Openings
use the properr guarding, railings or coverings to prevent workers from accidentally falling through.
Stairs
designed and constructed so that they can safely carry expected loads. They must be adequately wide and angle as specified in the regulations. The tread on the steps should be slip-residstant, and railings and handrails should properly guard exposed stairways and platforms.
Ladders
different types of ladders are used on a hazardous waste site.
- Maximum length
- care and use
- proper angel placement of portable ladders
- protective cages for fixed ladders.
Safe work practices to follow:
- don’t build makeshift ladders
Take the time to find the proper one for the job. - inspect all ladders for defects before you begin climbing
- face ahead and use both hands as you climb.
- set ladders up using the 4-to-1 rule. The distance from the wall to the base of the ladder should be one-fourth the distance from th ebase of the ladder to where it touches the wall.
- Hoist toold or matwerials up after reaching the top of the ladder. You need both hands for climbing. Always maintain 3 points of contact with the ladder.
- Do not over-reach from a ladder. If your belt buckle reaches past the uprights, you have gone too far. Move the ladder.
- Don’t stand on the top of a step ladder, and be careful not to get too close to the top of an extension or straight ladder.
- Ladders should extend at least 3 feet above t he top level being accessed.
- Secure the ladder at the top and bottom whenever possible.
Scaffolds
caffolds are elevated work platforms that can be built up from the ground, attached to ladders, or suspended from avobe. If you use scaffolds in your daily work you know that falling from them can result in serious injury or death. Most scaffolding accidents occur because of improper use or poor maintenance.
Scaffolding
Keep both feet firmly on the scaffold and practice these safety precautions.
- Receive training on scaffold safety before erecting or inspecting an scaffolding.
- a scaffolding competent person should check scaffolds daily for any safety defects, and make sure they are sturdy.
- Always clear work surfaces of snot, ice or slippery materials.
- Never overload scaffolds with people, equipment, or supplies.
Lock casters on mobile sacaffolding to prevent movement when working.
- Use fall protection to prevent injury in the event of an accidental slip, trip or fall off of the ladders or scaffolds. Know how the fall-protection device works and keep it in good condition.
Overhead and Underground Utilities
One of the biggest hazards on any work site is the presence of overhead and underground utilities. Workers need to be aware of safe work practices when dealing with these utilities.
Most state laws require employers to call untilities nefore digging. Familiarize yourself with route markers. These sigs alert that a utility is buried nearby, but they do not indicate the exact location or depth. If cables are damaged, they should not be vocered up. Because this makes them even harder to find.
The presence of overhead power lines is the greatest above-ground utility hazard that a worker will face. Power lines can be dangerous because of loose wires or from peiple improperly handling conductive equipment. Only persons qualified as specified in 29 CFR 1910 .269 can work on or isolate overhead lines. Therefore, contact must be established with either the utility company or a qualified electrical distribution line contractor when site work is being conducted in close proximity to these lines. Large vehicles and construction equipment may have to druve under low hanging utilities or bridges. It is a best practice to build a “goal post” before the utilities that equipment traffic coming onto site will have to clear before accidentally contacting any overhead lines or bridges.
Electrical Shock emergency procedures
In the event that preventative electrical shock procedures are not successful and a coworker is electrically shocked, do the following:
- Protect yourself from clectrocution
- Shut off the power
- If it is impossible to de-energizze the circuit, pry or knock the victim free with a nonconductive object.
- Never attempt to pull the victim away by hand.
- Call for menical assistance as soon as you have freed the injured person.
- If necessary, administer CPR to the victim. Current studies indicate that CPR when required is helpful even when administered by a person not preperly trained. Remember, when a person’s heart stops beating, he or she is dead so improperly performing CPR will not kill anyone.
Tools and Heavy Equipment
Working with tools and heavy equipment can pose hazards. An important part of tool and equipment safety is proper maintenance. Heavy equipment parts should be inspected every day, and regular inspection is equally as imperative. Safe work procedures include:
- Training personnel to properly use and maintain equipment.
- Keeping all nonessential people out of the work area.
Energy Sources
The control of hazardous energy is called Lockout / Tagout and is covered in 29CFR 1910.147.333.269 and other standards.
Lockout is the process of blocking the flow of energy from a power source to a piece of equipment and keeping it blocked out. A lockout device is a :
- lock
- block
- chain
These devices kee[p valves or levers in the OFF position.
Tagout
Tagout is accomplished by placing a tag on the power source. The tag acts as a warding and can pnly be used when ethe path or source of the hazardous energy has neen physically interrupted.
Both locks and tags shouldbe strong enough to prevent unauthorized removal and to withstand varous environmental conditions. Lockout / Tagout procedures include:
- How to perform a shutdown
- How to isolate equipment
- How to apply and remove lockout devices
- How to safely release stored energy to assure that a zero energy state exists
You must review the standards prior to the developing these procedures. they shall not be written except by properly trained personnel.
Heavy Loads
Lifting improperly is the largest single cause of back pain and injury. Always ask for help with heavy loads or use a machine whenever possible.
It is important o use proper lifting techniques when lifting heavy objects. These are some techniques for proper lifting.
- Bend your knees
- Do not twist or turn your body once you have made the lift
- Make sure you can carry the load where you need to go before lifting.
- m Always push, do not pull objects when possible.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics is the practice of arranging the work environment to accomodate worker’s body requirement. Ergonomics involves designing tasks, work stations, controls, displays, safety devices, tools, and equipment to fit the worker. When the job demand exeeds the physical characteristic of the worker, an injury results. Improper work ergonomics can lead to muscular-skeletal disorders affecting muscles, tendons, joints and bones. Cumulative trauma disorders , or CTDs are also common. CTDs are disorders of the muscular-skeletal and nervous systems, made worse by repetitve activities extended periods of time.
Ergonomic hazards are prevented primarily y the effective design of a job or job site and the tools or equipment used in that job. Jobs should be designed to fit the prople doing them not force them to fit the job.
New and continuous employeee training can be the most effective tool in preventing worker injury.
Disorders and Injuries
Muscular -skeletal disorders
A muscular-skeletal disorder or illness is one involving the muscles, tendons, ligaments, nerves, joints, bones, or supporting body tissue. The injuries include disorders of the beck, the nexk , the uppor or lower extremities, or the shoulders. They involve strains, sprains, or tissue inflammation and discoloration. When the job demand exceeds the physical characteristics of the worker an injury results.
Cumulative Trauma Disorders
Cumulative trauma disorders (CTDs) are adisorders of the muscular-skeletal and nervous systems, which are caused or made worse by repretitive motions, forceful exertions, vibration, hard and sharp edges, sustained or awkward postures, or by exposure to noise over extended periods of time.
CTDs can affect nearly all tissues, nerves, tendons and muscles with the upper extremities being the most frequently affected. The most common CTDs in the workplace are tendon disorders such as tendonitis, tenosynovitis, de quervains disease, trigger finger, raynauds syndrome and carpal tunnel syndrome.
Symptoms of tendon disorders may be a dull aching sensation over the tendon, discomfort with specific movements, and tenderness to the touch. Recovery is usually slow and the condition can easily become chronic if the cause is not eliminated. Tractor, truck and construction machinery drivers can suffer from lower back pain, and permanent abdominal, spinal and bone damage.
Handling Drums and other containers
Hazards from handling drums include fires, explosions, straind backs and pinched fingers. Regulations concerning drum and container handling include:
- OSHA regulations (29 CFR Parts 1910 and 1926) are general requirements and standards for storing, containing, and handling chemicals and containers.
- EPA regulations (40 CFR Part 365) include requirements for types of containers, maintenance of containers and containment structrues and storage areas.
- DOT Regulations - (49 CFR Parts 171 through 178) include requirements for container and procedures for shipment of hazardous wastes.
Drums that contain radioactive material should never be handled. Drums that contain explosive waste should be handled only after all nonessential personnel have been cleared from the area.
Inspection
The appropriate procedures for handling drums depend on the drum contents. Thus prior to any handling, drums should be visually inspected to gain as much informaiion as possible about their contents. The inspection crew should look for:
- Symbols, words or other marks on the drum indicating that its contents are hazardous (ef. radioactive, explosive, corrosive, toxic, or flammable)
- Symbols, words, or other marks on the drum indicating that its contents are hazardous (e.g. radioactive explosice, corrosive toxic or flammable.)
- Signs of deterioration such as corrosion, rust and leaks
- signs that the drum is under pressure such as swelling and bulging
- Drum type
- Configuration of the drumhead
Planning
Since drum handling is so dangerous, every step of the operation shoul dbe carefully planned, based on all of the information available at the time. The results of the prelinimary inspection can be used to determine:
- if any hazards are present and the appropriate response
- Which drums need to be moved in order to be opened and sampled.
- A preliminary plan which specified the extent of handling necessary, the personnel slected for the job, and the most appropriate procedures based on the hazards associated with the probable drum contents as determined by visual inspection. This planshould be revised as new informaiton is obtained.
Handling
the purpose of drum handling sops is to :
- respond to any obvious problems that might impair worker safety, such as radioactivity, leakage or the prescence of explosive substances.
- Use a machine to move the drums if possible to avoid extra human contact and heavy lefting
- Un-stack and orient drums for sampling
- If necessary, organize drums into different areas on site to facilitate characterization and remedial action.
Drum Excavation and Removal Equipment
Drum excacationand removal of equipment is used for several purposes, includieng:
- excavation and removal of surface vover ocer buried drums
-
excavation around buried drums - removal of drums from pits and trenches
- Loading and transporting drums to on-site locations
- Forkliftes can be outfitted with drum handling equipment which can pick up drums and empty them. Use a machine to do heavy lifting and reduce human contact when possible.
- Sampling, secregating, bulking, (pumping waste into a tank or vacuum truck) and over-packing drums.
- Transporting off site for treatment storage and disposal
The choice of equipment for drum handling is dependent on several factors, such as :
- capabilities and limitations of the equipment
- site-specific conditions
- necessity to protect worker safety
- number of drums to be handled
- costs
Transportation requirements and terms
Three government agencies adn the United Nations define and classify hazardous chemicals and other substance, each from a different point of view. The terminology listed below represents definitions developed by the different agencies:
- Hazardous chemicals, as defined by OSHA are chemicals that are hazardous to the people in the workplace if released.
- Hazardous materials as defined by the DOT present a danger during shipment.
- Hazardous substances as defined by the EPA present a danger to the envorinment
- Hazardous wastes as defined by the EPA are hazardous substances which have no commercial value
- Chemicals as defined by United Nations - Global Harmonization System must be labeled appropriately when put into containers.
Transportation Legislation and Regulations
The department of transportation (DOT) has been the primary regulatory agency for hazardous materials interstate transport since the enactment of the Transportation Safety Act in 1974, The Hazardous Materials Transportation Act in 1975 gave DOT the authority to impose stiff financial penalties for violations. In 49 CFR, the DOT regulates the shipping papers, packaging, labeling and placarding of shipments as well as the training and respoinsibilities of the shipping personnel involved in the transport of hazardous materials.
Special Situations
Situations exist where mixtures of wastes complicate the determination of accurate hazard classes for labeling and placarding. Specific guidelines should be followed in these situations.
Mixtures in a container
if mixed flammable liquids form a compound not listed in the Hazardous Materials Table, the proper shipping name is to Flammable Liquid, NOS (ie not otherwise specified) the contaciner is to be labeled flammable liquid and the truck placarded similarly. A mixture or solution of the hazardous and non hazardous materials is lableled ny the hazard class of the listed materials.
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Risk Identification37
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Site Characterization28
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Toxicology62
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Hazard Recognition49
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Hazardous Chemical Awareness72
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Radiological Hazards28
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Respiratory Protection39
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Personal Protective Equipment49
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Site Control16
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Decontamination34
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MEDICAL SURVELLANCE22
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AIR MONITORING53
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Confined Spaces72
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Emergency Procedures43
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CH 15 - Material Sampling12
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16. Safe Work Practices30
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17. Personal Sampling10
