Category: Safety

3M™ PROTECTA® Rebel Self Retracting Lifelines – Pre-Use Inspections Required

A limited number of 3M™ PROTECTA® Rebel Self Retracting Lifelines produced between October 14, 2019 and February 25, 2020 may have a manufacturing issue. However, the issue can be easily detected through a pre-use inspection described in detail by 3M. If after carefully following 3M’s pre-use inspection instructions the SRLs are not working properly, take them out of service immediately, and contact the 3M customer service department at 1-800-328-61446 or by e-mail at 3musfpserviceaction@mmm.com.

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STOP USE! Miller MightEvac & MightyLite SRLs

Honeywell has issued an Immediate Stop USE Notice for certain models of Miller MightEvac and MightyLite self-retracting lifelines (SRLs) manufactured within a specific time frame. The notice only affects specifically listed models, with identified manufacturing dates or re-certification dates between October 27, 2016 and October 6, 2018. Models outside of this date range, including new units, are not affected by this notice. If your company uses these SRLs check Table 1 in the attached notice to determine whether your SRLs are affected. If so, they should be removed from service immediately. Honeywell is making arrangements for their return and replacement. That information is forthcoming.

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DeWALT COVID Tool Cleaning Guides

The way DeWALT works is changing, but their commitment to service isn’t. DeWALT is here to support MCAA members through evolving situations, rules, and safety requirements. They have you covered with the informative materials that will guide you through the proper way to clean and sanitize tools on the jobsite. Watch this short tutorial and review the guidelines below for the proper way to sanitize your tools.

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Updates to MCAA’s Model COVID-19 Return to Work Exposure Control Plan

New information from research on COVID-19 is being generated constantly. This reality requires us to carefully monitor the new information and make updates to MCAA’s Model COVID-19 Return to Work Exposure Control Plan as necessary. MCAA’s model plan was recently updated. We recommend that you evaluate the changes to determine whether your company’s plan also requires an update.

The recent changes include:

  1. The addition of Appendix B – Critical Industries Requirements Summary
  2. The addition of Appendix H – OSHA Guidance on Returning to Work
  3. Text changes regarding OSHA now allowing face shields in lieu of cloth face coverings when appropriate
  4. Text changes regarding the cleaning of power tool batteries
  5. Text changes regarding surgical masks/PPE

UPDATED MODEL PLAN

Caution Your Workers About Exposure to COVID-Disinfecting Chemicals

Some of the chemicals being used to disinfect jobsite surfaces can cause COVID-19 like symptoms in recently disinfected areas without adequate ventilation and/or other protective measures. MCAA recommends that you train all employees to ask appropriate onsite personnel whether chemical disinfection for COVID-19 has been performed recently in the areas they will be working. When chemicals have been recently used in those work areas, workers should request a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for the chemical(s) to determine what the health hazards are, and how they can protect themselves. Once they have the SDS(s) they should pay special attention to Section 2 Hazard(s) Identification and Section 8 Exposure Controls/Personal Protection.

Two New Sources for COVID-19 PPE

There are two new sources for COVID-19 PPE, cloth face coverings, hand sanitizer, etc. for MCAA members. One is the company MONTCO and the other is long-time MCAA partner RESCUE ONE. Both companies are credible, reliable, and have good relationships with MCAA.

MONTCO:

MCAA member discount prices are available with MONTCO if you use the discount code “MCA-1” when placing your order. MONTCO is working on an MCAA member order sheet, but in the meantime, you can place your order by e-mail or telephone at: mdelladonna@comcast.net, 610-935-9545

MONTCO INVENTORY

RESCUE ONE:

To order items from Rescue One, contact Carl Murphy at cmurphy@rescue-one.com or 301-740-3390 ext.12. If unavailable, please contact Dean Tschudy at dtschudy@rescue-one.com or 301-740-339 ext.34.

RESCUE ONE INVENTORY

Critical Change to CDC’s Discontinuing Isolation Guideline

Based on new COVID-19 research the CDC has recently changed their guidelines regarding discontinuing isolation for individuals with symptoms of the virus who are caring for themselves at home. The original guidelines for discontinuing isolation specified that at least 7 days had passed since symptoms first appeared and, at least 3 days (72 hours) had passed since recovery. Recovery is defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath). The CDC’s change increases the period of recommended isolation by 3 days, from 7 to 10 days after symptoms begin. Please be sure to change your company’s COVID-19 exposure control plans accordingly.

FURTHER CLARIFICATION & EXAMPLES:

Worker has symptoms, but has not tested positive: Any employee who has not tested positive, but who exhibits symptoms of COVID-19 is required to stay off the jobsite until he or she is free of symptoms for 72 hours or more without the use of fever-reducing, or other symptom-altering medications.

Worker tests positive, but has no symptoms: Any employee who does test positive, but is symptom free may return to work when at least 10 days have passed since the date of his or her first positive test, and he or she has not had a subsequent illness. 

Worker tested positive, has symptoms and is caring for self at home: Any employees who does test positive and is caring for him or herself at home may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since recovery, and at least 10 days have passed since the symptoms first appeared. 

Worker tested positive and has been hospitalized: Any employee who tests positive and has been hospitalized may return to work when permitted to do so by his or her medical care provider.

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Alcohol-Based Hand Sanitizers Are Flammable

Using an effective hand sanitizer is one of the most important things everyone can do to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. This is especially true on construction jobsites and in mechanical service areas where there is no running water. To be effective against COVID-19, the CDC states that hand sanitizers must contain at least 70% alcohol. Since alcohol is flammable, we must be extremely careful when using it. Many things on a jobsite can serve as an ignition source, such as a lighter, a welding torch striker, welding and grinding sparks, even static electricity.

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Updated MILWAUKEE TOOL COVID-19 Resource Guide

MCAA’s long-time partner Milwaukee Tool has updated their COVID-19 Resource Guide to include additional content on best practices for remote meetings, eSERVICE tool repairs and digital training resources. The guide addresses tool cleaning, operations protocols, digital training, shipping and inventory updates, Milwaukee Tool’s #TOGETHERweSTAND campaign and how to stay in contact with Milwaukee Tool. The guide also includes links to sample documents, including a Health Screening Planning FormHealth Pre-Screening Questionnaire and Potential Considerations for Documenting Procedures. MCAA thanks Milwaukee Tool for the long-standing partnership, and for sharing these resources with MCAA.

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Webinar #8: COVID-19 OSHA Enforcement Preparation – Adele Abrams

As positive cases of COVID-19 increase around the nation there is speculation that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) will increase its enforcement efforts. The agency will want to ensure that employers are making a good faith effort to help protect their workers from contracting the virus. California, which is an OSHA state-plan-state, has already started COVID-19 related enforcement actions. OSHA does not have a regulation or standard for COVID-19. However, the agency can cite and fine employers using the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970’s general duty clause, and several other generic regulations and standards. The webinar presenter is occupational safety and health attorney, and long-time MCAA friend, Adele Abrams. Adele discusses what’s anticipated, and how to prepare for it, along with the OSHA record-keeping issue involving COVID-19 cases.  

Additional Resources:

This webinar was recorded Friday, April 17, 2020.

OSHA Addresses COVID-19 Recordability Issue

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) released enforcement guidance for recording cases of COVID-19. Until further notice, OSHA will not enforce its record-keeping requirements to require employers to make work-relatedness determinations for COVID-19 cases, except where: (1) There is objective evidence that a COVID-19 case may be work-related; and (2) The evidence was reasonably available to the employer.

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OSHA Enforcement Guidance On Foreign Made Respirator Use

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released guidance to its regional administrators outlining enforcement discretion to permit the use of filtering facepiece respirators and air-purifying elastomeric respirators that are certified under certain standards of other countries or jurisdictions. The guidelines also address enforcement discretion to permit use when the equipment was previously certified under the standards of other countries or jurisdictions, but are beyond their manufacturer’s recommended shelf life. Essentially, OSHA compliance officers are being directed to verify that employers are:

  • Making a good faith effort to use the most appropriate respiratory protection available;
  • Ensuring that their respirator users are performing appropriate user seal checks;
  • Training their respirator users to discard respirators with compromised structural and/or functional integrity:
  • Inspecting, or requiring their respirator users to visually inspect the respirators for defects;
  • Avoiding co-mingling of products from different categories of equipment; and
  • Training employees on the procedures for the sequence of donning/doffing to prevent self-contamination.

OSHA ENFORCEMENT GUIDANCE

OSHA & CDC/NIOSH Release Guidance on N95 Respirator Extended Use and Reuse

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released guidelines to help combat supply shortages of disposable N95 filtering face piece respirators. The agency’s guidelines address alternatives to N95s, and extended use and reuse of the respirators. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), which is the research arm of OSHA, also released N95 guidelines addressing extended use and reuse of the respirators, specifically for healthcare settings. The CDC/NIOSH guidelines are much more detailed than OSHA’s guidelines. Their recommendations are intended for use by professionals who manage respiratory protection programs in healthcare institutions to protect health care workers from job-related risks of exposure to infectious respiratory illnesses. However, the guidelines provide excellent information for anyone considering extended use or reuse of N95s. For example, the guidelines make the case that extended use is preferred over reuse of the respirators because extended use limits the number of times the respirators will be touched.  The guidelines address the risks of extended use and reuse, and provide independent sets of recommendations for extended use, and reuse.

OSHA GUIDELINES

CDC/NIOSH GUIDELINES

MCAA Safety Talk: COVID-19 Facility Cleaning and Disinfecting Guidelines

Whenever it’s feasible, it’s best to hire a reputable third party to perform facility cleaning and disinfection services. However, if it will be necessary for you or someone else from your company to perform the cleaning and disinfection service, the following guidelines may help protect that person from exposure to COVID-19. The best way to help protect yourself and others is to have all surfaces that may have been contaminated cleaned and disinfected. Cleaning refers to the removal of dirt and impurities. Disinfecting refers to the use of chemicals to kill the virus.

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Ergonomic Tips for Working Remotely

With so many of us working remotely it’s important to consider the ergonomic design of our workspaces. MCAA’s long-time partner CNA is sharing with us Ergonomic Tips for Working Remotely. The CNA risk control bulletin makes recommendations on chair set-up and adjustments, monitor placement, laptop, keyboard and mouse use, and more.

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Webinar #4: Guidelines for COVID-19 to Help Protect Mechanical Industry Workers – Scott Hamilton

The UA, MCAA, ASSE and IAPMO have joined forces to bring our collective memberships information to be able to understand the risks of COVID-19 and show you the best ways to help prevent the spreading the virus among our pipefitters, plumbers, service technicians, sprinklerfitters, steamfitters and apprentices. Evaluating the exposures, understanding the risks and learning the most appropriate protective measures will help prepare you to establish an effective plan. Plumbers Local 75 member, Senior Director at IAPMO and ASSE, Scott Hamilton, describes the best-known safe work practices for helping mechanical industry workers avoid exposure to COVID-19.

Additional Resources:

This webinar was recorded Thursday, March 26, 2020.