Health and Safety considerations

University of Arkansas

Ruwaya Alkendi

11/10/2006

Introduction Environmental site characterization studies tasks can

be hazardous. Workers Public Property Equipments Environment

Introduction Key to safety in the field:

Ability to recognize situations that may produce hazardous conditions and to plan a head to avoid or mitigate these conditions.

A recognized hazard can be established on the bases of: Industry recognition. Employer recognition. Or ‘common sense’ recognition

Health and Safety planning A good plan serves two capacities:

As a proactive accident-prevention plan to delineate site hazards, risks to site workers, hazard monitoring, hazard mitigation, and safe operating procedures.

As a reactive contingency plan to identify procedures to be implemented should something go wrong.

Health and Safety planning (Cont.) A careful site history review or previous monitoring and

site characterization activities may minimize the possibility of discovering unknown hazardous materials or unstable conditions.

Always predict the worse !!!

Health and Safety planning Typical areas that should be addressed in the HASP:

1- Safety staff organization, responsibilities of key personnel, and their alternates.

2- Safety and health hazard assessment for sit operations (Known or anticipated hazards)

3- PPE requirements (clothing, respiratory protection) 4- Methods to assess personal and environmental

exposure.

Health and Safety planning (Cont.) 5- Standard operating safety procedures, work

practices, and engineering controls. 6- Site control measures 7- Personal hygiene and decontamination procedures. 8- Emergency equipment and medical emergency

procedures. 9- Emergency response plan and contingency

procedures. 10-Logs, reports, and record-keeping. Safety plan should be signed by all on-site workers.

Hazard Identification and classification Electrical hazards

Electrical wires, buried cables, and generators. Physical hazards

Unstable slopes, uneven terrain, holes and ditches, steep grades and slippery, mud-cover surfaces.

Noise Interference with normal communication between

workers. Physical damage: hearing loss.

Cont. Temperature Stress

Heat stress and cold injury. Radiation hazards

Radioactive materials Chemical hazards

Toxic, flammable, explosive, reactive, or corrosive materials.

Cont. Biological hazards

Living organisms and their products. Toxic hazards

Exposure to toxic materials. Inhalation, skin, eye contact, ingestion, or injection.

Exposure Limits Control employee inhalation exposure to specific

chemical substances in the workplace.

Cont. Confined space hazard

Permit-required confined-space entry requires a training program for participants, a permit system, air monitoring, ventilation, retrieval system, and rescue considerations.

Risk minimization

Decrease contact with hazard.

Practicing contamination avoidance and good housekeeping.

Good work practices (Administrative controls).

Engineering controls.

Source of information To assessing potential hazard and determining proper

control of a risk:

Reference text.

On-line computer databases (U.S. EPA, National Library of Medicine).

Respiratory protection Respirators: Protect from hazardous contaminants that

may be inhaled.

Two types: air-purifying and air- supplying. Air- purifying: removes contaminants from air by: filtration,

absorption, adsorption, or chemical reaction. Air- Supplying supplies air (e.g. oxygen deficient areas) Provide a respiratory protection program. Medical fitness is required.

Air Monitoring Identification and quantification of air contaminants is

required in order to select appropriate PPE and define areas where protective equipment is required.

Air monitoring help in determining the effectiveness of mitigative activities.

Cont. Monitor air during drilling operation prevent fire and

protect worker from exposure. Three methods of air monitoring:

1- Intermittent monitoring: involves readings taken when contaminants present them selves or when there is a change in field conditions.

2- Semi-continuous monitoring: readings on regular basis.

3-Continuous monitoring: constantly assesses site conditions.

Cont. Reading instruments:

Combustible gas indicators: measures the risk of fire and explosion from flammable vapors.

Oxygen deficiency meters: assess air for oxygen content to determine if respiratory protection is necessary.

Oxygen deficiency (<19.5%) or oxygen enrichment (>25%). combustion, contaminants and chemical reactions could be

responsible for oxygen deficiency. Radiation meters: detects the presence of ionizing

radiation (alpha, beta, gamma).

Cont. Detector tubes: glass tube filled with an indicating

chemical matrix that changes color in the presence of a specific contaminant or type of contaminant.

Length of color change proportional to concentration present.

Multi tube is available to detect more than one contaminant.

Cont. Survey instruments: detect the presence and total

concentration of organic gases or vapors in air.

Photoionization detectors: monitoring many organic and some inorganic vapors and gases (UV ionize gas or vapor molecules).

Flame ionization detectors: use hydrogen-fed flame to ionize organic vapors and gases.

Protective clothing PPE decrease exposure to biological and chemical

hazards and to shield against physical hazards.

PPE protects: respiratory system, eye, skin, face, hands, feet, body and hearing.

U.S. EPA level of protection (A,B,C, and D).

Disposable clothing are advisable.

Site Operations Establish work zone to protect site workers and minimize risk of

injury.

Minimizing exposure to hazardous materials include: Eliminate unnecessary personnel, workers & equipments

onsite.

Establishment security & physical barriers.

Establishment of work zone and control points to regulate access to the site.

Cont. Implementation of an appropriate contamination

avoidance program to reduce personnel and equipment exposure to contamination and minimize air borne dispersion of contamination.

Contamination reduction zone that buffers between contaminated areas and clean areas (decontamination station).

Support zone (support equipments, trailers and parking areas).

Drilling techniques Most drilling equipments are source of ignition!

Ways to reduce the effect of drilling equipments:

Use air rotary rig utilizing a compressor: reduce ignition.

Auger rigs allow for using dry ice around auger base.

Cont. Mud-rotary drilling (suppress vapors and ignition

sources).

Inerting and purging (introducing of non flammable gas).

Portable ventilation devices (blowers).

Vertical exhausts and spark arrestors.

Medical Monitoring Medical program must be provided to all employees including who

wear respirators for 30 or more days during a 12-month interval. Medical tests and complete records are done by a physician based

on the info. Provided by the employer. Medical exams:

Initial base line medical exam (medical history). Life style section (augment exposures to hazardous) Heat stress and stress test. Medical screening test Specialized tests (known hazards) Periodic exams (yearly) Exit exam.

HAZWOPER Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response

Rule. The rule covers:

Clean-up operations at government-identified uncontrolled hazardous waste sites.

Clean-up operations conducted under the RCRA. Emergency responses for releases or substantial

threats of releases of hazardous materials or hazardous wastes.

Training requirements Training requirement for all workers working in the

hazardous waste sites. 40h for workers in uncontrolled hazardous material

sites. 24h for workers performing routine operations at RCRA

facilities, hazard identified sites or respiratory protection is not required.

Training types: Overview training Discipline-intensive training Site-specific training

General Safety and Liability Considerations

Site safety plan: (1980s) single document addressing all tasks and operations performed on the site. Early 1990s the plan is prepared as a bid.

OSHA act 1970: Employer should furnish to each of his employees

employment and a place of employment which are free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees

Should comply with occupational safety and health standards promulgated under this Act.

Cont. Each employee shall comply with occupational safety

and health standards and all rules, regulations, and orders issued pursuant to this act which are applicable to his own actions and conduct.

Supervisor, inspector, and observer. Supervisor: who oversees employees from his own

company. Inspector: performs QA/QC functions. Observer: on site to report deficiencies or problems to

the owner.

Cont. Prequalification of subcontractors with good safety

histories and records of adhering to both technical and safety specifications minimize the shutdown of a job.

Familiarity with all appropriate federal, state, and industry standards.