Safety Tidbit 3.14 - Christmas Tree Safety

Safety Tidbit 3.14 – Christmas Tree Safety

Reference: NFPA Public Education – Christmas Tree and Decoration Fires

Hello folks and Happy Thanksgiving! The holiday season is now upon us once more. As I came home from dropping my daughter off at her apartment yesterday after having Thanksgiving dinner, I saw a couple of Christmas tree lots getting set up. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), Christmas tree fires are not common, however, when they do occur, they are more likely to be serious. Therefore, we need to be mindful when we decorate our homes and offices so we make the holidays safer. Below are a few tips from the NFPA to help out:

Picking the tree

• Choose a tree with fresh, green needles that do not fall off when touched.

Placing the tree

• Before placing the tree in the stand, cut 2" from the base of the trunk.
• Make sure the tree is at least three feet away from any heat source, like fireplaces, radiators, candles, heat vents or lights.
• Make sure the tree is not blocking an exit.
• Add water to the tree stand. Be sure to add water daily.

Lighting the tree

• Use lights that have the label of an independent testing laboratory. Some lights are only for indoor or outdoor use.
• Replace any string of lights with worn or broken cords or loose bulb connections. Read manufacturer's instructions for number of light strands to connect. 
• Never use lit candles to decorate the tree.
• Always turn off Christmas tree lights before leaving home or going to bed.

After Christmas

• Get rid of the tree after Christmas. Dried-out trees are a fire danger and should not be left in the home or garage, or placed outside against the home. Check with your local community to find a recycling program. Bring outdoor electrical lights inside after the holidays to prevent hazards and make them last longer.

Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have an interesting safety or health question please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 3.13 - Influenza

Safety Tidbit 3.13 – Influenza

Reference:   OSHA’s Employer Guidance Reducing All Workers' Exposures to Seasonal Flu Virus

                  NIOSH Influenza in the workplace

Well, flu season is in full swing.  Pandemic flu remains a concern for all employers. A pandemic can occur at any time and can be mild, moderate, or severe. The pandemic in 2009 was considered by CDC to be mild but it still created challenges for employers and showed that many workplaces were not prepared. I recently had a client that said nearly 50% of their workforce was out with the flu.

NIOSH makes four general recommendations to all workplaces:

1. Promote influenza vaccination among workers.

Encourage workers to get the seasonal flu vaccine when it is available.

2. Encourage proper hand and respiratory hygiene practices.

Workers, visitors, and clients should have easy access to supplies such as:        

a.     "No touch" wastebaskets for used tissues;

b.     Soap and water;

c.     Alcohol-based hand rubs;

d.     Disposable towels;

e.     Cleaning and sanitation materials.

3. Educate workers on influenza signs and symptoms.

Train workers about how flu can be transmitted in the workplace and what precautions they can use to prevent transmission.

4. Inform workers about what to do if they get sick.

Encourage sick workers to stay home. The CDC recommends that workers who have a fever and respiratory symptoms stay at home until 24 hours after their fever ends (100 degrees Fahrenheit [37.8 degrees Celsius] or lower), without the use of medication.

Ultimately, the workplace must be kept clean. Frequently clean all commonly touched work surfaces, work areas, and equipment (e.g., telephones, doorknobs, lunch areas, countertops, copiers, etc.). Use the cleaning agents that are usually used in these areas and follow the directions on the label. No additional disinfection beyond routine cleaning is recommended by CDC. Provide disinfectants and disposable towels for workers to use to clean their workspaces and surfaces and to keep work areas clean.

I guess, today during my annual physical, I will get my flu shot. Boy, I hope I don’t get sick.

Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have an interesting safety or health question please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 3.12 - Radon

Safety Tidbit 3.12 – Radon

Reference:    National Safety Council website on Radon

                  US EPA’s Website on Radon – www.epa.gov/radon

                  PA DEP Website on Radon – www.dep.pa.gov/radon

Last Friday, I had a radon mitigation system installed in my home. This week I am sampling to see if the control is doing its job. So, why is Radon significant enough that I put in engineering controls into my home to reduce exposures?  The Environmental Protection Agency says nearly 1 out of every 15 homes in America is estimated to have elevated radon levels. Scientists calculate 15,000 to 22,000 lung cancer deaths in the U.S. each year are related to radon. The natural breakdown of uranium in soil, rock, and water releases radon gas. This radioactive gas can be detected in homes, offices, and schools

Radon gets into our homes through:

    Cracks in the solid floors

    Construction Joints

    Cracks in walls

    Gaps in suspended floors

    Gaps around service pipes

    Cavities in walls

    The water supply

Pennsylvania has one of the most severe radon problems in the United States. Approximately 40 percent of Pennsylvania homes have radon levels above Environmental Protection Agency's action guideline of 4 picocuries per liter. By the way, my house tested at 9.4. You can check your own home. You can go to your local home remodeling store and pick a test kit up for about $10.  Often, there are free sources as well as part of a public health outreach.

Well, I hope my system is doing its job. I had only clay under my home (no stone), so my mitigator used a high-suction versus high-volume pump to get the necessary negative pressure at the distal points in my basement. Now, I have a gentle hum outside my back wall that lets me know it’s working. The U-tube manometer on the pipe in the basement helps as well. 

Bottom line, if you don’t know the level of radon in your home, please test it, and if the levels are high, mitigate them. I was not a very good IH as I procrastinated way too long before putting in mitigation. Fortunately, I am only now looking to finish off my basement and haven’t spent much time down there.

Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have an interesting safety or health question please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 3.11 - Exposure Calculations for Extended Work Shifts

Safety Tidbit 3.11 – Exposure Calculations for Extended Work Shifts

Reference:    OSHA RA Letter dated November 10, 1999

Last Friday, a fellow consultant pitched me one of their random phone call questions. She says the client has a problem with air monitoring. Not sure, could she have been any vaguer?  I called the client, and after a few questions and humble curiosity, I learned that the client’s concern dealt with determining a worker’s exposure when the shift is more than the traditional eight hours. More specifically, how would OSHA determine the worker’s exposure when they work a 12-hour shift.

Two methods dominate how to determine worker exposure when working extended shifts: the conservative way and the OSHA way.  The prudent technique is known as the Brief and Scala Model and has been around for a long time and is detailed in Patty’s Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. A letter dated November 10, 1999, to the Regional Administrators details the OSHA way.

We’ll take the OSHA way first. OSHA says the compliance officer has two approaches to sample extended work shifts. First, the compliance officer tests what they believe to be the worst 8-hour work period. The second method involves the compliance officer being more creative and taking multiple samples that encompass the worst 8-hours of exposure.

The Brief and Scala Model adjusts the exposure limit based on how many hours worked and how many hours left for recuperation.

Reduction Factor = (8/h) * ((24-h)/16)

Then multiply the Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) by the reduction factor yielding an adjusted PEL.

Scenario: A worker puts in a 12-hour shift and is exposed to substance X. How does the employer determine if the employee’s exposure is below the OSHA 8-hour time-weighted average Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)?

OSHA will try to determine the worst eight hours of exposure and the sample during that time and compare the level to the Permissible Exposure Limit. Brief and Scala model gives a reduction factor of 50%. In other words, the employer will sample for the entire 12 hours and then compare the exposure level to half of the PEL.

When I explained this to the client, he said, so I just need to figure out what the worst 8 hours of exposure are, right?  Well, I tried.

Hope this was helpful and thanks for reading my Safety Tidbits! Comments and questions are always welcome. ~ Bryan

P.S. If you have an interesting safety or health question please let me know.