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Monthly Archives: May 2010
Arc Flash: Who’s Training the Trainers?
Whether giving or getting arc flash training, have you considered whether the trainer is “qualified,” “effective,” “proficient” or “competent” for the job? Is the training content “adequate?” How can we tell? Does it matter?
Many OSHA standards require employee training, but are vague on trainer qualifications. HazCom requires only “effective” training. HAZWOPER specifies that trainers have “the training and/or academic credentials and instructional experience necessary to demonstrate competent instructional skills and a good command of the subject matter.” The Bloodborne Pathogens standard requires only that the training record include “the names and qualifications of the persons conducting the training.” No definition of credentials or “effective” training other than by performance failures, i.e., accidents. “Competent” or “proficient” are often decided by incident investigations or lawsuits. Remember, paperwork is the first place “they” look!
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "accident investigation", "arc flash", "Dr. Scott Harris", "electrical safety", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "nfpa 70e", "OHSAS 18001", "safety alert", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "train the trainer", arcflash, competent, credentials, hazcom, IESO, lawsuit, litigation, NFPA, nfpa70e, OSHA, proficient, qualified, training
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Joint Commission Requirements for NIMS in Healthcare
A Presidential Directive established the National Incident Management System (NIMS) as the “common language” for coordinated multi-agency responses for all Federal, state and local responders, including healthcare. Hospitals are required by The Joint Commission (TJC) to implement 17 specific NIMS activities ranging from formal adoption to updated EOPs to mutual aid agreements, training and multi-agency exercises. Coordination, planning and communication are key elements.
TJC specifies certain FEMA courses (IS-700, IS-800, ICS 100 and ICS 200), with the intended role of the responder dictating the type and depth of training required. Trainers should have demonstrated experience as an Incident Commander in a NIMS environment. HICS (Healthcare Incident Command System) training alone does NOT meet the NIMS requirements, but can supplement the program. HICS incorporates standard Incident Command System (ICS) principles, but with modifications for healthcare. IESO recommends “NIMS for Executives” for healthcare executives who need a working awareness of NIMS and their correct role in an event as facilitators.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "Dr. Scott Harris", "FEMA courses", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "ICS 100", "ICS 200", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "Incident Commander", "IS 700", "IS 800", "iso 14001", "Joint Commission", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "NIMS for Executives", "OHSAS 18001", "proposed rule", "public health", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "The Joint Commission", audit, auditing, EOP, FEMA, HICS, hospital, IC, IESO, NIMS, OSHA, TJC, training
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OSHA Looking Hard at Healthcare Worker Infectious Diseases
In the May 6, 2010 Federal Register, OSHA published a Request for Information (RFI) to collect information from the healthcare industry on “occupational exposure to infectious agents in settings where healthcare is provided.” This includes hospitals, outpatient clinics, clinics in schools and correctional facilities and “healthcare-related” settings ranging from laboratories that handle potentially infectious materials to medical examiner offices to mortuaries. OSHA is specifically interested in current infection control strategies and practices and will use the information to “determine what action, if any, the Agency may take to further limit the spread of occupationally-acquired infectious diseases in these settings.” The deadline for comments is August 4, 2010. Download our Healthcare Alert for a brief summary.
Posted in Health and Safety Compliance, Hot List, Management Systems, Risk Management
Tagged "Cal-OSHA", "culture of safety", "Dr. Scott Harris", "exposure control", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "healthcare worker", "healthcare workers", "hospital acquired infection", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "infection control", "infectious agent", "iso 14001", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "management systems", "nosocomial infection", "occupational exposure", "proposed rule", "public health", "safety culture", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "The Joint Commission", "winter institute", "worker training", ADT, HAI, HCW, IESO, infection, nosocomial, OSHA, RFI, TJC, training
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Arc Flash Alert for Healthcare
Hospitals are covered under the OSHA/NFPA 70E requirements. Arc flash/blast incidents can cause severe employee injury and loss of electrical power to key functions of patient care, while the cost of injury treatment may exceed $1,000,000 per case with permanent disability and probable litigation. As one Director of hospital engineering services recently told us, “There are systems in the hospital that we just can’t shut down, and must perform our inspections on live parts.”
We recently published an article on our website in which we continue to recommend the rigorous analysis prescribed by IEEE 1584, and warn against “quickie” or generic 70E arc flash solutions. An industrial facility asked IESO to evaluate arc flash results from another firm that reportedly used a customized program for arc flash analysis. The facility management was concerned about the lack of time the consultant spent on-site, the minimal review of electrical components and the generic results. Our review revealed highly inaccurate information on 90% of the labels including incident energy ratings underestimated by 200-450%, clearly endangering employee safety.
Posted in Download Center, Health and Safety Compliance, Risk Management
Tagged "arc blast", "arc flash analysis", "arc flash", "Dr. Scott Harris", "electrical safety", "healthcare accreditation", "healthcare industry", "ieee 1584", "ieso llc", "iesollc", "iso 14001", "Keith Spencer", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "nfpa 70e", "safety alert", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", arcflash, audit, hospital, hospitals, IESO, nfpa70e, OSHA, training
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Lift Platform Safety Alert
A regulation change by OSHA in 2003 all but banned lift platforms. Are you still using them? Many are. Do you have the required written approval? Can you even get it? Download our illustrated safety alert for the latest details on how to handle this issue.
Lift platforms, sometimes called safety platforms, are essentially work platforms attached to a forklift and used to raise personnel. Think of them as a poor man’s aerial lift. Such platforms are in common use and range in our experience from commercially produced and well designed to homemade models that would not even pass for a good deer stand. Since May 1971 OSHA permitted elevation of personnel by a “safety platform firmly secured to the lifting carriage and/or forks” of the powered truck as long as there was adequate protection from falling objects and a means for personnel on the platform to shut off power to the truck.
Posted in Download Center, Health and Safety Compliance
Tagged "aerial lift", "boom lift", "Dr. Scott Harris", "fork truck", "general duty clause", "general industry", "kenneth Harris", "Kenneth Scott Harris", "lift platform", "lift platforms", "lift truck", "removed and reserved", "safety alert", "safety platform", "safety platforms", "Scott Harris PHD", "Scott Harris", "work platform", "work platforms", "written approval", aftermarket, CLARK, compliance, forks, forktruck, HYSTER, lifttruck, OSHA, toyota
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