Spring is here…swimming pool installers and landscaping companies are getting busy as home owners want to beautify their property. One piece of equipment regularly used for these projects is a skid steer loader…a “jack-of-all-trades”. With the many attachment options, these units can be found doing many tasks. From earthmoving to landscaping, skid steers help operators get the job done!

Skid steer loaders are manufactured with safety features to prevent unexpected or inadvertent movement of the loader arm and hydraulics when the operator is not in the cab. Operators should read the owner’s manual and demonstrate that they understand the safe work practices when operating the skid steer loader. Operators should be provided with at least an annual refresher safety training, and always document training just in case OSHA pays you a visit.

Common safety features of a skid steer loader include the seatbelt to prevent the operator from being thrown about inside or falling out of the skid steer loader.  Other features include Falling Object Protective Structure (FOPS), Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS), and a Control Interlock System. The FOPS and ROPS protect the operator from falling objects and injury due to accidental rollovers. Control Interlock Systems and/or operator seats used on some machines typically activate a safety interlock system that is intended to prevent inadvertent movement of the machine's controls when the operator is not seated.

When safe work practices are not followed, mishaps are bound to occur. The most common types of incidents from skid steer usage include:

• Running over bystanders, including children or the operator

• Entrapment or crushing, which can happen when the operator or helper is caught between an attachment and the frame of the skid steer

• Entrapment of the operator when a load rolls or drops onto him or her while he or she is in the operator station

• Rollover when the skid steer is operated on a steep slope or uneven terrain

• Tipping due to a heavy load or attachment in the front

• Falls while improperly mounting or dismounting the skid steer

• Injection injuries caused when pressurized hydraulic fluid is injected into a person’s body

• Crushing/pinching injuries to hands and fingers due to improper hooking/unhooking of an attachment

While OSHA does not have a standard requiring employers to use control interlock systems or seatbelts on skid steer loaders, it is important for employers to understand that under the General Duty Clause of the OSH Act (section 5(a)(1)), employers must provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards that would likely cause death or serious physical harm.

For example, performing maintenance or repair operations while a skid steer loader is energized creates the recognized hazard of crushed-by and/or caught in-between. OSHA may cite an employer for a violation under the General Duty Clause if the employer does not take feasible, effective measures to abate such hazard.

The following practices will minimize hazardous situations associated with operating and maintaining skid steer loaders:

• Read and understand the operator's manual before using the piece of equipment.

• Follow the manufacturer's operation and maintenance recommendations and specifications.

• Lower the bucket or attachment so that it is flat on the ground.

• Do not leave the operator's seat while the engine is on.

• Never attempt to activate the controls unless properly seated with the seatbelt fastened and the seat bar (if equipped) lowered. Keep all body parts inside the cab while operating a skid steer loader.

• Never modify, bypass, disable, or override safety systems, and never operate equipment in which safety systems have been modified or are not working properly.

• Equipment with modified or malfunctioning safety systems should be taken out of service until repaired or replaced.

• Do not permit riders on the skid steer loader, in the bucket or attachment, or in the operator's compartment unless the compartment is designed to accommodate a second rider.

• Keep bystanders at a safe distance from the work area.

• Establish a routine maintenance and inspection program in accordance with the manufacturer's recommendations.

• Inspect the skid steer loader to ensure that all safety systems are functioning properly prior to operating the equipment.

• Do not attempt maintenance or other work while lift arms or attachments are raised without using an approved lift arm support device. Replace protective guards and shields after repairs or service.

• Operators must be trained on the proper inspection, use, maintenance, and repair of skid steer loaders according to the manufacturer's instructions.

• Supervisory personnel must be trained to identify hazards, such as safety systems that have been bypassed, disabled, or that require maintenance.

Safety Links offers an interactive course to provide participants with a general understanding of the safe and efficient operation of a skid steer. After the course, participants will be able to identify specific health and safety hazards associated with operating a skid steer.

For more information on this and many other courses, contact Fran Soto at 800-768-7036 or fsoto@transportins.net.

Article written with the assistance of: mysafetynews.com; osha.gov; extension.org

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As a professor at Seminole State College I like to feature students work periodically. Amerys, one of my students in the Bachelors of Construction Management program, wrote a paper worthy of sharing.

The assignment was to compare and contrast the “traditional safety techniques” still used in many organizations (i.e. enforcement, rules, manuals, etc...) with the “modern safety management methods” used by world class safety performers (i.e. Metrics, Accountability, Score Cards, etc...). Then the students were to explain how measuring safety performance has changed since we started using “modern safety management methods”.

Here is her response:

Measuring safety performance is not just complying with specifications anymore. Keeping records of injuries (measuring of failures) and historical records are not reliable indicators any longer because whether a particular event results in an injury is often a matter of chance, so it will not necessarily reflect whether or not a hazard is under control. Good safety performance statistics could be the result of few employees being exposed to the hazard or events not reported.

It is more productive to recognize were action is required and with what level of immediacy, provide solutions, and get feedback. At the time of measuring, the important things are those that impact health and safety (no just collecting excessive data), and the design of the process to measure the performance must include a representation of employees to stimulate ideas and team work.

Every worksite have unique characteristics, even in the same industry, thus the performance strategy must applied accordingly. In a hypothetical construction worksite, leading activity indicators to measure safety would be:

• To check if the construction planning and cost control is effective, because usually when one construction activity gets behind schedule or exceeds the budget is when safety starts to get compromised in order to get on track again. Planning and knowing which activities will be going on simultaneously or in which order activities will occur would prevent accidents and rule breaking.

• Management labor and direction, including leadership, clear communication, integrity and most importantly motivational skills.

• Effectivity and frequency of supervisions and applications of long term solutions.

• Objectivity in correcting and eliminating hazards and dangerous conditions.

• Fulfillment of First Aid Requirements and emergency procedures trainings.

• Observation of labor force and its risky behavior at all times and circumstances.

• Safety education at all levels.

Results measures, although not preemptive, can give some general ideas about a company’s risks and its safety performance projection into the future. Some of them are:

• Evaluations of results in periodic form and over time.

• Ratio of accidents and incidents reported, in function of hours worked, and how they were followed up.

• Reduction or increment in medical treatments, lost-time injury or sick days.

Student Bio: Amerys has a Bachelor Degree in Architecture from ISPJAE, University of Havana Cuba, and an A.S. Degree in Architectural Design and Construction Technology and A.A. Degree, both from Seminole State College. She has worked in architectural, construction and surveying and mapping companies and as a Lab assistant teacher for Autodesk AutoCAD and Autodesk Land Development Desktop at Seminole State College where she is attending to obtain her Bachelor’s Degree.

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Effective communication and effective listening go hand-in-hand, but we find ourselves, and others, listening less…and less. This is due to not only lack of time, but quite often we’re occupied with our high-tech gadgets and social networking.

At work, effective communication and listening skills help ensure understanding, build relationships, solve problems, resolve conflicts, and improve productivity. Being able to communicate effectively helps form highly efficient teams in the workplace…it helps employees and managers work together harmoniously. And what’s the result of a team that works well together? A highly productive, reliable and responsible team.

Employees are more receptive to feedback on poor performance and at-risk behavior when it’s done in a friendly, positive and respectful manner. In this manner, feedback will be accepted without resentment or retaliation. Personal praise and recognition for safe behavior and safety accomplishments should be provided.

To improve your communication/listening skills, be assertive, confident, action-oriented, express your opinions directly and honestly. Don’t forget to be respectful of others’ opinions, to listen carefully and thank them for their input.

Effective safety communication leads to improved safety performance and better morale.

References:

Geller, E. S. People-Based Safety: The Source. Virginia Beach, VA: Coastal Training Technologies Corporation

Forbes.com

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The holidays have come and gone. Everyone is back to work. And while many have made “New Year’s Resolutions” to eat better, exercise more or spend more time with family, few have made resolutions to make their lives more productive on the job.

Did you know that the more organized you are at work, the more productive you are, thus happier you and your boss are?

Think about it…Workplace Organization.

How many times have been looking for an item and can’t remember where you put it? You look in your desk drawers, the filing cabinet, and your briefcase, but you still can’t find it! Then begins the dreaded task of asking your coworkers and even your boss, if they have seen what you’re looking for. Hopefully, either you remember where it is or someone finds it. Will this incident be followed by suggestions from your coworkers and/or boss on being more organized?

Well, we would like to put in our two cents as well. It so happens there is a program that focuses on organizing, cleaning, and creating a visually pleasing workplace. It’s called the 5S…developed by the Japanese and utilized by manufacturers worldwide.

The 5S’s are:

SORT – Start by deciding what things are necessary to have in the work area. By necessary, we mean items used at least once per month. Sort through everything in your area and decide what items are used frequently. Not only will you evaluate the equipment to do your job, but you will discover work surfaces that were unusable due to the “stuff” accumulated.

SHINE – In addition to daily cleanup, you must do in-depth cleaning. Create a checklist of daily or weekly cleaning activities to keep your area dust and clutter free.

SET IN ORDER- A place for everything and everything in its place. The secret to success is that the team agrees on the best locations for items in the workspace and how many of those items are required.

STANDARDIZE – Make the organization of the work space visual. Designate an area to keep pens, pencils, sticky notes, staples, etc. Designate an area for copy paper boxes or hand trucks and if necessary, use yellow tape to define an outline on the floor. If you work with tools, how about having a tool board with an outline of each tool so they are easy to find and know when they’re missing. Remember – there’s a place for everything & everything should be in its place.

SUSTAIN – Both management and employees must commit to the 5S system and continue to work through Sorting, Shining, Setting in Order and Standardizing. Also, remember that this is an ongoing improvement process. To sustain the 5S system, there should be periodic reviews of each work area.

Although the 5S system sounds like an easy way to get organized, it is! With continued commitment and dedication from everyone, the results will be worth it. Sooner than later you will start to notice improvements in efficiency and quality, reduction in accidents and best of all, everyone will be spending time doing value added work.

Safety Links offers a 4-hour course designed for all levels of employees working in the manufacturing and processing industries. The course can be customized to your site specific needs. Give us a call at 800-768-7036 with questions or for additional information.

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Are you and your employees prepared on how to respond when faced with spills of hazardous materials and/or waste? Before deciding whether the 40 hr. or 24 hr. Hazwoper is suitable for your needs, you must determine the types of emergency situations that you may face.

In order to do so, several factors must be taken into consideration such as:

• The types and quantities of materials at your site
• The types of processes being conducted
• The availability of local emergency resources
• The potential impact on your employees and the community.

What is HAZWOPER?

HAZWOPER stands for Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response. Once you have evaluated and determined the potential emergency situations for your operations, the next step is to review OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard 29 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 1910.120, also known as the HAZWOPER standard.

When reviewing the HAZWOPER you will come across Sections B through P which covers hazardous waste operations such as clean-up procedures at hazardous waste sites or operations involving hazardous waste at treatment, storage and disposal facilities. Thus, you will notice that Section Q only covers emergency response.

It is important that you address appropriate issues when researching HAZWOPER issues and/or choosing a training provider that will best identify your needs. It is not uncommon for people to enroll in a HAZWOPER class to learn about spill response only to find out later that the class focuses on hazardous waste sites.

What is a Hazardous Substance?

When it comes to chemicals, a variety of definitions for "hazardous" exist. The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) is concerned with the hazards of materials in transport and orients its definitions of hazardous toward air transportation and other specific transport concerns. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is concerned with the impact on the environment when materials are released or disposed and makes hazardous determinations based on environmental and human health risks.

OSHA is concerned with the hazards of materials to which workers might be exposed in the workplace. Any chemical that might present a health or physical hazard is defined as a hazardous chemical under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard. Health hazards include any adverse health effect from irritants to corrosives or carcinogens.

The HAZWOPER standard applies to releases of hazardous substances. Although it is an OSHA standard, it does not use the Hazard Communication Standard for hazardous chemicals. The HAZWOPER standard traces its origin to an EPA law, the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA, also known as Superfund), and derives its definition of hazardous substances from CERCLA regulations. The CERCLA definition is based on the substance's potential impact on the environment and the community.

The basic idea is to include chemicals that would present a significant hazard to people or the environment if spilled or released. Chemicals that do not fall into one of these categories might still present a slight hazard to employees and emergency responders, but technically do not trigger HAZWOPER requirements.

Training requirements

The HAZWOPER standard establishes five basic training requirements related to chemical emergency response:

1.            First Responder Awareness Level

2.            First Responder Operations Level

3.            Hazardous Materials Technician

4.            Hazardous Materials Specialist

5.            On-Scene Incident Commander

First Responder “Awareness” Level training is required for individuals who are likely to witness or discover a hazardous substance release and who would take no action beyond notification of the proper authorities. Even if you do not have a spill team and do not plan to respond to spill emergencies, your employees might need First Responder Awareness Level training. This training potentially could include everyone from the machine operator to the security guard.

First Responder “Operations” Level training is required for individuals who respond to releases or potential releases as part of the initial response. They are trained to respond in a defensive manner to protect people, property and the environment. Defensive actions are those taken from a safe distance to keep the spill from spreading and to prevent exposures. Examples include covering drains, placing spill booms or barriers and barricading access points, all from safe distances.

Hazardous Materials “Technician” training is required for individuals who will respond to the release or potential release for the purpose of stopping the release. In other words, they are responding in an offensive manner. They usually will be close to the source of the release and, therefore, have a high potential for harmful exposures. Examples include over packing a leaking drum or collecting contaminated absorbents.

The investment in training, as well as in procedures and equipment, substantially increases when moving up to the “Technician” level of response. Technician level calls for at least 24 hours of training. Personnel also must demonstrate competency in several areas, including the emergency response plan, instrumentation, the incident command system, selection and use of personal protective equipment, hazard and risk assessment, containment and control, decontamination, termination procedures and basic chemistry and toxicology.

Hazardous Materials “Specialist” training is similar to the Hazardous Materials Technician training. The specialist however, is required to have greater knowledge of the chemicals to which he or she might respond, as well as to act as a liaison with governmental authorities. He or she also provides support to the hazardous materials technician. Again, at least twenty-four hours of training is required.

On-Scene Incident Commander training is required for any response beyond the First Responder Awareness Level. The role of the incident commander is to assume control of the incident scene. The incident commander must be someone on-site who is designated and trained to be in charge of the incident. The required training will vary with the level and complexity of the response. The minimum required training is 24 hours.

Remember, like all OSHA requirements, these training requirements are a minimum. Based on the nature of your facility and its hazards, additional training may be necessary. It is also important for each emergency responder to stay current. With that said all levels of HAZWOPER training requires annual refresher training or a demonstration of competency.

By allowing a HazMat team to respond to nonemergency spills, a facility provides an excellent way to maintain skills that would be needed in an emergency. Whatever you choose to do, you must remember to document the training and competency evaluations.

If you have any questions regarding Hazwoper training or if you would like to book a Hazwoper class at your site, click here 

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