Happy Friday and Happy June!! This has been a short week for most of us, so Friday has come early!! Woo-hoo!!
I wanted to take a quick minute to remind you all about our Bingo game that starts next week! In case you missed it, we are doing a summer-long Bingo game! You can CLICK HEREto sign up and Cassie will send you an official bingo card. Then, each HumpDay (and some Friday’s) during the weeks of June 6 thru August 15 we will call a number. We also have a couple of numbers strategically placed in ads this summer (be sure to check out out ad in The Journal and Plant Services!). In the end we will be giving away a Weber Performer Grill!! I have one of these and I love it!! So, sign up and let’s play!!
Now for a little humor on this Friday. My son, who is 15, comes home from school sometimes with these funny “facts” about Chuck Norris. I’m not sure why these are funny, but they just are. Hope you find the humor, too:
- Chuck Norris does not know pain. Pain knows Chuck Norris as it is roundhouse kicked in the face daily by Chuck Norris.
- Chuck Norris has a six pack on his chin.
- Chuck Norris is so cool he doesn’t move a muscle to get somewhere. He makes the universe get off its lazy rear-end and move itself.
- When Chuck Norris enters a room it explodes. No building can hold that much awesome.
- Chuck Norris was born in a log cabin that he built with his own hands.
- Chuck Norris can watch an episode of 60 Minutes in half an hour.
- Chuck Norris can rip pages out of a Kindle.
- A carton of orange juice concentrates on Chuck Norris.
- Chuck Norris doesn’t get sunburned because the sun wouldn’t dare.
- Chuck Norris counted to infinity – twice.
- Chuck Norris sleeps with a pillow under his gun.
- Chuck Norris doesn’t cheat death. He wins fare and square.
- Chuck Norris doesn’t use pick up lines. He simply says, “Now.”
- Chuck Norris’ calendar goes straight from March 31 to April 2nd. No one fools Chuck Norris.
- Chuck Norris can delete his recycle bin.
- When Chuck Norris jumps into a pool he doesn’t get wet. The water gets Chuck Norris.
- Superman owns a pair of Chuck Norris pajamas.
- Death had a near-Chuck-Norris experience.
- Chuck Norris sleeps with a night light on. Not because Chuck Norris is afraid of the dark, but because the dark is afraid of Chuck Norris.
Hope that brightened your day!! Have a good one!! See you next week!
People who have been reading HumpDay for a while know I am not a fan of summer. It is a season I endure rather than enjoy, but one thing I am totally stoked about is the summer blockbusters. I love, Love, LOVE movies. Good movies. Well-acted movies. Movies with interesting, exciting and thought-provoking story lines. I am the kind of person that can become totally absorbed in a movie if it is good enough. For example, I felt patriotic and emboldened when Bill Pullman as President Whitmore in Independence Day said to the pilots just before their mission (uh-hum, in my best Bill Pullman voice), “Perhaps it’s fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation. We’re fighting for our right to live, to exist; and should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, ‘We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on, we’re going to survive.’ Today we celebrate our independence day!”…And the crowd (and audience) goes wild…!
Likewise, I sobbed when Forrest was standing at Jenny’s grave and his voice broke when he said, “…and he’s so smart, Jenny…” *oh…teary moment*. And I laugh until it hurts at pretty much anything Mr. Bean does because he is just plain hilarious. Movies are a good escape – especially during the summer heat – as they provide the opportunity to take refuge in a cool, dark room for a couple of hours and be transported. Movies are, in a word, awesome. And summer is the best time for movies!
….but there is always some bug-a-boos in any movie. Here is a list I found called Things I Learned from ‘In The Movies’. I hope you enjoy!!
In the movies…
- The ventilation system of any building is a the perfect hiding place. No one will ever think of looking there and you can travel to any other part of the building you want without difficulty.
- You are very lucky to survive any battle in any war unless you make the mistake of showing someone a picture of your sweetheart back home. Then you are sure to die.
- Should you wish to pass yourself off as a German officer, it is not necessary to speak the language. A German accent will do.
- A man will show no pain while taking the most ferocious beating but will wince when a woman tries to clean his wounds.
- If staying in a haunted house, women must investigate any strange noise they hear while wearing the skimpiest outfit ever.
- If someone says, “I’ll be right back,” they won’t.
- Even when driving down a perfectly straight road, it is necessary to turn the steering wheel vigorously from left to right every few moments.
- The Eiffel Tower can be seen from any window in Paris.
- All grocery bags contain at least one stick of French bread.
- The Chief of Police will almost always suspend his star detective, who will ignore the suspension and finish the investigation on his own.
- Medieval peasants have perfect teeth.
- It is always possible to park directly outside the building you are visiting.
- A cough is the sign of a terminal illness.
- Honest, hardworking and never-before-been-injured police officers are gunned down within 72 hours of their retirement.
- No matter how dead you think the bad guy is he can still get up at least three more times.
- Most laptop computers are powerful enough to override the communication systems of any invading alien civilization.
- When paying for a taxi, don’t look at your wallet as you take out a bill. Just grab one at random and hand it over. It will always be the exact fare.
- Cars that fly off cliffs spontaneously combust in midair for no apparent reason.
- All computer discs will work in all computers, regardless of software.
- Television news bulletins usually contain a story that affects the character personally at the precise moment it is aired.
- When they are alone, all foreigners prefer to speak English to each other rather than their native language.
- An electric fence that is powerful enough to kill a dinosaur will cause no lasting damage to an eight-year-old child.
Seven Electrical Safety Habits for a Safer Workplace
by Al Havens and Hugh Hoagland, e-Hazard Management, LLC
Copied from Render, The National Magazine of Rendering (click here for link)
Fact: One person is electrocuted every day in the workplace.
Fact: More people in the 25- to 44-year-old age group are electrocuted in the workplace than any other age group.
The above statistics are sobering, surprising, and worrisome. Every employer wants to protect their employees in the work environment, but it is often a matter of “how can we make the workplace safer” rather than “do I really need to make it safer.” Employers will do what they can to ensure workers are safe, and they want to know what can be done to make that happen.
This article covers seven habits that will make the workplace safe for electrical work. The article is far too short to be specific, but it covers the topic in general based on the authors’ training and accident investigation experience. It helps set the direction and closes with several specific steps an employer can take to make the workplace electrically safer. Statistics show that if these seven electrical safety habits are followed, electrical incidents are greatly reduced if not eliminated.
Habit 1 – Always Verify Absence of Voltage and Use Insulating Gloves and Tools
This habit is listed first because it is crucial. No one should even consider touching any circuit part or conductor unless they have verified that it has no voltage on it. Follow the routine “test before touch” using the “live-dead-live” rule. First, apply a voltage tester to a known live circuit and verify that the tester reads voltage. Then test the circuit part or conductor that will be worked on. To make certain the tester is still functioning, again apply the tester to the original known live circuit and verify it is still functioning.
The second part of this habit is to always use insulating gloves. This does not mean leather gloves, but rubber insulating gloves that are the proper voltage class and have been tested (testing must occur after six months of use or one year if the gloves are stored properly). A corollary to this habit is using insulating tools when tools may make accidental contact with circuit parts or conductors that may be energized.
Habit 2 – Establish Boundaries for Worker Safety from Shock and Arc Flash Hazards
Employers should use the available national consensus standards published by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). They publish two standards particularly addressing electrical hazards.
The first standard is NFPA 70, the National Electrical Code (NEC). This standard addresses the design, installation, and inspection of electrical equipment and systems. The second standard is NFPA 70E, the Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace. For example, to find the working space required around electrical equipment, employers can check the NEC. To find the shock and arc flash protection boundaries, check the 70E standard. The NEC requires equipment be labeled for arc flash and shock hazards.
Shock protection boundaries are determined by the voltages encountered while arc flash protection boundaries are determined by the amount of energy available to the electrical equipment and the time the arc flash will take to clear. The arc flash boundary is the distance where unprotected skin may experience the onset of second degree burns during an arc flash incident. At or below 600 volts, if the power distribution meets certain criteria, employers can use four feet for the arc flash protection boundary.
Habit 3 – Always Wear Arc-rated Daily Wear and a Face Shield
References to arc-rated clothing may be in terms of flame resistant clothing, but not all flame resistant clothing is arc rated. When verifying that flame resistant clothing is arc-rated, check for a calorie per cubic centimeter squared (cal/cm2) rating, a hazard/risk category rating, and a reference to ASTM International F1506 standard. If it doesn’t have any or at least one of these statements on the clothing tag, it may not be arc rated. All arc-rated clothing is flame resistant but not all flame resistant clothing is arc rated.
Common cotton clothing and clothing made of poly-blends is not arc rated or flame resistant. Chances of surviving body burns are dramatically increased using arc-rated clothing. Studies of electrical arc flash incidents have shown that the worse incidents were caused by clothing catching fire. Other studies confirm that it is less costly to dress employees in arc-rated clothing than paying for their recovery medical costs. Wearing cotton undergarments is acceptable in many cases but arc-rated undergarments are available. Undergarments or any garments worn under arc-rated clothing that are a poly-blend or made of synthetic melting materials are expressly prohibited in NFPA 70E and in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Standards, 29 Code of Federal Regulations, Part 1910.269, Electric Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution.
Habit 4 – Always Use a GFCI with Cord- and Plug-connected Tools and Extension Cords
This habit is expressly stated in OSHA standards and became law in 2008 for all maintenance and construction work (Part 1910.304(b)(3)(ii)). Even more, since the human body is so sensitive to electrical current flowing through it, it is recommended that all persons handling cord- and plug-connected tools use leather gloves.
Habit 5 – When Feasible, Create an Electrically Safe Work Condition
NFPA’s 70E is very specific on this topic. Article 120.1 on page 19 of the standard describes the process in detail, which has been summarized below using the acronym ISOLATE:
I – Identify all energy sources and check drawings
S – Shut down sources feeding equipment
O – Open disconnect switch or circuit breaker
L – LO/TO, which means apply lockout/tagout devices
A – Assure contacts are open, visually when possible
T – Test/Verify all phase and neutral zero/test tester
E – Employ safety grounds for high voltage where necessary
These steps are clear and necessary to establish an electrically safe work condition, yet keep in mind three issues when considering this process.
1. The process of creating an electrically safe work condition is dangerous. Approaching circuit parts or conductors that may be energized is inherently unsafe. Electrical hazards are not visible to the naked eye.
2. Wearing the proper personal protective equipment (PPE) does not create an electrically safe work condition. In fact, PPE is not even mentioned in the seven steps listed above. The process assumes the person establishing an electrically safe work condition is wearing the appropriate PPE until the process is complete.
3. The evaluation of every electrical incident will ultimately find that one of more of the steps listed above was not completed. Electrical incidents are preventable. Establishing an electrically safe condition eliminates shock and arc flash hazards.
Habit 6 – Identify Higher Hazard Levels and Adopt Proper PPE or Engineering Controls to Mitigate Those Hazards
The most common “greater hazard” is arc flash. NFPA 70E has several articles that require a shock and arc flash hazard analysis be performed (Article 110.8 and 130.3). Typically, the employer retains a firm that performs the analysis, gathering data and using computer software to analyze the hazards. NFPA 70E provides for two exceptions to performing calculations. The first is an arc flash hazard analysis does not need to be performed for circuits that are 240 volts or lower and the transformers supplying those circuits are less than 125 kilovolt ampere.
The second exception is when the employer chooses to use the tables contained in 70E. If so chosen, the electrical power distribution systems need to meet certain criteria as listed in the 70E standard footnotes.
After the analysis by any of the above methods, the employer shall label the electrical equipment giving warnings regarding the hazards. The NEC and NFPA 70 require all electrical equipment be labeled with a warning stating that an electrical arc flash hazard exists and recommends using the NFPA 70E process. NFPA 70E requires that the label include the arc flash exposure be stated in cal/cm2, or the hazard/risk category of clothing stated in 0-4, or both.
Label requirements in 2011 are expected to increase with a little more detail.
Habit 7 – Measure, Audit, and Continuously Improve Electrical Safety Processes
Obviously, implementing electrical safety habits will not be successful unless someone follows up and makes certain proper and safe activities happen. NFPA 70E requires annual auditing of electrical safety practices in the workplace by management or someone delegated by management. Optimizing the hierarchy of your controls will ensure an effective electrical safety program.
• Eliminate the hazard by de-energizing, then locking and tagging out the circuit parts or conductors. Then visualize and verify that, indeed, the circuit parts and conductors are de-energized.
• Use engineering controls and design out and remove the exposure to the hazard.
• Use administrative controls and perform labeling, training, safe work practices, and work plans, and establish a live electrical work permit program.
• Provide and use PPE.
Conclusion
Below is a list of steps that establish a basis and encourage implementing the seven electrical habits listed above.
1. Attend NFPA 70E training.
2. Provide 70E training for employees.
3. Update single-line drawings.
4. Conduct a hazard analysis study.
5. Label equipment.
6. Select the appropriate PPE.
7. Develop an electrical safety program.
8. Audit for compliance.
9. Review program annually.
10. Determine a hazard mitigation strategy.
Practicing the seven electrical safety habits will go a long way in making a workplace safer.
About the Authors: Al Havens has more than 40 years of electrical safety experience, 26 of which as senior electrical engineer for U.S. Gypsum. He currently provides instruction in the application and use of the NFPA 70E standard in both low- and high-voltage environments.
Hugh Hoagland is among the world’s foremost experts on electrical arc testing and safety. He has helped develop most of the arc-resistant rainwear used in the world today as well as creating the first face shield to protect against electric arcs. Hoagland sits on several electrical industry committees, is a featured speaker at safety conferences and events, and provides training and consulting.
Today we will take a break from our typical Friday postings to remember the men and women who have fought and died in defense of freedom. Our thoughts and prayers are with those left grieving this Memorial Day. Words cannot express our gratitude for the sacrifice made by the ones who died and by the ones who continue to live with out them. With a humble heart, we say thank you.
IT IS THE SOLDIER
It is the Soldier, not the minister
Who has given us freedom of religion.
It is the Soldier, not the reporter
Who has given us freedom of the press.
It is the Soldier, not the poet
Who has given us freedom of speech.
It is the Soldier, not the campus organizer
Who has given us freedom to protest.
It is the Soldier, not the lawyer
Who has given us the right to a fair trial.
It is the Soldier, not the politician
Who has given us the right to vote.
Happy HumpDay-before-a-three-day weekend!! I have a confession: I have been feeling a little under the weather the last 2-3 weeks and this morning I woke up a little on the grouchy side. When my growlly-ness takes over I can be a little negative. So, this morning I had a hard time finding something to do for HumpDay. Then, Cassie came to the rescue! She found a list of the “Absolute Best Things In The World”. I just love the little things in life and this list was so good it actually changed my mood! Woo-hoo!! (And, I am actually feeling better today…so, you know, that helps). So, boys and girls, here’s some of the better things on the list and a few of my own. Happy HumpDay!!
The Best of Life’s Little Pleasures…
- Peeling the plastic off something you just bought that you’ve wanted for a really long time.
- Dipping your hands into a deep bag of uncooked rice. Or beans.
- Having a full tank of gas.
- Waking up in the middle of the night and realizing its waaaaay earlier than you think.
- Wrapping a freshly dried blanket around you.
- Winning on eBay.
- Showering for the first time after a haircut.
- Tearing out a piece of perforated paper perfectly.
- Using a new toothbrush for the first time.
- When a vending machine accepts your dollar on the first try. (Admit it, you look around half-way expecting applause…)
- Putting on a new pair of socks. **love that!**
- Getting a Facebook bingo. (Yea, I’m loved!)
- Free samples. (ha-ha…lunch!)
- Finding money in your pocket or purse.
- Spooning/Sleeping with your pet.
- When a stranger stops the elevator for you. Or when a stranger offers to take the cart from you in the parking lot of the grocery store.
- When the lights go down right before the start of a concert, movie or play. *so excited*
- Seeing pictures of your parents when they were younger. (…and laughing at how they dressed…)
- Finding a parking spot up-front and close in a crammed-packed parking lot.
- Seeing a movie in an empty theater.
- Achieving the perfect milk-to-cereal ratio. *love that*
- Wearing shorts for the first time of the season.
- Watching your cream mix into your coffee.
- That feeling in your stomach when you go over and down a big hill. ***wooooo-hoooo***
- The brief moment you drive under a bridge on a rainy day.
- Finding a curly fry in your order of regular fries.
- On a steamy hot day, the moment you walk into a building with AC and the wave of cool air hits you for the first time. *refreshing*
- Holding a newborn baby for the first time. *love that*
- Holding a newborn baby for the first time and he/she sighs contently. *really love that*
So there you go…a look on the brighter side of things!! If you think I really missed one of life’s simple pleasures be sure to remind me of it in the comment section below!! When these little things happen to me in a day I consider them kisses from the Lord. It’s the little things that make all the difference in the world. So, here’s to life’s simple pleasures…cheers! Don’t forget to…
Keep reading,
************************************************************************************************************************************************************************************* How Long….?
We were hoping you guys could help us out. We are trying to see how long it takes people to perform their Lock-out / Tag-out procedures. We have created a short survey HERE and it should only take you about 90 seconds to do. So, whaddya say? Can you help us determine an average time for putting on PPE and performing LOTO procedures? We will make the results available next week. Thanks in advance. We appreciate it very much!
Also, don’t forget we have our BINGO game sign up!! If you missed the announcement last week, check out A Summer of PESDs from last week. If you want to sign up for a Bingo Card you can CLICK HERE. Cassie will start sending out the cards on Friday, so if you signed up look for that to come by way of email!
And finally, we have our Nominate The Safest Person In Your Company giveaway this month. We’ve had three winners so far (Fred R. from Abbott Labs, Lou S. from ESCO, and John H. from Precision Drive and Control) and there are two more to go! Hit the Orange Button to enter your nominee! Happy HumpDay!! See you Friday!
Aaahhh….it’s here. That crux in the week that sends a signal to our brain that the weekend is within sniffing distance (I’m not sure why a weekend is a ‘sniffing’ event, but let’s just go with it, shall we?). Just two days from now it will be Friday, but until then you might need a little boost to get you through the remainder of the week. I hope you enjoy some of these funnier Facebook statuses:
- “I am deleting my Twitter right now. Not to seem paranoid, but I think people are following me!”
- “Ok. So I danced like no one was watching. My court date is pending.”
- “I cut my finger when changing the spark plugs on my car. This proves it *is* possible to get blood from a tune-up.”
- “A recent government survey reports that people are more cynical these days than any time in history. Like I’m really supposed to believe that…”
- “I’m 87% sure “snooze button” time is sped up and “waiting for the microwave” time is slowed down, and this is not okay.”
- Dear Algebra, stop asking us to fin your X. She’s not coming back!”
- “Dear Google: Please stop being like my wife. Kindly let me complete my sentences before you start to give me suggestions.”
- “‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day,’ is a fancy way of saying, ‘You look hot!’”
- “A jealous woman does better research than the FBI.”
- “The thing about glitter is if you get it on you, be prepared to have it on you forever. Glitter is the herpes of craft supplies.”
- “A Prius tried to race me from a stop sign the other day. I totally had it for the first 100 feet, but I can only walk so fast.”
- “If at first you don’t succeed then maybe you should do it the way I told you to in the beginning.”
- “‘I wish there was a more convenient way to stalk others.’ – the phrase that started Facebook.”
- “Santa goes to your house, down your chimney, and watches you while you sleep and everyone adores him. But I do it ONE time…”
- “Old people talk into cell phones like they hit the CAPS Lock on their voice.”
- “If it isn’t on the first page of Google search results, it doesn’t exist.”
- “Any guy can seem cool on a motorcycle. If you really want to know what kind of man you’ve got, watch him walk through a spider web.”
That last one had me searching for a video or something of a guy walking through a spider web, but I couldn’t find one. **sigh** Maybe another day. Hope you all have a good rest of the week!! Don’t forget to…
Keep reading,
*****UPDATE***** Someone has emailed me a HILARIOUS video of a guy who got spooked by a spider. Enjoy!!
Cassie and I are very excited to tell you about a summer-long promotion we are doing! We are calling it A Summer of PESDs and it will run from June 6 through August 15, and the prize is a Weber Performer Grill!! You know how I love to give away things that I love, well, boys and girls, I LOVE THIS GRILL! I have one and it has been the best investment – I am a self-certified grill master. I am also what you may call a grilling snob. Charcoal all the way, baby. No exceptions. Grilling anything on a gas grill is sacrilegious. Yet, even though I hold this tenant very dearly, I understand how temperamental charcoal can be. That’s why this grill is so fantabulous! It’s a charcoal grill with gas-ignite start. No coaxing the coals to their white-ashy perfection! The grill does it for you!! Aaahh, I can almost hear the sizzle….
So, now that I have sold you on the prize, now it’s time to tell you about the game. Here’s our plan:
-We are going to have a summer time Bingo game and the numbers will be called during HumpDay and/or Friday Fun Days!! (at least 10 chances to win June 6-August 15, except the week of July 4)
- We may also call additional numbers in some of the ads we have placed in trade publications this summer (HINT: check out our ad in Maintenance Technology this June!)
- Just like any other Bingo game, the goal is to match five numbers in vertically, horizontally, or diagonally from the numbers we call out during our regular Blog posts.
- Once you have all five numbers you have to be the first person to YELL Bingo. Just go to info.graceport.com/yell_bingo to submit your entry. If you are the first person to yell bingo and after we’ve verified your card, you will be the owner of a new Weber Performer Grill!! How fun will that be!!
The good news is we are ready to send out the Bingo cards!! Click here to sign up, but remember, we only have so many cards available, so this is first come, first served. Don’t be left out!! Sign up now and don’t be left out!
ppy Friday and Happy June!! This has been a short week for most of us, so Friday has come early!! Woo-hoo!!
e summer blockbusters. I love, Love, LOVE movies. Good movies. Well-acted movies. Movies with interesting, exciting and thought-provoking story lines. I am the kind of person that can become totally absorbed in a movie if it is good enough. For example, I felt patriotic and emboldened when Bill Pullman as President Whitmore in Independence Day said to the pilots just before their mission (uh-hum, in my best Bill Pullman voice), “Perhaps it’s fate that today is the 4th of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom. Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution, but from annihilation. We’re fighting for our right to live, to exist; and should we win the day, the 4th of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day when the world declared in one voice, ‘We will not go quietly into the night! We will not vanish without a fight! We’re going to live on, we’re going to survive.’ Today we celebrate our independence day!”…And the crowd (and audience) goes wild…!
And I laugh until it hurts at pretty much anything Mr. Bean does because he is just plain hilarious. Movies are a good escape – especially during the summer heat – as they provide the opportunity to take refuge in a cool, dark room for a couple of hours and be transported. Movies are, in a word, awesome. And summer is the best time for movies!
Today we will take a break from our typical Friday postings to remember the men and women who have fought and died in defense of freedom. Our thoughts and prayers are with those left grieving this Memorial Day. Words cannot express our gratitude for the sacrifice made by the ones who died and by the ones who continue to live with out them. With a humble heart, we say thank you.
stic off something you just bought that you’ve wanted for a really long time.
(Yea, I’m loved!)
We were hoping you guys could help us out. We are trying to see how long it takes people to perform their Lock-out / Tag-out procedures. We have created a short survey 
we?). Just two days from now it will be Friday, but until then you might need a little boost to get you through the remainder of the week. I hope you enjoy some of these funnier Facebook statuses: