Means of Egress…It sounds pretty straight and forward, but what does it really mean? How easy is it to locate a means of egress when seconds count? How effective are your means of egress? Are your means of egress up to code? These are just some questions to ask yourself about emergency exits, or your “means of egress”. If you are in charge or will be held accountable for emergency plans, you should be able to answer these questions about your entire facility.

Every workplace must have enough exits suitably located to enable everyone to get out of the facility quickly. Considerations include the type of structure, the number of persons exposed, the fire protection available, the type of industry involved, and the height and type of construction of the building or structure. In addition, fire doors must not be blocked or locked when employees are inside. Delayed opening of fire doors, however, is permitted when an approved alarm system is integrated into the fire door design. Exit routes from buildings must be free of obstructions and properly marked with exit signs. The standard 29 CFR 1910.36 Design and Construction requirements for exit routes consists of several requirements:

• Every exit must be clearly visible, or the path to it conspicuously identified in such a manner that every occupant of the building will know the best way to get out of the building in a fire or other emergency.
• Exits must never be obstructed. Any door or passageway that is not an exit or path to an exit must be identified with a sign that reads ‘Not An Exit‘ or a sign that indicates its actual use, such as storage.
• All exit signs must either be self-illuminating, or illuminated by a reliable external light source

For more information regarding 29 CFR 1910.36, visit osha.gov. Remember, there are more than just signs needed for as proper “means of egress” ; fire extinguishers, safety vests, flashlights, evacuation maps just to name a few. Check out Seton’s new virtual tour online for Emergency Evacuation.  This tool demonstrates an integrated emergency evacuation plan from the top to bottom of your building. Be confident that your employees are equipped with the right Seton products to keep them safe during blackout/emergency evacuations.

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1. Wear seat belts – They help protect you not only from traveling at high rate of speeds to the site, but also in the equipment, protecting you inside from rollovers.

2. Avoid slips and falls – Proper housekeeping is the way to avoid these mishaps. Be sure to pick up any loose materials and put smaller equipment, such as shovels or tampers back in their storage areas.

3. Properly enter and exit machinery – This is a 3 step process:

1. Face the equipment and use the access system provided by the manufacturer
2. Make sure contact areas are clear, steps and handrails are secured and that landing areas are properly lit
3. Maintain 3 points of contact when mounting or dismounting – tow hands and one foot or one hand and two feet

4. Dress for protection – Proper footwear can prevent slipping and protect you from falling objects, shirt sleeves of a minimum of 4″ in length are recommend as well as gloves and long pants for extra coverage that can protect you from the sun, cuts and abrasions. Hard hats and safety glasses provide extra protection when you think you might not need it, error on the side of caution. As for hi-visibilty clothing, when working in a  high traffic area or in tight spaces, this may be appropriate to let other crew members as well as passers by know exactly where you are located.

5. Establish a safety procedure on your work site – Regular training and weekly safety updates make a good practice for a safer work site.

6. Make safe attachment changes – As these vary by the tool being used, it is imperative to understand each tool’s limit as far as weight capacity, warning label indicators and  lift restrictions.

7. Conduct walk-around inspections – Taking only a few minutes of your time, this can prove to be invaluable. Carefully inspect all machinery before operation (most machines come with a Operations and Maintenance Manual or OMM which should always be kept with the machine itself) and if something seems wrong or slightly off, don’t hesitate – shut it down. Be very diligent in looking for cuts, leaks, rubbings, cracks or signs of wear.

8. Keep machinery clean – Clean and clear steps, windows and controls allow for a safer use of the machine and can reduce the potential for accidents.

9. Make a commitment to operator training – Train new operators before setting them in place. “Practice makes perfect,” right? So practice it.

10. Secure loads properly – Once again, the OMM will provide you with proper lifting, transporting and load capacities. Do not over-exceed these limits as these are what the manufacture states the machine is capable of handling.

No matter what type of landscaping or construction you perform, Seton has the supplies to keep you safe and compliant.

Safety tips were provided by Greg Sitek, courtesy of Caterpillar Inc. Visit their site for more information.

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Back in April, we notified you that the new EPA Lead Certification was in effect as of April 22, 2010  and of the new requirements it meant for contractors. Click here to see the Seton blog that notified you.

Now, due to unforeseen issues, such as the long processing time for applications and the difficulty people are encountering when trying to obtain the necessary renovator training, the EPA has lifted its April 22, 2010 deadline for certification as follows:

• Renovation Firms: The EPA will not enforce against renovation firms for violations of the certification requirement until October 1, 2010.
• Individual Renovators: The EPA will not enforce against individual renovators if the person has applied to enroll in, or has enrolled in, a certified renovator training class by September 30, 2010. Renovators must complete the training by December 31, 2010

This leniency in the certification deadline does not, however, mean that this certification is no longer needed. You must apply and enroll in the proper training by the new deadlines in order to still be considered in compliance.

So if you are one of those contractors having trouble obtaining the certification or training, relax, there are others like you and the EPA has listened and they are working to solve the issues.

If you would like to read more on the EPA’s lift on the Lead Certification deadline, please go here.

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The ENERGY STAR Challenge is a national call-to-action to improve the energy efficiency of America’s commercial and industrial buildings by 10 percent or more.  The Challenge for Industry recognizes industrial sites that improve their energy efficiency by 10% within 5 years.

Who Can Take the Challenge for Industry?

Any manufacturing site can take the Challenge for Industry. However, to receive EPA recognition, you need to be an ENERGY STAR partner.  Not an ENERGY STAR partner?

Join today!

Why Take the Challenge for Industry?

Be part of the solution by reducing greenhouse gases caused by energy use.  Companies and sites that step up to the Challenge:

• Demonstrate their commitment to protecting the environment by pledging to improve energy performance with ENERGY STAR
• Leverage the most recognized name in energy efficiency to motivate sites
• Utilize ENERGY STAR resources and communication tools
• Create momentum for energy initiatives by establishing a public goal
• Establish energy management practices for tracking and benchmarking energy performance that will help drive results.

Sites that achieve a 10 percent reduction in energy intensity within 5 years and whose parent company is an ENERGY STAR partner are recognized by the US EPA for their commitment to protecting the environment by fighting global climate change. The site earns:

• Official framed certificate from EPA’s ENERGY STAR program documenting savings
• A profile on the ENERGY STAR web site
• Letters from EPA to the company’s CEO and to the site’s US Senators and Congressional Representatives highlighting their accomplishments
• Materials for communicating the site’s ENERGY STAR Challenge achievement to employees, stakeholders, customers, and others

For more information on how your company can participate in the Energy Star challenge, visit the Energy Star site here.

Source: http://www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?c=industry_challenge.industry_challenge

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The company Clark Forklift invented the original forklift in 1917 and for over 90 years these powerful machines have allowed us to reach and move things we wouldn’t otherwise be able to. Powered by gasoline and electricity these modern workhorses have been a staple in the warehouse and beyond, but things they are a changing.

Credit: Jennifer Kurtz

An article posted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) states that “Hydrogen fuel cells are much newer…with the goal of one day providing clean, safe renewable energy to the nation’s and the world’s transportation fleet….In warehouses across the nation, hydrogen fuel cells are being tested in forklifts, to see how the emerging technology fares compared to conventional batteries in cost, performance and safety.”

To read more about how Hydrogen fuel meets the modern day Forklift visit the NREL website.

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Tags are an important way to communicate certain information to your employees. Whether you color code or need a durable tag for a harsh environment there are a variety of tags to meet your businesses needs. There are also a variety of tag fasteners each serving a different purpose.

Here are the different fasteners to consider when choosing your tag:

Cotton String Ties - attach tags to equipment quickly and efficiently

Elastic Knotted String Ties - tie on easily and they don’t have to be attached so they can be reused again

Release Style Nylon Ties - a more durable tie  that can be reused

Steel Wire Ties – Great for harsh conditions and will securely hold your tag in place

Snap Hook Loop Ties – Tougher than wire and easily squeezes open to attach

#6 Beaded Chain Ties - extremely flexible for easy attachment and perfect for use in extreme temperatures

Nylon Ties – are non-conductive as well as strong and economical

Colored Lock Style Nylon Ties - ideal for color coding and lock with out any tools

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So when you think of milk you tend to think of a delicious satisfying cool-down drink that nicely compliments a very rich piece of cake or a handful of cookies right? Yeah me too. But not the EPA. Yes, I said the EPA. I know your wondering how do milk and EPA fall into the same sentence? I’ll tell you how.

While this oil spill in the gulf is not horrific enough, it appears that the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) under the Clean Water Act, apparently intends to classify milk as a hazard to the waters of the United States and add tremendous compliance costs and regulatory burdens. To some, okay many, especially farmers, this goes way beyond the focus of the Clean Water Act. Since when did the spillage of milk cause thousands of fish to die, much like the oil in the gulf is right now?

In addition to the Clean Water Act is a separate program called the Oil Spill Prevention, Control and Countermeasure Program. According to the EPA, “The goal of the SPCC program is to prevent oil spills into waters of the United States and adjoining shorelines.” According to this program, a farm would be covered by the SPCC if the farm:

Stores, transfers, uses, or consumes oil or oil products, such as diesel fuel, gasoline, lube oil, hydraulic oil, adjuvant oil, crop oil, vegetable oil, or animal fat

Could reasonably be expected to discharge oil into waters of the US or adjoining shorelines, such as interstate waters, intrastate lakes, rivers, and streams

Stores more than 1,320 US gallons in above ground containers or more than 42,000 US gallons in completely buried containers

So what exactly has farmers crying over spilled milk? The EPA is loosely defining now, milk as an oil. How you ask? Because if you look at the first criteria of this SPCC coverage, it included the storage of animal fat, and what is in all milk? You got it.  “Milk typically contains a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil,” the EPA rule says. “Thus, containers storing milk are subject to the SPCC rule when they meet the applicability criteria…”  So without a doubt, any substantial sized farmer would definitely store more than 1,320 gallons of milk on their property making them subject to the laws & regulations of the SPCC rule.

But have faith, the farmers are not taking this sitting down. They are currently preparing their own 20-page appeal in regards to milk being classified as an oil.  As the oil from the BP spill continues to pollute and kill thousands of wildlife and ruin thousands of miles of beaches in the South, so to does the farmers war against the EPA in this ruling.

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The evolution of ergonomics.

In a recent survey, 40% of construction workers said “working while hurt” is a major problem. This no doubt reduces overall worker productivity. Continuing to work while hurt or impaired can lead to serve injuries and possibly end a career in construction.

Ergonomics is defined as the science of designing the job, equipment, and workplace to fit the worker. Proper ergonomic design is necessary to prevent repetitive strain injuries, which can develop over time and can lead to long-term disability. In addition to, when done properly, ergonomics can lead to a more productive, healthier happier workplace.

Ergonomic changes, generally, are not expensive and can be very simple. Types of ergonomic changes can include:

• Planning/Process Development: Plan the job to minimize manual handling of heavy materials, storing materials so they are accessible and easier to get to, even making sure that walkways are clear and even so carts and dollies can be easily employed
• Tools & Equipment: Using better, ergonomically-designed tools which may be lighter weight, require less force to operate or fit the hand better and are more comfortable to use
• Cooperation: Getting help when needed to handle heavy loads as well as organizing stretching programs before work begins each day
• Materials: Use lighter materials, such as lighter weight block
• Training: Training workers and foremen to identify ergonomic risk factors and common solutions

What ever your level of ergonomics is in your workplace, Seton can help you develop, integrate or enhance with our line of ergonomic products and training materials.

To read more on this topic, visit the Laborer’s Health and Safety Fund of North America.

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The National Safety Council 2010 Congress & Expo is just around the corner and will be held October 3-8 in beautiful San Diego, CA.

Last year over 10,000 gathered in Orlando for this event. The goal of this year’s event is to build upon the knowledge and partnerships created last year in order to continue to save lives by preventing injuries and deaths at work, in homes and communities, and on the roads.

To register or view the event schedule please visit: www.congress.nsc.org

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Think you misread, no you didn’t.

A hair salon in New Jersey is stepping up and helping out anyway they can by collecting and recycling hair clippings from their customers. Don’t think its true? It is, read more here.

The website that this salon owner found online, Matter of Trust, is an ecological organization that collects shampooed hair and nylons for oil absorption. All hair is able to be donated, including human, pet and even alpaca and llama fleece furs. Plus, you don’t have to be a business owner or farmer to support the cause.  Individuals and pet owners can send in their donations (hair or monetary) and know that it is making a difference. All donations are going towards the creation of booms that are being used all along the Gulf Coast.

Courtesy of Alabama Press Register

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