Safety Tidbit 3.40 - Working Alone

Safety Tidbit 3.40 – Working Alone

Reference:        1910.269 – Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution

                        1910.146 – Permit Required Confined Spaces

                        1926.502 – Fall Protection

1915.84 -Working Alone

A client asked me if there was an OSHA standard that prohibited workers from working alone. I thought a bit as I typically work alone but am never alone on a site. Many people work in offices alone or start their shifts early or end late and are by themselves. So, what was her real question?
In general industry, the permit required confined space standard requires an attendant outside the space. In the power transmission standard (1910.269) OSHA places certain parameters on working alone in paragraph l. However, I could not find a clean reference to working alone.

In the construction industry, fall hazards are abundant. 1926.502(d)(20) requires the employer to provide for prompt rescue of employees in the event of a fall or shall assure that employees are able to rescue themselves.

Similarly, in the maritime industry they specify certain communication requirements in 1915.84 when an employee is working in a confined space (which is not uncommon in a shipyard). 1910.84 specifies that the employer shall account for each employee (except if welding is involved):

·       Throughout each work shift at regular intervals appropriate to the job assignment to ensure the employee's safety and health; and

·       At the end of the job assignment or at the end of the work shift, whichever occurs first.

·       The employer shall account for each employee by sight or verbal communication.

The theme that I see with existing standards is the risk assessment. The employer knowing that a worker is alone and knowing what hazards exist and potential for exposure. Another example involving workplace violence is the clerk that works alone at a retail store, whether at night or during the day, is at risk of being robbed. This risk changes based on the location of the store, the cash available or the products sold.

Fundamentally, I think, it comes down to OSHA’s General Duty Clause – Employer’s responsibility to provide “employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.”

Hope this was helpful and thank you 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 3.39 - Safe Following Distances

Safety Tidbit 3.39 – Following Distances

Reference:        Travelers Insurance – Safe Following Distances

I was driving to North Carolina with my wife and the trip was miserable. The traffic was crazy, and we noticed so many auto accidents that continually brought the traffic to a standstill. But even when there wasn’t an accident (which was about every 30 miles in Virginia), the traffic had an ebb and flow that caused you to have to slow to a crawl unexpectedly. We determined the main culprit for the ebb and flow of traffic was due to trucks passing other trucks and taking quite a bit of time to get around their comrade. In Virginia, on I-81 there are only two lanes in each direction. Therefore, when a truck pulls out they are blocking everyone. 

The accidents were caused from several compounding issues. First, the sheer volume of vehicles, second, a sudden drop in speed due to passing vehicles, third, it was raining and periodically extremely hard, fourth, just being too close to the car in front of you. There are a few other compounding issues such as grip of tires on vehicles, individual drive abilities, service of vehicles, the vision of drivers, and so on. The one we noticed most from our car was that everyone seemed to be right on the bumper of the car they were following. When I left room between me and car in front of me, another driver seemed to want to slide in.

Travelers Insurance has a nice website for safe following distances. They reference a National Highway Transportation survey that showed rear-end collisions are the most common automobile incident. Most of us are aware of the 3-second rule for safe following distances. Where you pick a fixed object and once the car in front of you passes the object you count (1-1000, 2-1000, 3-1000) and you should just have passed the object yourself. Unfortunately, that is not always possible or given my circumstances, more distance was needed due to weather and road conditions. 

Drivers need to heed the 3-second rule and slow down when the weather is less than ideal. Also, distractions need to be minimized. Please do not text while driving or as one guy looked to be doing, reading a book! 
We made it safe and sound. I had just replaced my tires the week before, my eyewear prescription is fairly new and I had no distractions. However, I can tell you, I was glad when the trip was over. Hopefully when we drive home the weather will be nicer and I can enjoy the scenery. Please be safe while driving. It’s getting to be that time of year when we go on vacations or weekend campouts. Ensure you and your car are ready, fit, and able.

Hope this was helpful and thank you 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 3.38 - Spill Concentration

Safety Tidbit 3.38 – Spill Concentration

Just a little math and chemistry this week. I had a client ask about the concentration of a chemical after they spilled it and what they should do. Also, I attended a respirator course this week and the instructor just happened to put up a slide talking about the exact same thing. I guess, I was meant to use the topic as my Safety Tidbit for this week.

First, the scenario: a full 100-milliliter flask of toluene is dropped (and broken) in a space 10-feet x 10-feet x 8-feet high. We will assume no ventilation and complete mixing throughout the space and normal temperature and pressure. The molecular weight of toluene is 92.1 and its specific gravity is 0.87. So, what is the highest possible ambient concentration (in parts per million PPM) of toluene in the space?

Calculations:

Room Volume = 10x10x8=800 ft³ or 22,656 liters

Weight of Toluene spilled = 100x0.87=87 grams

Moles of Toluene = 87/92.1 = 0.94 moles

Total evaporated volume in liters = 0.94x24.2 = 22.75 liters

Percentage of spill in air = 22.75/22,656 = 0.001

Parts per million = 0.001 x 1,000,000 = 1000 PPM

If we look at OSHA requirements the 8-hour time-weighted average Permissible Exposure Limit is 200 PPM, the acceptable ceiling concentration is 300 PPM, and the Maximum Peak that shall not be exceeded for 10 minutes in any 8-hour shift is 500 PPM. Coincidentally, 500 PPM is also the NIOSH IDLH or the level that is immediately dangerous to life or health.

To advise my client as to how to handle their circumstance, I told them to turn on their exhaust ventilation to pull out the toluene.  However, if they needed to go into the space right away they would need either supplied air or an SCBA to enter. Bottomline, it doesn’t take much chemical to significantly contaminate the environment.

Hope this was helpful and thank you 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 3.37 - Heat Wave

Safety Tidbit 3.37 – Heat Wave

Reference:      OSHA Occupational Heat Exposure

                        National Weather Service – Heat Safety Tips

                        CDC/NIOSH Acclimatization

Well, summer is here and we’re just going to forget about spring. Merriam-Webster defines a heat wave as “a period of unusually hot weather.” Well, I think, 90+ degrees in early May in Pennsylvania is “unusually hot weather.” I finally pulled the bicycle out and rode a little today. I used the OSHA-NIOSH Heat Safety Tool on my smartphone just before I left, and the heat index was a Moderate Risk (closer to high if you ask me). The temperature was 95 degrees F and the percent relative humidity was 45% so, according to the app, it felt like 102 outside. The app also gave the precaution to drink adequate amounts of water (8 ounces of water every 15-20 minutes).

My concern this time of year, and the reason for this safety tidbit, is the issue of acclimatization. Under OSHA law, employers are responsible for providing workplaces free of known safety hazards. This includes protecting workers from extreme heat. An employer with workers exposed to high temperatures should establish a complete heat illness prevention program.

• Provide workers with water, rest and shade.
• Allow new or returning workers to gradually increase workloads and take more frequent breaks as they acclimatize or build a tolerance for working in the heat.
• Plan for emergencies and train workers on prevention.
• Monitor workers for signs of illness.

Acclimatization is the process of the body adjusting or adapting to a new climate. Since last week we were in the 40’s and even had snow, I think, 90-degree temperatures qualify as a new climate. The NIOSH explains these physiological adaptations as

            1. Increased sweating efficiency

            2. Stabilization of circulation

            3. The ability to perform work with lower core temperature and heart rate

            4. Increased skin blood flow at a given core temperature

NIOSH explains that acclimatization occurs over 7-14 days. However, when it’s early in the season, like it is now, employers and workers exposed to heat must pay closer attention to the signs of heat stress.

Hope this was helpful and thank you 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.