Electrical Safety & Arc Flash Archives

June is National Safety Month

The month of June is National Safety Month, an event focused on bringing awareness to safety concerns in the workplace. Martin Technical, a member of the National Safety Council, wants to recognize National Safety Month and its significance. With such a high fatality rate in 2020 in the United States, with 4,764 fatal work injuries recorded (a 10.7% decrease from 5,333 in 2019), it is important to draw attention to this national topic. While this number is decreasing, National Safety Month is an event tailored around the continuation of the fatal work injury rate.

Top OSHA Safety Concerns

The list of top 10 most frequently cited standards following inspections of worksites by federal OSHA for all industries is released publicly every year to attract attention to safety concerns in the workplace that are often overlooked. With better knowledge and understanding of safety hazards that are often missed, companies can better prepare their workplace.

Fall Protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501) [related safety resources]
Respiratory Protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134) [related safety resources]
Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053) [related safety resources]
Hazard Communication, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200) [related safety resources]
Scaffolding, construction (29 CFR 1926.451) [related safety resources]
Fall Protection Training, construction (29 CFR 1926.503) [related safety resources]
Control of Hazardous Energy (lockout/tagout), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147) [related safety resources]
Eye and Face Protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.102) [related safety resources]
Powered Industrial Trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178) [related safety resources]
Machinery and Machine Guarding, general industry (29 CFR 1910.212) [related safety resources]

Additional to their top safety citations OSHA has also released information on their “Fatal Four” leading causes of fatalities in the workplace.

Falls- 36% of workplace fatalities
Struck by Objects- 10% of workplace fatalities
Electrocutions- 9% of workplace fatalities
Caught in Between- 2% of workplace fatalities

How can you address Safety Concerns?

With proper safety training in place the risk of workplace fatalities decreases. All industries should focus on building and maintaining robust training programs for fall protection, lockout tagout, machine guarding, and arc flash, which help to provide education on the fatal four in the workplace. Martin Technical, a leading safety solutions company providing services and implementation solutions, has in-house subject matter experts whose mission is to help companies build their own customized and efficient training programs. Working with industry experts can boost your safety program, build or strengthen safety cultures, and combat the fatal four workplace concerns.

The Importance of National Safety Month

National Safety Month is a national movement with the goal of bringing awareness to safety in the workplace, ensuring every individual makes it home safe after each day, to enjoy the best part of their day. Join the cause and continue to help spread awareness today.

Resources

Martin Technical Inc.

Martin Technical Safety Trainings

National Safety Council

OSHA Top Ten Citations

OSHA Safety Regulations

June 16, 2022

Martin Technical Welcomes Wayne Branom as the Regional Manager of the Central/Northeast Region

Louisville, CO – June 3, 2022

Martin Technical would like to welcome Wayne Branom to the sales team as our Regional Manager for the Great Lakes & Northeast Region. Wayne has spent over 35 years in the safety vertical, with Orr Safety/NSI as a Senior Account Manager for the Central Region. He resides in Aurora, Illinois with his family.

“Wayne is a well-respected performer and subject matter expert in industrial safety and will provide a level of expertise we are blessed to have on our team.” states Gil Truesdale CRO of Martin Technical.

Wayne will manage the Great Lakes and Northeast Region’s driving opportunities for electrical safety, lockout tagout, safety compliance training, and safety management software solutions through Safety Hive.

To contact Wayne Branom, please email WayneB@MarTechnical.com or call +1 (630) 991-0170.

About Martin Technical / Safety Hive

Martin Technical is a leading safety solutions company providing services and implementation solutions for Lockout Tagout, Electrical Safety, Electrical Engineering, Audits & Inspections, Training, OSHA Services, and consulting. Safety Hive, a safety software and technology provider, digitizes and automates safety to predict and prevent workplace safety incidents by empowering the workforce through technology.

To learn more, please visit www.MarTechnical.com, www.SafetyHive.com, call 866-234-6890, or email info@MarTechnical.com.

June 3, 2022

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Martin Technical Inspires Pulp & Paper Safety Association with Digital Solutions

BROOMFIELD, CO – May 31,2022

Martin Technical, Inc., a leading subject matter expert in providing industrial plants and facilities with simplified safety solutions and consulting services, will participate as a member exhibitor at the 2022 PPSA conference in Ponte Vedra, FL June 12-15th. Martin Technical located, in Broomfield, Colorado, will showcase the highly sought-after digital workplace safety solutions with software provider Safety Hive, to empower facility management professionals, and their employees, to stay at the forefront of an evolving and challenging world using technology.

As the workforce becomes increasingly distributed and mobile, Safety Hive equips workers with quick access to workplace safety services, educates them on their tasks, and reduces errors, incidents, inspection and audit times, and overall facility downtime. Martin Technical subject matter experts along with Safety Hive’s software solutions will now be able to offer their clients a full circle, turnkey solution all under one roof enhancing their mission of making the complex simple. This will enable facilities to improve their safety culture, operational efficiency, facility management forecasting, and help motivate workers to make their workplace safer and more productive.

“Innovation is at the core of the success of Martin Technical and Safety Hive and has been the driving force for our successes over the past 20 years. Consistently pushing the limits of what we do, how we do it and what we can do to help support our customers in their day-to-day world to keep workers safe and institutions in compliance. Safety Hive is the next big thing from Martin Technical and it is set to “change the game” on how data, compliance, process, procedure and most importantly, worker safety, come together in a single platform. This will become the Standard for Safety Management Systems in the US and around the world.” says Chief Operating Officer, Donny Snyder.

Martin Technical and Safety Hive will be located at booth #40 and is inviting all workplace safety professionals to stop by and learn more about the most innovative services in the industry.

About Martin Technical

Martin Technical is a leading provider of practical safety and efficiency services that make industrial plants and facilities better, safer, and more efficient. Our experts can help simplify the complex by applying real-world solutions for lockout tagout, arc flash, electrical safety, risk assessments, OSHA services, training, machine safety, and safety consulting.

About Safety Hive

Safety Hive is a Safety Technology Solution and Software Provider that digitizes and automates safety to predict and prevent workplace safety incidents through technology and data.

To learn more, please visit https://martechnical.com/, https://safetyhive.com/, call +1 866-234-6890, or email Sales@MarTechnical.com.

To request Press Kits, please email Marketing@MarTechnical.com.

June 1, 2022

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Steps to Safety: OSHA Compliance

St. Louis, MI– Steel manufacturer St. Louis Cold Drawn LLC, has taken steps to creating a safer work environment with an initiative they started in 2016, in conjunction with Missouri OSHA, to develop improved safety awareness programs and to prevent on the job injuries. With nearly 4% of all cold steel workers suffering recordable injuries each year, this steel company strives to make a change.

The Initiative

The initiative is broken down into three separate aspects, all to improve workplace safety.

A revised program to address hazards
A revised program to ensure routine training
Preventative measures to keep workers safe

The initiative started with 14 different safety and health visits, where consultants identify hazards, dangers, and violations. The consultants then worked with the company to implement new safety measures. Specific improvements that were made include:

Machine guarding
Adjusted warehouse layout
Safety training
Improved communication strategies

“The Missouri On-Site Consultation Program helped St. Louis Cold Drawn understand that OSHA works cooperatively with businesses who voluntarily implement programs to ensure the workers’ safety and health,” said U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Acting Regional Administrator Steven J. Kaplan in Kansas City, Missouri. “St. Louis Cold Drawn made major improvements to its safety programs and did so with worker input. These efforts increased the ownership and involvement in safety at all levels of the company’s organization and significantly enhanced its safety culture.”

The Results

The company earned OSHA’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program, also known as SHARP status, in September 2020 and will seek renewal in 2022. SHARP acknowledges small and medium-sized businesses that have used OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Services and operate exemplary workplace safety and health programs.

OSHA standards can be difficult to meet without the right knowledge and guidance. Partnering with industry experts such as Martin Technical can help you take the right steps to improving your workplace safety and culture by providing proper consultation and services. Offering a range of services from safety training, lockout tagout, electrical safety, to arc flash, Martin Technical can help you maintain OSHA compliance and build your safety culture.

Additional Resources  

Safety Training

Lockout Tagout Program & Compliance

Arc Flash Programs

OSHA Laws and Regulations

OSHA SHARP Program 

May 27, 2022

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Fatal Electrical Accident Causing a Power Outage Affected 46,000 Residents

Prince William, VA – A fatal accident occurred when an extended power lift hit an electrical transmission line causing the death of a construction worker from injuries. The electrical accident also resulted in a power outage that affected schools and more than 46,000 residents in Woodbridge and Lake Ridge, according to Dominion Energy spokeswoman Sharonda Shepard.

The accident was first reported to Prince William County fire and rescue units at about 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 24, according to Assistant Fire Chief Matt Smolsky. Prince William Fire & Rescue teams worked with Dominion Energy to rescue the two construction workers trapped in the power lift. It came in contact with power lines near a Shorehaven apartment complex located in the 1600 block of Porters Inn Drive near Walmart. The Dominion Energy crews delayed the rescue effort until they could ensure it was safe. The worker’s death has been categorized as unattended and is under investigation by the Prince William County Police Department.

A Total of 5,333 Fatal Work Injuries in the Recent Report

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded a total of 5,333 fatal work injuries in the 2019 report. The fatal work injuries figures represent the most significant annual number since 2007 in the United States, with a 2 percent increase from the 5,250 in 2018. Everyone would agree that we want to continue to decrease the number of workplace accidents across Canada, the United States, and the rest of the world.

In order to break the increasing trend and the number of fatal accidents, Martin Technical strongly encourages organizations to develop a caring and motivating culture towards employees by scheduling regular workplace health and safety training.

Read more from the original source. (more…)

September 29, 2021

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OSHA Finds Bypassed Safety Measures Led to Worker’s Death – Tavares, FL

TAVARES, FL – In Florida, early March 2021, willfully bypassed safety measures led to a worker’s death according to the Occupational Safety and Health Association (OSHA). The worker’s employer, United Signs & Signals Inc. (US&S) was cited with a total of $237,566 in proposed penalties.

On the day of the accident, March 2, 2021, an electrical technician climbed into a trench to splice electrical wires to power streetlights. The worker made contact with live wires and suffered a fatal electrocution.

OSHA determined the company bypassed safety measures that led to the worker’s death. These were failing to de-energize or guard circuits, thus exposing workers to electrical shock hazards. The company was also cited for exposing workers to cave-in hazards, not ensuring a safe means of exiting the excavations, and allowing employees to work in a trench with accumulated water.

OSHA Area Office Director Michelle Gonzalez stated, “A man is dead because of US&S’s willful indifference toward protecting its workers. This terrible loss should remind employers that safety measures are never optional, and the consequences for ignoring them can be fatal.”

The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Spice Importer Cited by OSHA

JACKSON, AL – A Spice importer has been cited by OSHA. iSpice is a global spice importer located in Jackson, Alabama. OSHA reported on April 23rd that they are citing the company $121,511 in penalties.

The workers were found to be exposed to amputations, struck-by, crushed-by and electrical hazards. OSHA found iSpice allowed workers to clean the plant’s mixing machines without employing lockout tagout. They employer also failed to implement energy control procedures, train workers on lockout/tagout, and use machine guarding in regards to a rotating portion of the mixer.

Other hazards included allowing workers to use industrial trucks with a damage seatbelt; failing to ensure drivers were competent to operate the equipment; exposing them to electrical hazards by allowing boxes and outlets that were uncovered or lacked faceplates to be used; and a fan with a splice in the cord to be used.

In their press release, OSHA quoted Area Director Jose Gonzalez, “This employer put their employees at serious risk needlessly by failing to provide training and implement well-known protections. These protections are not optional, they are every workers right.”

Martin Technical provides Lockout Tagout services and training to help companies avoid citations such as these and the accidents they can cause.

April 29, 2021

Electrical Safety & Arc Flash Industrial Accident Lockout Tagout & Hazardous Energy OSHA Violations Training Training Category Workplace Safety Comments are closed Kate Christofferson

Electrocution Death in NY Aluminum Factory

Scriba, NY — Peter Clark Jr., 54, of Tully, who died while working at the Novelis Inc. aluminum factory in Oswego County on the morning of May 15th, appears to have been accidentally electrocuted, according to local deputies.

He was pronounced dead at the scene after being electrocuted while working as a contractor at the Scriba factory, said the Oswego County Sheriff’s Office. The deadly accident is being investigated by OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), Ridley Electric, and the Novelis plant all together, as parts of the accident remain unclear and risks and causes are not yet publicized.

The Novelis plant in Oswego County is the county’s largest manufacturer and employs over 1,100 people. Within the 1.7-million-square-foot facility, workers make rolled aluminum that is used in vehicle body panels for automakers like Ford.

While details of the aluminum factory accident remain unclear, electrocution can be caused by a number of risks and inefficiencies.

Deaths of Four Employees lead to $1M+ Fine for Illinois Company

Waukegan, IL- An OSHA investigation into the deaths of four employees of an Illinois chemical plant has resulted in more than a million dollars in proposed penalties against AB Specialty Silicones LLC.

The company has been cited for a dozen willful federal safety violations in the explosion and fire at its Waukegan facility on May 3, 2019 that caused deaths of four employees.

The silicon chemical products manufacturer faces $1,591,176 in penalties and has been placed in the in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

OSHA investigators determined AB Specialty Silicones failed to ensure that electrical equipment and installations in the production area of the plant complied with OSHA electrical standards, and were approved for hazardous locations. The company also used forklifts powered by liquid propane to transport volatile flammable liquids, and operated these forklifts in areas where employees handled and processed volatile flammable liquids and gases, creating the potential for ignition.

OSHA provides resources on electrical safety and using forklifts when working with hazardous materials. Proper electrical safety services and education could prevent this accidents in the workplace.

3 Electrical Incidents in 24 hours in Ontario

Ontario, Canada- September 19th was Black Thursday in Ontario’s electrical sector with three separate incidents of workers contacting overhead wires causing two electrocution deaths and injuring two others.

The spate of mishaps left construction, electrical and health and safety stakeholders upset, frustrated and searching for answers.

“The Electrical Safety Authority is very saddened to hear any time there are incidents of an electrical nature,” said Dr. Joel Moody, the ESA’s chief public safety officer. “Our thoughts are with the families who have experienced loss.”

Two of the three involved construction work. The third, in Kawartha Lakes, was at a private home where workers trimming a hedge on an elevated work platform contacted a powerline. One worker died and the other was injured.

In Vaughan, a Ministry of Labour report said a worker employed by Pontil Drilling Services sustained fatal injuries when a drill boom made contact with overhead power lines.

In Scarborough, east Toronto, a worker for Darcon was injured when a tower crane hit an overhead powerline. The job site constructor is Paramount Structures.

“This is a stark reminder of the dangers of working near electricity and clearly shows there is a need for more to be done to keep workers safe,” said James Barry, executive chairman of the IBEW Construction Council of Ontario, in an online statement.

There have been 1,250 reported overhead powerline contacts in Ontario in the last 10 years with an average of two deaths per year, making the pair of fatalities on Sept. 19 a full year’s worth statistically. The ESA says construction workers are at especially high risk with 60 per cent of powerline contacts occurring with dump trucks on construction sites.

The ESA responded to the mishaps with a statement urging awareness of the specific hazards related to working near wires. It’s a message that echoes those of the ESA’s Powerline Safety Week awareness campaign that’s launched at the start of construction season each May in Canada.

The ESA also works with utilities, haulers and arborists on a regular basis, Moody said.

“We urge situational awareness with a hazard assessment being the first thing they should do,” he said. “Be aware of your surroundings.”

“All of these incidents are preventable. Electricity is very lethal and unforgiving and having safe work practices every day is very important.”

“For the most part, if you look at the utilities, they live and breathe health and safety,” Kelusky said. “These weren’t utility workers, the guys dealing with the live stuff, they deal with it with great respect and understanding. That is a cultural thing from top to bottom.”

Despite the incidents of Sept. 19, Kelusky said, the statistics show construction is getting safer and that the construction sector in the province is developing a more integrated safety culture.

Responding to the comment urging that more be done, Kelusky said a major focus of his office is linking the diverse efforts of the health and safety community. His office has recently pledged to work with Ontario’s Industrial Health and Safety Association to undertake more research to be able to provide stronger tools to employers.

The approach to falls across the province in the last decade is a good example of how research can lead to program development and working with employers and employees to deliver results, Kelusky explained.

“What we want to do is supply labor and employers with more information other than, if you touch that it will hurt you,” he said, referring to electrical hazards. “We did that with falls and touch wood that seems to be going well.”

Looking ahead, Kelusky said, there are positive signs from Queen’s Park with the auditor general conducting a much-needed review of health and safety programs, the government reviewing the WSIB and signals from the new Minister of Labor, Monte McNaughton, that he is keenly interested in health and safety and working collaboratively with stakeholders. That’s on top of the WSIB’s new Health and Safety Excellence Program and the continuing growth of COR.