Abrasive Blasting

Q:What are the PPE requirements when abrasive blasting?

A: 1910.94(a)(5)(ii) Abrasive-blasting respirators shall be worn by all abrasive-blasting operators:

1910.94(a)(5)(v) Operators shall be equipped with heavy canvas or leather gloves and aprons or equivalent protection to protect them from the impact of abrasives. Safety shoes shall be worn to protect against foot injury where heavy pieces of work are handled.

1910.94(a)(5)(v)(b) Equipment for protection of the eyes and face shall be supplied to the operator when the respirator design does not provide such protection and to any other personnel working in the vicinity of abrasive blasting operations. This equipment shall conform to the requirements of 1910.133.

Also don’t forget hearing protection!

Abrasive Blasting

Q: What are the exit requirements regarding fire and blasting booths?

A: 1910.94(a)(3)(i)(e)(1) Doors shall be flanged and tight when closed.

1910.94(a)(3)(i)(e)(2) Doors on blast-cleaning rooms shall be operable from both inside and outside, except that where there is a small operator access door, the large work access door may be closed or opened from the outside only.

1910.94(c)(3)(ii) Unobstructed walkways shall not be less than 6 1/2 feet high and shall be maintained clear of obstruction from any work location in the booth to a booth exit or open booth front. In booths where the open front is the only exit, such exits shall be not less than 3 feet wide. In booths having multiple exits, such exits shall not be less than 2 feet wide, provided that the maximum distance from the work location to the exit is 25 feet or less. Where booth exits are provided with doors, such doors shall open outward from the booth.

To help paraphrase, you must ensure your doors are flanged and tight when closed.  The doors must open outward from the booth.  These doors need to be installed one every 25 feet or less.  If you have multiple doors the doors only need to be 2 feet wide, but if you only have one door that door needs to be at least three feet wide.

Certification for gloves

Q:  We recently purchased gloves are that are rated to 300 degrees.  They are not certified by a 3^rd party.  Does OSHA require gloves to be approved by ANSI?

A:  OSHA requires eye/face, head, and foot protection to meet certain ANSI standards, but not hand protection.  The certification from the manufacturer stating that the gloves are rated to 300 degrees will be what you need.  We recommend that you request the manufacture includes the type of test they performed to determine this rating on the document they provide to you.

Recordkeeping

Q: Do I need to keep the OSHA 300A – Summary up to date throughout the year?

A: No, there is no need to fill out the 300A – Summary until January of the following year.

Leading Edge Work

Question:  When installing plywood decking on a suspended concrete slab that is 13 feet high; is fall protection required?

Answer: Yes fall protection is required unless you can prove that fall protection is infeasible or creates a greater hazard than the fall protection systems.  Listed below is the OSHA standard that explains this.

·         1926.501(b)(2)(i) Each employee who is constructing a leading edge 6 feet (1.8 m) or more above lower levels shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems, safety net systems, or personal fall arrest systems. Exception: When the employer can demonstrate that it is infeasible or creates a greater hazard to use these systems, the employer shall develop and implement a fall protection plan which meets the requirements of paragraph (k) of 1926.502.

Note: There is a presumption that it is feasible and will not create a greater hazard to implement at least one of the above-listed fall protection systems. Accordingly, the employer has the burden of establishing that it is appropriate to implement a fall protection plan which complies with 1926.502(k) for a particular workplace situation, in lieu of implementing any of those systems.

We recommend using temporary anchorage points!  These are simple to use and can be installed into concrete or wood.  The use of these anchorage points with either a retractable lifeline with a personal fall arrest harness or a horizontal life line and personal fall arrest harness will ensure you’re in compliance with OSHA!

Electrical Cord Repair

Q: If the prong is damaged on an extension cord, is it permissible to replace the prong with an approved one, provided the repair is done by a qualified electrician?

A: Yes, OSHA states “Extension cords used in construction may be repaired, so long as the repair returns the cord to the "approved" state required by 1926.403(a)”

Eyewash Distances

Q: We don’t handle any corrosive chemicals and only have an eyewash station as an emergency precaution when grinding and other tool use. What is the required distance?

A: OSHA only requires the eyewash station to be immediately adjacent when working with corrosive chemicals. In any other case it is recommended to have the eyewash station as close as possible.

Recordkeeping

Q:  When counting days away from work or light duty, do I count work days or calendar days?

A: You want to count all calendar days that the employee is off, up to 180.

Find recordkeeping tools at our website!

Recordkeeping

Q: If we are working 2 weeks on and then 2 weeks off, do we need to record the two weeks off for an injured employee?

A: Yes, the case needs to be recorded for each of the days that he is away from work including the 2 off weeks even though the rest of the company is also not working those days. 

E-stops Testing

Q: Are you required to test e-stops, if so what frequency?

A: There is no direct regulation, however it is a good company practice. It would be recommended for testing to be conducted weekly, monthly, or at most quarterly.