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Compliance Made Simple Presents:

Learn how to have effective safety committee meetings in just 10 slides. This month's topic: Electrical Hazards. Protecting your business from electrical hazards is crucial to prevent injuries and fatalities. Understand the general duties of employers and employees, common electrical accidents in lumberyards, and the importance of addressing exposed wires, extension cords, and lockout/tagout procedures. Access helpful resources from OSHA for electrical safety.

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Compliance Made Simple Presents:

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  1. Compliance Made Simple Presents: Take 10… Effective Safety Committee Meetings in about 10 Slides Topic of the month: Electrical Hazards

  2. First Things First:Document Your Meeting Per Your States Requirements Washington Oregon Montana Alaska & Idaho: There are currently no federal and/or state-specific requirements for safety committees in these states.

  3. Why Protecting Your Business Electrical Hazards Matters… • In 2014 alone, their were 4,386 worker fatalities in private industry; • Of those deaths, electrocutions was 2nd only to falls in the list of leading causes; • Resulting in 8.2% of all accidental deaths; • Failure to have Lockout/Tagout program (general industry) is a perennial Top 5 violation resulting in an OSHA citation; while • Improper electrical, wiring methods, components and equipment (general industry) is a perennial Top 10 violation resulting in an OSHA citation.

  4. General Duties of Employers: To prevent employees from being injured from electrocution, employers must ensure: • Electric equipment shall be free from recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.* * It is important to be familiar with state specific rules which may differ from Federal OSHA as long as that as “at least” as restrictive as federal guidelines.

  5. General Responsibilities of Employees • Know the hazards of electricity • Know how to safely operate the equipment you use • Use Safe Work Practices • Inspect your PPE before each use • Don’t work on energized circuits without permission

  6. Common Causes of Electrical Accidents in a Lumberyard • Improperly Grounded Wiring • Exposed Electrical Parts • Inadequate Wiring • Power Lines (delivery trucks) • Using Extension Cords as Permanent Wiring • Overloaded Circuits • Wet Conditions • Damaged Tools & Equipment • Any others? Committee Discussion: Do we have any of these that need to be addressed? What current processes do we have to find, report, and fix these hazards?

  7. Electrical Hazard Spotlight #1:Exposed Wires • The Rule: You must protect your employees from hazards when working with electrical equipment, tools, and appliances. • Applied to our industry: A lot of lumberyards have old wiring in warehouses, machine shops, etc., that once served a purpose but are no longer in use. To reduce electrical hazards it is important to do a review of your facility to see if these hazards exist and to determine if they are still active/hot and to protect employees from them. • Review: Do we have any exposed wiring, and if so how can we eliminate/insulate this risk?

  8. Electrical Hazard Spotlight #2:Extension Cords • The Rule: 910.305(g)(1)(iv)Unless specifically permitted otherwise in paragraph (g)(1)(ii) of this section, flexible cords and cables may not be used: • 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(A)As a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure; • 1910.305(g)(1)(iv)(B)Where run through holes in walls, ceilings, or • Applied to our industry: Extension cords used as permanent wiring are very prevalent in our industry, and can pose both an electrical hazard, and are a common target for OSHA or related state agency fines. • Review: Do we have any extension cords used as permanent wiring? If so, how can we eliminate this risk?

  9. Electrical Hazard Spotlight #3:Lockout/Tagout • The Rule(s) 1910.147(c)(1)Energy control program. The employer shall establish a program consisting of energy control procedures, employee training and periodic inspections to ensure that before any employee performs any servicing or maintenance on a machine or equipment where the unexpected energizing, startup or release of stored energy could occur and cause injury, the machine or equipment shall be isolated from the energy source and rendered inoperative. • 1910.147(c)(4)(i)Procedures shall be developed, documented and utilized for the control of potentially hazardous energy when employees are engaged in the activities covered by this section.  • Applied to our industry: Lockout/Tagout is a subject that applies often to the operation of forklifts and saws in our industry. If they still have stored energy especially if they are down for repair, there needs to be a way to protect employees from using those pieces of machinery. • Review: Do we have a written tockout/tagout program? If so are all employees aware, and trained on it? If not, how can we become compliant and who is responsible to create a lockout/tagout program?

  10. Resources: OSHA Lockout/Tagout Fact Sheet OSHA Controlling Electrical Hazards Q&A OSHA Safety & Health Topics: Electrical Safety OR OSHA: Electrical Safety Electrical Safety Awareness for Non-electrical Workers (9:20)

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