Electrical Safety- Extension Cords

 

 

Extension cords are one of the most misused pieces of electrical equipment. When exposed to “normal” construction use, extension cords can experience rapid deterioration. When you subject the cord to additional misuse, such as removing the ability to ground the cord, the cord can be a ticket to the emergency room or even the morgue.

3-prong connectors
One of the most common tricks to get extension cords to work faster is to remove the third prong from a 3-prong connector. Removing this third prong can result in electrocution because the path to ground is now lost.

Repairing extension cords with electrical tape
Another common mistake is to use electrical tape to repair extension cords. OSHA doesn’t recommend it for a couple reasons: If the tape is applied too thickly if could change the cord’s original flexibility and lead to internal damage: also, the depth of the abrasions and cuts cannot be monitored to see if they get worse (unless of course you remove the tape).

Hard or Extra Hard Service cords
OSHA often cites construction companies because they fail to use extension cords that are rated correctly. For instance, a two wire ribbon type cord is not designed for hard usage. OSHA requires that construction extension cords must be either Hard or Extra Hard Service cords. Hard Service or Extra Hard Service cords are marked with one of the following designations: S, ST, SO, STO, SJ, SJO, SJT, and SJTO.

Strain relief
Another common citation OSHA issues deals with the lack of strain relief on extension cords. The plug area of an extension cord is one of the weakest areas of the cord. When devices or fittings designed to relieve cord strain are not used, insulation tends to pull back and expose conductors.
What you can do to prevent accidents when using extension cords
• Visually inspect all electrical equipment prior to use. Any defects such as frayed cords, missing ground prongs, etc., should be corrected by taking the tool out-of-service.
• Frequently inspect electrical systems to insure the path to ground is continuous. Continually audit extension cords at your jobsite. Take any cords that are not Hard or Extra Hard out-of-service immediately.
• Use only cords that are equipped with strain relief.
• Remove cords from receptacles by pulling on the plug, not the cord.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.agencyassurance.com

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs)

 

Overview
Nearly 350,000 people die of sudden cardiac arrest each year. Currently, the chances of surviving sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) without the aid of an automatic external defibrillator (AED) are one in twenty. However, with an AED, chances of survival improve to one in three. The use of AEDs could save 100,000 lives per year!

What is SCA?
The heart normally has a rhythmic beat which causes the blood to move in a consistent, predictable way. When someone has an SCA event, the heart begins to pump irregularly and ineffectively. This is called ventricular fibrillation (VF). VF is not to be confused with the heart attack where blood flow to the heart muscle is blocked. With VF, the blood stops circulating adequately, breathing stops, and eventually the victim will die.

Another SCA event is ventricular tachycardia (VT), when the heart muscles start to “quiver” instead of working together to push blood through the system.

CPR alone does not replace defibrillation in an SCA incident. CPR can only assist the victim for a short time until medical help arrives. However, medical assistance can be many minutes away. According to the American Heart Association, the chances of survival decrease 10 percent with each passing minute that the heart beat is not returned to normal. Very few people have survived SCA after 10 minutes with no medical
treatment.

Unfortunately, we don’t know why SCAs occur, nor how to prevent them. We do know, however, how to fix them if they occur—AEDs.

What is an AED?
You’ve seen full-sized defibrillators on television. When the doctor shouts “Clear” and shocks the victim, they are using a defibrillator. The AED works the same—it shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm to restore a pulse.

Manufacturers have developed lighter, smaller, battery-operated, computer-controlled models which nearly anyone can use.

Signs and symptoms of SCA
Symptoms of SCA are very sudden and dramatic. Typically, the victim will collapse, and show no sign of a pulse. At this point, emergency medical help must be summoned, and the AED used.

The victim’s chest is bared, all visible jewelry or medicine patches are removed, and the electrode pads are attached.

Once the electrical pads are attached, the AED is turned on. Many AEDs will prompt the operator through the necessary steps to use it. If the AED does not sense a shockable event, no shock is given. Others will function automatically, applying a shock to the victim after sounding a warning alarm.

Laws and liability
In May 2000, Congress passed the Cardiac Arrest Survival Act to establish a national standard that provides Good Samaritan immunity for cardiac arrest care providers, trainers, and owners of property where AEDs are kept.

A legal trend is starting to appear which suggests that failing to provide AEDs to respond to an SCA incident may be deemed as negligent.

Training Tips
Review the employee handout, and the user’s guide which comes with the AED. Point out the location of AEDs in your facility.

Review with the employees the signs and symptoms of sudden cardiac arrest and heart attack. Explain that in either case, early contact with emergency medical personnel is critical.

Explain how to summon emergency medical help, and the identities of the emergency medical responders at your facility. Explain to the participants how the company trains first aid responders to use the AEDs.

Where To Go For More Information
29 CFR 1910.151—First Aid.
OSHA CPL 2-2.53—Guidelines for first aid programs.
AED User’s Guide
Cardiac Arrest Survival Act (CASA)
Airline Passenger Safety Act
Applicable state regulations

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.agencyassurance.com

Chemical Protective Clothing

 

Overview
Your employer provides you with personal protective equipment (PPE) to help protect you from workplace hazards. Here are some things to check before you wear your PPE to perform a job. Whatever your employer requires as far as care of PPE is concerned, be sure that your PPE is functioning properly and that you wear it as designed so that it affords the protection you need to do your job safely.

Before donning PPE
Before you use protective clothing:
• Determine that the clothing material is correct for the specified task at hand.
• Visually inspect for imperfect seams, nonuniform coatings, tears, and malfunctioning closures.
• Hold up to the light and check for pinholes.

If the product has been used previously, inspect inside and out for signs of chemical attack:
• Discoloration.
• Swelling.
• Stiffness.

What must I do?
While using protective clothing, periodically check for:
• Evidence of chemical attack such as discoloration, swelling, stiffening, and softening (keep in mind, however, that chemical permeation can occur without any visible effects).
• Closure failure.
• Tears.
• Punctures.
• Ripped seams.

Before you use gloves:
• Determine that the glove material is correct for the specified task at hand.
• Pressurize glove to check for pinholes. Either blow into glove, then roll towards fingers or inflate glove and hold under water. In either case, no air should escape.

Before you wear fully encapsulating suits:
• Determine that the suit material is correct for the specified task at hand.
• Check the operation of pressure relief valves.
• Inspect the fitting of wrists, ankles, and neck.
• Check faceshield, if so equipped for cracks, crazing, fogginess.

PPE maintenance
Always be sure to follow company policy for cleaning, decontamination, and maintenance of protective clothing. Your employer may have decided that with appropriate training, each person who wears chemical protective clothing can perform these tasks him- or herself. But some decontamination and repair tasks may require special equipment or expertise and must be done by someone else or at a different location.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.agencyassurance.com

Hazards of Asbestos

 

Overview
Asbestos is a fiber or filament that is used in clothing, automotive parts, and building materials. It may have a fluffy appearance. When mixed, it can be found in forms such as Chrysotile, Amosite, Crocidolite, Tremolite, Anthophyllite, and Actinolite.

Where can asbestos be found?
Asbestos is found in installed products such as shingles, floor tiles, cement pipe and sheet, roofing felts, insulation, ceiling tiles, fire-resistant drywall, and acoustical products. Very few asbestos-containing products are currently being installed. Consequently, most worker exposures occur during the removal of asbestos and the renovation and maintenance of buildings and structures containing asbestos.

Asbestos Symptoms
Should exposure occur, asbestos symptoms may not surface for many years. Acute exposure can cause shortness of breath, chest or abdominal pain, or irritation of the skin and mucous membranes. Chronic exposure can cause breathing difficulty, dry cough, broadening and thickening of the ends of the fingers, and bluish discoloration of the skin and mucous membranes.

How can it hurt me?
Asbestos fibers enter the body by the inhalation or ingestion of airborne particles that become embedded in the tissues of the respiratory or digestive systems. The long-term effects associated with asbestos include:

• Asbestosis (an emphysema-like condition).
• Lung cancer.
• Mesothelioma (a cancerous tumor that spreads rapidly in the cells of membranes covering the lungs and body organs).
• Gastrointestinal cancer.
• The symptoms of these diseases generally do not appear for 20 or more years after initial exposure.

How can I protect myself?
There are several methods of controlling exposure to asbestos.

Personal protective equipment - Only respirators that have been approved by NIOSH can be worn.
Protective clothing, such as full bodysuits, gloves, and footwear, must be worn when asbestos fiber concentrations exceed the permissible exposure limit. Contaminated clothing shall be placed and stored in closed containers that prevent dispersion of the asbestos outside the container.

Signs - Listed below is the wording for an asbestos warning:
DANGER
ASBESTOS
CANCER AND LUNG DISEASE
HAZARD AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL ONLY
RESPIRATORS AND PROTECTIVE CLOTHING ARE REQUIRED IN THIS AREA

Are state and local government employees protected?
EPA has recently amended the Asbestos Worker Protection Rule and the Asbestos-in-Schools Rule to protect state and local government employees from the health risks of exposure to asbestos. State and local government employees who are performing construction work, custodial work, and automotive brake and clutch repair work are now protected to the same extent as private-sector employees. The Asbestos-in Schools Rule amendments provide coverage for employees of local public education agencies who perform operations, maintenance, and repair activities.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.agencyassurance.com

Safe Response to Bloodborne Pathogens

 

Overview
If you are a health professional, a designated first responder, or first aid provider in your company, or if you are involved in maintenance or housekeeping work that could potentially expose you to bloodborne pathogens, you need to know how to protect yourself from potentially infectious material.

What are Bloodborne Pathogens?
Bloodborne pathogens are microorganisms in human blood that can cause disease in humans. Examples are hepatitis B virus (HBV), human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), malaria, syphilis, and brucellosis.

Bloodborne Pathogens and Needlesticks
OSHA has revised its Bloodborne Pathogens standard to clarify the need for employers to select safer needle devices as they become available and to involve employees in identifying and choosing the devices. Employers have to establish a log to track needlestick injuries.

Engineering and Work Practice Controls
Your company strives to reduce the risk of infection to employees who, in order to perform their jobs, may be reasonably anticipated to come into contact with blood and other potentially infectious materials. The risks can be reduced by following good work practices. Universal Precautions is an approach to infection control where all human blood and certain human body fluids are treated as if they were known to be infectious for bloodborne pathogens.

Follow these precautions when working with human blood and other potentially infectious materials (OPIMs):
• Wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Dispose of sharps properly.
• Properly label and enclose any material contaminated with blood or OPIMs in leakproof red bags or containers.
• Wash your hands after handling contaminated material (even though you were wearing PPE).
• Report any exposure incident to your employer. An exposure incident is any specific eye, mouth, other mucous membrane, non-intact skin, or parenteral contact with blood or OPIM resulting from the performance of an employee's duties.

Hepatitis B Vaccination
Hepatitis B is the greatest bloodborne pathogen risk. Your employer offers you the hepatitis B vaccination series when your job duties could expose you to blood or certain body fluids. If you initially refuse the vaccination, you must sign a declination form, but you can request to be vaccinated later.

This information is provided by Assurance Agency https:www.agencyassurance.com