In 1996, the National Safety Council (NSC) established June as National Safety Month to increase awareness of key safety issues. The idea is to decrease the number of unintentional injuries and deaths. NSC is also aligned with government agencies, such as OSHA, to help strengthen the influence of compliance in workplace safety.

The 2014 theme for National Safety Month is “Safety: It takes all of us.” Each week of National Safety Month focuses on a specific safety venue: workplace, traffic, home, and community. For example, the 2014 safety issues are as follows:
 

Prevent prescription drug abuse

Prescription drug abuse is the intentional use of a medication without having a prescription for it. This also includes using prescription drugs in ways other than intended or prescribed. Prescription drug abuse has become a serious safety issue. As of 2013, it was the second most widespread drug issue in the United States.

Here are some tips to stay safe with your medications:

1. Keep your meds in a secure place. Leaving them out in plain view can lead to theft.
2. Keep track of your medicine. Know how many pills you have, and what they look like.
3. Don’t share any medications.
4. Dispose of your meds correctly.
• Keep meds in original container.
• Remove your information
• For pills, add water/soda to dissolve them; for liquids, use cat litter or dirt.
• Close and secure with duct tape.
• The disguised & sealed container can now be thrown out with the normal trash.
   

Stop slips, trips, and falls

Some of the worst yet most common type of office injuries in the workplace, but they are also the easiest to correct.

• wet or oily surfaces
• occasional spills
• weather hazards
• loose, unanchored rugs or mats
• flooring or other walking surfaces that do not have same degree of traction in all areas

• obstructed view
• poor lighting
• clutter in your way
• wrinkled carpeting
• uncovered cables
• bottom drawers not being closed
• uneven (steps, thresholds) walking surfaces

• Clean all spills immediately
• Mark spills and wet areas
• Mop/sweep debris from floors
• Remove obstacles from walkways and always keep them free of clutter
• Secure mats, rugs and carpets that do not lay flat
• Always close file cabinet or storage drawers
• Cover cables that cross walkways
• Keep working areas and walkways well lit
• Replace used light bulbs and faulty switches
   

Be aware of your surroundings

Contact with objects is the second leading cause of cases with days away from work. This includes:

• Being struck against an object
• Struck by an object 
• Caught in an object or equipment
• Caught in collapsing material

Here are some tips to help prevent injury from contact with objects:

• Neatly store loose materials
• Secure items that are stored at a height
• Store heavy objects close to the floor
• Open one filing cabinet drawer at a time to prevent a tip-over
• Wear the proper PPE for your environment
• Always walk behind moving equipment, if possible
• Never obstruct your vision by overloading moving equipment
• Only operate equipment that you are properly trained to use
• Make sure all the safety devices on your equipment are in good working order before use
• Use extra caution around corners and near doorways
   

Put an end to distracted driving

Driving while using a cell phone has been a part of our culture. What, to some, can be seen as a necessity, others realize how dangerous it really is. Whether its business or personal, we need to remind ourselves that this is a potentially life-altering activity. Here are some tips from the National Safety Council about how to break this bad habit.

• Schedule calls for times when you will not be driving.
• Tell other people not to call you when they know you are driving.
• Plan your day ahead of time so you won’t need to use a cell phone while driving.
• Change your voicemail greeting to something like: “Hi, you’ve reached (insert name). I’m either away from my phone or I’m driving. Please leave me a message.” You can also let callers know approximately what time you will be available again so they know when to expect to hear from you.
• If a ringing phone is too tempting, get in the habit of silencing your phone before you start to drive, or lock it in the trunk or glove box.
• Work with your coworkers and family members on breaking the habit and hold each other accountable.
• Allow enough time during your commute for stops so you can pull over and park in a safe location to check email and voicemail messages.
• Consider using call-blocking technology when you are driving.
• Remember, hands-free devices don’t make you safer—while they allow for one more hand to be placed on the steering wheel, they do not reduce cognitive distraction to the brain.

Remember, accidents are preventable. There is almost always no reason for them other than a lack of training. Be sure to take an appropriate amount of time daily, weekly, monthly, annually to have safety meetings, training days, etc. If you are interested or have any questions regarding safety training or any question on frequency of training, contact STS.

Hydraulic fracturing, also known as “fracking,” is a technique used to extract natural gas from shale rock layers deep in the earth. This process was developed and first used in the mid-to-late 1940s; and to date, the U.S. has over a million successful applications.

Fracking involves first drilling into the shale rock layer of the earth and then directing/injecting a high pressure mixture of water, sand, and other chemicals into the rock to create fractures that allow the oil and natural gas to escape. These then flow out to the head of a well to be captured & processed for our energy consumption.

The process is commonly done by drilling horizontally into the rock layer; however this process can be carried out vertically as well. Either way, this creates new pathways for gas to be released or simply used to extend existing channels.

Advantages

Fracking’s first advantage lies in its ability to get at hard to reach places. There are many places where resources of oil and gas are plentiful, but inaccessible without a drilling process such as this. According to BBC News, fracking has “significantly boosted domestic oil production and driven down gas prices in the US,” and has “presented an opportunity to generate electricity at half the CO2 emissions of coal.”

The National Petroleum Council estimated that hydraulic fracturing would eventually account for nearly 70% of natural gas development in North America. In the United States, 45% of domestic natural gas production and 17% of oil production would be lost within 5 years without usage of hydraulic fracturing.

Safety

The US has been extensively using fracking since its roots in the 1940s, and the process has revolutionized the energy industry but has prompted some environmental & health concerns.

1. It can take up to 7 million gallons to frack a single well, and at least 30 percent of that water is lost forever. Because such huge amounts of water have to be used and transported, this comes at a significant environmental cost. Large trucks must move this from point A to point B, therefore resources such as gas must be used and of course the emissions and air pollution that comes with.  There is no mandate on disclosing what chemicals are included in the mixture that gets pumped into the drilled hole either, so potentially we could be inserting carcinogenic chemicals into the air unknowingly. The industry suggests pollution incidents are results of bad practice, rather than inherent to the process. However, many studies are funded by mining & oil companies or by environmental groups, so this can make them appear unreliable, at times.
    
2. We have seen cases where uranium, radium, radon, and thorium (included in the chemical mixtures) have been dislodged. This brings up the concern about levels of radioactivity in the wastewater after fracking. Recycling this wastewater is/was a temporary solution, but unfortunately is not a permanent one. In other cases, no elevated radiation levels were found.
    
3. Seismicity is another potential issue. Hydraulic fracturing, as part of its process, creates micro seismic events. These are too small to be detected without sensitive instruments. There have been a few instances of tremors and even earthquakes triggered due to the process. These were enough to be felt by people. Several were linked to fracking (including a 4.0 magnitude), and the U.S. Geological Survey has stated “that there is no guarantee that larger quakes will not occur.” Frequency of quakes has also been increasing, and concerns are rising over whether or not certain underground lines/structures could withstand these earthquakes.
    
4. Some argue the process of fracking causes distraction from researching renewable energy & its resources. As stated earlier, fracking accounts for a good percentage of overall U.S. gas & oil production and environmentalists say that this stops from investing in new renewable sources and continues our reliance on fossil fuels.
    
5. I won’t go into much detail about health effects, because of its controversial nature, but there is concern about possible long and short term health effects of the contamination (air/water). Specifically, concerns of infertility, birth defects, and cancer are brought up.

Hydraulic fracturing is currently used in the United States (although Vermont has become the first state to ban it), China, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, and the United Kingdom. A moratorium on fracking is in place in places like Germany and parts of Canada (Quebec) and is currently banned in Tunisia, Bulgaria, and in France.

This is a controversial topic to be discussed and debated for some time. How do to we mate progress with environmental sustainability? If you have questions, like I did, there is great information at Frac Focus, which is the national hydraulic fracturing chemical registry. Their website is located here:  http://fracfocus.org/welcome

“We have regulations in place to ensure on-site safety, prevent water contamination, mitigate seismic activity and air pollution and we have been successfully regulating for gas and oil drilling for over 50 years.”

--Spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change

Well, what do YOU think?

Previously, we did an article on fire extinguisher service and the steps involved in monthly inspection. I wanted to take this a step further and discuss a few more topics related to fire extinguishers because we are all familiar with them, know what they are and for the most part, how they work. In order to fill in the few gaps left, we have put together this article covering training, selection, and location of fire extinguishers along with some statistics from the National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).

So you’re ready to buy a fire extinguisher? Well first you need to know what you are using it for in order to choose the correct class of extinguisher. Below you will find a chart matching the facility with what fire extinguisher to be used:

As you can see, having an ABC fire extinguisher in most instances will take care of most fires. You simply need to be aware of the few instances where this is not the case. Electrical equipment, servers, and grease fires are the big ones to note. This requires a different type of fire extinguisher as seen above.

Now that you have your extinguisher type picked, your next task is to select an appropriate placement for the extinguisher. Remember when selecting a place for your fire extinguisher, they must be selected and positioned based on the potential type and size of fire that can occur [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(1)].

Fire extinguisher locations should be:

• Easily accessible
• Not blocked by equipment or other materials
• Near normal paths of travel
• Near entrance and exit doors
• Readily visible
• Mounted on a wall or placed in a fire extinguisher cabinet

Fire extinguisher travel distance varies on its classification:

• Class A; Within 75 ft travel distance; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(2)]
• Class B; Within 50 ft travel distance; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(4)]
• Class C; Based on its Class A or B hazard; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(5)]
• Class D; Not more than 75 ft travel distance; [29 CFR 1910.157(d)(6)]
• Class K; Maximum travel distance of 30 feet; [NFPA 10, Standard for Portable Fire Extinguishers. See Section 6.6, Installations for Class K Hazards]

Once a fire extinguisher has been selected and placed in compliance with OSHA/NFPA standards, you then need to know how to use it. Training for yourself and/or employees is a very important step and should not be overlooked. The unfortunate reality, as you’ll see further below via the NFPA stats, is that fires happen all the time. Having properly learned how to use an extinguisher can save someone’s life. Below you find training specifics, as presented by the 1910.157 OSHA standard guidelines, as well as a few tips for how to engage employees further with hands-on training.

OSHA Training Standard Guidelines – 1910.157

• Have all employees who are expected to use fire extinguishers in an emergency been trained in the principles of extinguisher use and the hazards involved? [(g)(1)]
• Are employees trained when initially hired and then at least annually thereafter? [(g)(2)]
• Have all employees specifically designated as emergency responders in your emergency action plan (fire brigades, for example) been trained to use appropriate fire-fighting equipment? [(g)(3)]
• Do these specially designated employees receive training when they are initially assigned their special duties and at least annually thereafter? [(g)(4)]

Tips for hands-on training (to further engage & educate employees):

• Simulate various fire situations
  • Include different types of fires
• Consider using digital fire simulators
  • Train anywhere, safer than conventional fire extinguisher training, different difficulty levels, no recharging extinguishers
• Have employees work with varying sizes of extinguishers
  • Help employees to understand the potentials and limits of each type
• Teach employees to maintain proper distance from fires
  • This is dependent on the size of extinguishers used and type of fire
  • Make sure to demonstrate how to properly move away from a fire once it is believed to be under control
• Teach employees to check the pressure gauges and test extinguishers before approaching a fire.
  • An excellent learning tool can include having trainees select from multiple training extinguishers where one or more are not fully charged
• Keep class sizes small, ideally fewer than 20 students at a time.
  • This makes it easier for everyone to participate and stay engaged
• Allow all trainees to extinguish the fire and provide them with opportunities to refine their technique and retry if they fail

FIRES IN THE U.S. (Provided by NFPA)

In 2012, there were 1,375,000 fires reported in the United States. These fires caused 2,855 civilian deaths, 16,500 civilian injuries, and $12.4 billion in property damage.

• 480,500 were structure fires, causing 2,470 civilian deaths, 14,700 civilian injuries, and $9.8 billion in property damage.
• 172,500 were vehicle fires, causing 300 civilian fire deaths, 800 civilian fire injuries, and $1.1 billion in property damage.
• 692,000 were outside and other fires, causing 60 civilian fire deaths, 825 civilian fire injuries, and $813 million in property damage.

The 2012 U.S. fire loss clock a fire department responded to a fire every 23 seconds. One structure fire was reported every 66 seconds.

• One home structure fire was reported every 85 seconds.
• One civilian fire injury was reported every 32 minutes.
• One civilian fire death occurred every 3 hours and 4 minutes.
• One outside fire was reported every 46 seconds.
• One vehicle fire was reported every 156 seconds.

If you want your employees to use fire extinguishers correctly and effciently in an emergency, you must make sure they are fully trained. For more information, feel free to check out our fire extinguisher training course here:

In a previous article, we covered the 'Top Ten Violations' by Federal OSHA for FY 2013. I have wanted to come back to this topic once a bit more information was revealed, and what do you know? I recently came across an article from the National Safety Council (NSC.org) that not only had my previous list of "Most Frequently Cited" from last year, but it also included the top five sections cited under each OSHA Standard. As an added bonus, I have also included the "Top 10 Serious Violations" and the "Top 10 Willful Violations." Of course, both of these are for FY 2013 as well. 

Before I jump into the numbers, I wanted to help our readers fully understand what the difference between these types of violations. I have included below the definitions as stated by OSHA.

TYPES OF VIOLATIONS

SERIOUS: A serious violation exists when the workplace hazard could cause an accident or illness that would most likely result in death or serious physical harm, unless the employer did not know or could not have known of the violation.

WILLFUL: A willful violation is defined as a violation in which the employer either knowingly failed to comply with a legal requirement (purposeful disregard) or acted with plain indifference to employee safety.

OSHA’s Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Violations for FY 2013

1. Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) – 8,739 

• Residential construction [(b)(13)] – 4,733
• Unprotected sides and edges [(b)(1)] – 1,696
• Roofing work on low-slope roofs [(b)(10)] – 912
• Steep roofs [(b)(11)] – 656
• Holes [(b)(4)] – 328
    

• Maintaining a written hazard communication program [(e)(1)] – 2,469
• Providing employees with information and training [(h)(1)] – 1,561
• Chemical container labeling [(f)(5)] – 701
• Maintaining Safety Data Sheets [(g)(8)] – 611
• Obtaining or developing Safety Data Sheets [(g)(1)] – 496
    

• Protection from falls to a lower level [(g)(1)] – 1,589
• Planking or decking requirements [(b)(1)] – 788
• Point of access for scaffold platforms [(e)(1)] – 871
• Foundation requirements [(c)(2)] – 632
• Guardrail requirements [(g)(4)] – 376
   

Respiratory Protection (1910.134) – 4,153 

• Medical evaluation general requirements [(e)(1)] – 705
• Establishing and implementing written respirator protection program [(c)(1)] – 650
• Covering situations when respirator use is not required [(c)(2)] – 510
• Respirator selection general requirements [(d)(1)] – 342
• Ensuring respirators are fit tested [(f)(2)] – 332
   

• Use of flexible cords and cables [(g)(1)] – 1,004
• Conductors entering boxes, cabinets, or fittings [(b)(1)] – 821
• Identification, splices and terminations [(g)(2)] – 703
• Covers and canopies [(b)(2)] – 577
• Temporary wiring [(a)(2)] – 194
    

• Safe operation [(l)(1)] – 905
• Refresher training and evaluation [(l)(4)] – 575
• Avoidance of duplicative training [(l)(6)] – 377
• Taking truck out of service when repairs are necessary [(p)(1)] – 336
• Maintenance of industrial trucks [(q)(7)] – 304
   

• Requirements for portable ladders used for accessing upper landing surfaces [(b)(1)] – 1,866
• Ladder use only for its designed purpose [(b)(4)] – 482
• Not using the top or top step of step-ladder as a step [(b)(13)] – 268
• Marking portable ladders with structural defects with tags noting them as defective [(b)(16)] – 215
• Employees shall not carry objects or loads that could cause them to lose balance and fall [(b)(22)] – 107
   

Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) – 3,505 

• Energy control procedure [(c)(4)] – 996
• Periodic inspection [(c)(6)] – 653
• Energy control program [(c)(1)] – 651
• Training and communication [(c)(7)] – 580
• Lockout or tagout device application [(d)(4)] – 169
    

• Installation and use of equipment [(b)(2)] – 814
• Space around electric equipment [(g)(1)] – 670
• Guarding of live parts [(g)(2)] – 347
• Services, feeders, and branch circuits [(f)(2)] – 327
• Examination of equipment [(b)(1)] – 280
    

• Types of guarding [(a)(1)] – 1,815
• Point of operation guarding [(a)(3)] – 662
• Anchoring fixed machinery [(b)] – 214
• Exposure of blades [(a)(5)] – 79
• General requirements [(a)(2)] – 73

Top 10 Serious Violations Federal OSHA issued in FY 2013

1. Fall Protection (1926.501) – 7,492
    
2. Scaffolding (1926.451) – 5,213
    
3. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) – 3,761
    
4. Ladders (1926.1053) – 3,162
    
5. Electrical – Wiring Methods (1910.305) – 2,923
    
6. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) – 2,832
    
7. Machine Guarding (1910.212) – 2,588
    
8. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) – 2,539
    
9. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) – 2,365
    
10. Electrical – General Requirements (1910.303) – 2,204

Top 10 Willful Violations Federal OSHA issued in FY 2013

1. Fall protection (1926.501) – 73
    
2. Excavations (1926.652) – 34
    
3. Lead (1926.62) – 25
    
4. Machine Guarding (1910.212) – 23
    
5. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) – 20
    
6. Scaffolding (1926.451) – 19
    
7. Guarding Floor and Wall Openings and Holes (1910.23) – 18
    
8. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) – 17
    
9. Process Safety Management (1910.119) – 14
    
10. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) – 10

Remember, in the safety world, if you think you have a problem....chances are you do! This is where Safety Training Services can help! We will train (and/or retrain) you and your employees on OSHA compliance & other safety-related courses. Our site or yours, our hands-on courses will provide you with appropriate training to keep you safe and consistent to OSHA requirements.

When it comes to fire extinguisher inspections, many of us think that annually you should be checking your fire extinguisher(s) and getting them serviced or refilled. Hopefully, you do at least this otherwise what I'm about to say may shock you.
 

You must do a monthly inspection of all of your fire extinguishers in your home/workplace.
 

Luckily for us, this is a simple 7 step process that will become routine in time. The first two things you must know before starting an inspection of your fire extinguishers are:

• Who is responsible for doing the monthly checks? If you are at home reading this, it may be a simple answer of yourself. But if you are at work then who is responsible? 
• Whoever is should always be; it tends to be easier this way. The person held accountable gets used to that responsibility.
• Before doing a monthly fire extinguisher inspection, you should always have a pen or marker and a rag with you.

1. As you as approaching the fire extinguisher, you should first be checking that it is readily available. This means that it is not blocked by any objects, is not difficult to get to, and is within reach. It should be mounted with a sign above that states that an extinguisher is underneath.  

• If anything is blocking the fire extinguisher, now is the time to resolve the issue.
   

Your next check is to pick up the extinguisher. Is it a powder type? You must prevent the powder from settling. Go ahead, give it a shake. While its in your hands, is it any lighter than usual or than you'd expect? Call your servicing company (or Safety Training Services here) to have them check it out. It's better to be safe than sorry!
 

The next check should be to check the extinguisher all over for dents, rust, oil, etc. If any substance (such as oil) is on it, dampen your rag and wipe it off. If there is any rust or the extinguisher has severe abuse, replace it soon as possible.
 

Mount the fire extinguisher back on the wall, make sure the instructions are still legible, and check the labels. Make sure to turn extinguisher so that the label is facing outward.

• If the label is missing or anything is illegible, get a new label when possible. You may even, depending on the extinguisher's state, look into purchasing a whole new fire extinguisher.
   

Now that the extinguisher is placed correctly and the label is facing outward, check the pin or safety seal. It should still be intact; if not, you should replace the fire extinguisher.
 

You should now look check the gauge. Is it still in the green zone? If not, call a service person/company immediately to have the extinguisher serviced and back in working order.
 

Lastly, make sure to check the tag on the fire extinguisher to verify that yearly service has been done within the last year. This is usually marked off on the tag or hole-punched (month/year). Most service companies sign off or mark when the inspection took place, not when its due, so be sure to take a moment to process the information so that you are in compliance with the yearly inspection. Check with your servicing company (or simply contact STS here) if you need assistance. If your fire extinguisher has NOT been serviced in the last year, call immediately to schedule for that to be done.
 

Congratulations, your monthly inspection is complete. Be sure to sign your initials on the tag when it has space for monthly inspections. This verifies that the extinguisher is up-to-date and also proves to OSHA (if need arises) that a monthly inspection has been performed. 

If you want some or all of your employees to use fire extinguishers in an emergency, you must make sure they are fully trained. We will discuss fire extinguisher training; some issues and some safety tips in the next safety blog article! In the meantime, feel free to check out our fire extinguisher training course here:

Training is, by one definition, "a process by which someone is taught the skills that are needed for an art, profession, or job." Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, productivity, and performance in the specific area.

This means that prior to starting a job or a specific task; you must be trained to a level necessary for safe completion. The importance of this is paramount. It is not only cost effective to the company to practice safe procedures and train employees properly, but ultimately, we are putting lives at risk if training is not done or done incorrectly.

I want to explore the “importance of safety training” and why you should decide to invest your time and money into getting properly trained.

The first and most important reason: Reduce accidents.

This alone should trigger instantly as a ‘must.’ The reason from an individual’s standpoint should be obvious; accidents can too easily lead to death. That’s it, case closed. No more work, no more family, nothing. And not to mention the aftermath that someone else will have to deal with. This is not to scare you, but more so to shed light on the fact that reducing accidents is simply a must. In fact, many “accidents” aren’t accidents at all. They are operator related. We may label them as an accident, but if the operator truly knew the machine/job they were doing, and the safest way to do it, they would be able to be avoid the hazards entirely. Most ‘accidents’ are 100% preventable.

This brings me to the reasoning from a company standpoint. Yes, of course an individual would want safety training and I’m sure companies would see the importance of it. But I’m not writing this to discuss hypotheticals. The truth is, it is more often than not, the company that decides whether or not to send employees to training. And another fact is that I read about employees getting hurt or worse almost every day in various industries and so much of this can be prevented by simply conducting safety training properly. If the company cannot provide this safety training, they must recognize the dire importance (especially in high hazard workplaces) and inquire into a quality safety training company. Again, this is real world we are talking about and therefore time and money are something many companies need to factor into the equation before they can reach the result. Many companies see those two things as the main factor or deterrent in their choice. Understandably, I would like to take it further than just the cost of the training, or the cost of the employee’s time to take it. Let’s look at the REAL cost of an accident and then weigh that against the (at that point) seemingly meager price of quality safety training.

Accidents are more expensive than many people realize because in addition to the direct costs (medical costs, compensation payments, etc.) you’ll have indirect costs. Indirect costs include, but are not limited to: costs to train a replacement worker, repairing damaged property, cost to investigate the accident. Now take it one step further and you’ll see even more costs that aren’t as obvious, such as added administrative time, lower morale, increased absenteeism, and poorer customer relations. These costs are sometimes much higher than the simple direct costs. In fact, OSHA states that the lower the direct costs of an accident, the higher the ratio of indirect to direct costs. The more accidents that occur in a workplace, the higher the costs — both in increased insurance premiums and greater indirect costs.

If you would like to see more specifics of estimating and calculating the true cost of workplace injuries, Safety Management Group has an easy to use calculator found by clicking here.

More reasons to consider the importance of safety training:

• 

  Training can improve business performance, profit and staff morale.

• In addition to reducing accidents, training your staff can result in safer work practices and even productivity improvements.

• By training your employees or allowing time for training, you demonstrate that you value them enough to invest in them. This improves loyalty and retention, with retention being the benefit for you.

• They acquire new skills, increasing their contribution to the business and building their self-esteem

Remember, action is always faster than reaction. Therefore, it is better to be proactive rather than reactive when it comes to safety and/or safety training. If you take the time to analyze then you have a much higher chance that nothing will happen. Hopefully, this has motivated you take action! To seek out quality safety training now, as opposed to waiting until OSHA has stepped in or even worse, waiting until a workplace injury or death occurs.

Don’t get burned by mediocre training because they didn’t do it right the first time. Contact Safety Training Services, Inc. today and get “Real Experience. Real Training. Real Results.”

Hazard Control Measures

The information obtained from a job hazard analysis is not worth anything unless hazard control measures recommended in the analysis are incorporated into the tasks. Not all hazard control measures are equal; some are more effective than others. Here is the order of effectiveness of hazard controls:
 

• Elimination/minimization of the hazard
• By substituting processes, materials, or equipment
• Changing facility design, processes, or equipment
• Enclosure of the hazard
• Enclosed cabs, enclosures over loud equipment
• Isolation of the hazard
• Interlocks, machine guards, blast shields, welding curtains
• Removal or redirection of the hazard
• Local and exhaust ventilation
   

• Written operating procedures, work permits, and safe work practices
• Exposure time limitations
• (These are used most commonly to control temperature extremes and ergonomic hazards)
• Monitoring use of the more hazardous materials
• Alarms, signs, warnings
• Buddy system
• Training!

3.) Personal Protective Equipment

• Respirators, hearing protection, protective clothing, safety glasses, and hardhats
• The LAST line of defense in hazard control measures (not the first or only)
• PPE is acceptable as a control measure:
• When engineering controls are not feasible or do not completely eliminate the hazard
• If engineering controls are still being developed
• When safe work practices don't provide sufficient additional protection
• During emergencies when engineering controls may not be feasible
   

Common Hazards and Descriptions
 

'Sample' Job Hazard Analysis

 

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What is a hazard?

A hazard, very simply put, is the potential for harm.

Pretty broad definition, huh? Well to put it into the perspective of an employee/employer, OSHA states it best, "a hazard often is associated with a condition or activity that, if left uncontrolled, can result in an injury or illness." Remember, identifying hazards (better yet, eliminating or controlling them) as early as possible can help prevent injuries or illnesses from happening.

One way this is done is through a 'Job Hazard Analysis' (JHA)

You may have heard the phrase job hazard analysis (or JHA), at your work before, or maybe you have seen/heard elsewhere. But some of you may be wondering what exactly a JHA is, what its used for, or who needs one? Well, we will discuss all of these topics but for now, lets take a moment and explain what exactly is a job hazard analysis. 

A job hazard analysis is a procedure that identifies hazards before they occur. It aims to integrate preferred safety principles into the operation of the job or task. Basically, its a risk assessment that includes the safest way to do something. Once you have identified the hazards, the idea is to take steps to eliminate or reduce them to an acceptable risk level.

Why is it important?

Honestly, because conducting a JHA is one of the best ways to determine and establish proper work procedures. Many workers in the US are injured and even killed at work and proper safety measures and procedures help prevent workplace injuries and illnesses. Looking at your workplace operations, establishing proper job procedures, and ensuring that all empoyees are trained properly are ways to eliminate and prevent hazards in the workplace.

A job hazard analysis is likely to result in:

• Fewer worker injuries and illnesses,
• Safer, more effective work methods,
• Reduced workers' compensation costs,
• Increased worker productivity.
   

A JHA can also be a valuable tool for training new employees in the steps required to perform their jobs safely.

You may wonder who needs a JHA? Or who benefits from them? It could be argued, virtually any company could benefit from a JHA. It is designed to produce nothing but positive results, so virtually any company could implement one. But of course, there are companies that absolutely NEED a JHA (due to high hazards in the very nature of the work), and other specific industries that could implement one to make sure a safe environment stays that way. A job hazard analysis most benefits the following:

• Jobs with the highest injury or illness rates
• Jobs with the potential to cause severe or disabling injuries or illnesses, even if there is no history of previous accidents
• Jobs in which one simple human error could lead to a sever accident or injury
• Jobs that are new to your operation or have undergone changes in processes and procedures
• Jobs complex enough to require written instructions

Getting started

Where do you begin? It can seem like a daunting task before you, but luckily OSHA has helped lay out a 5 step outline for creating a JHA.

1. Involve your employees
    

• This is very important. Employees have a unique understanding of the job, and this knowledge is invaluable for finding hazards. It will help minimize oversights, ensure a quality analysis, and increases "buy in" from employees because they share ownership in the safety and health program.
   

• Your worksite's history of accidents and occupational illnesses
• Losses that required repair or replacement
• Any "near misses" - events in which an accident or loss did not occur, but could have
• These events are indicators that the existing hazard controls (if any) may not be adequate and deserve more scrutiny.
   

• Discuss with your employees the hazards they know exist in their current work and surroundings.
• Brainstorm with them for ideas to eliminate or control those hazards.
• If any hazards exist that pose an immediate danger to an employee's life or health, take immediate action to protect the worker.
• Any problems that can be corrected easily should be corrected as soon as possible. (Do not wait to complete your job hazard analysis)
   

• List jobs with hazards that present unacceptable risks (those most likely to occur and with the most severe consequences). These should be your first priority for analysis.
   

• Nearly every job can be broken down into job tasks or steps.
• When beginning a JHA, watch an employee perform the job and list each step as the worker takes it. (Sometimes it helps to record video of the job task for later reference)
• Don't get overly detailed; avoid breaking down the steps into so much detail that it becauses unecessarily long, or too broad to not include basic steps.
• Afterwards, review the job steps with the employee to make sure that you have not omitted something.
• Remember, you are evaluating the the job itself and not the employee's job performance.
   

How to identify hazards

Your main goals in an JHA are to discover the following:

• What can go wrong?
• What are the consequences?
• How could it arise?
• What are the other contributing factors?
• How likely is it that the hazard will occur?
   

After you have reviewed your list of hazards, you must consider what methods will reduce (control) or eliminate them. Engineering controls that physically change a machine or work environment to prevent exposure to the hazard are the most effective. If this is not feasible, administrative controls (such as changing the way employees do their jobs) may be suitable.

Make sure to periodically review your JHA, to keep it current and help reduce accidents. In the event that a "close-call" or even an injury/incident occurs, be sure to review the JHA and discuss with your employees to ensure that all are aware of the methods, procedures, and protective measures.

Be sure to keep an eye for the next article, where we will discuss the second part of this topic and include detailed information on 'common hazards', 'hazard control measures', and a sample JHA!

In the meantime, remember if you have any JHA-related questions or are interested in more information on implementing a JHA for your company, contact STS's consulting professionals for assistance today!

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OSHA’s Top 10 Violations for 2013
(& Other Interesting OSHA Facts)

• Federal OSHA has 10 regional offices and 90 local area offices.

• They had a budget of $563,658,000 in FY 2013.

• They conducted 40,961 Federal inspections in FY 2012.

• 4,383 workers were killed on the job in 2012.

• That's 3.2 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers

On average, more than 84 a week or nearly 12 deaths every day.

• This is the second lowest preliminary total since the fatal injury census was first conducted in 1992.

• Fatal work injuries involving contractors accounted for 16 percent of all fatal work injuries in 2012.

• Out of 3,945 worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2012, 775 or 19.6% were in construction.

  • The leading causes of worker deaths on construction sites were falls, followed by struck by object, electrocution, and caught-in/between.

  • These "Fatal Four" were responsible for nearly three out of five (56%) construction worker deaths in 2012.

Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 435 workers' lives in America every year.

• Falls – 278 out of 775 total deaths in construction in CY 2012 (36%)
• Struck by Object – 78 (10%)
• Electrocutions – 66 (9%)
• Caught-in/between – 13 (2%)

OSHA’s Top Ten Violations for 2013

The following were the top 10 most frequently cited standards by Federal OSHA in fiscal year 2013 (October 1, 2012 through September 30, 2013):

1. Fall Protection (1926.501) 8,241 violations (No Change) (991 more than 2012)
    
2. Hazard Communication (1910.1200) 6,156 violations (No Change) (1,460 more than 2012)
    
3. Scaffolding (1926.451) 5,423 violations (No Change) (1,609 more than 2012)
    
4. Respiratory Protection (1910.134) 3,879 violations (No Change) (1,508 more than 2012)
    
5. Electrical, Wiring Methods (1910.305) 3,452 violations (Up 3) (1,708 more than 2012)
    
6. Powered Industrial Trucks (1910.178) 3,340 violations (Up 1) (1,347 more than 2012)
    
7. Ladders (1926.1053) 3,311 violations (Down 2) (1,001 more than 2012)
    
8. Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) 3,254 violations (Up 1) (1,682 more than 2012)
    
9. Electrical, General Requirements (1910.303) 2,745 violations (Up 1) (1,413 more than 2012)
    
10. Machine Guarding (1910.212) 2,701 violations (Down 4) (604 more than 2012)

OSHA is Making a Difference
 

• Since 1970, workplace fatalities have been reduced by more than 65 percent and occupational injury and illness rates have declined by 67 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has almost doubled.
• Worker deaths in America are down–on average, from about 38 worker deaths a day in 1970 to 12 a day in 2012.
• Worker injuries and illnesses are down–from 10.9 incidents per 100 workers in 1972 to 3.5 per 100 in 2011.

The OSHA standard for the Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) (29 CFR 1910.147) for general industry, also known as LOTO, was created in an attempt to reduce worker death and injury rates. Use of proper lockout/tagout practices and procedures keep workers safe from the release of hazardous energy by ensuring that dangerous machines are properly shut off and not started up again prior to the completion of maintenance or servicing work. Compliance with the lockout/tagout standard prevents an estimated 120 fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year.

According to OSHA, workers injured on the job from exposure to hazardous energy lose an average of 24 workdays for recuperation.

Lockout/tagout is required when the unexpected energization or start up (or release of stored energy) of machines, equipment or prime movers could injure workers during cleaning, repairing, servicing, setting-up, adjusting and un-jamming.

The LOTO standard also establishes the employer's responsibility to protect workers from hazardous energy. Employers are required to train their employees in the purpose and function of the energy control program and have the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage and removal of the energy control devices. The training must cover at least three areas: aspects of the employer’s energy control program; elements of the energy control procedure relevant to the employee’s duties or assignment; and the various requirements of the OSHA standards related to lockout/tagout.

Employers Must:

• Develop, implement, and enforce an energy control program.
• Use lockout devices for equipment that can be locked out.
• Tagout devices may be used in lieu of lockout devices only if the tagout program provides employee protection equivalent to that provided through a lockout program.
• Ensure that any new or overhauled equipment is capable of being locked out.
• Develop, implement, and enforce an effective tagout program if machines or equipment are not capable of being locked out.

• Develop, document, implement, and enforce energy control procedures.
• Use only lockout/tagout devices authorized for the particular equipment or machinery and ensure that they are durable, standardized, and substantial.
• Ensure that lockout/tagout devices identify the individual users.
• Establish a policy that permits only the employee who applied a lockout/tagout device to remove it. (See 29 CFR 1910.147(e)(3) for exception)
• Inspect energy control procedures at least annually.
• Provide effective training as mandated for all employees covered by the standard.
• Comply with the additional energy control provisions in OSHA standards when machines or equipment must be tested or re-positioned, when outside contractors work at the site, in group lockout situations, and during shift or personnel changes.

Employers have a good list of responsibilities to follow in order to keep in compliance with the OSHA standard, but how does LOTO translate to layman’s terms? Well, we’ve broken it down into 4 topics in order to help anyone grasp what lockout/tagout is all about.

1. What is isolation? What is the procedure for LOTO?
2. What are lockout devices? 
3. What are tagout devices? When can they be used?
4. How/when to remove these devices?
    

Isolation

Isolation means disconnecting the equipment (or making safe) by removing all energy sources. The steps necessary to isolate equipment are documented in an isolation procedure or a lockout/tagout procedure. The procedure usually generally includes the following tasks:

1. Identify the energy source(s)
2. Isolate the energy source(s)
3. Lockout and tag the energy source(s)
4. Prove the equipment isolated and made safe by trying out the equipment.

Remember, the locking and tagging of the isolation point lets others know not to de-isolate the device.

Lockout Devices

• Circuit breakers
• Slide gates
• Line valves
• Disconnect switches

Ensure that an energy-isolating device cannot be used until the lockout device is removed. A lockout device uses a positive means, such as a key or combination lock, to hold an energy-isolating device in a safe position and prevent machine or equipment from energizing. The lockout device must be substantial enough to prevent removal without excessive force or unusual techniques.

A lockout device must be used unless the employer can demonstrate that a tagout system would provide full employee protection.

Tagout Devices

• Tags or other prominent warning devices
• Indicate that an energy-isolating device and its equipment must not be used until the tagout device is removed.

The tagout device must be nonreusable, attached by hand, self-locking and nonreleasing with a minimum unlocking strength of 50 pounds, and must be at least the equivalent of an all-environment tolerant nylon cable tie.

Removal of Lockout/Tagout Devices

Before removal of a lockout/tagout device, authorized employees must make sure that nonessential items are removed and machine components are operationally intact. The area should then be cleared of employees (or safely positioned away from the device) and all affected employees should be notified that the LOTO devices are (to be) removed. The person who removes the LOTO device must be the person who originally applied it. If they are not available, another employee may remove the device if the employer has established a specific procedure and training for it.

Safety Training Services, Inc. provides Lockout/Tagout training for you and your company! Enroll today in our lockout/tagout course to be able to recognize applicable hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace, the methods and means necessary to isolate and control energy sources, and more!