The recent gas explosion in downtown Durham, North Carolina resulted in one fatality and at least 17 injuries. Click here for more details. OSHA's 1926 Excavation standard (Subpart P) requires the location of underground utilities be identified: 1926.651 (b)(1): "The...
I recently spoke with a major local hospital concerning electrical safety recommendations while undergoing a major building expansion. Listed below are the significant recommendations I made that should be done prior to completion: Arc Flash Study: Since this is a...
In 2018, several of my clients have identified combustible dust concerns. The first step is a review of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) of the material in question. With OSHA's adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS), OSHA amended the definition of "hazardous...
OSHA Subpart D (Walking-Working Surfaces) standard is phasing out the use of cages for fall protection on fixed ladders extending more than 24 feet above a lower level. The phase out of ladder wells and cages over the next 20 years per OSHA 1910.28 (b)(9)(i). ...
Several significant revisions have been made to the 2018 edition of NFPA 70E. Please click here NFPA70E_2018_Changes to view the changes. For more information on NFPA 70E, please register for our May 18, 2018 course. Jon
NFPA will be issuing the updated 2018 edition of NFPA 70E in late October. Major changes to the standard include: Changes in Job Safety Planning Incident Reporting Changes New Changes in Risk Assessments Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Standardization Vocabulary...
During a recent client meeting, a question was asked regarding what is minimum sized opening that would represent a pinch point hazard. Keep in mind there are many variables to consider - distance from nip point, etc. One-fourth of an inch is considered the minimum...
I am commonly asked by clients to participate in or review the thoroughness of an incident investigation. Based upon my experience, many of these incidents are incomplete and fail to accurately satisfy the objective: identify the actual root cause(s) to prevent a...
A recent incident involved multiple injuries after a woman attempted to light a cigarette with a gas grill inside their rental SUV. Please click here for more details. Although this incident did not happen in the workplace, it illustrates the importance of not...
According to the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW), changing a ballast in a 277 volt circuit is the #1 cause of electrocutions for IBEW trained electricians. The combination of the shock and fall can result in serious injure/death. OSHA cited a...