Safety Tidbit 7.10 - Coal Mine Dust Sampling

 

Safety Tidbit 7.10 – Coal Mine Dust Sampling

 

Reference: “Federal Register: Coal Mine Dust Sampling Devices.” Federal Register, https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2010/04/06/2010-7308/coal-mine-dust-sampling-devices. 

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Cody Tumpak – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2022.

 

Coal miners are at risk of developing a lung disease called pneumoconiosis due to exposure to respirable dust.  National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health

(NIOSH) created the Coal Workers Health Surveillance Program (CWHSP) to evaluate coal mine workers. The program sets a guideline for workers to get a chest x-ray every five years. The testing results showed a high number of deaths. From 1970 to 2016, they found that 75,178 miners have died due to black lung. Therefore, the MSHA created the Black Lung Benefits Act to pay compensation and medical expenses for miners. This act paid out over 47.168 billion dollars in federal benefits.

 

Additionally, the risk of black lung disease is evaluated through air sampling to assess worker exposure to dust. There are several different types of dust sampling methods used within mining. The first type of dust sampler is called the Gravimetric Dust Sampler. Since the 1980s, the gravimetric dust sampler has been the most common type of personal dust sampler.  The gravimetric dust sampling method involves sampling a known volume of ambient air through a filter. The units used for the sample include the mass of dust (mg) per cubic meter (m³) of air. The pump typically operates at 1.7 liters per minute in metal and nonmetal mines as specified by the collection media. The filter is weighed before and after to calculate mass gain. This concentration is then used to determine an average dust concentration over the sampling period. The filter is processed using the XRD analytics technique for silica content. Also, the industrial hygienist must collect sufficient mass on the filter to have confidence in dust measurements.

 

Another type of sampling method is called the personal/Data RAM (pDR).  This method uses scattering as a measurement technology and employs a very small, versatile direct reading personal aerosol monitor to measure the dust in real-time. It has instant readings correlated with time and stored in internal memory. The size distribution of the dust, composition of dust, and the water mist in the air can all impact the pDR concentration.

 

The personal dust monitor (PDM) is another popular dust sampling method. The PDM became very popular within the mine operation because they had insufficient means to know their respirable coal dust exposure levels. The PDM allows miners to get accurate dust exposure data at the end of their shift. The PDM uses a tapered element oscillating microbalance to measure the mass of dust deposited on a filter and continually displays the cumulative exposure concentration data. It uses mass-based measurements to quantify the dust concentration. Then the dust measurements will be displayed on the screen and stored internally for later analysis.

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

Safety Tidbit 7.09 - Winter Driving Safety

 

Safety Tidbit 7.09 – Winter Driving Safety

 

Reference: Winter Driving & Travel Safety. United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service, https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/stelprdb5340014.pdf.

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Michael Purazo – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2022.

 

We must continue safely living our lives as we enter the winter season. There are various steps an individual can take to ensure when they are on the road traveling that they are prepared and equipped to handle different situations one might encounter. Being proactive is vital to be ready for unexpected situations because, in emergencies, options become limited when someone chooses to be reactive.

           

One step a person can take to be safe during these brutal winter months is to ensure its safe to travel before leaving for a destination. The best way to mitigate a hazard is to eliminate it. Therefore, check the weather conditions, vehicle limitations, and route to determine if traveling is the right choice.

 

Personal and vehicle preparations are essential measures that should always be upheld in all months, especially winter months. Personal preparation ultimately consists of survival needs in being stranded in a blizzard or storm.  Some essential items are extra warm clothing, rain gear, winter cap and gloves, matches, fire starter, multi-tool, nylon cord, blankets, food (high energy, lightweight, and calorie-loaded), liquids, portable radio, map, compass, flashlight, etc. For vehicle preparation, make sure to conduct required maintenance, the gas tank is full, all vehicle components are functional (lights, windshield wipers, etc.), tires are correct for the season, check the car's oil, lastly, a first aid kit. In addition to the preparations mentioned above, keeping other items in your car during the winter may be necessary, depending on personal preference or situational knowledge. Some items include tire chains, tarps for covering tires, scraper brush, windshield cover, jumper cables, miscellaneous other tools, flares, and even extra motor oil in the vehicle when traveling.

 

Another action to take before hitting the road is to notify a loved one or friend before you leave. You should provide them with the planned route of travel, departure time, and the expected return time to check-in. If the person does not reach out at the check-in time, remain calm and notify law enforcement, who will begin a search and rescue mission. If the person does reach out after taking those steps, immediately advise law enforcement.

 

Don't get lost and share the road. Steps one can take to prevent getting lost are to have a map and compass (or GPS) you are familiar with, check the weather to steer clear of storms, and be sure to pull over if disoriented from a whiteout or physically exhausted. Also, be aware of other drivers and abide by the road laws to keep everyone safe and out of harm's way.

 

In conclusion, it's best to be prepared and not need, rather than be unprepared and in need. The recommendations provided in this tidbit are limited, and take other precautions as needed. I hope everyone stays safe wherever the winter wind takes them this year!

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

 

Safety Tidbit 7.08 - Pneumatic Impact Tool Safety

 

Safety Tidbit 7.08 – Pneumatic Impact Tool Safety

 

Reference: Jet Tools Pneumatic Impact Wrench User Manual

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Domenic Balmer – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating in Spring 2022.

 

There are many hazards associated with using a pneumatic impact wrench. These hazards include the torque of the impact wrench, the use of proper protective equipment, how to choose the correct tool for the job, and lastly, how to tell if you are using dirty air.

 

First, let's cover the hazard associated with the wrench's torque. Pneumatic impact wrenches vary in size. With variants having maximum torque ranging from approximately 400 foot-pounds up to 1300 foot-pounds of torque. Due to the varying amounts of maximum torque, the wrenches required proper setup to avoid injury. If an incorrect posture occurs, one may find themselves attempting to use the wrench, and the wrench slips out of their hands due to the sudden torque or, even worse, may break a wrist or fingers.

 

Second is the hazards associated with using improper protective equipment (PPE). The proper PPE associated with this task includes non-slip shoes, mechanic gloves to increase grip, and safety goggles/glasses. If the worker does not wear the proper PPE, as mentioned above, the impact wrench could slip out of their hands, flying debris could get into their eyes, and they could even lose their balance and fall.

 

The third hazard is picking the correct tool for the job. Impact wrenches come in a variety of sizes. So the biggest one is not necessarily the best one. Selecting a wrench too large or too small could result in flying debris, torque-related injuries as stated above, and failure of the tool, causing it to blow apart. Choosing the correct impact wrench means picking an impact wrench that will take a bolt within 8 seconds without breaking the bolt head-off.

 

Lastly, the last hazard to discuss is using dirty air.  The hazards associated with using dirty air include but are not limited to the impact wrench will seize due to moisture getting in the wrench and loss of air pressure. When an impact wrench seizes, it may cause the user to overcompensate for torque and lose their balance and fall. On the other hand, if a loss of air pressure occurs, it will cause the impact wrench not to work effectively. It may cause the user to overcompensate or resort to using a giant impact wrench that has too much torque for the application.

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

 

Safety Tidbit 7.07 - Focus Four - It's Not Just for Construction Anymore

Safety Tidbit 7.07 – Focus Four It’s Not Just for Construction Anymore

 

Reference: Neitzel, D. K., Kilbourne, C., Condon, C., & Staff, E. H. S. D. A. (2019, June 3).

OSHA's "fatal Four" – leading causes of fatalities in the workplace. EHS Daily Advisor. Retrieved December 9, 2021, from https://ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com/2019/05/oshas-fatal-four-leading-causes-of-fatalities-in-the-workplace/.

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Bradley Westrick – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2022.

 

Injuries and fatalities over the years have decreased substantially, but OSHA reports that there are still 12 work-related fatalities during a workday in the United States. Workplace deaths in the construction industry known as OSHA's fatal four lead the way. Being aware of OSHA's fatal four can help protect yourself and employees from the main leading causes of death.

 

·      Falls: Approximately 36.5% of all deaths in the workplace occur due to falling. Falls often occur due to a lack of fall protection. Implementing OSHA's fall protection requirements under 1910.269(g)(2) can reduce a large percentage of falls leading to death.

·      Electrocutions: About 8.6% of employees died due to electrocution. Workers face many electrocution hazards on construction sites, such as exposed wiring and coming into contact with overhead power lines, etc. In 2017, companies violated OSHA's lockout tagout standard (1910.147) over 2,877 times.  Strict compliance with OSHA 1910.331-.335 and NFPA 70E Standard for Electrical Practice can prevent these accidents.

·      Struck By: An estimated 10.1% of deaths were from misplaced, falling, or swinging objects. Falling objects can occur from vehicle or equipment strikes, rigging failures, and loose or shifting materials.

·      Caught-in or caught-between: Being caught-in or between machines accounted for approximately 2.5% of deaths in the workplace. Interestingly, most of the deaths were due to trench and excavation collapsing.

 

OSHA, has for years, enforced a targeted inspection program in the Construction Industry for the Focus Four (or as I like to call them the Fab Four). Maybe it’s time for a similar program in the general industry as well.

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

 

Safety Tidbit 7.06 - Tracer not Tracking

 

Safety Tidbit 7.06 – Tracer not Tracking

 

Reference: https://www.triaxtec.com/resource/fact-sheet/proximity-trace/

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Clay Chisholm – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2022.

 

Oh no! Someone at your facility has contracted COVID-19, and your top priority is to stop the spread throughout your employees. There’s only one problem; you don’t know who the infected employee was around and for how long. Worry no more, there’s an answer for this problem, or so some may think.

 

Triax developed a device that tracks an individual’s movements and logs when the person is within 6 feet of another person.  So, how is this useful? The data allows a company to quickly identify overexposed individuals when following the CDC guidelines. This technology is beneficial when used correctly. Unfortunately, one minor mishap can completely skew the data. Human error is the main challenge to overcome.

 

For instance, at the end of a shift, many employees tend to remove their work clothes and keep them in their locker or job trailer.  Typically, the proximity device is still attached to their work clothes. Unfortunately, there is one small problem; nearly everyone forgets to turn the device off. At that point, the device continues to trace and skew the numbers.

 

Beyond the challenge of preventing error comes the biggest challenge of encouraging personnel to wear the device. The most asked question is, “Can you track my location with this?”. The answer is no, but it can still be challenging to get someone to believe that. Accurate identification of exposure strengthens the trust within anyone using this device. An effective program accomplishes this. One tip; don’t hand the monitors out like candy.

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

Safety Tidbit 7.05 - Safety Culture in Mining

 

Safety Tidbit 7.05 – Safety Culture in Mining

 

Reference: (2021). United States Department of Labor. Compliance & Enforcement | Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA). https://www.msha.gov/compliance-enforcement

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Hunter Noel – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2022.

 

The coal mining industry has been an essential industry for almost 300 years. Coal has been a vital source of heating and energy throughout the past few centuries for households in the country. Besides wood, coal is the oldest source of heat and energy that the country uses. Despite the new sources of heat in the world, such as gas, oil, and electricity, coal still manages to find its way to being a vital and relevant heat source in the 21st century. With its importance, the coal industry has responsibilities to commitment through management and leadership; without it, the industry wouldn't be what it is today. The most significant commitment is a safety and health policy. In any company, it is their willingness to comply with laws and regulations and give recognition to their employees' safety and health. Any company should understand and recognize safety and health obligations to protect its employees, its visitors/customers, and its management. There should be an objective for the company and the employees to follow within any policy. Under the management and the employer, the company can make its objectives more precise and define accomplishments for proper health and safety with employee input and opinions. Through the policy and the company's power to fulfill mining inspections, comply with policy and procedures, and understand the pattern of violations. (MSHA, 2021)

 

A company policy could include the following to abide by regulations:

• Management should abide by four required inspections a year through the Mining Safety and Health Administration (MSHA).
• Management should abide by more frequent inspections depending on the level of explosive or toxic gasses through MSHA.
• Management should abide by policies and procedures described by the MSHA and the EFSMS.

 

As previously stated, companies in the coal industry have responsibilities towards commitment through management and leadership. A safety and health policy can provide employees, visitors/customers, and management with a safe and healthy workplace. Specifically, in the coal industry, a safety and health policy can fulfill obligations made by any management and suggestions made by employees. Through mining inspections., complying with policy and procedures, and understanding the pattern of violations, a company in the coal industry can be successful in aspects of health and safety.

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 7.04 - Significant Threshold Shifts

 

Safety Tidbit 7.04 – Significant Threshold Shifts

 

Reference: 29 CFR 1904.10: Recording and Reporting Occupational Injuries and Illnesses

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, February 5). Controls for noise exposure. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/noisecontrol/default.html. 

 

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Ms. Megan Rutledge – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2022.

 

          OSHA defines an STS as a change in hearing threshold, relative to the baseline audiogram for that specific employee, of 10 dB or more at 2000, 3000, or 4000 Hz in one or both ears. The audiologist compares the current and baseline audiograms; if the employee never had a recordable hearing loss. However, if the employee has experienced a recordable hearing loss, the current audiogram will be compared to the revised baseline audiogram from when the hearing loss occurred. If retested in 30 days, the employer need not record the first audiogram.  

           There are no special rules on determining whether the hearing loss was work-related or not unless a physician or health care provider determines the hearing loss is not work-related. The health care provider must follow the rules set out by 29 CFR 1904.5 when determining if the hearing loss is work-related. Age may also be a factor of a recordable hearing loss or an STS. 

The current audiogram results may be adjusted for age using Tables F-1 or F-2 in appendix F of 29 CFR 1910.95.

           Employers can protect their employees by providing appropriate safeguards to reduce noise levels. Listed below are some tips to follow to protect your workers from potentially having a Significant Threshold Shift:

1. Select low-noise tools and machinery, if possible.
2. Lubricate gears routinely.
3. Place a barrier between the employee and the source of the noise.
4. Provide adequate hearing protection- ear muffs or earplugs, whichever the employee uses.
5. Isolate the noise source in an enclosure or insulated room.

 

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

Safety Tidbit 7.03 - The 5-Why Analysis

 

Safety Tidbit 7.03 – The 5-Why Analysis

 

Reference: 5 whys: The ultimate root cause analysis tool. Kanban Software for Agile Project Management. (n.d.). Retrieved December 9, 2021, from https://kanbanize.com/lean-management/improvement/5-whys-analysis-tool#:~:text=The%205%20Whys%20technique%20is%20a%20simple%20and%20effective%20tool,root%20cause%20of%20any%20problem.

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Ryan Pearce – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2022.

A 5-Why Analysis is a method to find the root cause of an accident or incident. A root cause analysis is a systematic approach to find the management deficiency within a workplace that is the underlying cause of occupational accidents or incidents. The primary goal of using a root cause analysis is to analyze problems or events to determine what happened, how it happened, why it happened, and preventative action for recurrence.

Professionals use the 5-Why method to explore the cause-and-effect relationships underlying an accident or incident. The methodology used in this tool is to ask why until you reach a root cause. The first step in conducting a 5-Why Analysis is forming a team. Try to assemble a team of representatives from different departments to gather different points of view and is an excellent method for gathering helpful information. The second step is to define the problem. Discuss the problem with the cross-functional team and develop a clear objective. A clear objective sets a scope for your analysis and keeps your investigation focused. The third step in this methodology is to ask why. Facts and actual data must drive the answers to the Why questions. Ask "why" until the team can identify the underlying reason or root cause of the accident or incident. The team might discover multiple root causes. Consequently, the team may be able to detect and eliminate organizational issues that have negatively affected overall performance in their company.

The last step in conducting a 5-Why Analysis is to act. After identifying the root cause(s), immediately develop corrective actions to ensure the problem doesn't arise again. But, more importantly, it is time for the team to develop preventative actions to correct identified management deficiencies. By doing so, the team may prevent the problem(s) from arising again, not just give a temporary solution.

The 5-Why is a simple and effective tool for identifying and solving the underlying cause(s) or root cause(s) of an accident or incident in a workplace. By asking why things happen, you can find the root cause of an accident or incident, and by doing so, you can develop measures to prevent the recurrence of these problems.

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

 

Safety Tidbit 7.02 - Swiss Cheese Paradigm

Safety Tidbit 7.02 – Swiss Cheese Paradigm

Reference: Reason, J. (2000). Human error: Models and management. BMJ : British Medical Journal, 320(7237), 768. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.320.7237.768

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Ms. Sarah Messick – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Spring 2022.

James Reason proposed the "Swiss Cheese Model" to explain the occurrence of system failures, which looks at preventing hazards from causing human losses by creating barriers. The cheese slices are "barriers," or items set in place by management to help defend against the hazard, such as guards, policies, procedures, rules, and processes.  The "holes" in the cheese are system failures. Some holes or failures are operational, while others are latent conditions. Employees' operational failures are errors, such as slips, lapses, mistakes, or rule violations. Latent conditions are ongoing conditions within an organization allowing errors to occur or failure to correct errors. A couple of examples include poor maintenance or the lack of a process correctly prioritizing issues. The model itself shows that the cheese slices are layers of defense that lie between hazards and accidents. Furthermore, the model reflects flaws in each layer (holes), and when properly lined up, an accident can occur.

The defenses are the barriers intended to protect against errors or hazards, mitigate the consequences of a hazard, or promote a consistent action. An example of a sequence of events within this model would be an engineered issue such as a lack of safeguards, along with an administrative issue, an individual or a worker not using the guard properly would then lead to an incident.

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.

 

 

Safety Tidbit 7.01 - value of Vaccination

 

Safety Tidbit 7.01 – Value of Vaccination

Reference: “Types of Immunity to a disease.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 24 Sept. 2021, https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/immunity-types.htm.

This Safety Tidbit was written by my student, Mr. Samuel Cunkelman – a senior in the Safety Sciences Program at the Indiana University of PA graduating Summer 2022.

There have been several pandemics throughout the ages, killing an abundance of people. We, the people of safety, are tasked with protecting our workers from such diseases.  There are several ways to help mitigate the hazards associated with diseases that cause pandemics by going down the hierarchy of controls. Here are a few of those ways. 1. Elimination - by quarantining the sick from the healthy. 2. Substitution - by moving work to an online platform when possible. 3. Engineering controls - having each workspace separate from each other, kind of like a bubble. 4. Administrative controls include routine hand washing, decontamination of workplaces, and implementing social distancing. 5. Personal protective equipment utilizing containment suits, goggles, and respirators. However, the best-known method to protect your workers from diseases that cause pandemics is through immunization.

Having immunity to a disease means the person has antibodies for that disease. Antibodies are a type of protein produced by the body that eliminates toxins or organisms that carry diseases. Antibodies are disease-specific, meaning there is only one type of antibody for a particular kind of disease. There are two types of immunity: active immunity and passive immunity. Active immunity is when exposed to disease; the immune system makes antibodies specialized in eliminating that disease. Someone can manifest active immunity in two ways; natural immunity and vaccine-induced immunity. Natural immunity is when a person is exposed to a disease organism via infection from the actual disease. Vaccine-induced immunity comes from introducing patients with a dead or weakened version of the disease organism. However, sometimes a person’s body will not produce antibodies; they never gain immunity. Therefore, it is imperative to test people for immunity and not just assume that they must be immune since they have been infected with the disease or given a vaccination. Testing for immunity involves obtaining a blood sample to check for antibodies.

Alternatively, passive immunity occurs after administering antibodies directly into the person, not antibodies produced through the person’s immune system. An example is when a newborn baby receives passive immunity from the mother’s placenta. Another example we saw during the COVID pandemic is immunity from blood products that contain antibodies that will provide immediate protection from that disease. A significant advantage to passive immunity is it is immediate, whereas active immunity typically takes weeks for the immune system to produce antibodies. Unfortunately, passive immunity only lasts weeks whereas, active immunity can last a long time.

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

 

P.S. If you have a new safety or health question, please let me know.