OREGON OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY & HEALTH DIVISION DEPARTMENT OF CONSUMER & BUSINESS SERVICES

What’s inside . . .Hazardous energy, lockout/tagout .................................... 1

Administrator’s message .................................................. 3

Publication spotlight – LOCKOUT/TAGOUT ....................... 5

New respiratory protection standard ................................. 6

Safety notesScrap metal recycling .................................................... 7Marine cargo.................................................................. 8Backhoe excavation ....................................................... 9Plastic pipe corrugation ............................................... 10

GOSH conference seeks award nominees ....................... 11

Audio visual library .......................................................... 12

Oregon has 13 SHARP employers .................................. 13

Ask OR-OSHA.................................................................. 14

Beware of hot oil ............................................................. 15

Resource subscription .................................................... 15

Oregon OSHA emphasizes trenching safetyBy Jani Johnston,Executive Assistant, Oregon OSHA

Oregon experienced four trench cave-ins during thepast few months. By sheer luck, none of these accidentsresulted in a fatality.

Because of the cave-ins, all of which have the poten-tial to cause serious injury or death, Oregon OSHArecently sent letters to companies that may be trenchingto notify them that its focusing it’s enforcement effortson Oregon trenching and excavation activities.

The requirements for preventing trenches and excava-tions from caving in on workers are not new. OregonOSHA adopted Federal OSHA’s Excavation andTrenching Standard in 1974. The standard was lastupdated in September 1990.

The standard applies to all open excavations made inthe earth’s surface, including trenches. As defined in thestandard, a trench is a narrow excavation below theground’s surface, in which the depth is greater than thewidth, the width not exceedingt 15 feet. An excavation isany man made cut, cavity, trench, or depression in the

earth’s surface formed by earth removal. This caninclude excavations for anything from cellars to high-ways.

Consider that the earth removed from the ground toform a trench or cavity is extremely heavy; possiblyweighing more than 100 pounds per cubic foot. A cubicyard of soil, which contains 27 cubic feet of material,may weigh more than 2,700 pounds. That’s nearly oneand a half tons, equivalent to the weight of a car, in aspace less than the size of an office desk. The humanbody cannot support this much weight without injury.

Accidents are costlyAccidents that occur because safety precautions are

absent are costly. In addition to the loss of human life,the costs of a trenching accident can include: workstoppage to rescue the victim, time and labor toreexcavate the collapsed trench, workers’ compensationcosts and increased insurance premiums, and additional

Hazardous energy,lockout/tagout, andthe working personBy Ellis Brasch,Management Analyst, Oregon OSHA

Do you maintain machines or equipment? Do you usemachines or equipment that are periodically shut downfor service or maintenance? Are you accountable for thesafety and health of workers who do these tasks? If youanswer “yes” to any of these questions, you’re probablyfamiliar with the words “hazardous energy” and “lock-out/tagout.” But do you have sufficient lockout/tagouttraining and knowledge so that you, your co-workers, orthe workers you manage are protected from hazardousenergy?

See “Trenching,” page 2

See “Lockout,” page 4

OREGON HEALTH AND SAFETY

Spring 1998RESOURCE

T W O

“Trenching,” from page 1

The full text of the rules adopted byOregon OSHA may be found in OAR 437,Division 3, Subdivision P, Excavations.To receive a free copy of these rules, callthe Oregon OSHA Resource Center at(503) 378-3272.

A workshop on this subject is offeredthrough the Education Section which canbe reached at the same number.

Shoring or sloping isrequired in all trenchesover five feet toprevent sides fromcaving in.

2 feet

A ladder is required forexit in all trenchesover four feet deep.

Materials and dirtcannot be placedclose to trench edges.

Underground utilitiesmust be located.

paperwork resulting from theaccident investigation. There’s alsothe possibility of monetary penaltiesfor violation of safety standards.

For example, after the death of aworker in a trench cave-in, anOregon contractor was cited forinadequate training, using defectiveequipment, and inadequate supervi-sion, along with other violations.The Workers’ Compensation Boardissued an opinion and order affirm-ing eight out of 10 of the willfuland serious violations. The penal-ties totaled $356,430. (See SafetyNote, page 9.)

Planning for safetyMany on the-the-job accidents

result from inadequate planning.Correcting mistakes in shoring orsloping after work has begun slowsthe operation, adds to costs, and

increases the possibility of a cave-in.Contractors must build safety

into pre-bid planning. Developingsafety checklists specific to eachjob will help accomplish this.Checklists should include itemscovered by any applicable OregonOSHA standards, job site informa-tion, and other information neces-sary for safe operations. Thefollowing specific site conditionsshould be considered beforepreparing a bid: traffic; nearness ofstructures and their conditions;soil; surface and groundwater; thewater table; overhead and under-ground utilities; and weather.These and other conditions can bedetermined by job site studies,observations, test borings for soiltype or conditions, and consulta-tions with local officials and utilitycompanies.

SummaryTrenching and excavation work

presents serious risks to all workersinvolved. The greatest risk is cave-ins. Moreover, when they occur,cave-ins are more likely to result inworker fatalties than other excava-tion-related accidents. Strict compli-ance with all sections of the standardwill prevent or greatly reduce therisk of cave-ins as well as otherexcavation-related accidents. ■

Oregon OSHA trenching and excavation rules

To locate underground utilities,telephone the Oregon Utility Notification Center,

1-800-323-2344, 48 hours before you dig .

RESOURCEThe Oregon Health and Safety Resource ispublished quarterly by the Oregon Occupa-tional Safety and Health Division, Depart-ment of Consumer & Business Services.

Information requests should be directed to:Jani Johnston, Editor,at (503) 378-3272 (V/TTY)or 1-800-922-2689.

Department of Consumer& Business Services

Deborah Lincoln, Deputy Director

Oregon OSHAPeter De Luca, Administrator

EditorJani Johnston

Design and illustrationsPam Piesker

Technical editingDCBS Communications

T H R E E

Resource welcomes submissions ofarticles for publication. If you’d like toshare information about OSHA-relatedtopics, announcements, or events,please send them to Jani Johnston, OR-OSHA, 350 Winter St. NE, Salem, OR97310-0220 or e-mail them to her,jani.k.johnston@state.or.us.

Articles will be used according totheir relevance, timeliness, compat-ibility with OR-OSHA policy andpractice and the availability of space.Because Resource is a quarterlypublication (winter, spring, summer,fall), please time your submission sothat we receive it about six months

Article Submissions…

before publication. Please submitarticles on diskette in a PC-compatibleformat such as WordPerfect. Or, youmay e-mail your article to the addressabove.

Please include your name (as youwould like it to appear in a byline) ifthe article is one you wrote, a phonenumber (in case we have questions),and a few lines describing you, yourjob, credentials, or interest in thesubject (again, if the article iswritten by you or is an opinionpiece). The Resource staff retainsthe right to edit all submissions forstyle and length. ■

Administrator’s Message

June is National Safety Month –30 days set aside by the NationalSafety Council to focus on safety. Italso marks the beginning of a newsummer construction season. InOregon we typically see lots ofaccidents in the summer months –accidents in logging, accidents inagriculture, accidents in construc-tion, and accidents on the highway.

Why are there so many accidents?

I believe that many times it isbecause we hurry, because we cutcorners, because we are thinkingabout other things, because we aremore concerned with productionthan we are with safety.

Summer in Oregon is a wonderfultime. The weather is good. Childrenare out of school. Oregonians workhard and fast so they can fit in somevacation days here and there. Workand play are in full swing. Butsummer can also be a deadly time.More workplace accidents occurduring the summer months than atany other time of the year. In 199782 workers died in Oregon work-places. Of those, 43 were acceptedOregon Workers’ Compensationfatality claims, 16 of which occurredin the months of July, August andSeptember. Eleven of the 43 fatali-ties were in the construction indus-try, with six occurring in thesummer months.

National Safety Month is a time toreflect on the importance of safety.It is a time to remember how pre-cious our lives and our health are. Itis a time to recommit ourselves tomaking Oregon’s workplaces safeand healthful. It is a time to reexam-ine our safe work practices and to besure that we continue to put safetyfirst.

Employers and employees alikeshould think about safety duringNational Safety Month. Buckle up.Lock out and tag out. Use your fallprotection or personal protectiveequipment appropriately. If youaren't sure what the rules are, findout. Call Oregon OSHA to schedulea comprehensive consultation. If weall commit to working safely, wetruly can save lives, maybe even ourown! ■

Peter De Luca

F O U R

What is hazardous energy?Energy is the capacity for doing work. It’s present in many forms (the most

common of which are listed in the table below). All forms of energy areassociated with motion. Moving objects have kinetic energy. Tensionedobjects, such as coiled springs, have the potential for motion – potentialenergy. In the workplace, energy becomes hazardous when it’s not controlledand when it’s released in quantities that could harm a worker. Here’s a shortlist of energy types that, if not controlled, could be hazardous:

“Lockout,” from page 1

Form of Energy

Potential Stored energy that can be drawn upon to do work.Suspended loads, compressed springs, and accumula-tor pressures are examples. Potential energy can beconverted to kinetic energy and many of the otherenergy forms below.

Kinetic Energy resulting from moving objects such as releasedloads and uncoiling springs. When these objects arereleased, their potential energy is converted to kineticenergy.

Flammable Energy converted from the combustion of gasses,liquids, solid chemical, and vapors.

Chemical The capacity of a substance to do work or produce heatthrough a change in its composition. Chemical energycan be converted from gasses, liquids, solid chemicals,and vapors.

Electrical Energy generated through the conversion of otherforms such as mechanical, thermal, or chemical energy.Energy stored between plates of a charged capacitor isan example of electrical potential energy. Typical electri-cal energy sources include open bus work, motors, andgenerators.

Heat Energy transferred from one body to another as theresult of a difference in temperature. Heat flows fromthe hotter body to the colder. Sources include steam,liquids, and gasses.

Radiation A flow of atomic and subatomic particles and wavessuch as heat rays, light rays, and X-rays. Commonindustrial sources include X-ray systems and lasers.

You should know what hazardous energy is and some of the differentforms it can take but, more important, you should know:

■ what will happen if energy is released and■ how to control energy so that it does not harm you or another worker

What is lockout/tagout?Lockout/tagout refers to Oregon

OSHA’s requirements for protectingworkers from hazardous energywhen they do service or mainte-nance work on machines or equip-ment. You’ll find most, but not all,lockout/tagout requirements in thelockout/tagout standard: 1910.147,The Control of Hazardous Energy.

This standard applies to all Oregonemployers with workers who serviceor maintain machines or equipment,including agriculture, construction,and logging operations.

“Lockout” means locking themechanism that isolates an energysource from a worker. When themechanism of an energy-isolatingdevice is locked, it allows a workerto safely service or maintain poten-tially hazardous equipment. Alockout device secures the energy-isolating device in a safe position.Each lock must have its own uniquekey or combination. When anenergy-isolating device is lockedout, the equipment it controls willnot work until the lock is removed.

“Tagout” means placing a warningtag or sign – a tagout device – on anenergy-isolating device. Tagoutdevices must control hazardousenergy at least as effectively aslockout devices. But, because tagoutdevices don’t provide the samephysical barrier to hazardous energyas lockout devices, it may be diffi-cult to demonstrate that they areequally effective. Opening an extradisconnect or removing a valvehandle are examples of ways toprotect workers from hazardousenergy when they service or main-tain tagged out equipment. The tagmust be securely fastened to theenergy-isolating device and muststate that the equipment beingserviced or maintained can’t beoperated until the tag is removed

See “Lockout,” page 5

Lockout/tagout procedures rangefrom simple to complex. On thesimple side of the spectrum areprocedures for one worker on asingle shift who services or main-tains just one piece of equipmentthat has one energy source to lockout; the most complex proceduresapply when workers on differentshifts must service or maintainequipment with many hazardousenergy sources.

The lockout/tagout concept is arelatively simple one – controlhazardous energy so workers don’tget hurt when they service ormaintain equipment. However,applying the concept to a complexproduction operation may not be sostraightforward.

Oregon OSHA recently publisheda guidebook to help answer yourquestions about lockout, tagout, andthe control of hazardous energy.This easy-to-read guide is based onworkers’ frequently asked lockout/tagout questions; it highlights keyterms, concepts, and safety tips. Formore information on the guide seeSpotlight in this issue. ■

“Lockout,” from page 4

Hot off the press:LOCKOUT &TAGOUTOregon OSHA’s Guide toControlling HazardousEnergy was created to helpyou answer questions aboutlockout, tagout, and thecontrol of hazardous energy.It’s organized in a question-and-answer format based onworkers’ and employers’frequently asked questions.Throughout the booklet keyterms, concepts, and importantsafety tips are highlighted.

For a free copy of this valuablepublication, call the OR-OSHAResource Center, (503) 947-7447or 1-800-922-2689 (both numbers are V/TTY) or fax your request to(503) 947-7463. There may be charges for additional copies. ■

F I V E

All it takes for an accident is one person whomistakingly assumes the power is off.

Attention: new respiratoryprotection standard to take effectDo you know how the revised standardwill impact you?

Because the proposed effective date of OR-OSHA’srevised Respiratory Protection Standard (1910.134) isJuly 1, 1998, OR-OSHA has a plan to keep you up-to-date. On June 10, OR-OSHA is teaming up withOregon ED-NET to broadcast a three-hour trainingsession covering the changes in the standard. For acomplete list of ED-NET sites or more information,contact Virginia Yonkers, OR-OSHA EducationSection, (503) 947-7437. Use the registration formbelow and fax or mail it to the Education Section. The new standard contains major changes that willaffect employers and their workers. Some of thosechanges are:

■ Significant additions to worksite-specific writtenprograms

■ Specific fit-testing protocols■ Guidelines outlining voluntary or non-required use

of respirators, including training, medical evalua-tion of fitness, fit-testing, and a program to ensureproper cleaning, storage, and maintenance ofrespirators

■ Medical evaluation and appointment of a physi-cian or other licensed health-care professional

■ Assignment of a qualified, trained respiratorprogram administrator

Why are there so many changes? The numbers are breathtaking! More than fivemillion American workers wear respirators in an esti-mated 1.3 million workplaces every day. And yet everyyear more than 66,500 workers suffer severe exposure toairborne contaminants, physical hazards, or biologicalagents. These exposures can lead to loss of vision, lungdamage, cancer, heart disease, asbestosis, and otherchronic illnesses. Tragically, many of these healthchallenges could have been avoided through propertraining and use of respiratory protection. ■

REGISTRATION FORMName _____________________________________________________________________________________________

Company __________________________________________________________________________________________

Mailing address ____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Phone __________________________________________ Fax ______________________________________________

I plan to attend the class at ___________________________________________________________________________(EDNET Location)

For Registration mail or fax to: Oregon OSHA Fax: (503) 947-7462Training Section - Attn: Virginia350 Winter St. NE Room 430 For Information Phone:Salem OR 97310 (503) 947-7437

Classes fill fast, register early!

S I X

S E V E N

Department of Consumer & Business ServicesOregon Occupational Safety & Health DivisionSalem, OR 97310

Accident SummaryAccident type.....................................................Crushing

Industry .........................................Scrap metal recyclingEmployee job title ...................................... Yard foreman

Accident findings

SAFETYNOTES

Description of fatal accidentAt the time of the accident, the

victim, yard foreman for a scrapmetal recycling business, waswelding a piece of flatbar onto thedriver’s-side chassis rail of a truckbelonging to the recycling business.The truck was used to haul a dropbox for scrap metal and wasequipped with a hydraulic tilt-bed.The victim had raised the tilt-bed sothat he could weld on the insidesection of the truck chassis rail. Thehydraulic controls for the tilt-bedwere near the victim. As the yardforeman leaned over the truck railwelding, his upper torso madecontact with the hydraulic levers.The hydraulic tilt-bed came downon him, pinning him between thetruck chassis rail framework and thetilt-bed framework.

The victim’s scream alerted anemployee working on the front ofthe truck. He found the victimpinned and yelled for assistance.Other employees ran to the site, andone of them ran to the office andnotified the staff to call for emer-gency assistance. The yard foremanwas dead when the emergency crewarrived.

Hydrauliclevers

Investigation revealed that thetilt-bed framework, an asset of thebusiness when it had been pur-chased, was not equipped with astiff leg that would prevent the tilt-bed from returning to the bed whenit was in a raised position. Nor hadthe tilt-bed been blocked or cribbedduring the welding procedure.During inspection, no hydraulicfluid was found, indicating that thehydraulic system did not fail,causing the tilt-bed to come down.

Investigators believe that duringthe course of his welding, thevictim moved the controls for thehydraulic tilt-bed, causing it tocome down.

Under OAR 437-002-0223(19)(f), it was the employer’sresponsibility to ensure that thetruck was properly equipped witha means to prevent the tilt-bedfrom returning to its loweredposition during maintenance andrepairs.

Hydrauliclevers

Fatality Report

E I G H T

Fatality Report

Department of Consumer & Business ServicesOregon Occupational Safety & Health DivisionSalem, OR 97310

Accident SummaryAccident type...............................Run over by top loaderIndustry ...................................................... Marine cargo

Employee job title .................................... Longshoreman

SAFETYNOTESDescription of fatal accident

The victim worked as a longshore-man, and at the time of this accident,was returning from lunch break withhis work partner to continue lashingcontainers on the ship “HanjinBremen.” While the two wereheaded for the container stagingarea, a top loader operator drove hisvehicle between two containertrucks parked in the area, andattempted to cut across a designatedwalkway. While the driver looked tothe right, the front left of his toploader struck the victim frombehind. The victim’s partner took offhis hard hat and threw it at thewindshield of the top loader to getthe driver’s attention. Although hesucceeded in getting the driver’sattention, the front left tire of vehiclewas already on the victim. Whenemergency personnel arrived, thelongshoreman was pronounced deadbecause of injuries to his lowertorso.

The accident occurred as lunchbreak ended, when many vehicles —including top loaders, forklifts,trucks, pickups, and others — andemployees were hurrying back totheir jobs in an area busy with avariety of vehicles and containers,some of which were in pedestrianzones.

Accident findings

It was established that the victimwas not wearing a high-visibilityvest — a piece of personal protec-tive equipment (PPE) which mayhave saved his life — as required byOR-OSHA and the employer’s lossprevention plan.

Investigation revealed that theemployer had not been enforcingspeed limits or traffic patterns at thesite of the accident or at other portareas, nor had the employer postedsigns notifying drivers that pedestri-ans were in the area. Had vehicleoperators not been permitted to rushto and from the lunchroom site in ahaphazard manner and to operate in

pedestrian zones, this accident wouldnot have happened.

The top loaders and other vehicleswere owned by one entity whereasthe drivers were supplied by another.Investigators believed an inadequateline of supervision may have contrib-uted to this accident. Because theport was the employer, the port’sauthority extended to the entireworkforce, whether or not employeeswere on the port’s payroll.

The employer failed to adequatelysupervise and instruct the workforceon specific issues relating to thework being performed, including useof PPE.

Fatality ReportSAFETYNOTES

Department of Consumer & Business ServicesOregon Occupational Safety & Health DivisionSalem, OR 97310

Accident SummaryAccident type........................................... Trench cave-inIndustry ........................................... Backhoe excavation

Employee job title ................................Backhoe operator

Description of accidentAt a residential excavation site,

the backhoe operator had spentmost of the day digging a 75-foot-long unshored trench approxi-mately 8 or 9 feet deep, whichconnected to another trenchapproximately 14 feet deep. Heand a pipelayer had laid all but 20feet of ABS pipe in the trench.The backhoe operator entered thetrench, removed the outlet capover the end of the connection,then left to get the final section ofpipe. He returned to the trenchwith the pipe and began connect-ing it. As he did so, the face of thetrench began to slough and crack.The pipelayer warned the backhoeoperator, who gestured that it wasOK. The wall began to collapse,partially burying the backhoeoperator. The pipelayer grabbedone of the backhoe operator’sarms and pulled as the wallcontinued to collapse. He lost hisgrip and began to dig. Thepipelayer gave up his franticdigging as soil continued to coverthe backhoe operator. He ran to anext-door residence and asked theowner to call emergency services,then ran back to the site of thecave-in to resume digging. Whenthe trench rescue unit from thelocal fire department arrived, theydetermined that the backhoeoperator had expired, and spentabout five hours recovering thebody, which was taken to thecounty medical examiner.

Accident findings

Investigation revealed that theemployer regularly left trenchesunshored and allowed unsafetunneling by employees. Accord-ing to employees interviewed, thecompany owned only two piecesof speed shoring for two crews ofseveral employees working thesame shifts in different locations.In addition, the speed shoring andladder at the site of the accidentneeded repairs. The employee wasaware of the need for repairs buthadn’t followed through. The

8 ft.

14 ft.

VICTIM-UNDER 15’ DIRT

employer had been cited severaltimes by OR-OSHA for unsafetrenches and excavations and wasfully aware of standards. Theemployer failed to provide acompetent person at trenching andexcavation sites; nor had heprovided adequate safety trainingfor his crews. In the several lost-time injury cases that had occurredin the company’s past, the em-ployer had failed to fully investi-gate and take corrective action, asrequired by law.

N I N E

T E N

Fatality ReportSAFETYNOTES

Department of Consumer & Business ServicesOregon Occupational Safety & Health DivisionSalem, OR 97310

Accident SummaryAccident type...............................................Asphyxiation

Industry ......................................Plastic pipe corrugationEmployee job title ............................ Corrugator operator

Accident findings

Description of fatal accidentA plastic pipe corrugator operator

working in a small manufacturingplant had completed production of10-foot pipe sections and waschanging over to production of 100-foot pipe sections. With the corruga-tor in operation, the victim had beenmaking adjustments to the waferdiscs located on the end of the rodattached to the round head of theextruder. Shortly before productionof the 100-foot pipe sections began,a problem was discovered with thewafer disc rod, and the corrugatorwas shut down while it was replaced.

The corrugator was restarted, andfor unexplained reasons, the victimput his left hand in the infeed of thecorrugator reaching toward thewafer discs. His arm was pulled in.Although the victim was able tostrike the shut-off switch on the sideof the corrugator, the molding cupchain continued to move, and thevictim’s chest was forced againstthe corrugator.

A worker on the same shift, whohad been in the rest room, returnedto work, discovered the victim in thecorrugator, and dialed 911. Thevictim died before emergency crewsarrived at the plant.

The plant manager in this fatalitycase admitted that the plant had nolockout/tagout program in effect atthe time of the accident. Neitherhad the employer established asafety committee nor implementeda hazard communication program.In addition, most of the workerswere Latinos with limited English-language skills. The employeehandbook was in English.

Had the employer ensured that alockout/tagout program was in

effect and that the employeesunderstood how to use it, thisaccident would not have happened.

The employer was directed toestablish a safety committee; todevelop, implement, and maintaina hazard communication program;and to ensure that employeesutilize lockout/tagout procedureswhen making adjustments orperforming maintenance or repairson all energized equipment.

E L E V E N

I want to receive an awards nomination packet for the 1998 Oregon Governor’s

Occupational Safety & Health Conference, March 8 – 11, 1999, in Portland, Oregon.

Name: ____________________________________________________________

Title: _____________________________________________________________

Company: __________________________________________________________

Address: ___________________________________________________________

City: _______________________________ State: ____________ ZIP: ___________

Phone: _____________________________ Fax: ____________________________

YYEESS!!

Oregon OSHA, Safety EngineersSeek Award Nominees

The Oregon Department ofConsumer & Business ServicesOccupational Safety and HealthDivision (OR-OSHA) and theColumbia-Willamette Chapter ofthe American Society of SafetyEngineers (ASSE) are seekingnominations for the 1999 OregonGovernor’s Occupational Safetyand Health Conference Awards.These highly competitive awardshonor companies, individuals, andassociations who are pioneers increating safe and healthful work-places for Oregon workers.

The selection process for theawards will proceed parallel toplanning for the 26th BiennialOregon Governor’s OccupationalSafety and Health Conference.Recipients of the awards will behonored at a luncheon awardsceremony on March 11, 1999, thefinal day of the conference.

The 1999 Oregon Governor’sOccupational Safety and HealthConference will be held at the

Oregon Convention Center inPortland, March 8-11, 1999. Anyonewishing to nominate an individual, ateam, or an organization for theirachievement in one or more of theaward categories should contact OR-OSHA for a nomination packet. Thedeadline for submitting nominationsis October 1, 1998.

For more information about theconference or the awards nominationprocess, contact Karen Blythe (503)665-1149. ■

Please mail me a nomination packet

Employer awardsFive awards will recognize employers that have

made an outstanding contribution to occupationalsafety and health. Categories for nomination are: smallemployer (up to 30 employees), medium employer(31-99 employees), large employer (more than 99employees), public employer, and new business(companies established in Oregon for five years orless).

Safety committee awardsThese awards recognize private and public safety

committees that have made substantial efforts in theprevention of workplace injury and illness. Categoriesfor nomination are: small employer (up to 30 employ-ees), medium employer (31-99 employees), and largeemployer (more than 99 employees).

Individual awardsThese awards are for an individual or team who has

made a significant contribution to the field of occupa-tional safety and health. Categories for nomination are:safety professional, individual or team, industrialhygienist, health professional, and labor representative.

Association awardThis award is for any Oregon trade association, labor

union, or business association that has made significantcontributin to the field of safety and health on behalf ofits members.

Livesaving awardThis award is for an individual or individuals who,

while on the job, demonstrated extraordinary efforts tosave the life of another person. ■

T W E L V E

The OR-OSHAAudiovisual LibraryThe OR-OSHAAudiovisual Library A R E S O U R C E F O R P R O M O T I N G

H E A L T H & S A F E T Y I N T H E W O R K P L A C E

You may have seen the movieDeath Takes a Holiday, either in itsoriginal 1934 production or in the1971 made-for-TV version. In eithercase, it’s likely you were struck, as Iwas, by the underlying premise ofthe film, that death could “take aholiday,” so that for a period of timeno one in the world would, or could,die.

Unfortunately, reality is moreaccurately represented by anothermovie, a selection from the OregonOSHA audiovisual library videoentitled Dancing Alone. The charac-ters in this movie are not actors, butreal people. The viewer is broughtinto a poignant series of interviewswith co-workers, friends, and familymembers of a man killed in aworkplace accident. Though thevideo itself is brief (less than 15minutes), the viewer comes awaywith a profound sense of his or herown mortality and with the feelingthat occupational safety and healthis, after all, something to be takenseriously.

Without being too grim, I’d like tosuggest that such reflections aren’tentirely inappropriate as we moveinto the spring and summer months.While nature itself is bursting withnew life and activity, employers andworkers in our state typically reflectthis by moving into high gear withintheir own industries. But before weget too busy, we might want toremind ourselves that death doesn’ttake a holiday, and that more

No vacations for safety!By Don Harris,AV Librarian, Oregon OSHA

injuries and fatalities occur duringthese months when workplaceactivity is at its height. The tempta-tion is to let things slip, to shorten orskip a safety committee meeting, orto take a dangerous shortcut on thejob. But when safety takes a vaca-tion, tragedy works overtime.

Dancing Alone and other pro-grams available from our audiovi-sual library help us to pause, take abreath, and focus on our priorities.In the rush of business, this is time

well-spent. Knowledge and aware-ness can make the difference be-tween life and death for workers inOregon. Access to this knowledge isavailable at Oregon OSHA onvideotape, in print, and in person atlittle or no cost to you. All you haveto do is ask. We hope you will.

If you have questions about theOregon OSHA audiovisual library,please contact Don Harris by phone,(503) 378-3272; fax, (503) 373-7014;or e-mail, don.j.harris@state.or.us. ■

New arrivals for 1998The following programs have been added to the OR-OSHA AV

Library and are now available for scheduling.

Agricultural Safety Training Manual (#477)

Ergonomics: the Practical Approach (#770)

Fall Protection Systems (#772)

Fire… in the Workplace (#773)

Dealing with Manual Handling (#774)

Recognition, Evaluation & Control of Hazards (#775)

Lockout/Tagout: When Everyone Knows (#776)

Safe Handling of Gases (#777)

Latex Allergy: Stop the Reaction! #778)

Accident Investigation (#779)

Setting the Standard: an Overview of Heli-logging (#780)

The Ultimate Driving Challenge (#781)

That’s SHARP – as in Safety andHealth Achievement RecognitionProgram. SHARP is a program of theOregon Occupational Safety andHealth Division (OR-OSHA),Consultation and Services Section. Itprovides an incentive for Oregonemployers to work with their em-ployees to develop and implementeffective Injury and Illness Preven-tion Plans (I&IPP).

OR-OSHA encourages employersto use OR-OSHA consultation,technical, and education resources,and to involve their employees inestablishing effective I&IPP. Theprogram provides public recognitionof employers and employees whohave worked together successfully toprevent injuries and illnesses in theirworkplaces and awards a certificateof achievement signed by theadministrator of OR-OSHA. AllOregon employers are eligible,regardless of size or type of busi-ness.

If you want your business to be aSHARP employer, you must agree toa comprehensive consultation thatincludes a complete I&IPP assess-ment and a rating of the plan’seffectiveness. A comprehensiveconsultation addresses all real andpotential safety and health hazards,and administrative issues andprograms and reviews the business’sinjury and illness prevention plan. Aconsultant works with you to correctidentified hazards and to put aneffective plan into action. A SHARPemployer must involve employees inthe development, operation, andimprovement of all elements of itsworkplace safety and health plan andin the decisions that affect theirsafety and health. This is usuallyaccomplished through the safetycommittee process.

Oregon has 13 SHARP employers!By Jani Johnston,Executive Assistant, Oregon OSHA

After the consultation, a writtenreport to the employer explains thefindings of the visit and confirmscorrection strategies and schedules.The report may include recommen-dations for hazard correction,improvements to the injury andillness prevention plan, and theemployer’s proposals for meetingSHARP requirements. For a year ormore after the consultation, the OR-OSHA consultant remains availableto help develop an action plan. Afterimplementation of the plan, theemployer requests a final, on-siteevaluation for SHARP approval.

Spirit Communications, Inc. ofTualatin was Oregon’s first SHARP-certified employer. Spirit Communi-cations has continued to be active inthe program and received the firstSHARP certification renewal lastOctober. The company installscommunication systems primarily innew construction. Barrett BusinessServices of Eugene began workingtowards SHARP certification in

December 1996 and received itscertificate in August 1997. TheEugene office is one of several inOregon working with temporary andleased employees for many indus-tries in the state. The AlbanyCopeland Lumber Yards, Inc.received SHARP certification inOctober 1997. It’s part of a chain ofstores that sell lumber and buildingmaterials in five western states andhas an excellent safety record.

Would you like to contact aSHARP employer and find out whatit’s like to work with an OR-OSHAconsultant? A complete list ofOregon’s SHARP employers isavailable on the Internet at http://www.cbs.state.or.us/external/osha oryou can call the OR-OSHA Consul-tation and Services Section, (503)378-3272. The list includes the nameand telephone number of a contactperson at each business. For moreinformation on this program, pleasecall any OR-OSHA office. ■

T H I R T E E N

?Ask OR-OSHA

Applying OR-OSHA standards to “real-life” situationsmay not always be “standard” procedure. Sometimes,answers and solutions to problems can be tricky. AskOR-OSHA is a regular feature of Resource so that yourquestions concerning OR-OSHA standards and yourbusiness may be answered by experts. So please, AskOR-OSHA by calling the Standards and TechnicalSection, (503) 378-3272 or e-mailing your question totech.web@state.or.us. We’ll answer your question(s) asquickly as possible. We’ll also print selected questionsand answers in this newsletter so that the answer to yourquestions may help someone else.

✦

QWhat is the proper procedure for disposing offluorescent light bulbs?

AAlthough the disposal of fluorescent light bulbsdoes not fall under Oregon OSHA jurisdiction, a

potential exposure to mercury exists if the bulbs arebroken during the disposal process. Exposure limits formercury are found in the Air Contaminant Standard.To avoid this problem, caution should be used to avoidbreakage of the light bulbs. For additional informationregarding proper disposal procedures contact the Depart-ment of Environmental Quality at 1-800-452-4011.

QIs a 10-inch rise for an 11-inch run (approxi-mately 43 degrees from horizontal) an accept-able angle of stairway rise?

AAccording to OAR 437, Division 2, 1910.24(e),fixed stairs are to be installed at angles to the

horizontal of between 30 and 50 degrees. Any uniformcombination of rise/tread dimensions may be used thatwill result in an angle or rise within the permissiblerange. The standard also requires that the rise height andtread width be uniform throughout the flight of stairs,including any foundation structure used as one or moretreads.

QWhat constitutes infrequent or short-durationspray finishing?

AYour question refers to OAR 437-002-107,Spray Finishing, and more specifically to paragraph

(1)(a)(A), which states that the rule does not apply whenspraying is infrequent and of short duration. This exemp-tion applies when the surface area per job is less thannine square feet. In addition, painters must use less thanone gallon of paint per workshift, and when multiplespraying jobs are done, the vapors created during thespray finishing must be eliminated before the next jobcan begin.

Q Is the use of dual-component spray finishingoutside a booth prohibited?

A OAR 437-002-1920.107(m)(1) specifically statesthat dual-component paints must be sprayed within

a spray booth.

QWhat are the posting requirements when aworkplace is determined to have a permit-required confined space?

A1910.146 requires that the employer informexposed employees by posting danger signs or by

any other equally effective means, of the existence andlocation of and the danger posed by the permit space. Asign reading “DANGER PERMIT-REQUIRED CON-FINED SPACE, DO NOT ENTER” or other similarlanguage would satisfy the posting requirement.

The sign should be clearly visible and placed in anarea where potential entrants could see the sign. Thestandard does not contain criteria for size, color, size ofprint, or composition. In most cases, an 81/2-by-11 inchsign posted at the opening to the confined space wouldmeet the intent of the rule. Some of the larger safetysupply houses sell these signs. ■

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F O U R T E E N

F I F T E E N

Return to: Oregon OSHA, 350 Winter St. NE, Room 430, Salem, OR 97310-0220

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Resource is a newsletter concerning occupational safety and health in Oregon. To subscribeto this free publication or to change your mailing address on your current subscription, fillout and return this form or call (503) 378-3272.

S U B S C R I P T I O N F O R MRESOURCE

Beware of hot oil!By Marilyn J. Scott, CSP, ARM,Oregon Health Division, Environmental, Occupational and Injury Epidemiology

Food service workers have thehighest number of severe burninjuries of any occupation in Oregon,according to a study conducted bythe Oregon Health Division (OHD).Of the 2,306 serious occupationalburns that occurred in Oregon from1992-1997, 34 percent (778) werefood service employees. New foodservice workers suffer the highestnumber of burns; 427 (55%) inci-dents occurred during the first yearof employment and 131 incidentsocurred within the first four weekson the job. It is startling to note that100 cases occurred among workers14-17 years of age.

The impact of a serious burnFood service burns occur in

restaurants, motels, hotels, hospitals,nursing homes, schools, grocerydelis and cafeterias.

Serious burns have a devastatingimpact on the injured worker’sphysical, emotional, vocational andfinancial well-being, particularlywhen there is a long healing andrehabilitation period. Medical costs

alone can reach $50,000 or more forserious burns involving hospitaliza-tion, mutiple skin graft surgeries,occupational and physical therapies,and outpatient treatments. Employ-ers also incur worker replacementand retraining costs in addition tothe costs associated with lost timeand multiple medical treatments.

Most common causes of burninjuries

OHD’s review of five years ofworkers’ compensation data showsthat hot oils, fats, steam, and hotwater caused 41 percent of foodservice burns. Food products, suchas coffee or soup, caused 37 percentof injuries and 9 percent wereburned while working with stoves,steamers, and fryers.

OHD investigations have foundthat the most serious burns occurwhen workers drain boiling fat or oilinto containers and then attempt tocarry the uncovered container to awaste disposal bin, usually locatedoutdoors. This task often occurs atthe end of a shift and before the oil

has cooled to a safe handlingtemperature of 100 degrees or lower.The risk for a burn injury increaseswhen the floor is slippery fromaccumulated grease and debris orwhen the worker must lift thecontainer chest-high or higher fordisposal. Using plastic buckets isparticularly hazardous because thehot oil melts the plastic.

Burns associated with pressurizedcookers occur when the lids blowopen because vents are plugged,relief valves are not operating, orlids are forced open before thepressure has dropped to a safe level.Burns also occur when employeesheat food containers in deep fryers.

What can the employer do?The Oregon Health Division

encourages employers to do thefollowing:

■ Train workers and frequentlyreinforce safe work procedures

■ Instruct workers to cool hot oilto 100 degrees or lower beforedisposal

See “Hot oil,” on page 16

Oregon Occupational Safety & Health Division350 Winter St. NE, Rm. 430Salem, OR 97310

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

BULK RATEU.S. POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT NO. 24

SALEM, OREGON

Questions?OR-OSHA has field offices across Oregon. If you have questions or need

information, call us toll free at 1-800-922-2689 or phone one of the officeslisted below. (All phone numbers are V/TTY).

BendRed Oaks Square1230 NE Third St.,

Ste. A-115Bend, OR 97701(541) 388-6066Consultations:(541) 388-6068

Salem Central350 Winter St. NE,

Rm. 430Salem, OR 97310-0220(503) 378-3272Fax: (503) 947-7461

Portland9500 SW Barbur Blvd.,

Ste. 200Portland, OR 97219(503) 229-5910Consultations:(503) 229-6193

Eugene1140 Willagillespie,

Ste. 42Eugene, OR 97401(541) 686-7562Consultations:(541) 686-7913

Pendleton721 SE Third St., Ste. 306Pendleton, OR 97801(541) 276-9175

Medford1840 Barnett Rd., Ste. DMedford, OR 97504(541) 776-6030Consultations:(541) 776-6030

SalemDAS Bldg. 1st. Floor1225 Ferry St. SESalem, OR 97305(503) 378-3274Consultations:(503) 373-7819

Visit us on the Internet World Wide Web at:http://www.cbs.state.or.us/external/osha

CONSUMER BUSINESS SERVICES

DEPARTMENT OFDSCB

D

■ Provide containers designed tosafely transport waste oil

■ Keep cooking equipmentcleaned and lubricated asrecommended by themanufacturer

■ Keep floors clean and dry■ Keep the area around the waste

oil container clean and free ofdebris

For assistance with your occupa-tional safety and health program,contact your workers’ compensationcarrier or any Oregon OSHA office. ■

“Hot oil,” from page 15