Safe-Teen: Avoiding Hazards on the Job

Safe-Teen: Avoiding Hazards on the Job

Familydoctor.org reports that 70,000 teens get injured on the job and even had to undergo emergency treatment. Worse, 70 teens die because of job-related injuries, such as unsafe equipment, stressful conditions, and lack of safety training or supervision.

Considering these, every teen should realize that they face real, life-threatening risks while in the workplace. For instance, for those working in the food service industry, Familydoctor.org cites hazards such as slippery floors, sharp objects, and hot surfaces, like grills, stoves, and pans. For those doing office work, poor computer workstation design can cause repetitive movement injuries. Teens who work in retail stores may also experience injuries from heavy lifting. On the other hand, they could be exposed to unsafe conditions like robberies and other violent crimes.

It is important that teens know the possible hazards they may encounter while working so they can avoid getting hurt.

Safety Training - West Nile virus threatens outdoor workers

West Nile virus, which is spread to humans through the bite of infected mosquitoes, can cause severe symptoms from a single bite – from high fever and neck stiffness to coma, tremors, vision loss and paralysis.

Outdoor workers face the greatest risk, including farmers, foresters, landscapers, roofers, painters and construction workers.

The mosquito threat is greatest in the summer, and continues through September, as long as the weather stays warm.

NIOSH provides employers with the following tips on protecting workers:

* provide training that describes how the virus is transmitted.
* stress the importance of reporting all work-related injuries.
* provide a medical surveillance system that monitors the symptoms.
* provide workers with protective clothing and repellents.
* reduce worker exposure to mosquitoes by not having them work outdoors when mosquitoes are most active.
* eliminate as many standing sources of water as possible to decrease the mosquito population.

Groundskeeping and outdoor workers also face other types of occupational risks. Keep them safe by learning more about Coastal's safety training programs.

Safety Training - Hearing loss from chemicals

Noise is the workplace hazard normally associated with occupational hearing loss. But health and safety researchers are giving increased attention to a lesser-known threat to normal hearing – ototoxins.

Industrial Hygiene News reports that ototoxins are chemicals that can damage the auditory nerve and cochlear hair cells in the inner ear, with routes of exposure through inhalation, ingestion, and skin absorption. When ototoxic chemicals enter the bloodstream, they can be circulated to the ear and lead to mild hearing loss or profound deafness.

The work activities where noise and ototoxins combine include painting, printing, construction, manufacturing of metal, leather, and petroleum products and fueling vehicles and aircraft.

The following control strategies have been recommended by various U.S. agencies:

* Perform task-based assessments of individual worker exposure to ototoxic chemicals using personal air sampling devices and/or skin and surface samplers.
* Take steps to reduce potential ototoxin exposures through inhalation, ingestion, or skin absorption.
* Conduct yearly audiograms for workers exposed to ototoxins when Airborne and dermal exposure levels are high.

For more information on the combined effects of chemicals and noise, see the NIOSH Topic Page at NIOSH.

Safety Training - Columbus Steel receives OSHA fine

OSHA issued citations against Columbus Steel Castings Co. yesterday for two repeat and 59 serious violations of federal workplace safety and health standards, resulting in a $257,500 penalty.

OSHA personnel opened an investigation at the steel casting and manufacturing facility in March based on injury and illness data reported by the business and following receipt of complaints and two accidents earlier this year. As a result, OSHA found that Columbus Steel Castings Co. had failed to correct hazards involving missing or inadequate standard guardrails and inadequate guarding of vertical belts that posed a risk to workers. In each case, OSHA issued repeat violations based on an October 2003 investigation that found the same or similar hazards, which were cited and certified as corrected by the company.

The 59 serious citations issued by OSHA covered a variety of hazards including confined spaces; lockout/tagout issues; problems with overhead cranes and forklifts; electrical hazards; inadequate machine guarding; and the improper storage of oxygen and fuel gas cylinders.

The Columbus, OH facility has been inspected four times since 2003, including a fatality investigation that year. The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to appeal before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Aerial work platforms

Manlifts and scissor lifts, if used correctly, provide quick and safe access to work areas that at one time could only be reached from scaffolding or a crane's manbasket. These lifts are important tools, but there are right and wrong ways to use them safely.

According to Toolboxtopics.com, the most important tip to remember before operating any aerial lift platform, is always read and follow the manufacturer's safety and operation manual. This information must be kept on the rig, and can usually be found in a PVC tube that's tied to the machine's frame or rails.

Other safe operating procedures for manlifts and scissor lifts include:

• Always check for overhead obstructions before driving or elevating the platform.
• Refuel tanks only when the unit is turned off. If battery powered, the batteries should be charged only in a well ventilated area, away from any open flame.
• Prior to each shift a safety inspection should be completed by the operator; this includes both a visual inspection and a function test.
• Elevate the platform only when it is on a firm, level surface.
Scissor lifts are efficient one-direction lifts. They provide a solid surface to work from, but always remember:
• Guardrail, midrails and toeboards must be in place. The toe board can be omitted at the door.
• The platform must be equipped with a mechanical parking brake that will hold the unit securely on any slope it is capable of climbing. The brake should be tested periodically.
• Never use the lift's rails, planks across the rails, or a ladder, to gain additional height.
Unique hazards for manlifts: Manlifts can move in more than a single direction, increasing the risk of mishaps, so it's important to remember the following:
• When ever working out of a manlift, a full body harness must be worn, and properly attached to the basket. A sudden jolt has thrown people from manlifts, before they could react.
• Always maintain a safe distance from debris piles, drop-offs, floor openings, etc.
• Never drive the manlift when it is elevated above the limit the manufacturer considers safe. Each piece of equipment will state what the maximum extension can be while being driven.

Avian flu preparedness

In the event of an Avian flu pandemic, businesses will play a key role in protecting employees’ health and safety as well as limiting the negative impact to the economy.

Pandemicflu.gov offers a contingency plan with six separate areas of consideration, including how companies should plan for the impact of a pandemic on your employees:

• Forecast and allow for employee absences
• Implement guidelines to modify the frequency and type of face-to-face contact
• Encourage and track annual influenza vaccinations
• Evaluate employee access to and availability of healthcare services
• Evaluate employee access to and availability of mental health and social services
• Identify employees with special needs and incorporate their requirements into your preparedness plan

To review the other steps in the plan, go to: http://www.pandemicflu.gov/plan/businesschecklist.html

Fall protection tips

Want a quick lesson on fall protection? OSHA’s New Fall Protection Quick Card provides helpful tips to prevent falls on the ground and on ladders, including:

* Identify all potential tripping and fall hazards before work starts
* Inspect fall protection equipment for defects before use
* Secure and stabilize all ladders before climbing
* Use handrails when you go up and down stairs
* Practice good housekeeping – keep cords, welding leads and air hoses out of walkways or adjacent work areas.

For a complete look at the Quick Card, go to: http://www.osha.gov/Publications/fall_protection_qc.html

Emergency planning for small businesses

September is National Preparedness Month, the time to focus on the job of getting prepared for the naturally-occurring or man-made disasters. Small business must focus on emergency planning, because 25 percent of them do not reopen following major disasters, according to the Institute for Business and Home Safety.

In an effort to protect the city’s 65,000 small businesses from earthquakes, fires, electrical outages, severe storms, hazardous material spills, tsunamis and acts of terrorism, The San Francisco Small Business Commission offered these helpful tips, which businesses everywhere can follow:

* Protect critical systems such as computers and telephone equipment from failure or attack by installing surge protectors and antivirus software
* Assemble and store emergency supplies
* Provide for emergency backup power and lighting
* Identify and post evacuation routes and assembly areas
* Develop an emergency communication plan – assess alternate communication systems
* Establish a notification plan and emergency contact list
* Conduct regular exercises with employees to review emergency procedures
* Establish an emergency training plan -- orient employees to your specific recovery plans and provide staff training in first aid and CPR

Vibration hazards

Vibrations caused by power tools, vehicles and heavy equipment expose six million workers to whole-body and hands-transmitted vibration, which can cause vascular, neural and musculoskeletal disorders, according to NIOSH.

A study by Loughborough University in England produced a long list of sources of occupational vibration – from power and impact tools to vehicle seat dynamics and steering wheel vibration (for the complete list, go to: http://www.lboro.ac.uk/departments/hu/groups/noisevib).

The Canadian Center for Occupational Health and Safety says employers can measure vibration with accelerometers and frequency analyzers. They can protect workers from vibration by providing them with appropriate tools and vibration-absorbing materials like gloves. The can train their employees on safe work practices, such as employing a minimum hand grip, avoiding continuous exposure and maintaining sharpened cutting tools. They should encourage employees to consult doctors at the first sign of vibration disease.

Safety audits for Labor Day

The American Society of Safety Engineers is recommending that employers commemorate Labor Day by conducting a companywide safety audit as part of their efforts to protect workers, according to Business & Labor Reports.

“A safety audit is a tool occupational safety, health and environmental practitioners use to assess workplace hazards and risk and make recommendations for reducing them in an effort to prevent accidents, injuries and illnesses,” ASSE president Donald S. Jones said. “With more than 5,000 people dying each year from on-the-job accidents and four million suffering from workplace injuries and illnesses, we must continue to work diligently to protect our workers.”

Safety audits are part of a safety management system that monitors safety and health performance, as well as compliance with OSHA and other regulatory standards. Each component of the total system is included: management policy, operating procedures, emergency procedures and training. The aim is to disclose the strengths and weaknesses, with the objective of minimizing loss through accidents. The outcome of the audit will be a report, followed by an action plan, which must be monitored. The audit will be carried out by a competent team that is independent from the company.