Facility Safety

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A 45-year-old worker lost part of three fingers when his left hand caught in a table saw at a Cordova company that fabricates reusable shipping containers. Doctors reattached the fingers, but had to amputate the tip of his left middle finger. The employee has been unable to return to work.

Workers who erect and maintain wind turbines can be exposed to fall hazards. Wind turbines vary in height, but can be over 100 feet tall. Exposure to high winds may make work at high elevations even more hazardous. OSHA has different fall protection requirements for construction (installation of towers) and general industry (maintenance).

Solar panels can be dangerous in an emergency, according to WWLP TV, Springfield, MA. As installing solar panels to generate power becomes more common, fire departments are faced with new challenges.

Solar is a growing sector for green energy and green jobs. Various worker health and safety hazards exist in the manufacture, installation, and maintenance of solar energy. Employers working in the solar energy business need to protect their workers from workplace hazards and workers need to understand how to protect themselves from hazards.

NFPA 850 is the National Fire Protection Association’s recommended practice for protection of electric generating plants and high-voltage direct current converter stations. Chapter 10 identifies hazards and protections for wind-power facilities.

Fire poses one of the greatest risks to nuclear power safety. The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) estimates that the risk of reactor meltdown due to fire is about 50 percent—roughly equal to all other risk factors combined.

Annually, 75 to 80 workers die from fatal injuries in the electric utility industry. A large number of these deaths are due to electrical contact. Many incidents leading to serious and fatal injuries could have been avoided by conducting pre-job briefings, using personal protective equipment cradle-to-cradle and ground-to-ground, using equipotential grounding, and wearing sleeves with high-voltage rubber gloves.

NFPA Journal, the official publication of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), turns up the heat on school lab safety in its September/October cover story, Hey Kids, Watch This.

Innovative lighting solutions, safety light curtains and respiratory protection were among the top occupational safety and facility safety products featured on ISHN.com this week.

Aviation accidents, workplace violence and the U.S. prescription drug epidemic were among the top stories of the week posted on ISHN.com last week.