Essential
Elements of a Work Plan
- Develop
and periodically re-examine and update work plan as new information
about site conditions is obtained.
- Review
available information, including:
- Any
previous Site records
- Waste
inventory
- Initial
qualitative sampling and monitoring
- Site
photos
- Develop
work objectives.
- Determine
methods for accomplishing the objectives: e.g., inventory, search and
rescue, recovery, disposal, record keeping.
- Determine
personnel requirements.
- Determine
the need for additional personnel.
- Determine
equipment requirements.
Top
Site
Safety Checklist
- Assign
key personnel and alternates responsible for site safety.
- Describe
risks associated with each operation conducted.
- Confirm
that personnel are adequately trained to perform jobs.
- Assign
key person to handle volunteers.
- Describe
the protective clothing and equipment to be worn by personnel during
site operations.
- Describe
site-specific medical surveillance requirements.
- Describe
needed air monitoring, personnel monitoring, and environmental sampling.
- Describe
actions to be taken to mitigate existing hazards (e.g., containment)
to make work environment less hazardous.
- Define
site control measures (e.g., secure the area) and include a site map.
- Establish
decontamination procedures for personnel and equipment.
Top
Field
Team Leader Checklist
Select a Field
team leader who will:
- Insure
volunteer information is obtained: name, address, phone, and social
security number of workers for follow-up.
- Enforce
site control.
- Oversee
in the on-site rapid training of volunteers on safety, Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE), hazards, emergency procedures.
- Enforce
the buddy system.
- Notify
site safety officer or supervisor of unsafe conditions.
Top
Potential
Hazards and General Recommendations
- HAZARD
1: Massive piles of construction and other types of debris, unstable
work surfaces
Risks: Traumatic injuries, including serious fall injuries, from
slips trips and falls or collapsing materials.
General Recommendations:
- Ensure
that surfaces are stable as possible.
- Use
alternative methods, such as bucket trucks, to access work surfaces
that are unstable.
- Ensure
scaffolding is erected on a stable surface; anchor scaffolding to
a structure capable of withstanding the lateral forces generated.
- Ensure
that workers have a full array of PPE, including safety shoes with
slip resistant soles.
- Ensure
that workers use fall protection equipment with lifelines tied off
to suitable anchorage points, including bucket trucks, whenever
possible.
Top
- HAZARD
2: Excessive Noise
Risks: Communication and temporary hearing loss.
General Recommendations:
- Use
hearing protection devices whenever noisy equipment (e.g., saws,
earth-moving equipment, Hurst tools) is used. This will prevent
temporary hearing loss that can interfere when listening for cries,
moans, and other sounds from victims buried in the rubble.
Top
- HAZARD
3: Breathing Dust containing asbestos (from pulverized insulation
and fireproofing materials) and silica (from pulverized concrete), which
are toxic
Risks:
- Short
term: irritation of eye, nose, throat, and lung.
- Long
term: Chronic effects may depend on the extent and the duration
of exposure.
General Recommendations:
- Workers
should be protected from breathing dust.
- Respiratory
protection: An N-95 or greater respiratory protection is acceptable
for most activities, including silica and portland cement dust.
- If
there is reason to believe there is an asbestos exposure, at not
more than 10 times the safe level, use a half mask elastomeric respirator
with N,R, or P-100 series filters.
- If
airborne contaminants are causing eye irritation, full face respirators
with P-100 OV/AG combination cartridges should be used.
- Respirators
must fit properly to protect workers.
- Surgical
masks should not be used because they do not provide adequate protection.
- Dust
concentrations in the air must be appropriately monitored.
- If
dust concentrations are elevated, limit entry to only person with
adequate respiratory protection.
- If
symptoms of chest pain or chest tightness are present, or if shortness
of breath, or rapid breathing persists following a rest break, then
medical attention should be sought.
Top
- HAZARD
4: Heat Stress from wearing encapsulating/insulating bunker gear
or doing heavy work in a hot, humid climate
Risks: Significant fluid loss that frequently progresses to clinical
dehydration, raised core body temperature, impaired judgement, disorientation,
fatigue, and heat stroke.
General Recommendations:
- Adjust
work schedules, rotate personnel, add additional personnel to work
teams.
- Replenish
fluids (1 cup water/sports drink every 20 minutes) and food (small
frequent carbohydrate meals).
- Monitor
heart rate. If over 180 beats per minute minus age for more than
a few minutes, stop work and rest immediately.
- Provide
frequent medical evaluation for symptoms and signs of heat stress,
such as altered vital signs, confusion, profuse sweating, excessive
fatigue.
- Provide
shelter in shaded areas and the ability to unbutton and remove bunker
gear.
Top
- HAZARD
5: Confined Spaces (limited openings for entry and exit, unfavorable
natural ventilation)
Risks: Low oxygen, toxic air contaminants, explosions, entrapment,
death by strangulation, constriction, or crushing.
General Recommendations:
- Purge,
flush, or ventilate the space.
- Monitor
the space for hazardous conditions.
- Lock
out/tag out procedures for power equipment in or around the space.
- Use
appropriate PPE--such as a self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA).
- Light
the area as much as possible.
- Establish
barriers to external traffic such as vehicles, pedestrians, or other
hazards.
- Use
ladders or similar equipment for safe entry and exit in the space.
- Use
good communications equipment and alarm systems.
- Have
rescue equipment nearby.
Specific Recommendations: Confined Space Attendant
- Provide
at least 1 person (attendant) outside the confined space to be in
communication with entrant for the duration of the operation.
- Maintain
an accurate count of individuals entering the space.
- Evacuate
the space if any hazards that could danger the entrants is detected.
- Monitor
the behavior of entrants for any effects that suggest they should
be evacuated.
- Perform
no other duties that may interfere with their primary responsibilities.
Specific Recommendations: Confined Space Entrant
- Use
a chest or full body harness with retrieval line attached at the
center of entrant's back with the other end of line attached to
mechanical device designed for immediate rescue.
- Notify
attendant if they experience any warning signs or symptoms of exposure
or detect a dangerous condition.
- Exit
the permit space when instructed by the attendant or if warning
signs indicate an evacuation.
Top
Top
Top
- Hazard
8: Electrical, overhead power lines, downed electrical wires,
cables
Risk: Electrocution.
General Recommendations:
- Use
appropriately grounded low-voltage equipment.
Top
- Hazard
9: Carbon Monoxide Risk from gasoline- or propane-powered generators
or heavy machinery
Risk: Headache, dizziness, drowsiness, or nausea; progressing
to vomiting, loss of consciousness, and collapse, coma or death under
prolonged or high exposures.
General Recommendations:
- Use
CO warning sensors when using or working around combustion sources.
- Shut
off engine immediately if symptoms of exposure appear.
Warning! Do
not use gasoline generators or portable fuel driven tools in confined
spaces or poorly ventilated areas.
Warning!
Do not work in areas near exhaust (CO poisoning occurs even outdoors
if engines generate high concentrations of CO and worker is in the area
of the exhaust gases). With symptoms of exposure, shut off the engine.
Top
- Hazard
10: Eye Injuries from dust, flying debris, blood
Risk: Blood borne pathogen infection, eye injury.
General Recommendations: Protective
Eyewear:
- Use goggles
or face shield and mask for those handling human remains, recovering
deceased. Make sure to cover the nose and mouth to protect the skin
of the face and the mucous membranes.
- Use safety
glasses with side shields as a minimum by all workers. An eye wear retainer
strap is suggested.
- Consider
safety goggles for protection from fine dust particles, or for use over
regular prescription eye glasses.
- Any worker
using a welding torch for cutting needs special eye wear for protection
from welding light, which can cause severe burns to the eyes and surrounding
tissue.
- Only
use protective eyewear that has an ANSI Z87 mark on the lenses or frames.
Top
- Hazard
11: Flying debris; particles; handling a variety of sharp, jagged
materials
Risk: Traumatic injuries, ranging from minor injuries requiring
first-aid to serious, even disabling or fatal traumatic injury.
General Recommendations:
- Use
safety glasses with side shields as a minimum. An eye wear retainer
strap is suggested.
- Consider
safety goggles for protection from fine dust particles, or for use
over regular prescription eyeglasses.
- Any
worker using a welding torch for cutting needs special eye wear
for protection from welding light, which can cause severe burns
to the eyes and surrounding tissue.
- Only
use protective eyewear that has an ANSI Z87 mark on the lenses or
frames.
- Educate
workers regarding safe work procedures before beginning work.
- Provide
workers with a full array of personal protective equipment, including
hard hats, safety shoes, eye glasses, and work gloves.
- Ensure
that workers do not walk under or through areas where cranes and
other heavy equipment are being uses to lift objects.
Top
- Hazard
12: Work with numerous types of heavy equipment, including cranes,
bucket trucks, skid-steer loaders, etc.
Risks: Traumatic injury, including serious and fatal injuries,
due to failure or improper use of equipment, or workers being struck
by moving equipment.
General Recommendations:
- Train
workers to operate equipment correctly and safely.
- Ensure
operators are aware of the activities around them to protect workers
on foot from being struck by moving equipment.
- Ensure
operators do not exceed the load capacity of cranes and other lifting
equipment.
- Ensure
that workers do not walk under or through areas where cranes and
other heavy equipment are being used to lift objects.
- Ensure
that workers do not climb onto or ride loads being lifted or moved.
Top
- Hazard
13: Rescuing Victims, Recovering Deceased, Handling Human Remains,
Contact with surfaces contaminated with blood and body fluids
Risk: Blood, bloody fluids, body fluids, and tissues are potential
sources of blood-borne infections from pathogens including Hepatitis
B, Hepatitis C, and HIV.
Route of exposure: Through the skin via a cut or puncture wound;
through mucous membranes (eye, nose, mouth); through non-intact skin
(dermatitis/rashes, injuries, abrasions).
General Recommendations:
- Standard
precautions (Universal precautions) should be strictly observed
regardless of time since death. Workers who will have direct
contact with the victims, bodies, or surfaces contaminated with
blood or body fluids should use universal precautions including:
- Use
heavy-duty work gloves (such as leather) to protect against
injury from sharp objects.
- Use
appropriate barrier protection when handling potentially infectious
materials. These barriers include latex gloves (preferably powder-free
latex gloves with reduced latex protein content) and nitrile
gloves. These gloves can be worn under the heavy-duty gloves.
Workers should be aware that individuals can develop allergic
reactions to latex gloves which can result in respiratory problems
(asthma), hives, and skin rashes. Those with known latex allergies
should use nitrile gloves.
- Use
eye protection (goggles or face shield) and mask covering the
nose and mouth to protect the skin of the face and the mucous
membranes.
- Use
protective clothing to protect exposed skin surfaces.
- Immediately
after removing gloves or other protective equipment, wash hands
with soap and water.
- Specific
Recommendations: If an injury or an exposure to blood, body
fluids, or tissue were to occur, the following should be carried
out:
- Report
injuries or blood/body fluid exposures to the appropriate supervisor
immediately.
- File
an occupational exposure report.
- Wash
wounds and skin sites that have been in contact with blood or
body fluids with soap and water; mucous membranes should be
flushed with water; eyes should be rinsed with an irrigant marketed
for that purpose or with clean water.
- The
application of caustic agents (e.g., bleach) or the injection
of antiseptics or disinfectants into the wound is not recommended.
- The
worker should be seen by a health care professional as soon
as possible for evaluation and counseling.
- The
health care professional should follow guidelines as listed
in the following reference: Centers for Disease Control and
Prevention. Updated US Public health Service Guidelines for
the Management of Occupational Exposures to HBV, HCV, and HIV
and Recommendations for Postexposure Prophylaxis. MMWR 2001;50(No.
RR-11) - online at http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/hip/guide/phspep.htm.
In addition, the University of California, Los Angeles and CDC
have developed an interactive website (http://www.needlestick.mednet.ucla.edu)
to help guide clinicians in making decisions about post-exposure
care.
- Clinicians
also are encouraged to consult experts via the free 24/7 National
Clinicians' Needlestick Hotline for advice about assessing and
managing treatment of exposures to blood and other body fluids
at 888-488-4911 (toll free) or 415-469-4417 (back-up).
Top
October
2001
|