PKSafety.com Blog

PK is excited to offer a 15% discount on the Roofer’s Fall Protection Kit by Protecta. Simply enter the coupon code ROOFER15 at checkout before March 6, 2012 and insure that you will have everything needed for a safe roofing adventure!

Beyond the obvious health risks of working outside code, OSHA regulations for roofing are numerous and the penalties for violation are costly. Unless you spend your free time wading through government documents, it is possible that recalling all of these rules is a little tough. Happily, Protecta has taken the guesswork out of pondering whether a roofing harness is OK with OSHA.

This kit is known affectionately as “compliance in a can,” because it has everything required by OSHA in one convenient kit. A heavy-duty rope grab and shock-absorbing lanyard connect to a five-point body harness. Fifty feet of rope allow for movement away from the roof anchor while guaranteeing a safe recovery from a stumble or fall. This kit is best for instantly being sure that the job can get done quickly and without any pitfalls.

Mike Fall Protection Compliance in a Can, Coupon, Coupons, Discount, Discounts, Fall Protection Kit, OSHA, PKSafety, Pksafety.com, Protecta, Roofing, www.pksafety.com

Chances are all of us have some level of exposure to formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is inexpensive to produce and has a wide range of uses from building materials such as paint or the glue used to bind plywood, particle board and paneling to the Brazilian Blowout, a hair-straitening product found to contain startlingly high concentrations of this dangerous compound.

For those who work in industries where formaldehyde is used regularly the dangers are quite serious. Even light contact with formaldehyde (also abbreviated HCHO) can irritate the eyes and affect the mucous membranes and upper respiratory system. Prolonged or acute exposure can create severe abdominal pain, convulsions, diarrhea, bronchitis, pneumonia or pulmonary edema. Not only that, but OSHA has determined that formaldehyde is a genotoxic, showing properties of both a cancer initiator and promoter for early and late stage carcinogen. While those who work around formaldehyde regularly – agricultural workers, drug makers, furniture makers and finishers, and now salon workers – are at some risk of ingesting the compound, the more common routes for exposure are through skin absorption and inhalation.

While latex gloves provide some barrier to absorption, butyl or nitrile gloves are recommended and should be used when contact is anticipated. With regard to inhalation, employers who require workers to be exposed to formaldehyde in concentrations over .75 parts of formaldehyde per million parts of air (.75 ppm), must provide and make sure the employees wear respirators that conform to OSHA standards 1910.134 for respiratory protection. A great mask that meets these requirements is the Moldex 9000 Respirator Combination.

The Moldex 9000 is a full face respirator that, when properly worn, will protect not only the lungs of the wearer, but also the eyes and the mucous membranes that can be affected by formaldehyde fumes. The mask features Moldex 7600 Multi-Gas Vapor Smart Cartridges that are capable of filtering multiple gases that may be present in the same work space.

According to Wikipedia, last year over 50 billion tons of formaldehyde was produced worldwide. Workers and employers who work with this compound need to take steps to prevent exposure that can lead to short term and long term hazards to health.

Justin Respiratory Formaldehyde, manufacturing, OSHA, Respirator, worker protection

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) would like your gas detectors calibrated before each use. A full calibration for a 4-gas monitor requires about $6.60 worth of calibration gas, and takes about 5 minutes. This should be all the answer anyone needs, but in practice if your company has 500 monitors, it isn’t always practical and OSHA and ANSI know it.

In text attempting to clarify the issue, the two regulatory agencies submit that it is best to follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for calibration. If only these instructions were consistent, the problem would likely be solved. However, upon closer inspection, the manufacturer guidelines are also a little fuzzy.

For instance, the manufacturer of a 4-gas diffusion monitor provides an on-screen countdown of 180 days explaining in their literature that the monitor does not need to be calibrated until then. That same company produces a single-gas monitor which is supposed to be self-calibrating and last for a full two years. All fine and good, until you consider that they both use the same sensors.

OSHA refers on their website to recommendations from the International Safety Equipment Association (ISEA), a trade association for manufacturers of protective equipment, including environmental monitoring instruments. The ISEA recommends, at a minimum, verification of sensor accuracy before each day’s use. This does not necessarily include calibration, but would require bump testing – the process of subjecting the gas monitor to the gas(es) they are supposed to detect and making sure they register – each day.

The ISEA provides information about the differences between bump testing and full calibrations, and I’ll include it here because it does supply a good description of the process of when bump testing is helpful and when it isn’t enough:

In practice we have heard that companies develop their own intervals of when to bump test and when to calibrate. Our clients inform us that if they use their monitors infrequently, say every 30 days or less, then they do calibrate each time they monitor so they have confidence the monitor is responding properly. On the other hand, companies that use their devices all the time, say daily, have told us they calibrate far less frequently, perhaps every 4-6 months, but do bump testing more often (every couple of weeks) to make sure the devices are registering.

Since this is already confusing, let’s go ahead and mix in the legal implications of the data provided by the gas monitors. For readings to hold up in court as incontrovertible your gas detector must be calibrated both before and immediately after each use. This is the only way to be completely sure the monitor is functioning properly.

What we say is that it’s important to create an environment where safety is important; where all equipment – not just monitors, but harnesses, lanyards, SRLs, winches and other PPE – are checked regularly.

As for the monitors, the best information we have comes from the president of RKI Instruments, a gas monitor manufacturer who wrote an article for the National Safety Council. He explained that folks who “bump test” before each use can extend the calibration cycle to “three to six months for instruments that successfully pass the bump gas test”.

It’s also important to remember that bump testing or calibration is especially necessary when a gas monitor has been potentially damaged. The monitors are made to be durable and work for extended periods on tough work sites, but they are also sensitive instruments and severe conditions such as high gas concentrations, extreme temperatures, falls or electrical shocks cannot be assumed to have left the device fully operational. If you want to be sure your monitor is working correctly, you must bump test. If your device fails bump testing, you must calibrate to make sure the sensors and the monitor are able to provide their life saving alerts.

Justin Confined Space 4 Gas Monitor, 4-gas detector, ANSI, bump testing, BW, calibration, docking station, Gas Detector, gas monior, gas monitor calibration, MSA, OSHA, RAE Systems

When working with dangerous chemicals, it is extremely important to have the right safety equipment. Many chemical products are available that have hidden problems. Here is a question I recently got from a customer working with dangerous vapors:

What Paint Respirator should I use when spraying Urethane Paint? The information sheet I received about it says to use a NIOSH-approved activated Charcoal cartridge respirator. I would like to use a half mask if possible.

You ask a very difficult question, and one without a good answer. As you note, manufacturers of urethane coatings would like you to believe that wearing a mask with organic vapor cartridges and a prefilter will keep you safe from the solvents and isocyanates these paints contain. Obtaining a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) can alert you to the presence of this and other hazards in the coatings you would like to spray.

Let’s talk for a minute about isocyanates. They are colorless, tasteless, odorless sensitizing vapors. To be a sensitizer means that, while your first reaction to it may be mild, each subsequent exposure will yield a more serious reaction. Common symptoms are asthma attacks, which may become severe, with some sensitized reactions even known to cause death.

Since they are odorless, colorless and tasteless, you will not know that you have been exposed to isocyanates until you react to them. Hence the problem with using cartridge type respirators. If you don’t know when you are beginning to be exposed, how do you know when to change your cartridges?

In an industrial setting, air monitoring is required by OSHA to establish the level of solvents in the air as a means to develop a timetable for changing your cartridges. Smaller companies don’t do this, let alone hobbyists. My concern with just using a half mask and filters is that you will be exposed to the isocyanates.

The only true answer is to use an airline respirator to isolate you from the environment. For more information about airline respirators, read our archived blog post about them here, or check out their page on our website here.

A less effective strategy is to employ good ventilation and change cartridges aggressively, maybe as often as every couple of hours of exposure. If you would like to get a little further into it, 3M has a tech support line that can walk you through what I have just said. 3M can be reached at 800-243-4630.

As always, don’t hesitate to contact us and ask about your specific situation.

Administrator Respiratory Airline Respirator, Filter, Half Face Mask, Isocyanates, OSHA, Pre Filter, Sensitizers, Urethane, Ventilation

When considering work in confined spaces or around dangerous gases, it is important to have gas detectors present so that dangerous levels of gases can be detected. This helps you make informed decisions about whether to start work, and in the event of a problem, providing time for workers to get to safety. With so many choices in gas detection, it may be difficult to choose the right unit for you. Here is a recent question I got regarding just that.

I am interested in purchasing a 4-gas monitor. I am looking at the Honeywell Gas Alert Quattro and Honeywell Gas Alert Micro Clip XT. I had a few questions about the models.

Do the standard monitor settings meet OSHA standards or we do not have to program the standard gas levels into the device?

Both of these units come pre-programmed with OSHA alarm levels, though these can be modified if you want stricter settings. In fact, all of the gas detectors we sell for confined space entry have these alarm limits built in.

Once gas levels reach the set threshold, the units will alarm. Each unit will alarm in 3 ways, lights, beeps and vibration to ensure that you are aware of the change in gas levels.

Do the monitors detect all of the gases constantly?

Yes, all 4 gases are constantly monitored, and all 4 are constantly displayed on both the Quattro and the Micro Clip.

I noticed that there is an alkaline Quattro and Micro Clip XT and there is also a rechargeable version of each. Do they plug into the wall to recharge or do they require batteries?

The ones we stock and sell are rechargeable. They come with the rechargeable batteries already installed, and 110VAC wall charger. As an accessory, we also sell a 12VDC vehicle charging adapter.

What are some of the similarities and differences between the two models?

The Quattro is a little larger physically, and more robust, while the Micro Clip is smaller, lighter and cheaper. They are functionally the same. Each has 4 sensors, is diffusion based, and is rechargeable. Some clients are focused on longevity, and the Quattro fills that bill nicely. Others are more focused on price, and this is where the Micro Clip comes in.

Do the devices have to be calibrated within a certain timeframe?

That is a controversial subject. OSHA would have you calibrate it before each use. In practice, our customers come up with their own intervals. If the unit is used infrequently, say once a month, it should be calibrated every time. If you use it a few times a week, then maybe an occasional bump test will be enough to allow you to calibrate less often. The idea is to make sure the unit is working properly. It is important to remember that these units are protecting your life. They are very stable, but test gas is really the only way to be sure they are calibrated correctly.

If you are looking for a 4-gas diffusion monitor, the Honeywell Gas Alert Quattro and the Honeywell Gas Alert Micro Clip XT are among the top sellers in the market. We sell A LOT of these each month, and they seem to make our customers very happy.

If you are looking into getting a gas detector we love both BW and RAE. Between the two brands, gas sniffer performance is about the same. Sensor technology is the limiting factor, and all brands are more or less on the same page there. Reliability is pretty good across all these brands. There can be hiccups with any of them for sure, but don’t forget that these are complex devices, intended for use by trained professionals. If you have any questions about which gas detector would be right for your job, feel free to contact us and ask.

Administrator Confined Space 4 Gas Monitor, Confined Space, Four Gas, Gas Alert, Gas Detector, Gas Monitor, Gas Sniffer, Honeywell, Micro Clip, Microclip, OSHA, Quattro, RAE

 

The arrow is pointing to the red indicator. This hook has been impacted.

 

 

Another view of the red indicator.

Rebel AD120A 20 foot Web SRL by Protecta

When using fall protection, even if you have the appropriate protection for your setup, it is important to know when to replace your gear. I recently got a question asking just that:

I recently noticed that this hook does not look like the others. There is a red band on top of the hook and something appears to be missing in the same area. I have attached photos of the hook. Can you please look at the photos and tell me if something looks wrong? Is this just an older style hook or should we replace it?

My initial reaction was that the hook looked pretty well used. Upon looking closer, I can tell that the exposed red is actually the red indicator which means it has been impacted.

Some hooks have a brass ferrule which breaks off when impacted. Some hooks have a pin which breaks upon impact and allows the body of the hook to drop down exposing the red band. In any event, the unit needs to be taken out of service and repaired. If it is beyond repair, it needs to be discarded.

In this case, the hook needed to be replaced. Since this hook was at the end of an SRL, I recommended the unit be replaced with the Rebel AD120A 20 foot web SRL by Protecta.

As always, it is important to have the right kind of fall protection for you job. But having the right fall protection can only get you so far. It all needs to be in good working order and should be checked regularly. Faulty gear should be discarded so that it doesn’t accidentally end up back in use.

Administrator Fall Protection ANSI, Capital Safety, OSHA, Self Retracting Lifeline

Rebel AD11A Web Self Retracting Lifeline

On any job where you are going to be working off of the ground, it is important to consider fall protection. Having the right type of fall protection gear can save lives and prevent injury. If you are unsure of which protection is right for you, as always, feel free to contact us and ask! Let’s look at a question someone recently asked about obtaining the right kind of fall protection for a particular application:

We operate 6 order pickers in our warehouse. Racking where the order pickers work ranges up to about 22 feet above ground. Our operators wear full harnesses and 6’ lanyards. I believe our application may be better served with self retracting lifelines since the operators work at heights ranging from floor level to top of the racks to select and fill their orders. Would you agree that an SRL may be a good replacement for our lanyards? Which SRL’s would you suggest we review?

I agree, a Self Retracting Lifeline (SRL) would be a good addition for your order pickers. The benefit of having an SRL verses a lanyard is fall distance. With a lanyard, unless the lanyard is pulled taut, a fall means falling both the distance left on the lanyard and the stretch of the lanyard. For example, say the 6 foot lanyard is anchored 2 feet above; you would have approx 4 feet to fall, plus the stretch of the lanyard’s shock absorbing feature, about 14 more inches. An SRL, on the other hand is always taut. This means if you fall, you will only have the extension of the SRL’s shock absorber to fall, or about 14 inches total. Having less distance to fall means your body will have less acceleration when you are finally stopped. So having less fall distance means both less strain on your body, and also less of a chance that you will hit something on the way down.

We have a model of SRL intended for the application. I recommend the 11ft Rebel AD111A Web SRL, which can be mounted in the AD001 Rebel Cab Mount Bracket. If your order picking system has a cage or rack overhead, the AD001 bracket can be mounted there. Other types of systems may just have a ring anchor point, and no bars to grab on to. In that case I would still use the SRL, but simply attach with the carabiner provided with the AD111A.

As always, don’t work alone. In case you do fall it is a good idea to have someone around who can help you, or call for help. As I said before, having the right fall protection can save you from serious injury or even death. If you have any questions about which fall protection is right for you don’t hesitate to contact us for advice.

Administrator Fall Protection ANSI, ANSI Z359, DBI-SALA, OSHA, Talon