Engineering Department

Start the Week with Safety & Safety TUESDAY TOPICS

For the week of Aug. 18 24, 2013

Dont Always count on others for YOUR Safety!! Engineering Days without Reportable Personal Injury 47

*** Date of last reportable injury; July 2, 2013 ***

Discussion Topic 1:
PPE Safety Foot Protection Safety Toe Boots & Why so Important
Burns; These can be from chemicals or hot metal splashes. Electric shocks; these are most common for electricians and construction workers. Sprains and fractures; can happen in any workplace and are normally caused by trips, slips, and falls. More and more countries are introducing mandatory safety footwear regulations to guarantee protection in the workplace. Steel toed boots are designed to protect the top of the feet. Safety boots and shoes are also been fitted with impact protection also. There are impact absorbing soles and ankle collars fitted to some safety footwear for additional support. Safety trainers are also being made that come with puncture protection. There are also anti slip safety shoes. With so many different types of safety shoes and boots available there really is no reason not to protect your feet no matter what type of environment you work in. STAR E-25 #3. Footwear a. Wear footwear that conforms to the following criteria except while working in office type environment, parking lots, or business rail cars. Lace-up work boot Eight inches high (minimum) Steel toe Near 90 degree heel notch Leather or leather-like uppers

Steel Toed Boots? What, you dont trust my dancing skills?

Did you know that 25% of all disability claims worldwide are due to foot injury? In the USA there are over 100,000 injuries that are reported in the workplace each and every year that cost companies up to $1 billion. This cost and the distress that employees face is not restricted to the USA and there are many countries worldwide that are not implementing stricter policies that ensure that workplace safety is adhered to. In Canada foot injuries have reduced by 60% because of the implementation of mandatory protective footwear. Most people assume that foot injury comes from working in dangerous environments but there are a lot of other injuries that can take their toll too. Blisters, dropped arches and even aches and pain can cause employees to take time off work. Below is a list of the most common injuries that are sustained when safety footwear is not worn. Crushed feet, broken bones and loss of toes; these injuries are more common in the construction industry but they are also reported in the logging and fishing industry too. Puncture wounds to the feet; if you work where nails, staples or even scrap metal is used then this can happen when safety footwear is not worn. Cuts, lacerations and severed toes; are common for those who work with machinery such as chain saws.

Recommended Work Practice Wear slip-retardant footwear or shoe accessories when icy conditions exist. Do not wear shoe-chains or metalstudded when walking on concrete or steel surfaces.

Discussion Topic 2:
Safety Focus for the WEEK:

Lockout/Tagout Safety Procedures

If more than one person is going to be working on a piece of equipment, then each person must secure every energy control device with his or her own LOTO padlock. This requirement provides safety for everyone involved. Before restoring locked out/ tagged out equipment to operation, make sure that no one in the area could be injured by unexpected movement or malfunction, that all safeguards are in place, and that tools and other articles have been removed from the equipment.

Discussion Topic 3:
Remove The Doubt Use Lockout/Tagout.

Hearing Test Van Schedule:

Its time to test our hearing. Beginning July 8 , the Examinetics Hearing Test van will be making rounds across the KCS system, at designated locations for testing ALL Engineering, Transportation, and Mechanical employees hearing. These tests are mandated by both FRA and OSHA regulations. Its extremely important to make every possible effort to attend the designated locations nearest or at our workplace. Employees who must be tested ANNUALLY and do not get tested on the vans will be scheduled at clinics, which is more time consuming and more costly. Testing on the van is the most consistent, economical way to conduct audiograms, mandated by FRA and OSHA regulations. The Van is the best bet! Below is the schedule for the month of July. As the dates/locations change, the information will continue to be distributed weekly as a helpful reminder.
Date Aug. 19 Aug. 20 Aug. 21 Aug. 25-31 Location Baton Rouge, LA Alexandria, LA Leesville, LA Shreveport, LA Eng. Contact John Matlock Steven Barr Jonathan Sellers Joe Bonnett
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What Devices Are Used to Lock Out Equipment? Energy-isolating devices such as circuit breakers, valves, and locking pins are built into equipment to prevent unexpected start-up or movement. Energy-isolating devices must be labeled to show the part or system they control. They must be used to isolate energy sources when servicing, inspecting, or maintaining a machine or piece of equipment that could cause an injury. Sources of stored energy that cannot be isolated, such as capacitors, hydraulic systems, springs, elevated machine members, and air pressure, must be made safe by methods such as grounding, blocking, or repositioning. What Are the General LOTO Procedures? Authorized personnel who lock and tag out equipment must attach LOTO tags and assigned personal red locks showing their names to the energy-isolating devices that protect or disable energy sources. A tag alone is enough only if a lock is physically impossible to attach by any means. Locks, tags, and other approved LOTO hardware are available through the Safety and Health Catalog. Unauthorized devices, such as toolbox locks, are forbidden for use in lockout/ tagout. The person locking equipment out informs everyone in the area when LOTO is in effect so others do not remove LOTO devices or attempt to start up the equipment for any reason. The tag placed on the energyisolating device identifies the locked-out equipment and the reason for the lockout. Only the person who locks out the equipment may remove LOTO. In an emergency the persons supervisor can remove LOTO after making every reasonable effort to contact the person who locked out the equipment. The supervisor must inform the employee that LOTO has been removed before the employee returns to work.

IMPORTANT !!! To obtain the most accurate results per the OSHA/FRA Guidelines: Employees should have low noise exposure for 14 hours prior to being tested. If this is not possible, it is essential the employee should properly wear appropriate Hearing Protection for all loud noise exposure, both off and on the job, for 14 hours prior to testing.

Safety Slogan for the WEEK:

Working Safe is not hard Do it and see what happens.I dare YOU!!