SAFETY INCIDENT MAY 14 2015

What Happened?

 A technician was performing various 6” pipe cuts on vertical piping using a low clearance split frame machine. The pipe cut was complete and the technician placed his left hand on the trip pin lever. He positioned his palm on the lever so he could toggle the lever with his middle finger on top of the trip lever. As the cutting tool block came around the machine the block pinched his left middle finger between the block and the trip assembly. The technician was NOT wearing gloves while the equipment was being operated.

The Injured Party was attended to by First Aid personnel, then he was transported to an off-site medical facility where it was determined he had a fractured finger and laceration that required sutures to close the wound. He was able to return to work the same day.

NOTE: In the pictures below gloves were worn since the machine was deenergized and power source was disconnected.

Improper hand placement when operating trip lever.

Preliminary investigation

 ·         Technician improperly operated the trip lever.

·         Technician placed his hand in the line of fire.
·         Job Requirements had not been properly communicated.
·         Standard Operating Procedure was not provided to the technician.

 Preventive and corrective actions

·         Review proper operation and hand placement when operating rotating equipment

·         Review manufactures pinch point hazards identified by manufactures User’s Manual and Standard Operating Procedures for all jobs.

 

 

Immediate actions

1. Conduct a Stand down with all employees to discuss incident findings and preventive actions.

2. Share this Safety Alert with all employees in your respective areas.

 

Important Safety Notice

Red Wing Shoes Recalls 42 Styles of Steel Toe Safety Footwear

An issue in the steel toe cap could fail to protect the wearer’s feet in an impact.

The footwear was sold between December 2012 and November 2013. There are 42 styles of Red Wing branded products that are covered under this notice. However, only certain sizes within each style are affected. Only those styles, sizes and widths with a manufacture date code between December 2012 and November 2013 are affected. See list of affected styles and sizes below.

The affected style number, size, width and manufacture date can be found on the product label on the inside of the boot.

 

www.redwingshoes.com/safetynotice

Fatigue Awareness

What is Fatigue?

ÜFatigue describes a physical and/or mental state of being tired and weak.

ÜAlthough physical and mental fatigue are different, the two often occur together - if a person is physically exhausted for long enough, they will also be mentally tired.

ÜWhen somebody experiences physical fatigue, it means they cannot continue functioning at their normal levels of physical ability.

ÜMental fatigue, however, is more slanted towards feeling sleepy and being unable to concentrate properly.

ÜFatigue may have several possible causes.

ÜExperts say that 10% of people globally at any one time are suffering from persistent tiredness. Persistent tiredness affects females more than males.

 What Causes Fatigue?

ÜFatigue describes a physical and/or mental state of being tired and weak.

ÜAlthough physical and mental fatigue are different, the two often occur together - if a person is physically exhausted for long enough, they will also be mentally tired.

ÜWhen somebody experiences physical fatigue, it means they cannot continue functioning at their normal levels of physical ability.

ÜMental fatigue, however, is more slanted towards feeling sleepy and being unable to concentrate properly.

ÜFatigue may have several possible causes.

ÜExperts say that 10% of people globally at any one time are suffering from persistent tiredness. Persistent tiredness affects females more than males.

How do you combat Fatigue?

ÜMany people experience fatigue due to lack of quality sleep.  Quality/uninterrupted sleep is essential to combating fatigue.  Some helpful tips on how to get quality sleep include:

·Try to go to bed and wake up at the same time each day

·Set your bedroom's temperature at a comfortable level. It must neither be too cold nor too hot

·Do not have your last meal of the day too close to your bedtime - not less than 90 minutes or two hours before you go to bed

·As bedtime approaches, physically and mentally slow down.

ÜA healthy lifestyle has a significant impact on fatigue

·Proper diet and regular exercise can boost energy levels and improve mental sharpness

 

Recognizing Fatigue

 

ÜSince fatigue is so commonplace in todays work environment, it may be difficult to recognize in yourself and your co-workers.  Some of the symptoms of fatigue include:

·Lethargy – Low energy level and non-productive.

·Visibly tired – Eyes are droopy, slow to respond or act, not following directions accurately.

·Prone to mistakes – Mistakes are made often and even simple tasks are not completed correctly

 

Employee Responsibilities Regarding Fatigue

 

vEmployees are responsible for:

• 

ÜRemaining drug and alcohol free during their employment with Furmanite.

Ü

ÜNot using over-the-counter or prescription drugs to increase mental alertness.

Ü

ÜEmployees are prohibited from taking any substance known to increase fatigue, including fatigue that sets in after the effects of the drug wear off.

Ü

ÜEmployees must report fatigue/tiredness and lack of mental acuity to supervision.

Ü

ÜEmployees/contractors should use their time off the job to get the appropriate sleep or rest and maintain their alertness and fitness for duty.

Ü

ÜEmployees should to monitor their own performance and take regular periods of rest to avoid continuing work when tired.

Ü

ÜMonitor co-workers state of alertness.

 

 

 

 

Safety Alert

What happened?
Technician was working on unbolting the housing of a hot tap machine using the open end of a combination wrench, (due to the location of the bolt, technician stated he was unable to use the box end of the wrench), when the wrench slipped off of the bolt striking the technician in the upper lip causing a laceration. The technician was transported to an occupational medicine facility and he received two sutures in his lip. This incident resulted in a recordable injury.



What went wrong?

The technician had performed the task so often it became a routine task and he did not fully recognize the potential hazards of pulling on an open ended wrench while placing himself in the line of fire. Although a Shop Job Safety Checklist was completed, there was no consideration given to line of fire hazards and mitigations.


How do we Prevent from Happening Again?

Identify and discuss potential line of fire situations and recognition of the hazards of routine jobs. Discuss the importance of performing a thorough Job Safety Checklist/Job Hazard Analysis.

What actions do I take?

Immediately review this Safety Alert with all technicians and shop employees and discuss the prevention measures listed above. Review the "Line of Fire Top 10" presentation with all field technicians and shop employees and discuss how to effectively identify hazards (focusing on routine job hazards) during the Job Safety Checklist(JSC)/Job Hazard Analysis (JHA) process.

Verify through auditing of shop and field tasks that employees are consistently identifying line of fire hazards and routine task hazards during JSC/JHA completion.

2014 - FTS Safety Awards !

Below is a list of the safety awards FTS has recently received. 

 

Safety Council Southwest Louisiana sponsored the Contractor Safety Awards banquet on June 24^th, 2014 @ Isle of Capri Events Center in Lake Charles, LA.   Furmanite Technical Solutions received the “Platinum Award” in the Specialty II Category for work performed at Phillips 66 and Sasol.

 

The Golden Triangle Business Roundtable (GTBR) sponsored the 23^rd annual Contractor Safety Awards on August 19, 2014 @ the Holiday Inn Atrium Plaza in Beaumont, TX.  Furmanite Technical Solutions was selected as a Finalist in the category of Engineering for work at Chevron Phillips Chemical Port Arthur, ExxonMobil Beaumont Refinery, Flint Hill Resources and Huntsman PNPP. 

 

Heat Stress Awareness

As spring turns into summer and brings up "hot weather," we should all be aware of some tips to prevent heat stress. Remember physical activity at high temperatures can directly affect health and indirectly be the cause of accidents.


What Is Heat Stress?

It's a signal that says the body is having difficulty maintaining its narrow temperature range. The heart pumps faster, blood is diverted from internal organs to the skin, breathing rate increases, sweating increases, all in an attempt to transfer more heat to the outside air and cool the skin by evaporation of sweat. If the body can't keep up then the person suffers effects ranging from heat cramps to heat exhaustion, and finally to heat stroke.


Dry Clothes and Skin doesn't mean you’re not Sweating!

In dry climates you might not feel wet or sticky, but you are still sweating. On a very warm day you can lose as much as two liters of fluid.

Beat the heat. Help prevent the ill effects of heat stress by:



Drinking water frequently and moderately (every 15-30 minutes—about a glassful). Due to the fact that most of us already consume excessive salt in our diets; salt tablets are NOT recommended for general use.



 Resting frequently.
 Eating lightly.
 Doing more strenuous jobs during the cooler morning hours.
 Utilizing the ventilation or fans in enclosed areas.
 Remembering that it takes about 1-2 weeks for the body to adjust to the heat; this adaptation to heat is quickly lost—so your body will need time to adjust after a vacation too.
 Avoiding alcohol consumption. Many cases of heat stroke have occurred the day after a "night on the town."
 Wearing light colored, cotton clothes and keeping your shirt on—desert nomads don't wear


Types of Heat Stress


There are two popular types of heat stress the first is heat stroke. This is caused by your body temperature rising above 103 degrees. Heat stroke is a serious problem and often leads to death if it is not taken care of immediately. There are several symptoms of heat stroke.

Symptoms of Heat Stroke

 Difficulty Breathing  Headache   Dizziness

 Flushed skin  Vomiting  No Sweat on Skin

 Seizure    Loss of consciousness

If you notice someone suffering from any of these symptoms call for medical attention.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

The cause of heat exhaustion is very similar to heat stroke. The main difference is that the body is having trouble dehydrating to due lack of liquids and electrolytes. People that are most likely to suffer heat exhaustion are outdoor workers and the elderly.
Symptoms of Heat Exhaustion

 Cool, Clammy skin  Excessive Sweating  Anxiousness

 Thirst  Cloudy Thinking  Trouble Standing

 Fatigue

Fatigue Awareness

Employee Responsibilities Regarding Fatigue: 

ÜRemaining drug and alcohol free during their employment with Furmanite.

ÜNot using over-the-counter or prescription drugs to increase mental alertness.

ÜEmployees are prohibited from taking any substance known to increase fatigue, including fatigue that sets in after the effects of the drug wear off.

ÜEmployees must report fatigue/tiredness and lack of mental acuity to supervision.

ÜEmployees/contractors should use their time off the job to get the appropriate sleep or rest and maintain their alertness and fitness for duty.

ÜEmployees should to monitor their own performance and take regular periods of rest to avoid continuing work when tired.

ÜMonitor co-workers state of alertness.

SAFETY ALERT - Removing Insert Sleeve

What Happened?


A technician was using a screwdriver wedge / pry out a Teflon (PTFE)  insert sleeve from a Durco plug valve. (see picture)

 During the process the screwdriver slipped and due to the force being applied it sprung upwards and hit the technician’s upper jaw.  The technician was transported to a local medical facility and was diagnosed with a broken jaw.

Preliminary Investigation Findings

Inserts are “pressed in” during manufacture or during overhaul and are an extremely tight fit making them difficult to extract. The standard removal method, as recommended by the manufacturer, is to split the insert and then extract it using pliers.

The recommended way to split the insert is to insert a screw driver through the   ports on the valve and hit the screwdriver with a mallet until the insert splits.

 

The technician split the insert as per recommendations but then used a screwdriver to wedge / pry the insert out rather than using the pliers resulting in the injury.

Action to Prevent Reoccurrences     

The local Operations Manager is to deliver a Toolbox Talk to workshop technicians with reference to ensuring compliance with manufacturer’s instructions for the disassembly of valve components.

Immediate Action Required  

1. Workshop Managers/Supervisors to inform workshop personnel to follow manufacturer’s instructions for the disassembly of components. If an alternative method needs to be used, for whatever reason, a pre-work assessment of the additional hazards must be undertaken and appropriate actions taken to remove / reduce the risk.

    

2. VR Service Line to initiate review and determine if there are any other methods that would make removal safer.