Too much to loose

Graphic video clip about hand injury.

Safety Beacon - Caps and Plugs

The Truth Behind Big Words

Let me throw this idea out at you: Do you still be believe in the big words of CEO's and other big shots in companies that their goal is to make sure that people work safe and have healthy and safe workplaces for the sake of the employees? It took me a while to grow up and to understand that the foremost and only goal is to make sure that there are no recordables or lost time because that makes the company (and the CEO or whomever) a) look bad, b) costs more money, and c) raises a red flag with OSHA (or other regulatory institutions) which then closes the circle, because we are starting again with a).

It is all either about money or appearance. It is never out of ethical or moral reasons, out of the goodness of people's heart (reader's excluded - you know whom I am talking about, right, I am sure you know plenty of those folks in the above paragraph).

So - I guess I am no longer so naive. Too bad really. Because my faith in humanity gave me the passion and enthusiasm for my job. I'm not quite sure anymore how I am going to get that back. If you have an idea, please share it with me...

Hose Hazards

Online OSHA Outreach Training

Online training is rather in vogue nowadays. It can be easily accessed, is often less expensive than having an actual instructor perform the training, it complies with OSHA regulations and can be done anytime during the day or the weekend.

But no matter how well an online training course is structured, there are major flaws. Recently a new hire had to attend my safety orientation and he proudly announced that he had just completed the OSHA 10-hr Outreach online. He explained to me that he even had to take a test at the end of each section to pass the 10-hr training. “That’s great”, I said, “that means that the information I am about to give you is not new and you can tell me about your online training experience”. Well, to make a long story short, it turned out that he had no clue about even the most basic safety rules. When it came to fall protection, he did not know the difference between fall arrest and fall restraint, had never heard about SRLs, and could not give example of passive fall protection. I finally gave up on trying finding out what he knew and what not and just continued with my orientation training.

When we were done, he looked at me and said: “I now understand the difference between real training and online training. I wish you would have done the 10-hr.” Well, of course I was pleased to hear that but that’s beside the point. The point is that he spent 10 or more hours going through the online training and did not get anything out of it. I have yet to review one of those programs, so I cannot tell whether he was simply not paying attention at all and it was just a routine exercise with such a simple set-up that only his short term memory was involved but he did not retain any of the information or whether his example is only one of many.

No matter how well you set up online training, you will never be able to replace a trainer. Face-to-face interaction, the ability of ask questions, the trainer being able to get the vibes from the group whether they are paying attention and whether they are interested or not, hands-on training, workshops, group or partner work, all that is missing on online training.

I have been very lucky to have gone through training that was presented by an instructor whose knowledge, training skills, dedication and passion for safety is unrivalled. I owe him a lot. I use many of his approaches because there are none better.

I can only hope that I will have many opportunities to retrain those folks who have gone through the online training with dubious results. Safety training is not about looking at slides or texts on a screen and taking a quiz, but it is about actively starting the safety spark in each and everyone of the guys out in the field or in the manufacturing plans who are dealing with imperfect systems and designs and  who need to know how to protect themselves from workplace hazards.

Meike Patten

A fail-safe way to annoy a police officer

Someone sent me this video clip a while ago. A good icebreaker for a scaffold/aerial lift training.

Trench/Excavating Fatality - Again!

“A worker at a storage center in Brooklyn Park became buried in a trench he was digging Wednesday morning and died, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 9:15 a.m. at Public Storage, in the 8100 block of Lakeland Avenue N., said police inspector Todd Milburn.

The man, working for a private contractor, was digging the trench for a foundation at one of the facility's numerous buildings, when the "ground collapsed and buried him," the inspector said.

Efforts by police and fire personnel to revive the man failed, Milburn said.

The identity of the man, who was buried in soil up to his shoulders, has yet to be released.

State workplace safety investigators are trying to determine why the trench collapsed, Milburn said.”

And once more – a life lost in a trench excavation. What is wrong with us? Why can’t we make people work safely in trenches and applying their safety knowledge and following safety rules and regulations. The hazards of trenching -- and how to prevent trenching casualties -- were well known even before OSHA issued its standard -- like somewhere around 2300 years before OSHA. Just ask Heroditus:

All the other nations, therefore, except the Phoenicians, had double labor; for the sides of the trench fell in continually, as could not but happen, since they made the width no greater at the top than it was required to be at the bottom. But the Phoenicians showed in this the skill which they are wont to exhibit in all their undertakings. For in the portion of the work which was allotted to them they began by making the trench at the top twice as wide as the prescribed measure, and then as they dug downwards approached the sides nearer and nearer together, so that when they reached the bottom their part of the work was of the same width as the rest.

-- The Histories of Herodotus, The Persian Wars, Book 7 Polymnia, c. 484-425 BC

Not even knowing anything specific about this incident, I bet that the trench was neither sloped nor a trenchbox used, that the spoil pile was too close to the edge, that there might have been vibrations and resulting cracks and fissures (traffic, heavy equipment), and – looking at the last amount of rainfall, there could have been water in the trench and the soil soaked with water. Where was the competent person? Was there a competent person?

These preventable accidents make me sad and angry. It is not as if this is a brandnew issue and we have never dealt with this before. What can we do to drive excavation safety even more? I know, there are many companies out there, doing the right things and who knows how many lives have been protected and saved because of that. But what about the others that never seem to learn and always think it can only happen to another contractor, another person, people in another town?

This victim had dreams and plan, maybe wanted to go to a ballgame this upcoming weekend, take his family on a trip to Disneyland. Dreams and plans crushed by thousands of pounds of sand and dirt. Here is now another family without a husband and a father or brother. Here is now another family who will be heartbroken and who have to deal with this loss for the rest of their lives. Do you feel their pain? Do you see their tears? Do you see that little boy who may not play catch with his dad/granddad anymore. And if you feel and see, then let's figure out what else we can do in the future to avoid accidents like this.

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

Crane & Rigging Conference

Don't miss the Crane & Rigging Conference in Houston, TX, on July 19 and 20.

http://reachexpo2011.com/2011/05/12/crane-rigging-conference-to-focus-on-safety-productivity-and-management/

Crane & Rigging Conference to Focus on Safety, Productivity, and Management

The agenda for the Crane & Rigging Conference, to be held July 19-20 in Houston, Texas, includes presentations, panel discussions, and case studies. Sessions are designed to provide additional information relevant to the OSHA Cranes and Derricks rule released in 2010, as well as timeless safety and productivity tips. Be sure to also check out the agenda for the Industrial Crane & Hoist Conference, geared toward users of overhead cranes, at www.reachexpo2011.com.

July 19, 2011

Walter Brumley

Keynote Address: Walter Brumley, supervisor of cranes, rigging, mechanics and roads, walks and grounds for Shell Oil inDeer Park,Texas, will provide an inspirational message for riggers and crane operators. Brumley began his career as a rigger for Shell and was instrumental in developing a lifting equipment inspection program for the facility. He took over the Crane and Rigging team in 1991 and was named to his current position in 2008. He is also chairman of the Houston Business Roundtable’s Crane and Rigging Committee.

Chip Pocock

Qualifying and Documenting Riggers and Signalpersons: George “Chip” Pocock, is the safety and risk manager for Buckner Companies,Graham,N.C.He will focus on what it takes for small employers to meet OSHA’s requirements for qualified riggers and signalpersons. The session will help employers implement internal training and testing procedures and documentation processes.
Update on ASME’s New P30 Lift Planning Standard: Mike Parnell, president, Industrial Training International (ITI), Woodland, Wash.,

Mike Parnell

will highlight the progress of ASME’s newest  committee, which he chairs. This standard addresses all crane types, gantry systems, winching operations, and similar equipment in repetitive, standard, and critical applications. Parnell will provide a behind the scenes look at the development process and the standard’s importance relative to load handling activities.

Todd Allen

Assessing Ground Conditions for Crane Placement: Todd Allen, is president of Radarview, a civil/structural and geophysical survey company based inHouston,Texas. This session will discuss methods for examining subsurface ground conditions, especially as it relates to detection of voids, tanks, and utilities. The session will also include a case study review showing how subsurface defects can affect crane operations.
Panel Discussion—Qualifications of the Crane and Rigging Crew: This Q&A style session will provide attendees the opportunity to ask questions regarding the latest standards and regulations pertaining to riggers, signalers, operators, lift directors, site supervisors, and owners. The session is intended to shed light on what the qualifications and responsibilities are of these individuals. Panelists include:

• Ted Blanton, president, North American Crane Bureau,Lake Mary,Fla.
• Bo Collier, president, Crane Tech,Riverview,Fla.
• Cliff Dickinson, owner, Crane Industry Services, Villa Rica,Ga.
• Larry Kime, trainer, Crane Inspection and Certification Bureau,Orlando,Fla.
• Ron Overton, president, Overton Safety Training, Aloha,Ore.
• Mike Patten, trainer, Southwest Industrial Rigging,Phoenix,Ariz.

Hank Dutton

Avoiding Crane/Power Line Contact: This session on electrocution safety will review new rules for working around power lines per the OSHA Cranes & Derricks in Construction regulation, released last year, as well as practical methods for staying safe. William “Hank” Dutton, a senior technical specialist for cranes and rigging for Travelers Insurance, will answer some of the most frequently asked questions about power line safety.
Troubleshooting Wire Rope Problems: Speaker to be announced.
 July 20, 2011
Making the Most of Telematics in Managing Your Crane Fleet: Speaker to be announced.

Jay Shiffler	Dave Wood

Case Study—Benefits of Remanufacturing Cranes: This session will demonstrate how the service life of a crane can be extended through remanufacturing. Speakers Dave Wood, president, and Jay Shiffler, vice president business development, of WHECO Corp., will address how to determine if a crane is a good candidate for remanufacturing, how to develop a comprehensive scope of work, considerations for adding new engines and other system updates, and other key issues.

Michael Gelskey Sr.

Lessons Learned from Sling Failures: Michael Gelskey Sr., president and CEO of Lift It Manufacturing,Los Angeles,Calif., will share information about two fatalities in which synthetic slings failed. He will discuss how the accidents could have been prevented if the users had known the load weight, conducted pre-use inspections, and utilized positive sling-load engagement.

Morris Parrott

Case Study—Benefits of Modular Lifting: Morris  Parrott is the operations manager for Alltec Lifting Systems,Dickinson,Texas, which specializes in below-the-hook rigging and custom rigging solutions. In 2009, the company introduced Modular Lifting Beams, which are designed for offset centers of gravity and to accommodate large modular loads. Parrott will explain what modular lifting is and what’s driving the trend for fitting components together on the ground. He’ll also describe some of the techniques and equipment that can be used to accomplish modular lifting.

Mark Monson

Understanding Contractors Equipment Policies: The contractors equipment policy within Inland Marine insurance is a complex part of any contractors risk management program. This policy provides coverage for the potential damage to  equipment and buildings or theft of equipment. This session led by Mark Monson, director of loss control specialty for The Hanover Insurance Group, Worcester, Mass., will provide a review of the various types of equipment covered, hazards involved in operations and recommended control techniques and requirements.

Shift Work

From the "Beacon" - Link provided by Augie Rincon, ConocoPhilipps

Fall Protection

Patience is not always my forte – especially when I see the urgent need to change habits, attitudes and behaviors in regards to safety. Every day that goes by without a change in safety habits makes me nervous and I feel that I am closer to the day when something really bad will happen on one of the jobsites. As necessary changes in the standards take years to be developed and implemented, I believe it is up to us, the safety professionals, the safety instructors, the risk control managers in insurance companies, to step up and do what needs to be done, no matter whether it is supported by a standard or not. Standards are good, but they are only the minimum requirements and we can all do better than that!

Here is a prime example for the need for change and how long it took to implement the change.

In 1999, OSHA developed “interim” guidelines for residential fall protection. Unfortunately, it took 12 years to push through a new fall protection standard. In the twelve years, thousands of workers died in falls while performing work on residential buildings. No new standard can bring their lives back. Although it is laudable that residential construction now has the same stringent standards as in commercial construction, it is sad that we need so many years to deal with political catfights and lobbyists before the right thing is being done – setting standards to provide as much guidance for the protection of our workers. Of course, we still have to overcome the attitude of people that nothing has happened before, and, please, why should it happen now, that the work has been done this way for decades and there is no other way to perform the work, or that it will be much more expensive and a company will not be competitive anymore.

Luckily, the last comment is now obsolete, because all companies have to comply with the standards now and will need to think about fall prevention, how hazards can be engineered out or, if that is not possible, purchase fall protection gear and become knowledgeable about the many safety products available. However, just as ironworkers are a tough bunch, it will take time to change attitudes and bad habits. That is easier said than done. Think about one or two of your own habits that you know you should change/give up, whether it is smoking or drinking, putting things on the to-do list off for an extended period of time (changing the batteries in the smoke detectors, for example) or whether it is something less dangerous like leaving the toilet seat up. We are creatures of habit, but once we have become used to a routine it is very difficult to change that and it really takes hard work.

Below are some helpful links to OSHA’ powerpoint presentation and the compliance assistance guidelines.

www.osha.gov/doc/residential_fall_prevention.ppt

http://www.osha.gov/doc/residential_fall_protection.html

Shake hands with danger....

Are you prepared for a natural disaster?

Information provided by Augie Rincon

Citations don't always change how companies operate

"Machinery manufacturer fined more than $480,000 after endangering workers lives

OSHA issued 33 citations to the Parker Hannifin Corp. and fined the company $487,700 for numerous safety and health violations found during an inspection of its plant in Batesville, Miss. Parker Hannifin has 170 facilities throughout the country and manufactures machinery for hydraulics, air conditioning, refrigeration and aerospace systems.

OSHA issued 16 citations for repeat violations such as failing to protect workers by correcting electrical deficiencies, providing machine guarding, and attaching warning labels to hazardous chemicals. Parker Hannifin was previously cited for the same or similar violations during inspections at other company locations. OSHA also issued the company 17 citations for exposing workers to a substantial probability of death or serious physical harm from hazards including struck-by hazards due to a defective safety latch on a hoist and damaged hooks on an overhead crane and allowing unapproved electrical equipment to be used in a hazardous location where flammable chemicals were present."

This text was taken from the OSHA Quicktakes Newsletter (osha.gov). It caught my eye because obviously this company believes it is cheaper to pay the citations instead of investing this money in the necessary safety and health systems. Some of the violations are repeat violations which shows that this company already has performed poorly in the past. The citations and penalties that were issued then were apparently not sufficient to trigger a process of change.

Has OSHA lost its bite (again)? If monetary penalties are not enough, because half a million dollars is only peanuts to a company like Parker-Hannifin, what can be done to come down harder on those employers who neglect their duty and continue to operate as if they were still in the stone ages? Wasn't there talk about holding top management liable by taking them to a courtroom? I haven't heard too much about that lately. Or is this again a touchy political issue because Congress and Senate (or Democrats and Republicans) are more interested in having petty internal wars and don't focus on what keeps this country going - the people, the workers, the carpenters, the laborers, the technicians, the nurses, and and and.... Or is it because politicians have an active interest in companies and maybe get a little perk here and there, especially during election times?

Video Clip from Worksafe BC (Asbestos)

Flammable Material Release

http://www.aiche.org/CCPS/Publications/Beacon/index.aspx

To see the photos associated with this article, you need to log on (see above).

Flammable material release inside building causes explosion!

In June 2009 there was a major explosion at a meat processing plant in Garner, North Carolina, USA. A new natural gas line had been installed to supply fuel to a water

heater. The new pipe was being purged with natural gas to remove air. The natural gas from the purge was released into a building intermittently over a 2 ½ hour period. An

explosive mixture formed and ignited. The explosion destroyed the building, killed 4 workers, injured 67 people, and caused a release of 18,000 pounds of ammonia.

Most people would recognize natural gas as a fuel which could cause an explosion. But remember that the release of any flammable gas or volatile flammable liquid from piping

or equipment has the potential to cause a similar incident. Many manufacturing processes use flammable gases or liquids, and most factories, offices, and laboratories use

natural gas, propane, or other flammable fuels. In preparation for maintenance, start-up, or other work, it may be necessary to purge the flammable process material or fuel from the

pipes or equipment. This incident reminds us of the importance of purging that flammable material to a safe place where it can be safely contained, treated, or dispersed. Never

allow flammable materials to accumulate in a building, room, or any other confined space.

Do you know?

Any closed space such as abuildin g or room can allow a released flammable material to accumulate to an explosive concentration.

What can you do?  
 

Understand the fire and explosion hazards of the materials in your plant. Don’t forget about natural gas, propane, and other fuels!

When purging equipment and piping (for example, when preparing equipment for maintenance), make sure flammable materials are vented to a safe location, away from personnel and

ignition sources. Follow your plant procedures for safely purging flammable materials.

Whenever possible, purge flammable vapors and gases to collection systems which go to flares, scrubbers, or other treatment systems. Avoid purging indoors, and conduct a thorough hazard

analysis to identify job specific precautions to protect personnel if this is unavoidable.

Use flammable gas detectors to monitor areas where flammable materials may be vented or purged.

It doesn’t take much released flammable vapor in a room to cause a big explosion!

Link provided by Augie Rincon, ConocoPhilips

A small amount of flammable gas or vapor can create an explosive vapor cloud in a building or room. For example, it only takes about 11 pounds (5 kg) of propane to create a

flammable mixture in a room 20 ft. long, 20 ft. wide, and 11 ft. high (6 m. x 6 m. x 3.5 m). The 11 pounds (5kg) of propane packs as much energy as 110 pounds (50 kg) of TNT!

Fall Protection in Residential Construction

http://www.osha.gov/doc/guidance.pdf

This OSHA Document gives a good insight in what can be done for fall protection in residential construction. Also remember that for example stick frame assisted living or senior home facilities up to 3 1/2 stories high are part of residential construction and there is no longer the excuse that fall protection is not required!

Japanese government increases radiation exposure level for children

Well, there are different ways to work around disasters and catastrophes. And many of them are simply cowardly cover-ups (kindly remember the BP oil spill last year). One measure of reducing the radiation exposure level in Japan is obviously to increase the maximum exposure level. And what is more disgusting is that now the Japanese government is using this strategy also on children.

The maximum dose for children in schools and kindergarten has now been set to 3.8 microsievert per hour. Do the math. If a kid is exposed to this level 8 hours a day for a year, it is exposed to the same level as the maximum dose of a German nuclear power plant employee (20 millisievert per year).

Haven't we learned that exposure levels for children cannot be compared to the one for adults? Obviously Japan simply wants to avoid legal consequences, but what about ethics, what about their responsibility for the children of their nation, their future leaders and workers?

Per CNN from 04.21.11, "TEPCO told CNN that it cannot say that the nuclear fuel rods at the three reactors have never melted or that they are not melting right now, nor can the company say for certain that the rods have melted or are melting now.

The Japanese government says it has no detailed readings of radiation levels inside the 20-km zone. But journalists who have entered the areas have recorded radiation levels that typically range around a few thousandths of a millisieverts per hour. By comparison, a typical resident of an industrialized country receives about 3 millisieverts per year.

One reporter who came within 2 kilometers of the power plant in early April recorded a dose of about a tenth of a millisievert per hour -- high enough to increase the long-term risk of cancer with prolonged exposure, but a tiny fraction of the dose that would induce radiation sickness".

It is completely and utterly disgusting how people deal with safety, whether it is on a huge scale (BP oil spill or Fukushima) or in our own companies here at home. Regulations and standards are not worth a dime if we find ways around them or allow the government or the top management of our companies to cut corners.

That's why we in the safety profession must never be afraid to speak up and fight for what is right. Let's go out there and do our job!

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

EHS Openings - April 15

Following is a list of some of the available job openings in the Environmental, Health and Safety area that I am working on.  Should you know of anyone that might be interested in learning more about these positions please have them contact me, Paul Shrenker, directly or feel free to contact me yourself and I will give you more details.  My phone number is 413-267-4271; email address, paul@psassociatesinc.com  and fax 413-267-4287.  All searches and candidate conversations are held in strictest confidence and no resume will be mass distributed. Thanks for your help.

EHS Manager (Southern NJ) for this 350 employee privately held glass manufacturing plant.  This is a newly created position that reports to the Director of HR.  This person should have 5+ years environmental and safety experience from manufacturing (preferably some from a glass plant).  Looking for a person that would be able to change a safety culture in a plant with little employee turnover.  While the focus will be on safety, this person should also have environmental experience.  This company has not had a layoff in 30 years!

SHE Regional Manager (CT) for this consumer products company.  This person will report to the Director of SHE and will have 3 direct reports.  This person should have 10+ years experience out of chemical/pharmaceutical or plastics, a BS in Safety or related and strong plant safety experience including PSM.  Some travel will be required.

Safety Engineer (Northeast of Baltimore) for this food additive manufacturing company.  This will be the sole safety professional for this 150 employee manufacturing and r&d facility and the position will report to the Plant Superintendent.  This person should have 5+ years of safety experience preferably in a food manufacturing facility where they developed, implemented and managed a safety program.  BS in Safety,life sciences or related is required.

Safety Engineer (Milwaukee, WI area) for this heavy manufacturing plant.  This person should have 3+ years of safety experience from a manufacturing facility and a BS in Safety or related.  Additional experience should include workers comp administration, facilitating and leading cross functional teams and interaction with regulatory agencies. Regional candidates are preferred.

EHS Manager (Syracuse, NY or Alfred, NY area) for two plants totaling about 300 employees for this food manufacturing company.  The job will be weighted toward safety.  The candidate should have 5+ years she experience and 3 years of supervisory experience, a BS in Safety or related and the ability to travel 50-60% of the time.

Senior Industrial Hygienist (Southwest Louisiana) for this large chemical facility.  The position reports to the Health and Safety Manager and has one direct report.  The incumbent  must recognize, evaluate and develop control strategies for potential health hazards due to chemical exposure and physical energies.  This person will work closely with the corporate and business unit staff in the implementation of occupational health requirements.  The ideal candidate should have 6+ years IH experience, some of which should have come from a chemical, petrochem or food facility; and a BS degree in IH, Safety or related.  Certification in IH would be a plus.

Several positions that I can not post include: Health and Safety Manager, TX; Safety Specialist, IA; Environmental and Safety Specialist, NJ; EHS Manager, SD; Environmental Manager, TX;  EHS Manager, TX; Environmental Leader, FL; EHS Specialist, NJ

Positions are added weekly. If you or someone you know would like to be informed of future job opportunities as they become available, please forward their name and email address to paul@psassociatesinc.com. 

(Provided by Augie Rincon, ConocoPhilips)

The Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company

This case study was published in January 2011. If you have not read it yet - here is the link to the website of the Chemical Safety Board.

http://www.csb.gov/assets/document/Case_Study.pdf

Even if you are not working in this specific environment, the analysis of what went wrong and what was overlooked may result in you reviewing your own emergency procedures, for example.

It is a sad fact that many take for granted that nothing will happen, because nothing has happened before or that it is enough to have policies and procedures are in place. If we do not review those procedures and actively use them every single day, they are not worth the paper they are written on.

Excavation Safety Guide and Directory

I had a magazine in my mailbox today - I did not subscribe to it, I am rather sure of that - titled "2011 Excavation Safety Guide and Directory - Safety in Trenches" provided by the Pipeline Association for Public Awareness. The articles are not bad and can probaby be used in training. Here is the link to the 2010 guide: http://www.sourcegas.com/UserFiles/File/Excavation%20Safety%20Guide.pdf

There is no such thing as a “small” leak!

Link: http://www.aiche.org/CCPS/Publications/Beacon/index.aspx

Process Safety Beacon - April 2011

“The pictures (you will need to go to the webpage above and sign in to review the article) show how rapidly a small water leak at a construction site became a large and catastrophic leak. The pictures were taken just a few minutes apart!

This incident reminds us in the process   industries that it is important to report and repair any leaks that we detect in piping or other equipment. ALL leaks, no matter how small, are potentially dangerous. Leaks of toxic, combustible, or flammable materials usually have higher risks, but, as shown in the pictures, a leak of any material can be dangerous. A small leak of a very toxic material can be immediately dangerous, and a small leak of a flammable or less toxic material may grow rapidly, and become large enough that it is a major fire, explosion, or health hazard.

What can you do?

• Immediately report any leak that you observe in the course of your work. Signs of a leak include puddles, drips, discolored paint or insulation, and unusual odors. Follow up to make sure that the leak is repaired in a timely manner.
• Identify leaking material and follow your plant procedures to ensure safety until the leak can be repaired. Some examples: confine or absorb the leaking material, drain it to a safe place, set up warning signs or barricades to warn people of the hazard and keep them away, make sure that ignition sources are eliminated if the leaking material is flammable or combustible. Your plant emergency and leak procedures will include specific actions appropriate for the materials in your plant.
• Recognize that it may take time to prepare the plant for maintenance to repair the leak – pipes or vessels may have to be emptied, equipment may have to be shut down, equipment may have to be isolated from the area where work is to be done. Monitor the leak from a safe location until it can be repaired, so appropriate actions can be taken if the leak increases in size.
• When monitoring or inspecting equipment normally hidden from view (for example, covered by insulation), look for evidence of leaks and report your observations so repairs can be made.”

Augie Rincon, ConocoPhilips

March 25, 1911

Many articles and commentaries have been written about this tragic day 100 years ago.  But it is important to never forget this tragedy, just like we should never forget other disasters like the Bhopal catastrophe.

Downtown Manhattan, Greenwich Village. All of a sudden window glass bursts in a sudden explosion. Black and grey smoke starts drifting though the streets. Women are screaming for help. The people in the street stand scared. James Meehan, a police officer, jumps off his horse and runs into the burning building.

It is 4:40 PM on Saturday, March 25th, 1911 when hell breaks loose. Only five minutes later the 600 female workers of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory would have finished their work shift. It is the end of a long and stressful work week for young women workers between 16 and 26 years old. Most of them are immigrants from Russia, Italy and Germany. They work 6 days and 72 hours per week. Weekly earnings: $ 7.

Despite the bad working conditions the company is the only opportunity for the young immigrants to earn money. The owners Max Blanck and Isaac Harris who are also immigrants from Europe, know this very well. They rule the company with an iron fist and whoever complains is fired.

The Triangle Shirtwaist Company is located on the three upper floors of the ten-story building. The structure was completed in 1901 and meets the fire codes of the era. However, there is no sprinkler system installed. The owners have never performed any fire drills although there have been a number of small fires in the past.

Nobody knows why the fire started this Saturday afternoon. It is assumed that a still burning cigarette butt was the cause of the fire. The floor of the manufacturing space was always covered in flammable pieces of cloth which would spread the fire rapidly. This day will end with the death of 146 workers.

The inferno starts in the southeast wing of the 8th floor. The flames spread fast through the area as most of the furnishings are made from wood. Within seconds thousands of finished shirts on the sewing tables are in flames. The panic starts. The seamstresses try to escape the building via a stairwell that is still accessible. An accountant informs his colleagues on the 10th floor by phone about the fire. Some workers escape through a door to the roof of the building where they will later be rescued. But the phone connection to the 9th floor is interrupted and the workers still don’t know that the fire is blazing on the floor below.

James Meehan cannot see anything. When the police officer gets to the 8th floor the smoke is black and he is almost without orientation and it is hard to breathe. The 6 feet flames use up all the oxygen. The heat is unbearable. Lifeless bodies block the access to the elevator; some of them are burned beyond recognition. In the stairwell the seamstresses are falling and tripping over each other and trample each other to death.

Together with Joseph Zito, the elevator operator and another employee of the company, Meehan is able to start the elevator again. At least five times they are able to ride up to the 8th floor and the lobby and rescue workers until finally the heat and the fire destroy the elevator. The men are able to rescue more than 130 workers.

Only when the flames are breaking through the floor, the seamstresses on the 9th floor realize the situation. The stairwell in the southeast wing of the building is no longer a possible fire exit route. The door to a second stairwell is locked from the outside. The owners locked the door to prevent thieves entering the building. There is no longer an accessible stairwell. There is one more chance for the young women, a fire ladder on the outside of the building. But the ladder is damaged and collapses. 24 workers fall to their deaths.

When the first fire fighters reach the site the flames has already engulfed all three floors. The fire fighters are the last hope for the women on the 9th floor. The equipment is set up and the ladders are pulled out. And then the bystanders witness the unbelievable: the ladders are only long enough to reach up to the 6th floor. Although since 1900 more than 800 new buildings were constructed which had more than 6 floors, the equipment of the fire fighters was never replaced and updated.

The young women on the 9th floor are faced with death. Many decide to jump out of the windows from the 9th floor. Some hold hands while they jump, two or three at a time. The fire fighters try to catch the women with nets. Without success. Even the safety standards of the safety nets are not designed for jumps higher than from a 6th floor. None of the women survives. Only 18 minutes after the fire started the flames have destroyed all three floors completely.

In April 1911, after it is made public that the owners had locked the escape routes on the 9th floor, Max Blanck and Isaac Harris are accused of manslaughter. Due to their connections in city politics both are acquitted. A civil lawsuit is initiated by 23 families of the diseased and Blanck and Harris have to pay $ 75 per victim in 1913, altogether only a fifth of the insurance compensation that they received for the loss of the business.

Shortly after the disaster there is a public outcry for more workplace safety. In 1900 the International Ladies' Garment Workers' Union had been established, but this union of the female workers had not had any influence on their rights in the manufacturing companies. On June 20, 1911, only three months after the fire, Governor John Alden Dix signed a law which initiated the foundation of the Factory Investigation Commission. Frances Perkins, later the Labor Secretary, was the chairman of the commission and fought for integration and implementation of worker’s rights, resulting in the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

Frances Perkins was one of the eye witnesses of the disaster of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory. After she retired from active politics she told reporters her reasons for her initiative to fight for worker’s rights. She said that the tragedy she witnessed on March 25, 1911 was forever etched into her memory and the disaster was the reason why she dedicated her life’s work to the fight against inhuman working conditions.

Based on an article in www.spiegel.de 03.29.11

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

TEPKO partially blames Fukushima Workers for their burn injuries from radioactive exposure!

It amazes me that after all the things that went wrong in Fukushima, the workers are still partially blamed for their own injuries.  Excuse me, folks, this is just the biggest BS I have ever heard. These are men who are trying to do everything to protect their own people, their own country, repairing and fixing whatever they can - and all at the cost of their own lives – you don’t really think that these men, these heroes really, will enjoy a nice long retirement. With the incredible radiation they are exposed to, they know that they have signed their death certificate. They are giving their lives for others. And Tepco is trying to tell us the burn injuries are partially their own fault?

(CNN) – “The water three men were exposed to while working at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant had 10,000 times the amount of radiation typical for that locale, an official with the Japan nuclear and industrial safety agency said Friday. The contamination is likely from the No. 3 reactor's core, the official, Hidehiko Nishiyama said. He said there's a possibility of "some sort of leakage" -- including potentially from a crack in the unit's containment vessel.

The incident raised questions about radiation control measures at the plant as 536 people -- including government authorities and firefighters continued working there Friday, according to an official with the plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Co.

Workers are undertaking various measures to prevent the further release of radioactive substances into the air and beyond.

Some 17 people already have been exposed to 100 or more millisieverts of radiation since the plant's crisis began two weeks ago after a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck.

A person in an industrialized country is naturally exposed to 3 millisieverts of radiation a year. But Japan's health ministry recently raised the maximum level of exposure for a person working to address the crisis at the nuclear plant from 100 millisieverts to 250 millisieverts per year” (http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/03/25/japan.nuclear.reactors/index.html?hpt=T1).

Spiegel. De (http://www.spiegel.de/panorama/0,1518,753058,00.html. 03.25.11) indicates that Tepco says that the injuries the workers received who were exposed to the radioactive water in reactor block 3 were partially their own fault (!). Tepco claims that the workers had measuring devices but ignored the alarm. On Thursday the men had been working in the lower floor of the turbine building of reactor block 3. The day before there had been no water and no increased radiation. Therefore, they were not wearing special protective high work boots, and the water was seeping into their work shoes. Two of the three workers were transported to a special clinic as they had burn injuries. Today they will be transported from the hospital in Fukushima to the city of Chiba south of Tokyo – to the national institute for radiation research.

Isn’t it very interesting that Japan’s health ministry suddenly decided to raise the maximum level of exposure more than 100% - simply to make the exposure seem to be not as lethal as before? Like in so many instances, these are attempts to cover up the safety issues that were ignored over a long period of time, and now it is the man on the street, the workers, the people of Japan that are suffering and will continue to suffer, simply because at one point in time it was too “expensive” and “inconvenient” to pre-plan for the worst-case-scenario and be satisfied with mediocre safety precautions.

And, let’s face it. The radioactivity is spreading to the US, Iceland and Europe. Maybe the levels are indeed very low, but let’s not forget that even if the reactors will be cooled and there is not immediate danger of meltdowns, they will continue to emit radiation until they are enclosed. This means that radioactivity will continuously be released and spread across our globe.

And if you believe that this can only happen in Japan, because we here in the US are so much more safety oriented, let me remind you of Hanford, WA.

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

Safety Issues in the Nuclear Power Plant Fukushima

Based on an article taken from www.Spiegel.de on 03/17/11, fundamental errors were made during the construction planning stage of the nuclear power plant Fukushima Daiichi. An engineer who was involved in the construction of the plant, Shiro Qgura, said that at the beginning of the construction of reactor 1 in 1967, the construction design based on the US company General Electric were used.

Although the location on the sandy coast line in the northeast of Japan is an earthquake prone area close to the ocean and is apparently different than the location of the US nuclear power plants, neither reactors nor safety systems were planned involving a possible tsunami. Despite the differences, the construction design was almost identical to the US plants. Ogura said that the danger of tsunamis was not at all taken into consideration. Ogura was involved in designing the cooling systems for all reactors except the fourth, according to the Japanese newspaper “Hokkaido”. Oguro said that that they were close to being ignorant, and that they did not ensure that the safety systems were sufficient.

The retired engineer emphasized the Japanese lack of experience in regards to nuclear technology during that time. He said that during the construction/design of reactor #1 they had no experience. They knew that the location was in the danger zone of earthquakes and tsunamis but that they were not able to take these dangers into consideration.

During the construction of the second reactor the design of GE was improved. However, apparently it was not enough. Oruga continued: “At that time we were told that in this area there was no danger of earthquakes stronger than 8 on the Richter scale”. During the following decades these statements were not revised. Shortly before his retirement the systems had been reviewed in regards to earthquakes but a strong earthquake as the recent one was not considered. “I feel responsible”, Oruga said in regards to the nuclear catastrophe.

Engineer Masashi Goto, who was also a previous employee of Toshiba, said that the catastrophe of the past days have shown that besides the power supply other safety systems were insufficiently planed for an emergency. The containment which houses the reactor pressure container was only rated for 50% of the pressure which actually occurred after the event. In addition he believes that the diameter of the pipes which have been used in the past days to release the steam from the containment might be too small. Multiple safety systems which should have been installed independently of each other were insufficient. When the pumps ceased to function due to the failure of the emergency power supply, replacement systems had been used which were designed for fire protection but not for the cooling of nuclear reactors.

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

Bad Things Can Come in Small Packages (Hazardous Waste - Chemical Reactions)

Review the original article at the "Process Safety Beacon", March Edition - Messages for Manufacturing Personnel

http://www.aiche.org/CCPS/Publications/Beacon/index.aspx

An incident occurred while decontaminating a pail containing hazardous waste. An operator was neutralizing a small quantity of process waste which had been drained into a pail during a maintenance operation. It contained small amounts of metallic sodium, a material that reacts violently with water. The procedure was to add dry methanol to the waste in the pail, warm it, and allow it to react for 6-7 hours. The operator followed the procedure and, after the reaction period he poured the liquid waste from the pail. He was preparing to flush the pail when more material from the pail spilled, contacted water from rainfall, and set off an exothermic reaction that injured the operator.

The pictures show pails, drums, and other small containers of hazardous waste, stored prior to disposal. It is important to remember that there can be serious hazards, even for hazardous materials and wastes stored in relatively small quantities. In particular, small containers can be very hazardous for people working near the materials – perhaps adding additional waste to the containers or conducting some kind of neutralization, decontamination, or other chemical operations. It is also important to consider the storage conditions for hazardous waste – for example, are there hazards from high temperature (polymerization, decomposition) or low temperature (freezing)?

Why did it happen?

The waste pail was found containing 2-3 inches of sludge from the maintenance procedure, and was not labeled. The operator asked other operators about the

waste and was told to dispose of it in the usual way. However, the sludge contained

a layer of solids that prevented the sodium from contacting the methanol and reacting

as desired. The procedure did not require the operator to mix the neutralized solution

to ensure complete reaction.

What can you do?

• Label all containers, especially those containing process waste.
• Remember that even small containers can present a
• big hazard.
• Test unknown materials so you know what they are, and safe waste disposal procedures can be developed.
• Make sure that maintenance procedures include instructions on safe waste labeling and disposal.
• During routine drainage operations report anything unusual (for example, sludge or unexpected solids) to your supervisor.

Link sent in by Augie Rincon, ConocoPhilips

Gasoline Vapors

Augie Rincon, ConocoPhillips

"That's impossible!"

 

The other day I talked about the new crane standard and about the General Contractor’s duties and responsibilities in front of a bunch of project managers. I reviewed the overall responsibilities and preparation of ground conditions, actually performing JSA’s (horror!), power line safety and work control radius. The crane company representative said the safest way would be a 360 degree work radius clearance around the crane and adding an extra few feet to the radius to be on the safe side. One of the project managers immediately spoke up and said: “That’s IMPOSSIBLE!”  Really?

It seems there are always people who don’t get it. I realized that it was not enough to simply present the new standard and leave it at that. For the second overview session (for other project managers and superintendents) I approached one of the attendants of the first meeting and told him that I needed a “partner in crime”. After the overview, I will act as if I was a lawyer presenting a crane accident in court and will “pick” my partner, asking him (as well as the attending VP) a number of questions. Hopefully the group will understand that a good lawyer (which I am not pretending to be!!) will take them apart and crush them in a heartbeat and that the notion that safety is “impossible” is not an option.

Here are some questions I will ask:

1. How long have you been in the construction industry?
2. Are you aware of the new standard and the regulations and do you understand the provisions?
   Have you been informed about the responsibilities of the General Contractor?
3. Did you have a preconstruction meeting with the superintendent and the crane company to discuss the plans and conditions?
4. Where is the documentation?
5. Did you perform a JSA? Why not? Do you know how to perform a JSA?
   
6. Mr. VP, it is your responsibility to make sure that your employees follow the regulations. We have just heard that the employee stated that he understands the regulations and knows how to perform a JSA. Can you explain why – although project managers and superintendents have the tools and knowledge available and are aware of the regulations, the JSA was not performed, the work control radius was set up improperly, the sidewalk was not closed, the suspended load was swinging over the public sidewalk, injuring a pedestrian and a worker on the jobs site?
7. Mr. VP, to my knowledge you were a safety manager in one of your previous employments. Is that correct? How long have you been in that position?
8. Mr. VP, you stated before that you are part of the job site start up meetings. A pre-task risk assessment form is available. However, I do not see any documentation that you addressed job site specific hazards in general and crane safety in particular. In addition, I was informed that you visited the job site to review site safety, but you failed to point out the hazard.

 Ah – before you wonder whether I will still have a job after I am done with that session – the VP is part of the “game”….

 Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

 

OSHA’s Crystalline Silica Rule Close To Publication

Washington – A proposed rule for occupational exposure to crystalline silica is scheduled for publication in April.
In the works since at least 1997, the rule was submitted to the Office of Management and Budget for review on Feb. 14. It would update OSHA’s current crystalline silica standards, which have permissible exposure limits for general industry, construction and shipyards based on 40-year-old formulas – some of which are considered obsolete.
Crystalline silica is a component of soil made of minerals that can be found in many industries. Exposure to it can cause silicosis, a fatal respiratory disease.

(As seen on the National Safety Council's Website: http://www.nsc.org/safetyhealth/Pages/OSHA%E2%80%99scrystallinesilicaruleclosetopublication_2.16.11.aspx)

Skyjack - What you should NOT do....

"I chose to look the other way..."

February 8^th, 2011: Two construction workers died Tuesday after falling 65 feet down an elevator shaft at a building on the Upper West Side, police said. Emergency responders were called to 150 W. 83rd Street on Tuesday morning after two men who had been welding steel beams inside the shaft fell from the fifth floor. The identities of the men, ages 51 and 49, were not immediately released pending family notification. The commissioner of the city’s Department of Buildings, said it appears the men were not wearing harnesses or using other safety measures, such as netting. “This accident serves as a reminder to everyone who goes on the construction site every day that experience alone is not enough and they must take precautions and they must be safe,” he said.

Every day people get hurt at their workplace or on construction job sites. Every day I get “Construction Accident Reports” through Google.  And this is a prime example of accidents that don’t need to happen. I have tried to use these accident reports in training – also the NIOSH FACE reports – but it seems to me that if an accident does not take place in the home town, it will always be “the other guy” that it happens to. Folks, it is NOT always the other guy somewhere in New York State or Indiana or California. And in this tragic example, safety regulations and precautions were bypassed like in so many other occasions. When will we ever learn? And these guys, 49 and 51 years old, were certainly workers with a lot of experience – like so many others. It is not always the young workers that have accidents. Without knowing the background of this accident it is difficult to speculate why the two workers were not protected. Was it because they have done this work unprotected many times before and did not believe an accident could happen to them? Didn’t they have the proper fall protection equipment? Were they told to “just” do the job?

Two men are dead. They are now part of a cold, faceless statistic. And it should not have happened. The road to hell is not only paved with good intentions but also with the “should have’s”. Also the “should have’s” of management ---- “I should have said something when I saw that the workers were not wearing heard hats, but I had more important things to do”.

Here’s a poem (part of it) from Don Merrell that I found a while ago.

I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look the other way.

It wasn't that I didn't care, I had the time, and I was there.

But I didn't want to seem a fool or argue over a safety rule.

I knew he'd done the job before, if I spoke up, he might get sore.

The chances didn't seem that bad, I’d done the same, he knew I had.

So I shook my head and walked on by, he knew the risks as well as I.

He took the chance, I closed an eye, and with that act, I let him die.

I could have saved a life that day, but I chose to look the other way.

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

Residential Fall Protection

Tightening the fall protection requirements for residential construction was long overdue. Frankly, the interim guidelines were a joke. I have never seen so many unsafe actions and heard so many excuses by subcontractors as to why fall protection in residential construction is not feasible. It strikes me as odd that in their mind obviously a fall from a 15’ residential building hurts less than a fall from a 15’ commercial building. Most annoying for me was always the painted warning line. I just never understood how a painted line on a flat roof was in fact warning someone that the leading edge was really, really close by, especially if material was conveniently stored on the deck or roof and partially covered the painted line.

It will take some rethinking and adjustment to quite a number of residential construction companies or subcontractors on buildings that fell under the residential “standards”. There is such a variety of fall protection equipment that can also be used in conjunction with wooden rood truss work – if assembly on the ground or from elevated work platforms is not an option. It’s all about changing attitudes. Especially the attitude that safety is expensive, time consuming and inconvenient. It’s not. But we are all creatures of habit and changing a bad habit is hard work, means that we have to work to overcome the habit and adopt a new one. If you are a smoker and try to quit smoking, you probably know what I mean. It is time consuming and often times inconvenient to change ourselves. That’s the whole point.

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining

Safety Links

Drop Tests with PPE
http://www.dguv.de/ifa/en/pub/rep/rep05/bgia0206/index.jsp

Construction Photos
http://myconstructionphotos.smugmug.com/gallery/2213775#57213264_wMFzA

MSA Safety Links
http://www.msanet.com/prism/links.htm

OSHA withdraws proposed MSD column on injury/illness logs

"On Jan. 25, OSHA announced that it has temporarily withdrawn its proposal to restore a column for work-related musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) on employer injury and illness logs, citing concerns from small businesses. Some safety stakeholders, however, expressed disappointment over the withdrawal."

Read the full article at:

http://ehstoday.com/standards/osha/osha-withdraws-msd-column-injury-illness-logs-0126/

Do you have a top management which is a safety "wanna-be"?

Are you fighting an unresponsive and only vaguely committed management? Or are you one of the lucky safety managers who can rely on management, has a safety budget, and knows that he will be able to improve safety on a continuous basis?

I assume that most of us have to deal with mediocrity and lip service, with a management that does not walk-the-talk, only “commits” to safety when it is convenient. Whatever you do is either shot down by management or modified so you only achieve part of what actually could be achieved. Have you felt the need to run and scream and curse from the bottom of your heart and never set foot into the company again? Let me tell you – you are not alone. And that’s exactly the reason why I blog. I want to assure whoever reads the blogs that we all – or at least very many – face the same issues. And yes, I was hoping not only for readers but also for comments. Maybe at some time someone will comment. I can only hope.

However, if - with all the trouble you have with management, you have been able to establish a good and trusting relationship with foremen, supervisors and workers, and they will openly talk to you about their issues and what they believe needs to be done or rant about management and tell you how they REALLY feel, you have in fact achieved a lot already. With their help you will be able to achieve more. Although even as a combined force you may not change management, at least you can instill in the field crew and in the plant workers the desire to help you in your efforts. It may be only a small and quiet rebellion against management’s mediocrity, but the workers will feed on your passion and enthusiasm and in turn you will be able to rely on them.

Let’s all keep up the good fight!

Safety Commitees - Blessing or Curse?

Safety Committees can be a great means of getting folks together and discuss issues like near misses, make improvement suggestions etc. Unfortunately, there are numerous occasions where committee members are only reluctantly participating, are looking for excuses to not attend and only sit silently in the meetings, not willing to voice their opinion. This is a problem. A rather big problem.

1.       The committee members are not volunteers but have been selected by management. Can this be resolved? Maybe, maybe not. In a small to medium size company there are not that many employees available and therefore, the selection is limited. But even if they have been selected by management, the chair person can use his or her personality and make the committee meetings more interesting.

2.       Management is part of the safety committee. This can be an issue. Not everybody has the courage to speak up when someone from the corner office is sitting in and listening in or even attends the meeting as a chair person. Management can be part of the committee to show commitment and visibility and interest in safety. However, if the other members are not feeling as equals, get management out of the picture. Politely but determinedly. If they refuse, for whatever reason, select committee members who have a reputation of not being afraid.

3.       Here’s what you can try: Every other month (or more often) have a formal safety committee meeting in the office, for example with General Superintendent, Superintendents, Project Managers and the VP. In addition – as it is quite difficult to get carpenters, laborers and technicians into the office to be part of the committee, bring a similar meeting to the jobsite (and bring donuts or candy ---- guys and chocolate is not necessarily an oxymoron…).

a.       Don’t always facilitate the formal safety committee meetings yourself, have others work as well. Review the most important issues and in the first meeting have the members of the safety committee draw a topic each. He or she will have several weeks to research the issue, discuss with the field or with the office employees and then present possible solutions which are then discussed in the second half of the meeting. Here are some examples of what can be discussed:

                                                              i.      Research and determine why there is reluctance to use authority to enforce OSHA and company specific rules on jobsites. Present examples and solutions.

                                                            ii.      Research and determine how project managers can be more involved in safety. How can we make sure they actually address safety issues? Is it because they may not have the knowledge what hazards may be an issue or what needs to be done to preplan safety? Present solutions.

                                                          iii.      Research and determine JHA/JSA procedure and why the procedure is not followed through. Review why jobs are often started without an initial hazard review and what can be done to change this?

                                                           iv.      Research and determine in how far safety performance of the company and its employees can be used as a marketing tool (not only EMR rate or zero lost time accidents). In how far would a construction company that puts a high value on safe work practices be of advantage to a client?

                                                             v.      Research and determine why the focus is too often on fixing problems instead of preventing them in the first place? Present solutions.

b.      Based on what was discussed in the formal safety committee meeting, discuss the same topic in the field and get their input.

The researched topics will provide a great basis for discussion. Having management (VP) in the meeting may now actually be helpful, because he (or she) will have to research a topic himself, “earn” his safety activity points, and he can also see who was actually visibly interested in safety – it may come as a surprise to some committee members in the annual performance review that the VP wasn’t sitting in just for decoration but that he indeed paid attention to the commitment of the others.

Meike Patten, MPSafetyTraining