News You Can Use
Beware of Lulls in Your Alertness Levels
WHAT’S AT STAKE
If there are certain times of day when you are fighting the urge to sleep, you aren’t imagining things. Any night shift worker will tell you that the urge to sleep is strong between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. What you might not know is that another lull occurs in the early-to-mid afternoon.
Lulls in circadian rhythms occur in people who have had sufficient sleep before coming to work. Obviously, someone who is sleep-deprived has an even greater chance of falling into an unintended sleep.
WHAT’S THE DANGER
The desire to sleep can be so powerful that you can drift into what is called a microsleep without warning. If you are behind the wheel or operating dangerous equipment, a microsleep can turn into an unintentional permanent one.
EXAMPLE
A National Sleep Foundation poll found that about one in two drivers reported driving a vehicle in the past year while fighting the urge to sleep and nearly 20 percent of the respondents admitted to having fallen asleep at the wheel.
While some sort of transportation accident, be it a plane crash or car wreck, seems to be the most dramatic example of a hazard related to a lull in circadian rhythms, there are many other job-related hazards. A sleepy nurse may administer the wrong drug or the wrong dosage of a drug or a security person may fall asleep in front of a monitor and not see a break-in unfolding.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
One way of boosting alertness and increasing productivity is to have a 20-minute nap break. Many companies now offer their night shift workers this opportunity. If your employer does, you should take advantage of it.
As well, these tips can help you stay awake and alert through circadian lulls, whether at night or in the afternoon:
- Start your morning with a good breakfast and eat a snack two to three hours later to help stabilize blood sugar levels. Skipping breakfast can make an energy slump worse.
- Avoid large, high-fat meals, which bring on the urge to sleep. Also avoid eating sugary junk food, which can give you a temporary boost and then zap your energy half an hour later.
- Drink a glass of water periodically to stay well hydrated.
- A cup of coffee can help make you more alert during a lull period.
- If you have an afternoon break, don’t sit around. Taking a brisk walk will increase your alertness and energy level.
- If you have control over the temperature of your workplace, set it slightly lower. A temperature of 65-68 degrees Fahrenheit (18-20 degrees Celsius) boosts alertness.
- If you’re exhausted after finishing a night shift, take a nap in a break room or in your vehicle before driving home. Otherwise you’ll be at high risk for falling asleep behind the wheel on the way home.
- Try to get at least seven hours of sleep every day. If you awaken tired after seven to eight hours of sleep, you may have obstructive sleep apnea. Talk to your doctor.
FINAL WORD
One European study showed that 85 percent of control room operators in an oil refinery admitted to falling asleep at least once during a 16-hour period. That’s nothing to yawn at. Fatigue can lead to mistakes on the job. And those mistakes can lead to injuries and fatalities. Protect yourself and your co-workers by making it a priority to get adequate sleep before each shift.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
- A person’s circadian rhythms go through lulls in the early morning and early afternoon hours, leading to an urge to sleep.
[ ]True [ ]False - If management allows, a __________ can help boost a worker’s energy and productivity.
- Eating a large, high-fat meal will make you more alert.
[ ]True [ ]False - If possible at the end of a night shift, you should try to take a nap before hitting the road for the drive home.
[ ]True [ ]False - A room that’s on the cool side can help boost alertness.
[ ]True [ ]False
Answers to Quiz:
1 True, 2 short nap, 3 False, 4 True, 5, True
What Would You Do?
You would love to take a short nap at the end of your night shift, but you need to drive straight home and get your kids to school. You have nearly fallen asleep on the drive home on several occasions and you’re actually worried that you could nod off with your kids in the car. What should you do?
__________________________________________________________________
Before The Talk – 7 Preparation Tips
- Plan to talk to your workers about the need for getting enough sleep. Mental Health of America has all kinds of tools and tips:
http://www.nmha.org/go/liveyour-life-well/sleep - Several workplaces that have adopted a napping policy report increases in worker alertness and productivity. Many workers would be happy to use part of their lunch or dinner break to catch a short nap in a quieter area of the workplace. It can be very effective for a worker to drink a cup of coffee and then take a nap before the caffeine kicks in. Discuss this option at your meeting.
- If your workplace is firmly against napping, consider putting a foosball table or ping pong table in your break room to provide some stimulation to workers during their breaks.
- Dimly lit workplaces may increase a worker’s urge to fall asleep. At your meeting, discuss the lighting. Is it adequate? Is it too dim?
- If workers are performing monotonous tasks, especially in the early morning or early afternoon hours, they might be fighting the urge to sleep. Consider mixing up their roles a little to provide some relief from the monotony. At your meeting, discuss some options.
- For your meeting, provide “fatigue-busting” refreshments—decaffeinated beverages, bottled water, fruit and cheese, and energy-boosting snacks, such as blueberries, oranges, and almonds. Avoid simple carbohydrates, such as doughnuts and pastries—the energizing “sugar rush” they provide is followed by a drop in blood sugar that increases feelings of tiredness.
- Tell your workers that drowsiness is a major symptom of dehydration. Ensure that workers have easy access to cool, fresh water. Another product that helps keep workers alert is chewing gum.
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Racking Errors Can Rain Disaster on Workers
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Most people don’t pay a lot of attention to racking systems until something goes wrong with one and thousands of pounds of supplies or products come crashing down onto workers below.
Even if workers escape injury, a major rack failure and the spillage of materials or goods can put a workplace out of commission for days.
WHAT’S THE DANGER
There are several causes of racking system incidents, but one of the most common ones involves a forklift striking shelving. When this happens, materials on the rack may dislodge and fall from heights, or the rack itself may become weakened and fail at that point or sometime in the future.
Other causes of racking incidents include materials falling through the rear of a rack or vibration in the workplace resulting in unsecured materials shaking loose from shelves.
Racks may also be prone to failure if they are poorly designed, improperly installed or assembled, overloaded, incorrectly used or are not regularly inspected and maintained.
EXAMPLE
A 25-year-old man working in a cooler at beverage distribution center was killed after a storage rack holding beer kegs, each weighing up to 160 pounds or 72 kilograms, collapsed onto him. The man was pronounced dead at the scene from head injuries.
HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF
If you work with racking systems and pallets, it’s important to pay attention to their load ratings and to never exceed those limits. Otherwise, components may become deformed and weakened and may fail at some point, with potentially serious consequences for anyone in the area.
Here are some additional racking safety tips:
- Any load that could potentially break apart and fall must be properly secured to a pallet and its weight should be uniformly distributed on the pallet.
- Pallets that become damaged should not be used. This includes pallets that have protruding nails or damaged or missing boards.
- Loads should not overhang the edge of a pallet by more than two inches.
- Safety netting should be used to prevent pallets from falling off the back of a rack. This is especially important in areas where pedestrian pathways run behind racking.
- If you spot any potential safety hazards on racking, such as paint scratches, dents, bowed or missing components, broken welds or pallets that do not appear to be placed safely, inform your supervisor.
- Never climb pallet racking.
- If lighting around racking is insufficient, talk to your supervisor.
- When aisles between racks are too narrow for lift trucks to properly maneuver between them, it can be difficult to avoid forklift contact with racking. If you are involved in this kind of incident, or if you witness one, report it to your supervisor right away so that the racking can be inspected properly.
FINAL WORD
Racking systems are so common that they often blend into the scenery of the average workplace. However, the safety of all workers depends on spotting and reporting damage or overloading of racking components.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
- Racking components can withstand significant impacts from forklifts without sustaining critical damage that could injure or kill workers.
[ ]True [ ]False - If you spot damage on a rack, such as dents or buckled components, you should
_________________________________________________________________ - Loads should not overhang the edge of a pallet by more than:
-
- Two feet
- Four feet
- Six inches
- Two inches
- When working with racking systems and pallets, it’s important to never exceed their
_________________________________________________________________ - Name two things that must be done if you’re loading onto a pallet a load that could potentially break apart and fall.
_________________________________________________________________
Answers to Quiz:
1 False, 2 report the hazard to your supervisor, 3 D, 4 load ratings, 5 (1) Uniformly distribute the load’s weight on the pallet and (2) properly secure the load to the pallet
What Would You Do?
You recently witnessed a forklift operator back a lift truck into a storage rack, causing a support bracket to bend. You don’t want to get anyone in trouble, but you are concerned that the rack may no longer be safe. How would you handle this situation?
__________________________________________________________________
Before The Talk – 7 Preparation Tips
- If you have the capability to show this video to your workers, it can send a powerful message about safe forklift operation around racking:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYMIbOtKfMU - Are the pallet racks in your workplace regularly inspected for damage or unsafe loading? If not, get a monitoring system in place and review this system with your workers at the meeting.
- Are you aware of the load-bearing capacities of your racks? Are these limits being adhered to by workers? If you don’t have this information, contact the manufacturer for help and share the results at your meeting.
- Plan to ask your workers if they have ever witnessed the collapse of a rack or material falling from a rack. Ask them to share details of what happened.
- Ensure that aisle ways between racks are wide enough so that forklifts carrying loaded pallets can easily pass between them. Ask operators about any tight areas that are causing concern.
- Workplace safety agencies and workers’ compensation boards sometimes conduct safety blitzes on loading racks. Your local agency may be able to provide you with some additional safety information to share with your workers.
- Use the meeting as a reminder to forklift operators to exercise caution around loading racks and encourage your workers to point out any damage to racking systems or pallets that they observe on the job.
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Familiarize Yourself with Formaldehyde
WHAT’S AT STAKE
Think “formaldehyde” and very likely images of laboratories, hospitals or funeral parlors come to mind. But formaldehyde’s uses go beyond that of specimen preservation and embalming fluid. It’s one of the most commonly used and encountered chemicals in industry today.
You might find formaldehyde in home insulation and in the glue that holds together plywood and particle board. It’s used in the textile industry where it helps prevent your clothes from wrinkling. Low concentrations of formaldehyde can be found in the air as a result of burning wood, coal, oil, gasoline or diesel fuel.
You can also find it in cigarette smoke and in certain hair smoothing and straightening products.
WHAT’S THE DANGER
Formaldehyde is combustible, toxic and corrosive.
Whether it’s in a product or in the air, formaldehyde is a health hazard. It’s a “sensitizing agent” that can cause an immune system response on initial exposure. It can cause allergic reactions of the skin, eyes and lungs, such as asthma-like breathing problems and skin rashes and itching. The higher the concentration, the more severe the irritation.
EXAMPLE
When formaldehyde is in a product that gets sprayed into the eyes, it can damage the eyes and cause blindness. Being exposed to formaldehyde may increase your risk of developing leukemia and brain cancer. And short-term, high-level exposure to formaldehyde could result in death.
How to Protect Yourself
The first step is to understand how you can be exposed to formaldehyde.
Under normal circumstances, at room temperature, you would find formaldehyde in the form of a colorless, strong-smelling gas, making inhalation the major source of exposure to this chemical for most people.
Formaldehyde may also take the form of a solution called formalin, in which case you could be exposed to the formaldehyde gas released from the formalin, as well as to the
liquid from spills and splashes.
You can also be exposed accidentally if you touch your face, eat food or sip a drink after using a product containing formaldehyde without first washing your hands.
Here are some basic safe practices:
- Attend all training, including refresher training, provided by your employer about formaldehyde’s hazards and safe usage.
- Wear impervious clothing, gloves, aprons and chemical splash goggles to prevent skin and eye contact with formaldehyde. And ensure that all PPE is properly maintained.
- Know where the showers and eyewash stations are in your area, how to operate them and how to find them with your eyes closed.
- When working with or near formaldehyde solutions, avoid open flames, heat, hot surfaces, sparks and other ignition sources.
- In the event of an unplanned release of formaldehyde, immediately put on a suitable respirator and leave the area.
- Report immediately any leaks, spills or ventilation failures.
- Learn the signs and symptoms of formaldehyde exposure and report any signs of illness to your supervisor.
- Seek medical attention for all exposure to formaldehyde, even if the exposure did not seem significant.
- Remove contaminated clothing promptly and place it in a closed container. These items should not be taken home and should be laundered before reuse. Be sure to notify any laundry personnel that the clothes have been contaminated by formaldehyde.
FINAL WORD
There are standards and regulations designed to protect employees from formaldehyde exposure, including permissible exposure limits. So it’s important to follow your employer’s program. It’s there for your protection.
TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE
- Formaldehyde can be found in the __________ that holds together plywood and particle board.
- What is the major source of exposure to formaldehyde for most people?
______________________________________________________________ - Formaldehyde may also take the form of a solution called
______________________________________________________________ - When working with or near formaldehyde solutions, you must avoid sources of
______________________________________________________________ - What are the three hazards of formaldehyde?
______________________________________________________________
What Would You Do?
You’ve worked in a particleboard plant for three years and lately you’ve noticed your eyes tearing up and a burning sensation in your chest. You suspect you may be reacting to formaldehyde used as part of the manufacturing process and wonder about the effectiveness of the ventilation in your workplace. Other workers have mentioned similar symptoms. How should you handle your concerns?
__________________________________________________________________
Answers to Quiz:
1 glue, 2 Inhalation, 3 formalin, 4 ignition, 5 It’s combustible, toxic and corrosive.
Before The Talk – 7 Preparation Tips
- Tour your facility with your workers and discuss the chemicals used in different parts of the workplace.
- Invite an emergency response worker to discuss chemical incidents and their physical effects.
- Bring examples of the personal protective equipment that may be needed for protection from chemicals in your workplace. Be sure that everyone on your team knows how to properly care for, inspect and use this PPE, including how to properly don and doff same.
- Review the locations of eyewash station(s), emergency showers and emergency phone numbers.
- Does everyone on your team know what to do in a chemical emergency, such as a spill or a fire? Use this meeting as an opportunity to review your emergency response plan.
- Have your workers discuss close calls they know about in regard to use of chemicals.
- Find out your company’s policies on chemical safety, such as length of storage of chemicals, and be prepared to discuss the policies.
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Cal/OSHA Issues Confined Space Hazard Alert
California’s Department of Industrial Relations’ Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) has issued a confined space hazard alert as part of a year-long statewide special emphasis initiative to focus attention on preventing worker deaths and injuries in confined spaces.
The hazard alert is designed to help employers and workers identify confined space situations and take immediate steps to protect workers.
Since confined spaces may be encountered in virtually any industry, Cal/OSHA says their identification is the first step in preventing fatalities and injuries.
“Confined spaces can be deceptively dangerous. It’s even more tragic that over 60 percent of confined space worker deaths occur to would-be rescuers who attempt to save a worker who initially succumbs,” says Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess. “These confined space fatalities are preventable with proper programs in place.”
The goals of the confined space emphasis initiative include:
- Increasing awareness of these hazards among employers and employees,
- Providing resources, online materials, training and consultation to prevent injuries and deaths, and
- Increasing enforcement efforts to ensure all employers have adequate confined space programs and training at their workplaces.
Related story: Powder Coating Company Cited for 20 Alleged Violations
UCLA Professor and Regents Charged in Death
A University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) chemistry professor and regents at the university have been charged with felony counts of violating occupational safety and health standards in connection to the death of a staff research associate.
Prof. Patrick Harran, 42, along with the regents of the University of California, each face three counts of willfully violating California OHS laws, leading to the death of Sheharbano “Sherri” Sangji.
The charges state that Harran and the university failed to correct unsafe working conditions in a timely manner, did not require appropriate PPE for the work being done and failed to provide proper chemical safety training.
Sangji suffered extensive burns when chemicals burst into flame on Dec. 29, 2008. She died in hospital 18 days later.
The California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) investigated her death and found that she had not been properly trained and should have been using protective clothing. The safety agency fined the university $31,875.
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s office says that UCLA faces up to $4.5 million in fines upon conviction on the felony charges. A Los Angeles Times article reported that an arrest warrant had been issued for Harran, who faces up to 4 ½ years in prison upon conviction.
UCLA issued a statement calling the charges “outrageous” and noted that it will mount a vigorous defense against them.
Company and Supervisor Fined in Worker’s Death
An Ontario company, 2236697 Ontario Inc., carrying on business as Delta Truck Equipment, along with one of its supervisors, has been fined in connection with a work-related death.
On June 9, 2010, at the company’s shop in Breslau, ON, supervisor Phillip Hutton was performing maintenance on a hydraulic crane. He had mounted the crane onto a truck and determined that some hydraulic fluid in the crane needed to be drained.
As Hutton went to drain the fluid, another worker was monitoring the fluid level. During this procedure, the crane’s boom swung around, fatally pinning the worker against a control panel.
An Ontario Ministry of Labour investigation found that Hutton had left the hydraulics of the crane engaged and the truck’s engine running during this procedure.
The company and Hutton pleaded guilty to failing to take the reasonable precaution of ensuring that the truck’s engine was shut off and/or that the hydraulics of the crane were disengaged before draining the hydraulic fluid. Delta Truck Equipment was fined $100,000 and Hutton was fined $15,000.
In addition, both the truck maintenance company and Hutton were respectively ordered to pay $25,000 and $3,750 in victim fine surcharges.
Tile Company Facing Stiff Fines
American Marazzi Tile Inc. of Texas is facing stiff fines for alleged safety and health violations. OSHA issued three willful citations for failure to establish and maintain a hearing conservation program for workers exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 dB, failure to provide required machine guards for exposed belts, pulleys, chains and sprockets and failure to establish a lockout/tagout program for energy sources. Twenty-one serious citations allege failure to provide PPE, provide confined space training, provide machine guarding to protect workers from coming into contact with rotating parts, develop energy control procedures for machines with more than one energy source, provide fire extinguisher training, properly store oxygen and acetylene cylinders, develop a bloodborne pathogens program and train employees on hazardous chemicals used in the facility. Proposed penalties in this case total $318,000. [American Marazzi Tile Inc., Sunnyvale, TX, Jan. 13, 2012].
Pennsylvania Manufacturer Issued $93,000 in Fines
Morgan Truck Body,LLC of Pennsylvania was cited for alleged repeat, serious violations at its Georgia plant. One repeat citation alleges failure to provide welding screens for employees performing welding operations and those working in adjacent areas. Seventeen serious citations allege failure to keep exits unobstructed, develop specific lockout/tagout procedures for energy sources, periodically inspect energy control procedures, train workers on the hazardous energy control program and lockout/tagout procedures and provide training on hazardous chemicals such as titanium dioxide, xylene, argon, carbon dioxide and propane. Other serious citations allege failure to secure and cap gas cylinders before storing them, electrical deficiencies, a lack of machine guarding and operating a forklift with an unsecured gas cylinder.[Morgan Corp., doing business as Morgan Truck Body LLC, Rydal, GA, Jan. 25, 2012].
Poultry Processor Issued $142,150 in Proposed Penalties
Three repeat citations allege failure to install machine guards on equipment where workers could come into contact with moving parts, failure to tightly seal electrical enclosures to prevent severe corrosion, and failure to provide adequate strain relief on electrical components. Four serious citations allege failure to provide an ammonia detector that would warn of gas dispersal into the air, failure to provide training to workers acting in the capacity of hazardous materials technicians when accessing equipment during emergency releases of ammonia, failure to repair or contain hydraulic fluid leaks that created slippery floor surfaces and failure to provide machine guards when operating the shaft ends of the conveyor systems.[KD Acquisition I LLC, doing business as Coleman Natural Foods, Braselton, GA, Jan. 12, 2012].
Powder Coating Company Cited for 20 Alleged Violations
Acting on a referral about alleged safety hazards, OSHA opened an inspection in August 2011 and cited 18 serious violations and two other-than-serious violations. Among the serious violations alleged by OSHA were failure to ensure that workers used eye, face and hand protection while working with products and cleaners containing phosphoric acid, calcium carbonate and carbon black, not training workers in the use of proper PPE, not provide an eyewash/shower unit for workers exposed to corrosive materials and failure to develop and implement a confined space program.
Other alleged violations include not posting permit-required confined space signage on equipment such as dryers, ovens and wash tanks, where workers could be exposed to oxygen-deficient atmospheres, allowing powder coating material to accumulate on the floor and equipment due to poor housekeeping and exposing workers to fall, electrical and other combustible dust hazards. Two other-than-serious violations allege failure to develop and implement a written respiratory protection program for employees required to wear respirators while performing powder coating operations.
OSHA’s proposed fines totaled $55,200. [NuTech Powder Coaters LLC, Newnan, GA, Jan. 12, 2012].
