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For pipeline cleaning professionals, fast and efficient water jetting is essential to maximizing profitability and the return on investment for the jetter. Yet many contractors fail to optimize jetting performance because they don’t understand the basics of two critical components: nozzles and tips.
This article was written by Eric Prinzing for Occupational Safety & Health. It is reprinted here with permission.
Lockout/Tagout compliance is a crucial safety requirement. Preventing the accidental start-up of energy during repair and maintenances ensures the safety of workers and helps create a productive workplace.
The OSHA Lockout/Tagout Standard (1910.147) provides clear lockout safety requirements. Despite this, lockout/tagout (LOTO) continues to be found in OSHA’s top 10 most frequent cited standards. It should be seen, then, as a serious and widespread concern. Here are 6 tips to help you stay compliant:
Choose the right devices – A lockout device is an extremely important component of a LO/TO program. Machines, circuit breakers, plugs, switches, push buttons, and valves are just some of the items that often require lockout devices. Since there are so many choices, choosing which device or set of devices is overwhelming. There are two considerations that will help: necessity (knowing exactly what you need) and organization (using standardized devices and tools to help keep your devices organized).
First, determine exactly what you need. OSHA’s guidelines are certainly helpful, but each workplace is unique. Create a list of all machines or electrical components that may need lockout devices. This will make buying the most appropriate devices or kits easier because most are designed to meet a specific application.
Second, standardize and organize your lockout devices. Lockout Stations are one effective way to store and organize necessary devices. This has several benefits: Not only do stations store necessary devices, but also, they save valuable space and promote efficient operations. If devices are organized in a station, workers know exactly where to find them, when preparing for a maintenance or repair. Padlocks should be standardized by size and color so workers can easily identify function and ownership.
Thoroughly Document Procedures – Lockout procedures need to be formally documented. This keeps workers and management on the same page and helps to eliminate any potential confusion. Documentation also provides workers with a valuable training resource. Formal documentation is required by OSHA, but given the differences in workplaces and machines, not every procedure will be the same. It is especially important, then, to make sure the procedures are as effective as possible.
Procedures should thoroughly detail the steps needed to shut down and isolate hazardous energy. The procedures must describe how to safely place and remove all relevant lockout/tagout devices.
In order to make the lockout process as easy to follow as possible, procedures should be posted near the relevant machine/equipment. Machine-specific photographs detailing each step are highly recommended. Photographs have a distinct advantage over written instructions or even graphics because the provide a specific and intuitive visual reference point for workers.
Clearly Mark All Isolated Points – All energy control points should be clearly and permanently marked with standardized tags or labels.
Tags and labels should be easily visible. It is also very important to make sure all energy isolation points are consistent with the machine-specific procedures discussed in tip #2.
Develop a Rigorous Training Program – Effective training is an indispensable part of a successful lockout program. It can also be one of the most difficult parts because all workplaces and workforces need to be trained according to their specific needs.
It is important for each worker to know exactly what his role is. Tasks should be clearly defined and clearly assigned to the appropriate worker. There are three types of workers involved in lockout operation: authorized, affected, and other. An authorized employee is directly involved in locking out equipment and machinery scheduled for repair or maintenance. An affected employee is someone whose work is affected by lockout procedures. Usually, this means an employee who works with the equipment being locked out for service or repair. An employee is classified as other if he/she does not work with the machine/equipment, but works in the area where the equipment is located. Each worker needs to know what type of employee he/she is, and strong communication needs to be developed among all workers. Authorized employees must clearly alert all affected employees when a lockout device is placed or removed. In order to prevent unsafe removal of devices, only authorized employees can remove devices they have placed. Lockout padlocks have room for workers to clearly write their names in permanent ink, which underscores the strong need for clear assignments and individual responsibility.
As with procedures and isolation points, documentation is an important component of training. Recording exactly what types of training have occurred is helpful on several levels. It helps management make sure all workers have been trained, and they are trained for doing the right tasks. Any gap in training can be easily found and corrected. It documents when training took place, which helps workplaces, plan ahead. If you know when your last training session took place, it is easier to plan when the next one should be implemented. Finally, looking at documentation of lockout training can help see your program from a new, more objective perspective. Suggestions can then be taken into account and improvements can be made.
Training also should be tailored to each specific workplace. If one has a multilingual workforce, for instance, multilingual tools, signs, and documents should be used. Workers should be encouraged to relate their specific safety needs.
OSHA requires that lockout/tagout training occur annually. Yearly training should be seen as a bare minimum rather than ideal. In many cases, it would be helpful to revisit training exercises more frequently than yearly in order to ensure that critical repairs and maintenance are being done safely. Also, repeat training helps workforces keep a “safety first” mentality. When deciding exactly how much training is necessary, it is important to keep workers engaged in the process and to make sure their ideas and concerns are carefully considered.
Evaluate –Careful evaluation is an invaluable tool for improvement. The success of lockout training and written procedures can only be truly gauged after they have been put to use in an actual maintenance or repair situation. Evaluation is necessary to make sure the training exercises, procedures, and devices are working properly. It also affords opportunities to make improvements that may not have been obvious in the training stage.
OSHA provides rules for periodic inspections. These should be followed closely and provide an excellent foundation for evaluation and improvement. Inspections need to occur at least annually and be performed by an authorized employee who is not involved in the procedure being inspected. All deviations must be corrected and all roles must be thoroughly reviewed. The inspection must also be documented. The date of inspection, procedures, machines/equipment involved, and names of workers performing the inspection must be recorded.
Evolve – A good lockout program should always be able to evolve. OSHA may introduce more requirements or stringent guidelines. It is important to make sure your program is up to date. Open communication between all levels of employment also will help your lockout program reach its potential. A program that encourages communication can identify strengths and weaknesses more efficiently than a program that remains static and unchanging after initial training. Employees should be encouraged to communicate which training exercises are working well and which ones need “tweaking”. A lockout program can then go beyond fulfilling minimum requirements: It can be tailored to your workplace and your workforce.
The ultimate goal is maximum safety for your workers, and all steps should be taken to reach that goal.
https://ohsonline.com/Articles/2016/08/01/Six-Tips-to-Improve-Your-Lockout-Tagout-Program.aspx
You wouldn’t expect latex gloves to protect you from a gunshot. They won’t protect you from water-jetting accidents either.
An OSHA article describing the dangers of high-pressure jetting notes, “High pressures can cause injuries similar to gunshot wounds, but have the added health hazard of involving contaminated water.”
In pipeline-related industries, dangers are plentiful. Trenches, excavation, and confined spaces are often touted as the main concerns in risk management, but operators face another underestimated risk on a daily basis — cleaning with water under pressure.
“Injection injuries can happen at much lower pressures that are in use in drain and sewer applications. And that carries the risk of infection and tissue damage as well. …Water injection injuries can appear minor but can cause serious health complications, even at pressures in the range of a consumer pressure washer or drain cleaner,”
says Peter Wright, association manager with the WaterJet Technology Association and Industrial & Municipal Cleaning Association.
Despite being generally overlooked in terms of safety across the industry — due in part to a relatively low rate of injury when compared to working in trenches and the like — jetting is a concern simply because of how common it is.
Lines are jetted for daily cleaning operations, inspections, and rehabilitation: With just about any work involving pipes, water jets are in play.
“Trying to get people to understand that you can get injured by a water jet strike is probably the most difficult bit to get across to people,” says Nick Woodhead, president of US Jetting. “We’ve got to start promoting safety.”
“I think people assume that hoses are not going to burst, and therefore, they are sort of immune. Or they’ve never seen a hose burst, or they’ve never seen a jet injury, so it doesn’t really register. People get complacent.”
And it’s not just equipment malfunction that operators need to worry about.
Case in point: Chad Unverzagt, the Indiana operator who was killed in 2012 during a routine sewer blockage. Unverzagt wasn’t killed by an exploding pipe or other malfunction — his hose got loose while the system was pressurized as he was attempting to retrieve it from the pipe. A momentary lapse in a job he’d done a thousand times before and for more than 30 years in the industry.
With no protective gear, he didn’t stand a chance against the high-pressure water, which lacerated his neck, killing him before help could arrive.
“That’s more of an isolated incident, but it’s worth reminding people,” Woodhead says. “That’s why you’ve got to know what you’re working in.”
A few months after that incident, Cleaner published another Safety First article, highlighting a new line of protective clothing from TST Sweden AB. Though the medium-pressure gear hadn’t reached enough awareness at the time to help Unverzagt, today, operators and their employers have fewer and fewer excuses for ignoring proper safety.
“The safety gear is essential when you’re running a machine. So many people don’t wear anything,” Woodhead says. “We’ve got to try and get it across to people, it is worth investing in the kit to protect yourself. Even if you’re the operator and maybe the boss doesn’t want to spend the money; it’s worth investing in it, just as a precaution.”
US Jetting has made it their practice to supply a pair of protective gloves to customers with the purchase of a jetting system, and it has encouraged other manufacturers to do the same.
Other products like semiautomatic jetting systems give even more options for mitigating risk to operators.
“OSHA says if there is safety gear available, the employers are bound to supply it,” Woodhead says. “Rather than have government regulation, we’d rather be self-regulated and have people understand (the dangers).”
Beyond planning for the worst, simple common sense and following standard operating procedure goes a long way to ensuring safety. That includes checking the equipment before each job, performing the necessary maintenance, and assessing each job site before beginning any work.
“It doesn’t take more than a couple of minutes to do the cursory checks,” Woodhead says. “Once you’ve gotten to your location, you’ve got to do your due diligence. … Just scope out the job for 15 or 20 minutes while your tank is filling up.”
To get you started, Wright offers a few quick tips to keep in mind:
“Use a skid that will not allow the nozzle to turn around in the pipe or mark the end of the hose a distance from the nozzle to help indicate the location of the nozzle within the pipe. Ensure the system is depressurized before conducting maintenance or repairs. Ensure the nozzle is well inside the pipe before bringing the system up to pressure,” Wright says.
It’s easy to oversimplify pipe cleaning, but when the pressure is on, there’s a lot operators can do to prevent accidents — it’s just a matter of knowing how and promoting safety whenever possible.
“It’s definitely important to have respect for the power and the force of high-pressure water streams,” Wright says.
Hearing loss from noise can occur with no symptoms and no warnings of any kind. Its progress is so slow and sneaky that you hardly notice it because you simply adjust as sound reception becomes fainter.
People who work around noise and don’t wear hearing protection probably don’t realize what is happening to their hearing. Most people are unaware that everyday noises such as lawn mowers and machinery have an effect on hearing. Since the damage accumulates over many years, it’s often too late to prevent or reverse what has already been done.
Exposure to a large amount of sound will cause a person’s hearing to worsen temporarily. For most people, resting and avoiding loud noises returns their hearing to its normal level. Hearing loss occurs when a person is continually surrounded by loud noises and takes no precautions so that damage becomes permanent.
Every person will experience some amount of natural hearing loss as they age. Simple steps such as lowering the volume on your TV or stereo can keep hearing loss to a minimum.
Prolonged exposure to loud noises can cause permanent hearing loss, but noise can be reduced before it ever reaches the eardrum by earplugs or ear muffs (most cost-effective), or by using noise dampening materials around machinery. If ear protection is necessary for a job or certain work function, the employer (municipality) is required to have it available and require its use by employees.
5 Excuses for not wearing proper hearing protection:
“I can’t hear other workers.” – At high noise levels, hearing becomes overloaded. Reducing overall sound levels allows the ear to operate more effectively in much the same way sunglasses provide improved vision in bright light, high-glare conditions.
“My machine sounds different.” – The sound of a machine will sound different to workers wearing hearing protection, but they will become accustomed to the new sound and will be able to monitor the sound of machines as well at the end of the day as at the start of the shift.
“I’m used to noise.” – Exposure to noise does not toughen ears. Ears do not become used to noise - workers become deaf.
“Protectors are uncomfortable.” – Like new shoes or glasses, new hearing protectors need a period of adjustment. If discomfort persists, the device should be exchanged for a different size or type that will fit more comfortably.
“I’ve already lost some of my hearing; why should I wear hearing protection now?” – Just because you lost some hearing doesn’t mean you’re protected from losing more or all of it. Initially, hearing is damaged at higher frequencies, but as unprotected exposures continue, the damage will spread to the lower frequencies, eventually affecting your understanding of speech. Although hearing protection devices cannot restore a noise-induced hearing loss, they can prevent additional losses from occurring.
It is important to remember, once hearing protection is put on it needs to be monitored. Hearing protection can loosen or be jostled out of position and needs to be readjusted from time to time to be most effective.
It is best to identify tools, machines, and areas where hearing protection must be worn, and have the appropriate types of hearing protection for the type of work. Train your workers and have appropriate policies and procedures in writing and in place. Supervisors must monitor workers who are in areas where hearing protection is required and hold them to the policies.
Don’t play it by ear. When the job calls for hearing protection, use it!
Limiting a worker’s exposure to cold can go a long way toward preventing cold stress injuries and illnesses such as frostbite, hypothermia, trench foot, and chilblains. Three major factors to keep in mind when working outdoors are air temperature, wind, and moisture. Exposed skin is in danger of freezing within one minute when the temperature is 10 degrees and there is a wind of around 20 mph. Wet conditions greatly increase the potential for frostbite or hypothermia. Moisture on the skin and any wind can cause the body to lose heat.
Dressing properly for the cold is critical for workers. Experts recommend using breathable layers, making sure clothing is not so tight it cuts off circulation or impedes movement. Be aware that PPE may restrict some movements. Layering also allows workers to remove clothing if they become too warm from exertion or changing weather conditions. Layering clothing provides a worker with better insulation against the cold because the body warms trapped air between the layers. If the fabric is breathable it will keep perspiration from building up on the skin and pulling away needed body heat. Wearing a hat or hood is also recommended, to decrease the loss of body heat escaping from the head. Knitted hats that cover the ears and at least part of the face will likely keep a worker warmer than a ball cap.
Regarding footwear, experts suggest insulated, waterproof boots with good built-in traction. In extremely cold regions, it is also recommended boots be felt lined, rubber bottomed and leather-topped. Gloves should also be insulated and water resistant.
OSHA doesn’t have a defined standard on working in the cold but states that employers must protect workers from hazards in accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Act. The following are recommendations for employers pertaining to protecting employees:
Schedule work to be completed during the warmest part of the day
Tell workers to use the “buddy system” (nobody works outdoors alone) so they can monitor each other
Provide extra workers for longer, more demanding jobs
Set up a warm dry shelter for workers to take breaks in out of the cold
Provide warm liquids to drink, avoiding caffeine and alcohol
Use engineering controls such radiant heaters, if possible
Ensure you have a method to communicate with all workers, especially in remote locations
Also advise workers to avoid touching metal surfaces with bare skin, and to bring extra clothing in case they get wet. Have emergency cold weather kits available: blankets, a thermos of a hot beverage, first aid kit with chemical hot packs and a thermometer.
OSHA warns workers to avoid working to fatigue or exhaustion. Stay hydrated and drink as much water as in the summertime. You can get dehydrated even though you don’t feel like you are sweating. It is a common mistake in cold temperatures. People don’t realize heat is escaping their body and taking moisture from the body with it.
Employers must train their workers on the prevention, risks, and symptoms of cold stress. Quick daily reminders are also helpful, especially when the weather is particularly bad. Provide written information concerning the signs and symptoms of frostbite, hypothermia, trench-foot, chilblains, and angina. This information can be easily found on the internet. Employers should remind workers of the symptoms they need to be looking out for, and that it is a time when they must keep a close eye on their co-workers, and make sure everybody is doing “OK”.
Distracted driving is a well-established problem, so much so that many states have bans in place when it comes to using technology while driving, but the problem of “distracted walking” is a relatively new hazard. Sure, people have been walking out in front of moving objects or stepping off cliffs since the beginning of time, but a new piece of daily-use equipment seems to be increasing the problem – smartphones and tablets. While we might laugh at a woman who falls into a fountain while texting or someone who walks into a glass wall while watching a you-tube video on his phone, the problem with distracted walking is a very serious one.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, nearly 5,000 pedestrians were killed and another 76,000 injured in traffic accidents in 2012. While it is not clear how many of these were directly attributed to distracted walking, pedestrian fatalities are getting worse each year, perhaps due to the use of smart phones and other devices.
Common risks associated with distracted walking include: trips, sprains, strains, fractures, cuts, bruises, broken bones, concussions, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, death, and injuries to someone else. People who text while walking are 60% more likely to be injured or cause injury than non-texters. Scientist call the phenomenon, “inattentive blindness”; they state the human brain can only adequately focus on one task at a time. So, when you are texting or talking on the phone and trying to walk, you cannot give full attention to both tasks. Today we hear people brag about being able to “multi-task”, but our brains cannot efficiently provide adequate attention to more than one task at a time.
It’s not just texting while walking that is the problem. Talking, checking email, using social media, even playing games on your phone/tablet all contribute to the problem of distracted pedestrians. After years of decline, pedestrian deaths have started to increase since 2009, and while there is no reliable data directly related to cell phone use, experts speculate the increase is due in part to distracted users of cell phones while walking.
The solution to distracted walking is a simple one: Don’t use your cell phone or engage in other distracting activities while walking. Focus solely on the task at hand – getting from point A to point B in one piece, and worry about checking your phone when you get there.
Other safety concerns for pedestrians:
Traffic signals – Obey traffic signals (whether you are driving or a pedestrian). If the traffic signal is not in your favor do not begin crossing, and look before you begin to cross.
Cross streets at appropriate places - Jaywalking or crossing the road where there is no crosswalk is a leading cause of pedestrian injury. The NHTSA has found that crossing streets improperly accounts for approximately 30% of pedestrian fatalities.
Visibility – It can be difficult for drivers to see those walking at night or in low-light or inclement weather. Wear light colored clothing, walk in well lit areas or carry a flashlight, and wear reflective clothing for added visibility.
Take the time to inform employees of the hazards of distracted walking, share with them the statistics, and create policies to reduce the potential for injuries due to distracted walking incidents. It is everybody’s responsibility to help create a safe work environment.
Distracted driving occurs any time you take your eyes off the road, hands off the wheel, and mind off your primary task, which is driving safely. Any non-driving activity you engage in is a potential distraction and increases your risk of being involved in a motor vehicle crash.
Workers in many industries and occupations spend part of their workday on the road. Drivers at work are more likely to be in a hurry to reach their destination, think about a work procedure, be tired, or use their cell phone while driving.
Employers: Use the following recommendations to prevent distracted driving.
Ban texting and hand-held phone use while driving a city vehicle, and apply the same rules to use of a city-issued phone while driving a personal vehicle.
Consider banning the use of hands-free phones.
Require workers to pull over in a safe location if they must text, make a call, or look up directions.
Prepare workers before implementing these policies by communicating:
How distracted driving puts them at risk of a crash
That driving requires their full attention while they are on the road
What they need to do to comply with your company’s policies
What action you will take if they do not follow these policies
Consider having workers acknowledge that they have read and understand these policies.
Provide workers with information to help them talk to their family about distracted driving.
Employees: Take the following actions to stay focused behind the wheel.
Do not text or use a hand-held phone while driving. Further, avoid using hands-free phones as much as possible – even if your employer allows them.
Pull over in a safe location if you must text or make a call.
Make necessary adjustments (e.g., adjust controls, program directions) to your car before your drive.
Do not reach to pick up items from the floor, open the glove box, or try to catch falling objects in the vehicle.
Avoid emotional conversations with passengers, or pull over in a safe location to continue the conversation. For normal conversation, passengers in the vehicle can often help lower crash risk for adult drivers.
Focus on the driving environment — the vehicles around you, pedestrians, cyclists, and objects or events that may mean you need to act quickly to control or stop your vehicle.
Take the time to share these ideas and opportunities to reduce distracted driving losses with your employees. Help keep them safe and your municipality free from the hassles of distracted driving incidents.
In a perfect world, employees don’t worry about breaking their arm, falling off scaffolds, or catching a lung disease. In a perfect world, they would be provided with excellent training, not just once, but regularly. In a perfect world, we wouldn’t have to worry about hazards at all. Besides being comfortable and self-cleaning, PPE could be worn in a matter of seconds and would have built-in chemical and radiation detectors. In a perfect world, when a vehicle was about to hit an employee or fire threatened to incinerate them, a bubble, from their PPE, would suddenly encompass them and keep them safe. Being resistant to fire, chemical toxins, harmful gases, and all the negative vibes of the world, the bubble would be the ultimate life and limb saver for the employee on the job. Maybe that’s taking it a bit too far, but you get the idea. All employees, whether they know it or not, wish for a job where they are provided with adequate training and PPE to keep them safe from the hazards in their workplace.
But even in a perfect world, any appropriate training or top-of-the-line PPE would be useless if a worker couldn’t manage one of the most threatening factors on the job: Distractions. Statistics show that distractions are a major contributor to many workplace injuries and fatalities.
Let’s briefly look at the 5 most common distractions on the job:
Mental distractions and inattention – Have you ever replayed in your mind unpleasant scenes from home while operating equipment? Or perhaps fantasized about how events will play out concerning your upcoming big weekend plans? Maybe you’ve chatted with a coworker while performing a hazardous task. Mental distractions often lead to inattention, and that could lead to you or a coworker being injured or killed. Whether you are worrying, daydreaming, or just chatting, mental distractions can be just as dangerous as working with electricity or highly flammable materials. Avoid falling into mental distractions. Stay focused on your work.
Poor housekeeping – Visual clutter can easily be translated into mental clutter. Frustration from not being able to find something due to a messy workplace can lead to overlooking a safety issue or make you angry enough to resort to aggression or violence. Keep work areas clean and clear of clutter, organize equipment and materials, and keep them in their place. Remember, too, that poor housekeeping says a lot about your attitude towards safety, quality, and productivity. Messy workspace also may give others the impression you are slothful.
Machinery – Make sure you perform work at a safe distance from machines, heavy equipment, and electrical hazards. They can impede your maneuverability, hearing, and vision which could cause a mishap or injury due to entrapment in moving parts or a slip, trip, and fall.
Hearing – Wear earplugs or muffs when working around loud machinery or equipment. But always ask your supervisor if it is permissible to listen to music or podcasts with earphones while working. It could be a distraction that could be fatal. No music or story is worth your life.
Long Unkempt Hair – Many accidents are caused by somebody getting hair caught in machinery or simply attempting to fix their hair while operating equipment. Loose and flowing hair can get in your face and obstruct vision or become a distracting annoyance causing a worker to perform an unsafe task. Tie long hair back, wear a hat, or get a haircut.
In a perfect world, distractions don’t exist, but since we’re stuck in an imperfect universe, all we can do is our job and do it safely to the best of our ability. We can try to help our coworkers to do the same. While some factors in the workplace can play a role in causing distractions, the fact remains that more workplace hazards spring from unsafe acts than from unsafe conditions.
Preventing Slips on Snow and Ice
To prevent slips, trips, and falls, employers should clear walking surfaces of snow and ice, and spread deicer, as quickly as possible after a winter storm. In addition, the following precautions will help reduce the likelihood of injuries:
Wear proper footwear when walking on snow or ice is unavoidable because it is especially treacherous. A pair of insulated and water-resistant boots with good rubber treads is a must for walking during or after a winter storm. Keeping a pair of rubber over-shoes with good treads which fit over your street shoes is a good idea during the winter months.
Take short steps and walk at a slower pace so you can react quickly to a change in traction when walking on an icy or snow-covered walkway. Test your footing before committing your whole weight in a step. Be mindful of “black ice” (a thin sheet of ice on a surface that may not be visible to the naked eye).
Use your door or the roof of your vehicle when getting in and out. Avoid parking on ice if possible.
Winter Driving
Although employers cannot control roadway conditions, they can promote safe driving behavior by ensuring workers: recognize the hazards of winter weather driving, for example, driving on snow/ice covered roads; are properly trained for driving in winter weather conditions, and are licensed (as applicable) for the vehicles they operate. Drive safely during the winter:
Slow down, take your time, leave earlier than normal
Begin slowing at intersections earlier than normal
Avoid stopping or parking on hills or inclines
Take corners slower than normal
Turn into skids and avoid using the brake
Give plenty of space between your vehicle and others and stop where you can completely see the tires of the vehicle in front of you at stop signs/stop lights
Employers should set and enforce driver safety policies. Employers should also implement an effective maintenance program for all vehicles and mechanized equipment that workers are required to operate. Crashes can be avoided. Employers should ensure properly trained workers inspect the following vehicle systems to determine if they are working properly:
Brakes: Brakes should provide even and balanced braking. Also check that brake fluid is at the proper level.
Cooling System: Ensure a proper mixture of 50/50 antifreeze and water in the cooling system at the proper level.
Electrical System: Check the ignition system and make sure that the battery is fully charged and that the connections are clean. Check that the alternator belt is in good condition with proper tension.
Engine: Inspect all engine systems.
Exhaust System: Check exhaust for leaks and that all clamps and hangers are snug.
Tires: Check for proper tread depth and no signs of damage or uneven wear. Check for proper tire inflation.
Oil: Check that oil is at the proper level.
Visibility Systems: Inspect all exterior lights, defrosters (windshield and rear window), and wipers. Install winter windshield wipers.
An emergency kit with the following items is recommended in vehicles:
Cellphone or two-way radio
Windshield ice scraper
Snowbrush
Flashlight with extra batteries
Shovel
Tow chain
Traction aids (bag of sand or cat litter)
Emergency flares
Jumper cables
Snacks
Water
Roadmaps
Blankets, change of clothes
Winter Work Zone Traffic Safety
Workers being struck by vehicles or mobile equipment lead to many work zone fatalities or injuries annually. Drivers may skid or lose control of their vehicles more easily when driving on snow and/or ice-covered roads. It is, therefore, important to properly set up work zones with the traffic controls identified by signs, cones, barrels, and barriers to protect workers. Workers exposed to vehicular traffic should wear the appropriate high visibility vest at all times so that they are visible to motorists. Workers should also remain vigilant regarding their surroundings while working in work zones. Pay attention to what is going on around you and where you are stepping. Identify potential safety hazards and correct or avoid them.
I (William Sheppard) was a Safety professional in heavy civil construction for over 10 years, and in that time I investigated numerous incidents of breaking functioning underground utilities. Not once did anyone get hurt or die. What are odds of dying from a utility strike, you ask? The odds of being fatally injured are one in five, for those incidents with an injury. Those aren’t good odds, so if you have hit a utility four times during your career, do not hit another.
Under every city and town in the state and, yes, below our lakes and rivers, run utility lines, tunnels and other structures. If you hit them some can kill you, and all will cost you. You will encounter hidden hazards that kill the striker quickly: gas, propane and electricity. In addition, you may also encounter those that may kill others: telephone and communication cables and national defense lines. Many people are unaware of these hazards. Some who are aware do not respect the danger of underground utilities.
Anyone in Oklahoma can dial 811 or use the OKIE811 online service to notify utilities so they can “mark out” their underground facilities. Always remember, you must call for these utilities to get marked, whether you are constructing a new drive way, or driving posts for a new fence, etc. The OKIE811 system is free, it is easy, and it’s the law.
You must call regardless of where the excavation is located. Even if it’s on private property, out in the middle of a field, or on a street with no name – “You must Call.”
You must call if you are only excavating a few inches or just surface grading. If you move material – “You must Call.”
Each year, approximately 700,000 underground utilities are struck during excavation work, according to the Common Ground Alliance, a group that provides training and education on underground hazards as well as coordinating the “OKIE811 – Call Before You Dig System.” If you’re lucky and no one is fatally injured, the cost of one utility strike may result in serious financial losses. Additional costs can be fines levied by the utility that can no longer provide service to its clients. These fees can range around $10,000 per hour for loss of service. If you shut down a hospital or stop work at a factory, you will likely pay for their losses too.
It has been my professional experience there are two steps that can help eliminate and reduce excavating hazards - verifying and documenting utility mark out. Here are some tips to help you, the excavator, work safely and save your municipality money:
Upon arrival at the worksite, prior to beginning the excavation, an excavator should do the following:
Verify that the worksite matches the OKIE811 one-call request and is timely
Verify that all facilities have been marked and review the color codes if in doubt
Verify all service feeds from buildings and homes near the worksite
Check for any visible signs of underground facilities, such as pedestals, risers, meters and new trench lines
Check for any facilities that are not members of the one call center and contact someone to get them located
It is important for excavators and locators to document the location of markings before excavation work begins. The primary purpose of this best practice is to avoid unnecessary litigation and expensive legal fees for all parties involved. Additionally, documenting marks is an excellent idea, as marks will be covered by spoils or degraded by weather and construction equipment and there could be, if not caught during the mark-out verification process, mismarked utilities. In most situations when underground facilities are not properly marked, excavators have no way of knowing where underground utilities are located. If located markings are adequately documented through the use of photographs, video, or sketches before excavation work begins, it is easier to resolve disputes if an underground facility is damaged as a result of improper marking, failure to mark, or markings that have been moved, removed, or covered. Make sure to capture documentation (measurements) of marks in relation to permanent landmarks like large rocks, utility poles, pedestals, gates, fences and buildings.
