10 Fireworks Safety Tips

It wouldn't feel like the 4th of July without a good fireworks show. But if you're not going to a professional show and instead are planning on firing them off from your own backyard, know this: they are incredibly dangerous. In 2016 alone, there were at least four deaths and 11,100 injuries from fireworks-related incidents, with over 30 percent of injuries involving children, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Because fireworks hold such a high risk for serious burns, fires, and eye injuries, many organizations, such as the National Safety Council and the National Fire Protection Association, recommend people avoid consumer fireworks entirely and enjoy public displays put on by professionals. But if you insist on lighting them yourself, commit these safety tips to memory so you can prevent yourself, family members, and friends from getting hurt.

🎇 Never let children handle fireworks, even just sparklers. Sparklers burn hot enough to melt some metals—imagine what they could do to a kid's hands. Keep a close eye on children at any events where people are lighting fireworks.

🎇 Don't buy fireworks packaged in brown paper. These are usually meant to be handled by trained professionals.

🎇 Never re-light a "dud" firework. Wait at least 20 minutes before handling it, then soak it in a bucket of water. Keep buckets of water or a hose nearby at all times.

🎇 Avoid alcohol while handling fireworks. It's just an accident waiting to happen, so save the booze for afterward.

🎇 Fully read the caution labels and instructions for every firework you buy. It should go without saying, but here's a friendly reminder.

🎇 Wear safety glasses when shooting fireworks. Bottle rockets are notorious for shooting into people's eyes, so keep them covered whenever possible.

🎇 Light fireworks in an open, clear area away from cars and buildings. Try to minimize contact with things that could catch fire.

🎇 Keep pets inside. You may want your pup to join in on the fun, but most animals become extremely frightened by the loud noises and burning smells of fireworks and are likely to run away if they're not kept safely inside.

🎇 Stay far away from M-class fireworks, like M-80s or M-100s. These illegal explosives are extremely unpredictable and dangerous, and you should report them to the fire or police department or call the toll-free hotline 1-888-283-2662 if you see them.

🎇 When you're done, douse all firework devices with water. You don't want a trash fire on your hands.

If you experience a large burn or any injury to the eyes from fireworks, seek medical attention immediately, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine. Don't apply ointment, take pain meds, or attempt to remove any objects from the eye before going to the hospital, and try not to rub or rinse your eyes either.

This information was provided by: prevention.com

Work Safely on Powered Platforms

Overview
Performing maintenance work while using a powered platform presents special hazards. One type of hazard is walking and working surfaces where the potential for falls exists.
Maintaining a safe work atmosphere on a powered platform involves proper inspection and maintenance, as well as a thorough understanding of emergency procedures.

How can I protect myself?
Follow the manufacture’s guidelines when operating and using a powered platform. Some basic rules to follow for any type of powered platform include the following:
• Do not exceed the load rating for the powered platform in use. (The load rating is found on the platform load rating plate).
• Clear platforms of ice, snow, and other slippery materials.
• Protect the platform, its components, wire ropes, and lifelines from damage.
• Do not use the platform in winds exceeding 25 miles per hour.
• Use the mounted anemometer to measure wind velocities during the use of the platform.
• Keep the platform free of debris, unused tools, and materials.

Inspection
To ensure the proper operation of a powered platform, competent persons must inspect it at regular intervals. Inspections of a powered platform consist of the following:
• Checking the platform and its components for visual defects in a daily inspection before use.
• Inspecting the building supporting structures for the powered platform on a yearly basis.
• Inspecting all parts of the powered platform according to manufacturer’s guidelines at least yearly.
• Inspecting and testing the governors and secondary brakes according to manufacturer’s guidelines at least yearly.
• Inspecting all suspension wire ropes visually after each use and after each incident that might affect the rope’s integrity.
• Examining all ropes that have not been in service for more than 30 days.

Use a personal fall arrest system
Another factor in safe powered platform work is the use of personal fall arrest systems. A personal fall arrest system limits the fall of a worker from the platform. The personal fall arrest system consists of a full body harness, lanyard, rope grabs, lifeline, lifeline anchorage points, and riggings.
When using a personal fall arrest system, you should know and understand the following items:
• Application limits.
• Proper anchoring and tie-off techniques.
• Deceleration distance.
• Elongation distance.
• Damage.
• Other deterioration.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Recognize the Warning Signs

Overview
In an effort to decrease the number of accidents and injuries in the workplace, OSHA developed two standards on safety color-coding and specifications for accident prevention signs and tags. A sign refers to a surface on prepared for the warning of, or safety instructions of, industrial workers or members of the public who may be exposed to hazards. The information is located in 29 CFR 1910.144 and 1910.145.

What must I know?
There are a few different means of designating signs and tags. Color and shape work well for the purpose of communicating required information. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has developed the following color scheme:

Safety colors:
- Red - Fire, danger, or stop
- Orange - Warning
- Yellow - Caution
- Green - Safety
- Blue - Notice

Shapes:
- Triangle - Hazard alerts
- Circle - Mandatory actions
- Square/rectangle - Information
- Circle with slash - Prohibited activity

According to the National Electrical Manufacturer’s Association/American National Standards Institute (NEMA/ANSI), the lettering must be in upper case block letter, and large enough that a person with normal vision can read it. The labels on piping also play a vital role in informing employees and emergency personnel what is contained in the pipes in your workplace. These labels are color-coded and include the substance name.

Labels on piping:
- Yellow - Flammable
- Green - Liquid, non-flammable
- Blue - Gaseous
- Red - Fire quenching material

Adequate lighting should be available for signs so that the message is readable. Your employer strives to maintain the safest workplace possible, and the communication of hazards plays an important role. Knowing the difference between red and green may sound simple, but it could save a life.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Excavation Overview Handout

Trench cave-ins can be prevented. Yet every year there are an estimated 75 to 200 deaths and more than 1,000 lost work days per year from trenching accidents.
What does the competent person look for?
According to OSHA, your company competent person must inspect all excavations each day for evidence of a situation that could result in:
• possible cave-ins.
• indications of failure of protective systems.
• hazardous atmospheres.
• other hazardous conditions.
However, if you work in trenches/excavations you should know much of the same information your competent person does. Why? A sudden change could mean disaster for you and fellow workers.

What are unsafe conditions?
Some of the things that could cause an immediate change at an excavation site are:
• A bulldozer or excavator coming too close to your trench could cause a surcharge (overloading) and stress cracks at or near the edge of the trench.
• A sudden downpour could fill the trench or cause rain-soaked soil to give way.
• Accidently striking an underground utility line with a tool could present an immediate electrocution or hazardous atmosphere hazard.
These are just a few of the sudden incidents that need immediate attention and decision-making. That’s why the OSHA rules require your company to train you in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions, the regulations applicable to your work environment, and to control or eliminate any hazards or other exposure to illness or injury.

What does OSHA's regulation cover?
OSHA’s excavation rules apply to all open excavations made in the earth’s surface including trenches. The regulation is in the construction standards at §1926.650-.652 and covers:

Scope and application—The rule applies to all open excavations made in the earth’s surface. Excavations are defined to include trenches.

Specific excavation requirements—to include surface hazards, underground utilities, getting in and out of the excavation, traffic hazards, hazardous atmospheres, emergency rescue, inspections, and fall protection.

Requirements for protective systems—The rule says each employee in an excavation must be protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system designed in accordance with the OSHA regulations for:
• sloping and benching systems, or
• support, shield, and other protective systems.

Exceptions would be when:
• Excavations are made entirely in stable rock; or
• Excavations are less than five feet deep and examination of the ground by a competent person provides no indication of a potential cave-in.
• Excavations are one of the most dangerous places in construction work. Your knowledge of the hazards and a constant vigil could make a life or death difference.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Muddy Conditions

With the change from summer to fall usually means the change from dry ground to muddy conditions. Slip and fall accidents are much more likely to happen during these times. Unfortunately we are unable to control the weather, so we must adapt to conditions daily. Simple steps taken can be the difference in preventing an accident.

1. Keep boots free of mud. Employee should clean boots of mud once they reach the house or unit they are to work in. This may have to be done every time you leave and return. No employee should access top plates or roofs if their boots are muddy.

2. Keep ladders free of mud. If you are using a ladder in mud, tracking mud up the rungs of the ladders creates a very slippery and dangerous condition. Employees should use the bottom rung to scrap mud from there boots. If mud does accumulate, you may need to take a rag or towel and clean the rungs.

3. Walk in areas were stone driveways/paths have been provided. If a stone path is not provided, you may want to use some plywood or planks to create a walkway to the work area.

4. Store material/lumber close to the house to minimize having to walk in the mud to reach piles or stacks.

5. Move slowly – don’t be in a rush. Carrying material or equipment through mud could cause you to slip. Several strains and sprains have been cause as the result of a slip.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Medical and First Aid

First aid supplies and other medical services must be available at your jobsite. The minimum OSHA requirements are:

·             Medical personnel must be available for advice on occupational health matters.

·             Prior to the start of a project, provisions must be made for prompt medical attention in case of serious injury.

·             An infirmary, clinic, hospital, or physician must be nearby, or someone trained in first aid must be available at the worksite.

·             First aid supplies must be easy to get to.

·             Having available means to transport an injured person to a physician or hospital.

·             If 911 service is not available, the posting of emergency numbers for physicians, hospitals, and ambulances.

On-site medical treatment—The construction rules for medical services and first aid say that prior to starting a project, provisions must be made for prompt medical attention in case of serious injury. This means that when an injury or illness occurs, maximum response time is fifteen minutes. This is currently recognized by OSHA as appropriate for most cases.

However, conditions at each workplace must be looked at when the first aid program is developed. This is to ensure that fifteen minutes is adequate to meet all needs. Where a medical facility is near the workplace, OSHA rules require your employer to ensure the following:

·             In areas where accidents resulting in suffocation, severe bleeding or other life threatening injury or illness can be expected, a three to four minute response time is required.

·             In other circumstances, for instance where a life-threatening injury is an unlikely outcome of an accident, a longer response time of up to fifteen minutes is acceptable.

·             If you work in areas where emergency transportation is not available, your company must provide acceptable transportation. If arrangements cannot be made to provide emergency medical service within an appropriate time frame, then a trained first aid person must be available for each shift.

Eyewash/drenching stations—Where you may be exposed to injurious corrosive materials, suitable eyewash/drenching stations must be available at your jobsite.

You need to review your company’s Emergency Action Plan for first aid and medical services. It should outline everything you need to know to get help during a medical emergency.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency

Spill Cleanup - Tool Box Safety Talks

Because of the seriousness of the safety and health hazards related to hazardous waste operations, spill cleanup and emergency response requires that you have a thorough understanding of:
• How to recognize and prevent hazards.
• Select, care for, and use respirators properly, as well as other types of PPE.
• Use proper decontamination procedures.
• Understand the emergency response plan, medical surveillance requirements, confined space entry procedures, spill containment program, and any appropriate work practices.

Required training
If you are responsible for spill cleanup and emergency response, you must be:
• Adequately trained for the intended duties.
• Properly equipped for the intended task.
• Capable of responding to the release in a safe manner.
• Managed by competent leaders.
• Understand the emergency response plan, medical surveillance requirements, confined space entry procedures, spill containment program, and any appropriate work practices.

What must I do?
You must know the names or titles of those employees who are responsible for site safety and health.

This information is provided by: Assurance Agency