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