Emergency Eye Washes and Safety Showers

 No one can predict when and where a chemical accident will occur. Therefore, you should be famliar with the location and operation of emergency eye wash facilities and safety showers. These can include eyewash fountains, drench showers, hand-held drench hoses and emergency bottles. Very simply, they all flush affected areas of your body with water.

Before a chemical accident . . .

• Identify chemical hazards: Identify all your work areas and tasks which create potential splash or eye hazards. Be familiar with the chemicals with which you work. Caution: Some chemicals are water-reactive and become toxic or corrosive when mixed with water.

• Know locations: Know the locations of all eye wash and shower facilities.

• Check distances: Your eyes can be damaged very quickly by many contaminants. The first fifteen seconds after the injury is the critical period. Because of this critical time period, the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), suggests that eye washes or showers be within 100 feet or a 10 second walk of the work area (ANSI Z358.1). Avoid placing machines and equipment in the pathway to an eye wash or safety shower.

• Check water delivery: Ask your employer how much water your eye wash stations deliver. Eye washes should supply 0.4 gallons per minute of water for at least 15 minutes. Safety showers should supply 20 gallons per minute for at least 15 minutes. Note: Many portable eye wash stations have a capacity of 5 to 10 gallons for a maximum usefulness of 5 minutes. Squeeze bottles and other plastic containers have even lower water capacities. These eye washes are meant to be supplementary to eye wash stations or showers that provide 15 minutes of flushing.

• Check emergency telephone number: Where 911 is not available, ensure the telephone number of medical help is posted on site telephones.

• Practice: Practice using the eye wash station to become familiar with how it works.

Inspection and maintenance
Eye washes and safety showers should be inspected according to manufacturer instructions. Squeeze bottles also require frequent testing, refilling, and maintenance since they lose water to evaporation, become contaminated, and are easily misplaced.If a chemical splashes into your eye . . .

If a chemical splashes into your eye . . .
1. Quickly flush your eyes with lots of water for at least 15 minutes (for best results, do so at an eye wash station or safety shower).
2. For serious burns (i.e., strong alkalies or acids), flushing should continue for 20 to 30 minutes which requires a considerable amount of water.
3. Try to force the eyes open to wash chemical out.
4. Do not bandage eyes.
5. Seek medical attention.

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

Stay Safe on Portable Ladders TBT

Overview
Your ladder can be a great help on the job. It is uncomplicated and simple to use. But don't be fooled; you shouldn't take ladder safety for granted. As with any other workplace task, care is required on ladders to maintain your safety. The following points serve as guidelines for portable ladder use.

1. Use the ladder only for its intended purpose. Don't use step ladders as single ladders or when partially closed. Likewise, don't climb the back sections of combination ladders, when used as step ladders.

2. Don't use a ladder as a brace, skid, lever, guy or gin pole, gangway, platform, scaffold, plank, material hoist, or any other use for which it was not intended.

3. Don't build makeshift ladders out of chairs, benches, or boxes. If the job calls for a ladder, take the time to find one.

4. Don't set up a ladder on a scaffold to gain extra height.

5. Make sure there's only one person on a ladder at a time.

6. Don't move a ladder while anyone is on it.

7. Check the ladder's condition before climbing. Don't use a ladder with broken or cracked rails or rungs or with rungs made slippery by grease or oil. The ladder should have safety feet and sit on a firm, level surface.

8. Don't use ladders on ice, snow, or other slippery surfaces.

9. Don't place a ladder on boxes or blocks to make it taller.

10. Inspect all ladders for defects before you begin climbing.

11. Face front and use both hands as you climb.

12. Don't overreach from a ladder. If your waist reaches past the uprights, you've gone too far—move the ladder.

13. Set ladders up properly by using the 4 to 1 rule. The distance from the wall to the base of the ladder should be one-fourth the distance from the base of the ladder to where it touches the wall.

14. Set up ladders so that the tops of the rails are supported equally. Avoid supporting the top of the ladder at a window or wall opening, but when you must, attach a support across the back of the ladder that is wider than the window opening.

15. Don't set up a ladder in front of a door, unless the door is locked or kept from opening.

16. Fully open stepladders so that spreaders are locked and the feet are level and firmly supported.

17. Set up extension ladders so that the top section rests on the base section, with the rung locks engaged.

18. Hoist tools or materials up to you after you reach the top of the ladder. You need both hands for climbing.

19. Don't stand on top of a step ladder. Also be careful not to get too close to the top of an extension or straight ladder.

20. Be careful when using ladders around electrical circuits. Keep the ladder from getting too near or hitting any energized circuit or conductor.

21. When you use a ladder to climb onto a roof:
  • Make sure it extends 3 feet above the point of support at the roof line.
  • Tie the ladder down to prevent slipping before climbing up.
  • Take care not to tip the ladder sideways and avoid having the base slide.

Don't forget! Be careful when using portable ladders!

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

Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) TBT

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.

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

Hand Protection - On the job tool box talks

Overview
We all use our hands a great deal without really thinking about it. Because we use our hands so much at work, for a variety of tasks, they can become injured.
To demonstrate the need for effective hand protection, look at the following statistics.
• There are about 500,000 work-related injuries occurring to hands, fingers, and arms each year.
• About one-quarter of all work-related injuries are to the fingers and hands.
• Injuries to fingers and thumbs are second on the list of most injured parts of the body.

Types of hazards
A few of the types of injuries our hands are prone to suffer include:
• Mechanical hazards which cause cuts, punctures, scrapes, or crushing.
• Extreme heat or cold.
• Electrical shock or burns.
• Skin irritation from chemicals or germs.

What must my employer do?
Your employer must assess the workplace to determine what hazards can be eliminated through engineering controls such as machine guards and improved workstation design. If hazards remain after attempting to eliminate hand hazards, then your employer will provide hand protection.
Your employer must train you on the need for and use of PPE for your hands. Training should include:
• Information on when PPE is needed.
• An explanation on what protective hand wear is required, and where to obtain it.
• How to put on, take off, adjust, and wear PPE.
• The limitations of the PPE.
• The proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of the PPE.

What must I do?
For your safety, it is crucial that you understand and follow your company’s procedures for hand protection. If you have any questions regarding how to protect your hands from injury on the job, ask your supervisor.

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

Housekeeping

HOUSEKEEPING – WHAT IS GOOD HOUSEKEEPING?

Overview
OSHA requires that the workplace be kept clean and orderly in order to reduce the chance of accidents.
An uncluttered workplace is essential to worker safety. Industrial housekeeping must also include proper arrangement and storage of materials and goods.
Housekeeping hazards
Poor housekeeping habits can lead to:
• Poor attitudes toward safety.
• Slips, trips, or falls due to slick, wet, or poorly maintained walking and working surfaces.
• Tripping hazards from improperly stored materials in walkways and work areas.
• Falls from holes in walking and working surfaces, uneven flooring, uncovered pits or drains, or falls from boxes or pallets being used as walking or working surfaces.
• Accidents caused by overhanging or protruding materials, poorly stacked pallets, or improperly stored materials.

Benefits of good housekeeping
Industrial housekeeping is more than sweeping the floor and cleaning up the break room. Industrial housekeeping also refers to keeping tools and equipment in order and in their assigned places. The benefits of good housekeeping include:
• Better morale and improved safety culture.
• Reduced chance of fire and accidents.
• Making working easier for everyone.
• Reduction in the amount of cleanup and janitorial work needed.
• Creates a well organized work space.
• Reflecting an image of a professional, well-run workplace.

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

HAZWOPER

You could be exposed to chemical spills or hazardous waste. During excavation operations, for example, many companies have been surprised by the sometimes deadly things they have uncovered. That’s why OSHA created 29 CFR 1926.65, HAZWOPER. Under this rule, your employer can either (1) participate in the handling of emergencies involving hazardous waste or chemical spills, or (2) immediately evacuate workers and call in trained hazardous materials (HazMat) teams.

How can HAZWOPER involve you?
Preparing for accidental chemical releases involves special training. OSHA has set up formal training for emergency responders under HAZWOPER regulations, with training levels ranging from awareness training for first response to technical training for those who solve problems associated with spill cleanup.

What should you do in case of a spill?
Whether it’s a solid or a liquid leak or spill, you can be exposed to toxic dust or vapor without even knowing it. If you are properly trained, act with care and speed. However, if you have not received training, do not respond to a chemical leak or spill. Instead, follow your company’s emergency action plan for reporting leaks and spills and evacuating.

While it is vital to avoid panic, it is equally vital to get people out of harm’s way as quickly as possible. Assess site hazards and act only when you do not endanger yourself. You want to help your fellow employees, but you won’t do that if you become a victim yourself.

Some of the things you can do before help arrives are:
• Determine the potential hazards. (Look at the material safety data sheet.)
• Know about spill equipment and safety personnel.
• Know the exits and escape routes.
• Know the location of fire extinguishers.
• Know first aid and where to get first aid equipment.

Act responsibly in chemical spill emergencies

Safety becomes extremely important when hazardous chemicals are spilled. A mistake here can be deadly. Use the buddy system, whether you’re part of the emergency response team or not. Don’t ever enter a chemical emergency situation alone.

Different chemicals will require different levels of protective clothing or other precautions. Don’t touch spills without protection. Avoid contaminated clothing of injured persons. Certainly, if the chemicals involved aren’t hazardous, respond immediately within your abilities.

Do only those things that you possess adequate training to perform. Check the area for potential hazards such as electrical cords or wires near the spill or obstacles in the path of the emergency response team. Check for injuries and notify emergency medical personnel. Decontaminate victims, if possible. Cooperate with emergency personnel when they arrive, and pass on any information you’ve gathered.

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

GHS Pictograms TBT

OSHA has updated the hazard communication (HazCom) standard to include the Globally Harmonized System. This will require that all containers of hazardous chemicals be labeled with GHS-compliant labeling.

Part of that label may be pictograms - a black symbol inside of a red diamond border. Each pictogram has a specific meaning to convey health, physical, and environmental hazard information for a chemical's hazard class and category.

OSHA requires the use of nine different pictograms. Since you will be working with these labels, it's important that you become familiar with the pictograms.

 Flame Over Circle represents oxidizers.

Flame represents flammables, self-reactives, pyrophorics, self-heating materials, substances that emit flammable gas, and/or type B, C, D, and F organic peroxides.

Exploding Bomb is used to represent explosives, self-reactives, and type A and B organic peroxides.

Skull and Crossbones represents acutely toxic materials.

Corrosion represents skin corrosives, eye corrosives, and materials corrosive to metals.

Gas Cylinder represents gases under pressure.

Health Hazard is used to represent carcinogens, respiratory sensitizers, reproductive toxicity, target organ toxicity, mutagenicity, and aspiration toxicity.

Exclamation Mark is used for irritants, skin sensitizers, acute toxicity, narcotic effects, and respiratory tract irritants.

Environment is used for aquatic toxicity.

This information was provided by Assurance Agency.