ECN Forum Forums Safety Discussion and News Occupational Safety Discussion Safety at heights?

We had an arc flash incident here and everyone was shocked. My first question was why a guy was working hot in a 1600a switchboard without PPE and people just look me like "What do you mean"?
There are lots of cowboys around here who do not have a clue about safety.
I used to work for a big company that made safety a condition of employment and my wife carried that on to the big company she built houses for. (no PPE, get off the job site until you get it, sort of thing)
She used to condemn bad extension cords, stop people from making home built ladders and scaffolding on drywall buckets. Everyone wears real footwear, hardhats as soon as the walls are up and safety glasses.
I have safety glasses with me all the time (my sunglasses) and to this day I wear no metal. (I saw a ring melt on a guys finger once).
It seems to be the little shops and sole proprietors who don't care. I guess they are not attracting enough attention from the insurance company or they think they are supposed to pay out the nose. In a big company, there is money to be saved if you can demonstrate an effective safety program. I guess the OSHA fines may be higher too.

I had a solution for the sweaty ears problem when I worked in a metal stamping plant.
Wad up a few layers of TP and stick them in the cups.
It sucked up the sweat and was simple enough to change when needed (which in summer could be every hour or so).

Greg,
I like you and your wife's attitude, if you can't turn up to your normal work day with the required PPE, in my opinion, you have no reason being there, no matter what you are employed as.

I once saw a guy using a 9" angle grinder, years ago, he had safety glasses on and a flip-up visor on over the top of it.
The guy working about 9' away from him had no safety gear on at all, apart from some gloves, I think.
The cut-off disc the guy was using shattered at full speed, the guy without the PPE on copped a large piece of it between the eyes and there were bits imbedded in each eye.
All we could do was stop the bleeding and put two doughnut bandages over both eyes until the ambulance arrived.
The guy that was wearing the PPE, ended up with a shard of the disc embedded in the visor, he gave us a hand to load the other guy into the ambulance.
The other guy lost an eye and needed surgery on his eye socket in the other one.
PPE is so simple to wear, so easy to put on, only an idiot would not want to use it.

Hey Trumpy,

Thank you for asking this type of question about safety and precautions!

When working at heights, safety is paramount. Following OSHA guidelines in the US https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/qlikview/publications/osha3021.pdf or local regulations elsewhere is crucial.
This includes using proper harnesses, safety lines, and fall arrest systems. Having a detailed work plan and a rescue plan in case of emergencies is essential.
Prioritizing regular equipment inspections, ongoing training, and communication among team members are also key factors in ensuring a safe working environment at heights. Additionally, being aware of weather conditions and potential hazards can further enhance safety measures

Thanks
(Marcos)

The fall protection rules in the US are very strict and largely ignored from what I see. Violations around fall protection and training are also always at least 4 of the top 10 OSHA violations cited
I am looking at a roof crew on a 6:12 roof walking around unencumbered by any fall protection at all.

Recently, there seems to be an issue with the single family home builders. Lack of railings at the staircase landings, lack of railings on the stairs, same for the 'balconies'. And 'temporary' stairs to the basements, and upper levels.

I told my inspectors to not enter, leave a red tag.

Wow, the phone calls. "Provide safe, compliant access, or no inspections."

Problem solved.

They must have done that for the house they are building up the road from me because they suddenly nailed up railings on the stairs and the wrap around deck. It is 14 feet to the dirt below. Roofers still work un-feathered and that roof is more like 22-23' above ground level at the eaves.

Fall protection is a topic that really separates the “I’ve been there” from the chair-borne “experts.” (Why is it so many are instant experts about things they’ve never experienced?)

OSHA rules? Just a few observations. . .
— Even in the most intrusive settings, I’ve never heard of a “work plan” or a “rescue plan.” You’re on your own — which is usually a good thing!
— The rules are, IMO, completely out of touch with reality. Just to make one example, the exact equipment that I would use when climbing El Capitan (Yosemite) or the Matterhorn (Switzerland) is specifically defined as being inadequate when I’m changing light bulbs in an office;
— The rules are rather used to manage by bullying. Somehow a ladder becomes a “work platform” the moment you do anything from it — and heaven forbid you use the ladder to step off onto another level!

That said, a funny story . . .
The last job I had before entering the trade, I was working as a temp for a contractor setting up shelving in a massive warehouse. We were working on a mezzanine (second level) about 10-ft. Above the main floor. The mezzanine was also under construction at the time, and there were no guard rails; in some places the floor decking was also absent.
arriving on the job I noticed a substantial dried blood trail across the mezzanine floor. The day before someone had been badly cut by sheet metal (gee, now I know why I was hired!). A cluster of management types arrived to inspect the site of the accident.
The next day we had our only safety meeting. The boss told us: Don’t cut yourself — and if you do, don’t bleed on the floor! A voice from the crowd called out “And if you fall from the mezzanine, be sure to shout ‘I quit’ before you hit!”
The boss was confused; he didn’t get the joke. It was even funnier watching him pretend to laugh while not understanding the humor.

We haven't seen all the fallout yet and the answers will come from the court but there is a lot of speculation that the Loper Bright decision might go a long way toward trimming OSHA powers.
All of the alphabet agencies are going to be questioned about regulation without legislation.
My bet is ATF will be the first to be examined, simply because the NRA has lawyers already looking at some of their administrative rule making.