Osha Visit

[GAFF MAN]

Hey, We Had A Visit From Osha And Everyting went Ok Except They Had A Hard On For Two Things that I Never Heard Of. One Was They Wanted Monthly Documentation For Bucket Harnesses And Said They Had To Be Replaced Every Five Years. The Other Thing Is They Want Hazzard Assesments For Every Job Task That A Lineman Does,( Change Insulators, Hang Tri-plex,etc)and The Ppe And Precautions Involved. They Want One For Each Specific Task. Thats Alot Of Paper Work. If Anyone Has Any Info On Hazzard Assesment Please Give Me Some Insight. Thanks

[BigClive]

Theoretically you should change harnesses within a fixed timescale due to general wear and tear even at invisible levels like the thread that holds them together. I shudder to think how old my favourite harness is or even how much wear and abuse it's had in the past. It just fits well on a big guy like me, so I'm keeping it!

Your hazard assessments are presumably the American equivalent of UK risk assessments and quite franky for repetitive jobs you can have a standard one. It's rather patronising, but it should read like this....

The work involves working in the vicinity of high voltage lines and as such suitable precautions will be taken to ensure that any risk of dangerous contact is minimised by the use of insulation and procedures that minimise risk insofar as is reasonably practical.

Yeah it's bullshit, but it get's the clueless pen-pushers off your back.

The risk assessments rarely get read, so if you're really evil you can rip the piss a little bit. :rolleyes:

[old lineman]

I guess since this was your first visit from the feds as you were unaware of the requirements. It's managements duty to get everything in place.
As Big Clive says the risk assessment can be general enough so that it will suffice for many applications.
Typically you would have to name all of the crew (which could be comprised of different people daily), once the 'tailboard talk' is complete each worker may have to sign off that he/she understands.
If a crew member is absent and joins the crew later they have to be brought up to speed.
If plan 'A' doesn't work and plan 'B' replaces it then all of the crew are brought together and the crew leader reviews plan 'B' and essentially starts over.
Unusual situations should be noted eg. switches that could be fed from the bottom, reclosures in 'hold off' position, midspad traversing circuit, grounding, PPE, etc.
Management has to allow time and supply the manpower to develop job procedures for every task.
Other things you likely will need.
1. An emergency plan---what to do protocol in the event of an emergency including telephone numbers, radio usage, rescue techniques and equipment.
2. Site set up---Men working signs, delineators, 360 lights, traffic safety vests, wheel chocks, etc. (some jurisdictions require a 'traffic safety plan') a document laying out the traffic control plan.
3. MSDS sheets---these are important for hazardous substances you have on board. eg. motor oil, hydraulic oil, antifreeze, varsol, gasoline, windshield washer fluid. isopropynol, etc. Once I heard of a worker gulping down a cup of varsol thinking he was drinking a co-workers drink. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye.
3. Vehicle inspection sheets---daily pre-trip inspections. Especially air brake checks. They may also want to see the dielectric test data and stability certification. Safety chains for trailers.
4. First aid kit, fire extinguisher with valid inspection tag.
5. If they really know what your about they may even inspect your rubber cover-up to see that the laboratory testing dates are within ANSI standards.
They have even been known to want to see your time sheet to see if you have driven a commercial vehicle after being on the job too long in a given period. That's a NAFTA initiative.
There's more but thats enough to chew on, someone will have lots to say but that's where we're headed. The program is up and running in Ontario and has been for some time.
The Old Lineman

[CHICAGO HAND.]

Had A Job A Few Years Ago On A Saturday And Had Our Management Safety Rep Audit Us And Left Satisfied That We Were Doing A Great Job.
About Two Hours Later Osha Stopped By And Nailed Us On A Few Violations. Signs Should Have Been Out And An Defective Power Cord.big Stuff You Know.

[mscheuerer]

Yeah it's bullshit, but it get's the clueless pen-pushers off your back.

The risk assessments rarely get read, so if you're really evil you can rip the piss a little bit. :rolleyes:

You're right BC! I tried that once after a visit from our local OSHA VALLEY REPRESENTATIVE, He requested the tops of some cabinets be cleared off or have a fence or control barrier errected so that nothing would fall off of them. I insisted that we could just as easily put up a sign that said HARD HATS REQUIRED in the area.

I don't think he liked my idea too much according to the slip of paper he gave me.... :)

[BigClive]

Yeah, the downside of taking the mickey is that the sort of people who become health and safety inspectors are generally technically unskilled and have an axe to grind. They have much more power than they are fit to handle and can make your life very difficult on a whim.

Had a job last year that was made almost unbearable by an arrogant little clown who seemed to get off on provoking people. He was dreaming up nonsensical "safety violations" on a daily basis and continually went round taking photo's of us working. This year on the same job we're probably going to have a meeting with the health and safety executive to explain our situation last year.

Same clown caused the steel erectors so much grief that hey ultimately went out of business. Perhaps that's why his little sports car was doused in paint stripper.

[Trampbag]

Actually there is a point to the seeming nonsense like “hazard assessment”. This trade has changed a tremendous amount in the last 30 years and I for one would not want to go back to the working conditions, safety wise, of yesteryear. It used to be “SHIT HAPPENS”.

“Hazard Assessment” is just another piece of safety awareness on the jobsite, part of the “tailboard” or “toolbox talk”, which should be documented and signed by each member of the crew. It identifies, and makes every member of the crew aware of, the common risk factors of the job or task. It should not take but a few seconds to a few minutes depending upon the complexity of the job.

The documentation of the “tailboard” ensures the foreman or supervisor has done his/her job of “supervising” and, if things go wrong where a serious incident happens, can and will exonerate the “supervisor” from liability. In a serious enough incident, where negligence is determined, penalties can include incarceration – jail time, gentlemen. The “SHIT HAPPENS” attitude just won’t cut it any more.

If the “hazard assessment” keeps one more report of a fatality in this trade off this site I think the few minutes spent documenting and ensuring all workers have their “heads” about them is time well spent. Any company would insist, and does obviously by using “Due Diligence”, that documentation is complete. Unplanned incidents’ causing property damage and injury are VERY expensive and affects their bottom line, making the difference of profit and loss.

That profit and loss is exactly what your wages are based on.

I, for one, would like to see a lot more assessment of hazards. Maybe the carnage will slow a little.

[rusty]

I'm going to throw my 2 cents in,

Due to the fact that many new and unskilled Brothers are being rushed in to the hazard zone due to manpower needs, ANYTHING that will help should be used. What is common sense and learned by those with " YEARS " of service is in many cases is an UNKNOWN to these new Brothers! And either out of ignorance of the trade, or not willing to risk showing it, or risk being ridiculed MANY WILL NOT ASK the simplest question!!! While it maybe BS to many IT COULD SAVE A LIFE OR LIMB!!! " REMEMBER " in today’s world NOT EVERYBODY has had the mentoring nor training, yet they are being put in the same danger many have YEARS of training and service in!!!

The other side of this coin is the one that makes my blood boil!!! That being not all these safety steps and policies are solely for the safety of our BROTHERS WITH " SOME " COMPANIES!!!! " TO MANY TIMES " these very steps many of us see as BS, are used to let the company and the insurance companies " AVOID " liability when a Brother is maimed or killed!!! " MANY TIMES " the fact a Brothers has years of experience and all the steps were followed, IS USED AS JUSTIFICATION " AGAINST THE BROTHER " to claim " EMPLOYEE ERROR " thereby denying liability and eventually justice to the Brother or his family left behind!!!

Things are not always as they appear! I would ask EVERY BROTHER to ask themselves this question, " IF " things go bad, are they going to use this paper work against me, to protect themselves from liability???? YOU KNOW THEY ARE!!! That is why it " MUST " be taken seriously, the fair treatment of you and your wife and babies IS RIDING ON IT!!! Unfortunately in today’s world there are " SOME " who have put their greed and ability to deny liability ABOVE OUR LIVES AND EVEN OUR FAMILIES!!! FACT!!! We all get paid by the hour, and safety is claimed BY ALL to be number one, then why not protect yourself and your loved ones and maybe a new Brother by using it??? And at the same time DENY " SOME " this BS excuse!!!!

[wayne440]

Yeah, the downside of taking the mickey is that the sort of people who become health and safety inspectors are generally technically unskilled and have an axe to grind....an arrogant little clown who seemed to get off on provoking people...Perhaps that's why his little sports car was doused in paint stripper.

Picture this... on about his third visit, the local "inspector" pulls up on a job where we are pulling strand for a fiber route, parking a front wheel of his little pickup across the strand. Of course it shortly ended up upside down. We turned it back over with one of the winches and pushed it out of the way, while he was running around making noises like a 1950 outboard motor. I don't recall seeing him or any inspector in that town again. Sometimes you just have to help them see the light.

W

[Squizzy]

We do a 6 monthly harness inspection, and after any falls the harness gets thrown out after 10 years if it passes for that long. Every job site we go to we have to do a JRA Job Risk Assesment and it gets better. We have to fill in a log book on all the trucks that shows your work time and when you had your brakes and mileage. If you don't fill in the log book you can sh!t on by all manner of departments...