Despite progress made over the past several decades in reducing the number of occupational deaths, an average of 12 workers are still killed on the job every day, Mary Vogel, executive director with the National Council for Occupational Safety and Health, said during the press conference. The National COSH recently reported that broader use of...
When a student returns to one of our classes after a few years, we’ll often hear, “Wow, things sure have changed! There are a lot of new techniques and equipment since the last time I attended.” So, why do we change our courses on a regular basis? If it worked back then, why change it?...
READER QUESTION: One of our readers recently asked about rescue requirements in excavations. We did some searching and found an interesting Letter of Interpretation (LOI) from OSHA that explains when rescue provisions are required during trenching operations. ROCO TECH PANEL ANSWER: The following is from OSHA LOI in regards to this answer. In regard...
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration today issued a final ruleto increase protections for construction workers in confined spaces. Confined spaces rule (29 CFR 1926 Subpart AA) could protect nearly 800 construction workers a year from serious injuries and reduce life-threatening hazards…Construction protections now match those in manufacturing and general industry. Manholes, crawl spaces, tanks...
St. George Fire Department Assistant Fire Chief Chad Roberson has been accepted into the third year of the Fire Service Executive Development Institute, the International Association of Fire Chiefs announced. Roberson competed with new fire chiefs and chief officers from across the country to become a member of the 2015 program. Roberson also has been...
The National Volunteer Fire Council has released six new videos on the proper use and maintenance of personal protective equipment for firefighters. The short videos, available on both NVFC’s YouTube channel and its equipment resources webpage, cover the following topics: The importance of PPE during overhaul, PPE cleaning guidelines, Guidance on replacing PPE, Protective clothing and equipment standards, Securing grants for...
Just a couple of weeks ago at a meeting in Florida, the final public comment revisions were made to NFPA’s new Confined Space Guide (NFPA 350). The document now goes before the NFPA Board for final approval. If all goes well, the new standard may be available next year. Back in August 2013, we first made...
Washington – On April 3, the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) completed its review of OSHA’s Confined Spaces in Construction Standard, paving the way for the final rule to move forward. The rule (29 CFR 1926.36) has been in the works for more than a decade. An OIRA review is one of the...
Maintaining proficiency when building rescue systems requires skills and experience – that’s why regular practice is critical! With continued practice in keeping it safe and simple (KISS), rescuers can learn to be more efficient with their equipment as well as in selecting and setting up rigging anchors. Proficiency with this allows them to get a running start in...
By Pat Furr, Roco Chief Instructor/VPP Coordinator It is still happening out there, folks. Fatalities are still occurring during permit required confined space entries. Unfortunately, workers are dying because the permit space (or the entrant) was not properly prepared prior to entry. And, tragically, many of these fatalities are the would-be rescuers, who are trying to...
