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IN THIS ISSUE...

WORKING SAFELY WITH CRYOGENICS
A FIRST LOOK AT SECONDARY CONTAINMENT 
CHAO BRANDISHES ENFORCEMENT STICK
FYI: OSHA LAUNCHES SHIPYARD ERGO GUIDES
FYI: ERGO GUIDELINES FOR NURSING HOME INDUSTRY
SAF-T-TRIVIA

WORKING SAFELY WITH CRYOGENICS

Cryogenics is the study and use of materials at extremely low temperatures. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), the term "cryogenics" applies to all temperatures lower than -150°C (-238°F).

Liquid nitrogen, liquid oxygen and liquid helium are commonly used substances in cryogenic work. Cryogenics are applied in various industries and fields of study, including tool and metal tempering, nuclear research, electromagnetism and many laboratory techniques. Surgeons have begun to use cryogenics to treat Parkinson's disease, to destroy brain tumors and to arrest the advance of cervical cancer. Rocket engines are fueled by liquid oxygen, as are cutting and welding torches.

Anything as cold as these common cryogenic liquids is inherently dangerous and should be handled with extreme care. Special precautions are a must, so consider the following before starting any project that involves cryogenic materials.

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE APPAREL 
Personal protective equipment is critical when working with cryogenics. Always wear chemical splash goggles and face shields during the transfer and handling process to guard against splashes and the possibility of vessel rupture causing flying debris.

Wear loose-fitting, insulated gloves that are made to withstand extremely low temperatures. If a splash gets inside the gloves, the loose fit allows them to be thrown off easily and rapidly.

Wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers to protect all parts of the skin. Pant legs should go over the tops of footwear so spills won't get inside boots or shoes. A spill inside a shoe could cause extreme tissue damage before the shoe could be removed.

PHYSICAL EFFECTS OF EXPOSURE 
Contact with cryogenic liquids to the eyes or the skin can cause serious frostbite injuries. Tissues that have been frozen will be painless while still frozen and may look waxy and yellow in hue. When frostbitten skin thaws, the pain is extreme. Skin becomes red and swollen and become susceptible to infection.

FIRST AID 
If any body part is exposed to a cryogenic liquid or gas, the tissues should be restored to normal body temperature by running warm liquid over the affected part. Water should be approximately 108°F and never more than 112°F. The affected body part should never be rubbed; this can cause further damage to the area. The victim should receive emergency care as quickly as possible so that tissue damage can be accurately assessed and any further damage minimized.

For more information on cryogenics and how to work safely with cryogenic liquids, go to:
http://www.labsafety.com/refinfo/ezfacts/ezf290.htm.

http://www.labsafety.com/store/product_group.asp?dept_id=8080&parent_id=658

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A FIRST LOOK AT SECONDARY CONTAINMENT

If you are transporting or storage hazardous chemicals, you are required by law to keep them inside containers that meet very specific standards. But your responsibility doesn't stop there. The law also requires secondary containment-containers that act as a credible backup in the event of leaks or spills. These can include sumps, overpacks and spill platforms.

The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) governs the implementation and enforcement of standards relating to secondary containers. You can find regulatory chapter and verse on secondary containment in 40 CFR 264.175. Here are some of the main points.

• The containment system must have a base free of cracks or gaps, and must have the capacity to contain a spill of the contained liquid until it can be removed. 
• The base must be sloped to remove the liquid, or the container must be sitting on a platform to protect the container from contact with leaked materials. 
• The system must be able to hold 10 percent of the volume of all the containers held, or 100 percent of the largest container, whichever is greater. 
• Run-off into the containment system must be prevented unless the overall capacity is large enough to meet both the volume requirements of the hazard and the run-off volume.

For more information, see EZ Facts® document No. 182, Secondary Containment Storage Requirements:
http://www.labsafety.com/refinfo/ezfacts/ezf182.htm.

To visit the EPA Web site and to access the appropriate regulations, go to: 
http://www.epa.gov

For a selection of drum containment products, got to: http://www.labsafety.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=10958

For a selection of pail containment products, go to: http://www.labsafety.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=10961

For a selection of tank and intermediate bulk container secondary containment products, go to: http://www.labsafety.com/store/dept.asp?dept_id=10960.

To Index

CHAO BRANDISHES ENFORCEMENT STICK

A law is passed, regulations are written, and then what? Hopefully, all concerned parties comply, and history indicates that, given good information and adequate time, most will. In this country, the majority of employers have willingly participated with government efforts to improve workplace safety conditions.

But what about those few who drag their feet or deliberately circumvent compliance with safety regulations? As of March 11, 2003, employers who expose their workers to serious safety and health hazards or continually defy regulations will be subject to an enhanced enforcement policy. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao, put it this way: "…there are those who, despite OSHA's enforcement and outreach efforts, continually disregard their very basic obligations under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. This enhanced enforcement policy is meant for them."

OSHA's Enhanced Enforcement Policy will focus on those employers who have received "high gravity" citations. This level of citation is issued when an employer's violations are considered to be at the highest level of severity.

The policy focuses on strengthening five specific areas of enforcement:

• FOLLOW-UP INSPECTIONS 
  Employers who received serious citations can expect more inspections. OSHA area directors may send inspectors to other sites owned by the same employer. 
• PROGRAMMED INSPECTIONS 
  Through OSHA's Site Specific Targeting process, names of overall corporate entities will be recorded during all inspections, and those with a record of high-gravity citations will get priority for subsequent inspections. 
• PUBLIC AWARENESS OSHA 
  will inform the corporate headquarters when any of their work sites are cited and will continue to issue local and national press releases of enforcement actions. 
• SETTLEMENTS 
  OSHA may require that noncompliant companies hire consultants to implement corrective measures, that compliance agreements are implemented throughout the corporation, and may require other conditions for accident reporting procedures and consent for future OSHA inspections. 
• FEDERAL COURT ENFORCEMENT 
  OSHA may apply to federal courts for enforcement of citations or, in cases where noncompliance persists, to seek contempt of court sanctions.

In keeping with the OSHA mission to assure worker safety and health, this initiative goes after the worst of the bad apples. It is designed to have an impact on those establishments that received OSHA citations with the highest severity of willful violations, multiple serious violations at the highest level of severity, repeat violations at the originating establishment, failure-to-abate notices or a serious or willful violation associated with a fatality.

For more details, see the OSHA press release at:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=10125&p_text_version=FALSE

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FYI: OSHA LAUNCHES SHIPYARD ERGO GUIDES

OSHA will develop guidelines for the shipyard industry to help employers reduce ergonomic-related injuries among workers. Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health John L. Henshaw made the announcement on April 1, 2003. Representatives from industry and labor have agreed to work with OSHA to develop draft guidelines that will be available for public comment.

Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics show that, in 2001, the injury and illness rate for the shipyard industry was 17.2 compared to an injury and illness rate of 5.7 for all private industry. In 2001, 33.6 percent of injuries and illnesses that resulted in days away from work for shipyard workers were musculoskeletal disorders.

The draft guidelines are expected to be ready for public comment later this year. They will be published in the Federal Register for review before becoming final.

OSHA announced its comprehensive plan to dramatically reduce ergonomic injuries on April 5, 2002. In addition to industry- and task-specific guidelines, the plan includes tough enforcement measures, workplace outreach, advanced research and dedicated efforts to protect Hispanic and other immigrant workers. OSHA's first set of industry-specific guidelines, for the nursing home industry, were published in final form on March 13, 2003.

To Index

FYI: ERGO GUIDELINES FOR NURSING HOME INDUSTRY

The first set in a series of industry-specific guidelines for the prevention of musculoskeletal disorders in the workplace was published by OSHA on March 13. The publication marks a milestone in the agency's comprehensive approach to ergonomics. The guidelines reflect the best practices for tackling ergonomic problems in the nursing home industry.

The guidelines focus on developing processes for protecting workers, identifying problems and implementing solutions for lifting and repositioning residents and for other activities, and for training resources and access to additional sources of information.

While OSHA emphasizes that specific measures or guideline implementations may differ from site to site, all facilities should minimize manual lifting of residents in all cases, and eliminate such lifting when feasible. OSHA also encourages employers to implement a basic ergonomic process that provides management support while involving workers, identifying problems and implementing solutions, addressing reports of injuries, providing training and evaluating ergonomics efforts.

OSHA is currently working on guidelines for the retail grocery and poultry processing industries.

The OSHA guidelines are available online at: http://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/nursinghome/final_nh_guidelines.html.
For a PDF version of the guidelines, go to: http://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/nursinghome/final_nh_guidelines.pdf.
For frequently asked questions about the guidelines, go to: http://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/nursinghome/FAQ_nh_guidelines.html.
For a guidelines fact sheet, go to: http://www.osha.gov/ergonomics/guidelines/nursinghome/nh_factsheet.html.

To Index

SAF-T-TRIVIA

LAST WEEK'S QUESTION:

According to ANSI standards, emergency shower heads must be positioned within what range:

A, 72-96 inches from the floor
B, 86-92 inches from the floor 
C, At least 6 feet from the floor 
D, 82-96 inches from the floor

The correct answer was: D, 82 - 96 inches from the floor.

This week's winner is Denise, from Elkhart, IN Congratulations! She wins the LSS reusable lunch bag!

THIS WEEK'S QUESTION:

Flammable liquids with a flashpoint of 73 degrees F are what class?

A, IA 
B, IB 
C, IC 
D, IA or IB depending on the boiling point

Submit your answer to SafTTrivia@labsafety.com by Monday, April 21. We'll select one lucky winner from all the correct entries we receive. If you are selected, we will notify you by e-mail. Good Luck!

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