OSHA UPDATE

1
OSHA UPDATE

• Sheila Schulmeyer
• Compliance Assistance Specialist
• OSHA (Lubbock/El Paso)

2
Keeping you informed

• Update on whats new on the compliance horizon
• I am your contact for compliance assistance in
  the West Texas area
• Your full service Area Office and District Office
  staff

3
Lubbock AO El Paso DO
r
4
Topics of Discussion

• PPE Requirements
• Electrical Standard
• Chrome VI
• Fatals in the oil patch

5
Employer-Paid PPE

• Final Rule Published in November 15th, 2007
  Federal Register
• Final Rule clarifies who is responsible for
  paying for PPE
• Rule contains a few exceptions for ordinary
  safety-toed footwear, ordinary prescription
  safety eyewear, logging boots and ordinary
  clothing and weather-related gear.

6
Electrical Standard

• Effective August 13, 2007
• Adopted the NEC 2002 version NFPA 70E 2000
  editions.
• Applies to General Industry, shipyard employment,
  longshoring, and marine terminals.
• Prior law was based on the 1978 NEC, so did not
  reflect changes in technology

7
Electrical Standard

• This standard is one of several that will align
  the OSHA laws current technology.
• The first stage covers design safety standards
  for electrical systems, while the second stage
  will cover safety-related maintenance and work
  practice requirements and safety requirements for
  special equipment. It will thus allow the latest
  technological developments to be considered.

8
Electrical Standard

• Ground Fault Current Interrupters required in
  bathrooms and on roofs.
• All 125-volt, single-phase, 15, 20, and
  30-ampere receptacle outlets that are not part of
  the permanent wiring of the building or structure
  and that are in use by personnel shall have
  ground-fault circuit-interrupter protection for
  personnel.

9
Electrical Standard

• If no GFCIs are available, then a written
  assured equipment grounding program overseen by a
  competent person must be used.
• Test all cords every 3 months, visually inspect
  daily before use.

10
Electrical Standards

• If no GFCIs are available, then a written
  assured equipment grounding program overseen by a
  competent person must be used.
• Test all cords every 3 months, visually inspect
  daily before use.

11
Electrical Standard

• More specific than previous law.
• Covers issues such as what to do if there is no
  grounding conductor installed in a building
• Clarifies double insulated tool use
• Discusses some specific instances such as
  irrigation systems, fountains, etc.

12
Electrical Standards

• Proposed laws to address personal protective
  equipment.
• OSHA also has a proposed rule to address
  protective equipment in electric power
  transmission and distribution.

13
What is Hexavalent Chromium?

• Toxic form of chromium metal that is generally
  man-made
• Used in many industrial applicationsprimarily
  for its anti-corrosive properties
• Created during certain hot work processes where
  the original form of chromium was not hexavalent

14
How Can Occupational Exposures to Hexavalent
Chromium Occur?

• Inhalation of mists, dusts or fumes created
  during processes involving the use of hexavalent
  chromium (CrVI) compounds or hot processes that
  cause the formation of CrVI
• Eye or skin contact with powder, dusts or liquids
  containing CrVI

15
Three Cr(VI) Standards

• 1910.1026 General Industry
• 1926.1126 Construction
• 1915.1026 Shipyards

16
Top Three Industries/Operations Covered by the
Cr(VI) Standard

• Welding 269,380 (48) employees
• Painting 81,893 (15) employees
• Electroplating 66,857 (12) employees

17
Welding

• Workers welding carbon steel containing more than
  .3 chromium
• 10 would have exposure
• Heat converts Cr(III) to Cr(VI)

18
Welding

• Different welding techniques have different
  potentials for exposure, e.g.
• Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW)
• Gas Metal Arc Welding (GMAW)
• Tungsten Inert Gas Welding (TIG)
• Welding performed in many different conditions
• Indoors vs. outdoors
• Enclosed/confined spaces

19
Welding

• Challenges
• Enclosed/confined spaces
• Variability in welding substrates and techniques
• Close proximity of employees using different
  techniques
• Potential solutions
• Planning (type of substrate)
• Substituting GMAW for SMAW
• Ventilation (local and general)

20
When Must Employers Comply with Provisions of the
Standards?

• Effective date May 30, 2006
• Start-up dates
• All provisions except engineering controls
• For small businesses (19 or fewer employees) May
  30, 2006
• For all others Nov. 27, 2006
• Engineering Controls
• For all employers May 31, 2010

21
Fatals in the Oil Patch

• We have experienced five oil and gas related
  accidents since October 1, 2007
• There were five deaths and a sixth who is still
  surviving, and if he continues to live on, he
  will be completely disabled.

22
What we know so far

• All open cases
• 1. An employee was treating a well with
  chemicals. A pressure release occurred and the
  employee was fatally injured. Another companys
  employees were on site and heard the explosion.
  They ran to the location and found the injured on
  the ground with no response.

23
Fatals

• 2. Drilling Rig collapsed and struck the victim
  when the drill string was being tugged on.
• 3. Two employees were killed when they were
  pressurizing a valve that was connected to a frac
  tank. The valve came apart and the shrapnel
  struck the employees.
• 4. An employee had his spine severed in two
  places (still alive) when a mishap occurred
  during the telescoping of the mast off of a
  float.
• 5. An employee fell into a frac tank.(no further
  details at this time) asphyxiation.

24
What This Means

• That even though the oil patch is continually
  becoming a much safer place than just a few years
  ago, we are still experiencing fatal accidents
  that could be prevented.
• All the more reason to come together as an
  industry to come up with solutions, best
  practices, and resources to educate new and
  experienced workers alike in the methods of
  working safely.

25

• This information has been developed by an OSHA
  Compliance Assistance Specialist and is intended
  to assist employers, workers, and others as they
  strive to improve workplace health and safety.
  While we attempt to thoroughly address specific
  topics (or hazards), it is not possible to
  include discussion of everything necessary to
  ensure a healthy and safe working environment in
  a presentation of this nature. Thus, this
  information must be understood as a tool for
  addressing workplace hazards, rather than an
  exhaustive statement of an employers legal
  obligations, which are defined by statute,
  regulations, and standards. Likewise, to the
  extent that this information references practices
  or procedures that may enhance health or safety,
  but which are not required by a statute,
  regulation, or standard, it cannot, and does not,
  create additional legal obligations. Finally,
  over time, OSHA may modify rules and
  interpretations in light of new technology,
  information, or circumstances to keep apprised
  of such developments, or to review information on
  a wide range of occupational safety and health
  topics, you can visit OSHAs website at
  www.osha.gov.