Confined Space Overview

Overview
A permit-required confined space is a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics:
• contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere;
• contains a material that has the potential for engulfing an entrant;
• has an internal configuration such that an entrant could be trapped or asphyxiated by inwardly converging walls or by a floor which slopes downward and tapers to a smaller crossection; or
• contains any other recognized serious safety or health hazard.

The Confined Space Program
Your employer has a permit-required confined space program which is designed to prevent accidents. Each permit-required confined space is marked with signs or other warnings.

What must I do?
Before entering into a permit space, you must obtain an entry permit from the entry supervisor. The entry supervisor will determine if acceptable entry conditions are present.

Before entering into a permit-required confined space:
• you must have been trained by your employer, and informed of the potential hazards that exist in the permit space, and be aware of the mode, signs and symptoms, and consequences of being exposed.
• you should know what personal protective equipment is needed, and how to properly use it.
• you should know how to summon rescue and emergency services.
• you must understand the duties of the attendant and how to communicate with the attendant.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Emergency Response Plan

Overview
Proper emergency planning and response are important elements of the safety and health program that helps minimize employee exposure and injury. The standard requires that the employer develop and implement a written emergency response plan to handle possible emergencies before performing hazardous waste operations.

What must be in the plan?
The plan must include the following elements:
• personnel roles, lines of authority, and communication procedures,
• pre-emergency planning,
• emergency recognition and prevention,
• emergency medical and first-aid treatment,
• methods or procedures for alerting onsite workers,
• safe distances and places of refuge,
• Site security and control,
• Decontamination procedures,
• Critique of response and follow-up,
• Personal protective and emergency equipment, and
• Evacuation routes and procedures.

What must I do?
Each employee who has the potential to be exposed to a hazardous substance release should know:
• What hazards are present in the workplace.
• How to obtain a written copy of the emergency planning and response plan.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency http://www.assuranceagency.com

January 1, cannabis is legal in Illinois.

Register for this event:  http://rcecusa.org/register.html
 

Floor / Wall Openings

In the construction industry falls are the leading cause of worker fatalities. When working around floor and wall openings, you must be careful that you don’t fall through. You can be injured or killed if you step into a hole or opening, or are hit by objects falling through.

Definitions
• Guardrail system means a barrier erected to prevent employees from falling to lower levels.
• Hole is a gap or void 2 inches or more in its least dimension, in a floor, roof, or other walking/working surface.
• Opening is a gap or void 30 inches or more high and 18 inches or more wide, in a wall or partition, through which employees can fall to a lower level.

What you need to know
If you are working on a surface or floor that has holes or openings and that surface is more than six feet above a lower level, you must be protected from:
• Falling through holes (including skylights) by personal fall arrest systems, covers, or guardrail systems erected around the holes;
• Tripping in or stepping into or through holes by covers; and
• Objects falling through holes by covers.

Covers and safety How can you tell a cover from a sheet of plywood laying on the floor?
• Covers must be secured when installed to prevent accidental displacement by the wind, equipment, or employees. If the cover material is secured to the floor it may be there for a reason so don’t remove it.
• All covers must be color-coded or marked with the word “HOLE” or “COVER” to provide warning of the hazard. This should be a good indication that the material is a cover.

What if you are going to work in an opening that has a cover secured over it?
• Never remove a cover until you are ready to work in the hole or opening.
• Use personal fall arrest systems when working in the hole or opening.
• After you are finished working in the opening your employer must either replace and secure the cover or erect guardrails around the hole.

What if you are moving or disposing of material through a wall opening to a lower level?
If you are working on, at, above, or near wall openings (including those with chutes attached) you must use a guardrail system, a safety net system, or a personal fall arrest system, when:
• the outside bottom edge of the wall opening is six-feet or more above lower levels; and
• the inside bottom edge of the wall opening is less than 39 inches above the walking/working surface.
• OSHA recognizes that accidents involving falls are generally complex events frequently involving a variety of factors. By following the requirements in this handout, you can avoid falling through floor and wall openings.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency  http://www.assuranceagency.com

Drive Safely

Overview

Forklifts are one type of powered industrial truck. Others include platform lift trucks, motorized hand trucks, tractors, and other trucks that are powered by an electric motor or internal bustion engine. Improper handling or misuse of forklifts often causes injuries.

OSHA requires operators to be trained. Before operating a forklift, you should understand the basic operating and loading rules, basic rules for safe travel, truck-related and workplace-related information, and how to perform a safety check.

Basic Operating and Loading Rules
Accidents can be avoided if basic powered industrial truck operating and loading rules are followed. Some of these rules are:

- Do not allow anyone to stand or pass under raised forks, whether loaded or empty.

- Only stable or safely arranged loads can be handled.

- Only loads that are within the truck’s rated capacity can be handled. (When you are using an
attachment to handle a load, keep the load within the attachment’s rated capacity.)

- When lifting a load, place the forks (or other load engaging means) under the load as far as possible. Then, carefully tilt the mast backwards slightly to stabilize the load.

- Never tilt the load forward unless you are depositing it.

- Trucks need to have an overhead guard to protect the operator from the impact of falling packages, boxes, etc. (the guard does not need to withstand the impact of a falling capacity load). A backrest extension is needed when the load could fall rearward.

- Only safety platforms can be used to lift people.

- If the forklift needs to be used in a hazardous (classified) location, it must be approved for the hazard.

- When you get off of the forklift temporarily, and remain within 25 feet of it (and the forklift remains in your view), lower the forks, put the controls in neutral, and set the brakes. Block the wheels if the truck is on an incline. If you will be leaving the forklift 25 or more feet away (or anytime it will be out of your view), shut it off.

- When you park the forklift, make sure access to fire aisles, stairways, and fire equipment is kept clear.

Basic Rules for Safe Travel
Most accidents happen while the truck is traveling. Follow these rules to travel safely:

- Watch where you are going. Drive in reverse with the load trailing if the load obstructs your view. Keep a clear view of your path, and look in the direction you are traveling.

- Never drive up to anyone standing in front of a bench or other fixed object.

- Allow no riders. (If riders are authorized, the truck must provide them with a safe place to ride.)

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency http://www.assuranceagency.com