Winter Safety Zone: Top 10 Hazards | Tow vs. Recovery Straps | Power Strips

Winter 2023 OSHA's Top 10 Hazards for 2022 OSHA recently published the top 10 hazards cited for Region 7, which consists of Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Kansas. The top 10 hazards include both General Industry and Construction. The following is a list of standards cited for the relevant hazards: Fall Protection – General Requirements (1926.501) Ladders (1926.1053) Hazard Communication (1910.1200) Personal Protective and Life Saving Equipment – Eye and Face Protection (1926.102) Power Industrial Trucks (1910.178) Scaffolding (1926.451) Respiratory Protection (1910.134) Machine Guarding (1910.212) Lockout/Tagout (1910.147) Personal Protective and Lifesaving Equipment – Head Protection (1926.100) Fall Protection, Scaffolding, and Hazard Communication have made the list consistently year after year. If you are a small employer in Missouri and need additional assistance in any of these areas, the Missouri On-site Safety and Health Consultation Program is here to help. For more information, please call 573-522-SAFE. Tow Straps vs. Recovery Straps – What is the Difference? Now that winter is here, we are faced with the possibility of helping retrieve vehicles or equipment that has slid off the roadway or is stuck. A recent accident in Michigan, in which a tow cable broke and crashed through a dump truck window killing the driver, is a grim reminder of what can happen if precautions are not taken. Your goal is to get the vehicle out of the ditch. However, your overriding goal should be to do it safely and to use the correct type of strap. There is a difference between a tow strap and a recovery strap.   Tow straps (pictured left) have hooks and do not stretch; therefore, if there is a failure with the hardware, pieces can fly back towards the operators. Recovery straps (pictured left) stretch and do not have hardware. They are safer than chains, easier to use and not nearly as heavy. Here are some things to remember when using recovery straps: Make sure the recovery strap has no cuts, frays, or broken stitching. Make sure the hardware being used (i.e. clevises or attachment points) are free of defects and rust on both vehicles. If possible, the recovering vehicle should place the recovery strap to its rear end, which would be the safest place if the strap happens to break. Never attach a recovery strap to a vehicle's bumper, axles, suspension, steering rods or trailer hitch ball. Attachment points must be on a secure location on the vehicle's frame. Never attach a recovery strap to another vehicle with a knot. You should pass one end of the strap through the loop at the other end of the strap to secure. To help protect the strap from tears, make sure all logs and large rocks are removed from the recovery path. Make sure everyone stands clear of the recovery strap when it is in use. When pulling the vehicle out, drive very slowly. Sudden tugs may lead to damage to either of the vehicles or the strap. Once the vehicle is safely back on the roadway, inspect your recovery strap and hardware for damage. Are You Using Power Strips Correctly? Power strips, also known as "temporary power taps", are an easy way to provide power to various types of equipment. However, the improper use of these devices can create fire and electrical hazards. Here are some tips to ensure the proper use of power strips: Read the instructions on the power strip. The instructions will help with their intended use. Power strips usually only have a 15-amp cord attached to them. That is the amount of current that can travel through the cord without it being overloaded. Equipment that uses a high amount of current such as freezers, microwaves, and refrigerators should never be plugged into power strips. However, power strips can be used to power items such as computer or audio equipment, because the items have lower amperage usage. Power strips should never be "daisy-chained" (plugged into each other). Power strip cords should never be run through walls, windows, ceilings or floor openings. Power strips should not be used with an extension cord. They should be plugged directly into a wall outlet. In order to reach wall outlets, power strips can be purchased in varying cord lengths. Never permanently affix a power strip to anything. If a power strip is in the way, there are usually setscrew slots on the back that can be used to mount the strip to the wall. The slots allow the strip to be taken on and off the wall so it is not permanently affixed. Contributing author: Daniel Stark, CIH, CSP Assistant Director/Program Manager, On-Site Safety & Health Consultation   Questions? Contact Us STAY CONNECTED: SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Subscriptions  |  Help This email was sent to ignoble.experiment@arconati.us using GovDelivery Communications Cloud on behalf of: Missouri Department of Labor · P.O. Box 59 · Jefferson City, MO 65104-0059 · 1-800-320-2519