The following provides general recommendations for controlling workers' compensation exposures typically associated with trucking company workers. [ Workers' Compensation Exposure Assessment ]
Management Commitment
In analyzing the level of safety for any organization, consideration should be given to management's concern and actions in establishing safe work procedures, as well as workers' involvement in creating a safe work environment. Management commitment to creating a safe work environment is essential to controlling injuries and illnesses. If possible, a single individual responsible for safety should be designated and this individual should report to the president or owner of the company. Commitment by senior management can be recognized not only by an allocation of funds for safety equipment and training, but by senior management actions on a daily basis.
Establish Safe-Work Procedures - Management and workers should be aware that the cost of accidents has a direct influence on the cost of operating the business. Management can take many actions that will directly impact the level of safety and reduce accidents. First is a positive, no-nonsense demand that workers use established safe-work procedures. Management must insist on strict adherence to safety protocols and the use of approved personal protective equipment (PPE). Management also should lead by example and perform all tasks in a safe manner.
Written Safety Program - The organization should have a written safety program to help stress the seriousness of working safely and to help identify all the exposures that need to be addressed. Outlining the expected safe work procedures will aid in on-the-job training and set a foundation for unsupervised work. Management should provide initial and continuous safety training.
Communication - All workers should have a clear understanding of management's attitude toward safety. They should have and use the proper safety equipment and PPE for the task at hand. Workers should be responsible for inspecting their PPE each day. Workers who have a voice in the selection of PPE will generally be more receptive to its use. Workers should not take shortcuts or guess at the proper method to accomplish a task. Instead, workers should know they can count on management to help them when difficult situations arise, and that they will be rewarded for safe acts.
Worker Training
Hazard Communication Training - A formal Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Hazard Communication Program should be established to control the handling of hazardous chemicals. The program should include written procedures, hazardous materials inventory, material safety data sheets (MSDS), worker training, and container labeling.
For additional information, see Occupational Safety Report OS-20-12 , Hazard Communication, or go to the following OSHA Web page: OSHA Hazard Communication .
Powered Industrial Truck Training - Only trained and authorized workers should be allowed to operate powered industrial trucks, as required by the revised OSHA Standard 29 CFR 1910.178, Powered Industrial Trucks . Training should include classroom lecture, visual aids, hands-on driving skills evaluation, equipment-specific training, and should be documented with certificates of completion.
Powered ndustrial truck operators should know how to inspect, drive, load, park, and refuel their vehicles properly. Prior to operation, drivers should use a written checklist to assess the condition of their equipment. Workers should be taught how to check gauges, warning lights, horns, motion alarms, forks, fork retainer pins, locks, tire pressure, and steering and brake functions.
For additional information, click on the following OSHA Web site link: OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks .
Lockout/Tagout Training - The company should comply with all training requirements in OSHA Standard 1910.147, The Control of Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout) . Additional information can be found on the OSHA Web site at the following link: OSHA Lockout/Tagout .
Operational Exposures - Strain Prevention
Management should have a strain prevention program that outlines the procedures for the safe use of equipment, provides criteria for two-person lifts, and reinforces the need for storing manually-moved, heavy objects at waist level. Much of the success in preventing strain injuries can be attributed to understanding the exposure. Workers can help to prevent a back injury or strain by reducing bending and twisting, and getting help with heavy loads. Manual materials handling equipment should be sized for the task and the user. Additionally, management should know which workers have back problems and ensure they are lifting safely, such as by using a buddy system. Workers with known back conditions and those who develop back problems while employed should be assigned duties that will not exacerbate their conditions. Finally, the best prevention technique to control strain injuries is recognition by the individual of the hazard and then taking the appropriate action. There should be no stigma attached with asking for help.
Operational Exposures - Fall Prevention
Climbing - Workers need to be vigilant when climbing and descending stairs, climbing in and out of trucks, and while using ladders or step stools, to ensure they are free from slippery conditions.
Walking Surface - When pulling or pushing carts or lifting equipment, workers should analyze the path to the destination and take appropriate actions. Conditions that could cause a fall should be corrected or by-passed.
Management should consider the following to reduce worker exposure to slips and falls: (1) require workers to wear shoes with slip-resistant soles; (2) have workers clean up liquid spills as quickly as possible; (3) coat building steps with a non-slip material; (4) keep walkways and parking areas clear and unobstructed from debris, snow, and ice; (5) provide adequate lighting indoors and outdoors, including on walkways and in parking areas; and (6) inspect and properly maintain all portable ladders and step-stools.
A standard safety railing should be provided for all open-sided floors or platforms (e.g., storage lofts, balconies, etc.) that are 4 ft (1.2 m) or more above the adjacent floor or ground level. A toeboard also should be provided with the safety railing wherever people walk beneath. Permanent aisles should be appropriately marked to indicate access areas.
The biggest reason to put a priority on dock safety is not so much related to the frequency of accidents in dock areas as it is to the potential severity of injuries that can occur in these types of accidents. Injuries sustained when lift trucks tip over or fall from docks, or those that occur when pedestrians are impacted by a lift truck, falling load, or tractor-trailer, tend to be very serious and sometimes fatal. Prevention of these types of accidents can be achieved through proper equipment, proper training, and enforcement of safe operating procedures.
Operational Exposures - Machines |
Lockout/Tagout - The generally accepted means to minimize the potential for inadvertent activation of machinery is to ensure that all power to the machine or equipment is isolated, locked or blocked, and dissipated at points of control. This should be accomplished using a method that cannot readily be removed, bypassed, overridden, or otherwise defeated. In the case of an electrically-operated machine, equipment, or process, this can be done by shutting off the main switch or by disconnecting the power cord. In the case of electrical circuits, grounding might be necessary to discharge stored hazardous energy. Hydraulic or pneumatic systems might necessitate the use of bleed valves to relieve the pressure. Mechanical parts may require blocking or pinning.
This lockout action must be followed by the placement of some safeguard to prevent the re-energization of the circuit during servicing. To ensure that another worker will not attempt to restart the machine or equipment, or re-energize the circuit, there must be some assurance that all other workers know that the circuit is de-energized and must remain so. This can be accomplished by the use of standardized lockout/tagout procedures and training of all workers to familiarize them with the procedures.
Problems with turning on and off machines or equipment can be reduced by the development and implementation of standardized operating procedures for servicing and maintenance operations. Such a procedure should identify the necessary steps to be taken before, during, and after servicing of equipment, and should provide workers with an understanding of the procedure itself. A standardized procedure can provide the details to be followed in safely performing servicing operations, together with the training needed to assure that workers understand and follow the procedures.
The OSHA standard for the control of hazardous energy (Lockout/Tagout) requires employers to develop an energy control program. The program should consist of procedures for shutting off and disabling machines and equipment whenever maintenance or servicing is performed. The program also requires worker training and follow-up to assure that procedures are being followed. A written Lockout/Tagout program need not be complicated or detailed.
According to OSHA regulations, the employer must provide training to ensure that the purpose and function of the energy control program are understood by workers and that the knowledge and skills required for the safe application, usage, and removal of energy controls are acquired by workers. Each authorized worker must receive training in the recognition of hazardous energy sources, the type and magnitude of the energy available in the workplace; and the method and means necessary for energy isolation and control.
Each affected worker must also be instructed in the purpose and use of the energy control procedure. All other workers whose work operations are, or may be, in an area where energy control procedures are used, should receive lockout/tagout training. This instruction should cover the procedure and the prohibition to restart or re-energize machines or equipment that are locked out or tagged. When tagout systems are used, workers should also to be trained in the following limitations of tags: (1) tags are essentially warning only devices affixed to energy isolating devices and do not provide the physical restraint on those devices as provided by locks; (2) when a tag is attached to an energy isolating means, it is not to be removed without authorization of the person responsible for the tag, and it is never to be bypassed, ignored, or otherwise defeated; (3) tags must be legible and understandable by all authorized workers, affected workers, and other workers whose work operations are, or may be, in the area; (4) tags and their means of attachment must be made of materials that will withstand the environmental conditions encountered in the workplace; (5) tags may evoke a false sense of security, and their meaning needs to be understood as part of the overall energy control program; and (6) tags must be securely attached to energy isolating devices so that they cannot be inadvertently or accidentally detached.
Retraining should be provided to workers whenever there is a change in job assignments, a change in machines, equipment, or processes that presents a new hazard, or a change in the energy control procedures. Additional retraining should be conducted whenever a periodic inspection reveals problems in the worker's knowledge or use of energy control procedures. Records should be kept of all training and retraining. The certification should contain each worker's name and dates of training.
Machine Hazard Recommendations - The following recommendations concerning workers and machinery should be considered: (1) prohibit workers from wearing loose clothing, dangling jewelry, and long hair that is not tied back; (2) lock and tagout each machine before any service or maintenance is performed; (3) ensure each machine operator is fully trained on how to use that machine and stop it; (4) require an experienced worker to supervise each new employee until the new worker has reached a specified level of understanding of the machine and potential problems and solutions; (5) require workers to wear the appropriate PPE for the machine they are operating; (6) provide adequate ventilation to dissipate both heat and chemical fumes; and (7) train workers on the proper use of air hoses and the hazards inherent in compressed air operations.
Operational Exposures - Conveyors and Cranes
Cranes - Overhead cranes may be used to move certain commodities. If present, owners and operators should be familiar with the OSHA Standard 1910.179, Overhead and Gantry Cranes, which can be found at the following link: OSHA Overhead Cranes .
Conveyors - Conveyors are common materials handling equipment used in loading trucks and possess unique safety concerns. Safety controls for conveyors include, but are not limited to, the following: (1) routine inspections and preventative maintenance should be performed on all conveyors;(2) conveyors found to be in need of repair should be removed from service until restored to a safe operating condition; (3) on/off buttons should be color coded for easy accessibility located at the front and back ends of the conveyor; (4) emergency controls should be available at various intervals along the conveyor and should be clearly identified; (5) protective guarding on the sides or under the conveyor should be installed to prevent materials from falling in areas where workers may walk; (6) safety guards should be provided for all gear assemblies, chain and sprocket drives, v-belt and pulley drives, and all other pinch points;(7) safety guards should be color coded yellow to increase awareness; and (8) signage and alarms/lights should be provided to alert workers when the conveyor system starts and stops.
Operational Exposures - Powered Industrial Trucks
General - Powered industrial trucks, such as forklifts, may be used to move various materials around the facility. Improper use of powered industrial trucks could result in injuries to the operator or other workers from falling loads or by overturning. The rated load capacity should be clearly marked on all trucks and operators should never exceed the rated load.
Electric trucks should be used, where possible. If gasoline or propane units are used, all refueling operations should be adequately ventilated or the refueling should be conducted outdoors. Trucks should be configured with overhead protective bars or caging around the operator's seat. When trucks are left unattended, control levers should be placed in neutral, emergency brakes set, and power cut. If the lift is parked on an incline, chocks should be placed in front of or behind wheels to prevent rolling.
Fumes - Carbon monoxide fumes emitted by powered industrial trucks should be monitored and controlled; battery-powered trucks should be used, whenever possible. If this is not feasible, fossil fuel-powered trucks should be properly tuned-up and, if applicable, catalytic converters added to reduce carbon monoxide emissions from internal combustion engines. In addition, in closed environments, carbon monoxide alarms should be installed and air quality testing should be provided on a routine basis. Operators exposed to diesel exhaust in the work environment may also be at risk for health problems. The composition of diesel exhaust varies depending on engine type, operating conditions, lubricating oil, and whether an emissions control system is present. Diesel exhaust can cause eye irritation and respiratory problems, and has the potential to cause cancer. It should be noted that there is no OSHA standard for diesel exhaust.
Back-Up Controls - Back-up alarms should be installed on powered industrial trucks to help prevent struck-by or caught-between injuries. In noisy locations, flashing lights should be installed in place of alarms. Trucks should be equipped with convex or panoramic rear-view mirrors to provide operators the best view possible.
Operator Protection - Forklift trucks should be provided with an overhead guard to protect the operator from falling materials. They should also be provided with a load backrest extension to support the load being lifted.
Maintenance - Routine inspections and preventative maintenance should be performed on all powered industrial trucks. Trucks found to be in need of repair should be removed from service until restored to a safe operating condition.
Battery Charging - Battery-charging areas should be provided with local exhaust ventilation. Smoking should be prohibited in battery-charging areas. Strong acids (such as sulfuric acid) are used in batteries. To prevent injury, workers should wear protective clothing - such as rubber boots, a rubber apron, chemical goggles, face shields, and rubber gloves - to guard against chemical splashes and burns. When charging batteries, acid should be poured into water; water should not be poured into acid. (this may result in an explosion). Battery-charging and chemical-handling areas should be provided with emergency eyewash facilities and safety showers capable of providing at least a 15-minute flush of running water.
For additional information, see Occupational Safety Report OS-70-12 , Emergency Eyewash Facilities and Safety Showers.
Loading Docks - The loading dock area is very likely to be the most hazardous part of a company's operation when the combinations of hazards and activities that occur in this area are considered. For the lift truck operator, ramps and inclines, overhead obstructions, dissimilar surfaces that are often wet and slippery, poor lighting in trailers, other vehicular traffic, pedestrian traffic, restricted views, sheer drops, trailer creep, congested staging areas, and accumulations of empty containers, pallets, and debris are hazards that can all be present at the same time within a very confined area. While OSHA does require training of lift truck operators on these types of hazards, many operations fail in providing detailed hazard assessment, operational procedures, and day-to-day enforcement of safety issues. In addition, those employees that do not operate lift trucks are rarely trained on dock safety issues even though they share many of the same risks as the lift truck operators.
OSHA regulations require the use of wheel chocks or other vehicle-restraining devices when loading and unloading trucks and trailers. Depending on the surface conditions and type of chock being used chocks can sometimes slip thus reducing their effectiveness in preventing trailer movement. Also, requiring people to walk in between trailers to set and remove the wheel chocks creates additional safety issues. Companies should consider chaining wheel chocks to the outside of their dock and putting up signs reminding the drivers to use them. A better approach may be to require the lift truck operators to verify the chocks are in place. Many dock designs do not provide visibility to the trailer wheels from inside the building. Windows, mirrors and cameras can resolve this. Also consider keeping spare chocks on hand as chocks are often casualties of theft and snowplowing operations.
There are a great variety of alternative vehicle restraint systems available. One of the most popular is the ICC bar type restraint system. These systems incorporate a device that engages the ICC bar (rear impact guard) on the rear of the trailer preventing it from moving away from the dock. However, the ICC bar system may not work with damaged ICC bars, lift gates, and low-boy trailers.
Dock levelers provide a bridge to the trailer as well as a ramp to facilitate the transition in height from dock to trailer. Dock levelers are rated by weight capacity and by the service range (available height change above and below the dock). Dock levelers come in mechanical and hydraulic models. The mechanical models require the operator to pull a chain and then walk down on the leveler to engage it, while hydraulic models provide automatic functionality from push buttons usually mounted on the wall next to the dock door.
Mechanical levelers use a mechanical safety mechanism to prevent the dock from bottoming out if it disengages from the trailer floor, the side-effect of this safety mechanism is that when you enter a trailer with a soft suspension the main portion of the leveler will not always drop with the suspension, leaving only the hinged lip to make up for the height differential. Hydraulic levelers incorporate a hydraulic velocity fuse as a safety mechanism, this allows for full functionality of the leveler as the trailer height changes.
The advantages in using automatic dock equipment with electronic controls include the ability to incorporate all of the equipment into signaling devices. Signaling devices such as signal lights will let the lift truck operators know that the restraint mechanism and the dock leveler are properly engaged signaling that it is now safe to enter the trailer, while at the same time signaling the truck driver that it is unsafe to pull away from the dock.
Operational Exposures - Noise
A program should be implemented to evaluate and control workplace noise levels. If noise levels cannot be reduced by engineering controls, PPE should provided for workers exposed to excessive noise levels.
In a plant with hard materials on the ceiling, walls, and floor, almost all the sound that strikes these surfaces is reflected. The sound level goes down as distance from the source increases, but, after a certain point, it decays very slowly and remains virtually unchanged. A better sound environment can be obtained by covering the ceiling and walls with sound-absorbing material.
Sources of noise exist throughout the environment. One type, referred to as "broadband noise," is caused by turbulence that tends to distribute its energy evenly across the frequency bands. Examples of broadband noise are the low frequency sounds of jet planes or the impulse noise of an explosion. Another type of environmental noise, called "narrow band noise," concentrates most of its sound energy at specific frequencies. When the noise source is a rotating or repetitive machine, the noise is periodic and predictable. This "tonal noise" is generated by man-made machinery, including internal combustion engines, compressors, vacuum pumps, rotating machines, and power transformers.
Currently available hearing protection products are passive devices that are intended to prevent noise from entering the ear. Examples include earplugs that are inserted directly into the ear canals, and ear muffs that are placed over the ears. These passive devices are effective against the mid and high frequencies, but ineffective against the low frequency noise that is prevalent in virtually every industrial environment.
The measure of effectiveness for passive hearing protectors, the Noise Reduction Rating (NRR), has been criticized as overstating the level of noise protection a worker receives. Extensive research shows that, on average, ear plugs yield only 25 percent of their rated values and earmuffs yield only 60 percent of their rated values in the field. This is due to human error, such as the improper insertion of earplugs, as well as wear and tear on the clamping force and ear seals of earmuffs.
Even with optimally performing passive hearing protectors, low frequency noise permeates and reaches the ears. The most complete hearing protection device currently available to workers is an earmuff that combines active and passive noise control methods with a general appearance similar to a standard passive earmuff. However, active electronics are contained within the earcups of this earmuff and provide as much as 20 dB of noise reduction in the 30- to 500-Hz frequency range.
Operational Exposures - Hazardous Substances
PPE - Occupational injuries and illnesses can be caused by exposure to harmful substances or the environment. Management should conduct a hazard assessment to determine what PPE should be worn. PPE, such as hard hats, safety shoes, gloves, boots, aprons, face shields, goggles, hearing protection, respirators, etc., may be necessary to prevent worker injury. In addition, workers should be trained on the proper selection, use, and maintenance of PPE.
For additional information, see Occupational Safety Report OS-70-02 , Personal Protective Equipment , and OS-70-11 , Occupational Eye and Face Protection .
Other Factors - Other factors that should be considered for protecting workers from hazardous chemicals include: (1) provide spill clean-up kits in accessible locations; (2) develop and implement written spill control plans; (3) store chemicals in areas that are not subject to physical damage; (4) do not store heavy loads on top of small, chemical-holding containers; and (5) provide proper PPE for each chemical used.
Dermatitis - There are four types of skin problems that may occur from contact with cement: (1) dry skin or irritation (mild ICD); (2) irritant contact dermatitis (ICD); (3) allergic contact dermatitis (ACD); or (4) caustic burns (alkaline burns). These skin problems may be mild and short-lived, or severe, persistent, and disabling. Problems can happen after single or multiple exposures. Most of the literature indicates it is difficult, if not impossible, to predict which workers will be effected.
Protecting skin is not simply a matter of wearing gloves, since a significant percentage of such workers already wear gloves. To be effective, glove wearing must go hand-in-hand with proper hygiene. Hygienic practices and use of the correct gloves will prevent contact with cement. Glove wear without good hygiene is no more protective than no gloves at all and may, in fact, make problems worse.
The following are recommendations to control worker exposure to cement: (1) wash hands and arms with pH-neutral or moderately acidic soaps; (2) launder work clothes separately and run washer empty after work clothes load; (3) prohibit cleaning with abrasive or solvent-containing products; (4) wash hands before putting on gloves; (5) wear long sleeve shirts with cuffs tucked into gloves; and (6) select proper gloves and consider using a glove liner.
Hazardous Materials Transportation - The Federal hazardous materials transportation law (49 U.S.C. § 5101 et seq.), is the basic statute regulating the transportation of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) in the U. S. This law requires the training of ALL HAZMAT employees. The purpose is to increase a HAZMAT employee's safety awareness and be an essential element in reducing hazmat incidents. The Hazardous Materials regulations (HMR) include training requirements in several sections of Title 49 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR).
A "HAZMAT EMPLOYEE" is defined as a person who is employed by a HAZMAT employer and directly affects HAZMAT transportation safety. This includes an owner-operator of a motor vehicle that transports hazmat; a person (including a self-employed person) who: (1)loads, unloads, or handles HAZMAT; (2) tests, reconditions, repairs, modifies, marks, or otherwise represents packagings as qualified for use in the transportation of HAZMAT; (3) prepares HAZMAT for transportation; (4) is responsible for safety of transporting HAZMAT; or (5) operates a vehicle used to transport HAZMAT.
OSHA has limited jurisdiction of over-the-road vehicle operation. In the instance of spills occurring while the material is on the vehicle or otherwise "in transportation," OSHA's HAZWOPER Standard does not cover the operator per se. It does, however, cover emergency response personnel who respond to the incident. If the operator of the vehicle becomes actively involved in an emergency response, then he/she is considered an emergency responder and is covered by OSHA standard 1910.120(q), Emergency Response Program to Hazardous Substance Releases .
[ Exposure Abstract ]
Source: ISO Services Properties, Inc.