Hazards Prompt PPE Use
by Allen Cooley
The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration requires all employers to perform a workplace hazard assessment to determine the need for appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).
The standard, 29 CFR 1910.132 (d), requires employers to "assess the workplace to determine if hazards are present, or are likely to be present, which necessitate the use of PPE." In other words, PPE will be required for employees if the work environment presents a hazard–or is likely to present a hazard–to any part of their bodies.
PPE hazard assessments at newspapers involve many areas, including:
- If solvents are used in blanket wash, then eye goggles, chemical-resistant gloves and aprons may be required for performing routine blanket cleaning.
- If a solvent-containing parts cleaner is present, then eye goggles, face shields, aprons and chemical-resistant gloves may be required. An eye-wash fountain and drench shower should also be close to the cleaner.
- If high-pressure air hoses are used to clean folders, equipment and floors, then eye goggles, face shields, hearing protection, protective aprons and approved dust respirators may be required.
- If press decks or elevated catwalks are present and heavy objects or tools are used on the upper decks, then hard hats may be required for pressroom employees working below.
- If powered industrial trucks used in the pressroom do not have overhead roll bars with mesh grills, then hard hats may be required for the drivers.
- If there is a danger of newsprint rolling onto an employee’s foot, or if loaded pallets, heavy objects, forklift trucks or sharp corners are present, or if employees handle heavy core shafts, then ANSI-approved personal pro-tective footwear is required (TechNews, September/October 1999, p. 36).
- If the pressroom is protected by a carbon dioxide or halon flooding fire-extinguishing system, then escape self-contained breathing apparatuses (ESCBA) are recommended.
- If industrial trucks are powered by batteries and serviced inhouse, then eye goggles, face shields, aprons and protective gloves are required during maintenance. An eye-wash station should also be nearby. If industrial trucks are liquid-propane powered, then the same equipment is required for tank changing.
- If machine-shop employees work with drills, saws, sanders, punch presses and/or abrasive blasters, then they must wear eye goggles, face shields and protective gloves.
- If employees perform welding or brazing operations in the machine shop, then they must wear protective shaded lenses on a welding helmet. The required shading varies according to the weld zone (29 CFR 1910.133 (a) (5)).
- Occupational noise generated by most pressrooms, reelrooms, and mailrooms require affected employees to be included in a Hearing Conservation Program and provided hearing protection while equipment is running.
The above list is not by any means exhaustive. However, it provides a good starting point for an initial hazard assessment. NAA industrial hygienisats also can be contracted to perform PPE hazard assessments at member newspapers; contact the author below. For links to related OSHA documents online, visit TechNews online at www.naa.org/technews.
Allen Cooley is an NAA industrial hygienist. E-mail, coola@naa.org; phone, (703) 902-1834.
HazCom for NewspapersBuilding on the success of the industry’s first-ever newspaper-specific health-and-safety training videos, NAA has contracted with J. J. Keller & Associates Inc. to develop and produce "HazCom for Newspapers." Like its predecessors, "Forklift Safety for Newspapers: An Operator Training Program" and "Hearing Conservation at Your Newspaper," the HazCom training video was filmed in an actual newspaper production environment. The kit is designed to provide newspapers with all the materials necessary to develop a written program and also provide the employee training required by the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200. The kit contains an instructor’s guide, a program-development guide, five employee handbooks, and a CD-ROM containing copies of transparencies, wallet cards and the employee handbook. The CD-ROM makes it convenient for newspapers to conduct multiple classroom-style training sessions. To order, call (800) 651-4622, or 1 (304) 725-7050 from overseas; refer to item number 10065. The kit is priced at $150 for members, $300 for non-members. For more information, contact NAA industrial hygienist Kelley Clark. E-mail, clark@naa.org; phone, (703) 902-1833. |
LOTO Training, Online
The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration has developed a new Lockout/Tagout (LOTO) Interactive Training Program, a useful online resource to help train industrial employees on the frequently-cited safety issue (TechNews, November/December 1998, p. 31).
Produced by OSHA’s Directorate of Technical Support, the program is intended to teach recent hires and experienced employees alike the LOTO standard. The training program has three major components, which can be covered in any sequence at the employee’s own pace.
Tutorial–Explains the standard in a question-and-answer format.
Hot topics–Contains five abstracts with a detailed discussion of major issues, and links to relevant highlighted sections of the all-inclusive documents.
Interactive case studies–Seven simulated LOTO inspections are discussed, allowing trainees to make decisions based on the information presented onscreen.
For more information, visit www.osha-slc.gov/dts/osta/lototraining/index.htm.