Arc Flash & Electrical Safety

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

OSHA Cites DCS Sanitation Management Inc. Following Electrocution Death

The following is a press release from OSHA dated April 14, 2008.

OSHA cites DCS Sanitation Management Inc. for multiple safety and health violations following an electrocution death.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited DCS Sanitation Management Inc. for 10 alleged violations of federal safety and health standards following the Oct. 12, 2007, death of an employee at a Springfield, Mo., poultry processing facility.

An employee of Cincinnati, Ohio-based DCS Sanitation Management, working to sanitize poultry processing equipment, was electrocuted when the equipment's conductive surface became energized.

"Our inspection revealed multiple violations of OSHA's electrical standards," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City. "It is imperative that employers remain committed to keeping the workplace safe at all times."

An alleged willful violation addresses hazards associated with the company's failure to ensure employees are removed from equipment hazard areas, all tools are removed, and equipment is operationally intact prior to its release from lockout/tagout safeguards and employee use. Lockout/tagout refers to preventing accidental start-up of machinery during maintenance. Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.

An alleged repeat violation addresses a hazard associated with the lack of suitable facilities for quick drenching and/or flushing of the eyes and body in the event of an emergency when employees were working with injurious corrosives. Repeat violations are issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same, or a substantially similar, violation that has become a final order.

Alleged serious violations address the following hazards: failure to ensure electrical equipment was free from recognized hazards; failure to ensure the means of grounding machines and equipment was continuous and effective; enclosures for electrical components in wet environments that were not waterproof; failure to provide all flexible cords with a strain relief; failure to provide a standard guardrail system for every floor opening or platform above dangerous equipment; failure to provide and/or require the use of appropriate eye and face protective equipment; and allowing the consumption of food and beverages in areas exposed to toxic chemicals.

An other-than-serious violation addresses the employer's failure to report the fatal accident to the nearest OSHA area office within the required eight hours of occurrence. The agency's proposed penalties for all violations total $124,500.

DCS Sanitation Management Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request and participate in an informal conference with OSHA's area director, or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Labels: Electrical Injuries, Lockout/Tagout, OSHA

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Thursday, March 27, 2008

Contractors Cited by OSHA Following Electrocution Death At Maine Jobsite

The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited two contractors - J&S Carpentry of Columbia, Maine, and Irving Equipment Inc. of Hampton, N.H. - for 15 alleged violations of safety standards following the electrocution death of an employee at a Hermon, Maine, residential construction site.

On Sept. 12, 2007, an Irving crane contacted an energized 7,200 volt overhead power line as two J&S Carpentry employees were attempting to attach the crane's rigging equipment to a section of a modular home that was being constructed at 28 Lily Lane in Hermon. One of the employees was killed and the other seriously injured by the electric current.

OSHA's inspection found that the crane was being operated within 10 feet of the power line, which had not been de-energized beforehand, as required. The two contractors face a combined total of $121,500 in proposed fines.

"The basic safeguards designed to prevent just this sort of accident were ignored here, with fatal results," said William Coffin, OSHA's area director for Maine. "De-energizing the power line and maintaining a safe working distance from it would have prevented this death and injury."

J&S Carpentry, for whom the employees worked, was issued two willful citations for allowing employees to work in close proximity to the energized power line and for not protecting employees against fall hazards. OSHA also issued the company four serious citations for a lack of on-site medical attention; absence of hardhats and electrical warning signs; and ladder hazards. J&S Carpentry faces a total of $32,000 in proposed fines for these conditions.

Irving Equipment, which owned and operated the crane, has been issued three repeat citations for operating the crane in high winds, inadequate support for the crane's outriggers, and not inspecting the job site to identify and correct these and other hazards. OSHA had cited the company in May 2005 for similar hazards at a Freeport, Maine, job site.

Irving Equipment also has been issued six serious citations for operating the crane within 10 feet of the power line; not operating the crane in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications and industry standards; and lack of fall protection, hardhats, on-site medical attention and an electrical warning sign. Irving Equipment faces a total of $89,500 in proposed fines for these conditions.

OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. A serious citation is issued when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.

Each company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations to contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Bangor District Office.

Labels: Electrical Injuries, OSHA

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Friday, March 14, 2008

What OSHA Expects: The Electrical Safety Questions OSHA Will Ask

This article, What OSHA Expects: The Electrical Safety Questions OSHA Will Ask During an Investigation by Kenneth Cybart appeared in yesterday's Occupational Hazards Magazine. This is how the article introduces itself:

"Wouldn’t it be nice to know exactly what OSHA is training its inspectors to look for during an inspection that includes electrical safety, including surprising new areas of emphasis based on national OSHA directives? This article covers some of the typical electrical safety questions that OSHA inspectors will ask during a field investigation, what they mean and how to be prepared and in compliance."

The article looks at 17 questions OSHA inspectors will ask, such as:

Is there a description of the circuit or equipment at the job location?

Is there a detailed job description of planned work?

Can you justify why equipment cannot be de-energized or the job deferred until the next scheduled outage?

Has a detailed work procedure been established?

You can read the complete article, including all 17 questions, on Occupational Hazards' web site.

Labels: Electrical Safety, OSHA, Safety Inspections

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Friday, December 21, 2007

Top Safety Story of 2007

Occupational Hazards E-News has put out their list of the top ten most read news stories on their web site in 2007. The #1 most read story was about OSHA issuing a final rule on electrical standards.

Here is the February 13th press release from OSHA:

OSHA Issues Final Rule on Electrical Installation Standard

WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will publish a final rule in tomorrow's Federal Register for an updated electrical installation standard.

"These are the first changes to the electrical installation requirements in 25 years, so it is important the standard reflects the most current practices and technologies in the industry," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "The revised standard strengthens employee protections and adds consistency between OSHA's requirements and many state and local building codes which have adopted updated National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Electrical Code provisions."

Changes to OSHA's general industry electrical installation standard focus on safety in the design and installation of electric equipment in the workplace. The updated standard includes a new alternative method for classifying and installing equipment in Class I hazardous locations; new requirements for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and new provisions on wiring for carnivals and similar installations.

The final rule updates the general industry electrical installation requirements to the 2000 edition of the NFPA 70E, which was used as the foundation of the revised standard. The final rule also replaces the reference to the 1971 National Electrical Code in the mandatory appendix to the powered platform standard with a reference to OSHA's electrical installation standard.

Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing a safe and healthful workplace for their employees. OSHA's role is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards; providing training, outreach, and education; establishing partnerships; and encouraging continual process improvement in workplace safety and health. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

Labels: Electrical Hazards, OSHA

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