1293 Airport Road, Beaver, WV Phone: (304) Fax: (304) OSHA HAZARD CONTROL International Environmental Technology and Training Center “Working safely with hazardous materials” Vincent J. Giblin, General President

Hazard Control  This material was produced under grant number 46C5-HT16 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Hazard Control Hazard Control: AN INTRODUCTION Hazardous waste sites pose safety and health concerns which could result in serious injury or death.

Hazard Control Hazard Control: AN INTRODUCTION Additional hazards are created by:  Heavy equipment;  PPE reducing movement, hearing, and vision;  Unpredictability of the site.

Hazard Control Safety hazards that may exist at hazardous waste sites.  Holes or ditches.  Objects that may fall.  Sharp objects.

Hazard Control Safety hazards that may exist at hazardous waste sites.  Slippery surfaces.  Steep grades.  Uneven terrain.  Unstable surfaces.

Hazard Control What are the electrical hazards that can pose a danger to workers?  Overhead power lines.  Fallen electrical wires.  Buried cables.  Electrical equipment (use low-voltage equipment with ground-fault interrupters and watertight, corrosion-resistant, connecting cables).

Hazard Control What are the electrical hazards that can pose a danger to workers?  Lighting.  Weather conditions.  Capacitors that retain a charge.

Hazard Control How do lockout/tagout procedures protect employees from electrical hazards? Before servicing and maintenance of power equipment or machines, OSHA regulations require lockout/tagout procedures.

Hazard Control How do lockout/tagout procedures protect employees from electrical hazards? Lockout device (lock, chain, valve, etc.): Prevents flow of energy from a power source to power equipment to keep it from operating.

Hazard Control How do lockout/tagout procedures protect employees from electrical hazards? Tagout: Tag the power source; acts as a warning, not a physical restraint.

Hazard Control What is the employer’s responsibility regarding lockout/tagout procedures?  Establish a program.program.  Utilize procedures for affixing appropriate lockout/tagout devices to power sources.  Otherwise disable equipment/machine to prevent unexpected start-up or release of stored energy.

Hazard Control Lockout/Tagout Program Program must include:  Lockout/Tagout Procedures;  Employee Training;  Periodic Inspections.

Hazard Control What effects can noise have on the worker? Noise = Unwanted Sound.  Work around large equipment often creates excessive noise.  Effects can vary. Effects can vary.

Hazard Control What effects can noise have on the worker?  Workers being startled, annoyed, or districted.  Physical damage to ear; (pain, temporary and/or permanent hearing loss).  Fatigue.  Elevated blood pressure.  Tension and nervousness.  Communication problems.

Hazard Control What effects can noise have on the worker? The effects of noise depend on:  The length of exposure;  How loud the sound is.

Hazard Control What is the unit used to measure sound? Sound intensity = decibels (dB). For example:  Ticking watch = 20 dB (barely audible).  Jet engine = 130 to 160 dB (painful).

Hazard Control When must an employer begin a Hearing Conservation Program? OSHA Hearing Conservation Standard requires: A continuing, effective program whenever noise levels equal or exceed an 8-hour time-weighted average (TWA) sound level of 85 dB,

Hazard Control When must an employer begin a Hearing Conservation Program? Administrative or engineering controls must be used if workers are subject to noise exceeding an 8-hour TWA sound level of 90 dB, then

Hazard Control What can be done to minimize worker exposure to noise?  Noise monitoring.  Audiometeric testing.  Engineering controls (sound- absorbing rooms, substitution, carpet, resilient floors/pads, sound-dampening walls).

Hazard Control What can be done to minimize worker exposure to noise?  Administrative controls (rotate employees, operate noisy machinery on shifts with fewer employees).  PPE (earplugs, earmuffs).  Training.

Hazard Control When is eye and face protection required? Reasonable probability of injury from:  Flying objects;  Glare;  Liquids;  Injurious radiation;  Combination of the above hazards.

Hazard Control When is eye and face protection required? When projectiles are a potential hazard, workers must use eye protection that provides side protection.

Hazard Control What are the requirements of eye and face PPE’s? Must be:  Distinctly marked to facilitate identification of the manufacturer;  Capable of being disinfected and easily cleaned.

Hazard Control What are the requirements for prescription and contact lens wearers? Prescription lens wearers need:  Eye protection incorporating the prescription in its design;  Or eye protection worn over the prescription lenses without disturbing the proper position of either.

Hazard Control What are the requirements for prescription and contact lens wearers? The use of contact lenses should:  Be considered carefully;  Comply with the site-specific HASP.

Hazard Control Describe the correct way to use the eye-wash water solutions. When chemical hazards are present:  Eye wash stations - readily available and accessible;  Water/eye solutions - aimed at base of nose to prevent particles from being driven into the eyes further.

Hazard Control When must head protection be worn? Where potential hazards are present from:  Impact and penetration of falling/flying objects;  Limited electric shock/burn.

Hazard Control When must head protection be worn?  Head protection must meet all safety requirements.  Caps, elastic bands, or hairnets- prevent hair from contacting instruments, machinery parts, or flame-producing sources.  Fabric hats (baseball caps) should not be worn where contaminant can be absorbed.

Hazard Control When is protective footwear required? Where potential hazards are present from:  Falling or rolling objects.  Objects piercing the sole.  Corrosive chemicals.  Electrical shock.  Wet floors.

Hazard Control What are the recommended types of footwear?  Safety toe shoes (steel-toe).  Treated shoes.  Rubber boots or plastic shoe covers.  Insulated shoes.  Rubber boots with wooden soles.

Hazard Control When is hand protection required? When there are hazards from:  Skin absorption;  Cuts, abrasions, punctures;  Chemical or thermal burns;  Harmful temperature extremes.

Hazard Control When is hand protection required? Employers must require employees to use appropriate hand protection that meets all safety requirements.

Hazard Control When is hand protection required? Select gloves on the basis of:  Material being handled;  Hazard involved.

Hazard Control When is hand protection required? Check before using:  In good condition;  Free from holes, punctures, or tears. When removing:  Keep contaminated surface from contacting skin.

Hazard Control : Update Worker on Recent Developments

Hazard Control Hazard Control: UPDATE OSHA topics that will see regulatory action soon (as of January 2002) include:  Lockout/Tagout procedures;  Sanitation regulations;  Procedures for safer crane use;  Hearing Loss Prevention.

Hazard Control Hazard Control: UPDATE OSHA topics that will see regulatory action soon (as of January 2002) include:  Revised electrical standards;  Walking/working surfaces and fall protection.

Hazard Control  This material was produced under grant number 46C5-HT16 from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, U.S. Department of Labor. It does not necessarily reflect the views or policies of the U.S. Department of Labor, nor does mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Hazard Control END This publication was made possible by grant numbers 5 U45 ES AND 5 U45 ES from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), NIH. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the NIEHS, NIH.