Safe and Legal?

NFPA 79 and NEC. I just purchased these because I'm not formally trained and I want to make sure the work I'm doing is both safe and legal. Actually found a couple of my old projects weren't quite up to snuff after browsing through the majority of the NFPA 79.

Any other resources I should consider for these means? I'm in a basic pack-ship warehouse environment using <600VAC and pneumatics on our machinery and some very limited hydraulics.

Look at the OSHA standards (they are free), mainly 1910 Subpart S:
http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owastand.display_standard_group?p_toc_level=1&p_part_number=1910

1910 covers alot of safety so may want to browse thru it. The following books are based on NEC, NFPA and OSHA.

NFPA also offers a book on Electrical Safety in the Workplace:
http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/product.asp?category%5Fname=Safework+%7C+Texts%2FHandbooks&pid=IESW00&target%5Fpid=IESW00&src%5Fpid=&link%5Ftype=category&src=catalog

There is also Electrical Safety and Requirements for Employees in the Workplace:
http://www.nfpa.org/catalog/product.asp?category%5Fname=NEC+%2F+Electrical+Products&pid=70E00&target%5Fpid=70E00&src%5Fpid=&link%5Ftype=category&src=catalog

awesome... thank you sir. i should have guessed 1910 - isn't lock out tag out under that?

me and the OSHA site never seem to get along. Thanks for the direct link.

Aww geez LOTO:
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/controlhazardousenergy/

Monkeyhead,

Often, (Mich included), many local authorities adopt the NEC but not in its entirety, and maybe not the latest version. You might want check with the local authoirity, and if they publish a code get that also. Same goes or OSHA too. In MI Federal OSHA inspectors only inspect federal project sites. The state has their own MIOSHA inspectors that inspect everything else...and also use a different code book.

In MI Federal OSHA inspectors only inspect federal project sites. The state has their own MIOSHA inspectors that inspect everything else...and also use a different code book.

Click to expand...

NEVER under any circumstances believe that OSHA (FEDS) will not inspect ANY THING....all it takes is one phone call. Your environment is different than a manufacturing plant Mike.

rsdoran said:

NEVER under any circumstances believe that OSHA (FEDS) will not inspect ANY THING....all it takes is one phone call. Your environment is different than a manufacturing plant Mike.

Click to expand...

DOL OSHA website said:

You have selected a state which operates its own occupational safety and health program under a plan approved by the U.S. Department of Labor. This program provides safety and health protections to most private sector workers and state and local government employees within the state.

Click to expand...

http://www.osha.gov/oshdir/mi.html

Ron

Under normal circumstances where a state has their own program.

1. OSHA may reserve certain areas (such as docks and longshore and maybe shipyards. Mine Safety and Health do mining - in Oregon this included some gravel pits.
2. The state program must equal or exceed OSHA program. Washington and Oregon logging programs are much more complete than OSHAs.
3. The state does all the inspections.
4. You will rarely see an OSHA inspector EXCEPT when he is doing a checkride of a state inspector. IT is still the states inspection -- all OSHA is there for is to check on program quality.
5. OSHA is a good thing
6. State programs are better because they have more offices throughout the state. OSHA in Seattle covers Washington Ore, Alaska etc. WISHA (washington) has offices in Seattle, Olympia, and other larger cities throughout the state. Just my opinion though.
7. Ran out of thoughts

Monkey head. See if your state has a local program. Find the nearest office and request a full set of codes. Sometimes they make for real interesting reading. I can GUARANTEE they are a sure cure for insomnia -- takes about an hour to take effect.


Dan

thanks elevmike. luckily i was already aware of the whole local jurisdiction thing. i actually became aware of it when our site was being osha inspected as part of the VPP star program. i still think we got that like elvis got his black belt. but that's a whole other story.

Del PMed me and said that OSHA visited his plant in Ontario recently. They left a list of stuph they didn't like, but didn't have any authority to enforce it or issue fines.

Ya gotta love it.

Probably a good thing he didn't have his fork lift stop lights working yet, they would have really loved those.

OSHA shows up in IL a lot, sometimes announced, sometimes unannounced. Think it depends on who complains, a union, or a disgruntled employee.

regards.....casey

Air Pressure Energy

Hello,

We build automation machinery, we have been adding "Air Dump" valves to our machines to make them safe whenever the machine is estopped. It sounds like this may be over-kill, as far as safety goes. If we were to follow the OSHA "Lockout/Tagout" procedures, we wouldn't have to dump the air source to our machine, or would we ??

Per OSHA, any device that can store kinetic energy must be able to be disabled and locked/tagged out. This includes hydraulics, pnuematics, mechanical, electrical, and chemical.
I never really felt safe unless I had it all locked out and the hydraulics, pnuematics, and chemical lines bled down.

"If there's pressure in it, it ain't safe."

Lock out/tag out is detailed in NFPA70E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. This standard also adresses arc flash, insulated tools and other "live" work practices. OSHA often cites NFPA70E as a general requirement.

OT: Sorry for my ignorance...

monkeyhead said:

i still think we got that like elvis got his black belt. but that's a whole other story.

Click to expand...

How did he get his black belt... I'm guessing he just paid for it?

Unregisterd wrote:
We build automation machinery, we have been adding "Air Dump" valves to our machines to make them safe whenever the machine is estopped. It sounds like this may be over-kill, as far as safety goes. If we were to follow the OSHA "Lockout/Tagout" procedures, we wouldn't have to dump the air source to our machine, or would we ??

Click to expand...

I'm gonna go out on limb here and try to address this.

No, you don't "have to have an air dump valve" to meet OSHA guidelines.

But that said let me explain.

OSHA is looking for the equipement to have a means by which stored energy can be and is released when the equipment is to be worked on. Typically this is when maintenance is to be done.

Furthermore, in an emergency situation, equipment should be designed such that these energy sources are controlled to prevent injury. This is where the e-stop controlled dump-valve usually comes in to play. When used, the machine should be designed to releive presure via the dump-valve without introducing unexpected and uncontrolled movement (like a nip roll shooting up, for instance).

But as far as being required, no, they are not. So long as lock-out equipment is provided, means by which stored energy can be released or controlled, and affected personnel are properly trained, OSHA guidelines (in this aspect) are met.

Please keep in mind that I am not trying to offer a quantitative interpretation of the OSHA code but only to answer whether a dump-valve is "required".

Steve