Equipment and Process Safety


Home \| Contact Us \| Free E-Zine \| Tell a Friend \| Search \| SUBSCRIBER LOGIN

Home | Equipment and Process

Equipment and Process Safety

Subtopics:

Hazardous Energy and Electricity
Machine Guarding
Material Handling
Specific Industries

Complete Topic List

Bulletin: Cal/OSHA shuts down farming operations for violations of heat illness prevention standard
September 2010
Cal/OSHA shuts down farming operations for violations of heat illness prevention standard. With many regions of the state experiencing . . . more »

Bulletin: OSHA issues new rule on crane and derricks in construction
September 2010
Federal OSHA has published its final rule addressing the use of cranes and derricks in construction. The new rule is designed to prevent the leading causes of . . . more »

Ergonomics: Back Injuries Cost California Farms More Than $22 Million Each Year; Prevent These Costly Injuries
September 2010
Life on the farm can mean back-breaking work for the workers who spend their days in the fields. Carrying heavy weights such as tools and produce, they work bent over, kneeling, reaching over plants, and twisting their wrists as they apply force. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: One Worker's Carelessness Causes Amputation of Another Worker's Leg; Employer Gets the Blame
September 2010
On Oct. 24, 2007, Mariano Valenzuela was cleaning floors in the receiving area at the E & J Gallo Winery in Modesto. He emptied the trash he collected into a 24-inch screw auger that was set into the floor and covered by a 30-inch-long, eight-inch-wide grate. . . . more »

Bulletin: OSHSB schedules hearing on proposed revisions to Construction Safety Orders
August 2010
The Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board has scheduled a public hearing in Sacramento on Aug. 19 on a proposed change to Section 1709 of the Construction Safety Orders. Section 1709 addresses the maximum allowable loads that can be placed on a . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: 'Green' Dry Cleaning Comes with Risks to Workers; How to Avoid Ergonomic, Chemical, and Burn Hazards
August 2010
It has been a tough summer for dry cleaners. In July, the next stage of California's environmentally motivated phase-out of perchloroethylene (PERC), a chemical used extensively by dry cleaners, went into effect. Dry cleaners must retire PERC-based machines once they reach the age of 15 years, and PERC use must be entirely phased out by 2023. . . . more »

Hazard Identification: Food for Thought; Food Production Facilities Find Themselves on High Hazard Industries List
August 2010
Although both working conditions and sanitation have improved since the days when Upton Sinclair detailed the horrors of Chicago's meatpacking industry in his 1906 novel The Jungle, food processing and manufacturing facilities still pose serious hazards to workers . . . more »

Best Practices: That's Entertainment? Addressing Common Hazards In the Entertainment Industry
August 2010
There was no audience in the MGM Grand's Hollywood Theater in Las Vegas on May 20, 2009; Tom Jones had recently finished his run. Stagehands were tearing down his set, some of them balancing precariously on a catwalk as they clipped their safety harnesses onto a horizontal lifeline and then crossed a 33-inch gap above a false ceiling on a narrow rigging plank with no guardrails. . . . more »

Online Exclusive: Sample Forklift Attachment and Modification Policy
July 2010
Adding attachments to or modifying the lifting apparatus on a forklift can create hazards if not done with care. Under this company's policy, the following must be done if any attachment is added to a forklift or modification made to the lifting apparatus: . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: Verifying Electrical Lockout/Tagout; Essential Tools And Procedures for Non-Electricians
July 2010
Here's a pop quiz: Who is in greater danger from electricity in the workplace, electricians or non-electricians? An analysis of electrocution deaths over a 10-year period by the Maryland-based Center for Construction Research and Training found that non-electricians were electrocuted at more than double the rate of electricians. . . . more »

Safety Management: Is There a 'Qualified Person' in the House? Part II: Miscellaneous 'Competent Person' Requirements
July 2010
In Part I of this series, COCA detailed the "qualified" and "competent" person requirements that apply to cranes and other hoisting equipment, powered platforms and equipment for building maintenance, and elevating work platforms and aerial devices. . . . more »

Bulletin: Online Exclusive: Checklist of Training Requirements for Employees with Fire-fighting or Fire-watch Duties in Ship Building, Ship Repair, and Ship Breaking Facilities
June 2010
With its vast coastlines and hundreds of docks and marinas, California is a home base for many companies in the ship building, ship repair, and ship breaking industry. Workers who have . . . more »

Forklifts: Modifications Can Cause Injury; How to Increase Utility Without Compromising Safety
June 2010
Modifying a forklift--by adding extra counterweights to increase its load capacity, different lifting apparatus to raise different kinds of loads, or platforms to allow the forklift to raise personnel--can increase its usefulness but can also create deadly situations. If you modify a forklift in any way, make sure you address the issue of safety first. . . . more »

Trainer's Handbook: Building, Repairing, and Recycling Ships; Keep Shoreside Operations 'Safe for Workers'
June 2010
With the state boasting 1,100 miles of coastline and hundreds of harbors and marinas, California's busy seaports, including its ship and boat building industry, form a vital part of the state's economy. . . . more »

Safety Management: Is There a Qualified Person in the House? Part I: 'Competent' and 'Qualified' Person Requirements for Cranes and Elevating Equipment
June 2010
Some Cal/OSHA standards require employers to limit certain job assignments to employees who are "competent" or "qualified." In this two-part series, COCA will present all of the qualified/competent person requirements found in the General Industry Safety Orders. Part I covers cranes and other hoisting equipment; powered platforms and equipment for building maintenance; and elevating work platforms and aerial devices. . . . more »

Appeals Board Decisions: Crane Operator in Deadly Tipover Stays Within 'Rated Capacity' but Exceeds 'Safe Working Load'; Board Blames Poor Supervision
On June 22, 2006, workers were installing underground electrical cable in an open field in Livermore. The cable was on reels that weighed about 45,000 pounds each. The crane company, Sheedy Drayage of San Francisco, was responsible for moving the reels from a staging area to locations where each reel of cable would be installed. . . . more »

More Headlines