In the wake of the widespread destruction wrought by Superstorm Sandy, the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is advising cleanup and recovery teams deployed to the affected states, especially New England, New Jersey, and hard-hit New York, to be extra-vigilant of the hazards they will encounter performing their jobs.
Robert Kulick, OSHA New York regional administrator, explained in a recent media release that the U.S. worksite-safety watchdog is making sure that everyone is well aware of the dangers that usually attend post-hurricane cleanup and recovery efforts and advised that all workers take the necessary steps to protect themselves.
As all those who have taken OSHAcampus.com Outreach training know, worksite hazards can be found on the ground as well as underground and aboveground, with the likelihood of them being encountered increasing significantly during and after extreme weather. Cleanup work, such as the one now underway in New York and in other states, nearly always involves restoring power, telecommunications, water, and sewer services. According to OSHA, other common activities after a storm include emergency response, demolition, floodwater draining, cleaning up debris, tree cutting and trimming, and repair of roadways, bridges, dams and levees, and other structures.
These activities carry necessary risks and are usually associated with dangers from downed power lines, exposed live electrical wires, hazardous gas (usually carbon monoxide) and chemical leaks, tree trimming, working at height, unprotected excavations, confined spaces, moving water, and flooded structures.
To prevent injuries, OSHA training and OSHA advisories constantly urge that protective measures be taken at all times by both managers and workers. These measures include scoping the work area for all hazards; using the correct personal protective equipment (hard hats, safety glasses, proper shoes, reflective vests); assuming all electrical lines are live; conducting exposure monitoring for chemical leaks and spills; employing only proper tree-cutting procedures; using fall-protection protocols; and exercising proper ladder safety when working off the ground.
OSHA reassures the cleanup and recovery teams that its field staff members are always ready to extend them safety assistance, information and training, and technical support now and even after the last piece of Sandy debris is hauled away. OSHA says that employers, workers, and the public can contact the agency at its toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) for additional information on unsafe work situations.
Also, information on protecting workers through the Hurricane Sandy recovery is available at OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov/sandy/index.html. According to the agency, the website carries information resources such as frequently asked questions, safety and health guides, fact sheets, "quick cards," and additional information in English and Spanish. The website complements the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s own storm-info website at www.ready.gov/hurricanes, where a checklist of to-dos before, during, and after a hurricane can be accessed.
The Labor Department, for its part, has announced that information on cleanup efforts, recovery resources, and grants can be had at its regularly updated Hurricane Recovery Assistance Web page (www.dol.gov/opa/hurricane-recovery.htm).
Robert Kulick, OSHA New York regional administrator, explained in a recent media release that the U.S. worksite-safety watchdog is making sure that everyone is well aware of the dangers that usually attend post-hurricane cleanup and recovery efforts and advised that all workers take the necessary steps to protect themselves.
As all those who have taken OSHAcampus.com Outreach training know, worksite hazards can be found on the ground as well as underground and aboveground, with the likelihood of them being encountered increasing significantly during and after extreme weather. Cleanup work, such as the one now underway in New York and in other states, nearly always involves restoring power, telecommunications, water, and sewer services. According to OSHA, other common activities after a storm include emergency response, demolition, floodwater draining, cleaning up debris, tree cutting and trimming, and repair of roadways, bridges, dams and levees, and other structures.
These activities carry necessary risks and are usually associated with dangers from downed power lines, exposed live electrical wires, hazardous gas (usually carbon monoxide) and chemical leaks, tree trimming, working at height, unprotected excavations, confined spaces, moving water, and flooded structures.
To prevent injuries, OSHA training and OSHA advisories constantly urge that protective measures be taken at all times by both managers and workers. These measures include scoping the work area for all hazards; using the correct personal protective equipment (hard hats, safety glasses, proper shoes, reflective vests); assuming all electrical lines are live; conducting exposure monitoring for chemical leaks and spills; employing only proper tree-cutting procedures; using fall-protection protocols; and exercising proper ladder safety when working off the ground.
OSHA reassures the cleanup and recovery teams that its field staff members are always ready to extend them safety assistance, information and training, and technical support now and even after the last piece of Sandy debris is hauled away. OSHA says that employers, workers, and the public can contact the agency at its toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) for additional information on unsafe work situations.
Also, information on protecting workers through the Hurricane Sandy recovery is available at OSHA’s website at www.osha.gov/sandy/index.html. According to the agency, the website carries information resources such as frequently asked questions, safety and health guides, fact sheets, "quick cards," and additional information in English and Spanish. The website complements the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s own storm-info website at www.ready.gov/hurricanes, where a checklist of to-dos before, during, and after a hurricane can be accessed.
The Labor Department, for its part, has announced that information on cleanup efforts, recovery resources, and grants can be had at its regularly updated Hurricane Recovery Assistance Web page (www.dol.gov/opa/hurricane-recovery.htm).