Risk communications expert Peter Sandman shares his thoughts
September 1, 2016
World-renowned risk communications expert Peter Sandman offered ISHN these thoughts on the April 22, 2010, BP exploration oil well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico that killed 11 crew men and leaked millions of gallons of oil into the Gulf.
The identity of each chemical, and all relevant information concerning the potential hazards of each material, must be clearly posted, and employees who work with workplace chemicals must be trained to interpret chemical labels
I started my career as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State University working with the state’s furniture and textile industries as they were trying to comply with a new law, the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
All over America and across greater Houston, capital of the nation's petrochemical industry, hundreds of chemicals pose serious threats to public safety at facilities that may be unknown to most neighbors and are largely unpoliced by government at all levels, a yearlong Houston Chronicle (http://bit.ly/1VSg45P) investigation reveals.
Step 1 – Pre-Job Planning.
As Steven Covey said, begin with the end in mind. If you want your project to end safely, create solid safety specifications for any contractor that walks into the door, rather than leaving it to chance.
Previous editions of NFPA 70E required an arc flash hazard analysis. The 2015 edition now requires an arc flash risk assessment to determine if an arc flash hazard exists.
Use this checklist as a guide to avoid common mistakes that can sabotage your analysis before it even starts. The entire project will be performed under the supervision of a licensed Professional Engineer (PE).
An Incident Energy Analysis is the foundation upon which an accurate Risk Assessment is built. Once you have the Incident Energy Analysis you can complete your Risk Assessment and provide proper PPE and work practices for your workers.
