Tag Archives: dangers

General Safety Issues, Health Issues

MINE SAFETY AND HEALTH (GUEST POST)

By Jack Rubinger www.DuraLabel.com

403-469-3024 – jarubinger@graphicproducts.com 

Mine Safety & Health – New DVD from Graphic Products 

Portland, OR – Graphic Products, the world’s leading industrial label printer and supplier, has released “Mine Safety & Health”— a mining safety DVD created to generate increased awareness about the dangers of mining and to offer safety sign and label solutions. Mining disasters are dramatic and extremely dangerous. Know what to expect and how to lead workers to safety with this free DVD, which is available to those who fill out a form located at http://duralabel.com/free-gifts/free-msha-mining-dvd.php. 

Fires, cave-ins, explosions and other disasters hit miners and their families hard and safety signs and labels must perform 24/7/365 under some of the harshest conditions imaginable – deep underground, covered by soot and dust and in the dark and frigid cold. 

Clocking in at more than one hour, this value-packed DVD, viewable in both Spanish and English, educates viewers about chemical hazards, the dangers of dust and introduces the  DuraLabel Toro, the first 4-inch, battery-powered, fully network-independent printer that can go anywhere — making it ideal for miners. 

Compared to traditional vinyl cutters, which are slow and cumbersome, DuraLabel printers produce a wide range of labels in just minutes. 

“Mine equipment operators, mill operators and maintenance personnel face dangers every day, but traditional safety sign ordering methods are costly and too slow to make an immediate impact on safety,” explained Steve Stevenson, Chief Marketing Officer, Graphic Products, Inc. “Many Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) managers still dig through thick catalogs in search of just the right sign with the correct dimensions, colors and MSHA compliant language. Requisitions slow the process further. Ordering custom signs from sign shops is expensive and slow — especially for delivery to remote locations. Ordering signs from catalogs hinders getting signs up quickly.”  

The good news? Thermal transfer printers from Graphic Products, Inc. may be ordered directly and delivered overnight to remote sites. Almost immediately, users can create all the signs and labels needed and they’ll perform anywhere in and around the mine. Thermal transfer printers use heat to literally “bake” on graphics and text to vinyl and other supplies which have been tested to perform under the most demanding conditions. 

Signs and labels impact every inch of every mine. While no two mines are alike, most will benefit from traffic signs, facility signs, no smoking/cell phone signs, mine permit boundary signs and identification tags for exploration as well as pipe markers, valve tags and high voltage and Arc Flash NFPA70E signs. 

Graphic Products, Inc. manufactures mobile and wide-format labeling systems used by mining operations, manufacturers, international shipping lines, distribution centers, and oil refineries worldwide. Customers include Amazon.com, Boeing, Intel and Toyota. 

To underscore its commitment to visual communications, Graphic Products provides a growing selection of free published articles, best practice guides, handbooks, webinars, blogs, and informational videos. 

Graphic Products offers more than 50 unique labeling supplies for virtually any industrial demand, as well as advanced labeling systems for any size job. DuraLabel and Graphic Products have solved problems in the industrial safety arena for more than 40 years. For more information, visit www.DuraLabel.com, call 800-788-5572 or email Jack Rubinger at jarubinger@graphicproducts.com.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Head Protection, Protective Clothing

MAY IS NATIONAL ELECTRIC SAFETY MONTH

The theme of this year’s National Electrical Safety Month is “Be in the Know about the New.”  Sponsored by the Electrical Safety Foundation (ESFI), a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school, and workplace.  This month’s observance is to increase public awareness of electrical hazards in order to reduce the number of electricity-related fires, fatalities, injuries, and property loss.  We often take electricity for granted.  There are new ways of furnishing electricity, such as solar power and wind power.  The electricity that you use in your home travels through an electrical grid, going through an interconnected network of generating plants, transformers, and transmission lines.  

Solar power is derived from sunlight.  Sunlight can be directly utilized, converted in electrical energy, or converted into mechanical energy.  This is an important source of sustainable alternate energy.  Three common types of solar power are:

  •         Passive Solar
  •         Photovoltaic (Solar Cells)
  •         Solar Thermal (Electric Power Plants)

Solar power is advantageous for its cost effectiveness and environmental friendliness.  However, before choosing to install a solar power system for your home there are a variety of considerations.

  •          Your property should have open rooftop space or land that is free of shade five hours per day. 
  •          You should have your home evaluated by a licensed, qualified professional to ensure it can support this new technology.
  •          Only professionals should be hired to install and repair solar panels at your home or workplace.
  •          Building, electrical, and plumbing codes also apply to solar power installations.
  •         Solar power systems present unique safety challenges for fire fighters.  In the event of a fire, inform all officials of the use of solar panels as well as  identify the type used, in order to help them assess the risks. 

Wind power has become more mainstream in recent years.  The power of the wind is harnessed and transformed into electrical energy through the use of wind turbines; when wind blows over the blades of the wheel, it creates lift, causing them to turn.  The blades are connected to a shaft, which turns an electric generator, thus converting kinetic energy into electric energy.

Here again, there are certain aspects that homeowners should consider, such as:

  •          An average annual wind speed of at least 10 mph is considered necessary to make a small wind system economical.
  •          Determine the requirement and costs for connecting your system to the grid by checking with your utility company.
  •          Be sure of your household electricity needs and purchase the correct size wind turbine. 

We have named a couple of new sources of electric energy.  One thing remains: electricity is dangerous.  Here are some things you should know about electrical safety: 

  •          Arcing faults are one of the major causes of more than 50,000 home electrical fires that occur each year in the United States.  This is a dangerous problem caused by damaged, overheated, or stressed electrical wiring or devices.
  •          GFCI’s (Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters are designed to protect people from shock and electrocution.  They constantly monitor electricity flowing in a circuit, and switch off power if they sense any loss of current.  According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, GFCI’s could prevent over two-thirds of home electrocutions that occur each year.
  •         TRR’s (Tamper Resistant Receptacles) look like regular outlets, but are designed with spring-loaded receptacle cover plates that close off the receptacle openings, or slots.  The 2011 National Electrical Code (NEC) requires installation of TRRs in all new homes because they have proven to be so effective.
  •          Every year in the U.S. more than 2,400 children under ten years old are treated in emergency rooms for electric shock or burns caused by tampering with a wall outlet, which could have been prevented by having TRRs in the home. 

It is estimated that electricity causes 140,000 fires each year.  Electricity kills almost 400 people and injures thousands more annually.  Most could have been avoided with an increased awareness of electrical safety.  Power line contact with construction equipment, ladders, and gardening tools are among the leading cause of electrocutions.  Flickering lights, overloaded circuits, and discolored outlets and light switch faceplates indicate the need for electrical upgrades.  By addressing these hazards, lives can be saved, injuries reduced, and economic losses caused by electrical fires will be lessened.

Utility company personnel are required to wear several types of Personal Protective Equipment, such as special safety glasses with dielectric hinges designed without metal parts, hard hats, antistatic shoes and antistatic coveralls (flame retardant).  

This article was shared with Jack Rubinger,  http://graphicproducts.blogspot.com/2012/04/may-is-national-electrical-safety-month.html 

Source: Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI)

 

 

 

First Aid Safety, General Safety Issues

POISON PREVENTION WEEK – MARCH 18 – 24TH

Congratulations to the Poison Prevention Week Council, marking  their 50th anniversary this year !  An act of Congress was signed into law on September 16, 1961, by President John Kennedy, after which the Poison Prevention Week Council was organized to coordinate this annual event.  Congress designated this event as a means for local communities to raise awareness of the dangers of unintentional poisonings and to take such preventive measures as the dangers warrant. 

There are two basic themes – “Children Act Fast ….So Do Poisons!”  and “Poisoning Spans a Lifetime.”  It is up to parents to watch when household chemicals or drugs are in the home.  An adult may be distracted by the phone or doorbell; but parents know that small children act fast, so they should make sure that all medicines and household chemicals are stored away from children at all times.  In addition to knowing most emergency numbers, the Poison Control Center is 1-800-222-1222.  Keep this number near your phone, and have the following information ready:

  • Age and weight of the victim.
  • Existing health conditions and/or problems.
  • Substance involved and how it contacted the person.  Was it swallowed, inhaled, absorbed through skin contact, or splashed into the eyes? How long ago did they swallow or inhale the substance?
  • Any first aid you may have given.
  • If the person has vomited.
  • Your location, and how long it will take you to get to a hospital.

If medicine has been swallowed, do not give anything by mouth until advised by your poison control center.  If chemicals or household products have been swallowed, call the poison control center or follow the first aid instructions on the label. 

Medications:  Child-Resistant Packaging 

Labeling requirements and educational programs have had some effect in reducing the number of childhood ingestions; however,  some children are still being poisoned by ingesting hazardous household products.  Although child-resistant packaging does provide an additional barrier, children may try to figure out different ways of opening the container.  If  their fingers don’t work, their teeth might.  

The Poison Prevention Packaging Act requires that packages be difficult for children under 5 years of age to open.  (I’ve found some pretty hard to open, too)!  Here are good instructions that make it easier for us adults to open the packaging, as well as other safety tips:

  1. Read the instructions to make it easier to open the packaging.  (If you need reading glasses, keep a pair handy by your medicine cabinet).
  2. If using cap and vial packages, be sure to resecure the closure tightly.  Blister cards never have to be resecured; however, don’t transfer the contents to other containers.
  3. Do not leave loose pills anywhere.
  4. Keep medicines and household products (even those with safety caps) locked up and out of sight.
  5. Use locks or child-resistant latches to secure storage areas.
  6. It’s wise for adults to ask for their medicines in child-resistant vials because poisonings have happened when youngsters have visited homes where no children live.  Little ones have been poisoned after finding medicine containers left in purses or on bedside tables. 
  7. Avoid taking medicine in front of children.  Always refer to medicine as “medicine,” and not “candy.” 

Even though most medicines are packaged in tamper-evident packaging, they are not tamper-proof.  Each consumer must be alert for the packaging to be protective.  You should always read the label and inspect the outer packaging.  If anything about the product looks suspicious, you should be suspicious.  If there are tablets or capsules that differ in any way, don’t take them.  Never take medicine in the dark.  Read the label and look at the medicine every time you take a dose.  If you suspect something wrong with a medicine or packaging, take it to the store manager. 

If you think someone has been poisoned from a medicine or household chemical, call 1-800-222-1222 for your Poison Control Center.  This national toll-free number works from anyplace in the United States (24 hours a day, 7 days a week).  Keep the number on your phone.  It will connect you to a poison control center.  There are currently 61 Poison Centers across the country that maintain information for the doctor or the public on recommended treatment for the ingestion of household products and medicines.  They are familiar with the toxicity (how poisonous it is) of most substances found in the home, or know how to find this information.   We hope this never happens to you or your family or friends, but it is vital information to have.

Source: Poison Prevention Control.org

General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Hearing Protection, Respiratory Safety

HOW TO PROTECT WORKERS FROM DANGERS IN CONFINED SPACES – PART I

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The safety poster shown below is graphic, but it conveys excellent information for those persons whose jobs require them to work in areas considered to be confined spaces.   These vessels, etc. are normally sealed so the dangers within, whether it is high-pressure, hot, or toxic materials, or gases, mechanical or electrical hazards, stay within.  When a human enters to inspect or service what’s inside is when the danger begins.

According to OSHA, many workplaces contain spaces that are considered “confined” because their configurations hinder the activities of employees who must enter, work in, and exit them. Confined spaces include, but are not limited to underground vaults, tanks, storage bins, manholes, pits, silos, process vessels, and pipelines. OSHA uses the term “permit-required confined space” (permit space) to describe a confined space that has one or more of the following characteristics: contains or has the potential to contain a hazardous atmosphere; contains a material that has the potential to engulf an entrant; has walls that converge inward or floors that slope downward and taper into a smaller area which could trap or asphyxiate an entrant; or contains any other recognized safety or health hazard, such as unguarded machinery, exposed live wires, or heat stress. Repeating, OSHA’s definition of  “Confined space” means a space that:
(1) Is large enough and so configured that an employee can bodily enter and perform assigned work; and
(2) Has limited or restricted means for entry or exit (for example, tanks, vessels, silos, storage bins, hoppers, vaults, and pits are spaces that may have limited means of entry.); and
(3) Is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.

“Acceptable entry conditions” means the conditions that must exist in a permit space to allow entry and to ensure that employees involved with a permit-required confined space entry can safely enter into and work within the space.

According to NIOSH, when the entry of a worker is necessary,  prior to entry into any type of confined space, several things must be done to ensure the safety of the persons required to work there.  The atmosphere should be tested, at all levels – top, middle, and bottom.  The area should be well ventilated with blowers or fans, and re-tested to ensure that it is ventilated correctly before anyone enters.  There are many locations that have insufficient air movement, which results in oxygen deficiency, flammability, or toxic situations.  Persons inside may be involved in welding, cutting, or brazing operations, and others may be painting, scraping, sanding, or degreasing.  Workers must have the appropriate personal protective equipment, such as hardhats, gloves, rubber boots, and the proper type of respirators.  Some may need air purifying ones, those that filter dangerous substances from the air, or air supplying types that furnish safe breathing air from a tank or uncontaminated area nearby. Only air-supplying respirators should be used in confined spaces where there is not enough oxygen.

Other hazards of confined spaces include extreme temperatures, engulfment hazards, such as loose materials in bins – sand, coal, grain – materials that a worker could fall into and suffocate.  Being in small spaces also amplifies noise; some are slick and wet, adding to the risk of electric shock, and others may have falling objects dropped into the area by work being done above the entrance.  All of these hazards add up to the fact that it takes very special kinds of workers that are willing to do this type of work, and companies that do their very level best to meet the needs and requirements to keep these folks safe.

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Tomorrow, we will discuss the way these workers should be protected by having attendants at the entrance, and rescue operations at the ready, as well as a checklist that contains recommendations for a safe entry.  Please stay tuned…………………………

Source: OSHA, NIOSH