Proforma Safety Blog

Welder Killed When Pan Dropped Out

Posted by proforma on April 20, 2009  |  No Comments

On a drilling rig, a casing crew was rigging up as welders worked on the pollution pan. Suddenly the pan dropped, falling 50 feet and killing one welder. A tragic combination of mistakes contributed to this fatality. A synopsis is available on the MMS website, and a full account here.

Sodium Hypochlorite Chart Offers Guidance on Use and Disposal

Posted by proforma on April 19, 2009  |  No Comments

Sodium hypochlorite - - commonly known as “bleach” in one of its forms – is used in a wide range of applications across many industries. Careless handling or disposal of sodium hypochlorite is hazardous when appropriate controls and personal protection equipment (PPE) are not used. Sodium Hypochlorite Incompatibility Chart published by the Chlorine Institute Inc. (CI)

Asthma in the Workplace: Questions Remain About Causes

Posted by proforma on April 17, 2009  |  No Comments

What is contributing to asthma in the work environment? Can it be controlled? What are we being exposed to, anyway?
According to Dr. Ray Wells, Ph.D., of the NIOSH Health Effects Laboratory Division, there probably is no single chemical responsible for asthma-related illnesses, but exposure to mixed chemical classes.
Of particular note, Dr. Wells cites consumer cleaning, deodorizing and surface finishing products that can be present in indoor environments. “Natural” or “green” cleaning products can contain terpenes, which are hydrocarbons produced by plants like conifers.
According to Wells, “. . .[N]atural does not always mean safe. Terpenes can react with components in the indoor environment to form new chemicals that might be the irritants responsible for the observed increases in work-related asthma.” Ozone transported from outside by building ventilation triggers potentially harmful reactions with terpenes.
Conventional sampling methods are not capturing these oxidation products. Additional research is being conducted by NIOSH; for further information, go to the NIOSH blog.

Is Your Home Constructed with Trusses?

Posted by proforma on April 17, 2009  |  No Comments

Lightweight trusses used in commercial and residential construction can collapse with little warning in a fire, says the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Not only are these structures affected more rapidly by fire than heavier building materials, they also lose load-bearing capacity as they lose their triangular configuration. Truss structures over large, open areas – especially undivided space – are even more dangerous.
NFPA cites truss structures and concealed spaces as a major contributor to firefighter injuries and fatalities. Where used in residential construction, the association advocates that homeowners install a sprinkler system. The risk of dying in a home fire decreases by 80 percent when sprinklers are present. Cost of installation in new construction averages $1.61 per square foot.
Tyco has published a compelling report that dramatically demonstrates what happens to truss structures in a fire, documenting total collapse in little over 10 minutes.
More information on home sprinkler systems is available at the Fire Sprinkler Initiative site.

Install Grating Over Crane Cab Window

Posted by proforma on April 17, 2009  |  No Comments

The American Petroleum Institute (API) recommends that crane cabs with a window overhead have a grating or other protection installed over the window to prevent debris from falling on the operator. If an object were to be dropped over the crane cab, safety glass would not provide sufficient protection for the operator.

The National Offshore Petroleum Safety Authority (NOPSA) has issued this safety alert citing the API specification 2C section 12.2.

DOE Inspector General Issues Scathing Report on OSHA’s EEP

Posted by proforma on April 14, 2009  |  No Comments

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General has issued a scathing report severely criticizing OSHA for mismanagement of its Enhanced Enforcement Program (EEP), which is intended to identify employers that have reported fatalities and other incidents for closer monitoring. The report indicates OSHA failed to list 97 percent of the sampled cases that qualified for EEP.

The report, entitled Employers With Reported Fatalities Were Not Always Properly Identified and Inspected Under OSHA’S Enhanced Enforcement Program, states: “While we cannot conclude that enhanced enforcement would prevent subsequent fatalities, full and proper application of EEP procedures may have deterred and abated workplace hazards at the worksites of 45 employers where 58 subsequent fatalities occurred.”

OSHA Expands Existing Respiratory Protection Standard

Posted by proforma on April 2, 2009  |  No Comments

On April 1, 2009, OSHA announced that it has released a guidance document of mandatory respirator selection provisions that are being added to the existing Respiratory Protection standard, revised in 2006. To access this document, click here.

NIOSH Issues Electrical Safety Manual for Young, New Workers

Posted by proforma on April 1, 2009  |  No Comments

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently published an excellent student manual on electrical safety that is intended to be an instructional guide for young or new workers, but is informative and useful for any age or level of experience. The manual teaches the reader to recognize, evaluate, and control hazards associated with electrical work and was developed through extensive research with vocational instructors

Construction Worker at Refinery Killed by Falling Crane Ball

Posted by proforma on April 1, 2009  |  No Comments

On March 8, 2009, a contract employee died of head injuries sustained the previous day after being struck by a falling crane ball at a Port Arthur refinery construction site.

The contractor, McKinney Drilling, was installing drill shaft foundations, for which a 50-ton crane was being used. At some point, the crane ball fell, striking the employee on the head and left side of his body.

Pending investigation by OSHA and the company, workers should be reminded to remain aware at all times where they are in relation to equipment working around them. They should never become so comfortable with their surroundings or the work in progress that they drop their guard and expose themselves to danger.