Like clockwork, every three years, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) updates the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace (NFPA 70E). The most recent revision occurred in 2015, and it clearly focused on amping up several areas of arc flash requirements.  The new 2018 version on the horizon appears to be similar in emphasis, too.

Alongside the 2015 NFPA 70E, in 2014, OSHA also made updates to the Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution Standard (29 CFR 1910.269), which addressed the arc flash hazards in the applicable industries covered by this regulation. Similar to the 70E, the OSHA updates to 1910.269 included changes to several areas, such as training, estimations of arc flash energy, minimum approach distances, and personal protective equipment.

And of course, Subpart S, which addresses electrical safety and safe work practices, is also is a large and ever-present OSHA concentration. With good reason.

Each of these areas are intended to prevent catastrophic, and potentially lethal, arc flash and electrical injuries in the workplace. Due to the severity of arc flash incidents, stringent methods are needed to protect workers.

To that end, proper selection of PPE is critical. Arc flash is an unforgiving event if it transpires. Even PPE may not fully protect workers in the event of a serious electrical event, but the wrong selection can be deadly.

We’ll learn more about all that in this article.

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This is the second of our three articles with Ron Gantt focusing on Safety Differently.

If you missed our earlier Introduction to Safety Differently, click that link you just passed up. We also have another article on Safety Differently and Safety Training which is coming soon.

The focus of this article, though, is on Safety Differently and incident investigations.

Read on to learn more.

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Live work on electrical equipment carries a substantial risk of electric shock and arc flash. When exposed to energized equipment, employees must have a clear understanding of potential hazards and ways to work safely. Prevention of unsafe conditions is vital, as the consequences of electrical shock and arc flash can be devastating.

Temperatures during an arc flash can reach or exceed 35,000 °F (19,400 °C).  Explosions during these events can occur as metal changes from a solid to a gaseous state, causing expansion and dynamic force. The resulting blast can produce blinding light, flying shrapnel, molten metal, extreme pressure, electric shock, and deafening noise.

Employees experiencing such catastrophes can be severely burned and/or suffer vision and hearing loss, crushing body injuries, and concussions and other traumatic brain injuries. Flying shrapnel from these events can incur serious wounds or impalements. If the work is elevated, the force of the arc blast or shock also may cause workers to fall from heights and produce additional injuries.

Protecting your workers from hazards such as these mandates several interwoven and necessary training components.

If you’re wondering about what is required, let’s take a look at the applicable standards in this article.

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You’ve heard about arc flash, but do you really understand enough to protect your workers?

Arc flash is a topic that is undergoing increased discussion in the workplace safety and health industry. And with good reason, as according to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), fatalities due to arc flash occur at a rate of approximately one per day in the USA. And annually, more than two thousand workers are admitted to intensive care burn units because of these catastrophes.

An arc flash represents an extremely dangerous condition in the workplace. If you don’t have an adequate safety program in place, your workers may be exposed to these dangers. Let’s review some of the basics and look at what occurs during an arc flash incident, as well how to prevent hazardous conditions.

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Three quick reminders before we begin this article on performing a root-cause analysis during an incident investigation at work.

First, this is the second of two articles drawn from an interview with Joe Estey. The earlier article is more of an introduction to incident investigations, including what one is, when and how to do one, pros and cons of doing your own as opposed to bringing in a third-party, and some common mistakes people make while performing incident investigations.

Second, some history on how I know Joe. I met Joe after listening to him give a presentation on incident investigations during the Western Pulp, Paper, and Forest Products Safety Conference. I liked it, learned a lot, reached out and asked if he’d participate in an interview, and he did. Thanks to Joe for all that.

Third, if you’re in the Pacific Northwest area, you can catch both Joe Estey and me speaking at the upcoming Washington Governor’s Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma, Washington (at the Convention Center) on September 19 & 20. Joe will be speaking on Generational Shift: Myths and Realities of the Multigenerational Workforce and Safety Culture. I will be giving one presentation on Effective Environmental, Health, and Safety Training and a second one on How to Evaluate Online Safety Training Courses, Systems, and Providers.

And with those three points made, let’s see what Joe had to tell us about incident investigations and performing a root-cause analysis.

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I first met Joe Estey while listening to him give a presentation on incident investigations during the Western Pulp, Paper, and Forest Products Safety Conference. I learned a lot about incident investigations, continuous improvement, and human performance improvement from Joe during that presentation, and so I followed up by asking him if he’d be willing to participate in an interview about incident investigations for our blog. Happily he said yes!

This is the first of two blog posts we’ll be publishing featuring Joe talking about incident investigations. The article focuses on explaining what an incident investigation is, how to perform one, and some common errors people commit while performing one. The second article will focus more on specifics for performing a root-cause analysis during the incident investigation process.

We’re excited about and grateful for Joe’s participation in this interview, and think you’ll enjoy learning from his knowledge and insights. For more about Joe, please read his bio at the bottom of this article.

Also, if you’re in the Pacific Northwest area, please know that you can catch both Joe Estey and me speaking at the upcoming Washington Governor’s Safety and Health Conference in Tacoma, Washington (at the Convention Center) on September 19 & 20. Joe will be speaking on Generational Shift: Myths and Realities of the Multigenerational Workforce and Safety Culture. I will be giving one presentation on Effective Environmental, Health, and Safety Training and a second one on How to Evaluate Online Safety Training Courses, Systems, and Providers.

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When the Hazard Communication Standard (HCS) was published by OSHA in 1983, it represented a decade of painstaking, but vital, rulemaking activity.

More than thirty years have elapsed since the rule was published. And yet, HCS remains one of the most important and relevant US occupational safety and health standards. The Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200), last updated in 2012 for GHS alignment, applies to a wide spectrum of workplaces and industries, and is considered one of the crown jewels in OSHA’s mission to protect workers on the job.

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