Category: Safety & Health

News You Can Use

Posted on by Conversion Technology

Adam Haroz, CTI’s Director of Engineering, will be speaking at this year’s American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) conference. He will be presenting on the topic of Robot Risk Assessment Requirements. He will review the updated standards and regulations around robot safety, as well as risk assessment methodologies and risk reduction techniques. The presentation will be on Monday, June 5th.

https://safety.assp.org/

The creation of the NFPA 660 standards is in the works. The NFPA standards governing combustible dust are being combined into a new overarching standard, NFPA 660. The first public comment period has ended. The updated standard is expected to be published early next year.

https://www.nfpa.org/codes-and-standards/all-codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/detail?code=660

 

2022 International Robotics Safety Conference

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Adam Haroz, our Director of Engineering, will be presenting at this year’s International Robotics Safety Conference in Columbus, OH on 9/28/2022. He will be speaking from a consultant’s perspective on a panel to discuss the safety in installation and commissioning of robotic systems. He will give e brief introduction to the topic and then will identify key tips on robotic system safety, and things that tend to get overlooked in the commissioning of the system. If you have any questions regarding robotic safety or are interested in hearing the panel discussion please contact CTI at cti@conversiontechnology.com.

Learn more and register at https://www.automate.org/events/international-robot-safety-conference-2022

 

What to Expect from OSHA in 2022

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A new year always brings changes to health and safety regulations and requirements. The number of OSHA inspections increased in 2021 from the previous year, and this trend is likely to continue into 2022. It is therefore imperative to ensure that your facility’s safety programs are up to date, safety training is being routinely conducted, and records are being properly kept. A good way to ensure that the safety programs are in order is to conduct a thorough safety audit of all programs, procedures, trainings, and records to ensure that the facility is in compliance with OSHA requirements.

In 2022, OSHA is expected to focus on heat illness prevention. As global temperatures continue to rise, it can be easy to succumb to job-related heat stress while working. Heat is the leading cause of death among all weather-related phenomena, and excessive heat can cause heat stroke or exacerbate existing health problems like asthma, kidney failure, and heart disease. Because of this, OSHA announced that it will begin implementing an enforcement initiative on heat-related hazards and will develop a National Emphasis Program (NEP) on heat inspections. OSHA area directors are expected to perform the following: Continue reading “What to Expect from OSHA in 2022” →

Are Third Party Safety Inspections The Best Course of Action for My Facility?

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The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) maintains a full-time staff of inspection officers, called compliance safety and health officers (CSHO). OSHA has jurisdiction over most worksites and can enforce the rules and regulations pertaining to the specific industry of the worksite. These rules and regulations can be found in your industry’s specific standards. For general industry, these standards are 29 CFR 1910 (General Industry Standards). For construction, these standards are 29 CFR 1926 (Construction Industry Standards).

An OSHA inspection can be conducted either on-site or by phone/fax. During an on-site inspection, the CSHO may walk through portions of the worksite, will review worksite injury and illness records, and will observe the posting of the official OSHA poster. The inspector is also very likely to interview employees privately, without management present, to discuss site safety.

These inspections can occur for several reasons. Inspections are prioritized for worksites in the following order of priority: Continue reading “Are Third Party Safety Inspections The Best Course of Action for My Facility?” →

The Necessity of Environmental and Safety Compliance Reviews

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All industrial facilities have a vested interest in operating in the most environmentally responsible and safe manner possible. This is because operating in this manner carries with it the lowest risk of interruption to production. Whether that interruption is in the form of a hazardous material release, regulatory violation, injury, lawsuit, or negative publicity, this is a situation that no facility wants to find themselves in. Reducing the potential for environmental pollution and improving worker safety might seem secondary to production, but serious injuries and regulatory violations can have significant implications which can range from heavy fines to shutting down operations entirely. All industrial facilities should, at the very least, take the time to consider whether they are currently running the risk of being impacted by these types of issues.

Continue reading “The Necessity of Environmental and Safety Compliance Reviews” →

Upcoming Webinars

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Join CTI for our upcoming webinar presentations:

  • October 20, 2020: Roles, Responsibilities, and Accountability of Machine Guarding
    Sponsor/Event: VPPPA Region IV 2020 Safety & Health Excellence Virtual Conference
    Speaker: Adam Haroz, EIT
    More Info: http://www.regionivvppconference.com/)
  • November 11, 2020: Combustible Dust Basics, Standards, and Requirements and DHA Methodologies
    Sponsor/Event: Association for Rubber Products Manufacturers (ARPM) Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Summit
    Speaker: Adam Haroz, EIT
    More Info: https://arpminc.com/ehs/)
  • November 19, 2020: Completing Multisite DHAs Across Many Locations in Food and Grain Industries
    Sponsor/Event: Dust Safety Science
    Speaker: Jeff Davis, PE
    More Info: https://dustsafetyacademy.com

When Should You Retest Your Indoor Air Quality?

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Indoor air quality is important for employee health and comfort. Poor air quality can lead to several negative health effects, including irritation, coughing, and fatigue. More serious health hazards such as occupational asthma, specific organ toxicity, or cancer can also occur, depending on the chemicals being handled on site. Because of this, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has developed permissible exposure limits (PELs) for several dusts, fumes, and vapors from various chemicals. These PELs, found in 29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1, identify the maximum concentrations of different chemicals and materials an employee can be exposed over the course of an 8-hour work shift. Employees exposed to airborne concentrations of a material above a PEL may be at risk for serious health hazards. Continue reading “When Should You Retest Your Indoor Air Quality?” →

OSHA is increasing focus on enforcement of Robot Safety Standards

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OSHA is working with the Robotics Industries Association and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) on developing a training program for inspection officers to better understand how robots in general industry operate, what the requirements are for employers, and how to better identify the potential hazard. By 2020, it is expected that OSHA will have the knowledge necessary to better respond to an incident caused by an issue with robotic safety.

If your facility utilizes industrial robots, including Automated Guided Vehicles (AGV) or collaborative robots, contact CTI to determine if your robotic equipment meets safety standards and if you are compliant with OSHA regulations.

 

Welding Fumes Have Been Classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen

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In April 2017, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) determined that welding fume is considered to be a known carcinogen that can lead to lung cancer in humans. This decision may affect all facilities who employ welders or other personnel conducting hot work, as these personnel may be exposed to welding fumes. Employers of welders should ensure engineering and administrative controls are implemented to reduce employee exposure to welding fumes in the workplace. Continue reading “Welding Fumes Have Been Classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen” →