Category: NIOSH

NIOSH video tells truckers about safe transfer of process fluids

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Photo: NIOSH

Washington — A new video emphasizes safe work practices for truck drivers transferring process fluids such as oil and gas from wells to other locations.

Developed by NIOSH, the video notes that from 2016 to 2020, at least 12 workers died while transferring fluids at well sites. The deaths resulted from cardiac events, combustion-related explosions, struck-by vehicle incidents, exposure to hydrogen sulfide and heatstroke.

During fluid transfers, flammable atmospheres present a hazard to workers, the agency warns. In addition, when fluid tanks are under pressure, hydrocarbon gases and vapors can escape, creating potentially toxic and oxygen-deficient surroundings that may cause damage to a worker’s eyes, lungs, central nervous system and heart.

In the 11-minute video, NIOSH encourages employers to select and implement effective controls from the Hierarchy of Controls. Engineering controls include safely venting or containing process fluid vapors by using a vapor recovery unit, as well as using conducting hoses and closed connections for fluid transfers. Administrative controls include worker training and workplace policies. Employers also should train workers on the proper use of personal, multiuse gas monitors and how to confirm the devices are functioning properly and placed within the worker’s breathing zone.

“Oil and process fluids can be transferred and transported safely and with minimal risks,” the video says. “But to do so, employers and workers must understand the hazards, know the risks, and be able to apply the appropriate controls under the appropriate circumstances to control the hazards and mitigate the risks involved. Doing so each time will save lives.”

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

Construction worker safety: Refresher tips from NIOSH

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

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Photo: NIOSH

Washington — A new pamphlet from NIOSH offers tips to mitigate common risks that construction workers face.

While pointing out that falls are the most common cause of death on construction sites, the resource reminds workers of elements that “don’t seem to pose a risk” – such as dust and electricity – but can be hazardous.

Other tips:

  • Secure the base of a ladder or ask someone to hold it for you while you climb.
  • Use the correct kind of ladder for each job. If you need an extension ladder, don’t use a stepladder.
  • Place the ladder at the correct angle; separate the base of the ladder 1 foot from the wall for every 4 feet high.
  • When climbing or descending a ladder, use a chain or rope to lift materials and tools instead of carrying them.
  • Dust from common construction materials may contain toxic substances; wear a respirator so you don’t breathe in dust or harmful fumes.
  • Wash your hands and face before eating.
  • Change your clothes before leaving work.
  • Check all extension cables before use to make sure they aren’t damaged.
  • Use a cable with a grounded plug and keep cables out of water – even shallow puddles.
  • Ensure metal ladders don’t come into contact with power cables.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

FACE Report: Mechanic service technician fatally struck by order picker carriage

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health

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Photo: NIOSH
Case report: #19NY038
Issued by: New York State Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program
Date of report: Aug. 10, 2022A 58-year-old mechanic service technician for an equipment service and sales company was servicing an order picker with a co-worker. The picker’s carriage, which weighs nearly 1,200 pounds, consists of an operator platform, a control console and lift forks. The carriage’s movement is actuated by a center lift hydraulic cylinder and a pair of side lift cylinders, along with a set of chains and pulleys. The center lift cylinder, which has a hydraulic pressure of more than 2,000 pounds per square inch, had a minor leak, and the technician and the co-worker were onsite to replace some parts. To access the cylinder, they removed the control console cover and raised the carriage about 7 feet. According to the co-worker, the technician was holding a pair of snap ring pliers while standing directly underneath the carriage – which was neither chained nor blocked to prevent it from falling. The technician used pliers to remove the outer snap ring from the cylinder, apparently to verify the part number. The function of the outer snap ring is to hold and secure the oil seal of the cylinder at the rod end. While the technician was telling his co-worker he “just wanted to look” at the ring, the carriage fell quickly, crushing him underneath. Hydraulic fluid sprayed onto the entire dock area. The co-worker tried to use a jack to lift the carriage but was unsuccessful. Emergency responders arrived within minutes. The technician was pronounced dead at the scene.

To prevent similar incidents, employers should:

  • Develop specific lockout/tagout procedures for service technicians to follow.
  • Ensure service technicians follow manufacturers’ safety requirements and standard safety procedures.
  • Conduct a job hazard analysis to identify hazards and risk factors associated with lift truck maintenance and repair.
  • Ensure all service technicians receive proper and adequate training on lockout/tagout procedures.
  • Develop checklists for high-risk maintenance tasks and require technicians to check each step and sign the checklist.
  • Conduct periodic inspections at client sites to ensure the sites are free of hazards and workers are following safety protocols.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

NIOSH black lung screening program takes to the road

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Photo by NIOSH

Washington — In an effort to detect cases of black lung disease, NIOSH will offer free, confidential health screenings for current and former coal miners in Indiana and Texas.

Black lung is another name for coal workers’ pneumoconiosis, a deadly condition caused by exposure to respirable coal mine dust. Multiple studies show that cases are on the rise.

As part of the agency’s Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program, the NIOSH mobile testing unit is scheduled to conduct screenings April 17-20 in Carlisle, IN. After that, the unit will visit Longview, TX, on April 24-25, followed by a stop in Kosse, TX, on April 26-28. The series of screenings concludes with stops in the Texas towns of Jourdanton (May 1) and Christine (May 2-4).

Screenings last about 30 minutes and include:

  • Work history and respiratory questionnaires
  • Chest X-rays
  • Blood pressure screening
  • Lung function testing (spirometry)

“If black lung is caught early, steps can be taken to help prevent it from progressing to the most serious forms of the disease,” NIOSH Director John Howard said in a press release. “The NIOSH mobile unit provides underground, surface and contract miners with confidential screenings that can support next steps in reducing their exposure to coal dust.”

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Miners and lung disease: Which states have the worst death rates?

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Chicago — Coal miners in Kentucky, Virginia and West Virginia may be more than eight times more likely than the general public to die from black lung disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

That’s according to a recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Illinois Chicago and NIOSH. The researchers reviewed cause-of-death data from the National Death Index on nearly 236,000 coal miners who died between 1979 and 2017 and had participated in either the NIOSH Coal Workers’ Health Surveillance Program or the Department of Labor’s Federal Black Lung Program.

A NIOSH blog post states that although all coal miners have “significantly increased odds of death” from black lung – also known as coal worker’s pneumoconiosis – as well as COPD and lung cancer, another recent study of regulatory dust monitoring data shows that respirable dust containing silica “was significantly higher” in central Appalachia than the rest of the country.

The researchers note that coal miners also face potential exposure to known carcinogens including diesel exhaust, silica, asbestos and radon. Further, the researchers found that progressive massive fibrosis – the most severe form of black lung disease and which is caused by dust inhalation – is more common among younger miners.

“These findings underscore the importance of preventing chronic lower respiratory diseases like COPD caused by respirable coal mine dust and other factors in coal miners,” NIOSH says.

Issued in January, the Department of Labor’s Fall 2022 regulatory agenda includes a long-awaited Mine Safety and Health Administration proposed rule on respirable crystalline silica. The agenda lists April as a target date for publication of the proposed rule.

Responding to the study findings in a press release, United Mine Workers of America President Cecil Roberts urges MSHA to swiftly respond once the proposed rule is introduced.

“Time is of the essence here,” Roberts said. “Every day that goes by without action is another day our nation’s coal miners are exposed to deadly silica dust.”

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

NIOSH releases software for coal mine rescue assessment

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Photo: NIOSH

Washington — A new software training module from NIOSH is intended to assist mine operators, miners and industry stakeholders with emergency decision-making during coal mine rescues.

The module presents seven scenarios based on previous events at underground coal mines. Each includes general information about the mine, as well as maps and background information.

Instructors who guide participants through scenarios can stop during key points to present four potential actions that escaping miners might choose. Participants are asked to assess and rate each option and then compare their responses with feedback from emergency response experts and the factual details of each event.

“Sometimes it is clear what miners should or should not do for safe and effective self-escape,” NIOSH says. “However, there are times when even subject matter experts disagree about specific actions. The emergency decision-making training provides participants a place to practice making decisions when dealing with difficult circumstances.”

Under Title 30 CFR Part 49.50, mine rescue teams must meet these criteria:

  • Be available at all times when miners are underground, staying within one-hour ground travel time from the mine rescue station to the mine
  • Consist of five members and one alternate, except when alternative compliance is permitted
  • Have experience working in underground coal mines
  • Inspect, test and maintain appropriate rescue equipment after receiving it
  • Maintain physical fitness
  • Complete initial training

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Driver Fatigue on the Job

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by NIOSH

No amount of desire to drive or stay awake/alert or experience can help workers to escape the effects of fatigue on their driving performance.

Fatigue is broadly described as “a feeling of weariness, tiredness or lack of energy.” Whatever the source – inadequate or poor-quality sleep, long hours of work or driving, physical exertion, shift work, stress, or sleep disorders such as sleep apnea – fatigue affects the ability to drive safely. Employers and workers share the responsibility for managing fatigue and preventing fatigue-related motor vehicle crashes.

NIOSH conducts research and makes recommendations to help employers and workers prevent motor vehicle crashes caused by fatigued driving. Longer daily commutes, nonstandard shift work, less sleep, and lack of employer driving safety policies were associated with one or more risky driving-related outcomes such as drowsy driving, falling asleep, or experience a near miss crash event while driving. Maintaining good sleep habits is important to your health and safety, on and off the job.

Causes

  • Being awake for many consecutive hours
  • Not getting enough sleep over multiple days
  • Time of day: Your body has a sleep/wake cycle that tells you when to be alert and when it’s time to sleep. The urge to sleep is the most intense in the early morning hours.
  • Monotonous tasks or long periods of inactivity
  • Health factors such as sleep disorders or medications that cause drowsiness

Effects

  • Nodding off
  • Reacting more slowly to changing road conditions, other drivers, or pedestrians
  • Making poor decisions
  • Drifting from your lane
  • Experiencing “tunnel vision” (when you lose sense of what’s going on in the periphery)
  • Experiencing “microsleeps” (brief sleep episodes lasting from a fraction of a second up to 30 seconds)
  • Forgetting the last few miles you drove

What Employers Can Do

  • Set policies for maximum numbers of overtime hours and consecutive shifts.
  • Monitor compliance with federal hours-of-service regulations for drivers covered by them.
  • Ensure sufficient staffing levels across operations, factoring in the inevitable absences that occur due to vacation days, sickness, turnover, etc.
  • Provide worker training on sleep health and fatigue management.
  • Where staffing and work tasks allow it, allow for rest breaks and napping during extended work shifts.
  • Give supervisors and workers fatigue-symptom checklists and encourage self-reporting.
  • Encourage workers to monitor fatigue symptoms among co-workers.
  • Consider choosing the “right” fatigue monitoring and detection technology to identify potential sources of fatigue that might help in mitigating fatigue risk while driving.
  • During incident investigations, collect data on sleep history of workers involved, hours worked leading up to the incident, time of day, hours of driving, etc.

What Workers Can Do:

  • Get enough sleep (7-9 hours each day). If fatigue continue to persist after adequate sleep, speak to a healthcare professional to get help identifying the cause of fatigue.
  • Follow company policies and any applicable regulations that set maximum work hours or driving hours.
  • Plan your off-duty activities to allow enough time for rest and recovery.
  • Create a sleeping environment that helps you sleep well (a dark, quiet, cool room with no electronics).
  • If you feel fatigued while driving: pull over where safe, drink a cup of coffee, and take a 15-30 minute nap before continuing.
  • Watch yourself and your peers for fatigue-related symptoms. If possible, postpone travel until you are well-rested and recovered. If you are driving with co-workers, take turns driving.
  • Tell your supervisor if you are too tired to drive. If a co-worker appears too tired to drive, take your concerns to a supervisor.

The bottom line:

No amount of experience, motivation, or professionalism can overcome your body’s biological need to sleep. Employers and workers can take steps to prevent the chain of events that could lead to a fatigue-related crash. Employers, learn more about starting a fatigue risk management system.

McCraren Compliance can help you understand and comply with FMCSA, USDOT and ADOT and ensure your drivers and your vehicles operate safely and efficiently.

Call us Today at 888-758-4757 or email us at info@mccrarencompliance.com to schedule your free FMCSA Compliance Assessment.

FACE Report: Machine operator fatally struck by safety block ejected from mechanical power press

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Original article published by Safety+Health
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Photo: NIOSH

Report number: 16NY064
Issued by: New York Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation Program
Date of report: Oct. 6, 2021

A worker at a manufacturing facility was fatally injured while operating a 200-ton mechanical press. The worker and another employee were making bus bars, a component of electrical devices, out of raw copper strips. The mechanical press frequently jammed, requiring the worker to place two safety blocks between the ram and bolster and reach into the press to unjam it. The worker would then remove the safety blocks and actuate the machine at a dual-button control panel mounted to a pedestal in front of the long side of the press. The workers had to unjam the press multiple times. The last time they removed the jam, the safety blocks were unintentionally left on the bolster bed. The worker, who was standing in front of the press by the pedestal controller, actuated the press. The two safety blocks were immediately ejected from the press. One struck the worker in the neck and chest, causing severe injuries. A 911 call was made, and another employee tried to help using basic first aid. Emergency responders arrived within minutes, but the worker died at the scene. Cause of death was listed as blunt force injuries to the neck.

To help prevent similar occurrences, employers should:

  • Ensure interlock devices are used in conjunction with safety blocks on mechanical power presses.
  • Ensure the selected safety blocks meet the rated capacity of the specific power presses.
  • Center safety blocks along middle length of press when servicing.
  • Ensure press controls are moved to short ends of press to avoid risk of being struck by ejected materials.
  • Design machine guarding that allows for safe movement around machinery.
  • Implement a maintenance and inspection schedule for mechanical presses.
  • Ensure employees are thoroughly trained on machines they operate.
  • Conduct a job hazard analysis for specific tasks and instruct employees on how to safely work with and troubleshoot machinery issues.
  • Train employees on lockout/tagout procedures.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

American Heart Month

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by CDC

American Heart Month Toolkits 2023

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February is American Heart Month, a time when all people can focus on their cardiovascular health. This Heart Month the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention is expanding the reach of the Million Hearts® and CDC Foundation’s “Live to the Beat” campaign, which focuses on encouraging and empowering Black adults ages 35 to 54 to take small steps to reduce their risks for cardiovascular disease (CVD).

CVD and CVD mortality are increasing in working-age adults, and Black adults are among those bearing the highest burden of CVD and the related health consequences, particularly in the United States. Black adults in the United States die from heart disease at a rate two times higher than White adults.

We encourage individuals, health care and public health professionals, and our partners to help close the disparities gap.

Using this website’s tools and “Live to the Beat” resources, help your patients, family, and friends learn how to control their blood pressure, manage their cholesterol and blood glucose levels, move more, eat healthier, stress less, work with their health care team, and quit smoking.

Protect your heart! During American Heart Month, follow NIOSH on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn for the latest research and information related to workplace safety and health and your heart.

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.

Don’t Be “Lead” Astray From Safety

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by NIOSH

February 7th is National Periodic Table Day!

 

Photo by ©Getty images

On this day, we pay tribute to the table that helps us understand the properties and characteristics of chemical elements. One particular element, lead, also known as Pb on the periodic table, has been used by humans for thousands of years. Despite its many positive uses, lead continues to be a hazardous exposure in many jobs and industries.

Here are some things to keep in mind about lead exposure:

Your body absorbs lead when you inhale contaminated air at work.
If you eat, drink, or smoke in areas where lead is processed or stored, you could swallow lead dust without knowing.
You can expose anybody who lives or works in your home. If you work with or near lead, you can take home lead dust. Lead dust on your clothes, shoes, or hair is hard to notice.
To keep workers and their families safe, NIOSH provides information and recommendations on the NIOSH lead webpage. The page offers information to reduce lead exposure in the workplace for both workers and employers:

  • Workers: If you work with or near products or materials that contain lead, it can get inside your body. In addition to being exposed at work, taking lead home is a concern. Learn ways workers can protect themselves and their families from lead exposure.
  • Employers: Workplace exposure limits are meant to protect workers from hazardous exposures in the workplace, including lead. Employers must ensure exposure limits are not exceeded. The page offers ways employers can use the hierarchy of controls to keep their workers safe. Read More»

McCraren Compliance offers many opportunities in safety training to help circumvent accidents. Please take a moment to visit our calendar of classes to see what we can do to help your safety measures from training to consulting.