Florida Department of Transportation Safety · PDF fileSafety should be and is a top priority,...

A utility line is damaged by dig-

ging once every 6 minutes na-

tionwide. One-third of these inci-

dents are caused by failure of

the professional excavator or

homeowner to call 811 before

beginning their digging project.

A free phone call to 811 con-

nects contractors or property

owners with their local one-call

center, which notifies the appro-

priate utility companies of their

intent to dig. Professional loca-

tors are then sent to the request-

ed digging site to mark the ap-

proximate locations of under-

ground lines with flags, paint or

both.

Striking a single line can cause

injury or death, significant repair

costs, fines and inconvenient

outages, which is why every dig-

ging project, no matter how large

or small, warrants a call to 811.

Installing a mailbox, building a

deck and planting a tree or gar-

den are all examples of digging

projects that should begin only

after underground utility lines

are marked by a professional

locator.

Safety should be and is a top

priority, and as April marks the

start of spring digging season,

we encourage all professionals

or land owners to make the call

to 811 to have underground

utility lines in their area marked

prior to digging. Please join us

in an effort to keep our commu-

nities safe and connected.

The depth of utility lines can

vary for a number of reasons,

such as erosion, previous dig-

ging projects and uneven sur-

faces. Utility lines need to be

properly marked because even

when digging only a few inch-

es, the risk of striking an un-

derground utility line still exists.

For more information, please

visit http://www.call811.com.

Inside this issue:

Safe Digging Month 1

Distracted Driving 2

Natl. Work Zone Week 4

Health and Safety 5

Spot the Hazards 6

Metrics 8

Word Search 9

Safety Slogans 10

Survey 11

Calendar 12

Florida Department of Transportation

Safety Advisor APRIL 2017

The Safety and Health Awareness Newsletter

http://www.call811.com/



OSHA Compliance Guidance

Question (1): Under §1926.106(a) would a life jacket or buoyant work vest be

required where employees are working over water that is less than 2 feet deep

where they could easily stand up?

Answer:

29 CFR 1926.106(a) states:

“Employees working over or near water, where the danger of drowning exists, shall be provided with U.S.

Coast Guard-approved life jacket of buoyant work vests.”

Section 1926.106(a) does not specify a minimum depth of water where a danger of drowning would exist. However,

several factors are relevant to determining whether a danger of drowning exists. These include the type (i.e., a pool, a

river, a canal), depth, presence or absence of a current, height above the water surface, and the use of fall protection.

Depending on the factors present, there are some circumstances where a drowning hazard could exist where workers

are near or over water that is less than 2 feet in depth. For example, where workers are not using fall protection and

are 10 feet above a river, a worker may fall and be knocked unconscious. Without the use of a life jacket or buoyant

work vest, a worker in such a scenario could drown.

Note, though, that in previous letters of interpretations we addressed the issue of providing life jackets to employees

working over or near water who use fall protection. In which we stated (OSHA) that:

“When continuous fall protection is used (without exception) to prevent employees from falling into the

water, the employer has effectively removed the drowning hazard, and life jackets or buoyant work vests

are not needed.”

Therefore, in reference to the question, if the workers were to use 100% fall protection (without exception) while over

or near water, life jackets/vests would not be required under §1926.106(a) because you would have removed the

drowning hazard.

Question (2): Would a lifesaving skiff be required where employees are working over water that is less than 2 feet

deep?

Answer:

Title 29 CFR 1926.106(d) states:

“At least one lifesaving skiff shall be immediately available at locations where employees are working

over or adjacent to water.”

This provision does not state a minimum depth of water required before a lifesaving skiff is necessary. Unlike

§1926.106(a), this provision does not include the phrase "where the danger of drowning exists."

As discussed in the previous question, in certain circumstances, such as where the worker is at a height where a fall

could cause significant injury or unconsciousness, drowning in shallow water can result. The purpose of §1926.106(d)

is to facilitate the rapid rescue of workers who fall into the water. Even in shallow water, a skiff will greatly reduce the

amount of time it takes to reach an employee in the water (unless the employee is working in an area very near the

water's edge)

Of course, if the water were so shallow that rescuers could simply run in (and a skiff would foul on the bottom any-

way), a skiff would not be required. https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=INTERPRETATIONS&p_id=24914


How many hazards can you find in this staged photo? (Answers on Page #7)



1. Cords running across an office can be a tripping hazard and should be avoided.

2. Materials such as boxes should be stacked no higher than 18 inches beneath a sprinkler to ensure the

sprinkler’s effectiveness.

3. Ensure space heaters are approved for commercial use, and never leave them unattended or near any

combustible materials.

4. Boxes should not block an exit path.

5. Never leave file cabinets open and unattended; someone could trip over or bump into them.

6. Paper cutters should be guarded and closed when not in use.

7. All food should be properly stored; studies show 400 times more germs are present on a desktop than on

the average toilet seat.

8. Keyboards should be adjustable to improve comfort and reduce strain.

9. Electrical hazards are one of the leading causes of office fires; never overload an outlet.

10. Keep papers clear from devices such as hot plates, and never leave them on while out of the office.

11. Coffee cups should have a lid to reduce spills.

12. Chairs should be ergonomic and include arm rests and an adjustable back.



By

Mark B. Eacker, MS Industrial Safety Programs Administrator

Lagging metrics are traditional safety metrics used by companies or organizations to indicate its pro-

gress towards compliance with occupational safety and health rules. These type of metrics measure the

movement to complying with safety rules by using past accident statistics. Leading metrics are measures that

focus on an organization’s future safety performance and continuous improvement. Leading metrics assess

activities to control or prevent injuries. The measurements in leading metrics are proactive and report on a

regular basis what workers are doing as an effort to prevent injuries (Pardy & Andrews, 2010).

Lagging and leading metrics use different methods to measure safety performance. Lagging metrics

depend on prior accidents or injuries statistics to measure safety performance. Examples include: lost work-

days, employee’s compensation costs, recordable injuries, and injury severity and frequency. Leading met-

rics use continuous improvement indicators focused on desired future safety objectives to prevent injuries or

accidents. Examples include: safety training, safety audits, surveys of employee perception, identified and

corrected ergonomic opportunities, and decrease of musculoskeletal disorder risk factors (Middlesworth,

2013).

By waiting for accidents to occur to measure safety performance, lagging metrics fail to inform an or-

ganization how well it is doing to prevent accidents. For example, a manager whose organization records low

injury rates can become complacent and place safety at the bottom of the organization’s priority list. This re-

actionary nature or lagging metrics make them ineffective and costly measures of prevention and safety per-

formance (Middlesworth, 2013). As such, Leading metrics are best for organizations seeking to measure their

progress towards compliance with quality, environmental, and occupational safety and health rules because

they are focused on future safety outcomes through continuous improvement (Pardy & Andrews, 2010).

Leading metrics allow an organization to be predictive, enable continuous feedback to all stakeholders, sup-

port problem solving involving safety, and track impacts versus intentions (Middlesworth, 2013).

References

Middlesworth, M. (2013, April 24). A short guide to leading and lagging indicators of safety performance. Re-

trieved August 8, 2015, from http://ergo-plus.com/leading-lagging-indicators-safety-preformance/

Pardy, W., & Andrews, T. (2010). Integrated management systems: Leading strategies and solutions. Plym-

outh, United Kingdom: Government Institutes.

Lagging and Leading Metrics

A W L F R M F W X G P P P S L R Y M S U

C W V A M E O A N K E K U E E E A G T S

N D A Y G R V I L R K Y T I A G D E R L

P O T R K G T O F L A C I T D N R Z A N

Y H I Z E X I O S D P Y T I I A O L W W

S T O T E N R N H S G R D L N D B W B S

E N E T N M E T G L A J O I G H R Q E P

E O O F A E R S Z C A P W T C E A G R K

M N S N A A V S S V O V N U E P S L R S

H S C K E S C E L L P H O N E C N O I Y

I E G N I N W O R D I G G I N G T B E Y

E W C H X F P K Z P Y T I L A E R I S L

Q R I Z L E F G E M E J W A U A K C O W

D I S T R A C T E D D R I V I N G M A N

A H S O N D T T Y A D H T R I B Y M P D

B Q Y W R Y R E A S T E R U C Z G J R D

R B O A Y I H E Q B K R Q M D F N T I P

Y E Z P C Z H X H K P F S K G S J J L T

G A X S M K M S T A O S H Z A Q B L Y J

H L T Q N P O A N N J V K X T Q R X U I

The Safety Advisor puzzle is generated from the http://school.discoveryeducation.com/

Omissions or errors are possible and are the sole responsibility of the program and not the producers of this Newsletter.

FALL PROTECTION

HAZARD

LAGGING

LEADING

METRICS

BIRTHDAY

MYTHS

NO TEXTING

OSHA

PASSOVER

APRIL

ARBOR DAY

AWARENESS

CELLPHONE

DANGER

DIGGING

DISTRACTED DRIVING

DROWNING

EARTH DAY

EASTER


PERFORMANCE

PREVENTION

PUT IT DOWN

REALITY

SAFETY

SKIFF

STRAWBERRIES

UTILITIES

WORKZONE


Safety Hot Line (850) 414-5255

You can report hazards by telephone. You can remain anonymous. Everything is confidential.

This monthly newsletter is produced in the State Safety Office by Mark Eacker. For content information,

please call or email the editor, Mark Eacker, at:

850-414-4176 / [email protected]

Our internet address is: www.dot.state.fl.us/safety

Safety Advisor Customer Satisfaction Survey

We are interested in your opinion. In order to better serve your needs, please take a moment to fill out this brief questionnaire. Send to:

Fax: 850 414 4221

Via US Postal Service (or inter-office mail) to the address shown below:

Attention: Industrial Safety Florida Department of Transportation

605 Suwannee Street, MS 53 Tallahassee, FL 32399

Safety Slogan of the Month Entry Form

Survey Questions Yes No

Are the Safety Advisor topics relevant to your day to day job?

Do you use the Safety Advisor in any manner other than read it?

What would you suggest to improve the suitability of the Safety Advisor to your needs or to improve the overall quality? (Please be specific)

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Do you have any questions regarding Industrial Safety programs and/or operations? Please feel free to include your questions

or comments.

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Please Print Safety Slogan

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Name: ____________________________ Location/Office: ______________________

District: ________________ Phone: (__)_________________


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PAY DAY


THE MONTH OF APRIL

PAY DAY

April is Observed as Distracted Driving Awareness Month; Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention; National

Autism Awareness; Stress Awareness Month; and National Donate Life Month.

Birthstone Diamond and Crystal.

Fruit & Veggies for the Month Strawberries and Asian Pear.

April Flower Daisy and Sweet Pea.

Astrological Signs Aries (till 19th) & Taurus (20th→).

Other Notable April Dates & Events National Safe Digging Month; National Work Zone Awareness Week(3rd-7th).

PAY DAY 30

GOOD FRIDAY

EASTER SUNDAY

April 2017

PASSOVER PASSOVER PASSOVER PASSOVER

PASSOVER PASSOVER PASSOVER PASSOVER

ARBOR DAY

EARTH DAY

ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS

DAY

PALM SUNDAY

APRIL FOOL’S

DAY

NATIONAL WORK ZONE AWARENESS WEEK

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