Heat Detector

Types of Smoke Alarms and Detectors

According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), approximately two-thirds of U.S. household fire deaths result from fires in homes with no smoke alarms or with working smoke alarms with old or missing batteries.

Whether it's a household setting or in a business, the selection and maintenance of an early warning system is critical to save lives and minimize property loss.

Smoke alarms should be placed on each level of your home and outside of each sleeping area. If bedroom doors are closed, additional alarms should be located inside the bedrooms, as well. Since smoke rises, the installation should be on the ceiling at least four inches away from the nearest wall and away from drafts from windows or air ducts.

There are two broad types of fire alarm systems; heat detectors and smoke alarms. Knowing the differences between the various types of fire alarms available is key to matching the appropriate product to the application.

Heat DetectorsHeat Detector
  • Heat detectors are the oldest type of automatic fire detection device. Heat detectors feature a detecting element inside the unit that activates when it reaches a predetermined fixed temperature or when a specific increase in temperature has occurred.
  • Heat detectors are best suited for applications where detection speed is not a prime consideration or where ambient conditions would not allow the use of a smoke detector, for fire detection in small, confined spaces where rapidly burning, high heat fires are anticipated
  • Heat detectors have a lower false alarm rate, but they are also slower than smoke detectors in detecting fires.
Smoke Alarms
  • Smoke AlarmSmoke alarms will detect most fires more rapidly than heat detectors. There are currently three types of smoke alarms on the market: ionization, photoelectric and combination ionization/photoelectric.
  • An ionization smoke alarm contains a small amount of radioactive material. The radiation passes through an ionization chamber which is an air-filled space between two electrodes and permits a small, constant current between the electrodes. Any smoke that enters the chamber absorbs the alpha particles, which reduces the ionization and interrupts this current, setting off the alarm.
  • Photoelectric smoke alarms operate using a light source, a light beam collimating system and a photoelectric sensor. When smoke enters the optical chamber and crosses the path of the light beam, some light is scattered by the smoke particles, directing it at the sensor and thus activating the alarm.
  • Combination smoke alarms feature both ionization and photoelectric technologies. Ionization smoke alarms respond faster to high energy fires, whereas photoelectric detectors respond better to low energy smoldering fires. The NFPA recommends using both smoke alarms in the home for the best protection.

Smoke alarms vary in how they are powered. 9 volt battery powered smoke alarms are very popular due to their low cost, however, care must be taken to replace the battery on a regular basis.

Smoke alarms are also available in 120 volt and a long life 10 year rated lithium battery. Many local or state building codes may require 120 volt interconnected smoke alarms with a battery back-up in case of power outages. The interconnected feature allows all smoke alarms to be linked together. This is especially important in multi-levels homes or in apartment buildings. Smoke alarms with high intensity strobe lights are also available for the hearing impaired.

Regardless of the type of detector or alarm selected, the proper placement and maintenance of the device is crucial. The NFPA suggests battery replacement at least once a year on battery equipped units and a monthly detector test to verify the alarm function. Many people utilize daylight saving time in the spring and the fall as a reminder to change batteries.

 

If you want more information on our safety training or consulting contact Randy Free. 407-353-8165 or email him at rfree[at]safetylinks.net

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OSHA reminds employers to post injury and illness summaries

Feb. 11, 2013
Contact: Office of Communications
Phone: 202-693-1999

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is reminding employers to post OSHA Form 300A, which lists a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred during 2012. The form must be posted between Feb. 1 and April 30, 2013.

The summary must include the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred in 2012 and were logged on OSHA Form 300, Log of Work-Related Injuries and Illnesses. To assist in calculating incidence rates, information about the annual average number of employees and total hours worked during the calendar year is also required. If a company recorded no injuries or illnesses in 2012, the employer must enter "zero" on the total line. The form must be signed and certified by a company executive. Form 300A should be displayed in a common area where notices to employees are usually posted.

Employers with 10 or fewer employees and employers in certain industries are normally exempt from federal OSHA injury and illness recordkeeping and posting requirements. A complete list of exempt industries in the retail, services, finance, insurance and real estate sectors can be found at http://s.dol.gov/YP.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics may still select exempted employers to participate in an annual statistical survey. All employers covered by OSHA need to comply with safety and health standards. All accidents that result in one or more fatalities or in the hospitalization of three or more employees must be reported verbally within eight hours to the nearest OSHA office.

Copies of OSHA Forms 300 and 300A are available at http://s.dol.gov/YQ in either Adobe PDF or Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet format. For more information on recordkeeping requirements, visit the OSHA Injury and Illness Recordkeeping and Reporting Requirements Web page.

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 ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

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Legislature will consider mandating regulations over Minnesota’s day-care deaths rise

In Minnesota, state regulators are planning to propose a new set of safety measures in response to the rise of day-care deaths. This would include increased training of day-care staff, stiffer penalties and online access to more licensed records.

"If parents are able to have access to information about child care, we know they are going to take advantage of it," said Jerry Kerber, inspector general for the Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS). "We recognize the need."

Among the recommendations are:

• Stiffer penalties for day-care providers who violate state safety standards.

• Training in safe-sleep practices for infants will be required annually; it is currently required every five years.

• Providers would have to complete more training before getting licensed and more ongoing training, including courses on health and safe supervision.

• Providers would be required to check on sleeping infants every 30 minutes and use a baby monitor when they are not in the same room. Checks would be required every 15 minutes when an infant is new to a day care, which can be the riskiest period for sleep deaths.

“We're all about safety, health and professional development," says Kate Chase, executive director of The Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association, who has not taken a formal position on the proposal.

To view the article, visit http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/188774541.html.

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OSHA schedules meetings to discuss vehicle backovers injuries

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has scheduled five informal stakeholder meetings to solicit comments on preventing injuries and fatalities from vehicle backovers. The purpose of the meetings is to gather information and evaluate backover risks across various industries, determine whether or how backovers may be prevented by new technology or other methods, and discuss the effectiveness of those measures. The meetings will be held Jan. 8-9, 2013, in Washington, D.C. and Feb. 5, 2013, in Arlington, Texas.

OSHA published a Request for Information on backover hazards in the Federal Register on March 29, 2012. The agency received responses from individuals and organizations about how workers get injured and what solutions exist to prevent injury and death. These stakeholder meetings will provide employers, workers, safety professionals and equipment makers with an opportunity to inform OSHA about ways to address backover risks.

OSHA will hold the first round of meetings at 9 a.m. on Jan. 8, 2013, and at 9 a.m. on Jan. 9, 2013, at the U.S. Department of Labor, Room C-5515, rooms 1A&B, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20210. The second round of meetings will convene at 9 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Feb. 5, 2013, at the University of Texas at Arlington, OSHA Education Center, Bluebonnet Ballroom in the University Center, 300 W. First St., Arlington, Texas. Individuals interested in participating must register electronically, by fax or mail. See the Federal Register notice for registration details.

Seventy-nine workers were killed in 2011 when backing vehicles or mobile equipment crushed them against an object or rolled over them, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics. For information on backover hazards and preventing backovers or to view a prevention video, visit OSHA’s Preventing Backovers Web page.

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 ensure 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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Revisit last year's post on HERE to view an OSHA video on preventing a vehicle backover fatality!

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10 Costly Return-To-Work Mistakes

EHS Today Online Feature: 10 Costly Return-to-Work Mistakes

By lowering the length and duration of time away from work due to injuries and illnesses on or off the job, return-to-work (RTW) programs have reduced workers’ compensation, disability and medical insurance costs as well as strengthened morale and productivity. More recently RTW programs have helped protect employers from lawsuits regarding regulatory non-compliance, particularly related to the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008.

  1. Failure to effectively manage the increase in number of employees covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA).
  2. Insist employees be released to “full duty” before returning to work.
  3. Do not account for co-morbidities.
  4. Fail to commit the budget or resources.
  5. Be deterred from setting up transitional assignments because the employee “may get hurt again.”
  6. Don’t distinguish “light duty” from “transitional work” from “reasonable accommodation.”
  7. Rely on the physician to guide the RTW process.
  8. Don’t understand how laws overlap and conflict.
  9. Don’t stay focused on the goal and establish consequences.
  10. Believe workers’ compensation settlements resolve other liabilities.
To read the article, visit EHS Today HERE.

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Scaffolds And Aerial Work Platforms

Your employees may be required to perform work in areas that cannot be accessed from the ground or from solid construction. In these cases the use of a scaffold or an aerial work platform may be required.

Scaffolds:
  • When using a scaffold, a competent person is needed to oversee erecting, securing, and dismantling of scaffolds. The competent person also inspects all scaffolds for visible defects before each work shift and after any occurrence that may affect the scaffold's structural integrity.
  • Capacity - Scaffolds and scaffold components must be capable of supporting, without failure, its own weight and at least 4 times the maximum intended load applied or transmitted to it.
  • Footing - The footing or anchorage for scaffolds must be sound, rigid, and capable of supporting the scaffold and its maximum intended load without surface settling or displacement. Unstable objects such as barrels, boxes, loose brick, or concrete blocks must not be used to support scaffolds or planks.
  • Planking - All planking, if applicable, must be overlapped a minimum of 12 inches or secured from movement by nails or bolts, unless the scaffold is prefabricated and interlocking.
  • Fall Protection - Fall protection is required for any scaffold greater than 10 feet in height. Guardrails, midrails, and personal fall arrest system, when applicable, must be in place to the scaffold being used by employees.
  • Electrical Safety - 10 foot distance rules must be taken into consideration when working near overhead power-lines or any high voltage electrical equipment.
  • Weather Stoppages - Work on scaffolds is not allowed during high winds.
  • All employees who erect, work on, or dismantle scaffolds must attend scaffold safety training.

The Safety Links scaffold (link to https://safetylinks.net/index.php/training/construction-safety-courses/scaffolding) training covers the proper use, inspection of, and hazards related to erecting, working on, and dismantling scaffolds.

Aerial Lifts

Aerial lifts include vehicle-mounted aerial devices, extendible boom platforms, aerial ladders, articulating booms, vertical towers, etc. When working on an elevated platform, several factors must be considered:

  • Fall protection – With exception of scissor lifts all occupants must wear a body harness attached to the basket.
  • Moving the lift - The lift must not be moved when the boom is elevated in a working position unless the lift is specifically designed to do so.
  • Lift controls - Lift controls must be tested daily prior to operating the boom.
  • Boom and basket loads - The manufacturer's boom and basket maximum intended loads must not be exceeded.
  • Outriggers and brakes - Outriggers must be positioned on pads or solid ground if equipped. Brakes must be set anytime outriggers are used.
  • Barricades & signs - The area beneath an operating aerial lifts must be cordoned off and access to that area must be restricted. Restricting access may be accomplished through the use of barricades and signs.
  • Training- All employees who work on aerial platforms must attend an aerial lift operator training course. The Safety Links aerial lift operation training (Link to https://safetylinks.net/index.php/training/equipment-operation/aerial-lift) covers the proper use, inspection of, and hazards associated with aerial lifts.

If you want more information on scaffold or aerial lift operator contact Randy Free. 407-353-8165 or email him at rfree[at]safetylinks.net

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OSHA releases online tool to help protect workers exposed to cadmium

OSHA has recently released a new interactive online tool to help protect workers exposed to cadmium. The new interactive online tool will assist employers in complying with OSHA's cadmium standard (29 CFR 1910.1027).

OSHA's Cadmium Biological Monitoring Advisor analyzes biological monitoring results provided by the user. These data, along with a series of answers to questions generated by the cadmium advisor, are used to determine the biological monitoring and medical surveillance requirements that must be met under the general industry cadmium standard. These requirements include the frequency of additional monitoring and other mandatory components of the employer's medical surveillance program.

Cadmium is a soft, silver-white metal used in many industries including metal machining, plastics, ceramics, painting and welding operations. Workers may also be exposed from the smelting and refining of metals or from air in industrial plants that manufacture batteries, coatings or plastics. The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry estimates that about 300,000 workers in the U.S. face exposure to cadmium each year. Short-term exposure to cadmium can cause weakness, fever, headache, chills, sweating and muscular pain. Chronic cadmium poisoning can cause kidney damage and cancer of the lung or prostate. Cadmium also is believed to cause pulmonary emphysema and bone disease (osteomalcia and osteoporosis).

The cadmium advisor is primarily intended for use by experienced medical professionals who assess workers' cadmium exposure. It may also be useful as an educational tool for workers and members of the general public by providing information on what constitutes overexposure to cadmium and what to do to prevent exposure on the job.

There is a separate Cadmium Standard (29 CFR 1926.1127) that protects workers in the construction industry. While the new cadmium advisor may be useful in assisting medical analysis of biological monitoring for construction workers, it does not refer to the applicable provisions of this standard, and should therefore be used primarily in a general industry setting.

The OSHA Cadmium Biological Monitoring Advisor is one of a series of elaws (Employment Laws Assistance for Workers and Small Businesses) developed by DOL to help employers and employees understand federal employment laws and resources. To access these tools, visit the elaws website at www.dol.gov/elaws.

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OSHA requests recommendations to update its construction industry standards

Contact: Office of Communications

Phone: 202-693-1999

OSHA requests recommendations to update its construction industry standards

WASHINGTON – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration is issuing a Request for Information to initiate the fourth phase of its Standards Improvement Project (SIP). The purpose of SIP-IV is to improve and streamline existing OSHA construction standards by removing or revising requirements that are confusing or outdated, or that duplicate, or are inconsistent with, other standards. The agency invites the public, including employers, employees, and employee representatives to submit recommendations for revisions to existing construction standards and the rationale for these recommendations.

SIP-IV will focus primarily on OSHA's construction standards. OSHA began the SIP rulemaking process in 1996 in response to a Presidential memorandum to improve government regulation. The purpose of the regulatory review is to reduce regulatory burden while maintaining or enhancing workers' safety and health. OSHA published the first SIP rule in 1998. Two additional SIP rulemakings were published in 2005 and 2011. OSHA will review public comments submitted to this notice to determine the need for, and the content of, any subsequent SIP-IV rulemaking.

Individuals may submit comments electronically via the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. Comments may also be submitted by facsimile or mail. See the Federal Register notice for details. Comments must be submitted by Feb. 4, 2013.

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 ensure 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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Wal-Mart Factories’ Lack of Safety

Here’s an interesting article that proves to companies that implementing a safety plan is not only ethically right, but would not costs much more money, especially in the long run.

The company in this scenario is the infamous Wal-Mart Inc. Having a long history of their lack of safety regulations, their opposition to it usually revolves around the “not financially feasible” responses given to the public.

However, according to the Worker Rights Consortium, and independent labor rights monitoring group, the costs of adding fire-safety standards, for example, would only add very minimum costs without being forced to raise their prices by much. An estimate of only about 2.5 percent to their outsourcing costs would be enough to improve some of their fire incidents, for example. This would allow them to implement training and planning to avoid a history of factory deaths, such as a firetrap that took the lives of about 100 workers just last month in Bangladesh.

Here is the article:

Wal-Mart Shouldn't Discount Worker Safety

By Lisa Beyer Dec 5, 2012

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is learning just how hard it is to escape the stain of exploiting human beings for profit.

The company was already roiling from news that the Tazreen factory in Bangladesh, a firetrap that burned down killing more than 100 workers last month, was a Wal-Mart supplier. Now, Bloomberg News has reported that the retailer last year said it would not pay Bangladeshi factories prices sufficient to cover safety improvements that might have prevented the Tazreen blaze.

To read the entire article, visit http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-12-05/wal-mart-shouldn-t-discount-worker-safety.html.

 

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