Workplace Death Investigations

Transcription

1 Workplace Death Investigations Debra Chester MIFACE October 28, 2015 MWEA Conference

2 Today s Presentation What is MIFACE? Some work-related fatality statistics Fatality Case Presentation Making Do With the Tools at Hand What Goes Up Must Come Down Work Environments Out of Your Control Heat Watch Out for Blind Spots A GREAT Resource: Michigan Safety Conference

3 MIFACE Michigan Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation MSU - Occupational and Environmental Medicine Kenneth Rosenman, M.D. Professor of Medicine Deb Chester, M.S. Program Coordinator/Field Investigator

4 What is MIFACE? Research program to gather data on all traumatic work-related deaths in Michigan MIOSHA investigates ~25% of all WR deaths Goal: Prevention of WR fatalities in MI

5 What Does MIFACE Do? Identify traumatic workrelated fatalities in Michigan Conduct an investigation Develop recommendations Make prevention information available

6 Just a Reminder.. MIFACE IS about Prevention and Education MIFACE IS NOT about enforcement of MIOSHA Standards or Assigning Fault or Blame

7 Traumatic Work-Related Fatalities

8 Traumatic Work-Related Fatalities

9 Out of Scope Fatalities

10 Out of Scope Fatalities

11 How MIFACE Collects Data Notified of (possible) work-related death Conduct an Investigation Collect PD, ME, and DC on all WR cases Types of investigations Surveillance On-site

12 On-Site Investigation Contact company/family Introductory letter, MIFACE brochure and business card MIFACE calls company/family Want to participate? Voluntary

13 On-Site Investigation Investigation at incident site Explain program Conduct interviews Directly observe area Recreate sequence of events Take pictures

14 On-site Investigation Write report No personal identifiers of any kind are ever used in any report Many levels of review Sent to employer for review/comment Report distribution

15 MIFACE Investigation Report It is the employer s discretion to implement the recommendations presented in the MIFACE report There is no obligation to follow any of the MIFACE recommendations, though each employer is encouraged to do so isy.jpg.html

16 A Few Statistics for Michigan

17 In Michigan Number of Deaths Rate/100,

18 The News Five male WR deaths in NAICS Sewage Treatment Facilities death deaths deaths Cause of death: 1 Struck by Motor Vehicle, 1 MVA, 1 Electrocution, 1 Fall from utility vehicle, 1 Explosion while welding

19 Work-Related Fatality Incidents Identifying the Hazard(s) is KEY

20 Making Do With the Tools at Hand ThereIfixedit.com

21 Making Do With the Tools at Hand Construction contractor performing punch list tasks Installing light bulb Used folding chair to reach socket Did not bring ladder with him when he drove to site

22 Prevention Recommendations Identification of tasks and proper tool use Training to reinforce safe work practices and procedures

23 What Goes Up Must Come Down Millwright installing copper lines Fell ~18 from extension ladder Ladder leaned against building I-beam near his work area Decedent standing on ladder with his back to it working on piping in front of him

24 What Goes Up Must Come Down Floor slippery Ladder slipped and fell to hoist cross beam Decedent lost balance, fell to floor striking his right side

25 Prevention Recommendations Training Recognize hazards of portable ladders Move, tilt, shift during climbing Unstable/slippery base surfaces Misstep/slip of foot Loss of balance (overreach) Struck by vehicle

26 Prevention Recommendations To reduce ladder fall risks: Frequently inspect and maintain ladders Match tasks to appropriate ladders Load capacity or Duty rating appropriate? Set up ladders correctly 4:1 rule Climb and descend ladders properly 3 point contact Face ladder when working angle.jpg /Step-By- Step/display/FH03SEP_EXTLAD_02.JPG Quick Test: Stand facing it with your feet touching its feet and your arms extended your palms should rest on a rung at shoulder height.

27 Have a Smart Phone? NIOSH Ladder Safety Smartphone App Both iphone and Android Available in Spanish

28 Prevention Recommendations Improve slip resistance on ladder treads Cloth-backed mineral abrasive Anti-slip abrasive surfacer: Mastic-type compound containing mineral abrasive troweled on in a thin coat. Coarse-ground walnut shells: Available in most paint stores. Mixed into spar varnish, about one part shells to three or four parts varnish. When applying the material to metal steps, use a damp-proof primer before applying the varnish.

29 Prevention Recommendations Improve slip resistance on ladder treads Sand: varnish steps or rungs, then sift dry sand onto the wet varnished surface. Re-dimpling: Metal ladder treads that have round dimples worn smooth can be re-dimpled with a tapered punch driven upward in same line as the original dimpling. Remove slippery material from soles of shoes and rungs

30 Work Environment Out of Your Control - Heat General laborer died due to hypertensive and arteriosclerotic cardiovascular disease while working outdoors on a hot day. Conducting grounds keeping work. Worked for several hours in the morning cutting tree limbs. When enough of the cut limbs had been accumulated, he used a backhoe to move the limbs to another area of the facility.

31 Work Environment Out of Your Control - Heat At approximately 10:00 a.m., a coworker noticed that the backhoe was stationary where the limb storage area was located. The co-worker investigated and found him nonresponsive and slumped forward in the seat of the non-air conditioned cabbed backhoe. CPR initiated while emergency response was called. Emergency responders transported him to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.

32 Prevention Recommendations Employers with workers exposed to indoor and/or outdoor heat environments should develop and implement a heat illness prevention program that includes, at a minimum, the following program elements: Supervision and worker training Heat Stress Controls (including work and hygienic practices and a Heat-Alert Program ) Medical surveillance Recordkeeping

33 Prevention Recommendations Employers should monitor environmental conditions and develop work/rest schedules to accommodate a high heat and/or high dew point and humidity environment Employers should provide an appropriate acclimatization program for new workers to a hot environment, workers who have been on the job a week or less, and experienced workers during a rapid change in excessively hot weather.

34 Let s Look at Heat a Bit

35 How Do We Overheat? When working in a hot environment, the body must get rid of excess heat to maintain a stable internal temperature. Circulating blood to the skin Sweating

36 How Do We Overheat? Air temperature close to or warmer than normal body temperature: cooling of body more difficult. Blood circulated to skin cannot lose its heat. Sweating then becomes the main way the body cools off. Sweating is effective only if: Humidity level is low enough to allow evaporation and if lost fluids and salts adequately replaced.

37 Factors Affecting Heat Response If we cannot cool down? Heat Rash Heat Cramps Heat Exhaustion Heat Stroke pdf

38 Why is Heat a Problem for Workers? Frequency of accidents increases. Increased body temperature and physical discomfort promote irritability, anger, and other emotional states Cause workers to overlook safety procedures or to divert attention from hazardous tasks? Lowers mental alertness and physical performance Promote accidents due to the slipperiness of sweaty palms and dizziness

39 Heat Index How Hot Does it Feel?

40 What is the Heat Index? What the temperature feels like when relative humidity is combined with the air temperature. Direct relationship between the air temperature and relative humidity and the heat index. as the air temperature and relative humidity increase (decrease), the heat index increases (decrease).

41 What is the Heat Index? Heat index values are for shady locations If you are exposed to direct sunlight, the heat index value can be increased by up to 15 0 F. df

42 Heat Index

43 What Does the Heat Index Mean For You? Classification Heat Index Effect on the body Caution 80 F - 90 F Fatigue possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity Extreme Caution 90 F F Heat stroke, heat cramps, or heat exhaustion possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity Danger 103 F F Heat cramps or heat exhaustion likely, and heat stroke possible with prolonged exposure and/or physical activity Extreme Danger 125 F or higher Heat stroke highly likely

44 Management Strategies Preventing Heat Stress Schedule maintenance and repair jobs in hot areas for cooler months Schedule hot jobs for the cooler part of the day Acclimatize workers by exposing them for progressively longer periods to hot work environments Reduce the physical demands of workers

45 Management Strategies Preventing Heat Stress Use relief workers or assign extra workers for physically demanding jobs Provide cool water or liquids to workers Provide rest periods with water breaks Provide cool areas for use during break periods Monitor workers who are at risk of heat stress

46 Management Strategies Preventing Heat Stress Provide heat stress training that includes information about: Worker risk Prevention Symptoms The importance of monitoring yourself and coworkers for symptoms Treatment Personal protective equipment

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48 Have a Smart Phone? Download OSHA Heat Safety Tool Smartphone App Source:

49 Watch Out for Blind Spots Municipal Worker Drove tandem axle dump truck to site Another driver to back truck to excavation Decedent run over by backing truck

50 Watch Out for Blind Spots NIOSH Resource Search NIOSH Blind Spots

51 Watch Out for Blind Spots Construction equipment blind spots identified for 3 elevations Ground level Barrel height (900 mm) 4 11 (1500 mm) Combination of physical measurement and computer simulation

52 Watch Out for Blind Spots

53 Prevention Recommendations Backing vehicle SOP Worksite Design Spotter training Backing vehicle training Equip backing vehicles with presence detectors

54 A GREAT Resource!

55 THANK YOU