February/March 2020 Safety Topic of the Month: Eye Safety

Usually, I try to write these safety blogs based on issues I have witnessed over the span of my working career. This time, I am writing one to myself! I have to admit to not wearing safety glasses the other day while cleaning a carburetor. And of course, I managed to direct a stream of brake cleaner directly at my eye! If your asking why I used brake cleaner instead of carburetor cleaner - IT STING LESS WHEN IT GETS INTO YOUR EYE, HAHA! When I was starting out 20+ years ago, the same thing happened with carb cleaner, and that really stung! Of course being young, I did not own any safety eyewear, but I do now and still take it for granted (though I have been better at wearing when I REALLY need to). So, I am going to try to take my own advice going forward. 😉

When it comes to safety eyewear in the workplace, there are several options to choose from based on the specifics of the job at hand. As I am typing this, I am thinking of how in recent years I have seen (no pun intended) safety eyewear appear in professions that "traditionally" did not utilize eye protection: dentists/dental hygienists, police and emt's, to mention a few.

Safety eyewear should have an ANSI Z87+ rating or better. For a better explanation of this rating, check out this blog. Check your current safety eyewear to ensure that it meets this rating. Also, make sure that the coverage (face shield vs. glasses) is appropriate for the task at hand. For example, if you are using a grinder, a face shield AND safety glasses should be used together! Talk to your supervisor and/or safety officer and make sure the right protective equipment is available. Or if you are the only one in charge - evaluate all your options to get the best fit for the job.

Most important of all - SAFETY EYEWEAR DOES NOT WORK IF IT IS NOT USED!!!

(yep, talkin' to myself again!)

P.S. Here is an article from our friends at Green Guard on blue light from screens:
https://www.greenguard.com/march-is-workplace-eye-wellness-month-did-you-know/?fbclid=IwAR1isgPWoPMmIF0NLhzZHqn0-hcIDJY_RjXQ4gFHbfO5sSG99G5z74exGtw

Thanks,

Tom Kassen

January 2020 Safety Topic of the Month: Let there be light(s)

Happy New Year!!! I hope you had a wonderful holiday season!!!

As we are in the shortest daylight hours here in the western hemisphere, I felt that it would be a good time to focus on lighting from an equipment and facility perspective. Poor lighting, indoors and outdoors, is not only an inconvenience, it poses several safety and security issues that can be easily overlooked in the day to day operation of any facility:

• Lack of visibility: of coworkers, merchandise and equipment, fixtures, etc.
• Eye strain/general fatigue: squinting and maneuvering to see objects in the dark - consider having to repeat this constantly during a shift will lead to fatigue sooner, and that's when accidents happen.
• Risk to customers: dark/dim areas of a lot or warehouse that customers are not used to increase incidents of slips, trips, falls, etc.

Some possible solutions:
There are several newer lighting advances on the market, with more coming all the time. LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting solutions have come a long way in the last few years, and come in a variety of styles to accommodate nearly any lighting task. Also, the price points have come down a bit in some cases. If the upfront cost of an LED conversion seems daunting, consider the lifespan of LED's is up to 10 times more than that of the traditional incandescent bulb. In some cases, there may be a rebate available for a full conversion (check with your utility provider). Not directly light related, but a mirror in dark blind corners can help balance out a lack of light.

Install LED lights on your equipment. New equipment can come with LED lights standard or available as an option. Side note: if you are currently in the process of purchasing new equipment and want LED lights, ask for them to be equipped (before) purchase - it will cost more to upgrade after the fact. The benefits of LED lights on equipment: the lights are brighter ("stock" lights are still primarily incandescent) and require less power to operate, this is true of all LED's, which is a factor to consider for return on investment. 

Additional lighting: adding LED strip or rope lights to the underside or inside of cabinets or along staircases is easy to install, and an affordable solution to apply light directly to where it is needed. New configurations of lighting are available for a wide variety of applications.

Coming back to the shortest light days - additional lighting can also be a mood/morale booster for everyone at your facility!

December 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Happy Holidays

I do not have a specific topic for this month, just a suggestion: this may be a good time for you to perform a safety audit for your workplace. Take a little time to review the safety plan from this previous year and note what worked and what did not. Review changes and additions from the year, noting effectiveness, and in no time, you will have a fresh plan of attack for the new year! If this is your busy season, I encourage you to find the right time of year that works for you and your facility's schedule. Don't forget to look for new and innovative ways to improve your safety program!

 It will be a short month for me, as I will be closing for the whole two weeks surrounding the holidays (12/21/19 to 1/5/20), and hopefully finishing the bulk of our move in that time, Lord willing!!! If not, at least I'll have some time for packing, HaHa!!

Thank you all for your support and looking in on these little commentaries, I hope you are able to take some things away from these!

MERRY CHRISTMAS and HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!!!

Tom Kassen  

November 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Lock Out Tag Out

This Month, I want to briefly cover lock out tag out - briefly because most companies extensively cover this topic, with their own set of procedures and protocols.

For those who have not been so lucky to receive training in this area, I will outline the function and importance of lock out tag out in any situation to promote safety. Simply stated, lock out tag out is used to communicate hazardous and unsafe equipment by disabling said equipment and placing an obvious notice in the place where the equipment would be started/operated. There are several devices used to lock out equipment, for example:

• Hooks with provisions for padlocks - to prevent panels from being opened
• Breaker covers - lock electric circuit breakers into the off position
• Cord plug "boots" - lock into place to prevent damaged cords from being used

Typically, these are used in conjunction with warning tags. These tags have red stripes to be easily identified, they also have a portion for writing in the issue, the name of the person who placed the tag and the department they work in. Some of these tags have a tear away section to relay the same information to the maintenance department (if applicable), both portions have a matching number for identification.

Used together with procedures in place to do so, this system is very effective in keeping personnel safe. One thing that does seem to be understated - FILL OUT THE TAG CLEARLY AND COMPLETELY! AND COMMUNICATE VERBALLY WITH A SUPERVISOR AND THE MAINTENANCE DEPARTMENT THE ISSUE! This is where another safety issue arises - when a technician is assigned to perform repairs on a piece of equipment, all the technician has to go on is what is written on the tag out tag. Case in point, I had a forklift tagged out first thing in the morning. The tag was placed by a worker from the graveyard shift, with nothing written on the tag! The only clue was that the propane tank valve was turned off, which never happened unless there was a leak. Sure enough, carefully opened the valve slightly, and nearly missed getting sprayed by the leak in the hose!

For those of us who have had these procedures drilled into them over the years, it is easier to apply them at home. For those who have not, and those who do not apply them to the homefront - I would invite you (speaking to myself, also!) to apply the same procedures for safety, lock out tag out and all other safety procedures for that matter. Your employer does not expect you to do your job with unsafe equipment - why treat yourself any different?

October 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Cold Weather Preparation

As my housing transition is still in transition and consuming all of my "spare time" this will be brief, but I do want to post a friendly reminder about winter preparation, since we have skipped fall here!

The forecast is predicting a long winter season this year, and definitely seems to be holding true! There is no time to lose in making preparations this year, so I am throwing out pointers off the top of my head. Hopefully, you have a plan of action already in place for the season, if so, I would like to know what your plan is. Feel free to comment or contact me directly!

A few points to consider:

Personal/Personnel:

• Thermal underwear
• Thermal outerwear/thermal PPE
• Traction shoes or boots/or "traction cleats"
• knowledge of hypothermia symptoms and first aid procedures 

Workplace:

• Check snow/ice removal tools for proper working order
• Stock/restock ice melting chemicals
• Update/add "slick area" signage
• Establish and apply winter facility maintenance preparation plan, i.e. sprinkler system or irrigation hose blow out, clear snow pile areas/widen isles, etc., identify building repair projects and reorder if necessary.

Equipment:

• Check coolant level/mixture
• Check batteries: cable connections for corrosion/tightness, charging system and battery load test
• If equipped, clean cab heaters as best as possible for dirt and loose debris
• Check tire wear, check tire chains, check brake/park brake operation
• Check safety equipment: strobe lights, work lights, back up alarms etc.

Thank you,

Tom Kassen

tomkassen@mobilemachineryservice.com

September 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Be Safe Out There

As I am currently in the process of moving both home and home office, I do not have a topic this month. That stated, I will say always be alert and safety conscious!

Thank you for your support, and reading these blog posts. As always, I welcome a discussion on safety, or equipment related topics. I hope to have a new safety blog for October, and news on new developments with the business - stay tuned!

Thank you!

Tom Kassen

August 2019 Safety Topic of the Month: Safe Work Environment for Personnel & Machinery

This month, I want to focus on the importance of defining spaces for equipment and personnel in any workplace situation. (In my opinion), the majority of pedestrian/equipment accidents, and countless "near miss" situations occur due to lack of proper pedestrian only areas and equipment only areas - and lack of enforcement/discipline. And that is discipline of an individual to adhere to the rules of safety - not reprimand. The common items that I have seen overlooked:

• Lack of floor markings, signage, guard rails, mirrors, etc. to mark where pedestrian and equipment traffic are allowed.
• Lack of / defective safety equipment: horns, lights, reflectors, etc. and/or lack of use of these safety items.  

With the above in place, the most common overlooked issue is having a consistent traffic safety plan in place, reinforced with safety training meetings regularly, and establishing an environment where personnel work together to keep each other safe. If a change has to occur to an established zone - communicate it  immediately to all affected staff, and make sure to have them pass the information on to absent coworkers and post notices in places where all employees can see.

For those workplaces that are less than conventional: outside, close spaces, and those where customers, vendors, or even regular local traffic drive through the middle of the work area, extra care and planning will be necessary. A heightened level of awareness should be encouraged throughout your team. Also consider adding personal protective equipment (PPE) such as high visibility uniforms, coveralls, or vests. The addition of temporary to permanent traffic redirection devices - cones to "K-rails" may be necessary to facilitate traffic around the workflow. Weekly or even daily team safety meetings would go a long way to keep up the safety mindset.

All of this has funneled down to safety training, and the primary topic to teach is awareness. Constant surveillance of surroundings is imperative. Achieving eye contact with equipment operators before proceeding at an intersection, as well as the equipment operator keeping a vigilant eye out for pedestrians and potential hazards - and from here we scratch at the topic of operator training, which I will cover soon.

Proper signage and safety implements will create an atmosphere where safe practices will thrive - vigilant communication of the safety policy and procedures will help your team come together to keep the workplace as safe as possible-
so everyone goes home at the end of the day!

Tom Kassen

Note: As I wrote this, I realized that I may have made a vague reference to construction environments. As construction environments are not my area of experience, I did not intentionally cover specifics for construction in particular. My experience has been that construction crews have a very high standard and a zero tolerance for any lack of safety practices. I would really like to hear some insight into construction safety from anybody who has experience, thank you!