Electricity ~ Tips for Staying Safe

PECO, An Exelon Company,

Sponsor of "Benjamin Franklin:
Glimpses of the Man," offers
these tips for staying safe around
electricity.

Benjamin Franklin studied

electricity, and is quite famous
even today for his kite and key
experiment with lightning. We
must always remember that Ben
could have been seriously injured
during that experiment. It is never
a good idea to be careless with
something as powerful as
electrical energy!

Electricity has the power to light

lamps that help us see at night
and fuel heaters that keep us
warm in winter, but it is
important not to get in
electricity's way because it can
harm you. Here are a few safety
tips to remember:

 Never play with electrical cords, wires, switches, or plugs.

 Stay away from fallen power lines. Tell an adult if you see a fallen line.
 Never use a hairdryer or play an electrical radio or television near a bathtub or sink.
 Before you climb a tree, look up. If a power line is nearby or touching, stay away from
the tree.
 Never touch anything that runs on electricity when your hands are wet.
 Fly kites and model airplanes in a wide open field or park—never near overhead
electrical wires.
 Never climb utility poles or electrical towers.
 Stay away from substations and transformers (green boxes).

Contact

1. Types
o The most common hoist is an elevator. The types of hoists include AC
(Alternating Current) and DC (Direct Current) hoists, which are operated by
 electricity. Single drum and double drum hoists are used to pull horizontally and
friction hoists are similar to an elevator. All types of hoists have multiple safety
devices equipped.

General Safety
o Some general safety tips are to always stay inside the car when the hoist is in
motion, keep away from openings, never use the hoists or elevators during
emergencies and, even though some hoists are strong enough to carry large
equipment such as 55-gallon drums or large sections of pipe, you should never
travel with large equipment.
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Construction of the Hoist

o Hoist safety features include: over travel switches, which keep the car from going
too far past the stopping point; over speed switches, which keep the car from
going too fast; upper/lower limit switches, which keep the car from hitting the
top/bottom of the structure; and dead man switches, which bring the hoist to a
stop if the operator lets go of the controls for any reason.

Braking Systems
o The braking systems on hoists vary depending on the type, but all hoists require
an emergency braking system that can be activated by the hoist operator or when
power is lost.

Operators
o Hoist operators have many years of training and are experienced at operating
hoisting safety systems. They are also required to have yearly health screenings.

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hoists.html#ixzz1yYlc4kc9

Working with sewage: the health hazards: a guide for employers

Introduction
Several work activities bring workers into contact with sewage and sewage products. Each year,
some workers will suffer from at least one episode of work-related illness. The majority of
illnesses are relatively mild cases of gastroenteritis, but potentially fatal diseases, such as
leptospirosis (Weil's disease) and hepatitis, are also reported to HSE. However, there could well
be significant under-reporting of cases because there is often failure to recognise the link
between illness and work.

Who is at risk?
If you work in one of the following areas, your health, or that of your employees, may be at risk:

 Local authority employees involved in sewer inspection and maintenance work

 Construction workers who repair or replace live sewers
 Water company employees who work with sewage treatment plant
 Agricultural and forestry workers who may be exposed to sewage sludge
 Sludge tanker drivers/operators and associated maintenance staff
 Plumbers
 Employees who clean and maintain the underside of railway carriages and empty aircraft
sewage compartments and other types of portable lavatories.

What this leaflet is about

This leaflet describes some of the risks and the ways in which they can be either eliminated or
reduced. It follows the principles of the Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations
1994. This leaflet does not set out or interpret the law - it has been produced simply to help you.

What is sewage?
The term may be used to mean raw sewage, sewage sludge, or septic tank waste.

Raw sewage is mainly water containing excrement, industrial effluent and debris, such as
sanitary towels, condoms, plastic etc.

Excrement is the major source of harmful micro-organisms, including bacteria, viruses and
parasites.

Sewage treament reduces the water content and removes debris, but does not kill or remove all
the micro-organisms.

What are the health risks?

Exposure to sewage or its products may result in a number of illnesses. These include:

 Gastroenteritis, characterised by cramping stomach pains, diarrhoea and vomiting

 Weil's disease, a flu-like illness with persistent and severe headache, transmitted by rat urine.
Damage to liver, kidneys and blood may occur and the condition can be fatal
 Hepatitis, characterised by inflammation of the liver, and jaundice
 Occupational asthma, resulting in attacks of breathlessness, chest tightness and wheezing, and
produced by the inhalation of living or dead organisms
 Infection of skin or eyes
 Rarely, allergic alveolitis (inflammation of the lung) with fever, breathlessness, dry cough, and
aching muscles and joints

How do micro-organisms enter the body?

 The most common way is by hand-to-mouth contact during eating, drinking and smoking, or by
wiping the face with contaminated hands or gloves, or by licking splashes from the skin.
 By skin contact, through cuts, scratches, or penetrating wounds, ie from discarded hypodermic
needles. Certain organisms can enter the body through the surfaces of the eyes, nose and
mouth.
 By breathing them in, as either dust, aerosol or mist.

Protecting workers from risks to health

Since micro-organisms are an inherent part of sewage, the hazard cannot be eliminated.
However, a proper assessment of risk is required, but this should not include analysis of sewage
for micro-organisms as they can constantly change.

Exposure to sewage should be eliminated or minimised by, for example, using remote-controlled
robotic cameras for sewer inspection; drying sludge before disposal; incineration of sludge;
injection of sewage into land rather than spreading; damming and bypass pumping of sewer
sections prior to reconstruction.

The following measures can further reduce risk of infection and illness:

 Ensure that employees and line management understand the risks through proper instruction,
training and supervision.
 Provide suitable personal protective equipment, that may include waterproof/abrasion-resistant
gloves, footwear, eye and respiratory protection. Face visors are particularly effective against
splashes. Equipment selection and a proper system for inspection and maintenance are
important.
 Provide adequate welfare facilities, including clean water, soap, nailbrushes, disposable paper
towels, and where heavy contamination is foreseeable, showers. For remote locations portable
welfare facilities should be provided. Areas for storage of clean and contaminated equipment
should be segregated and separate from eating facilities.
 Provide adequate first-aid equipment, including clean water or sterile wipes for cleansing
wounds, and a supply of sterile, waterproof, adhesive dressings.
 HSE pocket card WORKING WITH SEWAGE - THE HEALTH HAZARDS (IND(G)197L) reminds
employees of all precautions they need to take to reduce the risk of infection, and will also be
helpful to doctors in case of illness.
 Make effective arrangements for monitoring the health of staff.

Further guidance from HSE

WORKING WITH SEWAGE - THE HEALTH HAZARDS: A GUIDE FOR EMPLOYEES
IND(G) 197L+*+ LEPTOSPIROSIS - ARE YOU AT RISK? IND(G)84L+*+ A SHORT
GUIDE TO THE PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT AT WORK REGULATIONS
1992 IND(G) 174L+*+ WORKPLACE HEALTH, SAFETY AND WELFARE: A SHORT
GUIDE FOR MANAGERS IND(G) 170L+*+ HSE video MICROBIOLOGICAL RISKS
WHEN WORKING WITH SEWAGE AND SLUDGE accompanying this leaflet is available
from: CFL Vision, PO Box 35, Wetherby, West Yorks LS23 7EX, tel 01937 541010, fax 01937
541083

+*+ Free from HSE Books

This leaflet is available in priced packs (one leaflet and 20 employees' pocket cards
IND(G)197L, price £5.00) from HSE Books, ISBN 0 7176 0987 1. Single copies of both
publications are also available free from HSE Books.

HSE priced and free publications are available by mail order from: HSE Books, PO Box 1999,
Sudbury, Suffolk CO10 6FS, tel 01787 881165, fax 01787 313995. Priced publications are also
available from good bookstores. Other enquiries should be directed to HSE's information Centre,
Broad Lane, Sheffield S3 7HQ, tel 0114 289 2345, fax 0114 289 2333.

Additional information

General advice and information is available from your local HSE area office (see under Health
and Safety Executive in your telephone directory). Advice on medical or health matters can be
obtained from HSE's Employment Medical Advisory Service.

This leaflet contains notes on good practice which are not compulsory but which you may find
helpful in considering what you need to do.

Return to Library

Learning & Practicing

Roofing Safety
Safety First

Safety Guidelines
It comes down to this:
• Resistance to the use of safety
equipment is due to a lack of
understanding.
Picture your loved ones 10 years
from now. Picture the circumstances
they might be living under if you
become a victim of a serious roofing
accident – an accident that could
have been avoided had you used the
appropriate safety measures.
Talk to a roofer who has fallen, preferably
someone who was using safety equipment at the
time. Ask him or her what they thought about
safety before and after the fall.
The initial cost of starting a safety program is
recouped after the first accident, if there is
an accident.
Let’s face it, both the employer and the installer
have a significant interest in working out and
following an effective safety program. There are
many safety devices, training materials and experts
available to assist, instruct, consult, evaluate and
to even help you implement a safety program.
Remember, it will always be in everyone’s best
interest if you decide to work under the safest
conditions possible.
You need to learn about roofing
safety equipment and safe work
practices for several reasons:
• Reduced workers’ compensation costs
and liability insurance.
• For OSHA compliance, CFR 1926.
• Losing experienced personnel (your
most valuable asset) to an accident
costs your company money that could
be spent elsewhere.
• And, mostly for those people who depend on you.
There are many steep-roof safety devices to
choose from. These devices include ropes, slings,
full- and half-body harnesses, perimeter rails and
catchers, cleats and roof jacks among other items.
However, perhaps 80 percent of installers do not
use these safety devices.
More contractors are requiring that their crews
use approved safety devices when climbing and
working on steep roofs.
What’s preventing others from practicing
safe roofing?
Statistics show that there are many obstacles
keeping installers from using safe work practices
such as climbing equipment, etc.
Perhaps the most powerful obstacle is the
installer himself. Many are overly confident of their
own abilities to survive the risks that many roofs
present. Novice installers believe that “it can’t
happen to me.” And still other installers don’t like
the stigma associated with safety equipment
because, “it doesn’t look cool.”
The fear that safety equipment will hamper the
ability to perform the job is invalid. In fact, workers’
compensation, medical insurance underwriters and
third-party administrators have all found that the
use of safety equipment increases productivity
because of less time lost to due to accidents,
fewer medical costs and most importantly, less
time spent training new personnel to replace the
injured personnel.
Your Objective:
To fully
appreciate the
importance of
learning and
practicing
roofing safety.
TM & © 2000
U.A. Corp.
Basic Roof Safety Tips –
Compliments of the
American Plywood
Association (APA)
• Tie-off – On a steeply pitched
roof, be sure to wear a
safety harness that is
securely tied off to a fallresistant
device.
• Avoid Slippery Roofs – When
the roof is slippery from
rain, snow, frost or dew, the
best precaution is to wait
until the roof surface is dry.
• Keep it Clean – Make sure
someone keeps the roof
clean by frequently
sweeping up sawdust, wood,
shingle particles and other
kinds of dirt.
• Wear Rubber-soled Shoes or
Boots – Rubber-soled boots
typically provide better traction than leather-soled
boots. Some crepe-soled boots also provide good
traction. However, whatever shoes or boots you
decide to wear, make sure they’re in good
condition. Badly worn shoes of any type can
be a real safety problem.
• Keep the Skid-resistant Side of APA
Performance Rated Panels Facing Out –
Some Oriented Strand Board (OSB)
panels are textured or splattercoated
on one side to increase
traction on the panel surface. When
installing OSB panels on the roof, make
sure the skid-resistant side is up.
• Install Shingle Underlayment – Cover
the deck with underlayment as soon as
possible to minimize its exposure to the
weather. Underlayment tends to make the
roof less slippery when properly installed.
(However, be aware of the risk that
underlayment can tear away from
fasteners on a steeper
pitch. The lighter weight,
undersaturated felts are
most likely to tear out.)
• Install Temporary Wood
Cleats for Toe-holds –
Nail 2" x 4" wood cleats
or adjustable roof jacks
to the roof deck to provide
temporary toe-holds.
Remove the cleats or roof
jacks as the roofing is
installed. (See also “OSHA
Regulations in Brief.”)
• Constantly Inspect the Roof
and Immediately Remove
Any Possible Tripping
Hazards – Tools, electric
cords and other loose
items can all pose hazards
and should be removed
from the roof.
• Learn the Federal, STTE and Local Worker-Safety
Requirements – Learn what the government
agencies require of you and the contractor you
work for. These requirements exist to protect you.
So, if you’re going to be a roofing professional, it’s
an important part of your job to learn and
follow these regulations.
• Use Your Common Sense – Safety
programs and regulations cannot
foresee each of the conditions and
layouts on which you must work.
Adapt to protect yourself.
Here’s a Tip…
Ladder safety is improved and
gutters are better protected if you
use a “gutter-guard.” To do this,
notch a piece of scrap plywood to
accept the width of a ladder, and
fasten the wood to the roof deck.
Set the ladder in the notch and tie
it in place. The ladder won’t touch
or crush the gutter, or slide
sideways during wind gusts
or while being climbed.
When the job is almost complete,
remove the board and fill in the
missing shingles. For added
safety, stack two shingle bundles
on the ground against the base of
the ladder on the climbing side.
NOTE: This should not be
considered an alternative to
current OSHA requirements.
Ladder Safety Tips
• Ladder Rating – Ladders are rated by how much
weight they can safely bear, and you should
consider the highest available rating of 1A or
300 pounds.
• Material – When it comes to safety, the best
material for a ladder is fiber glass. Although wood
is cheaper and deteriorates when used outdoors,
and aluminum is easier to handle, many industrial
plants will not allow you to use aluminum ladders.
Most industries insist upon the use of fiber glass
ladders only.
• Power Lines – Even ladders made of wood or fiber
glass should not be used in the vicinity of power
lines or other electrical hazards.
• Positioning – Ladders should extend above the
eaves by 3 to 3-1/2' and sit on a firm level base.
Leveling can be attained by digging or by use of
adjustable leg levelers. Firmness can be attained
by use of a 2-foot square piece of 3/4" plywood
under each leg.
• Ladder Angle – To achieve the proper angle, the
distance of the foot of the ladder from the wall
supporting it should be one quarter (1/4) of the
height of the wall.
• Tie-off – A ladder in place for use over an
extended period should be tied off at the bottom
rung to a stake driven into the ground and near
the top to an eye bolt screwed into the fascia.
• Over-reaching – NEVER over-reach to either side
while on a ladder. A good rule to follow is to keep
your belt buckle between the rails.
• Not a Plank – Do not use the ladder or even
a section of a ladder as a plank or to provide
stiffness to a wooden plank. Besides the danger
of failure, the stresses set up during this usage
loosen the ladder’s connecting points.
• Step Ladders – Step ladders are intended for use
fully opened, not closed and leaning against a
wall. The highest step for standing on is 2 feet
below the top.
• Inspection – A ladder should be inspected every
time it is set up for use. Check the ladder from
bottom to top for any visible defects or wear, and
that it’s correctly and securely anchored and
properly positioned.
Wet Weather Conditions
There are two common wet weather conditions
that must concern a roofing installer – dew and
rain. Both pose safety and liability problems.
Since many professional roofers will only tear off
shingles that can be replaced with new ones the
same day, these conditions pose serious threats
for the roofing industry.
Dew is seen most often in early morning and
presents increased risks for workers walking on
a roof. Underlayment can be slippery without
appearing so to the untrained eye. This is especially
true of some waterproofing underlayment with
plastic surfaces. Never take safety short cuts in
this situation.
Rain presents risks to both the workers and the
home itself. Rain is often accompanied by wind,
so it is very important that temporary roofing used
in the process of re-roofing be able to resist winds
up to 60 mph. When underlayment is wet from
rain or dew, it usually wrinkles. Some inexpensive
underlayment wrinkles a great deal. Do not apply
shingles over the wrinkles. Allow them to dry out
and re-flatten, or cut them out and install patches.
In some cases it may be more convenient to replace
entire sections of underlayment.
Under no circumstances should wood decks
be exposed to rain without well-fastened
underlayment in place. When a wood deck becomes
soaked for any reason, allow it to dry out before
applying underlayment and shingles. Wet decking
will soak underlayment applied over it, and cause
it to wrinkle. This in turn can cause buckling in
the shingles.
Be sure to protect shingle bundles from rain.
Wet bundles are very difficult to handle. They may
present safety problems and almost certainly will
reduce productivity. Keep bundles under cover and
off of the ground.
Safety First

Learning & Practicing Roofing Safety

OWENS CORNING WORLD HEADQUARTERS
ONE OWENS CORNING PARKWAY
TOLEDO, OHIO, USA 43659
ROOFING SYSTEMS BUSINESS
System Thinking™ is a trademark of Owens Corning.
The Pink Panther is a ™ and © of United Artists Corp. Licensed by MGM Consumer Products.
Printed U.S.A., March 2000 Copyright © 2000 Owens Corning.
Safety First

Learning & Practicing Roofing Safety OSHA 29 CFR 1926

Current fall protection regulations were reviewed
in 1999 with the changes becoming effective in
January 2000. Please access the OSHA Web site at
www.osha.gov, contact your local OSHA office or
visit the local federal bookstore to obtain the most
current information on OSHA 29 CFR 1926.