Programs safety and health

Does the company have a written health and safety program ... 

The DOE and private industry have learned many lessons from years of experienee in site remediation. This book will refer to seleeted lessons learned from the DOE, the Army Corps of Engineers, private industry, and personal experienee. After reading this book the reader should have a better understanding of how to interpret the hazardous waste requirements to make sure eomplianee is maintained at a high level for eaeh site-speeifie aetivity. Over and above eomplianee, the authors eneourage the development of health and safety programs to help build a sound and workable safety eulture that ean be utilized aeross all boundaries. 

Provide some methods to help promote eonsisteney in health and safety program development for handling hazardous materials... 

Non-RCRA-permitted TSDs and waste treatment activities not covered by RCRA (e.g., wastewater treatment facilities permitted under the Clean Water Act) are not covered by HAZWOPER, except for emergency response and some limited waste management operations. Specific HAZWOPER elements are assimilated into the existing health and safety program based on hazard analyses. Worker protection requirements are met through existing health and safety plans [1]. 

Key documents that are developed during the planning stages can be used to focus and direct the compliance strategy, to outline the health and safety program/plan requirements, and to establish work controls. These documents are usually developed after contract award and before mobilization. 

Lessons learned provide valuable information for managing health and safety programs. This information addresses conditions to be avoided or recommended practices. Lessons learned typically have the potential for wide-ranging application. Effective identification of lessons learned requires an awareness of emerging practices, programs, and technologies related to hazardous waste activities [3]. 

A properly designed and implemented site-speeifie HASP provides the basis for proteetion of workers, visitors, and the publie. The HASP is a requirement at all HAZWOPER sites [1] and will likely soon beeome a requirement at all sites. However, before we begin development of the HASP there is a lot of work to do. The following diseussion will outline the diflferenees between a health and safety program and a HASP doeument. 

The HASP, on the other hand, foeuses on the site-speeifie aetivities and outlines the appropriate elements of the site s existing health and safety program to the related task. The existing programs are reviewed to identify those elements meeting the needs of the planned site aetivity. Program elements and proeedures are supplemented with worksite-speeifie detail and tailored to meet speeial or unique aspeets of the hazardous waste aetivity on an as-needed basis [1]. 

Adequate resources are fundamental to any project, but even more so to a well-functioning health and safety program. Many mishaps have been traced to improperly trained workers, lack of adequate tools and equipment, or requirements for personnel to work excessive hours or at unfamiliar jobs because of inadequate staffing or lack of adequate resources. The multidisciplinary team approach can help to identify required resources and can help balance, identify, and coordinate necessary assets. 

Wlien a worksite includes both radiological and nonradiological hazards, the HASP should address both hazards. A site-specific HASP can supplement health and safety programs by providing site-specific and pertinent information, requirements, and strategies for each task. 

A properly written HASP should contain worker health and safety program information, guidance, and alternatives. The HASP should quickly answer the following questions What hazards are present and How can we make sure that the tasks will be performed safely The following general guidelines will help to answer these questions ... 

Not all existing procedures or program elements of the overall health and safety program need to be incorporated into the HASP. For example, if noise is a hazard, the plan does not have to cite the entire hearing conservation program. Procedures already established elsewhere may be referenced, as applicable. In another example, if a confined-space-entry procedure is required, the HASP could reference the particular procedure which is part of the overall program. The next step would be to identify confined spaces at the worksite where the procedure applies, and then provide appropriate implementation procedures (e.g., conditions to be monitored, evaluation of the space, issuance of an entry permit). If special operational procedures apply to the worksite, they can be attached to the HASP using an appendix. 

The HASP builds on and enhanees existing health and safety program eomponents. In deseribing PPE, generie deseriptions of Levels A, B, C, and D should be avoided. Instead, define eaeh level for the spe-eifie area or aetivity in question. Typieal questions eoneerning HASP development are summarized in the following seetions [1]. 

Ensure that the contractor/subcontractor can implement a comprehensive health and safety program in compliance with applicable regulations, including accident prevention programs, medical surveillance, training, work practice controls, use of personal protective equipment, and so on. 

Identifying health and safety protocols. In this stage, health and safety protocols required during field investigations are identified and documented, and a site health and safety plan is prepared to support the field effort and conform to the firm s or agency s health and safety program. 

Occupational exposure to endrin was not evaluated during the National Occupational Exposure Survey (NOES) conducted from 1981 to 1983 or its predecessor, the National Occupational Hazard Survey (NOHS) conducted from 1972 to 1974. The surveys conducted by NIOSH were designed to provide data necessary to describe potential exposure agents and profile health and safety programs in United States... 

Because airborne and volatile contaminants can present a significant threat to industrial workers health and safety, identification and quantification of these airbome and volatile contaminants through air/soil monitoring is an essential component of a health and safety program at an industrial site having hazardous substances. The purpose of air and soil monitoring is to identify and quantify airbome and volatile hazardous contaminants in order to determine the level of plant worker s protection needed. 

Step 4 Examine the costs and benefits of making changes in your environmental, health, and safety programs. Will you develop the expertise internally or seek outside assistance to develop and implement your plan ... 

For this reason, it makes sense to examine the costs and benefits of making improvements in your environmental, health, and safety programs. Make the HSE area part of your company s planning process, so that change can be proactive rather than reactive. Develop a schedule of implementation, as it is difficult to tackle all of these areas at once. You will need to decide whether to develop the expertise internally or seek outside assistance to devise and accomplish your plan. Training is readily available if you want to do it yourself, and there are many capable consulting firms ready to assist. 

Copies of their health and safety programs and Emergency Response Plan. 

This book describes how companies can conduct audits for the development and management of health and safety programs. 

A health and safety program designed to ensure safe working conditions for employees who may potentially be cxpo.scd to OPs and CMs should have a medically supervised surveillance system that involves an initial prcentploymenl screen for suitability to work with the anii-ChEs. and for tho.se who are actively employed, there should be provision for periodic medical examinations to exclude clinical evidence of. short- or long-term adverse health effects from the OPs and CMs to which they may be potentially overexposed. Also, the medical surveillance program. should... 

Some states operate their own occupational health and safety programs in cooperation with OSHA. In these states, stricter standards may apply. 

Finally, the contractor should be asked for suggestions for enhancing the facility s own health and safety program. 

Jim Howe is the Assistant Director in the Health and Safety Department at the headquarters of the United Auto Workers Union. Jim is often a speaker on behavioral safety, and he takes a strong position that behavior-based safety can be hazardous to your health and safety program. His views are set forth in A Union Critique of Behavior Based Safety, a paper issued by the UAW Health and Safety Department. 

The primary theory used to explain the causes of industrial accidents is that mistakes by workers are responsible for virtually all accidents. This is the foundation on which health and safety programs have been based for decades. Therefore, the ultimate goal of corporate safety programs and local union safety committees is generally, the same, to have zero worker injuries. Safety attention focuses on finding ways to get unsafe workers to change their ways. (p. 2)... 

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