CASE #252
CASE #252 – School HVAC mechanic electrocuted
The incident occurred in the school’s all-purpose room as the victim and a co-worker were servicing two large HVAC units, one of which had been leaking water. Before starting work, they first tried to de-energize the units by shutting down the circuit breakers, a change from their usual procedure of turning off the power switches mounted on each unit.
They inspected the first unit, found that it was wet and needed cleaning, and re-energized the ventilator fan to allow it to dry. The second unit was also dirty, so they decided to vacuum it out with a small vacuum cleaner. Entering the unit from a ladder raised to an access panel, the victim started to vacuum the loose dirt when he contacted the exposed 480-volt heating coils in the rear of the duct. He was electrocuted by the energized coils, which were on a separate fused circuit and not connected to the circuit breaker panels.
- Ensure that machinery is fitted with adequate safeguards so workers cannot access hazardous points of operation. Do not modify, remove, or replace existing safeguards on machinery.
- Develop and enforce written safe work procedures for operating and working around feed mixers. These procedures should include when and how to check on the well-being of a worker assigned to work alone around such hazardous machinery.
- Follow the manufacturer’s safety instructions for operating machinery.
- Provide workers with adequate supervision and training. Employers should take immediate disciplinary action when workers fail to follow safe work procedures.
L’incident s’est produit dans la salle polyvalente de l’école alors que la victime et un collègue entretenaient deux grandes unités de CVC, dont l’une avait une fuite d’eau. Avant de commencer les travaux, ils ont d’abord essayé de mettre les unités hors tension en fermant les disjoncteurs, un changement par rapport à leur procédure habituelle d’éteindre les interrupteurs d’alimentation montés sur chaque unité.
Ils ont inspecté la première unité, ont constaté qu’elle était humide et qu’elle avait besoin d’être nettoyée, et ont remis sous tension le ventilateur du ventilateur pour lui permettre de sécher. La deuxième unité était également sale, alors ils ont décidé de l’aspirer avec un petit aspirateur. En entrant dans l’unité à partir d’une échelle surélevée jusqu’à un panneau d’accès, la victime a commencé à aspirer la saleté meuble lorsqu’elle est entrée en contact avec les serpentins de chauffage exposés de 480 volts à l’arrière du conduit. Il a été électrocuté par les bobines sous tension, qui se trouvaient sur un circuit séparé avec fusible et non connectées aux panneaux de disjoncteurs.
- Les employeurs et les employés doivent s’assurer que tous les circuits électriques sont hors tension et testés avant d’y travailler.
- Les employeurs devraient élaborer, mettre en œuvre et appliquer une procédure de verrouillage et d’étiquetage électrique.
- Les employeurs doivent connaître les ressources éducatives et de formation pour l’information sur la santé et la sécurité.
CASE #246
CASE #246 – Killed by unguarded driveshaft on overhead crane
- Safeguard all exposed shafts, couplings and other machine hazards, even if workers do not routinely work there.
- Ensure all machine safeguarding used/installed is user friendly (hinged and light weight for example) and secured in place.
- Develop Lockout/Tagout procedures and train workers on them.
- Where possible, use aerial lifts to perform job tasks and for access/egress of overhead cranes.
- Include machine guarding hazards in all crane inspection forms.
- Increase maintenance staffing to eliminate and control hazards identified by inspections. In the above accident the “crane inspector” position was eliminated by the employer and all crane inspections were being contracted out.
- Do not discontinue the use of PFAS just because other hazards are present. Instead, eliminate and control those hazards with guarding and other measures, work with PFAS vendors to choose the right PFAS. For example, systems that protect the lanyard when not in use.
- Protégez tous les arbres, accouplements et autres dangers de la machine exposés, même si les travailleurs n’y travaillent pas régulièrement.
- Assurez-vous que toutes les protections de machine utilisées/installées sont simples à utilisées (articulées et légères, par exemple) et sécurisées en place.
- Développez le verrouillage/l’étiquetage procédures et former les travailleurs sur celles-ci.
- Dans la mesure du possible, utiliser des nacelles élévatrices pour effectuer les tâches et pour accéder/sortir des ponts roulants.
- Inclure les risques liés à la protection des machines dans tous les formulaires d’inspection des ponts roulants.
- Augmenter le personnel de maintenance pour éliminer et contrôler les risques identifiés par les inspections. Dans l’accident ci-dessus, le poste d’« inspecteur de grue » a été éliminé par l’employeur et toutes les inspections de grue ont été sous-traitées. mesures, travaillez avec les fournisseurs de PFAS pour choisir le bon PFAS. Par exemple, des systèmes qui protègent la longe lorsqu’elle n’est pas utilisée.
Tired of the crisis? You are not alone
Right now there are probably many of us thinking; “I am so over this COVID thing”. Trouble is, COVID-19 is not done with us, and chances are won’t be for a long time to come.
But the sun is still shining, the lawn still needs to be mowed and summer holidays are just around the corner, right? Isn’t it time we all just…go outside? Sadly, not yet. As you can imagine, there is a term for what many of us are feeling. It’s called “Quarantine Fatigue”.
Contributing psychologists at verywellmind.com explain that when COVID-19 first appeared, we were focused on staying safe and alive. And now that we’re in the next phase of feeling like there is no end in sight, the focus may seem unclear resulting in a feeling of tiredness and lethargy. Here are some reasons behind Quarantine Fatigue:
Our fear is receding.
At the beginning of this crisis, people launched themselves head-first into panic mode, making giant changes to their lives with the idea of staying alive. But now the immediate terror and urgency of the moment are beginning to recede. The actual numbers and the real science are no less concerning, but because we have done some accommodating psychologically to the fear we stop feeling it as intensely say psychologists. This leaves us with is a growing sense of non-productivity, repetitiveness, loss of many things of our old life plus the loss of excitement and newness in our day.
We miss human connection.
We also miss and crave contact with other people, especially since we are social creatures. While a few weeks of separation may have felt tolerable or even a welcome change, the social urges and needs are intensifying and we’re craving more human connection.
Crisis mode is hard to maintain.
As people’s awareness heightened about the virus, we went into crisis mode, developing a sense of urgency, anxiety, and quick decision making. But now the dust has settled and reality sets in. We are tired of it; quarantine fatigue.
We all experience quarantine fatigue differently, but one thing’s for sure, having healthy ways to cope is important for our physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual health. For example, you could practice new forms of caring for yourself such as mindfulness meditation, yoga or journaling.
Be kind to yourself. If you are feeling overwhelmed or experiencing severe mood swings, talk to your doctor for
help and advice.
Fatigue could put you in danger
Research has shown that fatigue affects people in ways very similar to alcohol intoxication — they perform just as poorly when tired as they do when they are drunk.
Simply put, fatigue means exhaustion, tiredness or sluggishness. It results mostly from inadequate quantity or quality of sleep. Both are important for maintaining normal alertness and performance.
Fatigue is a workplace safety concern because it reduces attention and reaction time, which can cause someone to make errors in judgment, leading to mistakes that can result in injuries and property damage.
Sleep requirements can vary between individuals, but on average, we need at least 7.5 to 8.5 hours of sleep every day.
Inadequate sleep over a series of nights causes a sleep debt, which results in increased fatigue that can sometimes be worse than a single night of inadequate sleep.
There are many reasons for not obtaining the quality or quantity of sleep required to be rested adequately. Some of these reasons are work-related and some are not.
Examples of work-related fatigue factors are:
• Hours of work, especially night work, early morning starts and high total number of hours.
• Task demands or time pressures that do not allow for adequate breaks
during shifts.
• Working conditions that can
compound fatigue, such as heat stress and boring or repetitive tasks.
Examples of non-work-related fatigue factors include:
• Undiagnosed or untreated sleep disorders.
• Individual family or social factors that take priority over sleep.
A condition such as diabetes, allergies, hypertension, or a short-term illness such as a cold can cause someone to be fatigued more easily. Medication also could affect sleep or cause drowsiness.
Fatigue-related symptoms can be divided into three categories:
Physical — Yawning, heavy eyelids, rubbing the eyes, head drooping, microsleeps (brief periods of unconsciousness).
Mental — Difficulty concentrating and remembering, failing to communicate important information, failing to anticipate events or actions, accidentally doing the wrong thing or failing to do the right thing.
Emotional — Quieter or more withdrawn than normal, lacking in energy or motivation to do a task well, irritability.
The best way to prevent fatigue is to get enough quality sleep, which means making time for it during your time off and catching up on your sleep debt.
In addition, here are some temporary measures to help manage fatigue:
• Take a nap. Sleeping for 20 minutes might refresh you enough so you can keep working safely. If you’re driving, make sure you get off the road to a well-lit area and have good ventilation in your vehicle.
• Take a break. Stop what you’re doing, walk around or exercise and get some fresh air.
• Don’t be too comfortable, otherwise your alertness could decrease. Sit straight if you’re in a chair, and if possible, keep your environment cool, well ventilated, a bit noisy and brightly lit.
• Stay hydrated, eat light meals and avoid sleep-inducing foods and alcohol. Don’t trust caffeine for alertness — it takes about half an hour to have any effect, lasts only a short time and leaves you even more tired when it wears off.
• Break the monotony. If you’re driving, change the radio station often, sing along, or talk to yourself — but don’t use your cellphone.
Safe work at extreme heights
Falls from heights are among the leading causes of workplace injury and death. Laws vary by jurisdiction, but most require employers to have a written, site-specific fall protection plan when employees are working over a certain vertical height and are not protected by permanent guardrails.
There are heights — and there are extreme heights. Although it does not have a precise definition, that term is used often to describe work involving the construction and maintenance of such structures as:
• Communication towers and antennas.
• Wind turbines.
• Tall buildings.
• Bridges.
• Power transmission lines.
Any work at heights should be properly planned and supervised. First, a risk assessment will identify and address hazards related to the work to be performed. This information helps in selection of protective equipment for the job, as well as adequate control measures and precautions to ensure the safety of workers and others — the plan.
This plan should identify the fall hazards and fall protection systems required for each area, and the procedures for using, maintaining, fitting and inspecting protection equipment. It should also include procedures for rescuing a worker who has fallen and is suspended by a personal fall protection system or safety net.
People working at heights must be trained in practical fall prevention and
fall arrest techniques. They also must know how to properly select, fit, use, inspect, and maintain the gear they will be using.
Depending on the type of tall structure, there are various means by which workers get to where they will be working — cage-protected ladders, hoists and helicopters, for example. Each will require a degree of training to ensure safety.
Weather is a major consideration, for such conditions as:
High winds. Working in them tires a person faster, so accidents are more likely to happen and rescues or evacuations will be harder to execute. Communication becomes difficult as typically the only noise one can hear on a radio or phone is the whistling of the wind, and shouting isn’t a good option.
Extreme heat or cold. All workers should be trained to recognize the signs of heat exhaustion, heat stroke, hypothermia and frostbite, as well as how to prevent them. Note that metal surfaces exposed to direct sunlight might be hot enough to cause skin burns, and that dehydration, wind burn and even sunburn can occur rapidly in cold, dry weather.
Ice and Snow. Both make tall structures quite dangerous. Additionally, sections of ice could fall to the ground and be hazardous to people and property.
Moisture. Surfaces can become very slick with rain or dew, and for that reason, climbing a wet structure is highly discouraged.
Mud. Along with precipitation comes mud, which also make climbing dangerous and poses hazards on the ground such as stuck or difficult to maneuver machinery and unstable holes or trenches.
Lightning. Being in close proximity to metal components and electrical equipment poses particular concerns during thunderstorms or lightning events. Get off the structure if either occurs or is likely to.
Being near a tall structure, especially with climbers above, can be hazardous because of falling objects. Two or more persons working at different heights can also be risky. Be aware that dropped tools or equipment not only can go straight down, they could ricochet off a section of the structure and take a different path of descent.
Don’t take the darkness lightly
As daylight diminishes during the fall and winter months, decreased visibility can be very dangerous for workers in numerous occupations, particularly construction.
The end of daylight saving often leaves many of us feeling fatigued, and this can pose safety risks. Studies suggest it takes people who work traditional hours several days to fully adjust their sleep schedule after the time change.
The safety plan for a darkened worksite should include an analysis of potential hazards, such as blind spots, tripping or falling hazards and dangerous equipment.
To help prevent accidents in low-light or dark conditions, consider the following:
• As visibility decreases, adjust accordingly. Vehicle operators should reduce speed and workers should exercise extra caution.
• It’s not enough to wear bright colored clothing; you need approved high-visibility apparel.
• If the use of large machinery is required, several workers should be assigned as spotters to check all surrounding areas and warn other workers and/or machine operators.
• Workers and equipment should be separated as much as possible. The safest routes to walk or drive equipment should be clearly identified.
• Lighting helps increase visibility. If workers do not have enough visibility to work safely, they should not be performing their jobs. This applies not only to night shifts but early mornings as well.
• Bright lights on darkened worksites can create glare that inhibits visibility. They need to be positioned correctly to ensure the best visibility.
• All vehicles and machinery have blind spots, but when visibility is reduced they can be much larger.
Road work can be especially hazardous
in low-light conditions.
One reason road construction is done at night is to avoid traffic congestion and related problems encountered during daylight hours. However, it also carries the risk that motorists are less attentive and drive at higher speeds. In addition, more drivers impaired by alcohol or drugs are involved in work zone accidents at night.
Here are suggested practices
to help minimize risks:
• Use portable, changeable message signs to encourage speed compliance.
• Deploy what is termed positive protection, a portable concrete or plastic barrier or other device that minimizes vehicle damage but prevents intrusion into the work zone.
• Wear a hard hat and clothing that has retroreflective material visible from all sides and from a minimum distance of 300 meters (1,000 feet).
• Where positive protection is not available, use retroreflective material on all drums and cones and, where possible, use drums instead of cones. When using cones, stack two together or put weights on them to keep them in place. Make certain all signs and traffic channeling devices are maintained in place and in good condition.
• A full-time traffic control person should monitor the work zone several times a night and review all aspects of project visibility. The person also must make sure signage does not send confusing, mixed messages.
• Reduce the glare from work lighting. To avoid blinding motorists passing the work zone, position and align lights to keep them aimed toward the work area and not toward traffic. Glare is also a problem for motorist visibility and is caused by not extending light poles to the proper height or by not aiming the light downward to limit illumination to the work zone.
Overexertion injuries should be taken seriously
Overexertion in the workplace causes injury when a person works beyond his or her physical capacity. These types of injuries are usually caused by repetitive motion, such as typing, lifting heavy objects, or working in an awkward position.
Overexertion is generally
caused by:
• Lifting, pulling, pushing and carrying heavy items
• Repeated or long term bending or twisting at the waist.
• Reaching.
• Long term poor posture when sitting or standing.
• Long time absorbing vibration from machinery or driving.
However, physical overexertion is not just a workplace risk. Other causes of overexertion injuries include:
• Sports and exercise.
• Motion control video games.
• Hobbies like woodworking, building, and remodelling.
It is important to recognize if you or another worker is overexerting themselves. Some signs and symptoms of overexertion in the workplace include:
Losing your breath or failure to talk
A person who is overexerting themselves physically will generally be short of breath and unable to speak. While performing work-related tasks, such as lifting, workers should be sure they are not breathing to hard. Take a few moments to pause from the task and relax if you are having trouble breathing.
Feeling dehydrated
A worker who is overexerting themselves will usually feel dehydrated. Dizziness, dry mouth, fatigue, and muscle cramps are all signs of dehydration.
Fatigue and muscle/joint aches
Overexertion can lead to a variety of chronic injuries, including stress fractures and tendinitis. Soreness and aching in joints or muscles are precursors to most overexertion injuries and it’s important to discontinue the activity at least temporarily if you are noticing pain.
You can avoid overexertion injuries by:
Understanding your limits
Probably the most crucial factor for preventing overexertion injuries at work or home is knowing your own limits. When doing any job duty, the worker should pay attention to their own body and be aware if the task is leading to any muscle soreness, cramping, fatigue, or pain as these all indicate overexertion.
Using proper body mechanics
and good posture
Using proper technique in activities such as lifting is very important for protecting muscles, joints, and ligaments against overuse. Poor form and posture are common causes of injury, including overexertion of the neck or back.
Taking breaks
Workers performing physically strenuous tasks should be sure to take adequate breaks to prevent overexertion. The most effective breaks involve rest, stretching the muscles, and rehydrating to prevent fluid loss. Warning signs of exertion that may require immediate medical assistance include dizziness, rapid pulse and irregular heartbeat, chest pain, and profuse sweating.
Getting assistance for tasks that
are too difficult
When a work task calls for lifting, pushing, carrying, or pulling any heavy object, a worker should ask for help if they are unable to handle the load themselves. If another person is unable to assist, using equipment to help move the object is best.
If you think you have sustained an overexertion injury at work, it’s important that you report the injury to your supervisor, and visit your doctor for the best course of treatment.
Knowing about hazards is a right
If there are health and safety hazards where you work, you have a right to know about them. Employers are required by law to ensure that you are informed fully about those hazards
While specific right-to-know legislation can differ slightly in various North American jurisdictions, it is basically
the same everywhere.
Employers not only are required to make you aware of hazards, they must ensure that you are trained properly to protect yourself from them.
A major focus of right-to-know legislation in both Canada and the United States is the danger posed by chemicals and other substances.
Canada has the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS), whose main components are product identification and classification, labeling, safety data sheets and worker training and education. Suppliers, employers and workers all have specified responsibilities.
In the United States, employers are required to inform and train their employees under the Hazard Communication Standard established by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
In both countries, employers must:
• Provide workers with effective information and training on hazardous chemicals in their work area.
• Keep a current list of hazardous chemicals that are in the workplace.
• Make sure hazardous chemical containers are labeled properly with the identity of the chemical and appropriate hazard warnings.
There are many other hazards that workers need to know about. A common way to classify them is by category:
Biological — bacteria, viruses, insects, plants, birds, animals and humans, etc.
Ergonomic — repetitive movements, improper set up of workstation, etc.
Physical — radiation, magnetic fields, pressure extremes, noise, etc.
Psychosocial — stress, violence, etc.
Safety — slipping/tripping hazards, inappropriate machine guarding, equipment malfunctions or breakdowns.
A Job Safety Analysis (JSA), also known as a Job Hazard Assessment (JHA), is an important way of obtaining and presenting right-to-know information. This is a system to identify and control hazards that can be encountered on
the job.
There are four basic stages
in conducting a JSA:
• Selecting the job to be analyzed.
• Breaking the job down into a sequence of steps.
• Identifying potential hazards.
• Determining preventive measures to overcome these hazards.
A JSA, or a written work procedure based on it, can form the basis for regular contact between supervisors and workers. It can serve as a teaching aid for initial job training and as a briefing guide for infrequent jobs. It can be used as a standard for health and safety inspections or observations. In particular, a JSA will assist in completing comprehensive accident investigations.
Having the right to know is one thing. Making sure you are getting the full benefit of it is another.
That means:
• Taking whatever training is provided.
• Applying the safety rules and procedures you have learned.
• Asking questions whenever you are uncertain about how to be safe in a potentially hazardous situation.
• Being alert for ‘hidden’ hazards and report them immediately.
You are responsible for following all the proper procedures in your job. This includes checking to make sure personal protective equipment (PPE) works properly, knowing how to use it, and making sure you use it.
The colors of workplace safety
Colors play an important role in helping to ensure workplace safety. Depending on the situation, each color is assigned a different meaning, which allows a person to determine very quickly what type of hazard is in the area.
There is no single set of rules for the use of safety colors in signs and labels. Standards have been developed by a variety of agencies, such as the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), as well as the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and National Fire Protection Agency (NFPA).
In Canada, standards have been harmonized with those developed by these agencies, although there are variations.
The Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard Z321contains three types of signs — symbol, symbol with text and text alone.
There are three main categories of signs — regulatory, warning and information. Each of these has two subcategories.
Regulatory signs indicate prohibition (such as no smoking) or mandatory requirements (such as the wearing of hard hats).
Warning signs indicate caution (such as slippery surfaces) or danger (such as an explosives storage area).
Information signs indicate emergency facilities (such as exit routes and first aid stations) or general information.
The CSA standard also contains graphic requirements for signs (shapes, images and text, as well as colors). The colors are:
Red — Prohibition and Danger.
Yellow — Caution.
Green — Location of emergency facilities.
Blue — General information.
Black — Prohibition, Mandatory Requirements and Caution.
Dark Grey — The background color for symbol signs with text.
In the United States, the comparable standard is ANSI Z535. This is the color code widely used in the U.S., based on the ANSI standard:
Red — Danger or stop (containers of flammable liquids, emergency stop bars and buttons, fire protection equipment).
Fluorescent orange and orange-red — Biosafety (Labels and containers for blood and infectious waste.)
Yellow — Caution (Physical hazards that might result in striking against, falling, tripping or being caught between objects. Also used to mark cabinets and containers for hazardous materials.)
Orange — Warning (Parts of machinery that might cut, crush or otherwise injure. Inside of transmission guards for pulleys, gears, etc.)
Green — Safety (Location of first aid equipment, respirators, safety showers, emergency exits etc.)
Blue — Information (Signs and bulletin boards. Often used to indicate what items of personal protective equipment are required.)
Black, White, Yellow or combination of Black with White or Yellow — Boundaries (Traffic or housekeeping markings. Stairways, directions and borders.)
Magenta or Purple on Yellow— Radiation Caution (X-ray, alpha, beta, gamma, neutron and proton radiation.)
The format of an ANSI safety sign (adopted by OSHA) has three important elements:
• Safety Headers and Signal Words (danger, warning, caution, notice, or safety instructions).
• Safety Symbols
• Sign Legends (describe the hazard or policy to which the sign refers).
The ANSI standard also deals with sign size, text size and viewing distances as suggested best practices.
A safety culture is very personal
No safety and wellness program works properly unless everyone involved takes it personally. That means establishing and sustaining a strong “culture” in which there’s commitment at all levels to a safe, healthy workplace.
Many companies have come to realize this kind of dedication can have major financial benefits — lower insurance costs and increased productivity, for example. However, stressing that fact to employees won’t necessarily have a positive effect. Quite the opposite could be true if a worker is left with the impression the company’s concern for his or her welfare is really all about the bottom line.
The expression “tone at the top” is often used to describe leadership issues, and so it is with management’s approach to safety and health. If there’s sincere commitment shown, it won’t take long to filter down, and make building the safety culture a lot easier.
Much of the building often falls to the safety committee, but its efforts will be wasted if it lacks respect from the people it’s supposed to be helping. The group’s meetings must be scheduled regularly and well attended.
The primary objective is to make safety a way of life for everyone, on and off the job. That’s the culture. Here are four key elements:
Orientation and training — The first step for any employee is to be given a thorough understanding of the company’s policies, regulations and procedures. Too often, a new arrival gets a quick benefits review and a handbook, fills out some forms and then (maybe) a basic safety overview. Safety training should be an ongoing, meaningful process.
Participation — Willingness to be an active participant in the safety culture is not something to be demanded. It should be the result of an attitude that is nurtured to the point where workers have no problem reporting unsafe conditions or near-misses. They’re happy to be part of a safety committee or to be involved in activities it has organized.
Prevention — This degree of participation is essential to effective prevention of accidents. Workers who have bought into the safety culture are likely to have a much better grasp of how to recognize hazards and of the procedures necessary to deal with them.
Accountability — Hazards, of course, can include not just physical conditions, but also human behaviour. Employees must understand that a mistake by one can affect everyone. And that’s where accountability comes in. They need to take personal responsibility for their actions. They should be able to acknowledge their mistakes, and those of others, without reprisal.
Obviously, there are aspects of workplace safety that must be governed by a clear set of rules. Discipline for serious offenses that could result in serious injury or death must follow a strict policy that is applied equally. Otherwise, efforts to establish a credible safety culture will be seriously undermined.
To get a reading on how your company’s safety culture is doing, answer these questions:
* Are people at all levels involved
in safety?
* Are individual employees asked frequently for their input on safety issues?
* Is safety information easily available?
* Are managers likely to notice unsafe acts?
* Is appropriate action taken quickly to resolve safety concerns?
* Do employees feel they can report unsafe acts or near-misses?
The answer to all of these, as you know, should be yes. If there was a no to any of them, you’ve got some work to do.