OSHA News Blog | The OSHA Updater

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"Safety is trench warfare"

As safety professionals, we are entrusted with the single task of returning an unharmed labor force home to their families at the end of each shift. We bear this burden because we believe we are making a difference. We are protecting life and improving the quality of life of others. I wanted to share a story of an incident that happened at a company I was consulting for. Hopefully, other safety professionals can relate.

I was consulting for a small drywall company that was expanding. They were willing to learn but new to the safety practices of larger more established companies. We implemented a training program to include a new Safety Manuel, IIPP, Fall Protection Plan, Heat Illness Prevention Plan and Hazard Communication Plan.  We proceed to train and issue OSHA 10 Hour Cards (http://www.easysafetyschool.com/osha10/) to the work force. We had the scissor lift, laser and powder actuated tool manufactures come out and train and issue cards for use on various products. We purchased and issued all necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to the work force. We were essentially creating a safety culture that would set the tone for company’s future. I was proud. Then one day, one of the framers fell off a 2’ scaffold and broke his arm. He was in the ER for 2 days and out of work for 2 months. The insurance company had to pay over $52,000 when the incident was done and expenses tabulated.

The worker had an OSHA 10 card, was fall protection trained, sat through a scaffold tailgate meeting that morning, had all PPE to include boots, hard hat, safety vest, ear protection and eye protection, was using a powder actuated tool that he had been trained to operate, and was standing on a 2’ scaffold constructed and inspected by a competent person that morning. His fellow workers were first aid trained and action plan briefed. They knew where the hospital was and how to stop the bleeding.

We did everything we were supposed to do to prevent this and protect from this, yet this happened. Safety is not easy. Safety is trench warfare. Safety is a constant fight against the unknown and known elements consumer demand places on the front line of our work force. Given a long enough time domain, safety incidents are a statistical inevitability. Keep fighting and never make the same mistake twice.

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Carbon monoxide is a toxic gas, but, being colorless, odorless, tasteless, and initially non-irritating, it is very difficult for people to detect. Symptoms of mild acute poisoning include lightheadedness, confusion, headaches, vertigo, and flu-like effects; larger exposures can lead to significant toxicity of the central nervous system and heart, and even death. To reduce this risk, employers should always keep work areas well vented and install carbon monoxide detectors. Additional information can be found in OSHA's carbon monoxide Fact Sheet and Quick Cards. Links to these resources are found below.

With the arrival of cold weather, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reminding employers to take necessary precautions to protect workers from the serious, and sometimes fatal, effects of carbon monoxide exposure.

Recently, a worker in a New England warehouse was found unconscious and seizing, suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning. Several other workers at the site also became sick. All of the windows and doors were closed to conserve heat, there was no exhaust ventilation in the facility, and very high levels of carbon monoxide were measured at the site.

Every year, workers die from carbon monoxide poisoning, usually while using fuel-burning equipment and tools in buildings or semi-enclosed spaces without adequate ventilation. This can be especially true during the winter months when employees use this type of equipment in indoor spaces that have been sealed tightly to block out cold temperatures and wind. Symptoms of carbon monoxide exposure can include everything from headaches, dizziness and drowsiness to nausea, vomiting or tightness across the chest. Severe carbon monoxide poisoning can cause neurological damage, coma and death.

Sources of carbon monoxide can include anything that uses combustion to operate, such as gas generators, power tools, compressors, pumps, welding equipment, space heaters and furnaces.

To reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in the workplace, employers should install an effective ventilation system, avoid the use of fuel-burning equipment in enclosed or partially-enclosed spaces, use carbon monoxide detectors in areas where the hazard is a concern and take other precautions outlined in OSHA's Carbon Monoxide Fact Sheet. For additional information on carbon monoxide poisoning and preventing exposure in the workplace, see OSHA's Carbon Monoxide Poisoning Quick Cards (in English and Spanish).

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.