator will cause them to get heat stress. And let’s just assume they’re right.

What’s your best option?

A.) Let them remove their respirators just this once so they don’t get heat stress

B.) Make them wear their respirators because IDLH dangers are more immediate

C.) Put off the operation until the weather cools

D.) Let them do the operation without respirators but in short work/rest cycles

Answer

1. Postponing the operation is a viable option; the other 3 are not.

Explanation:

You can’t let workers enter a confined space containing an IDLH atmosphere without a respirator; but making workers use a respirator (or other PPE) isn’t acceptable if it means putting them at risk of heat stress.

The only viable option, then, is to find a way to conduct the operation so that both risks are dealt with, i.e., one that enables the workers to do the job using respirators but without risking heat stress. Postponing the operation until the weather cools is one possibility. And while it’s not the only possibility, it’s the only one of the listed options that doesn’t require trading protection against one form of hazard for protection against another.

So, C is the right answer.

Why Wrong Answers Are Wrong

• A is wrong because letting workers enter an IDLH atmosphere confined space is not only illegal but insane—unless your intent is to kill or seriously harm them.
• B is wrong because use of respirators may heighten heat stress risks. In this situation, the answer is not to dispense with the respirator but find a way so that workers can use it without getting heat stress.
• D is wrong because it allows for the work to be done without a respirator. But change the phrase “without respirators” to “with respirators,” and it could be a viable option.

Question

What are the most common myths about heat stress?

Answer

There are many misconceptions about heat stress, heat illnesses, and what a person should do when they are required to work hard in a hot environment.

The following examples are a few of the myths and common misunderstandings about heat stress and heat illnesses from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

MYTH 1: The difference between heat exhaustion and heat stroke is there is no sweating with heat stroke.

Exertional heat stroke victims may continue to produce sweat. If a worker is experiencing symptoms of heat stroke (confusion, loss of consciousness, seizures, high body temperature), whether they are sweating or not, it is a life-threatening emergency! Call 911 and try to cool the worker down.

MYTH 2: Taking a break in the air conditioning will ruin your acclimatization.

Acclimatization can usually be maintained for a few days of non-heat exposure, so taking a break in the air conditioning will not reduce a worker’s level of acclimatization. And it is a very effective way for workers to cool down in a fairly short period of time.

MYTH 3: Acclimatization will protect you during a heat wave.

Acclimatization occurs when a person is exposed to extreme environmental conditions over a 7-10-day period. However, during heat waves air temperatures rise above normal quickly, and workers will not be able to immediately acclimatize to the new, hotter temperatures. During heat waves, workers will need more breaks and rescheduling some of the harder and hotter job tasks may be warranted.

MYTH 4: Salt tablets are a great way to restore electrolytes lost during sweating.

Salt tablets should never be used unless a worker is instructed to do so by their doctor. Most people can restore electrolytes through normal meals and snacks. Workers should drink plenty of water with their meals and snacks, not only to stay hydrated but also to aid digestion. Moreover, ingestion of too much salt may cause nausea and vomiting which can worsen the level dehydration already present.

MYTH 5: Medications/health conditions will not affect a worker’s ability to work safely in the heat.

A worker’s health and medication usage may affect how their body handles high temperatures and heavy physical exertion.

Some health problems that may put a worker at a greater heat illness risk include: obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and even common colds and the flu—especially if the illness is accompanied by a fever and vomiting.

Certain medications may affect the body’s ability to cool down or may cause the body to heat up more quickly.

Examples of medications that increase risk are diuretics, anti hypertensives, and anticholinergics.

Workers with health conditions or who are taking medications should discuss with their physicians about how they may be at additional risk if working in a hot environment.

Source: https://blogs.cdc.gov/niosh-science-blog/2011/08/12/heat-2/

Respirator Fit Testing

Some PPE is “one size fits most”, as in the case of safety glasses, and getting the right fit doesn’t take much more than taking them out of the package and trying them on to see if they are comfortable. Respirators aren’t like that. While comfort is certainly a factor, having the right size and an air-tight fit on a respirator can be a matter of life and death.

____________________________________________________________________________________________________

Understanding what respirators must be fit tested
and the different fit testing methods is something
supervisors and respirator wearers should be
familiar with.

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Which Respirators Must Be Fit Tested

Fit testing is required for respirators that have a tight-fitting facepiece designed to form a complete seal with the worker’s face. That includes both air-purifying and supplied-air respirators whether operating in a positive pressure mode or negative pressure mode.

By contrast, loose-fitting facepiece respirators like hoods and helmets that form only a partial seal don’t require fit testing. Nor do you have to provide fit-testing to workers who aren’t required to wear a tight-fitting respirator because the conditions don’t warrant it but choose to wear one anyway.

Positive pressure mode –  respirator maintains positive air pressure inside the facepiece throughout the user’s breathing cycle so that leaks result in air escaping from inside the facemask to the outside environment rather than the other way around.

Negative pressure mode – respirator maintains a lower air pressure inside the facemask so that leaks result in outside air seeping into the facemask.

When Fit Testing Must Take Place

Best practice and many safety regulations require a fit test be done:

• Before a worker uses a respirator for the first time.
• At least once a year.
• After any changes that could impact the protection’s effectiveness, i.e.
  • a change to the model or size of the equipment; or
  • a change in the worker’s physical condition, facial scarring, dental changes, cosmetic surgery, obvious changes in body weight.

Two Fit Testing Methods

Quantitative Fit Testing (QNFT)

 QNFT is a method of measuring leakage. First, sampling probes or other devices are placed to measure aerosol concentrations on the inside and outside of the facepiece. The person wearing the respirator then performs a user seal to verify that he or she put on the respirator the right way and that it’s functioning properly. The wearer stands in a test chamber containing a nontoxic aerosol and measurements of concentration levels are made.

To determine how well a respirator fits, you must use a quantitative measure called the fit factor which measures the ratio of the concentration of a contaminant in the environment to the concentration inside the mask.

Acceptable fit factors for different respirators:

• Half or quarter facepiece: Fit factor must be at least 100;
• Full facepiece: Fit factor must be at least 500.

QNFT fit testing of air-supplying and air-purifying respirators must be conducted in the negative pressure mode, even if the respirator will be used with positive pressure.

Qualitative Fit Testing (QLFT)

QLFT is a non-numeric pass/fail test in which a user stands in an enclosure into which a nontoxic test agent like banana oil is introduced. If the user detects the agent, it means the facepiece is leaking and the test is a fail and the worker must then be tested with another respirator make, size or model.

Which Test Methods to Use with Which Respirators

Most respirators can be tested using either QLFT or QNFT. But there are exceptions: