Dust Protection p.61
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Industrial Safety & Hygiene News ■ www.ishn.com
Gas detection p.64
January 2012
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Industrial Safety & Hygiene News • www.ishn.com
features
vol.46 no.1
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ISHN ON THE WEB: Visit www.ishn.com for articles from past issues. Keyword searches make it easy to find what you need.
EHS State of the Nation
26 COMPLIANCE UNDER CONTROL so most EHS programs are cruising into 2012
Cover story
28 ISHN’S POWER 101 It’s 2012 — here are the leaders of the EHS field
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36 OSHA & FR CLOTHING 3 How to minimize arc flash injuries
42 KNOW YOUR LIMITS Counter chlorine with the right respiratory protection
44 FALL PROTECTION FAQS Fall protection equipment used daily is potentially dangerous due to wear, neglect, misuse or age/exposure
50 A PPE PORTFOLIO
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52 ELECTRICAL POWER SYSTEMS Maintenance is not an option; it’s a life-saver
54 FACILITY FLOOR PLANS 9 essentials to prevent slips and falls
60 MINIMIZE PAIN AND SUFFERING Be proactive: Conduct emergency shower drills
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features ISHN ON THE WEB: Visit www.ishn.com for articles from past issues. Keyword searches make it easy to find what you need.
12
INSTRUMENTS
58 ODORLESS & INVISIBLE Know the risks of radiation
columns 12 EDITORIAL COMMENTS Me and my footprint
18 SYSTEMS THINKING “The jobs are out there”
22 MANAGING BEST PRACTICES How to assess reproductive risks
56 TRAINING STRATEGIES A closer look at e-learning
products 61 DUST PROTECTION 62 PRODUCT NEWS 64 GAS DETECTION
departments 14
NEWS SCANNING Feds want total ban on texting and calls while driving
16
REGS UPDATE Do EHS regs need Congressional approval?
2012 TRADE SHOWS & CONFERENCES International Glove Association (IGA) 2012 Glove Symposium, March 25-27, Hammock Beach, FL, www.iga-online.com Qualified Safety Sales Professional (QSSP) course, April 16-20 and November 5-9, Durham, NC, www.safetycentral.org/qssp/registration.htm Safety 2012, June 3-5, Denver, CO, American Society of Safety Engineers, (866) 553-2773, www.asse.org
American Industrial Hygiene Association Conference & Exhibition (AIHce), June 16-21, Indianapolis, IN, www.aihce2012.org 28th Annual National Voluntary Protection Programs Participants’ Association (VPPPA) Conference, August 20-23, Anaheim, CA, www. vpppa.org/conference
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68 AD INDEX 69 CLASSIFIEDS 70 INDUSTRY BRIEFS / CALENDAR EVENTS
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WEB EXCLUSIVES 2012
Industrial Safety & Hygiene News • www.ishn.com vol.46 no.1
digital highlights at www.ishn.com
Money can’t buy you sustainable safety
The persistent mental health stigma
Stress, it ain’t all bad
What we found was that money decreases intrinsic motivation, effectively replacing it with extrinsic motivation. You get the specific behavior but you do not get it when the extrinsic consequence is absent (like when the supervisor is away).
One by one they disappeared into the dark house. All curtains and blinds were drawn. The house looked like a bulky shadow in the night. They were careful to time their arrivals. No clustering or crowds that would attract attention.
A March 2011 survey by the American Psychological Association on “Stress in the Workplace” saw the glass half (or one-third) empty — emphasizing that 36 percent of workers said they typically feel tense or stressed out during their workday. That leaves more than half of us, more than 60 percent, not feeling particularly tense or stressed out during the day.
A-Z INDEX OF ISHN ARTICLES Click on any of these keywords to access ISHN’s archive of related news and feature articles. Accidents Accident Prevention Associations Careers Case Study Communication Confined Space Culture EPA
Emotions Environment Ergonomics Eye / Face Protection Emergency Response / First Aid Exposures Fall Protection Foot Protection
Government Hand Protection Hazardous Materials Head Protection Health Hearing Protection Incentives Industry-specific Job Stress
Management NIOSH OSHA Operations / Machine Safety Perceptions Protective Clothing Psychological Recovery Respiratory Protection
Safety / Health Sciences Software Stress Reduction Sustainability Transportation Training Values
Construction: D.C. Circuit Court upholds OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy www.ishn.com/construction Compliance: OSHA inspector prevents potentially fatal fall www.ishn.com/compliance Facility Safety: Free webinar to explain EPA NEHSAPS Rule 6X www.ishn.com/facilitysafety Global: Nigerian children dying from families’ gold mining www.ishn.com/global Health: OSHA rolls out new hair salon web page www.ishn.com/health Industrial Hygiene: AIHA launches new website for consumers www.ishn.com/industrialhygiene Leadership/Culture: Let’s see a felony charge for killing American workers www.ishn.com/leadership/culture PPE: How to keep safe in a small space www.ishn.com/PPE Psychology: Mental health problems affecting worker productivity www.ishn.com/psychology Training/Incentive: “Reality traps” can doom teams www.ishn.com/training/incentives Transportation: DOT launches new anti-drunk driving campaign www.ishn.com/transportation
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EDITORIAL
comments
Me and my footprint Behaviors and attitudes about sustainability are hard to change
B
rrriinnggg!!! rrriinnggg!!! “Hello? “Who’s calling? What’s that? The Society for a Sustainable Future? “Well god bless you. What can I do for you? “Do I have a few minutes for a poll? How can I say no to a Sustainable Future? Fire away. “What’s that? Do I believe changes in individual behaviors and attitudes will make the biggest impact on a sustainable future? You bet. I love the environment, love it. “Do I recycle? Of course. What could be easier? Trash in the red barrel. Plastic, glass and newspapers in the blue barrel. They teach this in preschool, you know. “What’s that? What is my thermostat set at right now? Wait a minute…. “80 degrees. “That’s right, 80. “Why so high? It’s December, you know. You’re calling north of the Mason-Dixon line. But in the summer it’s air conditioning 24/7 baby. OK. OK. Don’t worry, I’ll turn it down tonight.
Crater Lake
of Smartwater. Can’t beat Smartwater. Oh, and then we have the easy pour three-quart jug of Deer Park for making coffee. “What’s that you say? I’ve got enough plastic to cover an infield during a rain delay? I dunno, I never thought of it that way. C’mon, you gotta give me some points for recycling it all.
Diet and driving
ISHN JANUARY 2012
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Do I recycle? Of course. What could be easier? “To what? I don’t know. Maybe 75. I like to feel toasty. Especially with the electric blanket on. Don’t worry. It’s got dual controls. That’s being energy-efficient, right? “What’s that? What electric appliances do I run most often? “Well, you have to understand, I’m one of those people, soon as I get home, the television goes on. Has to. I can’t stand a quiet house. Freaks me out. So the television is on basically whenever I’m home. At least I don’t sleep with it on. I knew a guy, couldn’t go to sleep at night without the TV on. Strange, huh? “Then I might go in the kitchen and turn on NPR. No, I’m not really listening or watching. The news is too depressing. Have you watched it lately? Then, let’s see. I might pop something in the microwave. “How often do I use the microwave? Ma’am, you know the world we live in. I’m microwaving every night. There’s no time. “How far do I commute to work? Hah. Got ya there. I work at home. How many points do I get for that? “Can I walk to where I shop for food.? What a concept, walk to shop. Just kidding. I could but I don’t. Why? I’d have to carry the stuff home. And those water bottles are heavy. “How many water bottles do I consume in a day? I got to admit, I’m a little obsessive about my water bottles. It’s like I’m addicted. What? How many are in my frig right now? We’re getting a little personal, aren’t we? Just kidding. Wait… “Ah, I guess there are about 20 or 30 in there. Hey, calm down. They’re eight-ounce Deer Parks. Of course, then I’ve got my giant tubular bottles
“You want to talk more about diet? OK. How much beef do I eat? What’s that got to do with anything? What’s that you say? Raising livestock for human consumption creates 51 percent of GHG emissions, and pollutes rives and lakes. Well, I’m good for a couple of burgers a week, that’s about it. I’m not a big beef guy. I get points for that, right? “What? What do I think about the cruelty of factory farming? To who? I know, I know, the farmers got it rough. The cattle? C’mon, they don’t even know where they are. They have pea brains. Just kidding. Alright. Alright. Jeez, I didn’t know this was a sore spot with you. This is where sustainability gets a little touchy feely for me. But don’t deduct any points, OK? “My driving habits? OK. Well, I don’t have any
Am I willing to make meaningful reductions in my lifestyle for a sustainable future? You mean go in reverse? Not exactly the American way… points right now. I’m a good driver. “What’s that? How often do I drive somewhere where I could walk instead? Never. Listen, I live in the suburbs. We have sidewalks that lead to nowhere. Seriously, they just suddenly end, like they ran out of cement. Makes no sense. You know the suburbs, nothing is close to anything. The school’s too far to walk. Church, library, too far. Now did you ever once hear of anyone walking to a McDonald’s? Or Wal-Mart. Imagine someone actually walking to Wal-Mart. You could pull a hammy just crossing the parking lot. “How many cars do I own? Let’s see. Five. What can I say, I like cars. And that’s not including the kids’
cars. When they’re home the front yard looks like a moonshine runners’ convention what with all the cars all over. “Would I consider purchasing a small, more fuel-efficient car, or a hybrid? The hybrid’s a little pricey for me, nice idea and all. You know, the economy isn’t exactly cooking along. We could still be in a recession. Who knows. And ah, small cars, they make me claustrophobic. I don’t need those huge tail fins, we’ve outgrown them at least. And all the chrome. Nice, but you gotta move on…. Still, you know, this is America, not China. We’re a car nation.
Housing “Would I consider downsizing into a smaller, more energy-efficient home? Like in England and Germany? But they’re row homes, aren’t they? Nothing against people who live in row homes. To each their own. But I’ve worked my career for my castle here. I’m kidding. This ain’t no McMansion. Don’t dock me too many points. But this is America, you know. Our homes make a statement. “What’s that you say? Am I willing to make
How often do I use the microwave? You know the world we live in. I’m microwaving every night. There’s no time. meaningful reductions in my lifestyle for a sustainable future? What’s a meaningful reduction? You mean go back to something more simple? You mean go in reverse? Not exactly the American way, but I guess I could go without so many water bottles. I don’t know if the family needs eight computers. But some of ’em are old. I’d love to get rid of the kids’ cell phones, but that train left the station a long time ago. I don’t have an e-book or an iPad; I’ve got to get some points for that, huh? Let’s see, more reductions? Well, I guess I don’t have to use my underground sprinkler system every night on the grass. And to be honest with you, I could probably cut back on my 104-inch flat screen. It kind of takes over the room, you know? “So that’s it? How did I score? What’s that? I’ve got a footprint the size of Crater Lake. You’re putting me on. Now exactly what is a footprint?” — Dave Johnson, Associate Publisher & Chief Editor
Visit www.ishn.com for Dave’s weekly blogs at Random Sampling and ISHN Web-only articles.
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news
SCANNING Check www.ishn.com for daily news updates
Obesity and diabetes on Feds want total ban on texting, emails upswing and calls while driving
I
n an unprecedented move, the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is recommending a nationwide ban on the driver use of personal electronic devices (PEDs) while operating a motor vehicle. The action came on the heels of an NTSB investigation into a 2010 multi-vehicle highway accident in Missouri caused by a pickup truck
driver who sent and received 11 text messages in the 11 minutes preceeding the crash. The last text was received moments before his vehicle struck a truck-tractor that had slowed in an active construction zone. The pickup truck, in turn, was struck from behind by a school bus, which was then hit by a second school bus. Two people died and 38 others were injured in the accident.
The NTSB recommendation calls for the 50 states and the District of Columbia to ban the nonemergency use of PEDs (other than those designed to support the driving task) for all drivers.
Obesity, diabetes and childhood poverty are offsetting improvements in smoking cessation, preventable hospitalizations and cardiovascular deaths, according to the United Health Foundation’s 2011 America’s Heath Rankings®.
U.S. starts chemical “library” High-speed robots have begun an ambitious government program: to test 10,000 chemical compounds for potential toxicity. The results will form a “library” of information that will be useful for evaluating if these chemicals have the potential to disrupt processes in the human body to an extent that leads to adverse health effects. The compounds being screened in the program — known
as Tox21 — include consumer products, food additives, chemicals found in industrial processes, and human and veterinary drugs. The testing represents a new phase of an ongoing collaboration between the National Institutes of Health and its partners, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The development of new technologies for evaluating chemical toxicity has the potential to revolutionize the assessment of new environmental chemicals and the development of new drugs for therapeutic use, and to speed up the process of understanding both individual chemicals and mixtures of chemicals.
Abusive boss
ISHN JANUARY 2012
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can follow you home The stress and tension caused by an abusive boss can follow a worker home and affect his relationships with family members, according to a new study. The Baylor University study, published in the winter issue of the journal Personnel Psychology, was based on surveys completed by 280 full-time employees and their partners. Researchers found “supervisor abuse” — which includes tantrums, rudeness, public criticism and inconsiderate action — causes employees to be less motivated or able to engage in positive interactions with their partners and other family members. However, the longer the employee-partner relationship, the less effect the abusive boss had on the family. The study also found that having more children at home meant greater family satisfaction for the employee.
More miles driven, fewer traffic deaths in 2010 Although American motorists are driving more miles, highway deaths last year were at their lowest level since 1949, according to data released by the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). There were 32,885 traffic fatalities in 2010, even as drivers traveled nearly 46 billion more miles during the year — an increase of 1.6% over the 2009 level. Last year also saw the lowest fatality rate ever recorded, with 1.10 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2010, down from 1.15 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled in 2009. Other key statistics include: Fatalities declined for occupants of passenger cars and light trucks Deaths in crashes involving drunk drivers dropped 4.9 percent in 2010, taking 10,228 lives compared to 10,759 in 2009. Fatalities rose among pedestrians, motorcycle riders, and large truck occupants.
According to the report: • the nation made no progress in improving health in 2011 after three years of gains • there were modest decreases in smoking and preventable hospitalizations • obesity and diabetes increased dramatically • every person that quit smoking in 2011 was offset by a person becoming obese • 2011 is the first year no state had an obesity prevalence under 20 percent For the fifth year in a row, Vermont was the nation’s healthiest state. New York and New Jersey showed the most improvement, largely because of improvements made in smoking cessation. Idaho and Alaska showed the most downward movement.
Visit www.ishn.com daily for late-breaking headline news posted as it happens. Search ISHN’s deep news archives.
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regs
UPDATE Check www.ishn.com for daily news updates
Do EHS regs need Congressional approval? T
he REINS Act passed last week by the U.S. House represents either “an extreme attack” on the safeguards that protect the public or a move toward improving Congressional oversight of the regulatory process, depending on which end of the political spectrum you’re listening to. The Regulations from the Executive in Need of Scrutiny (REINS) Act, sponsored by Rep. Geoff Davis (R-KY), would require congressional approval of all new major health, safety and environmental rules. Under the bill, rules not approved by both houses of Congress within 70 legislative days would be tabled. OMB Watch, a non-profit advocacy group, says the bill is a “backdoor” way for some corporations to circumvent consumer protections.
“Conservative politicians know Americans would not stand for the repeal of these critical safeguards for American families, so instead of taking direct action on protective legislation, they keep trying to make enforcement impossible,” said Katherine McFate, OMB Watch President. However, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce applauded the House’s action, saying the bill would restore the “historic relationship” between Congress and federal agencies. Bruce Josten, the Chamber’s executive vice president for Government Affairs, said the REINS act would ensure more transparent, cost-effective regulations. The REINS Act now moves to the Senate, where it is sponsored by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY).
Massey owner settles with feds; admits to no guilt An advocacy group is charging that the $209 million settlement in the Upper Big Branch Mine disaster reached recently does not serve justice, and that the mine operator should instead face criminal prosecution for the deaths of 29 workers in an explosion on April 5, 2010. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said the settlement with Alpha Natural Resources, Inc. represents the largest-ever resolution in a
Multi-employer citation policy upheld In a recent decision, the D.C. Circuit upheld OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy. OSHA cited Summit Contractors Inc. for providing electrical equipment without ground fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) to its subcontractors in violation of section 1926.404(b)(1)(ii) of OSHA’s Electrical Wiring Design and Protection standard. OSHA’s multi-employer citation policy provides that an employer may under specified circumstances be cited for violations even if none of its own employees were exposed to the hazard. Summit contested the citation before an Administrative Law Judge (ALJ), who affirmed the citation, as did the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC), which affirmed the citation on the ground that Summit was a “controlling employer” as well as a “creating employer” (because it obtained and supplied the noncompliant equipment). The Court found substantial evidence that Summit had constructive knowledge of the violation.
criminal investigation of a mine disaster. At the time of the explosion, the mine was owned by Massey Energy Company, whose operations came under Alpha’s control in a June 1, 2011, merger. Public Citizen, a non-profit advocacy organization, said the U.S. Attorney’s Office should have held the corporation criminally liable. “Instead, it opted for a non-prosecution agreement, in which there is no admission or finding of guilt — meaning a corporation can engage in reckless activity that leads to the deaths of 29 people and still escape criminal prosecution,” according to a statement by the group. Public Citizen singled out former Massey CEO Don Blankenship for particular censure, saying he “pursued high profits at the cost of his workers’ lives.” Blankenship received a $33 million dollar “golden parachute” when he left the company. As part of the non-prosecution agreement, Alpha will invest at least $80 million in mine safety improvements at all of its underground mines, including those formerly owned by Massey. The company will pay restitution of $1.5 million to each of the families of the 29 miners who died at UBB and to the two individuals who were injured.
ISHN JANUARY 2012
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Recycling company cited MSHA levels $10 million+ fines against Massey for baling machine death A Missouri recycling company faces 37 safety and health violations and fines totaling $195,930 after a worker fatality in June sparked an OSHA investigation. The employee of Resource Management Company died after a baling machine he entered in order to clear a jam became energized. The incident occurred at the company’s Earth City facility. Twenty-two serious safety violations have been cited, including failing to lock out and tag out the energy sources of equipment and install adequate machine guarding. They also involve hazards related to fall protection, exits, flammable liquids, fire extinguishers, powered industrial trucks, and welding and electrical equipment. Additionally, eight serious health violations involve inadequate housekeeping, excessive noise, improper personal protective equipment, permit required space program, and bloodborne pathogens hazards. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
In a separate development, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) announced that it has imposed a fine of $10,825,368, the largest in agency history, following its investigation into the Upper Big Branch disaster. MSHA has issued Massey and PCC 369 citations and orders, including for an unprecedented 21 flagrant violations, which carry the most serious civil penalties available under the law. MSHA concluded that the 29 miners died in a massive coal dust explosion that started as a methane ignition. While the investigation found the physical conditions that led to the coal dust explosion were the result of a series of basic safety violations at UBB — which PCC and Massey disregarded — the report cites unlawful policies and practices implemented by PCC and Massey as the root cause of the explosion. These included the intimidation of miners, advance notice of inspections, and keeping two sets of books, with hazards recorded in UBB’s internal production and maintenance book but not in the official examination book. The investigation found that the operator promoted and enforced a workplace culture that valued production over safety, including practices calculated to allow it to conduct mining operations in violation of the law. MSHA issued PCC and Massey 12 citations and orders deemed contributory to the cause of the accident, and nine of those violations were assessed as flagrant, which carry the highest possible penalties.
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systems
THINKING
“The jobs are out there” But EHS soft skills & work ethics can frustrate employers
H
eading into 2012, occupational safety and health (OSH) jobs are available. The problem is the scarcity of potential hires with required job skills and the plethora of graduates who exhibit weak work ethics. This I learned by contacting a dozen mid-career and older practitioners working in five of the top-29 industry sectors. I was told: “We can’t find the EHS professionals we need in North America despite significant recruiting efforts. The résumés we review don’t work for us.” “The candidates we interview have the wrong preferences (euphemism for weak work ethics). New hires are reluctant to do the same things (same pace, same hours, same dirty efforts, etc.) the people they are replacing used to do. “We have the lowest HSE headcount now that I can remember since 1997, primarily due to recruiting difficulties.” “Routine HSE work is now pushed to contractors, most of whom worked for us and retired to become subcontractors or sole proprietors.” “In my industry, employers are doing the least they can when it comes to hiring anybody and, when they are forced to hire, OSH professionals will not be on the top
ten list of occupations to hire. “The jobs are out there, look at EHScareers. com and the Gulf Coast Safety & Training Group’s monthly “Career Opportunity Report;” however, the problem is no one is qualified to do the work.” “After spending six to ten months recruiting an OSH professional and the associated costs to hire and relocate this individual, he quits after five months because the work is too hard.” “Just got an update on our newest external recruit. My bet, he will quit as soon as we run out of weeklong OSH schools to send him to. If a movie were made about him, it would be called “Failure to Engage.” By
Network-Enabled Gas Detection
By James E. Leemann, Ph.D.
the way, this is not a recent graduate; we are his fourth OSH career attempt.” Of course not everyone seeking an OSH position possesses a weak work ethic. But these characteristics surface enough to cause severe frustration among employers looking for new hires. Academic OSH education and training programs are not the starting place for personal “work ethics,” but they certainly can redirect the focus of their programs to meet the competency needs of employers.
Skills being sought According to NIOSH’s recently published National Assessment of the Occupational Safety and Health Workforce,1 employers are satisfied with the nontechnical core competencies of current OSH graduates. But they do expect future safety professional hires to be trained in communicating with workers (59%), leadership (48%), technical writing (40%), local, state or general regulations (30%), and communicating with upper management (29%). For future industrial hygienists hires, employers expect training in communicating with workers (43%), continued on page 20
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