0_4_safe_work_practices_ea_v2.0.ppt

Editor's Notes

• #3: By attending this session, participants will: Describe basic workplace safety requirements for energy auditors. Explain the purpose of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations. Identify where to find guidelines for working with lead, mold, and asbestos. Describe which homes require lead-safe weatherization practices and certified renovators. Define what a materials safety data sheet (MSDS) is and why it is important to communicate hazards. Explain the function and importance of using ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) equipment. Identify personal protective equipment for use by auditors. Q: With what kinds of safety issues may auditors have to contend in a home? Wait for answers from students and jot them down on the white board. A: Ladder use, electrical hazards, mold, friable asbestos, open sewage, mad dogs, CO, low clearances, unsanitary conditions.
• #4: Field workers must possess a working knowledge of: U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Weatherization Assistance Program regulations and policy. The purpose of these regulations and policies is to keep weatherization workers and the families they serve safe and healthy. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) guidelines for asbestos, lead, mold, and other health hazards. In homes built before 1978, lead-safe weatherization (LSW) practices are required to minimize the dangers of lead dust. An EPA certified renovator must be on site during this work. Material safety data sheets (MSDS). Keep the MSDS for all materials in a designated spot in every truck. If something happens to a worker in the field, the emergency response team can provide assistance more quickly and effectively if they know the chemicals to which the worker has been exposed. Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) standards.
• #5: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards address a wide variety of issues, including appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE). OSHA’s mission is to ensure safe and healthy conditions for working men and women by setting and enforcing standards and by providing training, outreach, education, and assistance. In other words, OSHA strives to maintain worker safety and prevent the cycle of carelessness that many workers adopt after long periods with no accidents. The cycle of carelessness: People get into a routine and stop paying as much attention as they should. Eventually, someone falls off a ladder or gets electrocuted. Everyone gets scared and starts to take safety seriously for a while. Nobody gets hurt for a long time. People start to get careless again. The cycle repeats.  
• #6: Auditor’s workers must demonstrate the ability to: Safely use basic hand and power tools. Identify serious mold conditions. Assess and communicate work area safety hazards. High ambient carbon monoxide levels Electrical hazards Structural hazards   Q: What are some examples of personal protective equipment you should use while auditing a house? A: Personal CO monitor, safety glasses, dust mask.  
• #7: While inspecting the home, the auditor will likely enter some parts of the home with less than ideal air quality. Wear the proper gear to protect yourself and to reduce the likelihood of bringing allergens home to your family by wearing appropriate safety gear. Insulation, particularly recycled fiberglass, can be an allergen. While a person may not react to insulation at first, she or he will react once a personal tolerance level is exceeded. Q: What other type of PPE might be useful here? A: A hard hat.
• #8: Mold is another toxic substance that affects people differently. Just because a person doesn’t react to a particular mold doesn’t mean she or he won’t react to another. Always wear a proper respirator when working around any type of mold! DOE rules do not allow repair or remediation of mold with WAP money. If more than 10 square feet of mold is visible inside a dwelling, weatherization must be postponed until the mold is cleaned up or otherwise rendered harmless. Complete a Deferral of Services notification, and refer the mold situation to the proper program.
• #9: Federal law requires that a material safety data sheet (MSDS) be present and easily accessible at the job site for every material used. Get copies from your supplier or download them from the manufacturer’s website. Keep them, preferably in alphabetical order, in a safe place in your vehicle. They will be the first requested item if you are ever on the receiving end of an inspection by OSHA. Auditors should be aware of MSDS when specifying chemical products for use by weatherization technicians.
• #10: MSDS generally require the following information: Product and contact information of the manufacturer Hazard ingredients/identifying information Fire and explosion hazard data Reactivity data Health hazard data Emergency and first aid procedures Personal protective equipment Hand out the MSDS sheets for two part foam and point out hazards, first aid procedures and (PPE).
• #11: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has established a recommended exposure limit (REL) for carbon monoxide of 35 ppm (40 mg/m³) as an eight-hour TWA and 200 ppm (229 mg/m³) as a ceiling [NIOSH 1992]. Neither NIOSH nor OSHA has a recommended method for full-shift sampling of employee exposure to carbon monoxide in the workplace. However, the following analytical method is available. Determination of a worker's exposure to airborne carbon monoxide is made using an Ecolyzer direct reading field instrument. This instrument is capable of detecting carbon monoxide concentrations between 0 and 600 ppm. Several types of detectors are available to screen for the presence of carbon monoxide such as the BW Honeywell Gas Alert Clip Extreme CO Monitor shown above. These are designed to be clipped onto a piece of clothing near the person’s breathing zone. An alarm will sound if ambient CO meets or exceeds 35 ppm. They are single-use monitors with lifetimes of 24 or 36 months. An auditor should evacuate the area when CO levels exceed 35 ppm. http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/carbonmonoxide/recognition.html
• #12: The tip of the “live wire tester” lights up whenever it is placed on a live conductor. It is most useful to determine if wiringparticularly knob and tube wiring—is still live.
• #13: Assume that ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) equipment is on site and being used according to manufacturer’s instructions. GFCI equipment protects life by shutting off the power supply if minute changes in electrical current are sensed. Q: How much electricity do you think it takes to kill someone? A: Just 75 milliamps or 0.075 of one amp. To put that in perspective, a small power drill uses 30 times that much electricity. Breakers are designed to go off at 15-20 amps. Those are made to protect the system, not workers. GFCI equipment is designed to protect you—it senses changes at the milliamp level. This equipment generally costs less than $100.
• #14: What is a GFCI? “The ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) is a fast-acting circuit breaker which senses small imbalances in the circuit caused by current leakage to ground and, in a fraction of a second, shuts off the electricity. The GFCI continually matches the amount of current going to an electrical device against the amount of current returning from the device along the electrical path. Whenever the amount "going" differs from the amount "returning" by approximately 5 milliamps, the GFCI interrupts the electric power within as little as 1/40 of a second.” – OSHA http://www.osha.gov/doc/outreachtraining/htmlfiles/gfcicon.html Q: Give an example of how a GFCI might make a difference between life and death when auditing a home. A: An ungrounded electric drill can be a hazard. If a “hot” wire contacts a grounded enclosure, a ground fault results which normally will trip a circuit breaker or blow a fuse. Metal enclosures and containers are usually grounded by connecting them with a wire going to ground. This wire is called an equipment grounding conductor. Most portable electric tools and appliances are grounded by this means. There is one disadvantage to grounding: a break in the grounding system may occur without the user's knowledge. A GFCI in line between the power source will detect difference in current to ground and open the circuit, thereby eliminating the risk of electrocution.
• #15: Ensure you have the proper gear: safety glasses, hearing protection, protective clothing, and respirators. Ensure you have proper fit. Use a fit test for respirators. If in doubt about what gear you need, refer to the MSDS. There is a section in every MSDS stating what the allowable exposure levels are and the ventilation and/or respirator types required for safe work.
• #16: Fall protection is required by OSHA where workers could fall at least six feet (or 10 feet if working on scaffolding). Remember, it isn’t just when working on ladders that you could fall six or more feet but also around open doors where there used to be a porch but isn’t anymore, or even on flat roofs where skylights or other potential openings are found. Depending how much exploring you need to do to conduct a thorough audit, you may need fall protection. Options for fall protection include: Personal fall arrest system (PFAS) consisting of anchorage, lifeline (lanyard), and body harness – This is generally the most practical in weatherization work. Safety netting – This is used largely on big building construction. Guardrails/covers – This is used around openings like skylights or wall openings/ledges. Rails must be able to withstand a force of 200 lbs.
• #17: If you must use ladders during the home assessment, follow these safety guidelines: Use ladders as they were designed. Do not exceed weight limitations, and do not tie ladders together to achieve greater height unless they are specifically designed for such use. Keep bottom of ladder free of obstructions and slip hazards. Do not place the ladder bottom on a slippery surface unless it has special slip-resistant feet. Position bottom ¼ of the working height away from surface. When using non-self-supporting ladders, where it must be leaned up against the working surface, the safe working angle follows this guideline. For example, if a ladder is leaned up against a house so the upper part of the ladder meets the house 16 ft. in the air, the bottom of the ladder should be set at a 4 ft. horizontal distance away from that surface. If accessing an upper level, the ladder must extend 3 ft. above that level. For example, if using a ladder to access a roof, the ladder must extend 3 ft. above the roof access point.
• #18: Refer to Lesson Plan and sample scenarios on the Class Exercise handout. Allow at least 45 minutes of class time to complete the exercise.
• #19: OSHA regulations are designed to keep auditors and workers safe. Following EPA guidelines when dealing with hazardous materials protects the health of clients, installers, and their families. Auditors should be aware of MSDS when specifying chemical products for use by weatherization technicians. Wear appropriate safety equipment to reduce risk of injury. Present this slide as an interactive discussion, soliciting personal examples from the trainees. Add your own personal examples and knowledge to supplement.