Safe Workplace and Safety News
This is the safety news blog for the Safe Workplace web site. We cover workplace safety related news with a focus on how safety, or a lack of safety, impacts employers, employees and their families. We also cover topics such as safety training, safety tools, and legal issues related to safety. For regular safety news and information enter your email address in the box above the Subscribe button to the right (then click on the button).
Wednesday, March 03, 2010
CSDA / OSHA Alliance Releases Electrical Safety Best Practice
The Alliance between the Concrete Sawing & Drilling Association (CSDA) and OSHA has just released its fourth Best Practice entitled Electrical Safety (CSDA-OBP-1004). "Electrocution is a major focus for OSHA as it is one of the top four leading causes of construction fatalities, and therefore a natural area of focus for our Alliance," said Patrick O’Brien, CSDA Executive Director.
Electricity is widely recognized as a potential workplace hazard, exposing employees to electric shock, burns, fires and explosions. Working on or around electrical conductors and equipment can be particularly dangerous, because electrical energy often cannot be sensed until contact is made. The Electrical Safety Best Practice includes guidelines and preventive maintenance tips that should be applied to every workday. By following the advice given in this document, contractors can greatly reduce the chances of exposure to electrical hazards.
CSDA and OSHA have worked together on safety and health issues for the concrete sawing and drilling industry in an effort to educate contractors, prevent on-the-job accidents and injuries and provide vital materials to advance a safe work environment for sawing and drilling professionals. The Alliance has also released Best Practice documents on the subjects of Highway Work Zone Safety, Reducing Silica Exposure and Defensive Driving. Each of these previously released Best Practices are also available in Spanish.
Representatives from OSHA were at February's World of Concrete to present during the seminar program. OSHA’s Fran Dougherty presented on OSHA Fall Protection Standards while Danezza Quintero presented on the Most Frequent Safety Citations for Concrete Contractors. These speakers also staffed the CSDA booth during World of Concrete trade show to answer questions attendees had related to the health and safety of workers, especially those employed in the sawing and drilling industry.
Read and Download CSDA Alliance Best Practices
Highway Work Zone Safety - CSDA-OBP-1001
- Spanish version
Reducing Silica - CSDA-OBP-1002
- Spanish version
Defensive Driving - CSDA-OBP-1003
- Spanish version
Electrical Safety - CSDA-OBP-1004
Electricity is widely recognized as a potential workplace hazard, exposing employees to electric shock, burns, fires and explosions. Working on or around electrical conductors and equipment can be particularly dangerous, because electrical energy often cannot be sensed until contact is made. The Electrical Safety Best Practice includes guidelines and preventive maintenance tips that should be applied to every workday. By following the advice given in this document, contractors can greatly reduce the chances of exposure to electrical hazards.
CSDA and OSHA have worked together on safety and health issues for the concrete sawing and drilling industry in an effort to educate contractors, prevent on-the-job accidents and injuries and provide vital materials to advance a safe work environment for sawing and drilling professionals. The Alliance has also released Best Practice documents on the subjects of Highway Work Zone Safety, Reducing Silica Exposure and Defensive Driving. Each of these previously released Best Practices are also available in Spanish.
Representatives from OSHA were at February's World of Concrete to present during the seminar program. OSHA’s Fran Dougherty presented on OSHA Fall Protection Standards while Danezza Quintero presented on the Most Frequent Safety Citations for Concrete Contractors. These speakers also staffed the CSDA booth during World of Concrete trade show to answer questions attendees had related to the health and safety of workers, especially those employed in the sawing and drilling industry.
Read and Download CSDA Alliance Best Practices
Highway Work Zone Safety - CSDA-OBP-1001
- Spanish version
Reducing Silica - CSDA-OBP-1002
- Spanish version
Defensive Driving - CSDA-OBP-1003
- Spanish version
Electrical Safety - CSDA-OBP-1004
Labels: Electrical Hazards, electrical safety, Free Safety Guides
posted by Steve Hudgik |
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Monday, September 21, 2009
OSHA Opens Record On Proposed Rule On Electric Power Generation, Transmission and Distribution
OSHA announced today that it is opening the record on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking on electric power generation, transmission, and distribution and for electrical protective equipment. This limited opening seeks to obtain comments related to safe proximity between a worker and exposed electrical parts.
OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution and for electrical protective equipment, such as insulating blankets, gloves and rubber sleeves. That proposal included revised minimum approach distances (MAD) to determine how close a worker or an object that the worker is holding can get to an electrical part. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers later made further corrections for calculating MAD and the current proposed rule includes those revisions.
"We want to incorporate the most accurate data for keeping workers at safe distances from dangerous electrical sources," said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. "Extending this rulemaking process will provide us with the information we need to provide the best possible protection for working men and women."
A public hearing will be held Oct. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The agency will accept comments on the proposed rule until Oct. 15. Interested parties who intend to speak at the hearing must submit notices of intention to appear no later than Oct. 1. Submit comments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-S215-2006-0063, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments may also be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov, the federal eRulemaking portal or faxed to the OSHA Docket Office at 202-693-1648.
OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution and for electrical protective equipment, such as insulating blankets, gloves and rubber sleeves. That proposal included revised minimum approach distances (MAD) to determine how close a worker or an object that the worker is holding can get to an electrical part. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers later made further corrections for calculating MAD and the current proposed rule includes those revisions.
"We want to incorporate the most accurate data for keeping workers at safe distances from dangerous electrical sources," said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab. "Extending this rulemaking process will provide us with the information we need to provide the best possible protection for working men and women."
A public hearing will be held Oct. 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. The agency will accept comments on the proposed rule until Oct. 15. Interested parties who intend to speak at the hearing must submit notices of intention to appear no later than Oct. 1. Submit comments to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-S215-2006-0063, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments may also be submitted to http://www.regulations.gov, the federal eRulemaking portal or faxed to the OSHA Docket Office at 202-693-1648.
Labels: Arc Flash, Electrical Hazards, electrical safety, OSHA, osha information
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Thursday, June 25, 2009
Arc Flash Blast Video
This is a promotional video for an arc flash shield, but it also provides an excellent view of the power of an arc flash blast.
Related past posts:
Is Your Electrical PPE Adequate?
New (arc flash) Safety Sign and Label Printer
Arc Flash Warning Labels
Related past posts:
Is Your Electrical PPE Adequate?
New (arc flash) Safety Sign and Label Printer
Arc Flash Warning Labels
Labels: Arc Flash, Electrical Hazards, electrical safety, PPE
posted by Steve Hudgik |
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Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The Daredevil Electricians of Pakistan
Owais Mughal writes a blog about Pakistan. His October 13th post presents pictures of power company electricians, and the general public, working on utility wires. The post features lots of pictures along with Mr. Mughal's commentary.
I don't think I can do this report justice by trying to describe it, so I'll just let you read it yourself. Here is the link:
Daredevil Eletricians of Pakistan
P.S. You'll see lots of people in dangerous situations.
I don't think I can do this report justice by trying to describe it, so I'll just let you read it yourself. Here is the link:
Daredevil Eletricians of Pakistan
P.S. You'll see lots of people in dangerous situations.
Labels: Electrical Hazards, electrical safety
posted by Steve Hudgik |
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Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Is Your Electrical PPE Adequate?
A growing safety issue is that of arc flash protection and determining the proper PPE. An article in Maintenance Technology magazine addresses this topic. The problem is that PPE requirements are based on tests that may not be reflecting real-life situations. The article states:
"Recent research into arc flash phenomena, however, indicates that workers could be under-protected against the heat generated during an arc flash event. Test results presented at IEEE conferences and at the 2007 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop show that different configurations of electrodes (conductors) yielded heat energy higher than current predictions due to the directional nature of the arc development. Additionally, initial tests of PPE, when placed within this directional plasma fl ow, did not provide the level of thermal protection predicted by its APTV."
You can read the article at: http://www.mt-online.com/articles/0507_electricalsafety.cfm
"Recent research into arc flash phenomena, however, indicates that workers could be under-protected against the heat generated during an arc flash event. Test results presented at IEEE conferences and at the 2007 IEEE Electrical Safety Workshop show that different configurations of electrodes (conductors) yielded heat energy higher than current predictions due to the directional nature of the arc development. Additionally, initial tests of PPE, when placed within this directional plasma fl ow, did not provide the level of thermal protection predicted by its APTV."
You can read the article at: http://www.mt-online.com/articles/0507_electricalsafety.cfm
Labels: Arc Flash, Electrical Hazards, PPE
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Monday, May 07, 2007
Electrical Safety Is For Every Employee!
When thinking about safety we need to keep in mind that all aspects of our business need to be safe.
Work In An Office?
You still need to be aware of electrical hazards and take practical measures to avoid them. Here are a couple of issues that require particular attention:- Overloaded electrical circuits pose both an electrocution and fire hazard. While we can’t always control the number of outlets in our offices, the Electrical Safety Foundation International recommends some steps to stay safe from electrical hazards:
- If you must use a power strip, use a name-brand product from a reputable retailer. Low-quality or counterfeit power strips may contain wiring that isn’t adequate to carry the load.
- Place power strips where there is plenty of air circulation to disperse heat.
- Do not attempt to plug grounded (three-prong) cords into ungrounded (two-slot) outlets.
- Do not bind, kink or knot electrical cords.
- Never run power cords under rugs or where chairs can roll over them.
- Keep cords close to a wall to avoid trip hazards.
- Keep all non-critical electrical items unplugged until you need to use them.
- Consider charging battery-operated devices in another area.
- If your computer screen flickers or fades, or you detect a burning smell, power down and immediately contact the building engineer. If you work from home, have a licensed electrician conduct an electrical inspection.
Labels: Electrical Hazards, workplace safety
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Monday, April 23, 2007
NIOSH Publications on Electrical Safety & Electrocutions
NIOSH Electrical Safety Publications
"Electrical current exposes workers to a serious, widespread occupational hazard; practically all members of the workforce are exposed to electrical energy during the performance of their daily duties, and electrocutions occur to workers in various job categories. Many workers are unaware of the potential electrical hazards present in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to the danger of electrocution."
"Electrical injuries consist of four main types: electrocution (fatal), electric shock, burns, and falls caused as a result of contact with electrical energy."
The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) makes a variety of electrical safety publications available for downloading from their web site. These include:
Electrical Safety: Safety and Health for Electrical Trades -- Student Manual
Worker Deaths by Electrocution: A Summary of Surveillance Findings and Investigative Case Reports
NIOSH Alert: Request for Preventing Worker Deaths from Uncontrolled Release of Electrical, Mechanical, and Other Types of Hazardous Energy -- This Alert describes five fatal incidents in which workers contacted uncontrolled hazardous energy during installation, maintenance, service, or repair work. To prevent such deaths, the recommendations in this Alert should be followed by every employer, manager, supervisor, and worker who installs, maintains, services, or repairs machines, equipment, processes, or systems.
NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions of Crane Operators and Crew Members Working Near Overhead Power Lines (Available in English and Spanish) -- This Alert describes five cases (six electrocutions) that resulted from the hazards of operating cranes near overhead power lines and makes recommendations for preventing similar incidents. The Alert updates a previous NIOSH Alert published in July 1985 [NIOSH 1985].
Plus there are about a dozen other NIOSH electrical safety publications available on this web page.
"Electrical current exposes workers to a serious, widespread occupational hazard; practically all members of the workforce are exposed to electrical energy during the performance of their daily duties, and electrocutions occur to workers in various job categories. Many workers are unaware of the potential electrical hazards present in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to the danger of electrocution."
"Electrical injuries consist of four main types: electrocution (fatal), electric shock, burns, and falls caused as a result of contact with electrical energy."
The National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) makes a variety of electrical safety publications available for downloading from their web site. These include:
Electrical Safety: Safety and Health for Electrical Trades -- Student Manual
Worker Deaths by Electrocution: A Summary of Surveillance Findings and Investigative Case Reports
NIOSH Alert: Request for Preventing Worker Deaths from Uncontrolled Release of Electrical, Mechanical, and Other Types of Hazardous Energy -- This Alert describes five fatal incidents in which workers contacted uncontrolled hazardous energy during installation, maintenance, service, or repair work. To prevent such deaths, the recommendations in this Alert should be followed by every employer, manager, supervisor, and worker who installs, maintains, services, or repairs machines, equipment, processes, or systems.
NIOSH Alert: Request for Assistance in Preventing Electrocutions of Crane Operators and Crew Members Working Near Overhead Power Lines (Available in English and Spanish) -- This Alert describes five cases (six electrocutions) that resulted from the hazards of operating cranes near overhead power lines and makes recommendations for preventing similar incidents. The Alert updates a previous NIOSH Alert published in July 1985 [NIOSH 1985].
Plus there are about a dozen other NIOSH electrical safety publications available on this web page.
Labels: Electrical Hazards
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