Why Are These Arrows Pointing Towards the Roadway?

My guess is that the arrows are there to divert your attention from the large cardboard containers of pumpkins that appear to be only partially secured to the bed of this truck.

 

You can barely see that the load is tied from side-to-side but there's nothing on the back side to prevent the load from bursting onto a vehicle that's following too closely.

 

My advice: stay back, far back from this truck!!

Look Up and Around for Power Lines

Power lines carry 4,000 to 345,000 volts that can kill a worker on contact. OSHA regulations state that a minimum safe distance of 10 feet must be maintained for up to 50,000 volts. It’s the “circle of safety” rule.

Check out your work site. Know where power lines are located and look for lines not seen due to obstructions. Assume all lines are energized and potentially dangerous, even if they appear to be insulated.

When operating any type of equipment with an articulated boom, it may be difficult for the operator to judge the distance between the equipment and the power line. Weather conditions and bright or dim lighting conditions can make it even harder to judge distances.

That’s why someone on the ground watching around the operator can have a much better view of clearances. A spotter is one whose only job is to watch the operator and the position of the equipment to make sure there is a safe distance from overhead lines and other hazards.

Fallen power lines can be dangerous to anyone since they may be “live.” Stay away from downed power lines even if they’re not humming, sparking, or “dancing.” You should make a 911 call to report the location of the fallen line.

For your own safety and well-being, you must stay clear of any person or object that is in contact with a power line. If you touch that person in a rescue attempt or try to remove the object, you will become part of the ground fault and likely be electrocuted.

If you hit a power line while operating equipment, stay calm. Don’t make contact with control levers as they may be electrified. Don’t attempt to leave the equipment unless told to do so by a rescuer. Advise others to stay clear since anyone on the ground has the greatest risk of being injured.

 

If you have to get off the equipment due to a fire or other danger, jump clear and try to land with both feet together. Avoid touching the equipment and ground at the same time. Shuffle away keeping your feet together on the ground. It is likely that electricity is radiating through the ground around the equipment. If you run or take large steps, you increase the chance of creating a path for electricity to travel up one leg and down the other.

What You Don't Know Can Hurt You

The title of this opinion piece is probably one of the most popular and truthful safety slogans. Professor Nathaniel Burke uses it at the start of those clever and informative Farmers' Insurance commercials. And it got me thinking about a letter to the editor in this morning's (7/28/14) Columbus Dispatch from an area vice president of Halliburton. Yes, that worldwide organization to which Dick Cheney's name is attached along with billions of dollars of inflated and unbid contracts in Iraq. That should raise a red flag right then and there. But that's a discussion for another time.

 

I do not claim to be an expert in horizontal fracking. Nor am I a chemist. I can, however, lay claim to being properly credentialed to deliver 10 and 30 hour training for OSHA construction safety with more than 30 years of experience. The aforementioned letter is a response to an explosion and fire at a Monroe County, Ohio fracking well site to which first responders may have been exposed to the effects of a "proprietary product."

 

The letter cites that first responders had immediate access to material safety data sheets or MSDS, "required to accompany all chemical compounds at all times."  What the writer doesn't mention is that when listing the individual components and their percentage of the whole, if it is proprietary or "a company/trade secret," it can be noted in that manner. Other parts of the MSDS address emergency procedures, fire and explosion potentials, first aid procedures and so forth. But these are usually stated in a very general fashion such as "do not fight the fire with water" or "respiratory protection and gloves are required."

 

Which brings us to what proprietary ingredients the letter writer claims to have been passed along to the Ohio Dept. of Natural Resources and the Ohio EPA. To be fair, I have no knowledge of who said what to whom. But hopefully there was some level of disclosure to protect lives and property.  Halliburton further claims they "remain committed to providing any technical expertise and support to ensure the matter is thoroughly investigated."

 

That sounds all well and good. However, be warned that "what you don't know can hurt you." An MSDS can be an incomplete document when it comes to listing all of the components which make up a particular chemical product in a manner that otherwise masks itself as a trade secret. 

If you are an emergency responder, take the time to find out what's going on with that new business or industrial site which suddenly springs up in your area of responsibility. Do they have a written safety plan? What is their emergency response plan? Will they willingly provide you with MSDSs on chemical products manufactured, used or stored there?  Will your inspection of that information reveal proprietary ingredients which requires further disclosure to protect you and your responding organization? 

 

If you need further proof of the unknown, recall the 30-second commercials put out by the oil and gas trade organization featuring an idyllic setting in which a young lady states "some people were surprised when we allowed fracking on our farm."  She goes on to say that "we checked the facts and checked with experts and guess what, it's safe."  Statements like that tend to infuriate me for many reasons, not the least of which if taken at face value, puts innocent lives and property in danger. I firmly believe, in reality, there is too much that is unknown about the short and long-term effects of horizontal fracking.

 

For my heroes, those first responders out there, that's why I've vented a bit here to make sure that you find out what you can about what's out on that industrial site in case you must respond to save the lives of workers who may find themselves in a life-threatening situation.

Coming to a Rather Abrupt Stop

AKA, You Never Know What Might Happen on a Jobsite with Active Traffic

 

I don't have any investigative notes on this photo, but will leave it to you to draw your own conclusions:

 

1) The traffic control was confusing (?!?!?) for what appears to be an intersection.

 

2) The date of the photo would indicate a time when texting was perhaps less of a distraction than it is now.....so, what could possibly be the contributing factor? 

 

3) The driver may have been forced into the fresh concrete by someone changing lanes or driving recklessly.

 

Oh, and check out those rebars. They need to be capped.

Safe Brush Chipper Operation

Feeding material into a brush chipper can be a safe operation if you know what you’re doing, stay alert, and understand how the equipment works.

Clothing should be close fitting and tucked in. Don’t wear loose-fitting clothing like untucked or unbuttoned shirts and jackets or pants with cuffs that could get caught on loose brush and branches.

• Hard hats and ear protection are required.
• Eye protection is also required. It must be ANSI-approved and may consist of glasses, goggles, or a flip-down visor of plastic or mesh.
• Wear good work pants and leather work boots with non-slip soles.
• Gloves are recommended, but gauntlet-style gloves should never be worn as they may snag on branches being fed into the chipper.
• Avoid wearing any kind of jewelry such as earrings, rings, watches, or necklaces that could present a safety hazard.

Stack brush in a way that makes it easy for the operator to feed the chipper. Allow for a clear feed path.

• Before starting, disengage the clutch, put the safety control bar in neutral, and make sure everyone is clear from the equipment.
• Always idle the engine to warm it up, engage the clutch, and then raise the engine rpm gradually to full throttle.
• Never operate a chipper alone. Two people should be on-site, with one operating the control bar at all times.
• Never operate a chipper while taking medication that may impair concentration.
• Feed brush into the chipper butt-end first. Lay short material on top of longer material that is feeding.
• Never attempt to feed handfuls of twigs, leaves, and other material that has been raked up. It may contain rocks and metal that will damage the chipper.
• Watch for foreign objects in the brush pile.
• Remove the ignition key when the machine is left unattended.
• Have a first aid kit on the worksite, along with a fire extinguisher.

Hands-On Chain Saw Safety

When cutting, hold the saw firmly with both hands, with thumbs and fingers wrapped around the handles. Grip the saw with the right hand on the rear (throttle) handle and the left hand on the front handle, even if you are left-handed. A firm grip will help you maintain control of the saw in the event of a kickback or other unexpected reaction. Keep the handles dry, clean, and free of oil or fuel mixture to avoid slipping and aid in control of the saw.

 

Chain saws are designed to be run at full speed. Maintain a full throttle setting while cutting to maximize your productivity and to reduce fatigue for safer operation.

Carry the chain saw with the engine stopped, the guide bar and cutting chain to the rear and the muffler away from your body. When transporting your chain saw, always use the appropriate guide bar scabbard.

Don’t start to cut trees until you have a clear work area, secure footing, and a planned escape path from the falling tree. Use extreme caution with cutting small-size brush and saplings because slender material may catch the cutting chain and be whipped toward you or pull you off balance. If a limb or sapling is under tension (called a springpole) be alert for whiplash so that you won’t be struck by the limb or saw when the tension is released.

Cut while standing slightly to the side, out of the plane of the cutting chain and guide bar to reduce the risk of injury in the event you lose control of the saw. Don’t overreach or cut above shoulder height. It is very difficult to safely control the saw in awkward positions.

To avoid the risk of kickback, make sure that the area in which you are cutting is free from obstructions. Don’t let the nose of the guide bar contact a log, branch, or any other objects while you are operating the saw. Don’t cut near chain link or wire fences.

Don’t operate a chain saw in a tree or from a ladder unless you have been specifically trained and are equipped to do so. There is always a risk that you can lose your balance because of cutting forces on the saw or movement of material being cut. Some cutting tasks require special training and skills. Remember, there is no substitute for good judgment.

Maintain proper chain tension. A loose chain can come off the guide bar and strike the operator. Competent service personnel should perform all service other than items mentioned in the owner's manual. Improperly performed maintenance may damage the saw and present a hazard to the operator. 

Use caution when handling fuel. Move the saw away from the fueling point before starting and don't smoke while refueling.