Electrical and Arc Flash Safety

This type of fine is happening more than one per week.  There are so many options for electrical safety training and arc flash training today.  Most companies have multiskilled technicians who need training too.  Too many companies want to spend 2 days on OSHA regulations when 1 day of a full class understanding OSHA and [...]

Multi-employer sites don’t get “buys”.  Being vigilant is the key.  Document other’s violations and work together for a safe workplace.  We are only as good as our weakest link.
Click here to read the recent OSHA Interpretation on Multi-employer responsibility for electrical cords on construction sites.

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Region 6 News Release: DOL-OSHA-10-941-DAL
Monday, July 19, 2010
Contact: Elizabeth Todd
Phone: 972-850-4710
Email: todd.elizabeth@dol.gov

US Department of Labor’s OSHA cites Jarden Home Brands
in Greenville, Texas, for alleged safety violations

GREENVILLE, Texas – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Jarden Home Brands with two alleged willful and 12 alleged serious violations following a safety inspection at the company’s worksite in Greenville. Penalties total $197,500.

“This employer jeopardized the safety of its workers by exposing them to the possible release of electrical energy, which could result in electrocution or other hazards,” said Stephen Boyd, OSHA’s area director in Dallas, Texas. “OSHA’s regulations must be followed to avoid injuries and fatalities.”

OSHA’s Dallas Area Office began its inspection Jan. 27 at the company’s facility on Industrial Boulevard after receiving a referral alleging workers were being exposed to safety hazards. Willful violations were issued for failing to develop specific procedures to protect workers from the unexpected release of electrical energy, and for failing to provide adequate machine guarding for employees working around rotating shafts. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.

The serious violations included failing to provide fall protection equipment, training in lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources, training in the use of forklift trucks, and ensuring electrical equipment was approved for use in hazardous locations. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Employers and employees with questions regarding workplace safety and health standards can call OSHA’s Dallas Area Office at 214-320-2400 or OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-6742 to report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers.

Jarden Home Brands has 15 business days from receipt of citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director in Dallas, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

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 assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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Region 5 News Release: 10-982-CHI
July 16, 2010
Contact: Scott Allen
Phone: 312-353-6976
E-mail: allen.scott@dol.gov

US Labor Department’s OSHA fines Kenton Iron Products
$214,500 in penalties for 29 safety and health violations

KENTON, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Kenton Iron Products LLC with $214,500 in proposed penalties for 29 alleged serious, willful, and repeat safety and health violations for unsafe working conditions at the company’s iron casting facility in Kenton.

As a result of a January 2010 inspection, OSHA has issued three alleged willful citations with proposed penalties of $156,000 for failing to ensure that some equipment was de-energized and shut down properly, and lockout/tagout procedures were in place before workers conducted maintenance on the equipment to prevent accidental start-up of machinery. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirement, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Twenty-two serious citations with proposed penalties of $50,700 also have been issued. These include excess amounts of flammable liquids stored in a fire area; lack of or improper capacity labeling on equipment; malfunctioning back up alarms and hydraulic leaks on equipment; failure to have and enforce electrical lockout/tagout procedures; lack of employee fall protections; lack of proper personal protective gear for workers, and unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.

Additionally, OSHA has issued $7,800 in proposed fines for three repeat violations, including failing to provide proper grounding and bonding of flammable liquids, failing to provide safety latches on material handling hooks, and using compressed air over the 30 pounds per square inch limit. OSHA issues repeat violations if that employer previously was cited for the same or similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last three years.

The company also has received one other-than-serious citation for using damaged electrical testing equipment. Other-than-serious citations are given when the violation would not directly cause a death or serious physical harm, but would affect the safety and health of employees.

“There is no excuse for a company to disregard the safety and welfare of its workers by not following OSHA safety standards,” said OSHA Area Director Jule Hovi in Toledo, Ohio. “Those who ignore safe practices and OSHA regulations are inviting tragedy into the lives of their workers.”

Kenton Iron Products manufactures iron castings at its two foundries located in Kenton and has more than 80 employees. The company has been inspected by OSHA 10 times since 1981 and has received 49 previous citations.

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-6742.

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 assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

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U.S. Department of Labor releases are accessible on the Internet at http://www.dol.gov. The information in this news release will be made available in alternate format (large print, Braille, audiotape or disc) from the COAST office upon request. Please specify which news release when placing your request at 202-693-7828 or TTY 202-693-7755. The Labor Department is committed to providing America’s employers and employees with easy access to understandable information on how to comply with its laws and regulations. For more information, please visit http://www.dol.gov/compliance.

DOE is one of the toughest on electrical safety.  Bechtel has a good rep too.  Shows improvements can happen anywhere and that programs can slip when training slips.
Click here to read the story about an arc flash in the Knoxville News Sentinel.

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“Region 5 News Release: 10-920-CHI
July 12, 2010
Contact: Scott Allen
Phone: 312-353-6976
E-mail: allen.scott@dol.gov

US Labor Department’s OSHA proposes more than $69,000 in penalties against Roll-Kraft for exposing workers to hazards

MENTOR, Ohio – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Mentor-based RKI Inc., which operates the Roll-Kraft steel manufacturing facility, with 12 alleged safety violations carrying proposed penalties of $69,650. The company has been cited for failing to properly protect workers against electrical and machine hazards, and for not providing required safety training.

OSHA has cited the company with one willful and seven serious safety violations following an inspection in January. Some of these violations include the company’s failure to provide adequate guarding on lathes, grinding and other dangerous machines; to develop and implement training on locking a machine’s energy source, and alerting others about the state of that power source; and to provide proper fire response training.

A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirement, or plain indifference to employee safety and health. An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm can result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.

The company also has received four other-than-serious violations for failing to properly record past workplace injuries.

“It is the responsibility of employers to ensure workers are provided with proper safety protection against electrical and machine hazards, and that they receive proper emergency training,” said OSHA Area Director Rob Medlock in Cleveland, Ohio. “Those who ignore these safety and health regulations are inviting tragedy into the lives of their workers.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).

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 assure these conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.”

Another facility.  Now the fines are over $3 million if I am not missing it.  That would pay for a huge electrical safety training and PPE program MANY times over.  Online training for NFPA 70E is out there and so many companies are doing assessments (differing quality but most mean you will protect the workers).  [...]

“Officials probe accident where worker was burned
By JASON SCHREIBER
Union Leader Correspondent
Saturday, Jul. 3, 2010

CHESTER – Federal safety inspectors have begun investigating the circumstances surrounding Thursday’s accident that severely burned a man while he was working at a utility substation.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is expected to spend the next several weeks reviewing the accident at a New Hampshire Electric Co-op substation on Old Sandown Road.

Authorities said the victim, an employee of I.C. Reed and Sons Inc. of Raymond, was working from a bucket truck when he received a jolt of 7,200 volts of electricity to his shoulder. Fire Chief Richard Antoine said the worker’s shoulder “touched something that obviously it shouldn’t have” while he was working in the bucket and that the electricity entered through his shoulder and exited through his arm.

The shock left the victim with third-degree burns to his upper body, officials said. He was flown to Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

While the victim’s condition wasn’t known yesterday, Antoine said he was told that he’s “doing very well.” Authorities have not identified the worker, citing privacy laws.

I.C. Reed and Sons, which has not returned calls, was subcontracted by New Hampshire Electric Co-op to perform work at the substation.

OSHA spokesman Ted Fitzgerald said the federal agency was immediately notified about the accident on Thursday and inspectors quickly arrived to begin their review.

“We need to determine which safety standards would apply and whether or not they were complied with,” Fitzgerald said.

OSHA inspectors have up to six months to complete their review, but Fitzgerald said they should done before then, adding that the investigation will likely take several weeks.

Seth Wheeler, spokesman for New Hampshire Electric Co-op, said he didn’t know the status of the work that was being done and whether it had been completed. He said the accident didn’t cause any prolonged outages for electric customers.”

According to the article this was probably an arc flash and they WERE wearing flame resistant (arc-rated) clothing.  Most likely these folks will live will little long terms effects.  When clothing doesn’t ignite workers are typically not hurt badly.  The NESC and OSHA 1910.269 apply here so they should be wearing arc-rated clothing and the [...]

OSHA announced yesterday they are seeking a USPS-wide solution to the mounting citations.  By my count it is over $2 million now.
Good to see OSHA working on the most frequent killer.  Hope they focus on other industries.  I’m not sure the best industry to work on is the USPS BUT this is a real issue.  [...]