Confined spaces and excavations continue to present fatal hazards to workers, and OSHA continues to take notice. While OSHA lists fewer confined space accidents in 2021 than in 2020, 100% of them involved fatalities. Trench collapses are among the most serious dangers in the construction industry. Excavations can collapse in seconds and can potentially bury workers...
The term “penstock” is one you will hear if you work in the Energy Sector or occasionally in Emergency Response. Those working in the Energy Sector generally have a strong grasp of the term and what it entails. If you work in Emergency Response, can you say the same? So, what exactly is a penstock?...
Last week, a teenager dangled from a rope suspended from the 730-foot Auburn Foresthill Bridge, the tallest in California and the fourth tallest in the country. The 19-year-old man and his 17-year-old friend accessed the catwalk underneath the bridge. According to the sheriff’s office, the older teen then used a rope and harness to swing...
I miss being a kid. No smart phones, no tablets, no TikTok. Twitter was what my stomach did if a cheerleader said hello in the hall. If you wanted to go run the streets with your friends until it got dark, you only had to do one thing. Get mom to tell you to get...
The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) has released the 2022 edition of NFPA 350 Guide for Safe Confined Space Entry and Work. Developed through a consensus standards development process and reviewed for approval by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI), NFPA standards are afforded a place of immense importance in the world of emergency response.
Anyone who is a fan of football, more specifically the National Football League, has heard of legendary Green Bay Packers Coach Vince Lombardi. If you are really into NFL football, you know that not only was Lombardi one of the best Head Football coaches in history, he was also a legendary wordsmith. I cannot count...
It’s all over the safety news right now – heat stress is finally getting the recognition it deserves for the millions of employees who have to work out in the heat every day. As the heat wave continues, we’ve got to do a better job of taking care of our personnel and watching out for...
Emergency responders are more likely to develop significant mental health problems than the general population. It is estimated that nearly 30% of first responders will develop depression, posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), or even suicidal ideations at some point during their lifetime [1]. Unfortunately, a pervasive stigma surrounding mental health prevents many of these dedicated individuals from...
Many times, we hear teams say they don’t need to practice “on-air” rescue scenarios because their employees are not allowed to work in IDLH or low O2 areas. That always makes us ask, what about the confined spaces that have the potential for atmospheric hazards? What about those spaces that may unexpectedly become IDLH or...
The Mandan Refinery in North Dakota is the biggest refinery in the state. The site and its leadership take its rescue program seriously, having made significant investments in rescue equipment and training for employees. This paid off recently when an employee’s previous knee injury decided to rear its ugly head and lock up 30′ off...
