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CHIMNEY SAFETY OSHA

At Continental Chimney we not only understand but practice "Safety First". Safety First means that work commences only once everything related to smokestack safety has been completed. No worker should ever need risk his life and the life of his co-workers to earn a living as an industrial chimney contractor.

Nota Bene:In order to have a safe work environment it is important to not only know safe work practices, but to understand the reason for any safety rule. There also needs to be safety drills. But knowing and understanding safety rules is not enough. Workers need to be trained to stop work often and go over work procedures. Unless workers are trained to stop work, look and listen, all the safety rules in the world are useless.

SPRAT Certified:In 2017 SPRAT certified our crew leader employees: The Society of Professional Rope Access Technicians (SPRAT) is a member-driven organization that advances the safe use of rope access through education, developing standards, and administering certifications. SPRAT also supports companies and technicians using rope access with regulatory support, networking, and opportunities to participate in developing industry-consensus standards.

ICRR Certified: In 2016 Continental Chimney developed a membership training course and organization called I.C.R.R. Industrial Chimney Rescue And Rigging. I.C.R.R. was established because there was a need for a safety organization that addressed the specific problems on industrial chimneys. Organizations such as SPRAT are not qualified to preform safe operations on industrial chimneys in the way ICRR is, they are not trained to be “site specific”. In order to join members must be employed by an industrial chimney repair company for over 10 years and have at least 5 years consecutive experience preforming chimney work and rigging. Listed Members agree to abide by a code for safe industrial chimney rigging and agree not to work with others who will not follow after the same code. The basic code rules dictate the following:

  1. Know how and when to stop work regularly for safety evaluations and to prevent accidets.
  2. Have a working knowledge of how to rig on chimneys to be always tied off at all times in such a way so as not to be able to fall into a chimney. [Being tied in at all times means the job will appear to go slower, but in reality, the job goes faster. Once there is an accident no work can take place and the direction the job takes is reverse. Everything must be reevaluated before work can start again.]
  3. Have a working knowledge on how to keep all tools timed in at all times. [When something is not tied in, it is only a matter of time before it comes lose and gravity takes control over it.]
  4. Have a working knowledge of how to keep all materials safely contained.
  5. Have good communication rules and plans.
  6. Have a working rescue plan, training, and experience to bringing a man out of a chimney flue, the top of the chimney, clean out door, or through breaching ductwork with a man basket.
  7. Understand and have experience with different flue gases in chimneys, how to test for them and how to work around them.
  8. Demonstrate a superior knowledge of Industrial Chimney problems and solutions in regard to safety and rigging.
  9. Have an ongoing working knowledge and discussions on First Aid.
  10. Have rescue practice on a chimney or similar structure at least once a month.
  11. Understand the OSHA guidelines as to how they apply directly and indirectly to rigging chimneys and related chimney safety.
  12. Actively work with an active licensed U.S.A. professional engineer who is able to give recommendations and guidelines for work on industrial chimneys. The engineer’s name shall be submitted with the application for license reflecting the engineer’s experience with chimneys and stacks as well as a working experience with ASCE CHIMNEY & STACK INSPECTION GUIDELINES STANDARD (or similar material) and the OSHA SCAFFOLD STANDARDS.

SAFETY RECORD: Continental Chimney does not have an accident record with OSHA.

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This image demonstrates the tie in method we use above the stokes litter and positioning. The image is from High Angle Rescue Training. In 2017 Continental Chimney SPRAT certified our employees.

Osha

Smokestack OSHA Training: Continental Chimney regularly practices rope rescue techniques with a stokes litter.

At Continental Chimney we give the following training for our employees annually, when someone is first employed with us, and more often when necessary:

Safety Training In Relation To Industrial Chimneys:

Rescue Practice:

Continental Chimney regularly practices rope rescue techniques with a stokes litter.

Safety and Health Regulations for Safety OSHA 29 CFR 1926

https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CFR-2001-title29-vol8/pdf/CFR-2001-title29-vol8-part1926.pdf

Electrical Safety OSHA 29 CFR 1910.322

Scope. The training requirements contained in this section apply to employees who face a risk of electric shock that is not reduced to a safe level by the electrical installation requirements of 1910.303 through 1910.308. Note: Employees in occupations listed in Table S-4 face such a risk and are required to be trained. Other employees who also may reasonably be expected to face comparable risk of injury due to electric shock or other electrical hazards must also be trained.

Fall Protection OSHA 29 CFR 1926.500

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/

First Aid/CPR OSHA 29 CFR 1910 151(b)

1910.151(b) In the absence of an infirmary, clinic, or hospital in near proximity to the workplace which is used for the treatment of all injured employees, a person or persons shall be adequately trained to render first aid. Adequate first aid supplies shall be readily available.

HAZCOM OSHA 29 CFR 1910.120(h)

1910.120(h)(1)(i) Monitoring shall be performed in accordance with this paragraph where there may be a question of employee exposure to hazardous concentrations of hazardous substances in order to assure proper selection of engineering controls, work practices and personal protective equipment so that employees are not exposed to levels which exceed permissible exposure limits, or published exposure levels if there are no permissible exposure limits, for hazardous substances.

1910.120(h)(1)(ii) Air monitoring shall be used to identify and quantify airborne levels of hazardous substances and safety and health hazards in order to determine the appropriate level of employee protection needed on site.

Hearing Conservation OSHA 29 CFR 1910.95

1910.95(b)(1) When employees are subjected to sound exceeding those listed in Table G-16, feasible administrative or engineering controls shall be utilized. If such controls fail to reduce sound levels within the levels of Table G-16, personal protective equipment shall be provided and used to reduce sound levels within the levels of the table.

Incipient Fire Fighting OSHA 29 CFR 1910.157(g)

29 CFR 1910.157(g)(1) requires “where the employer has provided portable fire extinguishers for employee use in the workplace, the employer shall also provide an educational program to familiarize employees with the general principles of fire extinguisher use and the hazards involved with incipient stage fire fighting.” Hands on experience using actual fires in a controlled environment is not required in your particular case. The employee emergency plan and fire prevention plans in 29 CFR [1910.38(e)] requires training for persons designated to assist in the safe and orderly emergency evacuation of employees. Evacuation techniques could be included as part of this training.

Lockout/ Tag out Authorized Person OSHA 29 CFR 1910.147(c)(7)

OSHA’s Hazard Communication standard (HCS) contains the required, minimum elements in an employee information and training program. See, 29 CFR 1910.1200(h). Employers must provide training on hazardous chemicals in an employee’s work area when the employee receives his/her initial work assignment and whenever a new physical or health hazard is introduced into the employee’s work area. The HCS training requirements are not satisfied by merely providing employees with copies of MSDSs.

New Employee Orientation OSHA 29 CFR 1910.119(g)(1)

Initial Training [Note: 1910.119(g)(3)Training documentation. The employer shall ascertain that each employee involved in operating a process has received and understood the training required by this paragraph. The employer shall prepare a record which contains the identity of the employee, the date of training, and the means used to verify that the employee understood the training.]

Personal Protective Equipment OSHA 29 CFR 1910.132(f)

Training is required.

Respiratory Protection OSHA 29 CFR 1910.134(e)(5)

The fit-test must be applied to each and every employee required to wear a respirator. [by a doctor]

Welding and Burning OSHA 29 CFR 1910.252(a)(2)(xii)(c)

Insist that cutters or welders and their supervisors are suitably trained in the safe operation of their equipment and the safe use of the process.

Scaffolding OSHA 29 CFR 1926 CFR 1926.451

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/

Rescue Team or Rescue Service Evaluation Criteria 1910.146 App F

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb

Permit-required confined spaces CFR 1910.146

https://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb

Cranes and Hoists

https://www.osha.gov/SLTC/cranehoistsafety/hazards.html https://www.osha.gov/dcsp/alliances/cranes.html

SPRAT

Continental Chimney SPRAT certifies our employees.

ICRR

Continental Chimney ICRR certifies our employees.