Tag: #electricalsafety

Guy wires and power lines can be a deadly mix, OSHA warns

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
energized-high-voltage-lines.jpg
Photo: OSHA

Washington — Spurred by a number of deaths in which a guy wire being worked on contacted an energized high-voltage power line, OSHA has issued a hazard alert.

In some of the cases, OSHA says its investigations revealed that the guy wires “weren’t grounded and had insulators positioned incorrectly.”

Guy wires are installed on poles for support. According to the agency, workers on the ground can be exposed to electrical hazards when:

  • Installing a new guy wire on a pole with energized lines.
  • Adjusting the tension to remove slack from a guy wire.
  • Replacing a guy wire after an incident or natural disaster.

“To protect employees, guy wires must be either effectively grounded or have properly positioned insulators to block the flow of electric current,” OSHA says.

The alert features illustrations on proper and improper positioning of insulation on guy wires.

“OSHA recommends employers follow relevant guidelines in consensus standards, such as the National Electrical Safety Code (IEEE, NESC-C2), which recommends ungrounded guy wires have insulators installed to prevent electric current from traveling down the guy wire to below 8 feet above the ground level,” the alert states.

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Stay safe when using portable light strings

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
Stay safe when using portable light strings

Photo: mokee81/iStockphoto

OSHA requires employers to ensure work areas have sufficient lighting. Sometimes that means extra help is needed. “When adequate illumination is not obtainable by permanent lighting sources,” OSHA states in standard 1915.82(a)(4), “temporary lighting may be used as supplementation.”

One solution is portable light strings. These are electric lights connected along a cable, wire or string. The Wyoming Department of Workforce Services has tips on how to use them safely:

  • Before stringing the lights, inspect the wiring and fixtures for damage.
  • Ensure the plug has a ground prong – the third prong on the plug – and test it frequently.
  • Don’t string lights near combustible items. The bulbs can get hot. Even if they’re not in direct contact with the combustible items, “heat can build up slowly until the ignition temperature is reached.”
  • All bulbs should have guards installed. “Not only will this help prevent the bulb from coming in direct contact with a combustible, it can also protect you (or someone else) from coming in contact with the bulb and getting burned.”
  • Need to replace a broken bulb on the string? Put on gloves to protect against cuts, and then disconnect the power from the light string before replacing the bulb.
  • Don’t use an ordinary light string in an area that may contain flammable vapors. “When used within an enclosed or confined space, the space must be certified as ‘Safe for Hot Work’ if a conventional string is used. If the atmosphere is not ‘Safe for Hot Work,’ then ‘explosion-proof’ lights must be used.”

McCraren Compliance offers a full range of safety and health training and consulting services. Plus we can help you incorporate well-being into your traditional systems in order to support the Total Worker Health of your workforce.

Call 888-758-4757, email info@mccrarencompliance.com or visit our website www.mccrarencompliance.com

Original article published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Work safely with lithium batteries

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Many devices, including personal gas monitors, are powered by lithium batteries, some of which (lithium-ion batteries) are rechargeable.

According to OSHA, lithium batteries are “a safe, high energy density power source for devices in the workplace.” Still, they can cause injury “if they have design defects, are made of low-quality materials, are assembled incorrectly, are used or recharged improperly, or are damaged.” A malfunctioning or improperly used lithium battery-powered device can result in a fire or an explosion.

Follow these tips from OSHA to ensure your workers stay safe:

  • Make sure lithium batteries, chargers and associated equipment are tested in accordance with an appropriate test standard and, where applicable, certified by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory.
  • Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for storage, use, charging and maintenance.
  • Confirm that replacement batteries and chargers are designed and approved for use with the device.
  • Remove lithium-powered devices and batteries from the charger once they’re fully charged.
  • Store the batteries and devices in a cool, dry place.
  • Inspect batteries and devices for signs of damage before use. If you find damage, remove the item from service; place it in a fire-resistant container; and dispose of it in accordance with local, state and federal regulations. Or, contact a local battery recycling center for disposal instructions.
  • Ensure workers who use or handle lithium-powered devices are trained on using these products.

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.

Nail Gun Safety

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Photo: NIOSH

Before you pick up that nail gun, do you know how to use it safely?

Here are a few common causes of injury that CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training says are related to improper use of nail guns: unintended firing, holding down the contact trigger when the gun isn’t firm against the work surface, ricocheting or airborne nails, nails going through the work surface, and bypassing safety features.

All of these can be avoided.

According to CPWR, here’s how:

  • Keep the nail gun pointed away from your body and other workers, especially when the air supply is connected.
  • Disconnect the compressed air if you leave a nail gun unattended, move to a new location with it, hand it off to a co-worker or are performing maintenance.
  • Don’t reach up and attempt to use the nail gun in a spot you cannot fully see. If you can’t reach the work, use a hammer instead.
  • Wear personal protective equipment: safety glasses marked with Z87+, hearing protection and steel-toed footwear.
  • Make sure you’re trained on the safe use and handling of a nail gun.

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.

MSHA – Electrical Safety Alert

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by MSHA

Always Stay Out of the Line of (Electrical) Fire

Three Miners Electrocuted in Ten Days

Electrical-Safety-Alert.pdf

Alerta de seguridad eléctrica.pdf

On January 27, 2023, two truck drivers were electrocuted after an overhead power line came in contact with their trucks.  They exited the cabs of their trucks and came in contact with electrical energy.

On February 6, 2023, a haul truck driver raised the truck bed into an overhead power line.  The driver exited the truck to extinguish a fire on the truck’s tire and was electrocuted when he tried to reenter the truck.

Always Stay Out of the Line of (Electrical) Fire, three Miners Electrocuted in Ten Days, the power line voltage is 14,400.
Photo property of MSHA
Best Practices
  • Do not stage, park or position trucks, cranes, or other equipment under overhead power lines.
  • Post warning signs at all approaches to overhead power lines; install barricades where necessary.
  • Establish safe approaches and create safe zones for raising and lowering truck beds, booms, and masts.
  • If your truck, boom, or mast contacts an overhead power line:
    • Remain inside the vehicle
    • Call emergency response personnel
    • Inform others to stay away
    • Exit the truck only if it is on fire.  To exit, jump from the truck landing with both feet together.  Do not touch the truck and ground at the same time.  Then, shuffle both feet as close as possible for at least 30 feet as you move away from the truck.

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.

CPWR: Construction industry accounts for about half of job-related electrical deaths

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

Original article published by Safety+Health

Photo: The Center for Construction Research and Training

Silver Spring, MD — Roughly half of the fatal workplace injuries related to electricity exposure in a recent 10-year period occurred in construction, according to a new report from CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training.

Using 2011-2020 data from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, researchers identified 1,501 fatal occupational electrical injuries in all industries. Of those, 49.1% involved construction workers. Additionally, 24.4% of nonfatal electrical injuries occurred in construction. CPWR says the industry employs 7% of the U.S. workforce.

Overall, fatal injuries were more often a result of direct exposure (58.8%) than indirect (38.9%). Direct exposure is associated with contacting a live wire, while indirect exposure may include operating a crane that touches a power line.

The researchers also analyzed OSHA enforcement data. Among their findings:

  • In 2020, establishments with fewer than 10 employees accounted for 71.5% of OSHA citations for violations of federal electrical standards, while comprising 81.4% of establishments overall.
  • By North American Industry Classification System code, 70.5% of citations for electrical standards involved specialty trade contractors; the NAICS code for construction of buildings (26.1%) and heavy and civil engineering construction (3.4%) followed. Specialty trade contractors accounted for 71.1% of fatal electrical injuries.
  • OSHA citations for violations of federal electrical standards decreased 73.5% from 2011 to 2021. Electrical standard citations comprised 2.7% of citations in construction in 2021 – down from 6.5% in 2011.

The report was published in the November issue of CPWR’s Data Bulletin.

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.

Where to Place Fire Extinguishers

Posted on by McCraren Compliance
First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Fire-Extinguisher-Roselle-Warehouse.jpg

Photo: Jennifer Yario

Are your workplace fire extinguishers in the right place? According to the National Fire Protection Association, employers need to consider two key factors: accessibility and visibility.
Accessible: “Extinguishers should be placed where they are readily accessible in the event of a fire, which typically includes normal paths of travel.”
Visible: “If visual obstructions cannot be avoided, then arrows, lights or signs are needed to help indicate where a fire extinguisher is located.”

Then, depending on the weight of your extinguisher, NFPA has more placement guidelines.

If your extinguisher weighs more than 40 pounds:

  • The top of the extinguisher can’t be more than 3.5 feet from the ground.
  • The bottom of the extinguisher must be at least 4 inches off the ground.

If it weighs less than 40 pounds:

  • The top of the extinguisher can’t be more than 5 feet from the ground.
  • The bottom of extinguisher must be at least 4 inches off the ground.

In both cases, NPFA notes, “this includes extinguishers in cabinets, but it does not include wheeled extinguishers.”

McCraren Compliance assists employers in protecting their workers, starting with a comprehensive Work-site Analysis, Hazard Prevention, Controls, and Safety & Health Training.

Please contact us today at 888-758-4757 to learn how we can provide mine safety training and consulting for your business.

Safe Use of Extension Cords

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Extension Cords Use

Extension cords are used found in many types of workplaces, from offices and warehouses to retail stores and construction job sites.

Unfortunately, they’re often commonly misused. Let’s go over some do’s and don’ts of extension cord safety from the Texas Department of Insurance Division of Workers’ Compensation.

Do:

  • Inspect an extension cord for physical damage before use.
  • Check that the cord matches the wattage rating on the appliance or tool you’re using.
  • Make sure all cords have been approved by an independent testing laboratory such as UL.
  • Fully insert the extension cord into the outlet.
  • Keep cords away from water.
  • Use ground-fault circuit interrupter protection when using extension cords in wet or damp environments.
  • Unplug extension cords when not in use.
  • Consider installing overhead pendants to reduce trip hazards.

Don’t:

  • Use an indoor extension cord outdoors.
  • Overload cords with more than the proper electrical load.
  • Run extension cords through doorways, holes in ceilings, walls or floors.
  • Daisy chain, or connect, multiple power strips together.
  • Move, bend or modify any of the extension cord plug’s metal parts.
  • Force a plug into an outlet.
  • Drive over an extension cord.
  • Attach extension cords to the wall with nails or staples.

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.

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.

Control Hazardous Energy: 6 Steps

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Photo: OSHA

A mainstay on OSHA’s Top 10 list of most cited violations is the standard on lockout/tagout (1910.147).

Simply put, “lockout/tagout is a safety procedure used to make sure equipment and machines are properly shut off and not able to start during maintenance or repair work,” the Texas Department of Insurance says. “This is known as controlling hazardous energy.”

Help prevent the unexpected release of stored energy with these six steps from TDI:

  1. Prepare. An authorized employee, defined by OSHA as “a person who locks out or tags out machines or equipment in order to perform servicing or maintenance on that machine or equipment,” must identify and control all potential forms of hazardous energy.
  2. Shut down. Turn off the equipment using the proper procedures. Inform all employees who use the equipment about the shutdown.
  3. Isolation. Isolate equipment from energy sources. This may mean turning off power at a breaker.
  4. Lock and tag. Apply a lockout device to keep equipment in an energy-isolating position. Then, place a tag on the device with the authorized employee’s name who performed the lockout.
  5. Check for stored energy. Hazardous energy can remain in the equipment even after the energy source has been disconnected and the machine has been locked out.
  6. Verify isolation. Check again to ensure the equipment is isolated and deenergized before service or maintenance begins.

McCraren Compliance assists employers in protecting their workers, starting with a comprehensive Work-site Analysis, Hazard Prevention, Controls, and Safety & Health Training.

Please contact us today at 888-758-4757 to learn how we can provide mine safety training and consulting for your business.

Electrical hazards in construction: OSHA and others to host webinar

Posted on by McCraren Compliance

First published by Safety+Health an NSC publication

Electrical hazards in construction: OSHA

Photo property of OSHA

Protecting construction workers from electrical hazards is the topic of a March 22 webinar hosted by OSHA and a trio of organizations.

Scheduled for 2 p.m. Eastern, the 90-minute webinar will be moderated by Kevin Cannon, director of safety and health services at the Associated General Contractors of America. Panelists are:

  • Nicholas DeJesse, OSHA regional administrator
  • Rocky Rowlett, vice president of safety at Faith Technologies
  • Scott Sears, director of safety and loss control at Walker Engineering
  • Jessica Bunting, research to practice director at CPWR – The Center for Construction Research and Training

“Two experienced electrical contractors will discuss workplace safety risks faced by their employees and how they keep their workers safe,” a Department of Labor press release states. “Related research and evidence-based solutions for addressing safety hazards will be provided by a Center to Protect Workers’ Rights representative.” Electrical hazards in construction: OSHA

Time will be reserved for a Q&A session.

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. Electrical hazards in construction: OSHA