Professional Safety - December 2019

WORKER
PARTICIPATION

Appliance
Electrical Safety

Band Saw Safety

Confined Spaces

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CONTENTS
Features

Peer-Reviewed

20 29 35

WORKER APPLIANCE BAND SAW SAFETY
PARTICIPATION ELECTRICAL SAFETY TECHNOLOGIES
PROGRAMS Using OSHA’s NRTL Flesh-Sensing
A Multielement Program Mechanisms &
Approach Other Devices
By Veronica Stanley
By Joe Story and By Albert Weaver III, Grace
Jason Kight This article discusses OSHA reg- Callahan, Ashley Hearn and
Many organizations fail to take ulations applicable to appliances, James McCall
a comprehensive approach to and details the agency’s national-
worker participation and are ly recognized testing laboratory Band saw injuries represent
unable to reap the full bene- program as applicable to appli- 11.5% of all OSHA-reported saw
fits of employee involvement. ances. Examples demonstrate injuries from 1984 through 2017.
Worker participation can in- how to read equipment mark- This article explores safeguards
crease if numerous participation ings, and readers will gain in- to help avoid band saw incidents
opportunities are made avail- sight useful for determining the such as flesh-sensing mecha-
able to employees. This article acceptability of electrical appli- nisms, blade-housing interlocks,
summarizes various participa- ances. The article also discusses blade brakes and blade-tracking
tion requirements and offers program elements recommended windows. Many of these state-of-
suggestions for creating a more for strengthening an existing ap- the-art mechanisms are beyond
comprehensive workforce partic- pliance electrical safety program the current regulatory and con-
ipation program. and resources for developing a sensus standard requirements
new program. but are available now for use.

DECEMBER 2019 ABOUT PROFESSIONAL SAFETY
VOL. 64, NO. 12
Professional Safety is a blind peer-reviewed journal published monthly by
COVER the American Society of Safety Professionals, the oldest professional safety
society. Professional Safety keeps the professional OSH specialist informed on
Making a variety developments in the research and technology of incident prevention, industry
of participation best practices and safety management techniques.

opportunities Judgments made or opinions expressed in Professional Safety feature articles,
available to news sections, letters to the editor, meeting reports or related journal content
do not necessarily reflect the views of the editor, nor should they be considered
workers can help an expression of official policy by ASSP. They are published for the purpose of
increase employee stimulating independent thought on matters of concern to the OSH profession
and its practitioners.
participation in
safety and health Correspondence should be addressed to the editor. Editor reserves the right
efforts. Photo kali9/ to edit manuscripts and other submissions in order to improve clarity and style,
E+/Getty Images and for length.

2 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

EDUCATION YOU CAN TRUST
TO ADVANCE YOUR SAFETY CAREER

Whether you are taking courses to learn more about a topic, earn one of our esteemed certificates or prepare for an industry
certification exam, we provide OSH education you can trust. Sharing knowledge is at the heart of what we do, which is why we
strive to make learning immersive, accessible and practical through several learning formats.

PROGRAM COURSE CEUs DATES LOCATION
Fall Protection
Managed Fall Protection 2.1 February 23 - March 29, 2020 Online Course
Safety Management
Implementing ISO 45001 2.1 March 1 - March 29, 2020 Online Course
Safety Management I 2.1 March 16 - 18, 2020 Chicago, IL
Safety Management II 1.4 March 19 - 20, 2020 Chicago, IL

Risk Assessment Risk Assessment 2.1 February 23 - March 29, 2020 Online Course
Essential Risk Assessment Tools 1.4 March 1 - March 29, 2020 Online Course
Prevention Through Design 1.4 March 1 - March 29, 2020 Online Course
Risk Assessment 2.1 March 23 - 25, 2020 Chicago, IL
Manage Risk, Not Safety 0.7 March 26, 2020 Chicago, IL
Safety Metrics for the 21st Century 0.7 March 27, 2020 Chicago, IL

Math Review 0.7 December 8, 2019 Chicago, IL
ASP Exam Prep 2.1 December 9 – 11, 2019 Chicago, IL
CSP Exam Prep 2.1 December 12 – 14, 2019 Chicago, IL

Certification Preparation Math Review 0.7 January 12, 2020 Chicago, IL
ASP Exam Prep 2.1 January 13 - 15, 2020 Chicago, IL
CSP Exam Prep 2.1 January 16 - 18, 2020 Chicago, IL

Math Review 0.7 March 16, 2020 Atlanta, GA
Math Review 0.7 March 16, 2020 Virtual Classroom
ASP Exam Prep 2.1 March 17 - 19, 2020 Atlanta, GA
ASP Exam Prep 2.1 March 17 - 19, 2020 Virtual Classroom
CSP Exam Prep 2.1 March 17 - 19, 2020 Atlanta, GA
CSP Exam Prep 2.1 March 17 - 19, 2020 Virtual Classroom

Industry Topics Human Dynamics of Safety 0.4 December 3, 5, 10, 12, 2019 Virtual Classroom
Success & Beyond Las Vegas, NV
Orlando, FL
Safety Events SafetyFOCUS 2020 up to February 13 -20, 2020
Safety 2020 5.6 June 23 - 25, 2020

up to
4.2

Learn more at ASSP.org/Education

CONTENTS
Departments

6 President’s Message 45 Worth Reading EDITORIAL STAFF
Building leadership skills A book review of Safety Ethics: Tina Angley, Editor
Cases from Aviation, Healthcare and (847) 768-3438;
7 ASSP Connection Occupational and Environmental [email protected]
ASSP Foundation’s effort to raise Health
awareness of the OSH profession, Sarah Astra, Associate Editor
mentoring opportunities 47 Checkpoints (847) 768-3414;
Fundamentals of machine guarding [email protected]
8 Safety Matters
Construction safety, secondhand 48 Best Practices Griffin White, Assistant Editor
smoke exposure, emerging risks in Playing it safe with playground (847) 768-3468;
the aviation industry safety [email protected]

13 Business Class 50 Product Pulse Publication Design Inc.
Making safety and productivity The latest safety innovations Design Consultants
interdependent in the workplace
52 Continuing Education EDITORIAL REVIEW BOARD
16 Best Practices Events during December, January Frank G. D’Orsi, CSP, ARM, Chair
Using remote video technology to and February
reduce risks of confined space entry Frank J. Bruzzese, CSP, CIH, CPCU
54 Vantage Point
18 Leading Thoughts A perspective about perceptions of Salvatore Caccavale, CHMM, CPEA
Being a big data coach the safety profession
David A. Dodge, P.E., CSP
42 Best Practices 56 By the Way
The relationship between Winter ways Cari M. Elofson, CHST
demographics and discomfort for
truck drivers E. Andrew Kapp, Ph.D., CSP, CHMM

Professional Safety copyright Professional Safety is available Steve Minshall, CSP, CIH
©2019 by American Society of free online to ASSP members at
Safety Professionals. All rights www.assp.org/publications/ Justin J. Molocznik, CSP, CHST
reserved. No copyright is claimed in professional-safety. Articles are
any works of the U.S. government also available via microform SOCIETY OFFICERS
that may be published herein. and/or electronic databases
For information on reprinting or from ProQuest, P.O. Box 1346, Diana M. Stegall, CSP, CFPS,
reproducing articles published in Ann Arbor, MI 48106-1346 USA; ARM, SMS, CPCU
Professional Safety, visit www.assp phone +1 (800) 521-0600. For President
.org/publications/professional-safety. specific format details, visit www.proquest
.com. Deborah R. Roy, M.P.H., R.N.,
PSJ (ISSN 0099 0027) is published CSP, COHN-S, CET, FAAOHN
monthly by the American Society of Safety POSTMASTER: Send address changes President-Elect
Professionals, 520 N. Northwest Highway, to Change of Address Dept., ASSP, 520 N.
Park Ridge, IL 60068-2538 USA; phone (847) Northwest Highway, Park Ridge, IL 60068- Bradley Giles, P.E., CSP, STS,
699-2929; [email protected]. 2538 USA. GIOSH
Periodicals postage paid at Park Ridge, IL, Senior Vice President
and at additional mailing offices.
Christine M. Sullivan, CSP, ARM
Vice President, Finance

Todd William Loushine, Ph.D.,
P.E., CSP, CIH
Vice President,
Professional Development

Jennifer M. McNelly
Chief Executive Officer

ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE
Michael Sanders
(847) 232-2038;
[email protected]

4 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

EDUCATION
YOU CAN TRUST AND ACCESS

Drive results at your organization and advance your understanding of safety all from the convenience of
your office, home or anywhere an Internet connection is available. Take advantage of our online courses with
interactive video lectures, virtual discussions and scenario-based/real-world assessments. Courses include:

Prevention Through Design Essential Risk Assessment Tools

4 Weeks | 1.4 CEUs 4 Weeks | 1.4 CEUs
Z590.3 Standard included
Build a solid foundation on how to mitigate risk
Develop a foundational understanding and learn before it leads to injuries and catastrophic events.
from hazard identification, risk assessment practical Practice using risk assessment tools to identify
applications and case studies. hazards, analyze and evaluate.

Implementing ISO 45001 Risk Assessment

4 Weeks | 2.1 CEUs 5 Weeks | 2.1 CEUs
IS0 45001 Standard included
Develop skills to help proactively manage and
Understand this game-changing safety and health identify workplace risks that you might not find any
standard about engaging management, identifying other way. Identify ways you can identify hazards,
organizational responsibilities, promoting risk-based then analyze and evaluate the risks they pose.
approaches and assessing risk.
Safety Management Specialist
Managed Fall Protection Certification Preparation

5 Weeks | 2.1 CEUs Self-Paced | 2.1 CEUs
ANSI/ASSP Z359.2-2017 Standard included
Earn the Safety Management Specialist certification
Become an expert in how to protect your and show you have the skills to manage operations
organization from the perils associated with safely and use safety management systems.
employees falling from heights.

Learn more at ASSP.org/Education

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

INVEST IN BECOMING A BETTER LEADER

Diana Stegall As I have been talking with you Doing so enables us to focus on com-
mon leadership traits such as integrity,
Connect With Diana the past 2 months about the changing confidence, communication, setting
world of work, I have been personally a vision and motivating others. These
Join Diana on LinkedIn, follow reflecting on the counsel many CEOs traits help us build trust with our fol-
her on Twitter or comment on offered during the Executive Summit lowers, create hope, provide stability
her message at www.assp.org/ at our annual conference: “Build your and act with compassion.
news/presidents-message. leadership skills.” As we navigate the
changing world of work and seek to Depending on your position, you may
The first step in influence our stakeholders, that advice develop or demonstrate these traits in
developing as a has never been more important. various ways. One benefit of getting
leader is to know involved with ASSP is the ability to de-
yourself. What As you likely know, a long-running velop these skills in a safe environment.
strengths do you debate centers around whether leaders As a volunteer leader, you can improve
bring to the role? are born or made. Various studies of your communication skills, learn how
These strengths twins reveal that genetics account for to create a shared vision for a particular
influence your only 25% to 30% of the traits that typ- project and develop skills to motivate
leadership style. ically result in holding a supervisory others to participate.
role, such as intelligence and extrover-
sion. That leaves 70% to 75% of leader- For example, if you want to gain
ship traits that can be learned, which confidence in public speaking, consider
is great news for anyone seeking to asking your chapter leaders if you can
become a better leader. introduce the speaker at the next meet-
ing or serve as a roundtable facilitator.
When we think about leaders and If you want to work on your commu-
leadership, we need to recognize that nication skills, try practicing being an
having a title has little to do with active listener at your next meeting.
actually leading. An effective leader Truly focus on what the person says
drives an organization or a team to and reframe it to ensure that you
continuous improvement. Isn’t this understand correctly. These types of
exactly what each of us strives to ac- skills, along with many others you will
complish in our organizations and learn as an active ASSP volunteer, are
with our workforces? transferable throughout your career
and across your relationships.
There are many different leadership
styles. The style you use depends on Each of us must continue to devel-
your relationship with your team and op our leadership skills so we can be
those you are trying to influence, as influencers who make a true impact
well as on what you are trying to ac- within our organizations. ASSP pro-
complish. All leadership styles share vides training and education to help.
characteristics and require certain We also offer several publications
qualities and skills that you can learn. that address safety leadership and
influence, and PSJ regularly features
The first step in developing as a leader columns and articles with tips you can
is to know yourself. What strengths do immediately put into practice. Invest
you bring to the role? This is not too in yourself to become a better leader.
different from assessing a work environ- It will help you, your employer and
ment to identify areas for improvement. the profession. PSJ
In this case, you assess how you can
leverage your strengths rather than fo- Diana Stegall, CSP, CFPS, ARM,
cus on what is wrong. These strengths SMS, CPCU
influence your leadership style.

This past year, we have been using
the Gallup CliftonStrengths assess-
ment among ASSP’s elected leaders and
staff to individually and collectively
assess and understand our strengths.

6 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

ASSP CONNECTION

GET INVOLVED WITH THE ASSP FOUNDATION

Helping to Recruit the Next Generation of Safety Professionals

Do you have a passion for spreading the word about the
OSH profession? The ASSP Foundation wants to hear from you.

The ASSP Foundation is building a safety career recruitment
program to raise awareness of the OSH profession and help devel-
op the pipeline of the next generation of workers. We are working
to increase the impact of the ASSP Foundation through outreach
beyond those who are already committed to the profession.

•Are you doing work in your community to educate students
and others about safety careers?

•Do you visit schools on career day or exhibit at career fairs?
•Do you promote safety as a profession in your work with oth-
er nonprofit organizations or schools?
If you have developed or utilized presentations, activities or tool kits
to highlight safety as a viable career option, or if you are interested in
getting involved in the development of these programs, we want to
hear from you. Your submissions will support efforts to create resourc-
es that members can use as a recruitment or educational resource.
Better than anyone, our members know what a wonderful career
choice the safety profession is for future generations as well as peo-
ple considering a career pivot. Get involved with ASSP Foundation’s
mission to showcase and raise awareness of the profession. 
Submit your presentations and ideas to [email protected],
or ask how you can get more involved in this effort.
COURTNEYK/E+/GETTY IMAGES
DJANGO/E+/GETTY IMAGESMentor Someone Read PSJ
New to the Profession on the Go

A good mentor can make a difference in the career of someone If you enjoy reading Profession-
who is new to any profession by offering inspiration, encourage- al Safety, why not take it on the
ment, or a simple word of support. Our Emerging Professionals in go? Get instant access to the
OSH Common Interest Group has launched a mentor program to journal on your mobile device
bring together new and seasoned members of the safety profession. through the Professional Safety
Through mentor-mentee pairings, members can make connections app, available on Google Play
that foster support, career growth and professional development. and the App Store. Read past
issues, share articles and search
How does it work? Mentors and mentees are paired based on for information. Learn more at
the answers provided during application to ensure a fulfilling www.assp.org/publications/
and rewarding experience for both people. Teams are matched professional-safety.
for 6 months with an option to continue for longer. Mentors are
not expected to provide employment or business opportunities
for mentees, rather, to share life lessons, advice and coaching.

Members can apply at https://assp.us/2XBZMlX.

Start Small With a Book Review

Authoring an article for a peer-reviewed journal to other readers in the community. Then try

can advance your OSH career by demonstrating turning that comment or response into a book

your credibility as an industry expert. It can also review or article review.

help you maintain a professional certification and Through Professional Safety, you can share your

create opportunities to network and make connec- perspective on books and articles in the journal’s

tions with peers in the same industry or practice. Worth Reading section. In this issue, you can read

But, writing an entire article may seem in- David Stumbo review of Safety Ethics (p. 45).

timidating even to the most seasoned safety Haven’t read anything good lately? If you are Empower the
next generation
professional. Starting small can help. An easy looking for a book to review, let us know your to pursue their

way to start writing for publication is by re- interests or area of expertise and we may be passions.

viewing a book or article. able to find a book for you.

Think about a safety-focused book or article Contact the editors at professionalsafety@

you’ve read that changed your perspective or assp.org for more information, or download

understanding of an issue. Or think about a our book review guidelines, which provide

book you would recommend to a colleague. several starter questions to help guide your

Consider what you might say to the author or evaluation, at https://assp.us/2CY3c9g.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 7

SAFETY MATTERS

ASSP Update

BLS Releases Injury Data; ASSP Calls for Employers to Act

ASSP is calling on employers to take steps to protect U.S. work- protect worker well-being on and off the job. Both can help

ers from injury and illness in response to newly released data companies create true safety cultures by shifting from compli-

from Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). BLS reported that 2.8 mil- ance-based approaches to risk-based programs.

lion nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses occurred in private In addition, the Society recommends that organizations use

industry in 2018, unchanged from the previous year. It was the next-generation approaches such as total worker health to move

first time since 2012 that the incident rate did not decrease. beyond traditional wellness initiatives and take a broader view

“Stagnant injury rates are unacceptable and a clear call to of worker well-being.

employers nationwide to take a harder look at their approach “There are widespread benefits when a business makes occu-

to workplace safety and health,” says ASSP President Diana pational safety and health a priority,” says Stegall. “Not only do

Stegall, CSP, CFPS, ARM, SMS, CPCU. “Incidents that harm workers return home safe to their loved ones, but quality and

workers are occurring far too often in every industry. Most oc- productivity flourish, helping organizations achieve sustainable

cupational injuries and illnesses are preventable given today’s growth, meet social responsibilities and be viewed as employers

technologies and proven safety and health strategies.” of choice.”

ASSP recommends that employers implement safety and To review the latest BLS data, visit www.bls.gov/news.release/

health management systems and adopt strategies to better osh.nr0.htm.

CPWR Report Explores Musculoskeletal
Disorders in Construction Workers

CPWR—The Center for Construction Research and Training has released a report,
“Trends of Musculoskeletal Disorders (MSDs) and Interventions in the Construction
Industry,” with insights on the effects of MSDs on construction workers. MSDs are
soft-tissue injuries caused by sudden or sustained exposure to repetitive motion, force,
vibration and awkward positions, which are common in construction work. The re-
port describes the trends, demographics, rates of low-back pain and other symptoms,
and resources to address the barriers to preventing MSDs.

Among the key findings, researchers found an increase in median days away from
work due to work-related MSDs, from 8 days in 1992 to 13 days in 2017. Nearly 46%
of construction workers self-reported that they had one or more MSD-related symp-
toms. According to the report, the back remained the predominant body part affected
by work-related MSDs, accounting for 42% in 2017. More than 27% of construction
workers aged 55 and older reported that arthritis or joint pain limited their activities.

Read the report at http://bit.ly/2Ogytux.
BLYJAK/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Study Suggests Long Work ROWAN JORDAN/E+/GETTY IMAGES

Hours May Increase Stroke Risk

A study published in Stroke ing hours for 10 years or more were

found that working long shifts may recorded. According to the re-

dramatically increase the risk of searchers, participants who worked

stroke, especially when working long hours were at a higher risk of

long shifts for a decade or more. stroke, with an adjusted odds ra-

The study used a French popula- tio of 1.29. In addition, those who

tion-based cohort to retrieve infor- worked long hours for 10 years or

mation on age, sex, smoking and more were at higher risk of stroke,

working hours from the baseline with an adjusted odds ratio of 1.45.

questionnaire. Researchers defined Researchers concluded that while

long working hours as more than there is an association between long

10 hours a day for at least 50 days working hours and stroke, future

per year. study may confirm this link and

Of the more than 140,000 par- identify prevention strategies for

ticipants, more than 1,200 (0.9%) reducing long working hours and

strokes occurred, more than 42,000 helping workers who may already

(29.6%) cases of long working hours be at a higher risk for stroke.

were documented and more than Read the study at http://bit.ly/

14,000 (10.1%) cases of long work- 2XM0fSX.

8 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

Study Finds Greater Chance 5 Things That
of Heart Disease Risk Factors Will Improve
in Mistrusting Workplaces Your Soft Skills

A study published in Journal of Environmental Research Any time in your career is a good time to
and Public Health found that employees in mistrustful envi- become a better communicator and team
ronments had a greater chance of having risk factors for heart player. Here are five steps straight from the
disease. The study examined trust and seven cardiovascular experts that will help you get started.
disease risk factors: smoking, obesity, poor diet, low physical
activity, diabetes, high cholesterol and blood pressure. The 1 Take Stock of Your Strengths
study points to the importance of companies focusing on the and Weaknesses
policies, programs and practices that affect workers’ health.
2 Ask for Help
The study of 412,000 U.S. workers asked whether partici-
pants’ supervisors created an open, trusting environment. Of 3 Practice Focusing on
the participants, 21% reported that their supervisor did not Your Audience
create such an environment, and among those workers the odds
ratios were greatest for having four or more of the cardiovascu- 4 Record and Evaluate
lar disease risk factors. Your Progress

The authors recommend improvements to the work envi-
ronment to reduce cardiovascular disease risk among workers,
including social modification to the work environment, such as
adjusting managerial style to create an open and trusting envi-
ronment. The authors also recommend that companies target
health behaviors to create a healthier workforce.

Read the study at http://bit.ly/34pM5cM.

Study Finds Bullied Workers 5 Seek Professional
Experience Health Issues Development Opportunities
& Negative Emotions
Be a Safety Leader.
Employees who experience bullying not only experience
health-related problems but also may experience disengage- Register at SafetyFOCUS.assp.org
ment from work, according to research from University of
East Anglia. To read the full article, visit SafetyFOCUS.assp.org/blog

During the study, “Phenomenological Configurations of February 13 – 20, 2020 | Las Vegas, NV
Workplace Bullying: A Cluster Approach,” researchers ques-
tioned 1,019 employees about their experiences of workplace
bullying, counterproductive behavior and health symptoms,
coping strategies, negative emotions experienced at work
and moral disengagement, or rationalizing one’s own actions
and absolving oneself of responsibility for the consequences.
While previous research has shown a link between being the
target of bullying and behavioral problems, this study consid-
ered different types of bullying, health problems and resulting
negative behaviors.

Among the participants, 4.4% reported being frequent vic-
tims of bullying and also experienced health problems and
more experiences of negative emotions and disengagement.
Victims of workplace bullying were more likely to experience a
lack of problem solving and high-avoidance coping strategies,
such as drinking alcohol when having a problem, experiencing
frequent negative emotions such as anger, fear and sadness, and
moral disengagement from work.

“The findings highlight that victimization is associated not
only with health problems, but also with a greater likelihood of
not behaving in line with the expected social and organization-
al norms,” says researcher Roberta Fida. “The greater the inten-
sity of bullying and the more the exposure to different types of
bullying, the higher the likelihood of engaging in counterpro-
ductive workplace behavior.”

Read the study at http://bit.ly/34h521a.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 9

SAFETY MATTERS

MAXIPHOTO/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS Grant to Provide
Fall Protection
App Helps Building Designers Identify Sized for Women
Potential Hazards on Construction Sites
According to a 2014 study from
According to Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, nearly half of U.K. American Journal of Industrial Med-
construction incidents have been connected to building design. To help reduce these icine that analyzed women who work
incidents, researchers from Glasgow Caledonian University have conducted an ex- in the construction industry, many
periment in which architects utilize an app that displays potential hazards at building participants reported that protective
sites. Researchers developed the app to keep architects and designers aware of risk gear including fall protection har-
before construction begins. nesses are often too large and require
adjustments to fit women. PPE is not
In the experiment, 20 experienced and 20 novice designers from two typical in- one-size-fits-all, and many women
dustry groups of architects and civil engineers were asked to review a set of comput- who require fall protection in the
er-aided design drawings, identify hazards and make design decisions. Half were workplace find that the PPE provided
randomly assigned use of the app. is fitted to men’s sizes.

The designers were able to identify more than three times the number of hazards than To remedy this, Autodesk, a construc-
those who did not use the technology. When the experiment was conducted on civil engi- tion technology company, provided grant
neers, they identified five times more hazards than those who did not use the technology. funding to Associated General Contrac-
tors of America to supply fall protection
“We wanted to create a knowledge database that recognizes there are many design harnesses sized for women to their mem-
options, and each has its own pros and cons when it comes to safety and health,” says bers. According to Autodesk, the grant
project leader Billy Hare. “Therefore, designers can make informed decisions.” will fund the purchase of approximately
300 harnesses.
A key factor for this research was the visual nature of the digital app’s content, which can
be especially helpful to new graduates, says Hare. According to Hare, the app will utilize “The construction industry agrees
knowledge from more experienced designers for the next generation to counter organiza- safety must be everyone’s priority,
tional memory loss and reduce the risk of repeating mistakes that can cause incidents. but we also need to recognize when
safety needs aren’t being met for some
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/2rsnHs0. workers. Technology is improving job-
site safety, but it’s not a silver bullet,”
says Autodesk’s Allison Scott. “Con-
struction is and will continue to be a
people-driven business. The industry
needs more people, and women must
feel safe and welcome on jobsites if we
want them to choose a career in con-
struction. Ultimately, when we address
safety for women, we improve safety
for everyone.”

For more information, visit http://bit
.ly/2rsnHs0.

CPWR Study Examines Connection Between Heat-Related

Fatalities, Climate Change & Construction Workers

CPWR—The Center for Construction workers and a possible association with ous U.S. were associated with higher

Research and Training has published climate change. The researchers used heat-related death rates, while the

results of a study that explored heat-re- heat-related fatality data from 1992 to number of annual heat-related deaths

lated deaths among U.S. construction 2016; statistical tests to examine heat-re- in construction rose significantly over IPGGUTENBERGUKLTD/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS

lated deaths in relation to temperature, time. Cement masons were 10 times

time and geographic region; and current more likely to die as a result of heat

population surveys to match with de- while roofers and helpers were seven

mographic and occupational categories times more likely when compared to the

in rate calculations. average construction worker.

Researchers found that construction The researchers conclude that climate

workers, who make up 6% of the total change has increased the risk of heat-re-

workforce, accounted for 36% of all U.S. lated death, and construction workers are

occupational heat-related deaths from at high risk of this kind of fatality.

1992 to 2016. In addition, the higher Read key findings at http://bit.ly/

summer temperatures in the contigu- 2QREE9Z.

10 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

LIGHTFIELDSTUDIOS/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUSReport Highlights
Secondhand Smoke Exposure
Among Nonsmoking Workers

A study published in Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report focuses on
workplace secondhand smoke exposure among U.S. nonsmokers. Second-
hand smoke exposure contributes to health issues such as heart disease,
lung cancer and stroke. The study found that despite implementation of
smoke-free laws, secondhand smoke continues to affect nonsmoking work-
ers employed in certain industries.

In 2015, 19.9% of nonsmoking workers reported exposure to work-
place secondhand smoke during the past year; 10.1% reported frequent
exposure. Workers who reside in states with comprehensive smoke-free
laws in all three venue categories (private work sites, restaurants and
bars) reported a significantly lower prevalence of frequent exposure
to workplace secondhand smoke. In all states, self-reported workplace
secondhand smoke was highest in the commercial and industrial ma-
chinery and equipment subcategory within the repair and maintenance
industries category, followed by the transportation industry (i.e., air,
rail, pipeline, scenic and sightseeing). The construction industry cate-
gory had the highest number of nonsmoking workers reporting second-
hand smoke exposure.

NIOSH recommends that employers implement workplace-specific
smoke-free policies that complement state and local smoke-free laws to
help reduce secondhand smoke exposure among workers and protect
workers’ health.

Read the report at http://bit.ly/2Drjjwx.

NEW FROM ASSP

FRED MANUELE ON

SAFETY MANAGEMENT

By Fred A. Manuele

Fred Manuele is a respected thought leader in
safety whose many works have influenced the
safety profession and inspired some of the profes-
sion’s most prominent authors, leaders, speakers
and educators. To highlight the significance of his
work, this book presents a collection of his contri-
butions to the profession that have appeared in
Professional Safety over the years.

Topics include: Addressing serious injuries and
fatalities; risk assessments; prevention through de-

sign; acceptable risk; and oc-
cupational safety and health
management systems.

Visit www.assp.org or call
(847) 699-2929 to order

List Price: $39.95
Member Price: $31.95
Hardcover, 332 pp, ©2018
Product number: 4460
ISBN 978-0-939874-21-7
e-book also available

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 11

SAFETY MATTERS

NIOSH Travel Planner Prepares Small Businesses

for Safety & Health Risks of Employee Travel

NIOSH has developed a resource to The planner includes additional re- leases, planning check-ins). The planner

help small businesses protect employees’ sources for employers and employees to also includes customizable lists such as a

safety and health during international prepare for travel, such as an employer travel health assessment, a location safety

travel. The resource includes job, location task timeline to help organize the em- and health plan, a packing list, contact

and personal checklists for each stage in ployer and employee’s timing for tasks and emergency information, an incident

travel: pretravel, on-travel and posttravel (e.g., passports, reviewing company risks report, and a posttravel report.

planning. The travel stage checklists pro- and liability with company counsel, com- Read the planner at http://bit.ly/2O

vide questions to help identify key risks, pleting necessary paperwork and re- Jx8eL.

considerations and actions that should be

addressed before, during and after em-

ployee travel.

Before traveling, small business own-

ers are encouraged to have a conversation

with the traveling employee to prepare

for safety and health issues that may arise

at the new work site (e.g., necessary PPE,

differences in safety and health rules,

workplace customs and culture, language

differences). Some checklists provide

space for follow-up actions, resources

and a timeline for remedying or address-

ing the potential hazard. Employees are

encouraged to review pretravel plans

every 2 to 4 weeks and continue to check

it as conditions change (e.g., personal SIMONKR/E+/GETTY IMAGES

health changes, transportation plans,

safe accommodations). Once the work

assignment is finished, focus should shift

to work-closure activities and transition-

ing back to daily life at home.

Report Shows Safer Aviation & Emerging Risks

According to a report from Allianz Global Corporate and “Pilots now have much more live information at their fin-

Specialty, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, despite gertips while current navigation systems have the capability

record numbers of passengers, the global airline industry has to determine an aircraft’s position to the thousandths of a

experienced some of its safest years in terms of fatal incidents; mile,” says E. David Williams, assistant professor of aero-

3 of the past 4 years have been the safest ever for air travel, the space and occupational safety at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical

report says. University. “Improvements in science have also allowed the

Focusing on safety developments in commercial aviation aviation industry to better understand how human factors

worldwide, Aviation Risk 2020: Safety and the State of the Na- can affect safety. Pilot fatigue, training, crew resource man-

tion identifies insurance claims trends that affect the industry agement and other factors have become increasingly import-

and highlights several risk trends and challenges that may af- ant issues.”

fect the aviation sector in the future. The report also highlights a range of emerging risk scenarios,

The report, which analyzes more than 50,000 aviation insur- including:

ance industry claims from 2013 to 2018, finds that collision/ •Pilots’ overreliance on aircraft automation systems have re-

crash incidents account for more than half the value of all sulted in incidents, highlighting the need for pilots to be better

claims (57%) and more than a quarter of claims by number prepared to take manual corrective actions in the event of tech-

(27%). More costly grounding and business interruption inci- nical malfunction.

dents resulting from cyber and drone events, and more inci- •Incidents of turbulence are predicted to increase due to

dents of turbulence are among the trends expected to influence climate change with the North Atlantic flight passageway antic-

the loss landscape. ipated to see the greatest increase.

According to the report, aerodynamic and airframe improve- •Incidents on the ground remain problematic and could

ments, fly-by-wire aircraft and more effective safety inspections exacerbate because airport infrastructure has not kept pace

have dramatically reduced incident rates over the past decades. with the rapid growth in passenger and aircraft numbers.

At the same time, engine manufacturers have nearly eliminated Crowded servicing areas and aprons result in more collisions

the chance of engine failure, while precise radio and avionics, and ramp incidents.

improved air traffic control technology and better collision sys- Read the report at http://bit.ly/2DfClpp.

tems have also had a positive effect, the report says.

12 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

BUSINESS CLASS

Eliminating the Fork in the Road

MAKING SAFE & PRODUCTIVE
INTERDEPENDENT

By Peter T. Susca

“One day Alice came to a fork in the road and saw a Cheshire cat in a tree. ‘Which road do I take?’ she
asked. ‘Where do you want to go?’ was his response. ‘I don’t know,’ Alice answered. ‘Then,’ said the
cat, ‘it doesn’t matter” (Carroll, 1865).

Unlike Alice, organizations typically have a The OSH profession should widen its hierarchy of Peter T. Susca
very good idea of where they want to go. They controls beyond the realm of OSH. The prevention
create vision and goals, and muster the necessary or removal of non-value-adding forks in the road Peter T. Susca, M.S.,
resources to achieve these expectations. Unfor- should be a higher-order value than controlling the is a principal at OpX
tunately, business functions (e.g., operations, harm from decisions made at the fork. These forks, Safety and has 35 years
quality, safety, purchasing, financial), while by their nature, often create competition between of environment, health
aligned around a common business performance the organization’s high-order values and generate and safety, business
expectation, often go about achieving the goal by inherent human failure modes. At the pinnacle of leadership and process
traveling down separate roads. The independent the organizational hierarchy is the preventive prin- improvement exper-
nature of many business functions’ goals (e.g., ciple that workers should not have to make decisions tise. He has served in
performance measures, objectives, budgets) is about which value comes first on a given day. various EHS technical
often detrimental to operational health and effi- and senior manage-
ciency. Separation, to a fault, often creates unnec- Organizational Heroes ment positions in large
essary competition, decision points and choices: Supervisors often depend on workers to create suc- multinational corpora-
essentially, forks in the road. tions. He has developed
cess in challenging situations. Typically these situations EHS management sys-
The focus of this article is the fork in the road exist when it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to jug- tems, rating systems,
where productivity and safety diverge. This fork and gle all of an organization’s separate expectations at the auditing and auditor
the resulting decision often facilitate an overwhelm- operational front line. These jugglers often decide that certification programs,
ing amount of risk and consequently harm or loss balls must be dropped and the defined edges created by risk assessment pro-
in the workplace. More than 20 years ago, my good rules and procedures must be rounded to achieve suc- cesses, educational
friend and leadership facilitator Tom Masiello drew cess in the moment. This situation is often created by management systems,
the fork (Figure 1) during one of our management the separate expectations of the management team not executive EHS develop-
training sessions and we have used it as a powerful being integrated and realistic at the front line of work: ment programs, qual-
visual tool ever since. the creation of an inherent poor decision fork. ity and EHS systems
integration, incident
The safety profession applies various methodol- Since performance is most often measured by out- investigation and high-
ogies to protect workers at the fork, such as telling comes (e.g., happy customers, number of units com- risk industry fatality
them to stop work, changing their bevavior and pleted, no injuries), workers can achieve production prevention programs
protecting them from harm when they go down the and service goals in an unsafe manner and, as long for a wide variety of cli-
wrong road. These safety controls do not eliminate as they do not get injured, they appear to be success- ents. Susca is a member
the fork (or the underlying organizational reasons), ful. Workers who consistently get difficult jobs done of ASSP’s Connecticut
and therefore maintain failure modes that require without being injured are viewed as organizational Valley Chapter. Reach
commitments and investments that can be per- heroes. They are often touted by leaders as exam- him at opxsafety@cox
ceived as counterproductive. This article discusses ple-setters who go the extra mile to save the day. .net, www.opxsafety
the prevention and removal of the fork, rather than .com or connect with
the process of controlling risks and harm at forks FIGURE 1 him on LinkedIn.
in the road.
THE FORK IN THE ROAD

Business Class Article Series

This article series chronicles the principles and techniques
that readers can apply to transition safety and the safety
profession closer to the core of what organizational leaders
value. The foundational philosophy is that safety challenges
stem from larger organizational issues. By understanding
the core business values, OSH professionals can begin to work
from the inside out to engage business leaders, rather than
the typical outside-in approach to integrating safety with
business. If leaders can tap into this information, they can use
it to improve the organization as a whole, and move safety
from a purely moral imperative to an indicator and facilitator
of organizational health.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 13

BUSINESS CLASS

FIGURE 2 Safe and productive
are interdependent
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SAFE & PRODUCTIVE
Safe = Productive
Safe and productive
are independent

Productive

Safe

Decision No decision point
point

At the fork, During a presentation to a large group of regional easier, pleasing, inexpensive, efficient). Productive
one route managers for a service company, I showed a photo of is often based on the individual’s perception at the
is safe and a man scaling a chain-link fence using a stack of pal- time of the decision. Counterproductive, therefore,
the other is lets for access. I asked the group of leaders, “What becomes the perception of slow, costly, inefficient,
productive. kind of worker operates like this in your company?” displeasing, extra or unnecessary steps, and profit
Knowing this was a safety presentation, most said and revenue reducing actions.
These that this worker was problematic or unsafe.
forks exist How often do safety and health controls in an
because I told them the backstory of my example. This organization align with this definition of counter-
safety and worker was one of many service staff members who productive? In my experience, the answer is most of
productivity, their organization sends to customer sites to con- the time. With productivity typically being top of
although duct surveys. Typically, a key holder would meet the mind organizationally and personally, the amount
they may service person to provide access to the facility. On of effort and resources that it takes to be consistently
at times be this occasion, the service person arrived and waited safe (counterproductive) becomes overwhelming.
in parallel, half an hour for the key holder. Because this worker Therefore, to make safety truly good for business, it
are often in is dedicated to getting the job done and taking care is imperative that organizations prevent or remove
opposition. of the best interests of the company, he decided (not all unnecessary forks in the road.
for the first time) to do what was necessary to make
the company and the customer happy. Because the most productive route and the safest
route are typically not the same or interdependent,
I concluded the story with, “Ladies and gentle- a decision point is created. Most safety controls
men, this guy is your best worker, your hero. He is used in organizations today create a negative im-
the one who always makes success out of impending pact on productivity. For example, it would be
failure and never fails to please the customer. He’s a much quicker, easier and more profitable for a res-
productive problem solver and his safety (his lack of idential roofing company to operate without a fall
injuries) has always been stellar. Wouldn’t you like protection program.
all of your workers to be like him?” You could have
heard a pin drop. As in the fence climber example, going down the
productive road tends to be the easiest and most
This example was my lead-in to breaking the frequently rewarding for many workers. This de-
managers into groups to start the process of taking cision is reinforced when the productive road has
the fork out of their road. I challenged them to elim- been traveled routinely without any serious safety
inate this decision for their field staff in a manner ramifications. The productive road, in the mind of
that was both productive and safe for the company, the decision-maker, then becomes safe enough and
the customer and the workers. productive. Many seasoned and respected workers
have died because the odds finally caught up with
The Fork in the Road them while habitually traveling the productive road.
Workers often must make decisions when the road
Balancing Safe & Productive
they are travelling down splits. At the fork, one route When safe and productive are not interdependent,
is safe and the other is productive. These forks exist
because safety and productivity, although they may at a decision point exists that forms the fulcrum of a
times be in parallel, are often in opposition. This front- safe versus productive seesaw (Figure 2). When this
line decision dilemma is created by unbalanced business dynamic exists, it is difficult to sustain a balance
decisions higher up in the organization (Susca, 2019). between safe and productive. Therefore, when one
value is up, the other is usually down. For example,
Productive will be loosely defined herein as de- when a worker decides to stop a process due to a
livering improved results and benefits (e.g., faster,

14 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

significant safety risk, safe goes up while productive nizations often make decisions to allow equipment
goes down. During the last few days of the month to run to failure rather than take nonproductive
when the company needs to ship product to meet time to lubricate and replace elements that are
customer demands and financial goals, productivity prone to wear and failure. In this case, the seesaw
goes up and safety typically goes down. With these appears to be tipped with production up and reli-
two values in opposition, one is always put at risk to ability down. Worker safety is closely linked to re-
elevate the other. Couple this situation by measuring liability. When a production-critical process fails,
productivity and safety by results (outcomes) and maintenance staff will be called in to save the day.
you have the makings of a perpetually reactive and Repair workers will be under a high level of pro-
risky business environment. duction pressure to get the process up and running
to save production. In this case, a business deci-
Safe but not productive is ultimately unsafe. sion to preserve productivity places safety down
To move an organization out of this reactive see- and production up on the seesaw. High severity
saw of values, safe and productive must become hazards, low-level controls coupled with pressured
interdependent. When safe and productive are repair workers is a serious injury or fatality waiting
interdependent, the safe aspect becomes essential to happen. OSH staff teaming with reliability and
to productivity. This interdependence is similar process engineers can readily create solutions that
to two distinctly different elements combining to are productive and safe for workers. (See PSJ April
create a chemical compound, a blend of the atoms 2018, pp. 16-18, “Making Safety More Efficient and
of the elements that results in a completely differ- Effective” for additional examples.)
ent substance. In this case, as a compound, safe
and productive become more beneficial and stable Separate safety and productivity measures, goals
in the work environment. When these two values and objectives along with personal performance
become a compound, the result has the potential to accountability also create forks in the road. To
increase productivity, safety, profitability, engage- drive and sustain an interdependent approach,
ment and sustainability. Ideally the dynamic creat- organizations must evolve their metrics and ac-
ed when safe and productive are interdependent is countability accordingly. Performance measures
shortcut proof. The test for interdependence is this: must align and integrate safety risk reduction with
if you take away the safety provision, it makes the productivity improvement. Goals and objectives
approach less productive. should require the teaming of functional and oper-
ational staff, and success should be determined and
Making Safe & Productive Interdependent judged by those on the front line.
What does the interdependent compound of
Conclusion
safe and productive look like? Automotive wind- It is common in the OSH profession to believe
shield glass is a good example. Windshield glass is
laminated (safety) glass. The other windows in the that to be safe an organization or an individual must
vehicle are typically made of tempered glass. When sacrifice productivity. We often believe that sacrific-
damaged, tempered glass fragments into many ing productivity (e.g., impeding workflow, spending
pieces and, thus, is not used for windshields because hefty sums on controls) is how leaders must show
it results in poor visibility and harmful exposure. their commitment to safety. Why must an organiza-
Laminated windshield glass is designed to be both tion sacrifice productivity to be safe? This paradigm
safe and transparent. There is no good reason today of required sacrifice should be abandoned by the
to replace a windshield with a less safe, more pro- OSH profession if it truly wants to become an orga-
ductive (e.g., transparent) alternative. In the case nizational success partner.
of the windshield, its safety, by design, is literally
transparent to its productivity. There are many win-win productivity and safety
opportunities to be identified and created. Orga-
Workers and first-line supervisors desperately nizations need OSH professionals to build bridges
need our help in making their jobs more tena- between their peer functions and operations to
ble. They are being asked to juggle many separate create a more interdependent approach to man-
management expectations (e.g., safety, production, aging business risk and sustainable success. All
worker satisfaction, delivery, quality) that are over- such challenges and solutions must be driven by
whelming because they are separate. These separate the local work teams and supervision supported by
expectations are created by functions such as OSH functional staff. Eliminating the fork in the road
that are not working to combine initiatives and ex- will provide sustainable health to workers and the
pectations with other functions and operations prior business as a whole. PSJ
to being handed to supervision.
References
In a production or service environment, there
are many collaborative opportunities between Carroll, L. (1865) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. New
functions that are often working independently. York, NY: MacMillan.
For example, reliability groups are focused on pre-
dicting and preventing equipment failure. Their Susca, P. (2018, Apr.). Making safety more efficient and
responsibility is to keep critical processes up and effective. Professional Safety, 63(4), 20-22.
running with minimal cost and downtime. Orga-
Susca, P. (2019, Apr.). Balanced organizational deci-
sion-making. Professional Safety, 64(4), 16-19.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 15

BEST PRACTICES

CONFINED SPACES

Reducing the Risks of Entry With

Remote Video Inspection Technology

By Bob Levine

In January 2017, a worker entered a confined space and quickly became unresponsive. Two
coworkers attempted a rescue and both were overcome by what was later determined to be
carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulfide.

All three workers died and three addi- •toxic gas or chemical exposure; Besides providing
tional rescuers were exposed to the toxic •flammable or explosive atmospheres;
atmosphere but survived (OSHA, 2017). •liquid flowing or free-flowing solids; a safer, lower-risk
•excessive heat.
An all too common occurrence: a work- Toxic atmospheres are the most prev- method for ob-
er enters a confined space, collapses, and alent risk to a worker who must enter a
coworkers attempting rescue also become confined space. A toxic atmosphere may serving conditions,
casualties of a toxic environment. Despite cause various acute effects, including
increased training, greater availability of impairment of judgement, altered mental cameras can gen-
safety equipment and rescue personnel, status, unconsciousness and death.
and written entry safety rules mandated by erate images that
OSHA, workplace deaths involving confined OSHA Safety Procedures
spaces rose 15% in 2017, according to Bureau There has been a clear improvement go beyond human
of Labor Statistics (BLS, 2018). One common
thread in many of these fatalities is human in confined space entry safety in recent capabilities of us-
error. Training has been conducted, safety years. Many OSHA rules and regulations
equipment is available and rules have been have been implemented to make entries ing eyesight alone.
written, but for various reasons workers still safer. Unfortunately, even with these
enter unsafe spaces. If only confined space rules and regulations in place, confined worker is exposed to will directly correlate
entry could be avoided in the first place. space incidents still occur. to fewer incidents and increased safety.

Enter technology, specifically, porta- There are many reasons these incidents Why Do People Enter Confined Spaces?
ble remote video inspection equipment, occur, but one of the predominant reasons In one NIOSH study, it was discov-
which not only can reduce the need for is human error. Incidents that result from
confined space entry but also can provide human error occur as a result of overcon- ered that out of 100 confined space entry
the ability to visually monitor the worker fidence, deliberate neglect of procedures, incident fatalities investigated, the pri-
after entry has been made. forgetfulness, distractions and lack of mary reason the workers had entered the
preparation. Proper entry training is crit- confined space was to perform routine
Dangers of Confined Space Entry ical to safety, but it does not guarantee an maintenance, repairs, and inspections
Confined space entry is a major safety incident-free workplace. Even a seasoned of equipment or conditions within the
worker with a stellar safety record can, at space (Koester, 2018). This is where por-
concern in the industry. OSHA (2009) some point, fall victim to his/her own hu- table video inspection systems can play
defines a confined space as having: man nature with tragic consequences. a significant role. They can be used to
dramatically reduce the need to enter a
Limited or restricted means for The only absolute method to reduce the confined space when performing some
entry or exit and is not designed occurrence of confined space incidents is to or all of the tasks associated with certain
for continuous occupancy. Con- reduce or eliminate the need to enter them. types of maintenance-repair activities.
fined spaces include, but are not Safety is a numbers game: the less risk the
limited to, tanks, vessels, silos, Remote Video Inspection
storage bins, hoppers, vaults, pits, The basic description of a remote video
manholes, tunnels, equipment
housings, ductwork, pipelines, inspection system used for confined spac-
etc. There are many processes es is a video camera mounted on a pole or
and applications in industry that cable that can be inserted into a confined
use an area that would be de- space. The images produced by the video
fined as a confined space. camera are viewed remotely on a display
by an inspector who is situated outside of
They are exceptionally dangerous lo- the space. Besides providing a safer, low-
cations that have historically led to many er-risk method for observing conditions,
deaths of the initial entrant as well as cameras can generate images that go be-
secondary victims: would-be rescuers. yond human capabilities of using eyesight
alone. Different cameras allow the inspec-
Many atmospheric risks are associated tor to see things that the unaided human
with confined spaces. These include: eye cannot, such as thermal images, mul-
tispectral and optical magnification.
•oxygen deficiency;
•oxygen enrichment;

16 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

How Portable Remote Inspection Portable remote video
Reduces or Eliminates Entry inspection systems

Remote video inspection systems can allow workers to visually
perform this first look of conditions. If assess the status of
no problem is seen during the inspection,
then the individual may not need to enter. the environment and
If a problem is observed, the visual in- equipment in the confined
formation from the inspection can show
what the problem is in advance of entry, space without entry.
and what tools and materials are needed
for a repair. This can reduce the number Images with a time and date stamp can offer
of entries required to complete a main- proof that tank conditions were acceptable at a
tenance operation. When workers enter, particular time and location.
they already have the equipment needed
for a repair. They do not have to go into the can offer proof that tank conditions were advance knowledge of the problem allows
space to see conditions, then exit the space, acceptable at a particular time and location. the worker to enter with the tools and ma-
gather the appropriate tools and materials, terials needed to render a repair. The video
then reenter. In addition, this initial visual In some cases, input from other individ- inspection can also provide insight into
inspection from outside of the confined uals is required to render an opinion on the any potential safety hazards before the
space envelope can increase safety by alert- status of equipment or conditions in the entry. Some video inspection systems can
ing the inspector to any hazards that may confined space. This may be because a de- also help ensure the safety and well-being
be present in the environment before entry. cision requires the input of someone with of an individual in a confined space by
more experience or who has a higher level providing a real-time visual of the entrant
When Entry Is Necessary of authority. Video of the inspection op- in the space that can be viewed by the
The same remote video inspection tools eration can be made available in real time, OSHA-mandated attendant. This video
allowing others to see the space without the allows the attendant to take quick action if
can also play a role in increased safety risk of entry, or without being physically an unforeseen event affects the individual
during a confined space entry operation. present at the same facility. Video inspec- working in the confined space.
OSHA regulations require that the indi- tion systems can wirelessly stream the vid-
vidual who enters the confined space, the eo over networks or the Internet for others Technology-based remote video in-
entrant, must be supported by an individual to view who may be in a better position to spection systems can reduce the overall
who remains outside of the confined space, determine a course of action. level of risk and increase safety by reduc-
the attendant. It is the attendant’s duty to ing the number of confined space entries,
ensure the safety and well-being of the en- In many instances, these benefits can ensuring more accurate and efficient
trant. OSHA mandates that an employer provide further support to justify the inspections, and providing better moni-
provide all communication equipment and cost of additional safety equipment. toring of entrants. PSJ
means necessary to ensure that the atten-
dant (often referred to as the hole-watch) can Conclusion References
communicate effectively with entrants in a Confined spaces are found in many
permit-required confined space. If, following Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (2018, Dec.
the video inspection operation, it is deemed industries. Entry into these locations con- 18). National census of fatal occupational inju-
necessary to have an individual enter the tinues to be a major risk to the safety and ries in 2017. Retrieved from www.bls.gov/news.
confined space, some remote video inspec- health of the many workers who are tasked release/pdf/cfoi.pdf
tion systems are designed to be mounted or with maintaining the environment and
positioned so that they can generate images equipment in these spaces. Most mainte- Koester, C. (2018, Aug. 1). We must change
of the entrant in the space that would be nance and repair operations are initiated the statistics of confined space injuries and
viewed by the attendant. This real-time, by an individual who must first observe fatalities. Occupational Health and Safety. Re-
visual information can help ascertain the the location and equipment in question. trieved from https://ohsonline.com/articles/
well-being of the entrant while in the space. Portable remote video inspection systems 2018/08/01/we-must-change-the-statistics-of
can increase the safety of those involved in -confined-space-injuries-and-fatalities.aspx
Other Practical Benefits these operations by allowing them to vi-
In addition to safety, there are other sually assess the status of the environment OSHA. (2009, March 10). Confined spaces. Re-
and equipment in the confined space with- trieved from www.osha.gov/SLTC/confinedspaces
practical benefits for using video tech- out the need to make an entry. In addition,
nology to monitor confined spaces. It can following a remote video inspection, if it OSHA. (2017, July 18). OSHA investigation
provide a means of increasing efficiency is determined that entry is necessary, the finds safety failures lead to the death of three
for many industrial processes. workers who entered a manhole containing
lethal gases: Utility contractor cited for 10 seri-
Remote video inspection systems can ous violations. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/
also record images of internal conditions to news/newsreleases/region4/07182017
include in reports or for archival purposes.
This can help limit liability. As an example, Bob Levine is president of Zistos Corp. (https://zistos.com), a New York-based company known for
if a contamination event occurs in a tanker designing and manufacturing portable video systems used for industrial inspection, law enforcement,
truck loaded with product after the inspec- search and rescue, and military applications. Levine’s background includes more than 30 years as a
tion, images with a time and date stamp systems design engineer with degrees in physics and electrical engineering.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 17

LEADING THOUGHTS

THE BIG DATA COACH

By Wyatt Bradbury

Much like other leadership positions, athletic coach personalities can be stereotyped and
grouped. Some are “The Gipper,” always giving pep speeches before each evolution and on
Saturdays, pep speeches to prepare for the actual pep speech.

Wyatt Others are “back in my day” coaches relating be achieved. I lost sight of the people. I lost sight of
Bradbury stories of how they worked twice as hard uphill both the relationships being hurt with field leadership
ways in the snow year-round. Some are “The Tech- because metrics have such a critical level of impor-
Wyatt Bradbury, ASP, nical,” seeing small deviations in technique that ath- tance within the organization.
CHST, CIT, is a health, letes never knew existed, or “The Perfectionist,” who
safety and environ- wants things done one way or they will continue to In another position I held later, I still did not have
mental advisor for be redone (Poirier-Leroy, 2018). it figured out. In fact, there was relational regres-
Hitachi Rail STS. He sion, if that could be possible. Employees were pun-
is currently pursuing If you talked to any of the athletes I coached at the ished for poor metrics as they related to safety. If an
an M.E. in Advanced U.S. Masters Swim Team at University of Maryland, employee had a vehicle backing incident, damage or
Safety Engineering they would probably tell you that I am a “Big Data” not, that person was sent home for the day with pay
and Management coach (Poirier-Leroy, 2018). I really cannot deny that reduced. Even worse, this punishment was labeled
from University of I like data; it tells a story. Big Data coaches are the as coaching. The message being sent from the col-
Alabama Birmingham, sabermetrics wizards of other sports, living for the lective levels of management was that if an employee
and a B.S. in Occu- math, data, numbers, stats and splits. had an incident and affected the metrics for safety,
pational Safety and the employee would be sent home and not paid.
Health from Columbia If you asked those athletes to describe the hardest Accident, incident, not preventable by the human
Southern University. workout they ever performed in their careers, and affected, or a perfect Swiss cheese lineup of the con-
Bradbury serves as mind you, some of these are former D-1 athletes, tributing factors and failure in defenses, it did not
President of ASSP’s they would probably once again say that it was a matter. Not surprisingly, morale took a nosedive,
National Capital Chap- swimming exercise we played called baseball. And incidents began to go unreported and hard lessons
ter and is a member of yes, for you sports fans out there laughing, I did find about the relationship between numbers and people
the Society’s Emerging a way to make baseball require physical exertion. needed to be learned.
Professionals in OSH Baseball is the perfect game for a numbers-driven
Common Interest coach. Each athlete had three attempts (strikes) When coaching athletes, the purpose of the base-
Group. to swim one event (at bat) of my choosing. If the ball workout was to begin to equate the known and
individual achieved a goal time, unknown to that unchanging elements of time and percentage with
person before the event, then s/he got a break. If the the unknown and dynamic feeling of exertion. If
individual missed the goal time, I would disclose the you ask D-1 or Olympic athletes to give 80% effort
percentage of that goal left to achieve and the person or hold a pace for a duration, they will probably do
would go again until s/he “struck out” or achieved it with relative ease and without much thought. A
success. The goal time was based on past perfor- pace or percentage of effort has been hardwired into
mance at this point in the training cycle and season, their brains. In a race, however, the feeling of exer-
so it was actually a relevant number. tion and how they relate to their competition (if they
dare look) is all they have to go on. While they could
When one looks at the safety industry and the stop midway to calculate their time or see if they
fact that it tends to fall in the STEM category, a dis- are on pace, stopping is not a rational or practicable
proportionate number of safety professionals would expectation.
probably classify as Big Data coaches. Data are a
hallmark of right or wrong for the profession. Each Through this baseball workout, the athletes
year, safety professionals tally up the total record- learned to equate that feeling and level of exertion
able, days away, restricted or transferred, serious with a deficit or surplus to their goal. This result-
injury and fatality, and any other number of metrics ed in their behavior changing so that each athlete
that must be posted, uploaded or arranged for ex- would achieve the desired production without focus
ternal or internal stakeholders. The danger is, when wavering from the one item that is actually useful
professionals manage to the metrics, the employees in that race: the feeling of exertion. In this workout,
those professionals serve tend to work toward the the metrics were an indicator of how they were pro-
metrics that are managed. If the focus shifts from gressing toward their goal measurement without
safe production to hitting numbers and checking actually becoming the goal themselves.
boxes, what does that do to the risk throughout the
facilities and work sites? As safety professionals, using both leading and
lagging metrics as indicators instead of measures of
In one of my first safety positions, I was respon- our performance allows organizations to see how
sible for tracking the data for all incidents. I would safety management systems and cultures are matur-
look at time of day, day of the week, week of the ing or wavering (Esposito, 2018). This allows safety
month and month of the year. I would analyze leaders to correct course through the provision of
birth dates, hire dates and locations. Through all coaching, or positive reinforcement in real time,
of this analysis, I lost sight of what truly needed to without taking the message from one of safe produc-

18 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

CMCDERM1/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS tion to better numbers. Safe production remains the Through this baseball workout,
ultimate goal with the metric indicators providing a
piece of the context necessary to gauge success. the athletes learned to equate

I recently had a conversation with a professional that feeling and level of exertion
over the number of reported near-hits and safety
observations by employees within the organization. with a deficit or surplus to
This organization expects that each employee will
report five observations or near-hit reports per work their goal. This resulted in their
week. This professional was concerned that at a par-
ticular moment in time, the measure of the metric behavior changing so that
was not where it needed to be. In fact, the individ-
ual was so concerned about the number that the each athlete would achieve the
individual immediately demanded that employees
achieve the required goal. Sure enough, the number desired production without focus
was back on track in short order, but none of the
reports provided useful information for the orga- wavering from the one item that
nization. All had either been already reported and
were in various phases of review and remediation or is actually useful in that race: the
the reports were pencil-whipped without the con-
text needed to actually follow up. This professional feeling of exertion.
had lost sight of what the reporting actually meant
and, ultimately, who it was for. The measurement unless careful balance is applied to what picture the
was corrected, but it indicated no new value to the metrics provide and to ensure that they give both
organization or the people who the measure was a look back and a look ahead. Metrics are also not
put in place to protect. Instead of it being a positive all-inclusive and require that the human context be
tool of engagement to help employees identify and provided in ways that numbers never can. Metrics
manage the risks they faced in their daily tasks and are part of the process, demonstrating growth and
work environment, it became another box to check change, not the ultimate result.
so that management would get off their backs. In
fact, the message being sent was that the measure of The professional I spoke to made out the reporting
observations far exceeded the value brought forth by to be the result, not part of the process toward man-
the observations, and that employees should simply aging risk within the work environment. Instead,
work to achieve the measure because that is all man- had the individual looked at measuring closure of
agement really looks at or cares about. issues stemming from the observations as suggest-
ed by Esposito (2018), the value these observations
Metrics are an indicator or a perspective of how bring is reinforced while driving up engagement as
the organization is performing at that moment in employees see that they are seriously considered.
time (Esposito, 2004). In isolation, the numbers have
the ability to be manipulated into extreme pictures I could have easily told the athletes that their goal
of safety within the organization. Experience modi- time and the time they achieved with each effort.
fication rate (EMR) is a perfect example of this, with However, the focus would have immediately shifted
organizations with EMRs below 1 labeled as safe and from the effort and feeling to the numbers given.
those with an EMR above 1 as not safe. Numbers Instead, they began to realize that in the middle of
are easily misapplied, misunderstood or overvalued training, at the end of a workday, performing mul-
tiple efforts in close succession, they were within
single digit percentages of where they needed to be
and the process was therefore being reinforced in a
positive way.

The next time metrics are compiled and shared,
consider whether the numbers gathered are treated
as a final measure (Esposito, 2018). Are numbers
treated as a be-all-end-all for the organization,
potentially leaving out key elements of the context
that are imperative to accurate and precise under-
standing? Or, are we using metrics as an indicator
of progress and where the organization stands in its
ever-evolving journey to managing risks? PSJ

References

Esposito, P. (2004, May). Leading and process metrics.
Retrieved from presentation at AIHce 2004 Conference,
Atlanta, GA.

Esposito, P. (2018, June). Safety metrics: Corporate and
site-level scorecards. Professional Safety, 63(6), 30-33.

Poirier-Leroy, O. (2018, Oct. 19). 10 swim coach stereo-
types: What type is your coach? Retrieved from https://
swimswam.com/swim-coach-stereotypes

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 19

EMPLOYEE INVOLVEMENT KALI9/E+/GETTY IMAGES
Peer-Reviewed

WORKER PAR
PROGRAMS A

20 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

RTICIPATION

Multielement Approach

By Joe Story and Jason Kight

AACCORDING TO BEST PRACTICE RECOMMENDATIONS from Incident reporting requirements, providing workers with access
OSHA (2016b), employers are encouraged to involve workers to information and requiring workers to attend safety training
in safety and health efforts. Commonly used consensus stan- are examples of passive worker participation requirements
dards such as ANSI/ASSP Z10 and OHSAS 18001, as well as (OSHA, 2015b; 2016b; 2017). However, in other instances,
the newly issued ISO 45001 also emphasize the importance of participation requirements take a more active approach and
worker participation (ISO, 2018; Raines, 2011). CSB (2018) has require management and workers to collaborate. The new
also recognized the importance of worker involvement and confined spaces standard for construction, the process safety
introduced plans to begin involving workers in future incident management (PSM) standard and the requirement by 14 states
investigations. for employers to establish safety committees are examples of
Both workers and organizations can benefit from employee instances where workforce participation is active and collabo-
participation. Workers can often identify hazards missed by ration is required (OSHA, 2000; 2015a; 2016c).
management and can provide perspectives that frequently re-
sult in more effective leading indicators and control strategies. Numerous consensus standards also require worker partici-
Further, involving the workforce in safety management can pation. OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP) require
improve safety performance and morale, and increase employ- employees to “be involved in the safety and health management
ee acceptance of changes in workplace policies (OSHA, 2012; system in at least three meaningful, constructive ways” (OSHA,
Raines, 2011; Sarkus, 1997). 2008, p. 23). The directive also encourages organizations to in-
This article discusses the worker participation requirements volve employees in decision-making processes and specifically
found in OSHA and consensus standards, and proposes a frame- mentions worker inclusion in program audits, incident investi-
work to increase workforce participation and collaboration with gations, program implementation and work site analysis.
management. Additional best practice recommendations to
maintain worker engagement and motivation are also discussed. According to ANSI/ASSP Z10 (2017), employers are required
to ensure that everyone in an organization participates in the
Summary of Participation Requirements safety and health program. Guidelines from International La-
From a safety and health management standpoint, worker bor Organization (ILO, 2001) state that employers must provide
workers with the time and resources to actively participate
participation is considered by many to be more of a best prac- in the “organizing, planning and implementation, evaluation
tice than a strict regulatory requirement. However, there are and action for improvement of the OSH management system.”
many instances where OSHA requires worker involvement. In OHSAS 18001 (replaced by ISO 45001) requires organizations
some cases, the participation requirements are passive and do to include workers in the review of safety policies and be in-
not require collaboration between management and workers. volved in changes to the policies (Raines, 2011). The newly
developed ISO 45001 continues the requirement for worker
KEY TAKEAWAYS involvement in safety (ISO, 2018).

•Best practice recommendations from OSHA and numerous con- In summary, OSHA’s PSM and construction confined spaces
standards both require a more collaborative approach to work-
sensus standards advise employers to include workers in safety and er involvement. Similarly, many consensus standards require
health efforts. collaboration between workers and managers. Table 1 (p. 22)
summarizes the collaborative participation requirements for
•Many organizations fail to take a comprehensive approach to the PSM and construction confined spaces standards, as well as
for the consensus standards noted.
worker participation and are unable to reap the full benefits of em-
ployee involvement. Perspectives & Guidance on Worker Participation
There are many ways to conceptualize worker participation.
•Worker participation can increase if numerous participation op-
OSHA (2016b) defines workforce participation as the process of
portunities are made available to employees. involving workers in the establishment, operation, evaluation

•This article summarizes various participation requirements and

offers suggestions for creating a more comprehensive workforce
participation program.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 21

TABLE 1

SUMMARY OF STANDARDS REQUIRING COLLABORATIVE PARTICIPATION

Standard Reference Summary of requirement(s)
OSHA Process 29 CFR
Safety 1910.119(c)(2) “Employers shall consult with employees and their
Management representatives on the conduct and development of process
29 CFR hazards analyses and on the development of the other
OSHA 1926.1212(a) elements of process safety management in this standard.”
Construction “Employers must consult with workers or their authorized
Confined Spaces Chapter 3 representatives on the development and implementation of all
OSHA VPP aspects of the permit space program.”
Section 3.2 Workers must be involved in at least three meaningful and
ANSI/ASSP Z10- constructive ways.
2012(R2017) Section 3.2 All workers in an organization must participate in the safety
ILO-OSH-2001 program.
Section 5.4 Workers must be involved in the organization, planning,
ISO 45001-2018 implementation and evaluation of safety programs.
Workers must be given the time, resources and information
needed to participate in the safety program and must be
involved in program management. Participation barriers must
be addressed.

Note. OHSAS 18001 is not included because it was replaced by ISO 45001.

TABLE 2

CHARACTERISTICS OF EFFECTIVE & INEFFECTIVE WORKER PARTICIPATION

Effective program Ineffective program
The safety program is developed and managed by The safety program is developed and managed
a team that includes workers. Workers are without the input of workers.
recognized for their contributions.
Workers are given the time and resources needed Management considers giving time and resources
to participate. to workers for safety program participation to be
wasteful.
Workers know reporting procedures and are Reporting requirements are unclear and workers
comfortable reporting concerns to management. are hesitant to give information to management.
Management gets information directly from Management relies on supervisors for information.
workers.
Management promptly acknowledges receiving a Management does not acknowledge receiving
concern and addresses issues quickly. reports and does not follow up.
Management allows workers to help find solutions Workers are not involved in finding solutions to
to safety issues and ensures that suggestions are problems and are informed of new controls after
presented to the workforce for additional input. management has implemented them.
Workers can access all the information they need Workers can only see the minimum information.
to actively participate in the safety program. Workers must labor to obtain information.
Management freely provides information.
Concerted efforts are made to ensure that No attempts are made to ensure that the materials
program materials reflect workforce diversity and for the safety program are understandable.
that workers easily understanding things.
Workers have stop-work authority and are Stop-work authority does not exist, or exists as an
empowered to use it without fear of retaliation. abstract, theoretical concept only.

Note. Adapted from “Safety and Health Program Self-Evaluation Tool for General Industry,” by OSHA, 2017.

22 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

TABLE 3

SUMMARY OF WORKER PARTICIPATION ELEMENTS

Element Concept Examples Pros Cons
Information Allow workers to Comment boxes; Simple to Not interactive or engaging.
voice concerns; information availability. implement; signals Workers may not take
Procedure provide workers management is advantage of informational
with information Require workers to receptive to worker elements if other
Creative upon request. report incidents, adhere input. participation opportunities
to standard operating are absent.
Integration Require worker procedures, complete High percentage of Processes are not engaging
participation in job safety analyses, and workforce will and workers may go
Collaboration certain aspects of attend safety training. participate; good through the motions to
Participation the safety documentation will avoid discipline. Data
maintenance program. Employee-generated reduce legal generated not always
media (e.g., posters, liabilities; data will reliable due to “pencil
Allow workers slogans, training be generated for whipping.”
with artistic talents materials). later audits and
to create materials analyses. Will not appeal to everyone.
for the safety Involving workers in Artistic endeavors Caution must also be taken
program. safety program and are intrinsically to avoid problems (e.g.,
culture audits. motivating and taking pictures in
Integrate workers engaging. Workers production areas).
into the safety Creating safety are also receptive to
program committees and having things created by Can be time consuming
management. workers help develop coworkers. and cumbersome to
safety performance Highly engaging; develop ways for all
Involve workers in metrics. provides meaningful workers to participate. In
decision-making Maintaining and useful worker unionized workplaces
via collaboration management contributions to conflicts can occur.
between workers commitment, removing safety; can help with Can cause conflict if
and management. participation barriers employee relations. workers do not get their
Ensure that worker and conflicts of interest. Highly engaging and wishes. Potential conflict in
participation is allows workers to unionized workplaces.
maintained. take ownership of
the safety program. N/A

N/A

and improvement of a safety program. This definition implies 1) Encourage worker participation:
that worker participation should be active rather than passive. •Provide workers the necessary time and resources to participate.
OSHA has identified five action items to help employers get •Give positive reinforcement to workers who participate.
workers more actively involved in safety programs. These ac- •Have an open-door policy and encourage workers to discuss
tion items encourage employers to create a culture in which problems.
workers can freely report concerns to management, obtain the 2) Encourage workers to report concerns:
necessary information to participate in the safety program and •Create a reporting system for workers to report incidents or
be involved in program management tasks. They also encour- concerns (include a way to anonymously report concerns).
age employers to remove barriers that might hinder or discour- •Emphasize that management will not retaliate or use the
age worker participation. Following are the five action items information against workers in any manner.
to encourage worker participation and OSHA’s suggestions for •Promptly follow up on worker concerns and involve workers
accomplishing each (OSHA, 2016b). in problem-solving processes.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 23

Successful participation strategies •Give workers stop-work authority.
offer a variety of ways for workers to 3) Provide workers with information:
participate. This is because participation •Give workers information about workplace hazards and
what is being done to control hazards.
and engagement will fluctuate •Allow workers to inspect job hazard analyses and routine
depending on the opportunities inspection results.
4) Involve workers in safety programs:
made available to workers. •Involve workers in goal setting.
•Allow workers to help identify hazards and develop controls.
FIGURE 1 •Allow workers to help develop safe work practices and pro-
cedures.
WORKER PARTICIPATION •Involve workers in incident investigations, safety training,
EVALUATION program audits and exposure monitoring.
5) Remove participation barriers:
Element Components •Ensure that workers feel their input is valued.
Information •Ensure that education or language does not create an im-
Procedure Workers have access to information pediment to participation.
about workplace hazards and what is •Ensure that incident reporting does not jeopardize incen-
Creative being done to control them. tives, bonuses or other compensation.
Integration The action items are intended to foster comprehensive
Time and resources are set aside for worker participation. Participation recommendations in the
Collaboration worker participation. action items range from giving workers information to in-
Maintenance volving them in decision-making processes. The first three
An open door is maintained and workers action items focus on passive participation and the fourth
are encouraged to discuss their concerns action item begins the process of integrating workers into
with management. safety management and decision-making processes. The
entire notion of the fourth action item is to facilitate active
Provisions exist for workers to report participation through interactions between management
injuries and concerns. and workers.
The big takeaway of these action items is that an effective
Workers are assured that managerial approach involves many strategies. An effective participa-
retaliation will not occur. tion model will provide many opportunities for involve-
ment and is cautious about alienating workers. Conversely,
Worker concerns are addressed as soon ineffective programs offer limited means of participation
as feasibly possible. or are set up in a manner that unintentionally restricts or
voids some workers from participating. Table 2 (p. 22) de-
Workers are regularly reminded that they scribes characteristics of effective and ineffective worker
can use stop-work authority without participation models.
repercussions. Although not listed on the participation page, OSHA has
identified artistic work as an activity that can motivate workers
Workers are encouraged to create media to participate in workplace safety. The 2017 Safe + Sound Week
for the safety program. campaign encouraged employers to have workers use their cre-
ative talents to find and fix hazards, as well as show their com-
Safety program campaign media (e.g., mitment to safety. OSHA recommended using games, fashion
lessons learned posters, slogans) have shows, scavenger hunts and skits to get workers thinking about
been created with the assistance of safety (OSHA, 2017b).
workers.
Elements of a Comprehensive
Workers are allowed to inspect job Worker Participation Program
hazard analyses and routine inspection
results. Successful participation strategies offer a variety of ways for
workers to participate. This is because participation and en-
Workers assist with hazard identification, gagement will fluctuate depending on the opportunities made
control selection, and the development of available to workers. In addition, excluding certain means
safe work practices and procedures. of participation may signal questionable commitment from
management concerning the involvement of workers in the
Workers assist with incident safety program.
investigations, safety training, program
audits and exposure monitoring. OSHA’s participation suggestions can be aggregated into
six broad elements differentiated by the amount of active in-
Workers help create safety goals and volvement they provide to workers. A comprehensive worker
performance metrics. participation program will include information, procedure,
creative, integration, collaboration and participation mainte-
A safety committee has been established. nance elements (Table 3, p. 23).
Safety program content and safety

training reflects the education level and
languages found in the workforce.
Compensation programs are not tied to
safety performance.

Note. Adapted from “Safety and Health Program Self-Evaluation Tool
for General Industry,” by OSHA, OSHA, 2017; and “Recommended
Practices for Safety and Health Programs” (Publication No. OSHA
3885), by OSHA, 2016.

24 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

Information Elements Participation Maintenance Elements
Information elements allow workers to express concerns and Participation maintenance elements are intended to ensure

obtain information without resistance. Common examples of that worker participation accomplishes its overall goal of
information elements are suggestion boxes, feedback surveys improving safety and does not erode over time. Regardless of
or making information [e.g., policies, safety data sheets (SDS)] how workers participate, it should be clear to everyone in the
available to workers upon request. Some elements (e.g., provid- organization that safety is a team effort and that management
ing SDS upon request) are required by OSHA and consensus is sincere, values worker input and is committed to involving
standards. With information elements, communication gen- the workforce in the safety program. Additionally, participa-
erally flows in one direction (i.e., from workers to managers or tion barriers and conflicts of interest that might discourage
from managers to workers), meaning that they are not interac- information flow (e.g., bonuses, incentives) should be identi-
tive or engaging and may not generate much worker involve- fied and removed.
ment (Emery & Savely, 1997).
Noted that integration and collaboration elements are
Procedure Elements distinctly different; integration focuses on involving
Procedure elements essentially mandate that workers par- workers in key program management aspects whereas col-
laboration focuses on involving workers in important deci-
ticipate in some manner. Examples include requirements to sion-making processes.
attend safety training, adhere to standard operating proce-
dures or to complete a job safety analysis before starting work. A comprehensive safety program should include all six work-
Giving workers stop-work authority and requiring workers er participation elements with particular attention to integra-
to report incidents are also examples of procedure elements. tion and collaboration elements. These elements are engaging
Mandatory participation through procedure elements results and enhance the safety program by taking advantage of worker
in high worker participation, but the participation is typically expertise and perspectives. These elements also clearly show
passive and unengaging. Procedure elements can also gener-
ate large volumes of data for the safety program. However, if FIGURE 2
workers do not understand the importance of the procedures
and “pencil whip” the forms, the data they submit may not be WORKER PERCEPTIONS SURVEY
reliable (Ludwig, 2014).
Ask workers to indicate their level of agreement (strongly
Creative Elements agree, agree, slightly agree, slightly disagree, disagree or
Creative elements enable workers to use their creative and strongly disagree) with the following statements.

artistic talents to generate materials for the safety program. 1) I am provided opportunities to participate in the safety
Common examples of creative elements are safety slogan con- program.
tests or the creation of lessons learned posters. Creative work
can be engaging because it is enjoyable and workers can gain 2) I am encouraged to participate in the safety program.
recognition for their artistic talents (Williams, 2008). However,
not all workers have such talents or are motivated by intellec- 3) Management sets aside time for safety participation and
tual endeavors. Take caution to ensure that participation does does not rush workers.
not violate company policies, create unsafe conditions or cause
disruptions (e.g., taking photos of production areas). 4) I am comfortable taking safety and health issues to man-
agement.
Integration Elements
Integration elements strategically integrate the workforce 5) I know how to report incidents, injuries, hazards and safety
concerns to management.
into program management processes. For example, workers
can assist with jobsite inspections, control selection and inci- 6) Management will not retaliate against me if I report an inci-
dent investigations. Employees can also act as subject matter dent or voice a safety concern.
experts for safety training materials and help deliver training to
coworkers. Integration takes advantage of worker perspectives 7) Management is concerned about safety and promptly ad-
and can provide workers with a sense of program ownership. dresses all safety concerns.
However, developing ways to integrate large numbers of work-
ers into the safety management process can be cumbersome 8) I have access to the information I need to work safely.
and difficult in some organizations.
9) Management seeks my input before implementing a new
Collaboration Elements safety control or developing safety new training content.
With collaboration elements, workers and managers ac-
10) Management is approachable and has an open door.
tively collaborate with each other toward the shared goal of
increased workplace safety. Collaboration is unique in that 11) When industrial hygiene monitoring occurs, I understand
it allows workers to take ownership of the safety program. what is being done and why (if applicable).
It also allows multiple perspectives to be applied to a prob-
lem and can improve decision-making processes. Involving 12) When I am given forms or receive safety training, I can un-
workers in safety culture audits, safety program audits, safety derstand the content.
goal-making and safety committees are examples of collabo-
ration elements. 13) I have stop-work authority and can use it with no fear of
punishment.

Note. Adapted from “Safety and Health Program Self-Evaluation Tool
for General Industry,” by OSHA, 2017; and “Recommended Practices
for Safety and Health Programs” (Publication No. OSHA 3885), by
OSHA, 2016.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 25

that management is serious about worker involvement and is sented to them as a barometer that indicates the management’s
committed to involving workers in safety and health efforts. sincerity about workplace safety and about involving them in
the safety program.
Importance of a Multielement Approach
Many workers want to have their concerns heard and would Additional Participation Enhancement
& Maintenance Considerations
like to play an active role in identifying and solving workplace
problems. A multielement approach helps an organization Many organizations can successfully get workers to partic-
meet regulatory obligations while also providing workers ipate in safety programs, but participation may fall off after a
with many opportunities to participate, whether through an short period. This is of particular concern because once work-
anonymous suggestion or being actively involved in a safety ers lose interest, it can be difficult to regain their trust and con-
culture audit. vince them to participate again.

Additionally, a multielement approach addresses the Worker participation may be lost if management fails to
one-size-fits-all approach used by many organizations. This address worker concerns, recognize worker contributions,
approach is problematic because the lack of participation maintain accessibility, maintain equality, keep participation
opportunities alienates some workers. Offering more oppor- elements separate, rotate workers or control team numbers.
tunities could motivate them to participate. For example, an Additionally, failure to regularly audit participation or measure
employee may not feel comfortable participating in workplace worker perceptions toward it may allow hidden problems to
inspections but would welcome an opportunity to help create slowly erode worker participation.
and deliver training materials. Increasing the participation
options allows more workers to participate and can increase Failure to Address Worker Concerns
information flow about hazards. Failure to provide workers with consistent, timely feedback

Finally, providing multiple participation opportunities can can cause their confidence in management to diminish and
help management demonstrate the strength of the organiza- reduce their desire to continue participating. Additionally, if
tion’s safety culture and management’s commitment to safety. management addresses some concerns but not others, workers
Many workers may view the participation opportunities pre- may feel that management is selectively addressing concerns.

TABLE 4

SUMMARY OF OSHA RECOMMENDATIONS
FOR TEMPORARY WORKER PARTICIPATION

Action item Summary of OSHA suggestions
Establish
effective Host organizations
communication •Communicate with contractors or staffing agencies and decide responsibilities for
each organization.
Establish •Create a way to inform staffing agencies and contractors of workplace hazards and
effective controls, nonroutine tasks and emergency procedures.
coordination •Allow representatives from staffing agencies or contractors to visit work sites and
conduct walk-around inspections, and inspect injury and illness records or other
safety program information.
Staffing organizations and contractors
•Inform host employers of reports of illness and injury, worker concerns or hazards.
•Share safety policies and procedures with host organizations.
Host organizations
•Indicate safety performance requirements, and ensure that staffing agencies or
contractors meet requirements before work starts.
•Identify potential concerns (e.g., where and how workers will report issues) and
develop procedures to resolve conflicts.
•Compare safety programs and resolve conflicting policies or procedures.
•Coordinate with temporary agencies and contractors so that work scheduling does
not impact safety.
•Ensure that individuals doing the work have the proper equipment and have
received proper training.

Note. Adapted from “Communication and Coordination for Host Employers, Contractors and Staffing Agencies,” by OSHA, 2016.

26 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

Failure to Recognize Worker Contributions Failure to Control Team Numbers
Workers are often proud of their ideas and contributions, Avoid having large numbers of individuals assigned any one

and should receive appropriate acknowledgment. Failure to task; while it may be well intentioned, it can lead to issues. For
give proper recognition can send a message that management example, if a large number of people on a safety committee
plays favorites or that not all ideas are acceptable. When this make it impossible for an individual to have a voice, that per-
occurs, workers may withhold information and abstain from son’s desire to continue participating may decrease. Increasing
participating. the number of members also increases team maintenance
requirements. In some cases, teams become so large that team
Failure to Maintain Accessibility maintenance requirements negate their ability to accomplish
Members of the management team and safety personnel anything constructive. There is no universal, one-size-fits-all
number to have on a work team. However, citing maintenance
should regularly walk through production areas and become demands, Richard Hackman, an expert on work teams, recom-
a familiar, approachable face to workers. Consider having mends that a team contain no more than 10 members (Coutu,
workers cross-train managers to do production jobs. Having 2015). Teams with more than 10 members tend to get little
managers learn production jobs can humanize them, improve accomplished since much of the time and energy is focused on
relations and give managers insight that will help them under- team maintenance rather than accomplishing tasks.
stand worker perspectives when concerns are raised.
Failure to Regularly Audit Participation
Failure to Maintain Equality Worker participation should be included as part of a regular,
It is important to ensure that no worker feels inferior to an-
comprehensive safety program audit. Failure to regularly review
other worker. Supervisors, managers and seasoned employees the effectiveness of participation elements can allow hidden
should not be allowed to drown out the concerns of workers. problems to slowly erode worker motivation. Figure 1 (p. 24) can
Everyone should have equal say and no worker should be giv- be used to assess whether or not the safety program effectively
en a louder voice or be allowed to diminish the concerns of contains all six participation elements. Additionally, Figure 2
another worker. (p. 25), although not scientific or validated, can provide a snap-
shot of how workers feel about the state of worker participation
Failure to Keep Elements Separated in the safety program, as well as identify areas for improvement.
It is also important to not confuse elements. For example,
Participation of Temporary Workers
when including employees in audits, give them an active role Many organizations utilize temporary and contract workers.
in the process if integration is the goal. Simply having workers
complete surveys does not constitute integrating them into an With these types of arrangements, all parties must communi-
audit. This is a procedure element that is improperly labeled as cate and coordinate with each other to ensure that a safe work
workforce integration. Integration would be having employees environment is created and maintained.
help develop surveys, analyze the results and develop action
plans to correct identified deficiencies. Host employers should ensure that staffing agencies, con-
tractors and temporary workers all know safety policies and
TABLE 5 procedures, have access to information relevant to workplace
safety, and are informed of the workplace hazards and controls.
PARTICIPATION ELEMENTS IN ACTION It is important that both parties exchange information before
work starts and as needed thereafter if conditions change or if
Element How utilized updates are warranted.
Information
Workers were given information A host organization can take several steps to successfully
Procedure about workplace hazards and the involve temporary workers in a safety and health program and
Creative control options that were being include them in participation efforts: Treat temporary workers
Integration considered. like regular workers, integrate staffing agencies and contractors
Workers wore their PPE during into the safety program, address worker concerns and potential
Collaboration the trials. confusions, and conduct safety culture assessments on staffing
Workers developed PPE training agencies or contractors before work begins. Table 4 summarizes
content and PPE reminders for OSHA recommendations for involving temporary workers in
their work areas. safety programs.
Workers helped decide which
PPE would be purchased and Treat Temporary Workers Like Regular Workers
were allowed to design and Regular workers and temporary workers are exposed to
deliver PPE training.
Workers were allowed to provide the same hazards and should be given the same participation
input on which controls would opportunities, provided doing so does not place trade secrets
be best and were included in the or other forms of intellectual property at risk. Additionally,
decision to use PPE. provide temporary workers with the same recognition for their
participation and contributions.

Integrate Staffing Organizations
& Contractors Into the Safety Program

Integrate staffing agencies, contractors and their workers into
the safety program as much as possible. Allow them to partic-

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 27

Joe Story, M.S.,

M.B.A., is a doctorate

candidate at Louisiana

Tech University and

an independent safety

and health consultant.

ipate in safety activities such as walk-around inspections and Coutu, D. (2015). Why teams don’t work. Re- He holds an M.S. in
collaborate toward safety solutions. trieved from https://hbr.org/2009/05/why Safety and Health
-teams-dont-work Management from
Address Possible Worker University of Central
Concerns & Eliminate Confusion CSB. (2018, Oct. 24). Worker participation Missouri and an M.B.A.
in investigations: Board order addendum 40a. from Eastern Illinois
In some instances, temporary workers may be confused Retrieved from www.csb.gov/assets/record/ University.
about who actually employs them. This could lead to confusion bo40a.pdf
over where and how incidents and safety concerns are to be
reported. Organizations should be in agreement with staffing Emery, R. & Savely, S.M. (1997, July). Solic- Jason Kight,
agencies concerning where temporary workers are to report iting employee concerns during routine safety J.D., M.B.A., is an
injuries and concerns. Temporary workers should also know inspections. Professional Safety, 42(7), 36-38. assistant professor
that no one will retaliate or terminate them for reporting an of business law at
incident or safety concern, even if the report inadvertently goes International Labor Organization (ILO). Winona State Univer-
to the wrong person. (2001). Guidelines on occupational safety and sity. He holds a J.D.
health management systems (ILO-OSH 2001). from Southern Illinois
Evaluate the Safety Culture of Prospective Geneva, Switzerland: Author. University School of
Staffing Organizations & Contractors Law and an M.B.A.
International Organization for Standard- from Eastern Illinois
A safety culture assessment of the staffing agency may be a ization (ISO). (2018). Occupational health and University.
necessary part of ensuring temporary worker participation. A safety management systems: Requirements with
staffing agency or contractor with a poor safety culture may guidance for use (ISO 45001-2018). Geneva,
send signals to their workers that discourage them from partic- Switzerland: Author.
ipating in safety.
Ludwig, T.D. (2014, Feb.). The anatomy of
Example of Participation Elements in Action
This article concludes with an example of worker participa- pencil whipping. Professional Safety, 59(2), 47-50.

tion elements in action. In this fictitious scenario, all participa- OSHA. (2000). Process safety management (Publication No. 3132).
tion elements (excluding maintenance elements) will be utilized
to solve a hazard control selection problem. Consider a situa- Retrieved from www.osha.gov/Publications/osha3132.html
tion in which a hazard control decision must be made and PPE
is being considered. OSHA. (2008). Voluntary Protection Programs (VPP): Policies and

Begin by consulting with affected workers and asking their procedures manual (Directive No. CSP 03-01-003). Retrieved from
opinion of the various control options being considered. Ask
the workers for their suggestions and input. Explain the hi- www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CSP_03-01
erarchy of controls to them and see if they can come up with
solutions other than PPE. If management and workers come to -003.pdf
a consensus that PPE is the best option, have workers research
various brands and models, conduct trials and develop recom- OSHA. (2012). Injury and illness prevention programs (White paper).
mendations. After final decisions are made, allow workers to
create PPE training materials, conduct PPE training and devel- Retrieved from www.osha.gov/dsg/topics/safetyhealth/OSHAwhite-pa
op signs for work areas to remind workers to wear PPE. Table 5
(p. 27) provides a breakdown of how each participation element per-january2012sm.pdf
played a role in this scenario.
OSHA. (2015b). Training requirements in OSHA standards (Publica-
Conclusion
Many safety articles discuss the importance of worker partic- tion No. OSHA 2254-09R). Retrieved from www.osha.gov/Publications/

ipation. High worker participation in safety and health efforts osha2254.pdf
improves morale, lowers absenteeism and increases produc-
tivity while reducing injury risks (OSHA, 2012). Allowing the OSHA. (2015a). Employee participation (29 CFR 1926.1212). Re-
workforce to have a voice in safety issues creates a safety culture
in which workers have a sense of safety program ownership. It trieved from www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/
also signals that management is committed to safety and will
address worker safety concerns. 1926/1926.1212

This article outlines participation requirements and presents OSHA. (2016b). Recommended practices for safety and health pro-
a multielement model for comprehensive worker participation.
The primary goal of this article is to illustrate that worker par- grams (Publication No. OSHA 3885). Retrieved from www.osha.gov/
ticipation involves many components and that the maximum
benefits of worker participation will only be achieved if all shpguidelines/docs/OSHA_SHP_Recommended_Practices.pdf
workers are given an opportunity to participate. PSJ
OSHA. (2016c). Safety and health programs in the states (White pa-

per). Retrieved from www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/docs/Safety_and

_Health_Programs_in_the_States_White_Paper.pdf

OSHA. (2016a). Communication and coordination for host employ-

ers, contractors and staffing agencies. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/

shpguidelines/communication.html

OSHA. (2017a). Employee involvement (29 CFR 1904.35). Retrieved

from www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1904/1904.35

OSHA. (2017b). Find and fix workplace hazards: Create challenges,

contests and competitions. Retrieved from www.isri.org/docs/default

-source/safety/2017-safety-stand-down-day/ff_challenges_competitions

.pdf?sfvrsn=3

OSHA. (2017c). Safety and health program self-evaluation tool for

general industry. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/shpguidelines/docs/

SHP_Self-Evaluation_Tool.pdf

Raines, M.S. (2011, April). Engaging employees: Another step in im-

proving safety. Professional Safety, 56(4), 36-43.

Sarkus, D.J. (1997, Oct.). Collaboration and participation: How are

you doing? Professional Safety, 42(10), 37-39.

Williams, J.H. (2008, Dec.). Employee engagement: Improving partic-

ipation in safety. Professional Safety, 53(12), 40-45.

References

ANSI/ASSP. (2017). Occupational health and safety management sys-
tems [ANSI/ASSP Z10-2012(R2017)]. Park Ridge, IL: Author.

28 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT
Peer-Reviewed

APPLIANCE
ELECTRICAL
SAFETY

Using OSHA’s
NRTL Program

By Veronica Stanley

WWHAT DOES YOUR COMPANY DO when employees bring appliances the potential for unique hazards (e.g., classified by OSHA regu-
(e.g., heaters, fans, hot plates) into the workplace? Failure to comply lation as a Class II, Division 1 location). This article also does not
with workplace regulations for appliances can lead to injuries and address the scenario in which an organization chooses to make
fires. Appliances are often identified or suspected as a root cause of in-house repairs to appliances; however, note that organizations
workplace fires (Hall Jr., 2013; U.S. Fire Administration, 2019). choosing to make in-house repairs to appliances must ensure
Many safety professionals are responsible for appliance work- that repairs comply with the acceptability of the appliances for
electrical safety under OSHA regulations (OSHA, 2010).
place safety or may be expected to know the basics at some point
Key Fundamentals of OSHA
in their careers. Individuals who have attended formal accredited Regulations Addressing Appliances

safety education programs during the past 20 years may re- OSHA’s (2015) electrical regulations for general industry are
found in 29 CFR 1910, Subpart S. OSHA definitions pertaining to
member appliances briefly discussed as product safety became a appliances are in section 1910.399 (key terms are presented in Table
1). Appliances, specifically, are addressed in section 1910.305(j)(3),
standard element in such programs (IOM, 2000). However, safety Wiring Methods, Components and Equipment for General Use.

professionals may not feel prepared for the real-world needs of OSHA stipulates that only acceptable (i.e., approved) elec-
trical appliances, as defined in Subpart S, may be used in the
developing appliance electrical safety program elements. workplace (Miles, 2009; OSHA, 1999). Acceptable includes
those items that are “accepted, or certified, or listed, or labeled
OSH professionals may become involved in determining the or otherwise determined to be safe by a nationally recognized
testing laboratory” (i.e., pursuant to OSHA’s NRTL program).
acceptability of electrical appliances, such as fans or heaters, when
Appliances Are a Category of Equipment
employees bring them into the workplace for personal use, when Based on the OSHA definitions (Table 1, p. 30), appliances are

performing reviews before a type of equipment. The term equipment is defined to be general;
therefore, care must be taken when substituting the word equip-
KEY TAKEAWAYS purchases are made by the em- ment for the word appliance. While both equipment and appliances
ployer, when developing policies are defined within general definitions in OSHA 1910, Subpart S,
•This article discusses OSHA Electrical, the title of Subpart P, Hand and Portable Powered Tools
regulations applicable to appli- or recommendations for work- and Other Handheld Equipment, can cause an individual to con-
fuse the section of OSHA regulation being referred to. Equipment is
ances, and details the agency’s place appliance use, or when not defined in Subpart P within general terms.

nationally recognized testing performing periodic reviews for In many cases, repeating key terminology may help maintain
clarity of nuanced regulatory language and guide the reader to
laboratory (NRTL) program as compliance with OSHA regula- relevant sections of the OSHA regulations. Safety professionals

applicable to appliances. tions or other standards incor-
•Examples demonstrate how to porated by the organization.
MALIK EVREN/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS read equipment markings, and OSHA regulations reviewed

readers will gain insight useful in this article are for a typi-

for determining the acceptabili- cal office setting that has no

ty of electrical appliances. unique hazards, for example, a
•The article also discusses pro- fan or heater used in an office
gram elements recommended by an employee for personal

for strengthening an existing comfort. Additional consid-

appliance electrical safety pro- erations not discussed here

gram and resources for develop- are needed for environments

ing a new program. with unique hazards or with

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 29

TABLE 1 FIGURE 1

KEY DEFINITIONS FROM 1910.399 CURRENT LIST OF NRTLs

Term Definition The Current List of NRTLs web page lists organizations in
OSHA’s NRTL program. An excerpt is depicted here.
Acceptable An installation or equipment is acceptable to the
should strive to educate employees on key terminology used in
assistant secretary of labor, and approved within safety regulations so they understand the appropriate use of the
terms for each situation. Exercise caution when selecting syn-
the meaning of this Subpart S: onyms for words that have regulatory definitions. If synonyms are
used, they should be specified as such and efforts should be made
(1) if it is accepted, or certified, or listed, or to address possible confusion for readers. OSHA stipulates the
broader category of electrical equipment that must be acceptable
labeled, or otherwise determined to be safe by [an and approved within the meaning of Subpart S (Fairfax, 2003a).

NRTL] recognized pursuant to OSHA 1910.7; Appliances Are Not Tools
The term tool cannot be substituted for appliance because the
(2) with respect to an installation or equipment
terms are not equivalent. Subpart S does not have a definition
of a kind that no [NRTL] accepts, certifies, lists, for tool; it is defined in 29 CFR 1910, Subpart P, as explosive-ac-
tuated, unless otherwise indicated (OSHA, 2007).
labels, or determines to be safe, if it is inspected or
OSHA’s NRTL Program
tested by another federal agency, or by a state, OSHA created the nationally recognized testing laboratory

municipal, or other local authority responsible for (NRTL) program to ensure that certain types of equipment
are tested and certified for safe workplace use. OSHA uses this
enforcing occupational safety provisions of the program to approve more than appliances and maintains a page
entitled Types of Products Requiring NRTL Approval (OSHA,
National Electrical Code, and found in compliance 2009). Thus, an appliance is a type of product.

with the provisions of the National Electrical Code NRTLs are private-sector organizations that OSHA has recog-
nized as meeting the legal requirements in 29 CFR 1910.7 to per-
as applied in this subpart; form testing and certification of products using consensus-based
test standards. Each NRTL has its own mark that is registered
(3) with respect to custom-made equipment or with a patent and with OSHA. A full list of marks can be found on
OSHA’s Current List of NRTLs web page (OSHA, 2019b). OSHA
related installations that are designed, fabricated regulation requires that the NRTL program information remain
current and laboratories must renew with OSHA. Test standard
for, and intended for use by a particular customer, information is updated and announced in the Federal Register.

if it is determined to be safe for its intended use by OSHA authorizes using “NRTL’s mark for the product stan-
dards for which the NRTL has been recognized” (OSHA, 1999).
its manufacturer on the basis of test data which OSHA does not require that the test standard number be added
to the appliance by the manufacturer, but markings must be
the employer keeps and makes available for useful to identify a current and valid listing, and to identify
what standards or category was used for evaluation (K. Robin-
inspection to the assistant secretary and his son, personal communication, Sept. 26, 2018).

authorized representatives. The current list of NRTLs includes 19 laboratories. Figure
1 shows examples from the current list of NRTLs. On the site,
Accepted An installation is “accepted” if it has been inspected clicking the “more” button for each directs to its NRTL page,
showing the scope of OSHA’s recognition. Contact information
and found by [an NRTL] to conform to specified is provided for each recognized testing site as well as the cur-
rently recognized test standards for that NRTL. The recognized
plans or to procedures of applicable codes.

Appliances Utilization equipment, generally other than

industrial, normally built in standardized sizes or

types, that is installed or connected as a unit to

perform one or more functions.

Certified Equipment is “certified” if it bears a label, tag or

other record of certification that the equipment:

(1) has been tested and found by [an NRTL] to

meet nationally recognized standards or to be safe

for use in a specified manner;

(2) is of a kind whose production is periodically

inspected by [an NRTL] and is accepted by the

laboratory as safe for its intended use.

Equipment A general term including material, fittings, devices,

appliances, fixtures, apparatus, and the like, used as

a part of, or in connection with, an electrical

installation.

Identified Approved as suitable for the specific purpose,

(as applied function, use, environment, or application, where

to described in a particular requirement.

equipment) Note to the definition of identified: Some

examples of ways to determine suitability of

equipment for a specific purpose, environment, or

application include investigations by [an NRTL]

(through listing and labeling), inspection agency,

or other organization recognized under the

definition of acceptable.

Labeled Equipment is “labeled” if there is attached to it a

label, symbol or other identifying mark of [an

NRTL]:

(1) that makes periodic inspections of the

production of such equipment;

(2) whose labeling indicates compliance with

nationally recognized standards or tests to

determine safe use in a specified manner.

Listed Equipment is “listed” if it is of a kind mentioned in a

list that:

(1) is published by [an NRTL] that makes periodic

inspection of the production of such equipment;

(2) states that such equipment meets nationally

recognized standards or has been tested and found

safe for use in a specified manner.

30 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

Photo 1 (left): An approved UL mark that should match the OSHA website. Photo 2: An example of how OSHA’s website offers verifica-
tion that a company is certified to a certain standard.

test standards are useful for verifying the mark on a product. or ceiling-hung electric room heaters, which is the UL standard
The limited information on OSHA’s website is a good starting that was used to test this product (Photo 2).
point. NRTLs can be contacted for additional information,
which is often necessary when researching older appliances. The Importance of Identifying
Keeping all manufacturer information that came with the ap- NRTL Marks Registered With OSHA
pliance is advised. Additional information on NRTLs can be
found in these publications: As discussed, the employer must comply with OSHA regula-
tion for workplaces in the U.S. Appliances may bear non-NRTL
•NRTL Program Policies, Procedures and Guidelines certification marks intended for other countries, which should
(OSHA, 1999); not be construed as equivalent to OSHA requirements for the U.S.

•Certification of Workplace Products by Nationally Recog- An example of a non-NRTL certification mark is the CE mark,
nized Resting Laboratories (OSHA, 2010). which is used by the EU to indicate that a product meets its require-
ments for product safety. However, this mark does not indicate that
Test Standards the product went through the necessary testing standards required
NRTLs follow test standards established by standards devel- by OSHA for workplaces that NRTLs are approved to perform.

oping organizations (SDOs) such as Underwriters Laboratories Counterfeit appliances also pose a safety concern. The a doc-
Inc. (UL), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and ument, “Identifying Counterfeit Items Quick Tips,” produced
ANSI. OSHA maintains a complete list of test standards on its by an OSHA cooperative program, can help OSH professionals
Appropriate Test Standards page (OSHA, 2019a). There, OSHA recognize these devices (ACIL, 2007). OSHA (2010) states that
states that many of the standards are also approved by ANSI the hazards of using nonapproved products include “electric
as American National Standards. An NRTL recognized for an shock, arc flash, blast events, electrocution, equipment shorts,
ANSI-approved test standard may use either the latest propri- explosions, burns, fires, toxic atmospheres generated by burning
etary SDO version or the latest ANSI version of that standard, and decomposing insulation and other materials associated with
regardless of which version appears on OSHA’s list. OSHA rec- electrical fires, and wiring and component failures.” Addition-
ommends contacting ANSI to find out whether a test standard ally, Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI, 2015), a
is currently ANSI-approved. nonprofit organization that promotes electrical safety, provides
educational materials related to counterfeit electrical products.
Multiple Marks Possible
The UL mark was included in Figure 1 to show that UL is Two standards, ANSI/NEMA Z535.4-2011, Product Safety
Signs and Labels, and ANSI/NEMA Z535.6-2011, Product Safe-
one of the 19 currently recognized NRTLs. The example mark ty Information in Product Manuals, Instructions and Other
for an NRTL displayed on OSHA’s Current List of NRTLs page Collateral Materials, may help professionals to understand
is one of many that may be registered for that specific NRTL. product literature. National Electrical Manufacturers Associa-
Each NRTL’s page includes a link to the certification mark web- tion (NEMA, 2009) provides two documents related to product
site to research other marks. Manufacturers provide a variety of safety covered by ANSI Z535. These documents discuss mis-
useful materials; for example, some manufacturers provide the takes in manuals, instructions and other collateral material.
test standard.
Critical OSHA Regulations for Determining
NRTL Mark Explained by Example Acceptability of Electrical Appliances
An NRTL certification mark is often found on a label affixed
Certain details in OSHA regulations are applicable to elec-
to each unit of a product or is stamped on the product. Small trical safety program elements addressing appliances. A safety
products may have the mark on product packaging, which is a professional is not required by law to make an overarching,
good reason to keep all manufacturer information. Photos 1 and binary determination about appliance electrical safety. The
2 provide examples of how to find information using a label from related OSHA regulations overseen by a safety professional
an appliance that has the test standard number on it. This allows pertaining to appliances are limited, requiring only an external
users to directly search OSHA’s website for current information. evaluation of the appliance itself. However, certain require-
The manufacturer is not required to provide the test standard ments pertain to considering use within the workplace context.
number. In some cases, it may be necessary to contact the NRTL
or even the manufacturer. In the latter case, having the product As noted, appliances are a category of equipment. In 1910.303,
literature can be critical for obtaining that information. OSHA requires that listed or labeled equipment shall be in-
stalled and used in accordance with any instructions included
Photo 1 shows an approved mark on a product that looks the in the listing or labeling. To ensure that appliance use will be in
same as on the OSHA website. The “more” link for that NRTL accordance with specifications listed by the manufacturer for
gives an option to check the recognized testing standards the that particular appliance (e.g., in accordance with the listing
NRTL can perform. The OSHA website verifies that the NRTL is or labeling), the safety professional must first review the man-
certified to test to the UL 1278 standard for movable and wall- ufacturer’s information that came with the appliance. Next, to

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 31

originally sold for household use only (Fairfax, 2003b). Having
a process for OSHA regulatory compliance is the employer’s
responsibility. In Subpart S, OSHA does not define the terms
household use or for household use only (Fairfax). Note that
NRTLs may distinguish between household and commercial
use for items that are certified by the NRTL. Do not assume
that information on NRTL websites is tailored to OSHA regula-
tory compliance; these groups are separate organizations from
OSHA. NRTLs may be involved in standards development,
testing, inspection or certification related to various other areas
of regulation or consensus standards. Also, NRTLs may sup-
port operations in multiple countries. For example, CSA Group
is an OSHA-recognized NRTL registered in Ontario, Canada.

OSHA provides instructions for determining compliance.
The agency suggests performing an evaluation of relevant fac-
tors to determine whether to allow workplace use of a specific
appliance labeled for household use only, including determin-
ing whether workplace use is comparable to household use
(Fairfax, 2003b). Factors in making this determination include
1) the level of anticipated daily use; 2) the knowledge of the us-
ers; and 3) the care and cleaning of the machine (Fairfax).

(Clockwise from top) Photo 3: A visual assessment of the cord State-Specific Requirements
depicting the plug and affixed manufacturer labeling and Safety professionals should educate themselves on any applica-
warnings, which should remain legible on the appliance.
Photo 4: The result of a bathroom appliance installed without ble state-specific regulations. In its “Guide to U.S. Electrical and
an electrical assessment; the switch is installed under a soap Electronic Equipment Compliance Requirements,” National In-
dispenser and the power plug is installed close to a sink, both stitute of Standards and Technology (NIST, 2017) provides a use-
of which create potential risk. Photo 5: An outlet tester can be ful summary of national regulatory authorities and state-specific
used to test the outlet where an appliance will be placed, these information. Examples of useful information found in the doc-
tests should be documented to help formulate decisions. ument include a discussion of California’s air cleaner regulation
that limits the amount of ozone from indoor air cleaning devices
determine suitability the safety professional must compare the and its appliance labeling regulation that requires a permanent,
manufacturer’s information with the environment where the ap- unique serial number on any appliance sold in the state.
pliance will be used and the conditions of use. A process should
be in place for meeting any ongoing requirements (e.g., mainte- Requirements Within OSHA Regulations
nance), if any. As noted in Table 1 (p. 30), listing or labeling by For appliances, OSHA regulations require visual inspection,
an NRTL is a way to determine the suitability of equipment for
specific purposes, environments or applications. electrical assessment and appliance markings.

Safety professionals should not assume that they can take the Visual Inspection
same steps with every appliance of a certain category. Safety test- In 1910.334, OSHA requires cord- and plug-connected equip-
ing, labeling and information included by the manufacturer may ment to be visually inspected before initial use “for external defects
vary with the intended use, country of sale or user group (i.e., (such as loose parts, deformed and missing pins, or damage to out-
household vs. commercial) for the appliance. Thus, the appliance er jacket or insulation) and for evidence of possible internal damage
can be packaged with different information. For example, a per- (such as pinched or crushed outer jacket).” Photo 3 shows a cord
sonal fan purchased at a big-box retail establishment could be with plug and affixed manufacturer labeling and warnings, which
marked for household use only, necessitating different steps for the should remain legible on the appliance. If an issue is found during
safety professional than a fan that went through OSHA’s NRTL inspection, the defective or damaged item must be removed from
program requirements and is therefore OSHA compliant. Infor- service until repaired and verified to be safe for use (Miles, 2009).
mation that the manufacturer provides with the appliance must be If the equipment remains connected once put in place and not ex-
reviewed to obtain critical information, such as the NRTL mark. posed to damage, reinspection is not required until relocation.
In 1910.305, OSHA stipulates that “appliances may have no
“Household Use” or “For Household Use Only” live parts normally exposed to contact other than parts func-
Employees may desire to bring items into the workplace tioning as open-resistance heating elements”; “shall have a
means to disconnect it from all ungrounded conductors”; and
that are designed for household use only. OSHA requires that if “supplied by more than one source, the disconnecting means
“all electrical equipment used by employees meets or exceeds shall be grouped and identified.”
OSHA standards” regardless of whether the appliance was Cords should remain accessible to inspection but managed to
prevent them from being a hazard. Cords must not be fastened
with staples or other means that may cause damage. OSHA states
that tape wrapping on the cord impedes visual inspection (Miles,
2009). Repair or replacement of the cord is necessary when the
outer jacket is penetrated or when the conductors or insulation

32 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

inside are damaged (Miles). Section 1910.303(b)(1) states that verify that assigned responsibilities are being executed by those
“electric equipment shall be free from recognized hazards that tasked to implement instructions provided by the manufactur-
are likely to cause death or serious physical harm,” specifically er, such as for installation, use and maintenance.
requiring assessment for heating effects under conditions of use,
suitability for installation and use, and of the electrical insulation. Verification of compliance is vital. According to OSHA,
determining compliance includes checking that use of the ap-
Electrical Assessment pliance is in accordance with listing or labeling. For example,
Appliances must be supplied with the energy requirements a fan sold for household use may be acceptable for personal
specified by the manufacturer for operating safely in the lo- cooling in the workplace, but not attached as part of workplace
cation of operation. Thus, when safety professionals approve machinery or process (Fairfax, 2005).
appliances for use in the workplace, they must also consider the
electrical supply needed for operation. Decision Logic
The electrical assessment should verify that a suitable outlet Safety departments should develop a decision logic for
exists at the intended location for placing the appliance in such
a way that does not introduce a safety hazard. Photo 4 shows the the fate of appliances suspected of having sustained damage
result of a bathroom appliance installed without an electrical that affects critical operations or safety functions. Determine
assessment. The switch was installed under the soap dispenser, whether an appliance should be allowed in the workplace if it
resulting in corrosion and intrusion of moisture into the switch cannot be assessed in-house after an incident, for example, after
box from foreseeable dripping. A power plug was also installed to suspected problems with the electrical connection where the
the lower left of the sink, which can create a risk of water splash. appliance had been plugged in, such as evidenced by thermal
OSHA clearly states that replacing an existing appliance elec- effects at the outlet. Evidence for formulating decisions should
trical cord with a longer one in order to reach a receptacle violates be documented, such as the results of testing the outlet where
the appliance’s NRTL certification, as flexible cords and cables an appliance was plugged in (Photo 5).
cannot be used as a substitute for the fixed wiring of a structure
(Miles, 2009). The appliance certification applies to the whole Reviewing Other Relevant Standards
unit as approved for manufacture, including its original electri- Considerations for National Fire Protection Association
cal cord. OSHA (2002) allows only acceptable appliances in the
workplace. Alteration of an appliance is not permitted in any way (NFPA) and other standards should be made. Workplace
that modifies the conditions under which the NRTL defined it as programs that go beyond OSHA and incorporate additional
acceptable and approved as an electrical appliance. Thus, chang- standards, such as NFPA, are more effective. The following ex-
ing specifications of the electrical cord would be considered a amples show evidence for the need to review NFPA standards.
violation because that would alter the appliance. OSHA stipulates
that appliances that require being wired with a flexible cable di- •NFPA 1, Fire Code, addresses electrical fire safety for extension
rectly into a junction box may not be used in workplaces (Miles). cords, commonly used to provide power for appliances (NFPA,
2018a). The standard also provides specifics for radiant space heat-
Appliance Markings ers, another common workplace appliance. An example of useful
Section 1910.305, Wiring Methods, Components and Equip- information found in this standard applies to the clearance distance
ment for General Use, requires that the manufacturer visibly around radiant space heaters, which is listed at 3 ft in Chapter 34.
mark on the appliance or make easily accessible after instal-
lation critical appliance electrical information that includes a •NFPA 101, Life Safety Code, uses the term portable cooking
rating in either volts and amperes, or volts and watts. As nec- appliances (e.g., toasters) to differentiate from those that are
essary, any externally required motor overload protection or fixed (NFPA, 2018b). NFPA used data from nuisance alarm
specific operating frequency must be specified. studies to determine appropriate distances from smoke alarms
In general provisions of section 1910.303, OSHA requires iden- for cooking appliances. Heeding NFPA distances for cooking
tification of the manufacturer and ratings (e.g., voltage, current, appliances will minimize instances of nuisance alarm activa-
wattage) on equipment in order for it to be used in the workplace. tion through normal use.
This includes “manufacturer’s name, trademark or other de-
scriptive marking by which the organization responsible for the •NFPA 70E, Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace,
product may be identified.” Other requirements discussed in this discusses maintenance of electrical equipment or parts, such
section include disconnecting means and circuits pertaining to as repair or replacement of individual portions (NFPA, 2018c).
appliances, and durability requirements of markings. Maintenance must be performed “in accordance with manu-
OSHA requires that when double insulation or its equivalent facturer’s instructions or industry consensus standards. The
is used as a form of protection for appliances, it must be marked equipment owner or the owner’s designated representative shall
distinctively to indicate that the appliance uses an approved be responsible for maintenance of the electrical equipment and
double insulation system (OSHA, 2002). documentation.” The standard also prohibits cords and cables
that are worn, frayed or damaged because they may pose an elec-
Other Recommended Program Elements trical hazard. In addition, the standard includes requirements for
Responsible Person maintaining warnings and other identification, of circuits such
as voltage markings affixed and in legible condition.
All appliances should be officially assigned to a responsible
person whose duties for safe use are officially explained and Product Safety Databases
documented. An updated list of appliances should be kept for Safety professionals can make use of freely accessible nation-
easy reference during safety inspections. Inspections should
al data by reviewing information from product safety databas-
es. One example of such a database is SaferProducts.gov from
U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2011). Data
can also come from healthcare professionals, government offi-
cials and public safety entities. CPSC (2013) also hosts a search-
able recall list, which is particularly useful for those reviewing

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 33

Veronica Stanley,

M.S.P.H., CSP, CIH,

CESCP, is owner of

Hygiene Health and

Safety Consulting LLC

in Brookville, MD, and

the safety of products brought into the workplace by employees. Institute of Medicine (IOM). (2000). Safe work an adjunct faculty in
Keep a record of searches for appliances performed in these in the 21st century: Education and training needs for the Workforce Devel-
databases to document performing due diligence. the next decade’s occupational safety and health per- opment at Harrisburg
sonnel. Washington, DC: National Academies Press. (PA) Area Community
Follow-Up
Appliances tend to be addressed in a disjointed fashion. Fairfax, R.E. (2003a, May 12). Standard in- College. She holds an

Some considerations for appliances may be addressed in the terpretations: Electrical safety requirements for M.S.P.H. in Occupation-
electrical program and some may be addressed as part of area
inspections. Consider whether this disjointed approach effi- rechargeable racks for paging transmitters. Re- al and Environmental
ciently covers all the regulatory requirements. If not, appliances
may deserve a stand-alone program. trieved from www.osha.gov/node/32791 Hygiene from Johns

An Appliance Specific Program Fairfax, R.E. (2003b, July 16). Standard interpre- Hopkins University,
In its resource library, Minnesota Counties Intergovernmen- tations: Workplace use of electrical equipment des- Bloomberg School of
ignated as “household use only” and recordkeeping Public Health and a B.S.
tal Trust, home of Minnesota OSHA Workplace Consultation requirements. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/laws in Occupational Safety
Program, provides specific information recommended for poli- -regs/standardinterpretations/2003-07-16-0 and Environmental
cy addressing appliances in the workplace (MCIT, 2018). Health from Millers-
Fairfax, R.E. (2005, Feb. 1). Standard Inter- ville University. Stanley
Equipment Surveys pretations: Use of personal cooling fans listed for is a student member of
Those beginning a program from scratch will need to devel- “residential use only” in an industrial setting. Re- ASSP’s National Cap-
trieved from www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardin ital Chapter and the
op documentation of the appliances at that facility. Consider terpretations/2005-02-01-1 Indiana University of
using methods that work for others as inspiration. For example, Pennsylvania Student
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory’s (2019) online elec- Hall Jr., J.R. (2013). Non-home structure fires Section, part of the
trical equipment safety program manual discusses a process by equipment involved in ignition [Analysis].
for conditional acceptance criteria for equipment, a process for Retrieved from www.nfpa.org/-/media/Files/
inspecting and approving electrical equipment, and a process News-and-Research/Fire-statistics-and-reports/
for addressing repair, salvage and out-of-service equipment.
Building-and-life-safety/osnonhomefireequip Western Pennsylvania
Electrical Safety Self-Assessment
ESFI (2012) provides an online electrical safety self-assessment ment.ashx?la=en Chapter. She is also a

tool that covers general electrical. Many questions in the self-as- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. (2019). member of the Soci-
sessment link to the regulation on which the question is based.
Electrical equipment safety program. Retrieved from ety’s Academics and
Conclusion
Implementing OSHA regulations for electrical safety helps min- www2.lbl.gov/ehs/pub3000/CH14.html Engineering practice

imize risk from injury and fires. It is imperative for safety profes- Miles, J.B. (2009, April 20). Standard interpre- specialties, and the
sionals who are responsible for appliance electrical safety program tations: Clarification of the electrical standard as Emerging Professionals
elements to clearly understand the appliance-specific OSHA reg- it applies to flexible power cords on appliances. in OSH Common Inter-
ulations and the requirements of its NRTL program. The ability to Retrieved from www.osha.gov/laws-regs/stand est Group.
read NRTL markings helps OSH professionals identify appliances ardinterpretations/1997-09-09
that underwent the safety testing required by OSHA as well as
counterfeit appliances that can pose a safety concern. Minnesota Counties Intergovernmental Trust

Safety professionals need a clear understanding of the applicable (MCIT). (2018). Appliances in the workplace. Retrieved from www.mcit
OSHA regulations to develop an effective appliance electrical safety
program for a location’s needs. In that sense, safety professionals .org/resource/appliances-in-the-workplace
perform a quality-control function through external visual checks of
appliances, when ensuring the suitability of use for the environment, National Electrical Manufacturers Association (NEMA). (2009). ANSI
and when ensuring that manufacturer-recommended practices are
being implemented so that appliances are used in accordance with Z535 document library. Retrieved from www.nema.org/Standards/z535/
the listing or labeling requirements. By implementing OSHA regula-
tions, safety professionals reduce the risk to the organization. PSJ Pages/ANSI-Z535-Document-Library.aspx

References National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). (2018a). Fire code (NFPA

American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL). (2007). Identi- 1). Quincy, MA: Author.
fying counterfeit items quick tips. Retrieved from www.acil.org/resource/
resmgr/imported/OSHA%202007QuickTips.pdf NFPA. (2018b). Life safety code (NFPA 101). Quincy, MA: Author.

Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). (2011). Safer products NFPA. (2018c). Standard for electrical safety in the workplace (NFPA
database. Retrieved from www.saferproducts.gov
70E). Quincy, MA: Author.
CPSC. (2013). Recall list. Retrieved from www.cpsc.gov/Recalls
Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI). (2012). Electrical National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). (2017, Feb. 10).
safety self-assessment. Retrieved from www.esfi.org/electrical-safety
-self-assessment A guide to United States electrical and electronic equipment compliance
ESFI. (2015). Zero tolerance for counterfeits. Retrieved from www.esfi
.org/program/zero-tolerance-for-counterfeits-294 requirements. Retrieved from www.nist.gov/publications/guide-united

-states-electrical-and-electronic-equipment-compliance-requirements-0

OSHA. (1999, Dec. 2). NRTL program policies, procedures and guidelines

(Directive No. CPL 1-0.3). Retrieved from www.osha.gov/enforcement/direct

ives/cpl-01-00-003

OSHA. (2002). Controlling electrical hazards. Retrieved from www.osha

.gov/Publications/3075.html

OSHA. (2007). Hand and portable powered tools and other hand-held

equipment, 29 CFR 1910 (Subpart P).

OSHA. (2009). Types of products requiring NRTL approval. Retrieved

from www.osha.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/prodcatg.html

OSHA. (2010). Certification of workplace products by nationally recog-

nized testing laboratories. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/dts/shibshib021

610.html

OSHA. (2015). Electrical [29 CFR 1910 (Subpart S)]. Retrieved from

www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910SubpartS

OSHA. (2019a). Appropriate test standards. Retrieved from www.osha

.gov/dts/otpca/nrtl/list_standards.html

OSHA. (2019b). Current list of NRTLs. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/

dts/otpca/nrtl/nrtllist.html

U.S. Fire Administration. (2019, May). Nonresidential building fire trends

(2008-2017). Retrieved from www.usfa.fema.gov/downloads/pdf/statistics/

nonres_bldg_fire_estimates.pdf

Acknowledgments

The author thanks Connie Muncy, David Driver and Joshua Fisher of ASSP’s
Utilities Practice Specialty for reviewing this article.

34 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

MACHINE SAFETY
Peer-Reviewed

BAND SAW
SAFETY

TECHNOLOGIES

Flesh-Sensing
Mechanisms
& Other Devices

By Albert Weaver III, Grace Callahan, Ashley Hearn and James McCall

TTHE VERTICAL BAND SAW, ubiquitous in the woodworking,NORDRODEN/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUSwith unguarded moving blades or with a blade inside the guard
metalworking and meat processing industries, has many safety housing before the blade has coasted to a stop. Further explo-
mechanisms available, some of which are not currently re- ration is necessary into safeguards against band saw incidents
quired by regulatory or consensus standards organizations. and the technologies available to preclude blade contact such
Despite the prevalence of band saws in many industries as flesh-sensing mechanisms, blade-housing interlocks, blade
including woodworking, the hazards they pose have yet to be brakes and blade-tracking windows. This article discusses these
fully recognized. According to OSHA data, band saw injuries mechanisms and their availability.
represent 11.5% of all reported saw injuries from 1984 through
2017 (OSHA, 2019b). Although OSHA, ANSI and International OSHA (1984b) addresses band saws in 29 CFR 1910.213,
Organization for Standardization (ISO) have established regu- wherein four succinct statements specific to band saws in the
lations applicable to band saws, these standards do not address woodworking industry, based on OSHA’s adoption of the
all the potential hazards associated with unintentional contact AMCI O1.1-1954(R1961) standard, now ANSI O1.1, are speci-
fied. These regulations require the saw blade to be enclosed or
KEY TAKEAWAYS guarded, the outside periphery of the band saw wheel to be en-
cased, the band saw equipped with a tension control device and
•Band saw injuries represent 11.5% of all OSHA-reported saw injuries the in-running feed rolls to be guarded.

from 1984 through 2017. Now, nearly 5 decades after OSHA’s adoption, which oc-
curred in 1971 with the passage of the OSH Act, the band saw
•Potential hazards associated with band saws include unintentional manufacturer and user have numerous other safety procedures
and devices available that can be used for incident reduction
contact with unguarded moving blades or with a blade inside the and amelioration.
guard housing before the blade has coasted to a stop. Kickbacks and
kickdowns, particularly from irregularly shaped or rounded stock, Injury Statistics
are also a potential hazard. OSHA Fatality & Catastrophe Investigation Data

•This article explores safeguards to avoid band saw incidents such OSHA (2019b) fatality and catastrophe investigation data
from 1984 through 2017 indicate that 4,160 incidents occurred
as flesh-sensing mechanisms, blade-housing interlocks, blade related to the search term saw, many of these being finger am-
brakes and blade-tracking windows. Many of these state-of-the-art putation injuries. The data also show that many of these inci-
mechanisms are beyond the current regulatory and consensus stan-
dard requirements but are available now for use.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 35

dents involved maintenance FIGURE 1

work on band saws that had OSHA-REPORTED BAND SAW INCIDENTS BY SIC CODE

not yet come to a complete

stop before work was started.

The data reflect saw incidents 250 193
from all industries in both the 200 154
public and private sectors. In
addition, the data indicate that

60 incidents were recorded in 150

2017 (as of Aug. 14, 2017) that 100 73
included references to band

saws, and that 479 band saw 50 0 0 15 5 22 0 14 2 1
incidents have been reported 0
since 1984 from all industries.
Many more incidents involv-

ing band saws may have oc- Agriculture, fishing, forestry
NFionnaclnacses,ifiPinausbbullirecaWeTnasrMhctdUaaCoeal,nnnomRbeirsklunesiefnntpsisaaatlSaooslirhcrtelettrMuwreittmaucasvrrnitrnttteiiiiiaacSanIonnooddttesCsegenneng
curred, but may not have been

recorded in the OSHA data-

base using the term band saw.

These 479 band saw incidents

represent 11.5% of OSHA-re-

ported saw injuries over the

past 34 years.

Figure 1 shows search re-

sults for the 479 band saw Note: Search results for the 479 band saw incidents from April 2, 1984, through Oct. 11, 2017, as recorded on the
incidents for 1984 to 2017 OSHA website, compiled on Aug. 29, 2018. As the OSHA website is continuously updated with new incident en-
(OSHA, 2019b). As noted, tries, a reader visiting the website may find data that is discordant with data contained in this report.

these band saw incidents are

derived from data recorded

from all industries reporting

band saw incidents including woodworking. Of the reported fatality and catastrophe investigations and is specific to inju-

incidents, 347 (72%) occurred in the manufacturing and retail ries that occurred on a work site where there was an employ-

trade industries. er-employee relationship. Since the NEISS universe is based

An additional analysis was made limited to a specific time on all hospital and emergency department visits regardless

range of the most recent 60 band-saw-related incidents re- of whether an employer-employee relationship existed, it is

corded by OSHA (reported between Jan. 3, 2017, and Aug. therefore a much larger database than the OSHA recordable

14, 2017) such that each incident was categorized as either a) incident database.

occurring during regular use or maintenance; or b) whether From 2001 to 2008, NEISS estimates that hospital emergency

the operators and guarding were described as being in com- departments treated nearly 4,000 injuries associated with band

pliance with safe procedures. saw and radial arm saws. The NEISS data reports band saws

The data show that 1.67% of the incidents occurred during and radial arm saws collectively as one of their data points.

maintenance activity for blade replacement and 20% of the

incidents were due to improper operation or removal of guard- Blog Forum Reports of Kickback Injuries
ing. The remaining 78.33% were noted as having occurred due The action of the vertical band saw blade is typically a
to contact with the blade during normal operation. The safety
technologies, procedures and training discussed in this article force pushing down onto the stock that holds it against the
address the band-saw-related injuries that occurred during reg- table; therefore, kickback is not a hazard usually associat-
ular use or maintenance or were due to improper operation, as ed with band saws, as it is with table saws (OSHA, 2019c).
well as the other injuries that could have been eliminated or However, several blog posts discuss incidents in which
ameliorated by avoiding blade contact. rounded or irregularly shaped stock has been kicked down
then thrown back at the operator, producing serious facial

and head injuries. Several blog forums describe personal

CPSC: NEISS Hospital & accounts of band saw kickbacks (Brown, 2008; Padre, 2008;

Emergency Department Reports Whitesell, 2016).

An additional database from a sample study of woodshop To avoid band saw kickbacks, some manufacturers suggest

machinery injuries compiled by the National Electronic Inju- cutting rounded pieces in a transversal direction. This can also

ry Surveillance System (NEISS) estimates that band saws are help avoid pieces getting twisted during cutting. Other band

the cause of 3,550 injuries per year (Woodworkers Guild of saw manufacturers recommend additional protection against

America, 2019). kickback by using a work stabilization block.

Provided through U.S. Consumer Product Safety Com- Figure 2 shows the direction of the band saw kickback

mission (CPSC, 2019), data from NEISS are based on hospital when the operator is attempting to cut a rounded object. A

and emergency department reports, which includes all inju- kickback can occur while using any type of saw including a

ries as presented, whereas the OSHA data is based on only band saw. The downward motion of the band saw blade on

36 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

FIGURE 2

DIRECTION OF BAND SAW
KICKBACK WITH ROUNDED OBJECT

a rounded object, or irregularly or trapezoidal-shaped work Photo 1: Work piece stabilizer
piece may cause the end of the object to kick down before the for rounded stock.
band saw potentially kicks the object back, possibly striking
the operator in the face or upper extremities. This can occur Wheel Coasting Hazard
because a rounded object does not have as much surface area Table 1 (p. 38) presents the ANSI O1.1 standards and ISO
in contact with the table as dimensional lumber. Posts from
blog forum users who have experienced kickdowns and re- standards that address the wheel coasting hazard and the re-
sulting kickbacks have noted that this has occurred after the quirement for an emergency stop control. There is no OSHA
rounded object has partially passed through the saw blade. standard that addresses the wheel coasting hazard.
Then the rounded object continues to rotate downward,
which allowed the uncut portion to rise above the table on The original 1971 OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.213(i) in-
the infeed side of the blade and the kickback to result. To cluded the sentence, “Effective brakes should be provided
avoid kickback, some manufacturers recommend adding a to stop the wheel in case of blade breakage,” as documented
suitable locking device so that the stock cannot be rotated in Table 1 (p. 38). As this sentence is advisory rather than
crosswise. Photo 1 shows an example of a locking device used mandatory by inclusion of the word should, it was removed in
while cutting rounded stock. 1984 based on the federal lawsuit addressing the enforcement
of mandatory and advisory standards. Specifically, Federal
Regulatory/Consensus Standard Register, 49(29), dated Feb. 10, 1984, detailed the changes
Requirements for Band Saws made to 29 CFR 1910.213. It states, “This final rule revokes
153 of the 194 provisions of the general industry standards
This section discusses the ANSI, ISO, and OSHA regulato- (29 CFR Part 1910), which were proposed for revocation on
ry and consensus standard requirements related to the use of May 28, 1982 (47 FR 23477). These provisions use the word
woodworking machinery and specifically band saws (defined as should or other advisory language instead of the mandatory
machines that have a continuous band toothed steel driven by shall” (OSHA, 1984a, p. 5318; J. Cramer, personal communi-
two or more wheels). OSHA does not currently have standards cation, Aug. 2, 2018).
on blade-tracking windows for band saws nor for door inter-
locks on band saw wheel covers. ISO Safety Feature Performance Level
The performance level requirement (PLr), a key parameter in
ANSI O1.1-1954(R 1961) was the source for the OSHA
standards in 29 CFR 1910.213, identified as woodworking ma- the ISO standard, is the required performance of the safety fea-
chinery requirements. ANSI O1.1-2013 addresses training and ture necessary to adequately keep the operation safe (Keyence
maintenance for all woodworking equipment. Employees must Corp., 2019). The performance level (PL) is typically measured
be trained in both maintenance and operation to comply with in the probability of dangerous failures per hour. The five per-
the ANSI standard. However, OSHA uses other safety require- formance levels addressed by this standard vary from level “a”
ments published by ANSI, ISO and in manufacturers’ operat- to level “e” with corresponding failures per hour escalating
ing manuals as surrogate OSHA standards through use of the from 0.001% to 0.01% for level a and 0.000001% to 0.00001% for
General Duty Clause. Consensus standards and manufacturers’ level e. ISO 13849-1 sets an acceptable probability of dangerous
operating manuals have been the basis for establishing that the failure per hour for each PLr.
hazard is a recognized hazard, which is a prerequisite for use of
the General Duty Clause. These documents have also been the
basis for opinions offered by testifying forensics experts in per-
sonal injury lawsuits.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 37

TABLE 1

REGULATORY & CONSENSUS STANDARD
REQUIREMENTS FOR BRAKES & WHEEL COASTING

Brakes

Standard Requirement

ANSI O1.1-1971 •Section 6.2.1, 1971, Enclosing Band Saw Blades: “Effective brakes should be provided

[Revision of O1.1- to stop the wheel in case of blade breakage.”a

1954(R1961)], 1975, •Section 5.1.1.5, 2013, specifies that “an effective means of stopping the blade motion

1992, 2004, 2009, 2013 shall be provided to minimize the coasting hazard.”

Federal Register, •1910.213(i) Bandsaws and band resaws. “Effective brakes should be provided to stop

36(105), May 29, 1971 the wheel in case of blade breakage.” (This provision was withdrawn on Feb. 10, 1984.)

Emergency Stop Controls

Standard Requirement

ANSI O1.1-1992, 2004, •4.4.2.1, Application: “All machines shall incorporate one or more emergency stopping

2009, 2013 means, which upon momentary operation, shall safely stop all machine motions. These

emergency stopping means shall be located at all operator control stations and, if

inherent hazards are present at other operating positions, an emergency stopping

means shall be provided at each position. Exception: On a manual machine with a

single motor and motor controller, the motor stopping means is considered the

emergency stop.”

•ANSI O1.1-2004, 2009, E4.4.2.1, Application: “Emergency stopping means include pull

cables, mushroom buttons, pressure mats, presence-sensing devices and similar

devices. Set up positions are not considered operator control positions.”

ISO 19085-1:2017b •“Machines with more than one machine actuator or where provision is made for use

with more than one machine actuator (e.g., with a socket for demountable power feed)

shall be fitted with an emergency stop control. Electrical emergency stop control

systems shall comply with the requirements of IEC 60204-1:2005, 9.2.5.4.2 and 10.7.

Mode selection shall be in accordance with the following requirements (see also ISO

1200:2010, 6.2.11.10):

a) The mode selected shall override all other control or operating modes, except

emergency stop.

b) The mode selector shall be lockable in any position, e.g., by a key-operated switch.

c) Changing the mode shall not initiate any movement of the machine.

d) When changing modes, the machine shall be brought to a normal or operational

stop except when changing from a mode with lower safety measures (e.g., setting)

into a mode with higher safety measures.

The SRP/CS for mode selection shall achieve PLr = c. See also 8.3 and IEC 60204-1:2005.”

29 CFR 1910.213(b)(1) •“A mechanical or electrical power control shall be provided on each machine to make

it possible for the operator to cut off the power from each machine without leaving his

position at the point of operation.”

Note. aANSI O1.1 1924, 1930 and 1944 editions did not include a provision requiring brakes to be provided on band saws. bISO 19085-1:2017, Wood-
working Machines—Safety, Part 1: Common Requirements, provides options of interlocking movable guards in accordance with section 6.5.2. These
include movable guards with interlocking without guard locking, movable guards with interlocking with guard locking, hold-to-run control, two-
hand control, electro-sensitive protective equipment (ESPE) and pressure-sensitive protective equipment (PSPE). Examples of PSPE include pres-
sure-sensitive mats and floors; trip bars and pressure-sensitive edges; and pressure-sensitive bumpers, plates, wires and similar devices.

The required performance level is determined by the frequen- of specific safety features. These features included blade coast-
cy, severity and probability of injury associated with a dangerous ing/stop indicator/windows, door interlocks, blade brakes and
failure. The more frequent and severe the result of a failure, the flesh-sensing technologies. This survey was restricted to band
more stringent the required performance level (ISO, 2015). saws that had one or more of the mechanical or electrical safe-
ty features, including flesh-sensing technologies, safety door
Selected Band Saw Manufacturers & Key Parameters interlocks, blade brakes or blade tracking windows. Band saws
ANSI O1.1 addresses band saws used in industrial and com- found during the search that did not list any of the four noted
features fell outside the scope of the survey.
mercial applications having a total connected power of 5 horse-
power (hp) (3.7 kW) or greater, or having three-phase wiring, Method
either of which is the basis for inclusion in the ANSI O1.1 stan- Band saws with 5 hp or three-phase wiring were included
dard. Data on band saws from various manufacturers that have
either 5 hp or three-phase wiring and are therefore under the in the study if they had one or more of the four safety features
scope of ANSI O1.1 were collected to determine the prevalence (i.e., flesh-sensing technologies, safety door interlocks, blade

38 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

brakes, blade tracking windows). This resulted in 16 band saws FLESH-SENSING TECHNOLOGY
being surveyed that meet the ANSI standard for coverage (i.e., MANUFACTURERS
5 hp or three-phase wiring) and have one or more of the safety
features. None (0%) of the saws in the subset is equipped with The manufacturers listed here are those for which patent ap-
a safety door interlock; one (6%) is equipped with flesh-sensing plications had been made or have listed their technology in
technologies; 10 (66%) are equipped with some form of a blade manufacturers catalogs.
brake; and 86 (53%) are equipped with blade-tracking windows.
One respondent did not provide data on all parameters; for •SawStop (www.sawstop.com/why-sawstop/the-technology)
those parameters for which data was not provided, the band
saw manufacturer was excluded from the statistical profile •Bosch REAXX Flesh Detecting Saw (www.boschtools.com/ca/
compiled for that parameter. en/more/news-and-extras/press-room/gts-1041a-reaxx.html)

Patents and patent applications were reviewed for safety mech- •Whirlwind Black Box “Plug & Play” Flesh-Sensing Saw Safety
anisms as a primary measure used in this article to date the age Stop (www.whirlwindtool.com)
of the technology. The date for the earliest patent for each safety
feature is included as a measure of establishing its earliest usage. •Scott Automation Blade Stop (www.scottautomation.com/
The patents for each of the technologies discussed date from bladestop; www.scottautomation.com/news/case-studies/
1874, the earliest patent noted for band saw brakes (U.S. Patent bladestop-enhances-safe-operation-at-carbon-processing
No. 151,106, 1874). Patents for flesh-sensing mechanisms are -facility)
dated from 1974 (U.S. Patent No. 3,785,230, 1974), blade hous-
ing interlocks from 1958 (U.S. Patent No. 2,955,693, 1960) and INTERLOCKS IN THE
blade-tracking windows from 1960 (U.S. Patent No. 2,963,054, LAUNDRY & TEXTILE INDUSTRY
1960). Patents have varying life spans, typically up to 20 years in
length (U.S. Department of Commerce, 2016). ANSI Z8.1-1961, Safety Code for Laundry Machinery and Operations,
section 2.19 defines the term safety interlock as “a device that will 1)
Band Saw Flesh-Sensing Safety Technologies prevent the operation of a machine while the cover or door is opened
Technology Availability History or unlocked; 2) hold the cover or door closed and locked while the
basket or cylinder is in motion” (ANSI, 1961a).
Some flesh-sensing technologies mechanically halt the blade
upon sensing that it has come in contact with human flesh. The A patent for a safety interlock for laundry extractors dated 1958
blade can sense contact with flesh because of the electrical im- explains the purpose of the invention:
pulses that the human body emits. Flesh-sensing technologies
are widely used in the meat processing industry but can also be To . . . prevent the motor of the basket from being
used in other industries such as woodworking. started while the cover is raised, or even when the cov-
er is closed but is not locked, and which will prevent
Based on patent searches, patented technologies designed to the cover from being unlocked and raised as long as
detect the presence of human tissue and react in sufficient time the basket is rotating. (U.S. Patent No. 2,955,693, 1960)
to preclude injury to the operator have been available since
1974. One patent application noted that the safety device for A standard requiring door interlocks for extractors has been in use
which the patent was being applied provided: in the laundry industry and required in regulatory standards since
at least 1961. Specifically, ANSI Z8.1-1961 section 3.1.3.1 on extractors
An automatic safety brake for rotary blade equip- requires that:
ment in which a capacitance proximity sensor utilizes
the spinning blade as an antenna so that when any Each extractor shall be equipped with an interlocking
portion of the body of the user approaches the blade device that will prevent the cover from being opened
too closely a cam brake will be instantaneously ac- while the basket is in motion, and will also prevent the
tuated to stop the rotation of the blade before the power operation of the basket while the cover is not
body of the user comes in contact with the cutting fully closed and secured. (ANSI, 1961a)
edge of the blade. (U.S. Patent No. 3,785,230, 1974)
ANSI Z8.1-1961 section 3.2.1.1 on washing machines states that:
Another patent for similar technology is based:
[A] washing machine shall be equipped with an inter-
Upon a metal conductive glove worn by the oper- locking device that will prevent the inside cylinder
ator [and after] contacting the blade or toothed from moving when the outer door on the case or
shaft . . . positively stops and then reverses the di- shell is open, and will also prevent the door from
rection of movement of the rotating member. The being opened while the inside cylinder is in motion.
operator’s glove is electrically connected to a safety (ANSI, 1961a)
mechanism and upon the glove completing a circuit
upon contact with the rotating member or equip- Laundry and textile industry OSHA standards have required in-
ment immediately disconnects the power drive from terlocks for more than 45 years. OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.262(y)
the rotating member by actuating a clutch or ten- (1)(ii) for the textile industry, which was adopted in 1971, provides
sioning cylinder. (U.S. Patent No. 5,272,946, 1993) that “each extractor shall be equipped with an interlocking device
that will prevent the cover from being opened while the basket is in
For more information on the technologies available from motion, and also prevent the power operation of the basket while the
various manufacturers, see the “Flesh-Sensing Technology cover is open.” This standard requiring interlocks on extractors and
Manufacturers” sidebar. washing machines appears in ANSI L1.1-1956.

For additional protection, other safety measures that would
preclude contact with the moving blade should be employed

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 39

in addition to the protection offered by flesh-sensing mecha- mechanical hazards. These include provisions for hold-to-run,
nisms. These include engineering controls for point-of-opera- two-hand control, interlocking with electro-sensitive protec-
tion guarding, administrative controls for employee education tive equipment, interlocking with pressure-sensitive protective
and training, and procedures that would be specified in a job equipment, interlocking of movable guards and interlocking
safety analysis. with guard locking of movable guards.

Safety Door Interlocks Blade Brakes

Interlocks are a critical safety feature that, if employed, Based on the 16 band saw manufacturers or distributors that

should reduce the 1.67% of band-saw-related incidents reported met the criteria to be included in the survey, 66% (10) of the
by OSHA between Jan. 3, 2017, and Aug. 14, 2017, that occurred band saws come equipped with some kind of blade brake. These
during maintenance activity for blade replacement; interlocks brakes may be manually activated when desired or some may
should also similarly reduce the 20% of the incidents that were be automatically triggered under certain conditions.
For example, Hydmech (2019) manufactures band saws
due to improper operation or removal of guarding.
Based on the 16 band saws surveyed, none of these band that have a blade breakage switch. When the blade breaks,
the switch automatically stops power to
saws are equipped with a safety door
the band saw motor. According to the
interlock. However, 13% (2) of the band Regulatory and consensus manufacturer, the switch operates such
saws surveyed advertised an interlock
standards applicable that when a blade breaks, “the tensioner
feature that instead functioned as a to band saws should will continue to drill the idler wheel up
limit switch. Opening the blade hous- (as it maintains hydraulic pressure for
ing door of a band saw exposes the op-
the blade tension) until it contacts the
erator and others in the vicinity to the address currently available switch,” thereby shutting down the saw
unguarded blade and blade transmis-
hydraulic and blade motor (Hydmech
sion mechanisms. technologies to preclude representative, personal communication,
An interlock will preclude the blade
blade contact including July 17, 2018).
housing door from opening if the blade A patent on improvement in band saw-
ing machines demonstrates a combined
is moving and will prevent the blade flesh-sensing mechanisms,
from turning until the door is closed. A
belt shifter and brake (U.S. Patent No.
limit switch placed on the housing door blade-housing interlocks, 151,106, 1874).
will prevent the motor from starting
blade brakes and blade-
or continuing to receive power while Blade-Tracking Windows
the door is open. If the door is open, tracking windows. Based on the survey of band saw
then the switch is open, which prevents

the motor from starting; if the door is manufacturers and distributors, 53%

closed, then the switch is closed, which allows the motor to (8) of the band saws have blade-tracking windows. These

start. However, if the door is opened while the motor is run- windows are positioned on the housing of the band saw to

ning, then the motor may take several seconds to coast to a allow operators to visually determine whether the blade is

stop, during which time an injury could occur. An interlock in motion. A patent for a tension-adjusting mechanism for

for the blade housing door will prevent the blade from mov- band saws included a blade-tracking window as a neces-

ing until the door is closed and prevent the door from being sary element of the mechanism (U.S. Patent No. 2,963,054,

opened until all motion has stopped. 1960). The patent has since expired.

Interlocking guard patents are dated to 1900 (Roberts,

1980). The “Interlocks in the Laundry and Textile Industry” Findings & Recommendations

sidebar (p. 39) details the mandated use of interlocks in the The prevalence of band saw injuries as shown in OSHA and

laundry and textile industry. A search of the present bandsaw NEISS data necessitates further exploration into the hazards

market revealed no currently available bandsaws that incor- associated with unintentional contact with the blade and kick-

porate interlocks. However, some bandsaws were advertised backs as discussed for round or irregularly shaped stock. Regu-

by manufacturers as having interlocks when they instead have latory and consensus standards applicable to band saws should

limit switches. address currently available technologies to preclude blade con-

tact including flesh-sensing mechanisms, blade-housing inter-

ANSI & ISO Standards locks, blade brakes and blade-tracking windows. To accomplish

ANSI, Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN) and ISO stan- this, following are five safety systems, devices and employee

dards describe interlocking devices. ANSI and DIN require that orientation and training recommended to complement the ex-

an interlock prevent operation of the machine when guards are isting regulatory and consensus standard requirements regard-

not in place and prevent removal of guards under conditions ing band saw usage.

where danger may be present such as the blade passively spin- 1) A blade-braking mechanism provided to automatically

ning. ISO allows for manual unlocking or removal of the guard stop power to the band saw motor upon blade breakage.

in cases where unlocking the guard takes adequate time for 2) A blade-tracking window provided and placed so that the

dangerous conditions during run down to cease, and specifies operator has visual contact without opening the blade housing

a PLr of “c” for guard interlocking (ANSI O1.1-2013; DIN EN to determine blade motion and blade tracking.

1088:2008-10; ISO 19085-1:2017). 3) A blade-housing interlock provided so that the blade will

ISO 19085-1, Woodworking Machines—Safety, identifies not turn except for adjustment until the housing is closed and

the safety requirements and measures for protection against will not open until all blade motion has stopped.

40 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

4) Flesh-sensing mechanisms considered as a protective mea- OSHA. (2019a). Accident investigation search. Retrieved from www
sure as these technologies become available. .osha.gov/tutorials/acci_help.html

5) Operator education and training for saw usage including OSHA. (2019b). Fatality and catastrophe investigation summaries.
kickback avoidance. In addition to being trained in the require- Retrieved from www.osha.gov/pls/imis/accidentsearch.html
ments of the OSHA standards, operators should also be trained
in the requirements set forth in the operating manual of the OSHA. (2019c). Kickbacks. Retrieved from www.osha.gov/SLTC/
band saw being used. etools/woodworking/kickbacks.html

The required implementation of these systems in band saw Padre. (2008, Mar. 3). Who says bandsaws have no kickback? Re-
regulatory and consensus standards should help reduce the trieved from http://lumberjocks.com/topics/6925
number of band saw injuries occurring each year. PSJ
Pirnik, E. (2013, Dec. 11). You can’t beat the physics of kickback. Fine
References Woodworking. Retrieved from www.finewoodworking.com/2013/12/11/
you-cant-beat-the-physics-of-kickback
ANSI. (1956). Textiles safety code (ANSI L1.1-1956). Washington, DC:
Author. Renault, J.C. & Ramsay, L.D. (1960). U.S. Patent No. 2,955,693. Re-
trieved from https://patents.google.com/patent/US2955693A
ANSI. (1961a). Safety code for laundry machinery and operations
(ANSI Z8.1-1961). Washington, DC: Author. Roberts, V.L. (1980). Machine guarding: A historical perspective.
Durham, NC: Institute for Product Safety.
ANSI. (1961b). Woodworking machinery safety requirements [ANSI
O1.1-1954(R1961)]. Washington, DC: Author. SawStop. (2019). SawStop saws detect contact with skin. Retrieved
from www.sawstop.com/why-sawstop/the-technology
ANSI. (1971). Woodworking machinery safety requirements (ANSI
O1.1-1971). Washington, DC: Author. Scott Automation & Robotics. (2017, Nov. 15). BladeStop enhances
operations at carbon processing facility (Case study). Retrieved from
ANSI. (1975). Woodworking machinery safety requirements (ANSI www.scottautomation.com/news/case-studies/bladestop-enhances
O1.1-1975). Washington, DC: Author. -safe-operation-at-carbon-processing-facility

ANSI. (1992). Woodworking machinery safety requirements (ANSI Scott Automation & Robotics. (2019). BladeStop bandsaw reduces the
O1.1-1992). Washington, DC: Author. risk of serious injury by stopping the blade within a fraction of a second.
Retrieved from www.scottautomation.com/bladestop
ANSI. (2004). Woodworking machinery safety requirements (ANSI
O1.1-2004). Washington, DC: Author. U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). (2011). Survey
of injuries involving stationary saws: Table and bench saws 2007-2008.
ANSI. (2009). Woodworking machinery safety requirements (ANSI Retrieved from www.cpsc.gov/s3fs-public/statsaws.pdf
O1.1-2009). Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. CPSC. (2019). National Electronic Injury Surveillance System (NEISS).
ANSI. (2013). Woodworking machinery safety requirements (ANSI Retrieved from www.cpsc.gov/Research--Statistics/NEISS-Injury-Data
O1.1-2013). Washington, DC: Author.
U.S. Department of Commerce. (2016, July 7). How long do patent,
Bosch Tool Corp. (2015, Mar. 18). Bosch GTS1041A REAXX portable trademark, or copyright protections last? Retrieved from www.stop
jobsite table saw takes user safety to the next level and saves the blade fakes.gov/article?id=How-Long-Does-Patent-Trademark-or-Copyright
too (Press release). Retrieved from www.boschtools.com/ca/en/more/ -Protection-Last
news-and-extras/press-room/gts-1041a-reaxx.html
Whirlwind Tool Co. (2019). The Black Box “plug and play” flesh-sens-
Brown, D. (2008, Apr.). Can you get “kickback” on a band saw? Re- ing saw safety stop. Retrieved from www.whirlwindtool.com
trieved from www.ncwoodworker.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13909
Whitesell, A. (2016, Mar. 28). Bandsaw kickback. Retrieved from
Deutsches Institut für Normung (DIN). (2008). Safety of machinery— https://sawmillcreek.org/showthread.php?242385-Bandsaw-kickback
Interlocking devices associated with guards—Principles for design and
selection (DIN EN 1088:2008-10). Woodworkers Guild of America. (2019). Shop accident statistics and
woodworking safety. Retrieved from www.wwgoa.com/article/shop
Doane, W.H. & McKee, W.P. (1874). U.S. Patent No. 151,106. Re- -accident-statistics-woodworking-safety
trieved from https://patents.google.com/patent/US151106A
Albert Weaver III, CSP, is president of L.A. Weaver Co. Inc., an occupa-
Eschenburg, W.A. (1960). U.S. Patent No. 2,963,054. Retrieved from tional and environmental consultancy. Previously, he was an adjunct faculty
https://patents.google.com/patent/US2963054A member and a lecturer for the engineering extension. He holds an under-
graduate degree from Western Carolina University and an M.S. in Industrial
Felder Group. (2010, Oct. 1). User manual (translation) band saw Engineering from North Carolina State University (NCSU), where he was a
N4400. Retrieved from http://maschinen.felder-gruppe.at/uploads/doc NIOSH fellowship recipient. He is a professional member of ASSP’s North
ument/503-15-4502_1010_Hammer_BA_Bandsaegen_ENG_Lo.pdf Carolina Chapter, which he served twice as president. He is also a member of
the Society’s Consultants (past administrator), Construction and Environ-
Hydmech. (2019). V-18 band saw. Retrieved from www.hydmech mental (founding member and past administrator) practice specialties. He
.com/products/v-18 has been a member of ANSI O1.1 Woodworking Safety Requirements Stan-
dards Committee for 44 years.
ISO 13849-1:2015. Safety of machinery—Safety-related parts of con-
trol systems—Part 1: General principles for design (ISO 13849-1:2015). Grace Callahan is a research and case assistant at L.A. Weaver Co. Inc.
She holds a B.A. in International Relations with a minor in Spanish from
ISO. (2017). Woodworking machines—Safety—Part 1: Common re- NCSU, where she graduated as valedictorian. As an undergraduate, she was
quirements (ISO 19085-1:2017). Geneva, Switzerland: Author. also recognized as a University Scholar and a TISS IC-CAE Intelligence and
Security Scholar.
Keyence Corp. (2019). PL (performance level). Safety Knowledge. Retrieved
from www.keyence.com/ss/products/safetyknowledge/performance/level Ashley Hearn is a research and case assistant at L.A. Weaver Co. Inc. She
holds a B.A. from NCSU in International Relations with a minor in French.
Lokey, R. (1974). U.S. Patent No. 3,785,230. Retrieved from https:// As an undergraduate, she studied abroad at Université Catholique de Lille
patents.google.com/patent/US3785230A and was a member of the International Studies Honor Society and the French
National Honor Society.
McCullough, T.J. & Masters, D.A. (1993). U.S. Patent No. 5,272,946.
Retrieved from https://patents.google.com/patent/US5272946A James McCall is a research and case assistant at L.A. Weaver Co. Inc. and
a graduate student teaching assistant at NCSU. He is a Ph.D. student in the
OSHA. (1971, May 29). Bandsaws and band resaws [29 CFR joint UNC-Chapel Hill/NCSU Biomedical Engineering Program, where his
1910.213(i)]. Federal Register, 36(105). graduate research is focused on upper and lower limb exoskeletal devices.
He received a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from NCSU.
OSHA. (1984a, Feb. 10). Revocation of advisory and repetitive stan-
dards. Federal Register, 49(29). Retrieved from www.govinfo.gov/app/
details/FR-1984-02-10

OSHA. (1984b). Woodworking machinery requirements (29 CFR
1910.213). Retrieved from www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/stan
dardnumber/1910/1910.213

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.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.262

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 41

BEST PRACTICES

TRUCK DRIVERS

The Relationship Between Demographics & Discomfort

By Brian Briggs, Drew Bossen and Darin Flannery

According to Bureau of Labor Statistics (2018) data, there has been an overall downward
trend in the number of reported heavy and tractor-trailer truck driver injuries and
illnesses over the past several years.

However, the transportation and ware- clients served over a 10-year period (2008 Globe, Ng-Mak, et al., 2014). Therefore, if
housing sector still has the sixth highest through 2017), with an approximate 50% discomfort is better understood, preventive
nonfatal occupational illness incidence response rate. strategies can be defined and implemented
rate and the fifth highest number of cases to mitigate the risk.
of all private industry sectors (Figure 1). Of the 102,749 drivers who completed the
survey, 46% reported having some level of Beyond injury risk, discomfort can
To better understand injuries within discomfort. From the authors’ perspective, also be a distracting force on a driver. If a
this industry sector, Atlas Injury Preven- discomfort is a critical metric. The authors’ driver is experiencing discomfort, espe-
tion Solutions (Atlas) studied survey data experience and other research studies have cially higher levels of discomfort, it can
collected from 102,749 truck drivers. The found that discomfort is a strong early become more difficult to focus, respond
surveys were included as part of driver predictor of a potential injury, related costs and react, placing the driver at a higher
onboard computer training sessions, and administration, and loss of capacity risk for a motor vehicle incident.
typically provided biannually. The sur- (Dunning, Davis, Cook, et al., 2010; Falla,
veys were delivered to a subset of Atlas Cescon, Lindstroem, et al., 2017; Van Nuys, The focus of this study was to compare
driver discomfort and demographic infor-

FIGURE 1

INCIDENCE RATES & NUMBERS OF NONFATAL
OCCUPATIONAL ILLNESS BY PRIVATE INDUSTRY SECTOR, 2017

Note. Reprinted from “Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses,” by Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2018. SOLSTOCK/E+/GETTY IMAGES

42 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

mation—height, body mass index (BMI), al., 2010; Sieber, et al., 2012). In further •Overall the highest three regions of
age and gender—to determine whether any support of that research, this data set reported discomfort are low back, head
statistically significant correlations exist. showed a positive correlation between and neck, and shoulder.
BMI and both the prevalence of discom-
Height fort and average total discomfort. •The head and neck, and shoulder re-
The seating industry focuses on effec- gions showed the expected positive cor-
When looking at different regions of the relation between age and discomfort.
tively fitting the range between the fifth body, Atlas researchers found some nota-
percentile for women and the 95th percen- ble correlations with higher BMI drivers: •Surprisingly, the low-back region
tile for men (AMSC & Area HFAC, 1999). showed a negative correlation between
Given this, it might be expected that there •Underweight, normal, overweight and age and discomfort. Average low-back
will be a higher percentage of discomfort obese I weight groups reported the highest discomfort is highest in the younger
in the extreme height ranges (shorter than level of discomfort within the head and groups and decreases with age.
5 ft 4 in. and taller than 6 ft 3 in.). Howev- neck, shoulders, and low-back regions.
er, the only pattern shown in the study is •Older employees reported a 42%
with shorter drivers. The mean height of •Drivers in the obese II and III groups increase in eye strain as compared to
the data set is 5 ft 10 in. As the height of also reported the highest level of dis- younger employees.
the driver decreases from the mean, it cor- comfort within the head and neck, and
relates with a higher prevalence of discom- low-back regions, but reported less These findings also make sense, but
fort. Surprisingly, as the height increases shoulder discomfort. more from a medical than a field perspec-
past the mean, there is no correlation with tive. Aging has an overall effect, but par-
prevalence of discomfort. •There is a significant increase in knee ticularly in the head, neck and eyes.
discomfort as a driver’s BMI increases.
When looking at different regions of Gender
the body, the authors found some notable If a driver is experiencing An area of growing discussion is the
correlation with driver height:
discomfort, especially effect of gender. Historically, driver po-
•Overall, except in the tallest employ- sitions have been held by men, further
ees, three regions with the highest re- higher levels of discomfort, confirmed by this study in which only
ported discomfort are low back, head and 7% of the respondents were women.
neck, and shoulders. it can become more Given the industry’s driver shortage,
there is an increasing need to attract
•Shoulder discomfort decreases as the difficult to focus, respond women to driving jobs, but ensuring
employee’s height increases. In fact, with that the work can be done safely must be
the tallest employees, knee discomfort and react, placing the a consideration.
replaces shoulder discomfort as one of
the top three areas of discomfort. driver at a higher risk for a When considering gender and its cor-
relation with discomfort, it is necessary
These findings align with what Atlas motor vehicle incident. to first look at whether it is gender or the
professionals see in the field. When fit- physical differences between genders that
ting a cab to a driver to help avoid dis- These findings also align with what influences discomfort. If we compare the
comfort, the tolerance for error is larger is observed in the field. Head and neck, overall demographics between the male
with taller individuals where several shoulder, and low-back discomfort af- and female populations within this study,
accommodation options exist. Shorter fects all drivers, and is not driven by obe- we find the following:
individuals have fewer options. sity alone. The discomfort is driven by
long hours of seated work in a less than •average height: men, 5 ft 10 in.; wom-
BMI optimal position. However, as a driver’s en, 5 ft 5 in.;
One of the most frequently referenced BMI increases, complaints increase.
•average BMI: men, 31; women, 32;
demographic categories in current re- Age •average age: men, 46 years; women,
search is BMI. Individuals can be cat- Another area of considerable discus- 45 years.
egorized into six groups according to Height is the only significant gender-driv-
their BMI value: underweight, less than sion and research is the impact of the en demographic difference. Therefore, while
18.5; normal, 18.5 to 24.9; overweight, 25 aging workforce, which is especially gender is analyzed, it is important to consid-
to 29.9; obese I, 30 to 34.5; obese II, 35 important given the desire to keep older er the broader impact of height.
to 39.9; and obese III, greater than 39.9. workers healthy and productive. Other This data set shows a low correlation
Multiple studies have found significantly researchers would lead us to expect high- between gender and the prevalence of
higher average BMI in truck drivers than er discomfort as drivers age. discomfort but a positive correlation
in the general population (Sieber, Bird- between gender and average total dis-
sey, Chen, et al., 2012). Consistent with As expected, this data set shows a comfort. In short, female workers do not
those studies, this data set showed that positive correlation between age and the report discomfort any more frequently
48% of the drivers were obese, 26% high- prevalence of discomfort; however, there than their male counterparts, but when
er than the national average, and 85% is less of a correlation been age and total they do, their discomfort level is higher.
of the drivers were overweight or obese, average discomfort. In short, more older When looking at different regions of
20% higher than the national average. workers hurt, but likely no more than the body, Atlas researchers saw some no-
their younger peers. table patterns between genders:
Other research has shown a positive •As was seen in the general population,
correlation between BMI, medical cost When looking at different regions of both men and women have the highest
claims and lost workdays (Dunning, et the body, Atlas researchers saw some regional discomfort in their low back,
unique patterns between the age groups: head and neck, and shoulders.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 43

BEST PRACTICES

Understanding the correlation

or lack of correlation between

discomfort and driver

demographics allows fleets to

prioritize their time and money

in areas where they can have

the most impact on mitigating

injury risk. Sometimes it is

more important to understand

why before focusing on how.

•Shoulder discomfort is 40% higher Age: Given the higher prevalence of References
in female drivers, which aligns with the discomfort in aging workers, as in workers
authors’ findings on employee height. with a higher BMI, employers must imple- AMSC & Area HFAC. (1999). Department
ment programs to address discomfort early of Defense design criteria standard. Signal,
•Head and neck discomfort is also 19% and proactively. Address eyestrain through 44.5.3, 4.
higher in female drivers. biannual eye exams and the possible use of
glare-reducing lenses for nighttime driving. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). (2018).
•Low-back pain is statistically similar For younger employees, provide programs Survey of occupational injuries and illnesses.
in both men and women. to reinforce good work habits to reduce low- Retrieved from www.bls.gov/iif/osch0062.pdf
back pain and future injury risk.
These findings also align with the Dunning, K.K., Davis, K.G., Cook, C., et al.
authors’ field experience and previous Gender: Although an increase in total (2010). Costs by industry and diagnosis among
discussion about driver height. discomfort was seen in female participants, musculoskeletal claims in a state workers com-
the data indicate that this is due to employ- pensation system: 1999-2004. American Jour-
Recommendations ee height. Rather than emphasize gender, nal of Industrial Medicine, 53(3), 276-284.
Given what these data have shown, it is efforts should focus on the basic demo-
graphic characteristics of the individual. Falla, D., Cescon, C., Lindstroem, R., et
natural to wonder how this might impact al. (2017). Muscle pain induces a shift of the
a fleet’s approach to mitigating injury Understanding the correlation or lack spatial distribution of upper trapezius muscle
risk. The authors recommend the follow- of correlation between discomfort and activity during a repetitive task: A mechanism
ing to OSH professionals: driver demographics allows fleets to for perpetuation of pain with repetitive activi-
prioritize their time and money in areas ty. Clinical Journal of Pain, 33(11), 1006-1013.
Height: To have the greatest benefit where they can have the most impact on
for employees, focus should be placed on mitigating injury risk. Sometimes it is Sieber, W.K., Birdsey, J., Chen, G.X., et al.
the needs of employees who are shorter more important to understand why be- (2012). National survey of long-haul truck
than 5 ft 4 in. Emphasis should be placed fore focusing on how. driver health and injuty: Health behavior
on assisting drivers with proper cab set- [draft manuscript]. 9-10.
up to provide an effective line of sight. For the full report visit, http://at-
Providing drivers with appropriate back las-ips.com/resources/research. PSJ Van Nuys, K., Globe, D., Ng-Mak, D., et al.
support and seat position will decrease (2014). The association between employee obe-
the need for a driver to reach out for the sity and employer costs: Evidence from a panel
steering wheel. of U.S. employers. American Journal of Health
Promotion, 28(5), 277-285.
BMI: Given the higher prevalence of
discomfort in workers with a higher BMI, Brian Briggs, M.S., P.T., is a physical therapist at Atlas Injury Prevention Solutions with 20 KALI9/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
employers must implement programs years’ experience in orthopedics and on-site injury prevention. His expertise is in early interven-
to address discomfort early and proac- tion, job analysis, ergonomic evaluation and improvements, and implementation of work injury
tively, including telephonic or on-site prevention programs.
early intervention. Focus on the knee,
low-back, and head and neck discomfort Drew Bossen M.B.A., P.T., is executive vice president of Atlas Injury Prevention Solutions. He
for employees in any of the obese catego- holds an M.B.A. from Ashland College, and a B.S. and physical therapy degree from University of
ries (those with a BMI greater than 30) Iowa. He has a clinical background rooted in the assessment and evaluation of the injured worker.
through proper cab setup. An aggressive Over the past 25 years, Bossen has worked with many organizations providing solutions in ergonom-
wellness program is recommended to ics, proactive safety and wellness.
provide advice and guidance on exercise
and nutritional needs for drivers. Darin Flannery, D.P.T., is a physical therapist at Atlas Injury Prevention Solutions. He holds a
Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Indiana University. Over the past 13 years, he has provided a mix
of private and workers’ compensation outpatient physical therapy patient care, early intervention,
ergonomics and wellness lifestyle coaching services with office, shop mechanic and commercial driv-
er employees within the transportation industry.

44 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

WORTH READING

Book Review

SAFETY ETHICS
Cases From Aviation, Healthcare &

Occupational & Environmental Health

By Manoj S. Patankar, Jeffrey P. Brown and Melinda D. Treadwell, 2005, Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press

A review by David Stumbo, Ed.D., OHST

Books about safety ethics are rare principles and corresponding ethical with the principle of respect), whether
compared to those about subjects such duties, such as the principle of nonma- the motivation of the decision is also
as safety management systems, behav- leficence and from it the duty to inflict good (not self-serving), whether the
ior-based safety, and technical standards no harm upon others. The principle circumstances dictate that a given ac-
or codes. Indeed, a quick Internet search of respect is held in the highest regard tion is truly necessary, and whether the
of book titles that include the terms above other ethical principles and outcomes are also ethically acceptable.
safety and ethics delivers few results. the controlling factor of all decisions. Granted, these concepts may seem
Although this book may not be recent Upon these ethical principles, Kohl- vague in this brief review, but the text
(written in 2005), ethics is a nearly age- berg’s theory of moral development, provides several case scenarios to clar-
less field, even as applied to safety. Read- which organizes all decisions into a ify them and offer a practical basis for
ers will find that the book presents ethics three-level structure, is applied. their application.
as being distinct from the technical and
professional issues specific to any par- Level 1 decisions, the lowest level, are Perhaps the most difficult circum-
ticular field, and essentially universal in decisions made out of self-interest. Level stance for ethical decision-making is one
application. 2 decisions are made in the pursuit of in which there is a high degree of uncer-
conformity with one’s group. Level 3 tainty regarding the information about a
Structurally, the text is uniformly decisions are made in keeping with the potential outcome, such as the likelihood
organized, with an introductory chap- principle of respect. Interestingly, the of a negative result. The authors rec-
ter that explains the system of ethical suggestion is made that as an individ- ommend the application of precaution
decision-making underpinning the ual’s decision-making transitions from and conservative decision-making as a
subsequent chapters. The authors then Level 1 upward to consistently Level 3, general rule, but also suggest a meth-
consider safety ethics through three the higher that person’s level of profes- odology called the concept alignment
lenses: aviation safety, patient safety, sionalism also becomes. process (CAP). CAP is described as a
and occupational and environmental group-based approach that is primarily
health (what I’d refer to as industrial To ensure that decisions are made associated with airplane maintenance
hygiene). Within each subject, exam- in accordance with Level 3’s principle issues but also can be used for risk-based
ples of ethical challenges are presented of respect, each situation must be ana- decision-making.
along with the various perspectives of lyzed regarding aspects such as intent,
those affected. These three sections motive, circumstance and outcomes to In summary, this book addresses an
also discuss the role and influence that consider whether the decision’s intent important, although rare, approach
groups such as government and aca- is morally good (as defined by keeping to safety. I found that the chapters
demia have on ethical decision-making on occupational and environmental
at the individual level. The appendix health offered technically astute and
provides tailored scenarios with dis- engaging discussions on topics such as
cussion questions, allowing the text to how to expand the number of morally
be readily utilized in classroom and competent decision-makers involved
workshop applications. I was easily able in standards-setting, accreditation
to adapt two of them for a workshop of collegiate educational programs,
delivered to an audience of organized and the role of professional societies
labor and management representatives. toward influencing professional codes
of conduct. While some aspects of
The authors reveal that they were the authors’ system of ethical deci-
prompted to write this book after sion-making are complex and may be
noticing that safety-related technical difficult to access by some readers, the
issues did not present the same chal- book does an excellent job of convey-
lenges as the demands of daily deci- ing how ethical decision-making can
sion-making, and that ethics appeared (and should) be applied in a practical
to guide only a small portion of critical fashion and provides much fuel for
decisions. Unfortunately, most deci- thought for the safety professional who
sions were found to be made based on seeks a deeper but systematic basis of
“lower-level” decisions and associated motivation. PSJ
with a cyclical process of character
degradation. A framework of ethical
decision-making is presented by first
laying groundwork regarding moral

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 45

WORTH READING

Developing the Core Body of Knowledge

for the Generalist OHS Professional

By Pam Pryor, 2019, Safety Science, 115, 19-27

The article “Developing the Core Body of Knowledge for early exploration and the development and validation of
the Generalist OHS Professional” describes the importance the framework. It addresses the design of the framework by
of a body of knowledge for safety professionals, including clarifying the intended users and the underlying principles.
the development of professional education, enabling cer- The article concludes by briefly discussing the current sta-
tification and supporting professionalization. The article tus, ongoing issues and future direction.
details the process for developing the OSH body of knowl-
edge including the stimulus for initiating the project, the Read more at www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/
S0925753518314899.

Contribute Your Book Review

By contributing a book review to Professional Safety journal, you
offer OSH peers another perspective about safety or leadership liter-
ature. Think about a safety-focused book or article you’ve read that
changed how you think about or understand an issue.

Submit a book review to PSJ at [email protected]. Our book
review guidelines, which provide a few starter questions to help guide
your evaluation. Download the guidelines at https://assp.us/2CY3c9g.

BET_NOIRE/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS Effectiveness of NewKHONGTHAM/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Guidelines to Prevent YODIYIM/ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGES PLUS
Using Technology to Improve Workplace Hand-Wrist MSDs
Risk Management in Construction
By Alysha Meyers, Ann Marie Dale, Marcus Yung and Brad-
By Dodge Data and Analytics, 2019, New York, NY
ley Evanoff, 2019
This report documents the findings from two Dodge studies
that examine the implications of emerging technologies for
managing construction risks. The first study quantitatively
measured how contractors manage risk and their assessments
of new technologies. The second was a qualitative study that
gathered insurers’ insights on the current state of the con-
struction industry regarding the use of data to mitigate risk,
and how current and emerging technologies can be used to
improve this process.

Additional topics include the difficulty of certain risk
management activities; contractor approaches to safety
and risk management; means of collecting, analyzing and
acting on safety and risk data; budgeting for data analytics;
and factors affecting the use of new technology for project
risk mitigation.

For more information, visit https://bit.ly/2pKxXeO.

A NIOSH Science Blog and elbow injuries among
article, “Effectiveness of workers with hand-inten-
New Guidelines to Prevent sive tasks. The TLV is a
Workplace Hand-Wrist limit where workers can be
MSDs,” describes recent repeatedly exposed without
research that confirms the adverse health effects. The
benefits of new guidelines study, published in Journal
to prevent hand, wrist and of Occupational and Envi-
elbow musculoskeletal dis- ronmental Hygiene, summa-
orders (MSDs) in workers. rizes the effect of applying
In 2001, the American Con- the 2018 TLV versus the
ference of Governmental 2001 TLV. The study found
Industrial Hygienists pub- that the newer TLV better
lished a voluntary threshold protects workers from car-
limit value (TLV) for hand pal tunnel syndrome. Read
activity as a guideline to more at https://bit.ly/34m
help prevent hand, wrist vA0T.

46 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org

CHECKPOINTS

FUNDAMENTALS OF MACHINE GUARDING

By Shawn Mantel

Machine guarding is a safety feature consisting of barriers or electronic devices used to
bridge the gap between machines dating back to the industrial revolution and the hazardous
conditions they present to workers.

Traditionally, machines have been meeting. No one knows a job better Machine guarding consists
built for the purpose of producing, than the worker doing it.
assembling or packaging a product, of physical barriers and
with safety being either an afterthought Machine guarding consists of physical
or given minimal focus by protecting barriers and electronic devices in con- electronic devices in
against only what is perceived as junction with proper training to protect
the highest risk. Over the years, workers from inherent hazards. Physical conjunction with proper
machines have been modified for barriers are commonly built using T-slot-
faster production rates, and routine ted aluminum extrusions for modularity training to protect workers
maintenance has been made easier by due to the complexity of custom ma-
minimizing or removing the machine chines and unique processes. Prefabri- from inherent hazards.
guards. This has created unsafe cated steel posts and framing also can
conditions for workers presenting be used for higher strength applications Industrial facilities can greatly
hazards such as crush points, pinch requiring minimal customization. Based benefit from using machine safety
points, shear points and thrown objects on the type and location of the hazard, companies that offer turnkey solutions
that may result in injury or death. solid plastic panels or wire mesh panels consisting of custom design, fabri-
would most commonly be used as the cation and nationwide installation.
Lack of training, reduction of the barrier material. Personnel or material The qualification process of sufficient
skilled workforce, increased distractions handling access doors and panels should liability insurance coverage, OSHA
and unexpected machine failures have be added along with any other necessary log documentation, and properly
made ensuring safe work conditions accessories to complete the guarding. documented safety programs can be
more difficult. The number of injuries streamlined and solidified by using
and deaths from industrial machines Once the physical barrier is in place, specialized third-party companies that
due to lack of or improper machine electronic safety devices are required to track and rate contractors for clients
guarding under OSHA 1910.212, Gen- create a complete machine safety guard. that are hiring. The value of this service
eral Requirements for all Machines, These devices bring the physical barrier is immeasurable due to the overall skill
continues to land machine guarding on to life by telling a machine how to react level, field-fit capabilities, focus and
OSHA’s most-cited violations list year based on the actions of personnel. These consistency throughout, and a single
after year. Because factories are hu- devices consist of interlock switches, point of contact for efficiencies and bet-
man-controlled environments, guarding light curtains, laser scanners, and mats ter communication. The cost of doing
must be designed to protect workers used in conjunction with the relays and nothing has proven catastrophic; safety
from these hazards. controllers to create the safety circuit. must always be the top priority. PSJ
Each device provides different function-
Proper machine guarding must be ality and levels of safety related to the
put in place to improve workplace specific application. An e-safety device in
safety regardless of the cost. Machine itself is not safe; only with the proper de-
operation and production capabilities vice and integration for the project does
must be considered when designing it become safe. Technology and guide-
this guarding using a general under- lines are continually changing, requiring
standing of ANSI and International the need for OSH professionals to stay
Organization for Standardization current with cutting-edge technology.
specifications, OSHA guidelines, and
common sense derived from real-world The installation process is just as crit-
application experience. One of the ical as a great design. Machine guarding
most critical tasks that is typically ig- requires proper fit, rigid mounting, and
nored is to schedule a group meeting proper electrical integration between
with the machine guarding company, electronic safety devices and the machine.
safety personnel, maintenance techni- If the guard presents openings, allowing
cian and operator. This conversation access to the inherent hazards, or if the
can be a brainstorming session to dis- machine does not react properly with the
cuss guarding scenarios related to the electronic safety devices, then the guard is
operator and maintenance needs while not providing the worker a safe condition.
keeping focus on the goal of workplace
safety. The gray areas missing from the Shawn Mantel started his industrial career as part of two startup companies in the T-slotted extru-
standards can be filled in during this sion and machine safety guarding market. He grew the business as an integral partner. After 22 years,
Mantel started PowerSafe Automation, a machine safety guarding and automation company based in
Indiana. Mantel is a member of ASSP’s Michiana Chapter.

assp.org DECEMBER 2019 PROFESSIONAL SAFETY PSJ 47

BEST PRACTICES

Playing It Safe With

PLAYGROUND SAFETY

By Christopher H. Kittleson

Municipal park/recreation departments and school districts often fall short when it comes to playground
safety because equipment is often not inspected. Regular and recurring inspections can identify hazards
caused by lack of maintenance, vandalism, or normal wear and tear.

Once hazards are identified via in- An understanding of playground Adult Supervision
spection, the safety professional can coor- safety requires a review and understand- Young children are constantly challeng-
dinate with the appropriate organizational ing of several basic concepts, such as
department to have the hazard mitigated. surfacing, maintenance and inspection, ing their own abilities and may not recog-
environmental hazards, and accessibility nize potential hazards that could lead to
As safety professionals, we agree that requirements. These are detailed here. an injury. Adult supervision of children
playground injuries are preventable as on playgrounds helps ensure the age-ap-
well as a priority for protecting children Age Appropriateness propriate use of equipment and helps pre-
from injury and death. According to CDC Playgrounds should be appropriate vent injuries. If an injury does occur, the
(2012), each year hospital emergency adult can ensure that first-aid or medical
rooms treat more than 200,000 children for the age-related abilities of children. attention is provided immediately.
age 14 and younger for playground-related More specifically, toddlers, preschool and
injuries including abrasions, contusions school-age children differ in physical size, Proper Maintenance
and fractures, as well as traumatic brain ability, intellect and social skills. Therefore, To provide a safe playground, a sys-
injuries such as concussions. age-appropriate playground equipment/
design should accommodate these differ- tematic preventive maintenance schedule
Between 2001 and 2008, Consumer ences relative to type, scale and layout of must be developed, implemented and
Product Safety Commission (CPSC, 2009) the equipment. For the purposes of play- enforced. Maintenance should address
investigated 40 deaths associated with ground safety, age groups are delineated as several concerns:
playground equipment; the average age of toddlers, which are children ages 6 months
those children was 6. The agency found through 2 years old; preschool age, which •There should be no missing, broken or
that 27 (68%) died from strangulation and are children 2 to 5 years old; and school worn-out components.
six (15%) died from falls to the playground age, which are children 5 to 12 years old.
surface. Strangulations involved head or •All hardware should be secure.
neck entrapment, which can occur when Inappropriate Playground Equipment •Wood, metal or plastic should show
a child is wearing a bicycle helmet on a Some equipment is not recommend- no signs of fatigue or deterioration.
playground. This increases the size of the •All parts should be stable with no ap-
child’s head and can result in entrapment. ed for use on public playgrounds. This parent signs of loosening.
Strangulation can also result from wearing includes swinging gates; climbing ropes •Surfacing materials must be maintained.
loose clothing or clothing with drawstrings that are not secured on both ends; ani- •Check for signs of vandalism.
that can catch on equipment and become mal-figure swings; multiple occupancy
entangled. In addition, cords such as jump swings; rope swings; and trampolines. Regular Inspection
ropes, dog leashes or rope swing supports Providing and documenting regular
have the potential to cause strangulation if Surfacing
left attached or near playground equipment. The surfacing under and around play- playground inspections helps to keep
playgrounds safe by identifying unsafe
Many playground hazards relate to ground equipment can be a major factor conditions caused by wear and tear,
equipment, the environment and lack of that determines the severity of an injury vandalism, breakage, storm damage and
supervision. National Playground Safety caused by a fall. A fall onto a shock-absorb- litter, as well as environmental concerns
Institute (NPSI) has identified the most ing surface is less likely to cause a serious in- such as flooding and stinging insects. In
common playground hazards, referred to jury than a fall onto a hard surface. Because addition, playground inspections are es-
as the “dirty dozen” (NRPA, 2019): head-impact injuries from a fall can be life sential to maintain the standard of care to
threatening, the more shock-absorbing abili- reduce the potential for liability.
•improper protective surfacing; ty a surface has, the greater the likelihood of
•inadequate use zone; reducing a severe injury. Manufacturers and Playground inspections should be com-
•protrusion and entanglement hazards; installers of playground protective surfacing pleted by trained staff, tailored to the type
•entrapment in openings; should provide the critical height rating of of equipment and surfacing, designed to
•insufficient equipment spacing; the materials to help determine the required document both problem and corrective
•trip hazards; depth of protective material around each action, and documented with easy-to-
•lack of supervision; piece of playground equipment. use checklists and forms based on the
•age-inappropriate activities; manufacturer’s recommendations, as well
•lack of maintenance; Examples of acceptable surfacing in- as the owner’s policies and procedures.
•crush, shearing and sharp edge hazards; clude engineered wood fiber, rubber mats, Inspection protocol can be characterized
•platforms with no guardrails; synthetic or rubber tires, unitary surface as either low frequency, which is preven-
•equipment not recommended for (poured rubber), sand or pea gravel, and tive maintenance, such as monitoring the
public playgrounds. wood chips. Unacceptable surfaces include depth of wood mulch, or high frequency,
blacktop, concrete, grass and packed earth. which is routine maintenance, such as
replacing worn S hooks on swings.

48 PSJ PROFESSIONAL SAFETY DECEMBER 2019 assp.org