1. Choosing The Correct Hard Hat, If/When Needed.
A hard hat is designed to protect from impacts that could damage the brain, so take its upkeep seriously.
You’re an industrial safety professional. You encourage using the right PPE. You know the value of protecting workers from injury — head to toe.
Think about this for a minute: the head is about one-seventh of a body’s total height, but it’s the nerve center for everything done on the job site. Your eyes, your ears, your nose . . . almost everything you use for sensory input resides there.
But your head also houses the most important organ in your body: the brain. If damaged, nothing else functions properly. Head protection helps to safeguard this vital organ that’s so important, both on the job and off.
That means choosing the right hard hat for your application is critical.
Types of Hard Hats
When I say “types,” I’m not talking about cap, full brim, or climbing models. Those are styles. Type refers to a standards designation. The current ANSI consensus standard for hard hats is ANSI/ISEA Z891.1-2014.
A Type I hard hat is certified to reduce the impact of blows to the crown or top of the head. If tools, small parts, or other items are dropped from a height (or if you rise up under an obstruction and bang your head), you’re protected.
A Type II hard hat cushions the impact from top-of-the-head blows but also protects the worker from lateral impact. This is a requirement when working around moving equipment or materials where a side blow is possible.
In Canada, the hard hat standard is CSA Z94.1-15, updated on March 1, 2016. While similar to the ANSI standard, there are some variances in the testing requirements. CSA Type 1 is similar to Type I in the United States, and CSA Type 2 resembles the ANSI Type II.
While these two standards are similar, a hard hat certified by one organization doesn’t automatically qualify it for the other. The testing procedures used are specific to each standard.
While these two standards are similar, a hard hat certified by one organization doesn’t automatically qualify it for the other. The testing procedures used are specific to each standard. For example, a hard hat certified by ANSI Z891.1-2014 must also pass the CSA Z94.1-15 standard if it is to be sold to the Canadian market. So don’t assume the hard hat you purchased in one location or country will be in compliance everywhere you work. Make sure it’s certified and labeled for your location. Source: Dennis Capizzi Jul 15, 2019, Daniel Salzler Jul 31, 2019
Understanding a Hard Hat’s ‘Class’
A hard hat’s Class designation is different from its Type. While Type represents impact protection, Class refers to electrical protection. In the past, the electrical class designations were A, B, and C, with A being the highest hazard rating. However, the Class labels are now E, G, and C. As you’ll see, this labeling system is more intuitive when choosing the right hard hat. The electrical ratings are:
Class E (electrical, non-conductive)—intended to reduce the danger of contact with higher voltage conductors, with hard hat test samples proof-tested at 20,000 volts (phase to ground).
Class G (general, non-conductive)—intended to reduce the danger of contact with low voltage conductors. Test samples are proof-tested at 2,200 volts (phase to ground).
Class C (conductive, no electrical rating)—not intended to protect against
electrical hazards and, therefore, are not tested for it.
Look at Class this way: Electrical workers are more at risk from high-voltage electrical hazards and should use Class E hard hats.
General construction workers, who may come in contact with low-voltage hazards, should use a Class G hard hat, at minimum.
Workers proven to be without the possibility of electrical hazard contact can use a potentially conductive Class C hard hat.
Some Final Hard Hat Tips
A hard hat is designed to protect from impacts that could damage the brain, so take its upkeep seriously. Sunlight can affect many hard hat materials, so make sure your hard hat is stored away from it. That means it really shouldn’t be left on a truck’s dashboard or hanging from a hook on the back windshield.
Prolonged or even incidental contact with some chemicals and harsh detergents can deteriorate the shell’s materials. It should never be cleaned with gasoline, paint thinner, or any petroleum-based liquid. Mild soap and water are safe to use. If tar or other sticky materials can’t be removed with soap and water, it’s better to replace the hard hat and not risk worker safety.
Also, be sure to check the expiration date of the hat. Like most everything, there is a point when all hats need to be replaced. This date, molded into the hat, should be used as guide as heat and use can age the hat prematurely. The manufacturing date looks like the picture to the right.
Inspect hard hats regularly throughout the day. Damage can occur without notice and compromise protection. Of course, any hard hat that’s been struck severely should be immediately removed from service and replaced. Even if it looks OK, hairline cracks that you can’t see will affect its integrity.
And always remember this: Your head may only be 15 percent of your body height . . . but protecting it deserves 100 percent of your attention. Work safely!
2. Solid and Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention Workshop in Flagstaff
Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Waste Programs Division invites interested community members and business and government personnel to participate in our free workshop. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn about the latest requirements and best practices and to earn Professional Development Hours.
Wednesday, Sep. 25
Solid Waste, Hazardous Waste and Pollution Prevention
9 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Coconino County Community Services and Health Services District, Ponderosa Conference Room – 2625 N King St, Flagstaff Learn more and register at azdeq.gov
3. OSHA Issue New Hot Weather Alert. Working Safely in Hot Weather
Workers performing activities in high temperatures and humid conditions are at risk for heatrelated illness. Symptoms of heat-related illness include fainting, dizziness, nausea, and muscle spasms. Keep workers safe by following these simple safety practices.
- Provide water, frequent rest breaks, and shade.
- Allow time to build a tolerance for working in the heat.
- Offer training on the hazards of heat exposure and how to prevent illness.
- Develop an emergency action plan on what to do if a worker shows signs of heat-related illness.
OSHA has tools to help develop and maintain safe and healthful workplaces during the summer months. For more information, visit OSHA’s Water. Rest. Shade. and Occupational Heat Exposure pages.
OSHA’s On-Site Consultation Program provides no-cost and confidential occupational safety and health compliance assistance to small- and medium-sized businesses. Consultation services are separate from enforcement and do not result in penalties or citations. The OSHA Training Institute Education Centers offer courses for workers, employers, and managers on hazard recognition and abatement at convenient locations nationwide.
If you need an OSHA 8 hour refresher class, please contact the editor.
4. U.S. Groundwater Wells Race Towards Bottom
July 26, 2019/in Groundwater, Water News, WEF /by Brett Walton
Well depths are increasing across the country, study finds.
To locate sufficient supplies of fresh water, the nation’s groundwater wells are being drilled deeper and deeper, according to an analysis of more than 10 million well records since the 1950s. “No matter how you slice it, we’re drilling deeper across the United States,” Debra Perrone, a study co-author and assistant professor of environmental studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara, told Circle of Blue.
No matter how you slice it, we’re drilling deeper across the United States.” Debra Perrone, University of California, Santa Barbara
The assessment of 11.8 million well logs from 46 states “stitches together a comprehensive map,” Perrone said. The study, published online July 22 in the journal Nature Sustainability, is the latest in a series of recent research papers to reveal worrisome trends for U.S. groundwater. Simply drilling deeper, for a number of reasons, is not a long-term winning strategy, Perrone and co-author Scott Jasechko caution. Deeper groundwater tends to become saltier. Pumping from such depths increases the energy demand for groundwater. Deeper wells put shallower wells at risk of failure, especially if homeowners cannot afford a new well, which could cost several thousand dollars. And deeper waters could be a “strategic reserve” for times of extreme drought that dry up streams and diminish reservoirs. They call unchecked well deepening “an unsustainable stopgap” to the problem of groundwater depletion.
Perrone and Jasechko, also of the University of California, Santa Barbara, started their project by mapping three data points: well depth, location, and the purpose of the well, whether for irrigation, industry, or domestic use. The data, gathered from state and local agencies, included new wells and deepening of existing wells. They found a persistent deepening trend. Depending on how the data were analyzed, for every area in which wells showed a shallower trend there were 1.4 to 9.2 other areas that showed a deepening trend.
The researchers then compared well depths to water-level changes in five key aquifers that are essential for domestic or agricultural use. Those aquifer systems are: the Central Valley of California, the Mississippi embayment of predominantly Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Missouri; the North Atlantic coastal plain, extending from North Carolina to New Jersey; the High Plains, which stretches from South Dakota to Texas and includes the famed Ogallala; and the Floridan, across northern Florida.
Water well depths in the United States. Darker blue indicates deeper wells.
Well deepening did not occur at the same pace in each of the aquifer systems, which exhibit unique subsurface geologies and political and economic circumstances. Wells in the northern half of the High Plains, for instance, revealed a shallowing trend from 1975 to 2000, when groundwater levels rose.
Those are the patterns. But why are they occurring? The study did not examine the causes of deeper wells. But Perrone and Jasechko did suggest several factors. Groundwater near the surface may be polluted by farm runoff or road salts. In other cases, regulations may require that certain aquifer formations be tapped, some of which may be deeper than layers previously used. Most obviously — and most distressingly — deeper wells may be a signal of depletion, that shallower groundwater is being used up and an arms race of sorts is occurring underground. The study adds to a growing pile of recent research that indicates turbulent years ahead for groundwater supplies. In a related assessment published last November, Perrone and colleagues at the University of Arizona and University of Saskatchewan found that the depth of fresh groundwater in the United States is lower in many areas than previously thought.
The consequences of falling groundwater levels are not isolated within wells. A study published last month from researchers at the University of Arizona and Colorado School of Mines used computer modeling to simulate the effect of 20th-century groundwater withdrawals on streams and wetlands. Groundwater depletion increased aridity (by reducing water available to plants’ root zone) and diminished the amount of water in streams especially in the High Plains, where smaller waterways, choked off from subsurface replenishment, dried up.
Climate forecasts suggest that more streams may vanish. A paper published this week by scientists at Columbia University and NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies looked at “megadroughts” that occurred in the American Southwest several centuries ago. The factors that led to a series of decades-long dry periods between the 10th and 16th centuries will be magnified by global warming, the authors concluded. A return of such conditions would drastically reduce the amount of water available to recharge aquifers.
Taken as a whole, the evidence points to unrelenting pressure on the nation’s groundwater reserves, even as those deeper stores of water become increasingly valuable as a buffer against foreboding aridity.
5. Astroshed: What’s Happening The End Of This Week Up There.
Friday, August 2
This week offers a good opportunity for binocular users to track down one of summer’s finest open star clusters. NGC 6231 lies in the tail of Scorpius the Scorpion, just 0.5° north of the double star Zeta (ζ) Scorpii (which is another fine binocular sight). NGC 6231packs more than 100 stars into a region just 14′ in diameter. This part of Scorpius lies nearly due south after darkness falls, though it doesn’t climb high from mid-northern latitudes.
The Moon reaches perigee, the closest point in its orbit around Earth, at 3:11 a.m. EDT. It then lies 223,320 miles (359,398 kilometers) away from us.
Saturday, August
3 Mercury climbs out of the solar glare before dawn in early August on its way to a nice peak next week. This morning, the innermost planet rises 70 minutes before the Sun and climbs 7° high in the east-northeast a half-hour before sunrise. Mercury shines at magnitude 1.3 and may be hard to see without binoculars.
Sunday, August 4
With the dog days of summer now in full bloom, it shouldn’t come as any surprise to find the season’s namesake asterism, the Summer Triangle, on prominent display. The trio’s brightest member, Vega in the constellation Lyra the Harp, stands nearly overhead around 11 p.m. local daylight time. The asterism’s second-brightest star, Altair in Aquila the Eagle, then lies nearly two-thirds of the way from the southeastern horizon to the zenith. Deneb, the luminary of Cygnus the Swan, marks the Summer Triangle’s third corner. Although it is this asterism’s dimmest star, it’s the brightest point of light in the northeastern sky.
6. Pickin’ Up In The Pines. Sunday, August 18th, 2019: We will meet at Forest Service Road 237 along the 89A just outside of Flagstaff, AZ. Look for
event signage at the 237 turnoff as we will meet and have volunteers park about 1000 ft. down the road. Please strive to arrive by 12:45 in order to check-in and fill out volunteer waivers.
Once everyone is checked in, we will learn more about our efforts to protect Oak Creek. We will then go over safety and personal protection equipment (PPE) requirements. We will split up into groups to pick-up along Forest Service Roads 237 and 535. PPE, cleaning supplies, and all other equipment will be provided. Please carpool (if possible), wear proper warm weather hiking clothes, sunscreen, and as always enough water and snacks to fuel your work in protecting the Oak Creek Watershed!
After our hard work, REI Co-Op will hold a raffle with special edition REI Stewardship T-shirts, bandanas, and other sweet gear that is open to all ages! And, a local favorite, Dark Sky Brewing Company will be handing out $2 drink tickets to volunteers who are over 21 years old. And again, be sure to register beforehand as space is limited!
who are over 21 years old. And again, be sure to register beforehand as space is limited! It’s going to take us all to remove the waste left behind from summer campers so we can promote the scenic beauty of our forests and to protect our precious waterways. A cleaner forest encourages future visitors to leave it that way. We are very grateful for our partners and we really hope to see you there! Please do not hesitate to contact OCWC Executive Director, Kalai Kollus with any questions at kalai@oakcreekwatershed.org
