|
|
|
|
|
|
VOLUME 2, ISSUE 3
The Edge is Gravitec's quarterly e-newsletter that delivers the latest fall protection news in the wind energy industry directly to your inbox. If you don't regularly receive The Edge, click here to join our mailing list.
For information about Gravitec's full range of fall protection and rescue services including engineering, training, equipment and testing, visit our website at www.gravitec.com or call us at 1.800.755.8455.
|
|
SpanSet K4 Karabiner
Spanset Australia advises all users
of SpanSet K4 triple action karabiners to remove them from service and return
them to the distributor from whom they were purchased or to SpanSet Australia
Ltd. for replacement.
Recently, SpanSet Australia investigated the breakage of a 30 kN (3,000
kg) karabiner (SpanSet part code K4) that was used to connect a
synthetic safety line which was then tensioned and left overnight. Prior
to commencement of work the next day, an inspection found the karabiner
had broken along the major axis spine at the receptor hole for the
lanyard/webbing retaining pin. SpanSet was given verbal assurance of the
correct use by the operator and that only 150 kg had been applied to
the line...Read More
|
|
 Fall Protection Forum Series Grows with Addition of Energy Absorbing Lanyard Video
Energy Absorbers & Energy Absorbing LanyardsThis 8-minute video focuses on energy absorbers and energy absorbing
lanyards.
It reviews two categories of energy absorbers along with some problematic
issues associated with Y-lanyard use in an effort to help the end user
select the most appropriate energy absorbing lanyard for the job... Watch Now |
 |
 Is Online Fall Protection Training Effective?
When it comes to a topic like fall protection, can an online training program be
effective for your employees?
by Kevin Denis
Training Manager
Gravitec Systems, Inc.
Imagine that you just have completed a 2-hour fall protection course online and
you have received a certificate for your wall. However, you feel a little
confused and concerned. You're confused because the certificate is very formal
in its appearance and has many references to OSHA, but you don't think you did
much to deserve it. You're concerned that tomorrow you may be walking high steel
and this certificate is your defense that you know what you're doing...Read More as Published in EHS Today Magazine
|
 The Future of Fall Protection Equipment Testing
Before the ANSI/ASSE Z359.7 standard, there was no person or entity an end user could turn to for compliance testing information on any piece of fall protection equipment
by W. David Lough
General Manager
Gravitec Systems, Inc.
There have always been a multitude of questions surrounding the testing
of fall protection equipment. How does a company ensure compliance with
industry standards? Is there traceability for testing of fall protection
equipment? Can end users be sure that the fall protection equipment
they are using passed the applicable American National Standards
Institute (ANSI) test requirements in their entirety? Is the test
laboratory compliant with a specific laboratory standard? Is it possible
to compare results of testing with a laboratory in different geographic
locations? Does every test laboratory understand the product it is
testing? This list of questions can go on and on, and in the past, there
have been no comforting answers for the people who depend on this
equipment to protect their lives....Read More as Published in Occupational Health & Safety Magazine
|
 Y-Lanyards Receive Much-Needed Attention
Y-lanyards are commonly used by technicians during maintenance to arrest free falls. However, users must fully understand the device's strengths
as well as its limitations.
Don't miss this article by Gravitec
Training Manager, published in the September 2010 print issue of North American WINDPOWER Magazine.
|
 |
|
The Evolution of the ANSI/ASSE Z359 Fall Protection Code and What You Need to Know
Host: Occupational Health & Safety Magazine
Presenter: Kevin Denis
Cost: Free
Falls and fall hazards continue to be prevalent in the workplace and make up
a significant portion of injuries and fatalities. In 2008, there were 680
work-related fatal falls, according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of
Labor Statistics. In 2009, fall protection was second on OSHA's list of top ten
violations with 6,771 citations issued. These numbers necessitate the creation
of an authoritative document for workers at height and their employers. The ANSI
Z359 Fall Protection Code meets this need, making it one of the most important
set of safety-related voluntary national consensus standards in the last 20
years.
Webinar presenter, Kevin Denis, will discuss the evolution of the Z359 Fall
Protection Code, a living document that no longer applies to equipment
manufacturers only. He will identify the highlights and significance of eight
existing and ten draft standards and discuss how the Code impacts equipment
manufacturers, fall protection program administrators, workers at height and
professional engineers responsible for designing fall protection systems...Register for this Webinar Now
|
|
Understanding a Comprehensive Managed Fall Protection Program & Personnel
Key to Its Development & Implementation
Host: American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE)
Presenters: Randall Wingfield & Thomas Kramer
Cost: $75 for ASSE Members; $95 for Non-Members
Developing and implementing a comprehensive managed fall protection program is
the most effective method to identify, evaluate and eliminate fall hazards
through planning. It also ensures proper fall protection training and
installation of fall protection systems along with implementation of safe fall
protection and rescue procedures. ANSI/ASSE Z359.2-2007, titled "Minimum
Requirements for a Comprehensive Managed Fall Protection Program," addresses the
development and implementation of this detailed program aimed at SH&E
professionals and employers with one or more workers exposed to a fall hazard. A
comprehensive managed fall protection program is dependent upon several key
people, including the Authorized Person, Competent Person, Qualified Person and
Program Administrator. Understanding the responsibilities, limitations and
training of these players is paramount to the development and success of the
program. This presentation will take an in-depth look at ANSI/ASSE Z359.2-2007 and
examine the roles and training of important personnel...Register for this Webinar Now
|
|
|
Gravitec Accredited to ISO/IEC 17025 International Standard
Accreditation will allow Gravitec to
serve as a third-party testing provider as required by ANSI/ASSE Z359.7Gravitec System's Bainbridge Island testing laboratory has been
accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 international standard for the
competence of testing and calibration laboratories. Gravitec has spent
over a year reviewing and documenting management and laboratory
practices in an effort to attain this accreditation which was effective
June 30, 2010... Read the Press Release |
Gravitec Attending AWEA Wind Power Health & Safety Workshop
Stop by our exhibit and don't miss speaker Kevin Denis' discussion addressing fall protection and the competent person
Gravitec will exhibit and speak at the American Wind Energy Association's (AWEA) annual Wind Power Health & Safety Workshop, held in Austin, Texas, Oct. 26-27, 2010. A Gravitec fall protection specialist will be available to answer questions about Gravitec's roster of fall protection and rescue courses developed for wind industry workers at height.
Gravitec Training Manager Kevin Denis will speak about what it means to achieve Competent Person status, how to assess
and identify training needs, and how to empower not only your employees
but your organization to make "prompt and corrective actions to
hazardous or dangerous work areas." This breakout session will be held Oct. 27 from 1:45 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. Mr. Denis will also participate in a panel discussion that will explore new fall protection equipment that is successfully being employed in the field. This breakout session will be held Oct. 27 from 10:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
AWEA's Wind Power Health & Safety Workshop will give attendees an opportunity to deepen their
understanding of the challenges facing occupational health and safety
professionals in the wind industry. Click here for more information about this workshop.
|
Visit Gravitec at NSC 2010 Congress & Expo
Gravitec has secured exhibit space 1115 at the National Safety Council's
(NSC) 2010 Congress & Exposition,
the world's largest annual event serving the occupational safety
and health market. NSC anticipates 10,000 safety, health and
environmental professionals at this annual event, held in San Diego,
Calif. The congress will run Oct. 3-8 and the exposition will run Oct.
4-6. NSC's Congress & Expo helps attendees keep up to date with general industry trends and issues; to see new products, services and developments and to network and connect with safety friends and leaders. Click here for more information about the congress and expo. |
|
 Gravitec has developed the following open enrollment courses for workers
at height in the wind industry. Click on the titles below for complete
course descriptions.
Competent Wind Turbine Climber & Rescue
Sept. 27 - Oct. 1
Wind Turbine Climber & Rescue Competent Trainer
Oct. 18 - 22
Competent Wind Turbine Climber & Rescue Refresher
Nov. 1 - 3
For details and enrollment, call a Gravitec Training Advisor at 1.800.755.8455. Click here to view our complete 2010 open enrollment calendar.
|
| The information provided below has been gathered from sources believed
to be reliable. Gravitec is not responsible for the
accuracy of the information provided nor for its use or misuse.
|
|
ASSE urges OSHA to utilize consensus standards when developing slips and falls rule
EHS Today - August 26, 2010 - USA
by Laura Walter
In an Aug. 19 letter to OSHA on the proposed Walking-Working
Surfaces and Personal Protective Equipment rule (29 CFR, Part 1910), the
American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) urged the agency to utilize existing
fall standards and the voluntary consensus standards as it develops the new
rule...Read More
|
|
Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis comments on decline in fatal occupational injuries during 2009
U.S. Department of Labor - August 19, 2010 - Washington
Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics' National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries
released today show a decline in workplace fatalities in 2009 compared
with 2008. Last year, 4,340 workers died from work-related injuries,
down from a final count of 5,214 fatal work injuries in 2008. In
response, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following
statement...Read More
|
|
U.S. workers risking injury by not wearing required safety equipment
PR Newswire - August 11, 2010 - Roswell, Ga.
Nearly all of the safety professionals in a survey released today
said that workers in their organizations had at some point failed to
wear the necessary safety equipment while on the job...Read More
|
|
Getting a handle on OSHA's fall protection standard
RELIABLEPLANT - USA
For years, general industry employers have sought guidance on OSHA's fall protection standard, Subpart D, "Walking-Working Surfaces."
The standard doesn't provide very much detail and very little in the
way of clear requirements. But that is all about to change. Recently,
OSHA took the first step in making a major overhaul of the standard...Read More
|
|
Who's responsible for workplace safety? Facility Safety Management - Chicago
Who is responsible for safety on
the jobsite: the individual, the government, the safety
director, the worker, or all of the above?...Read More
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
