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Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Safety
- - By lewis edwards (*) Date 12-22-2007 15:31
I'm trying to get the people where I work to consider safety .Our headquarters in in another state . The boss doesn't want to upset anyone and most other people don't care . The shop stewart says that safety is on an indivgual basis . Well yea but !! Well what I need help with is the pick and choose part which is acually the risk assesment part . I tried the osha site two weeks ago and didn't get a response .When you weld with say flux core do you have to where leather welding goves which after a while hurts your hands or can you use a more comfortable utility glove that is mostly leather but is more comfortable over the long welding periods . I think that repeditive motion disorder comes into play here such as carpule tunnel syndrome .Now we do have back hand heat sheilds that we can use . But do we have to or can this be something that our  company can decide and it will be OK with osha . I'll start wth this one aspect and add more concerns when I see has this plays out .       
Parent - - By ctacker (****) Date 12-22-2007 22:13
If your company regards safety the way you say, I would turn and run like hell out the gate and never look back.
If OSHA See's you welding without gloves or other PPE they will change that real quick.
I once had a boss (company owner) try and do the right thing by asking OSHA to inspect his shop! they came right down, and wrote up a whole slew of infractions that would have cost him over 300k in fines if he didn't fix them within the time they said, he still spent over 20k fixing up the place to their standards! I always used a welding lens i would hold in one hand and tack with the other, I had to scrub that and use my hood because the lens didn't provide full face protection.

you can always call OSHA and explain the situation and they should send a rep out to look around, but don't let anyone know you called or you could find yourself running like hell out the gate anyway!
Parent - By lewis edwards (*) Date 12-23-2007 03:36
One guy in the shop ,he called himself everyones spoksman , said that everything that is in the shop is a safet hazard and we may as well close the shop if we want to get serious about safety .... I was at a safety seminar fours years back and thought I heard the osha speaker talk about the company having more of a say as to some of the accual safety pactices . This was when he said that people have gotten hurt following osha's rules and that they have come to realize that one size doesn't fit all .I'am hopeing that safety can be worked on in a way that is not so extreem as you have mentioned . No one hear wants to have to wear a hard hat me included .     
Parent - - By bozaktwo1 (***) Date 12-26-2007 18:10
If your company is legitimate, OSHA already knows about you and you will be inspected at some point.  The only way around that is if they either don't know you're there or they don't know what you do there. 

I recommend a visit to this website for a little bit of info:  http://www.osha.gov/

Also, here are the OSHA elements of the Code of Federal Regulations:  http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owastand.display_standard_group?p_toc_level=1&p_part_number=1910

As previously stated, if your employer looks at safety as you indicate, it might be better to cut and run.  But if you're trying to make a difference in a dangerous place, there are thousands of resources to help you out.  Good luck.
Parent - - By webbcity (***) Date 12-26-2007 19:18
bozaktwo1 , correct me if i'm wrong isn't OSHA the agency that regulates things like the height of toilet seats and compiles statistics of accidents ? we work in the mining industry .

osha does not exist for us , but
MSHA does they have a good system if you want to be safe . it is very important to us because of the young people that have not yet learned how to stay safe , our own family members as well . they are a federal agency that has teeth our osha is state and subject to politics and funding they are a joke if you compare them . we all create our own safety enviroment , if you do not work safe you will suffer and possibily others also . you can walk with a wooden leg , breathe with an iron lung , but you cannot see with a glass eye , so wear your safety glasses . good luck . willie
Parent - By CWI555 (*****) Date 12-27-2007 03:29
http://www.osha.gov/as/opa/oshafacts.html
OSHA Facts -- August 2007

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration aims to ensure employee safety and health in the United States by working with employers and employees to create better working environments. Since its inception in 1971, OSHA has helped to cut workplace fatalities by more than 60 percent and occupational injury and illness rates by 40 percent. At the same time, U.S. employment has increased from 56 million employees at 3.5 million worksites to more than 135 million employees at 8.9 million sites.
Parent - By lewis edwards (*) Date 12-30-2007 05:08
I worked with some Coal Miners at Joy , they were a very proud people . I was in a coal mine a couple of times . The jeep driver stoped the car on the way to our spot and what I noticed most was how peacefull it was . You can never have quiet like that above ground . 
Parent - By ctacker (****) Date 12-27-2007 02:41
1910.67(c)(5)

"Welding standards." All welding shall conform to the following Automotive Welding Society (AWS) Standards which are incorporated by reference as specified in 1910.6, as applicable:


Someone should tell OSHA  what AWS stands for!
Parent - By lewis edwards (*) Date 12-29-2007 02:57
Thank you for the web sites I'm reading through them now . 1910 seems to be giving me what I asked for . It's been 2 years since something fell on a guy and broke his leg and tore up his knee . I made racks to keep parts upright durring handling so I got that situation worked out . No one else has had a lost time accident since . But people just don't seem to have enough of a imagination to overcome their lazyness . The insurance company didn't even check out why it happened . We herd they were comeing but seen no one . I would like to call some one but I prefer to take care of problems myself .With all your help of course .    
Up Topic Welding Industry / Technical Discussions / Safety

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