ASTM Developing Manufacturing Waste Standard

Currently, no widely recognized standard exists for classifying manufacturing waste. A proposed ASTM International standard is being developed that will help manufacturers address waste classification issues. ASTM WK38312, Classification for Waste From Manufacturing Facilities and Associated Support Facilities, covers all waste created in manufacturing facilities, including office and production waste. Both hazardous and nonhazardous wastes will be covered by the standard. It will provide definitions and methods that will help to eliminate confusion that currently exists regarding manufacturing waste.

"At first, this sounds like a very simple issue and you may ask why is a standard required," says ASTM member Amy Costello. "But it is more complicated than that." Costello cites the following questions that arise when classifying manufacturing waste:

• Is waste that is generated at a facility, and then sold, actually waste, or is it a byproduct?
• If this same material is given to another to use, is it still waste or a byproduct?
• What if the material is waste from one process, but is used somewhere else on the manufacturing site, such as wood dust that is burned in a boiler for energy?
• Is waste material generated during capital projects considered manufacturing waste?

The standard is being developed by Subcommittee E60.13 on Sustainable Manufacturing, part of ASTM Committee E60 on Sustainability. ASTM invites all interested parties to participate in the committee's standards development activities.

EPA Guidance Helps Improve, Protect Indoor Air Quality During School Renovations

A new guidance from EPA helps protect and improve indoor air quality (IAQ) in schools during building renovations, upgrades and energy efficiency upgrades. The document, "Energy Savings Plus Health: Indoor Air Quality Guidelines for School Building Upgrades," addresses 23 issues and contaminants that are usually associated with building upgrades, which include moisture control, mold, asbestos and exhaust ventilation. EPA says the guide also covers topics such as lead, building products and materials emissions, and outdoor air ventilation.

The guidance aims to help school facility managers, building operators and risk managers prevent and control harmful conditions that may occur during construction activities. As EPA reports, both IAQ and energy management are important considerations during such projects.

FCC, DOL Partnership Announced for Telecom Workers

Responding to a recent spike in telecommunications tower worker fatalities, FCC

©iStockphoto.com/Henryk Sadura

and DOL announced a new apprenticeship program for telecommunications tower technicians. The Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program (TIRAP) is a public-private partnerships designed to improve worker safety and workforce opportunities. The program will develop DOL-credentialed apprentice programs for telecommunications professionals. The core belief behind the effort is that apprenticeships improve workplace safety and helps workers develop professionally.

The announcement follows 2 years of an upward trend in fatalities in the telecommunications industry, including 13 workers killed in 2013 and 11 so far in 2014. According to data from wirelessestimator.com, the average number of fatalities associated with communications towers from 2003 through 2013 was 10 annually. The most fatalities occurred in 2006, with 19 total, while 2012 saw the fewest, with only 1 fatality recorded for the year.

Per the program’s official guidelines, “The mission of the [program] is to partner with government and industry stakeholders to promote safety, enhance quality, and enable education and advancement opportunities in the telecommunications workforce.”

"Saving workers lives starts by making sure safety is a key part of any training program,” says OSHA Administrator David Michaels. “I have no doubt that new tower technicians trained by TIRAP and the companies that employ them will provide a shining example for the whole industry, how for perform work safely and to make sure we don't see any more deaths."

CSB Releases Safety Video About Tesoro Refinery Accident

CSB has released a safety video about the fatal April 2010 explosion and fire at the Tesoro Refinery in Anacortes, WA. The incident occurred during startup of the refinery’s naphtha hydrotreater unit after a maintenance shut down. An almost 40-year-old heat exchanger ruptured, causing an explosion and fire that killed seven workers – the largest loss of life at a U.S. refinery since 2005.

The agency's 14-minute video, "Behind the Curve," includes a 3D animation of the events that led up the explosion and includes interviews with investigators and the CSB chair.

CSB's investigation found an immediate cause of the tragedy to be a long-term, undetected high temperature hydrogen attack (HTHA) of the steel equipment, which led to the vessel rupture. The agency found the industry’s standard for determining vulnerability of equipment to HTHA to be inadequate.

In the video, investigator Lauren Grim discusses HTHA, stating: “High temperature hydrogen attack, or HTHA, – is a common hazard that has long been known within the petrochemical industry. However, Tesoro engineers and corrosion experts did not believe it could occur within the heat exchanger that ultimately failed.”

Approved in May 2014, CSB's report is one of the most extensive and complex refinery explosion investigations. The investigators also reported their findings of a substandard safety culture at Tesoro, which led to a complacent attitude toward flammable leaks and occasional fires over the years. CSB found that the complexity of the startup procedure typically required more than just the one outside operator. Yet operating procedures were not updated to account for the role of additional personnel during the hazardous non-routine work.

Visit CSB's Tesoro Refinery accident page to learn more.

Z359 Committee Continues Important Work to Prevent Occupational Falls

Members of the Z359 ASC work to create consensus

standards to prevent falls from heights.

The ANSI/ASSE Z359 Accredited Standards Committee (ASC) met Tuesday, Oct. 28, at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL. More than 90 people were present to hear updates from members of the ASC's various subgroups. The meeting also featured presentations on topics such as safe practices for rope access work, managed fall protection programs, safety requirements for self-retracting devices for personal fall arrest and rescue systems, lightweight workers and energy-absorbing lanyards, and descending devices. "It is impressive to see so many companies, organizations, labor unions and governmental agencies here to work on standards addressing ways to stop fatalities and injuries resulting from falls from heights," says Randy Wingfield, Z359 ASC chair and president of Gravitec Systems Inc. ASSE is secretariat of the committee and producer of the widely used Z359 Fall Protection Code.