The First Facility Management Blog

Here are the answers to last week’s Lockout/Tagout quiz. (To see the questions again, click this link.)

Also, do you have anything to add regarding the comment posted by a FacilityBlog visitor? Her concerns center around language obstacles that may hamper lockout/tagout efforts.

Test answers: 1.) b., 2.) b., 3.) c., 4.) d., 5.) c., 6.) a., 7.) f., 8.) d., 9.) b., 10.) d.

A score of 10 correct answers is the only acceptable score for total OSHA compliance.

Jurisdictions around the country are adopting the most current building safety and fire prevention codes to safeguard their residents and businesses. So far this year, the International Code Council has recorded more than 650 new code adoptions in more than 100 jurisdictions.

The International Building Code is used by nearly 20,000 jurisdictions, the International Residential Code by more than 16,000 jurisdictions and the International Fire Code by more than 12,000 jurisdictions across the country. For a complete list of jurisdictions using the International Codes, click here.

Since they were published last spring, at least 11 jurisdictions have adopted the 2006 International Codes to guide construction and renovations in their communities. In Illinois, many towns, including Lynwood, South Holland, Streator and Winthrop Harbor adopted 2006 versions of the I-Codes, including the International Building, Residential, Fire, Energy Conservation, Existing Building, Fuel Gas, Mechanical, Plumbing and Property Maintenance Codes. Two Texas communities, Levelland and Trenton, and two Missouri jurisdictions, Maplewood and Waynesville, also enforce 2006 I-Codes. Shelby County, Ala., Springerville, Ariz., and Belleville, Mich., also have adopted the latest version of the I-Codes. Since February, jurisdictions in Alabama, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming have adopted the I-Codes to protect the public and property.

The International Code Council, a membership association dedicated to building safety and fire prevention, develops the codes used to construct residential and commercial buildings, including homes and schools. Most U.S. cities, counties and states that adopt codes choose the International Codes developed by the International Code Council.

Over in the About.com section of the Web, Jackie Craven offers up a fun little piece entitled Architecture You Can Sit On. In it, Craven talks about the challenges faced by master architects who have attempted to design utilitarian objects like beds, chairs, and other common items.

She writes,

Forget the skyscrapers. Forget the cathedrals, museums and airports. The greatest architects of the twentieth century did not stop at buildings. They designed lamps, tables, sofas, beds and chairs. And whether designing a high-rise or a footstool, they expressed the same lofty ideals.

For Arts and Crafts and Prairie School architects working in the early twentieth century, harmony was the key. Modernist designers, on the other hand, reached for universality. The two concepts may seem similar, but they produced a very different kind of furniture.

After brief descriptions of each designer and style, Craven asks readers to cast their votes for their favorite–both in terms of beauty and comfort.

My favorite of the four she describes is the Barcelona Chair by Mies van der Rohe.

SCA Tissue has earned the prestigious Environmental Choice Program certification for all five of its paper mills. The Environmental Choice Program, established in 1988, certifies and recognizes products and services that are environmentally preferable. Unlike most third-party green certification programs that measure specific attributes such as recycled content levels, Environmental Choice takes a broad, holistic approach that also evaluates a company’s total impact on the environment.

ECP certification means SCA Tissue’s mills meet and must continue to meet strict requirements in four categories:
• Resource consumption ⎯ qualifies the types and amounts of materials used to produce one ton of product, including pre- and post-consumer material, printed recovered material and other fiber sources.
• Energy consumption ⎯ measures types and amounts of energy used per one ton of product produced to ensure the most efficient use of energy.
• Effluent ⎯ measures plant discharge for its biological oxygen demand, total suspended solids and levels of sublethal toxicity to aquatic organisms.
• Net solid waste ⎯ evaluates waste streams for the amount of solid waste from production and the impact on the environment.

Picture yourself working inside a huge machine, tending to its maintenance. Suddenly the machine springs to life, powerful metal gears grinding around you, placing you in mortal danger. That is exactly the sort of terrifying scenario that lockout/tagout is meant to prevent. Lockout/tagout is a procedure to disable equipment to protect workers from either an unexpected release of energy or an accidental start-up while performing job activities.

When the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revealed the 10 most-violated OSHA standards, based on citations issued from Oct. 1, 2004, through Aug. 30, 2005, the fifth most-cited standard was Lockout/Tagout. “Obviously, companies should comply with lockout/tagout regulations so they do not receive citations and fines from OSHA,” said Benjamin Mangan, president and founder of MANCOMM and American Safety Training, Inc., two companies that work together to provide OSHSA compliance products and safety training. “But most importantly, companies should comply because lockout/tagout prevents accidents and saves lives.”

During lockout/tagout, a person authorized by the company places locks and/or tags on energy-isolating devices before working on equipment, and only that person can remove those locks and tags. Isolation devices are mechanical appliances, such as circuit breakers, used to stop energy from being released to the equipment. Lockout is usually accomplished with a keyed lock holding an isolating device in an “off” position. Tagout, which is often used when lockout cannot take place, uses tags to warn people that the equipment and isolating device may not be operated.

Lockout/Tagout in the Workplace
Lockout/tagout is required when servicing or performing maintenance on equipment. Effective lockout/tagout should occur in three phases: applying lockout/tagout, servicing and repairing equipment, and returning equipment to proper operation.

Applying Lockout/Tagout: The authorized worker should notify workers in the area that lockout/tagout procedures will be taking place. Those workers should listen to any instructions given by the authorized worker and move to a safe location, away from the equipment. Please note: Locks and tags must be marked with names or pictures identifying them with the authorized workers placing them, and other people cannot attach or remove locks or tags on behalf of authorized workers.

Servicing and Repairing Equipment: Workers should stay away from the equipment during this phase, which is when the authorized person will be working on the equipment and is most vulnerable to the unexpected release of hazardous energy.

Returning Equipment to Proper Operation: During this phase, the authorized worker should tell workers in the area when locks and tags will be removed. Workers should stay clear while locks and tags are removed and the equipment is prepared for normal operation. Workers should be informed when lockout/tagout is complete.

Test Your Knowledge of Lockout/Tagout
How familiar are you with lockout/tagout? Take this test and find out.

1.) What is the purpose of lockout/tagout?
a.) To make sure the work is being completed on time.
b.) To protect people from serious harm due to accidental release of energy.
c.) To make sure the workplace is secure after-hours.
d.) To make sure employees are in top physical condition.

2.) What is an energy isolating device?
a.) A lock
b.) A mechanical device like a valve or a circuit breaker
c.) A tag
d.) A and C

3.) Who can service equipment?
a.) Any employee
b.) Management
c.) Authorized workers
d.) Custodians

4.) What must happen before removing a machine guard?
a.) You must put on eye protection.
b.) Ask a trusted coworker to watch the controls so no one else will touch them.
c.) Tell everyone you see in the work area they need to be especially careful.
d.) Lockout/tagout the equipment.

5.) What is a tag used for?
a.) To hang around a worker’s neck.
b.) To identify company products.
c.) A warning to not operate equipment.
d.) None of the above

6.) When are tags used?
a.) When a lock cannot be used.
b.) When products go on sale.
c.) When a government official says they can be used.
d.) All of the above.

7.) You can help an authorized person by fastening their lock to a disconnect switch.
True False

8.) What kind of lock is used for lockout?
a.) A lock from the worker’s personal locker.
b.) A piece of strong wire.
c.) Hand cuffs.
d.) A lock specifically identified for lockout.

9.) What can be used to remove a lock from an isolating device?
a.) A hacksaw.
b.) A key.
c.) Bolt cutters.
d.) A cutting torch.

10.) What types of lockout/tagout records should be kept?
a.) Written lockout/tagout procedure.
b.) Inspection documents.
c.) Training records.
d.) All of the above.

A score of 10 correct answers is the only acceptable score for total OSHA compliance. Answers will be posted on FacilityBlog on Monday, July 31.

When it comes to safety, knowledge is power, and comprehensive training on lockout/tagout is the best way to assure that workers are familiar with that lifesaving procedure. “Workers may need training from time to time to refresh their lockout/tagout skills, or to introduce new or revised lockout/tagout control procedures,” Mangan said. “Plus, they may need refresher training when there are changes in their job assignments, machines, equipment, or work processes.”

Refresher training also may be needed if the company finds out a worker has not been following the rules. Lockout/tagout training is an ongoing process. Like any other type of training, it is never a one-shot deal.

Since 1996, MANCOMM and American Safety Training, Inc. been committed to helping businesses protect their workers by providing them with state-of-the-art safety products and training.

More practical than funny, today’s spotlight is on a new product that could soon be sweeping its way into the parks and fields of cities across the country—starting with Seattle, WA. The device is called Goose Goo Gone by Naturesweep, and it’s goal is to remove the waste caused by Canadian Geese, without injuring the birds or the greenery.

Municipalities face a serious challenge in both the migratory and resident geese populations. The birds are attracted to short grasslands, bodies of water, and open sight lines to better see predators. These features are common characteristics of municipal parks, artificial ponds and lakes, school yards and golf courses. Geese will also nest in less than ideal places, such as landscaped areas in parking lots, planters next to busy building entrances, or flat roofs.

Since the early 1960s when government wildlife agencies began an effort to rebuild goose populations, resident goose populations are on the rise. They are vigorous defenders of their young, raising an average of five goslings every year. They live a long lifespan of up to 25 years, and are very adaptable.

They also deposit up to five pounds of feces every day on public turf. A 52 acre recreational park in Nassau County, Long Island receives twenty tons of waste from the three to six hundred geese persisting there.

Turf or grass becomes littered not only with animal waste but also dead leaves, aeration plugs, cigarette butts, cup lids, straws, syringes, lighters, rocks and general garbage.

From the AP (by way of the Discovery Channel):

“It’s basically a carpet sweeper for grass,” said Ed Zylstra, inventor of the patent-pending Goose Goo Gone machine and co-founder of Naturesweep, based in Victoria, BC.

Zylstra, a welder, said he came up with the machine after goose droppings on Victoria play fields got in the way of a kids’ soccer team he coached. The four by four-foot trailer is towed behind a small lawn tractor. A gas-powered motor turns the nylon bristles to “tickle” the grass without damaging it. Droppings and other debris go into a hopper made of a special plastic that can hold up under nitrogen-laden droppings.

Seattle is the first U.S. municipality to try Naturesweep’s device, a boxy little trailer with rotating bristles.

The company is providing a free test run for the city Parks Department, which has an agreement with the Progressive Animal Welfare Society to look into nonlethal means of controlling the problem.

If the machine passes muster with the city, it’s available for $13,000 —with discounts for multiple purchases. Zylstra said he would donate some of the proceeds to the animal welfare society.

Thanks to Erik Jacobsen for sending this along!

A new free white paper entitled “Infection Control in the Healthcare Environment During Construction,” is available to help hospitals efficiently comply with specific Environment of Care standards of the Joint Commission for the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO). This paper describes a system designed by EH&E, currently in use at a leading teaching and research hospital in the United States, which both standardizes the construction review process and provides the necessary documentation.

“Most health care institutions are continuously being upgraded to keep up with advances in technology, and must devise policies and procedures to allow construction projects to go forward while simultaneously maintaining critical patient services. This system has been in place for more than two years, and provides standardized, proven procedures for approaching infection control issues in all construction projects,” said Jack McCarthy, president and co-founder of EH&E.

This white paper reviews the applicable JCAHO standards and American Institute of Architects guidelines, and describes a field-tested, successful solution for maintaining ICRA documentation. The paper will be interesting and informative to all those responsible for maintaining environmental health and safety compliance in healthcare facilities.

For more information or to download the free white paper, “Infection Control in the Healthcare Environment During Construction,” visit this link.

In today’s world, getting the greatest contribution from every employee is crucial to an organization’s success. Research suggests that up to 80% of Americans are dissatisfied with their jobs, and Gallup research adds that up to 60% of all employees report some level of disengagement. Trudy Bourgeois, founder of the Dallas-based Center for Workforce Excellence, maintains that bad leadership is to blame.

According to Bourgeois, “Bad leadership is costing billions of dollars every year. Research suggests that disengaged workers cause corporations and organizations lose as much as 312 billion dollars a year. Bad leadership is also the number one reason people leave jobs.”

And Bourgeois speaks from first-hand experience: “I know exactly how it feels to be checked out due to bad leadership. It doesn’t happen suddenly. It occurs over time. With every disrespectful comment, with every put-down, with every recommendation that gets rejected, I found myself withdrawing further and further. After time, the situation seemed unfixable, and I left the company.”

Bourgeois maintains that today’s leaders must face the challenge of adapting to a changing workforce: “People want to build authentic relationships in the workforce and they do not want to work for a leader who is not willing to meet them where they are and honor their expectations and desires.”

Bourgeois offers the following advice:
1. Lead with vulnerability. The secret is out — leaders do not have all the answers. The best leaders are those who are authentic. Today’s employee wants to work with someone that they know is real.

2. Challenge your own assumptions. The secrets to success in the 21st century are flexibility and adaptability. Meet people where they are. Adopt a best practice to ask each employee, and ask these questions: What are their strengths? What motivates them? What factors need to be in place in order for them to thrive in the work environment? How do they learn? These basic questions will provide you with insight on ways to better lead, teach and create an environment where everyone can reach his or her full potential.

3. Be transparent in your communication. Lose the agenda. People need to understand their role and how it adds value to the bottom line.

4. Avoid a one-size-fits-all mentality. One-size-fits-all management or leadership is not effective.

5. Hold everyone accountable — including yourself. There is no excuse for behavior in the work place that does not support inclusion.

Trudy Bourgeois is President/CEO of The Center Workforce Excellence. She is a speaker and consultant, experiential workshop leader and a certified Brain Styles coach.

A newly released report from the U.S. Surgeon General echoes ASHRAE’s position that adverse health effects related to tobacco smoke cannot be eliminated through filtration or ventilation.

In its position document published last year, ASHRAE determined that although complete separation and isolation of smoking rooms can control environmental tobacco smoke exposure in non-smoking spaces in the same building, adverse health effects for the occupants of smoking areas cannot be controlled by ventilation.

“ASHRAE’s position is that the only way to effectively eliminate health risk associated with indoor exposure is to ban smoking activity,” Terry Townsend, P.E., ASHRAE president, said. “ASHRAE is pleased that our position was recognized by the U.S. government.”

Findings from ASHRAE’s Environmental Tobacco Smoke Position Document as well as guidance from ASHRAE’s indoor air quality standard and ASHRAE Journal and Transactions articles are referenced in the report, The Health Consequences of Involuntary Exposure to Tobacco Smoke.

The U.S. Surgeon General report reaches six conclusions, including the fact “that eliminating smoking in indoor spaces fully protects nonsmokers from exposures to secondhand smoke. Separating smokers from nonsmokers, cleaning the air, and ventilating buildings cannot eliminate exposures of nonsmokers to secondhand smoke.”

The supporting evidence for that conclusion notes that “ASHRAE, the preeminent U.S. body on ventilation issues, has concluded that ventilation technology cannot be relied on to control health risk from secondhand smoke exposure.”

To obtain a free copy of the ASHRAE position document, visit www.ashrae.org/positiondocuments.

New construction and major renovations represent opportunities to incorporate measures to mitigate the impact of natural, accidental and intentional incidents as well as deliver more comfortable and cost efficient buildings. “With guidance from ASHRAE, architects and engineers can expand their abilities to evaluate risks and benefits associated with solutions that can provide these multiple benefits,” Lawrence Spielvogel, P.E., said.

A free satellite broadcast and simultaneous Webcast, Multiple Benefits Solutions for Enhanced Building Security, from ASHRAE will be held on Nov. 14, 2006. It is sponsored by ASHRAE’s Presidential Ad Hoc Committee on Homeland Security, of which Spielvogel is chair, under a grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation in New York. The program will focus on methods that can be used in design, construction and operation of buildings to reduce vulnerabilities while also providing benefits such as improved reliability, safety, comfort, energy use, and operating costs, according to Spielvogel. It is centered on proposed ASHRAE Guideline 29P, Risk Management of Public Health and Safety in Buildings.

The program will feature two panel discussions with short presentations, and live question-and-answer sessions with the audience. The first discussion will focus on the principles of risk management and how they can allow treatment of health, safety and security issues that extend beyond those normally considered in current practice, codes and standards. Panelists are George Glavis, P.E., the U. S. Department of State, D. Scott Fisher, P.E., State Farm Insurance Co., James Wood, Ph.D., P.E., the Building Diagnostics Research Institute, Richard Bielen, P.E., National Fire Protection Association, and Ronald Vallort, P.E., Ron Vallort and Associates, Ltd.

The second panel will discuss the application and integration of architectural and engineering principles and practices to achieve the levels of acceptable risks and benefits defined by the risk management approach. Panelists are Stuart Knoop, Oudens + Knoop Architects, P.C., Andrew Persily, Ph.D., National Institute of Standards and Technology, William Coad, P.E., Coad Engineering Enterprises, Patrick Spahn, P.E., U. S. Department of Homeland Security, and Lawrence Spielvogel, P.E., consulting engineer.

Online registration will begin on Oct. 2, 2006. For the latest information regarding this broadcast/Webcast, visit this link.