Category: Safety

Stay Safe Around Natural Gas

natgasexplosion4If you suspect a natural gas leak: Leave the area immediately and go to a safe location.

Do not try to locate the source of the leak.

Do not do anything that could cause a spark and ignite the gas:

  • Do not use electrical devices, such as light switches, telephones, or garage door openers
  • Do not use an open flame, matches or lighters
  • Do not start vehicles parked in the area

Do not try to shut off any natural gas valves.

From a safe location, call your Energy Company.

Do not re-enter the building or return to the area until an Energy Company employee says it’s safe.

Signs of Natural Gas Leak

  • “Rotten egg” smell
  • Dead or discolored vegetation in an otherwise green area
  • Dirt or dust blowing from a hole in the ground
  • Bubbling in wet or flooded areas
  • Blowing or hissing sound
  • Flames, if a leak has ignited
  • Gas in transmission pipelines does not have odorant added, so signs of a pipeline leak may include all of the above except the rotten egg odor.

via Natural Gas | Consumers Energy.

Safety and Health Management Systems

Safety Puzzle Showing Company SecurityWhat is a Safety and Health Program and where does it fit into my management system?

If your team wants to reduce accidents, injuries, illnesses, and their related costs, everyone must place as much emphasis on safety and health issues as they place on other core management issues, such as production, sales, and quality control. To be most effective, safety and health must be balanced with, and incorporated into, the other core business processes.

“Safety First” may sound good, but in reality, safety should not be considered separately. Rather, it must become a basic value of your company. Change “Safety First” to “Safe production is our only standard.” This emphasizes the idea that it’s fine to produce as hard and as fast as possible, as long as it can be done safely.

via Safety and Health Management Systems eTool | Module 2 – Management System + Safety and Health Integration.

Tree Stand Safety Tips

outdoorfall_4420531_ver1.0_640_480Bowhunting can be fun but also cause severe injury and even death from falls while using tree stands. The National Bowhunter Education Foundation recommends the following safety tips to reduce the risk of hunting from elevated tree stands:

  • Practice with your stand at ground level, gradually going higher. Several Conservation Department shooting ranges and outdoor education centers have practice poles for free public use.
  • Know the proper procedure for securing the stand to a tree and how to use the stand properly.
  • Read the manufacturer’s warnings and instructions before each season.
  • Use only stands that meet standards of the Treestand Manufacturer’s Association (TMA) rated for your weight and all gear or equipment you wear or have with you on the stand.
  • Always use a fall arrest system that meets TMA standards, which includes a full-body harness rated for your weight and any gear you wear or attach to yourself.
  • Have your fall arrest system attached to the tree from the moment you leave the ground, throughout the hunt and when you descend to the ground.
  • Always position yourself so that you step down onto your tree stand to test its stability.
  • Always use a haul line to raise and lower your gear, including unloaded firearms, bows and arrows.

via Tree Stand Safety | Missouri Department of Conservation.

Firearms Safety | 10 Rules of Safe Gun Handling

instructor_showing_safetyFirearms Safety — 10 Rules of Safe Gun Handling

1. Always Keep The Muzzle Pointed In A Safe Direction

2. Firearms Should Be Unloaded When Not Actually In Use

3. Don’t Rely On Your Gun’s “Safety”

4. Be Sure Of Your Target And What’s Beyond It

5. Use Correct Ammunition

6. If Your Gun Fails To Fire When The Trigger Is Pulled, Handle With Care!

7. Always Wear Eye And Ear Protection When Shooting

8. Be Sure The Barrel Is Clear Of Obstructions Before Shooting

9. Don’t Alter Or Modify Your Gun, And Have Guns Serviced Regularly

10. Learn The Mechanical And Handling Characteristics Of The Firearm You Are Using

via Firearms Safety | 10 Rules of Safe Gun Handling.

Fall Protection

Fall_ProWhy is fall protection important?

Falls are among the most common causes of serious work related injuries and deaths. Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls.

What can be done to reduce falls?

Employers must set up the work place to prevent employees from falling off of overhead platforms, elevated work stations or into holes in the floor and walls. OSHA requires that fall protection be provided at elevations of four feet in general industry workplaces, five feet in shipyards, six feet in the construction industry and eight feet in longshoring operations. In addition, OSHA requires that fall protection be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery, regardless of the fall distance.

To prevent employees from being injured from falls, employers must:

  • Guard every floor hole into which a worker can accidentally walk (using a railing and toe-board or a floor hole cover).
  • Provide a guard rail and toe-board around every elevated open sided platform, floor or runway.
  • Regardless of height, if a worker can fall into or onto dangerous machines or equipment (such as a vat or acid or a conveyor belt) employers must provide guardrails and toe-boards to prevent workers from falling and getting injured.
  • Other means of fall protection that may be required on certain jobs include safety and harness and line, safety nets, stair railings and hand rails.

OSHA requires employers to:

  • Provide working conditions that are free of known dangers.
  • Keep floors in work areas in a clean and, so far as possible, a dry condition.
  • Select and provide required personal protective equipment at no cost to workers.
  • Train workers about job hazards in a language that they can understand.

via Safety and Health Topics | Fall Protection.

Carbon Monoxide

CO-decalCarbon monoxide (CO) is a colorless, odorless, and toxic gas, which is predominately produced by incomplete combustion of carbon-containing materials. Incomplete combustion occurs when insufficient oxygen is used in the fuel (hydrocarbon) burning process. Consequently, more carbon monoxide, in preference to carbon dioxide, is emitted. Some examples of this are the following: vehicle exhausts, fuel burning furnaces, coal burning power plants, small gasoline engines, portable gasoline-powered generators, power washers, fire places, charcoal grills, marine engines, forklifts, propane-powered heaters, gas water heaters, and kerosene heaters.

Exposure to carbon monoxide impedes the blood’s ability to carry oxygen to body tissues and vital organs. When carbon monoxide is inhaled, it combines with hemoglobin (an iron-protein component of red blood cells), producing carboxyhemoglobin (COHb), which greatly diminishes hemoglobin’s oxygen-carrying capacity. Hemoglobin’s binding affinity for carbon monoxide is 300 times greater than its affinity for oxygen. As a result, small amounts of carbon monoxide can dramatically reduce hemoglobin’s ability to transport oxygen. Common symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure are headache, nausea, rapid breathing, weakness, exhaustion, dizziness, and confusion. Hypoxia (severe oxygen deficiency) due to acute carbon monoxide poisoning may result in reversible neurological effects, or it may result in long-term (and possibly delayed) irreversible neurological (brain damage) or cardiological (heart damage) effects.

Carbon monoxide exposure can be dangerous during pregnancy for both the mother and the developing fetus. Please contact CDC-INFO (800-232-4636) if you have any questions regarding carbon monoxide exposure during pregnancy.

via CDC – Carbon Monoxide – NIOSH Workplace Safety and Health Topic.

Trenching and Excavation Hazards

walters-bodyCave-ins are perhaps the most feared trenching hazard. But other potentially fatal hazards exist, including asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen in a confined space, inhalation of toxic fumes, drowning, etc. Electrocution or explosions can occur when workers contact underground utilities.

OSHA requires that workers in trenches and excavations be protected, and that safety and health programs address the variety of hazards they face. The following hazards cause the most trenching and excavation injuries:

  • No Protective System
  • Failure to Inspect Trench and Protective Systems
  • Unsafe Spoil-Pile Placement
  • Unsafe Access/Egress

via OSHA Construction eTool: Trenching and Excavation.

Behavioral Safety – Who Is Responsible for Safety?

Safety-Starts-With-MeSafety is everyones responsibility!

As an employee, you should:

  • Learn to work safely and take all rules seriously.
  • Recognize hazards and avoid them.
  • Report all accidents, injuries and illness to your supervisor immediately.
  • Inspect tools before use to avoid injury.
  • Wear all assigned personal protective equipment.

On the other hand, it is managements responsibility to:

  • Provide a safe and healthy workplace.
  • Provide personal protective equipment.
  • Train employees in safe procedures and in how to identify hazards.

Everyone must be aware of potential hazards on the job:

  • Poor housekeeping results in slips, trips and falls.
  • Electricity can cause shocks, burns or fire if not handled properly.
  • Poor material handling may cause back problems or other injuries.
  • Tools and equipment can cause injuries if guards or protective devices are disengaged.

Always use the protections that are provided on the job:

  • Guards on machines and tools keep body parts from contacting moving equipment.
  • Insulation on electrical equipment prevents burns, shock and fire.
  • Lockout/tagout assures equipment is de-energized before it is repaired.
  • Personal protective equipment shields your body from hazards you may face on the job.

In case of emergency:

  • Understand alarms and evacuation routes.
  • Know how to notify emergency response personnel.
  • Implement a procedure for leaving the scene safely so emergency personnel can do their job.
  • Wipe up spills promptly and correctly.

Safety benefits everyone. With fewer injuries, a business can be more productive and profitable. By incorporating safety rules, employees avoid injury as well as illness from exposure to hazardous substances.

via Behavioral Safety – Who Is Responsible for Safety? | Safety Toolbox Talks Meeting Topics.

Watch Out for Children Heading Back to School

6ec6da8049af9e64f77872eefddeWith Labor Day behind us, it’s time for children in Michigan to head back to school. State law requires the new year start after Labor Day.

Law enforcement officials are reminding drivers to watch out for students walking and getting on and off school busses. National statistics show in 2013, two million more drivers passed school bus stop arms than they did in 2011. Experts blame it on distracted driving.

Each year more than 100 students are killed and 25,000 are hurt in accidents getting to or from school, experts say.

When a bus’ yellow lights are flashing, that means drivers should slow down; when the red lights flash, and a stop sign extends from the side of the bus, drivers in both directions are required to stop.

via Drivers urged to slow down as students head back to school.

Emergency Action Plan Required by OSHA

AZJrBrAn emergency action plan (EAP) is a written document required by particular OSHA standards [29 CFR 1910.38(a)]. The purpose of an EAP is to facilitate and organize employer and employee actions during workplace emergencies. Well developed emergency plans and proper employee training (such that employees understand their roles and responsibilities within the plan) will result in fewer and less severe employee injuries and less structural damage to the facility during emergencies. A poorly prepared plan, likely will lead to a disorganized evacuation or emergency response, resulting in confusion, injury, and property damage.

via Evacuation Plans and Procedures eTool | What is an Emergency Action Plan?.