Deenergizing Lines & Equipment

 

Before starting work on power transmission/distribution systems, crews must determine existing conditions by inspection or test. One critical condition that must be determined is whether lines and equipment are energized or deenergized.

Deenergizing lines and equipment
When deenergizing lines/equipment operated in excess of 600 volts, and the means of disconnecting from electric energy is not visibly open or visibly locked out, the following rules apply:

• The particular section of line or equipment to be deenergized must be clearly identified, and it must be isolated from all sources of voltage.

• Notification and assurance from a designated employee must be obtained that:
   - All switches/disconnectors through which electrical energy may be supplied to the particular section of line or equipment to be worked on have been deenergized.
   - All switches/disconnectors are plainly tagged indicating that employees are at work.
   - Where the design of the switches and disconnectors permits, they have been rendered inoperable.

• After all designated switches and disconnectors have been opened, rendered inoperable, and tagged, visual inspection or tests must be conducted to ensure that equipment or lines have been deenergized.

• Protective grounds must be applied on the disconnected lines/equipment to be worked on.

• Guards or barriers must be erected as necessary to adjacent energized lines.

• When more than one independent crew requires the same line or equipment to be deenergized, a prominent tag for each crew must be placed on the line or equipment by the designated employee in charge.

• When completed with work on deenergized lines or equipment, designated employees in charge must determine that all employees in their crew are clear, that protective grounds installed by their crew have been removed, and they report to the designated authority that all tags protecting their crew may be removed.

When a crew working on a line or equipment can clearly see that the means of disconnecting from electric energy are visibly open or visibly locked-out, the following provisions will apply:
• Guards or barriers must be erected as necessary to adjacent lines.

• Upon completion of work on deenergized lines or equipment, each designated employee in charge must determine that all employees in their crew are clear, that protective grounds installed by their crew have been removed, and they must report to the designated authority that all tags protecting their crew may be removed.

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

Protective Systems Handout-excavations

 

You are exposed to many hazards during a construction work day. If you work in excavations, the chief hazard is the danger of cave-ins.

OSHA requires that all excavations, where employees are exposed to potential cave-ins, must be protected by:
- Proper sloping and/or benching of the sides of the excavation.
- Supporting the sides of the excavation with timber or aluminum hydraulic shoring.
- Placing a shield between the side of the excavation and your work area.
- Employers are free to choose the most practical design approach for a particular circumstance. Once an approach is selected, the required performance criteria for that system must be met.

The standard does not require protective systems when an excavation is:
- Made entirely in stable rock, or
- Less than 5 feet deep and a competent person has examined the ground and found no indication of a potential cave-in.

Protective systems — There are many factors involved in designing a protective system. Some of them are:
soil classification, depth of cut, water content of the soil, changes due to weather and climate, or other operations at the work site. The OSHA rules provide several different methods and approaches.

Protective systems must be able to resist, without failure, all loads that are intended or could reasonably be expected to be applied or transmitted to the system.

Installation and removal of protective systems — The following steps are required for protecting employees when installing support systems: (1) securely connect, (2) safely install, (3) never overload members, and (4) install other structural members to carry loads imposed on the support system when temporary removal of individual members is necessary.

As soon as work is completed, the excavation should be backfilled as the protective system is dismantled. After the excavation is cleared, workers should slowly remove the protective system from the bottom up, taking care to release members slowly.

Materials and equipment — Employers are responsible for the safe condition of materials and equipment used for protective systems. Defective and damaged materials and equipment can result in the failure of a protective system and cause excavation hazards.

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

Cloth Face Masks and COVID-19

 

CDC Recommendations
The CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States. We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms. This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms. In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus. CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

Cleaning, Maintaining and Donning and Doffing Cloth Masks
Wash your cloth mask after each use, or at least daily. It’s best to wash in hot water, but if you can’t, make sure to dry on a hot setting of your dryer. Social distancing is still an important tool in reducing risks associated with the novel coronavirus. Stay home, if you can, but if you must go out for necessities, use a mask.

Cloth masks only help if they are carefully put on (donned) and taken off (doffed.)

When you're putting one on, hold the mask by ear loops and slip one loop over your ear, and then slip the second loop over your other ear, adjust mask to assure mouth and nose covered. Remember that cloth masks tend to slip less during use if the lower edge of mask is aligned with your jawbone rather than below it. If your mask has a "head loop" instead of ear loops, hold the mask by grasping both head loops at the edges, and then pull the elastic around your head. Put your chin into the cloth part first.

Stretch both head loops up over your head and adjust loops so mask fits snugly. It's also important to remove the mask with care when you're done wearing it. When you're ready to remove a cloth mask, grasp one of the ear or head loops. Try to avoid touching the front of the mask. Put it in your laundry to be washed – and then wash your hands.

Performing hand hygiene, every time you touch the mask, will really help you avoid cross-contamination. Try to avoid touching the outside of the mask and wash it regularly.

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

Competent Person in Construction

 

Who and what is a “competent person”
The term “competent person” comes up often in the OSHA construction regulations. OSHA defines competent person as “one who is capable of identifying existing and predictable hazards in the surroundings or working conditions which are unsanitary, hazardous, or dangerous to employees, and who has authorization to take prompt corrective measures to eliminate them.”

How does a competent person fit in with a jobsite safety and health program?
Your employer must have a comprehensive safety and health program that provides for frequent and regular inspections, by competent persons designated by the employer, of the:
• jobsite,
• materials, and
• Equipment.

The 29 CFR 1926 construction regulations require that a competent person inspect various work areas such as:
• scaffolding,
• excavations,
• stairways and ladders,
• asbestos abatement operations,
• welding and cutting zones, and
• Steel erection sites.

In addition, some OSHA standards add additional specific requirements that must be met by the competent person.

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

Handle the Heat

 

Overview
Working in the heat puts an extra strain on your body. With some understanding of how the body reacts to heat, you can prevent heat-related disorders.

What are the risk factors?

Personal:
Age, weight, degree of physical fitness, metabolism, medications, use of alcohol or drugs, water consumption, caffeine consumption, and a variety of medical conditions, such as hypertension, all affect a person's sensitivity to heat. It is difficult to predict who will be affected by the heat, or when someone will be affected.

Environmental:
Air temperature; humidity; radiant heat from the sun and other sources; conductive heat sources, such as the ground, air movement, workload severity and duration; protective clothing; and PPE are all other factors to consider.

Another factor is whether or not you are accustomed to the heat. By gradually being exposed to working in hot conditions, your body develops a greater tolerance for the heat.

Can personal protective equipment add to the hazard?
Yes, sometimes heavy or impermeable chemical protective clothing can contribute to a worker's exposure to the heat. However, there are specialized types of PPE that can be worn under other types of protective clothing to cool workers, such as Ice vests, water-cooled garments, and air supply systems.

Work practices can help control heat hazards
A more common technique that might be considered PPE is to wear wet clothing, headbands, or bandanas.

This could also be considered a type of work practice control. Other work practices that help control exposure to the heat include:
- Using intermittent rest periods to recover from the heat.
- Drinking about 5 to 7 ounces of fluids every 15 to 20 minutes to replenish body fluids.
- Using relief workers.
- Using the buddy system (work in pairs) when working in hot conditions.
- Pacing the work, or reducing the physical demands of the work.
- Providing cool recovery or shaded rest areas.
- Scheduling work for cooler times of the day or when heat producing equipment isn't being operated.
- Wearing light, loose-fitting, breathable (like cotton) clothing.

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

EFFECTS OF ALCOHOL

 

This information briefly summarizes some of the effects of a person that is hung over. Direct effects of alcohol vary with the individuals.  In general, a person will excrete approximately one alcohol drink per hour.  Consider the following:

An employee is out until 1:00 a.m. and has consumed 12 or more beers. They show up to work at 7:00 a.m. This employee is likely to have at least six alcohol drinks in his system at the time of starting the work. At this rate, the employee will start work intoxicated and eventually drift into a hangover and will probably be working in a very dangerous state during most of the workday.

ISSUES OF A HANGOVER

The following are some points to consider:

• A person with a hangover may have lower levels of alcohol in their system and may be “legally sober”.

• Any levels of alcohol in the system can affect the central nervous system, which will affect

JUDGMENT and MOTOR SKILLS.

(Judgment and Motor Skills are critical components of working safely on a construction site.)

HANGOVER EFFECTS

A- Employees that are hung over are impaired from low sugar levels, dehydration and may still be legally intoxicated.

• Symptoms / Effects:

• Impaired judgment

• Decreased motor skills

• Potential for dizzy spells, etc.

B – Employees no longer under the influence of alcohol but still feeling hung over still have an effect:

• Symptoms / Effects:

• Impaired judgment

• Decreased motor skills

• Dizziness

• Increased potential to lose consciousness

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

Disaster Recovery

 

After a disaster, employees may be injured, buildings may be damaged, records and equipment may be lost, and normal business operations are interrupted or stopped altogether.

Successful disaster recovery requires good planning. The company takes a close look at how possible disaster situations could affect operations and prepares a disaster recovery plan with the goal of safely resuming normal operations as quickly as possible.

The company will probably need to hire outside contractors to help with recovery efforts, but it may be necessary for a team of employees to reenter the facility during recovery operations.

This team may be involved in:

• Escorting incident investigators (fire department, police, insurance agents, OSHA compliance officers, etc.).
• Salvaging records, files, personal property, etc.
• Directing the activities of contractors.

Recovery hazards
The recovery team needs to be aware of the unique hazards that may be present in a facility that has been damaged in a disaster.

Fire and explosion hazards - The facility's smoke detector, fire alarm, and fire suppression systems may be inoperable.

Flooding - Workers should be aware of the risks for disease or poisoning from contact with contaminated flood waters.

Chemical hazards - Recovery workers need to be observant for chemical spills. Only specially trained personnel can be authorized to clean up hazardous chemical spills.

Electrical hazards - Recovery workers must inspect all electric appliances carefully before use. Damaged equipment must be removed from use for repair or replacement.

Natural or LP-gas supplies - Recovery workers who discover any gas leaks should immediately evacuate the facility, warn others to evacuate, leave doors open, and call for emergency assistance.

Using portable generators and temporary heaters - Recovery workers must follow all manufacturer's operating instructions for using this equipment.

Employee training
Because your employer may need to change safety plans so they address the hazards during recovery operations, recovery workers may need additional training in topics such as:


• Emergency action plan.
• Fire prevention plan.
• First aid procedures and exposure control plan.
• Hazard communication.
• HAZWOPER (emergency response plan).
• Personal protective equipment hazard assessment.
• Process safety management program.
• Respiratory protection program.
• Risk management plan.

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