Fire Safety Procedures for the Workplace

A fire in the workplace can be one of the most devastating hazards for not only workers but for the public as well. It can result in numerous serious injuries or even fatalities, not to mention extensive property damage. Fire safety is very important! Be sure to train employees on your municipality’s fire procedures. If procedures are being ignored or are unclear, then schedule a fire safety meeting to train new employees, retrain veteran employees, and give knowledge and confidence to them all.

Basic fire safety you must know for every worksite:

• Know the location of fire extinguishers and/or fire alarm pull stations in your work environment. You should always know where the closest extinguisher is.

• Know where the nearest emergency exit is and where alternate exits are located.

• Know the difference between alarm signals to quickly recognize the situation (fire, tornado, active shooter, etc.)

If you discover a fire:

• Alert all other individuals in the workplace by activating the nearest fire alarm, shouting clearly, or by using other procedures set in place by your municipality.

• Use the nearest exit to evacuate the workplace and go to the appropriate rendezvous location.

• Use a fire extinguisher to put the fire out if it has not left its point of origin, you have been trained to use a fire extinguisher, and you have a sufficient way to escape if your efforts don’t put the fire out.

During an evacuation of a worksite:

• Stay calm and evacuate immediately when you hear the alarm.

• Along the escape route close (but don’t lock) all windows and doors you pass. This helps reduce fire, smoke, and fumes from spreading throughout the facility.

• Go to the rendezvous or assembly area immediately and check in with your supervisor so he/she knows you are safe outside the building.

• Follow all procedures put in place by your municipality.

A safe workplace is crucial and ensures you have the correct safety procedures and policies in place for such things as first aid and CPR training of employees. Employees must understand their role in a fire emergency especially if they have been given a special task like assisting a disabled co-worker safely out of the building. Holding fire drills at least annually and providing employees the opportunity to practice the information provided in safety meetings is another important part of fire safety. Don’t leave it out of your training procedures.

Advisory: Increased targeted phishing of OK municipalities

Recently, we have had a sudden rise in reports of phishing and scams from OMAG member cities and towns.

These have been more sophisticated than the attacks that we are typically used to seeing. These attacks have used spoofing techniques that make them more difficult to detect, and language that only gives off subtle hints that it might be a scam.

We are worried that this uptick in attacks may be organized, though we are still investigating.

OMAG wants our members to be especially vigilant during this time, since a disruption in municipal services due to malware or extortion could be especially difficult during an election cycle and when preparing for the upcoming holidays.

Key points of advice are:

1. always to be extremely careful when dealing with links in emails

2. check carefully for misspellings or “typos” in domain names or email addresses that you are familiar with.

3. if you aren’t expecting a file from someone, don’t open an attachment

4. if someone you know has sent you an email that you aren’t sure about, please contact them through a known phone number to ask them if the email is legitimate before opening the link or clicking the attachment.

This is by no means an exhaustive list of precautions.  As stated above, the attacks we have seen this week are more sophisticated, and I wanted to give an example of the pattern we saw.

Below I have excerpted a short template from an email that was maliciously sent out by an attacker who was able to spoof one of our cities this week:

Hello,

[CITY NAME] invites your firm to submit a proposal for the above-referenced services in accordance with this RFP package. 

See the attached document for detailed information : [MALICIOUS LINK GOING TO CANVA.COM ]

[…]Due to the size of some of the electronic RFP documents, Owner has uploaded them to the SharePoint” website.

Bidder can access the electronic RFP documents via this weblink: [SAME MALICIOUS LINK GOING TO CANVA.COM ]

(Please advise if there are any technical issues accessing these files)

The email this came from did not have any OBVIOUS signs of a spoofed email address, so we have to look carefully at the language used.  The email uses “above referenced” when there was nothing above that line, other than “Hello,”.  If this was received as a reply to an already existing email chain, it might be more convincing.  But it’s presence in a brand new email should be a dead giveaway that something is off.  The use of “Owner” as if it were a proper name is also a clue that a template may have been used to create this phishing email, and they didn’t know who to put as the boss. This phishing email was polite, which is unfortunate for us because usually, an urgent or threatening tone is an important clue that an email is phishing.  There are other things, like referring to an attachment when the email only has links.  That could be picked up as a clue that it came from a phishing template, yet it could also be written off as an honest mistake by someone writing a legitimate email to a large group. As we all learn the patterns better, the attackers are learning too.

So please be especially cautious as the calendar leads up to the end of this year.  Try to recognize the patterns and use your best judgment.

When in doubt, getting in touch with someone on the phone through a known main number is still a very good way to try to confirm the legitimacy of an email.

September 2020 Risk and Safety Newsletter

News Release: Only Flush: Poo, Pee, & Paper (Toilet)

In Oklahoma cities and towns one of the most frequent and potentially costly insurance claims is a sanitary sewer overflow (aka sewer back up). With the recent toilet paper shortage, many people have turned to purchasing and using “flushable wipes”. Please, don’t use these! Flushable wipes, though advertised as safe for sewer and septic systems, are not. They are not designed to be biodegradable, despite what the manufacturer puts on the label.

Items like flushable wipes, tampons, sanitary napkins, dental floss, diapers, cotton swabs, and bandages are not designed to be flushed down the toilet.

What can be flushed? Only three things: Poo, Pee, and Toilet Paper. These other items get caught up in fats, greases, oils, and debris in the sewer system and cause clogs known as “fatbergs”. This can cause a back up in your personal sewer line or in the municipality’s sewer lines. It can even make it all the way to the sewer treatment plant and destroy thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment.

Protect your property, the property of your neighbors, and your municipality’s property. Only flush the 3 Ps (poo, pee, and paper). If you use flushable wipes or other products not biodegradable put them in plastic bags and place them in your trash.

This message was provided by your local municipality and Oklahoma Municipal Assurance Group (OMAG). OMAG is the liability insurance provider for most cities and towns in Oklahoma (for more information regarding this release contact Bill Tackett, OMAG Chief Risk Officer/Director of Risk Management).

What are the biggest gaps in lockout/tagout programs?

Lockout/tagout is a critical safety component in safeguarding workers around the equipment they operate, service and maintain. According to the Oklahoma Department of Labor’s PEOSH division, once again last year, OSHA’s Lockout/Tagout Standard (1910.147) made the list of the top 10 most frequently cited standards. The most-cited sections within this standard focus on procedure development and use, inspections, employee training, and notification of the application and removal of lockout or tagout devices.

An important first step for municipalities is to develop a written energy control lockout/tagout program and document your energy control efforts. Creating a written document helps establish and explain the elements of the program to all employees.

One of the most common program gaps is the lack of detailed, machine-specific procedures. Procedures are used to explain the steps for shutting down, isolating, blocking and securing equipment to control hazardous energy, as well as applying and removing lockout/tagout devices. Some best practices include machine-specific photos that identify energy isolation points, tailoring messages to your workforce with the necessary languages, and procedure installation at the point of use. By maintaining and formally documenting procedures that tie in with other program elements, such as devices, you have a line of sight into areas requiring additional attention.

With a program and procedures in place, the next step is to instruct employees, communicate processes and conduct periodic inspections. Instruction should include OSHA requirements, as well as customized program elements, such as machine-specific procedures. When PEOSH evaluates municipal performance on lockout/tagout compliance, it looks at training for employees based on three categories: authorized, affected and other employees.

When it comes to locking out equipment, many products are on the market. Selecting the most appropriate solution for your application is key to lockout effectiveness. These products should be easy to positively lock out and simple to use. It also is important to use devices that best fit each lockout point and follow these seven steps for compliance and safety:

1. Notify affected employees of your intent to lock out the equipment.

2. Review the machine-specific written lockout procedures.

3. Perform the normal machine stop.

4. Shut off all energy isolation controls.

5. Lock out the energy isolation controls.
   Dissipate any stored or residual energies.

6. Verify the zero-energy state to begin servicing safely.

Once you have an effective lockout program in place, consistently reviewing it beyond the required annual inspection and performing audits are essential to identifying gaps or inconsistencies. This allows your municipality to focus on maintaining a successful program, instead of reacting only when something goes wrong. A sustainable lockout/tagout program not only helps to improve workplace safety, it also reduces costs and increases productivity.

Don't Flush Wipes!

Dangers of Flushing Those “Flushable”

Wipes People are flushing wipes down toilets – and this is causing dangerous problems for both private citizens and municipalities’ sewer lines. The flushable wipes cause private sewer lines to back up at a cost to the homeowner, but if they make it into the municipal sewer system they can mix with greases and cause major sewer backups in the lines. If they make it into the wastewater plant they can damage system machinery.

Toilet paper is designed to disintegrate in pipes and sewage systems, but wipes are not. They’re typically made with synthetic materials, plastics or polyester, that won't break down. So even if they flush down the toilet, they end up clogging sewers. This poses hazardous risks to sewage professionals that must break these clogs up and the costs are considerable. Some cities have spent millions of dollars a year to address damages and clear pipes.

As wipes meet cooking fat in the sewage system, they build up into a monstrous obstacle, a “fatberg.” A fatberg is a huge mass of solid waste largely consisting of cooking fats, disposable wipes, tampons, and other sanitary items that get flushed down the toilet. They’re unhygienic, expensive to fix, and incredibly gross. Clogs and fatbergs make jobs that are already hazardous and very difficult even more so.

So, why are wipes advertised as “flushable”?

You can attempt to flush many things down a toilet (if you have a child, perhaps you've seen the random stuff someone may put down the drain...) but that doesn’t mean they’ll effectively move through the sewage system.

Companies can currently label wipes as “flushable” simply because they aren’t restricted from doing so. Companies aren't required to prove flushability before asserting this claim and it seems most would fail any such test. A study out of Canada tested 101 wipes on the market for flushability and not even one passed. This marketing technique is misleading, and we need provisions to keep companies from freely using it and sparking customer confusion.

While there have been policy attempts to curtail deceptive “flushable” labels (California is debating a bill that would require products to be clearly labeled.) these moves have been met by significant resistance from the industry.

Solutions to Keep the Pipes Clear

One of the last things we need during a serious global pandemic is clogged sewers overflowing into the streets. Utility departments urge citizens to stop flushing wipes and to only flush bodily waste and toilet paper. Wipes are also not recyclable, so they need to go to the trash bin.

To address this issue beyond our homes, we can urge our elected officials to hold companies making these wipes accountable for the costs to our municipal sewage systems. We can also contact companies by tagging them on social media and ask them to stop using “flushable” claims.

If you value the health of your community and your sewer system, please contact your local newspaper and have them pass on the information about flushable wipes clogging up our sewer lines or put a copy of this article in with your utility bill.

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*Image used from: https://www.alphr.com/energy/1007087/londons-monster-fatberg-human-waste/

Manhole Cover Opening, Tips and Tricks

Occasionally we underestimate how heavy manhole covers are and the difficulty in opening them. They rattle when we drive over them, so they should be a snap to pop open, right? Wrong! Manhole covers are very heavy; most are constructed of cast iron. Removing one improperly can result in serious back and/or spine injury.

Having the right tool for the job is the key to completing this task safely. Using a manhole hook, often called a manhole key, to remove manhole covers is a great tool for safely opening the cover. Manhole keys come in a variety of sizes and styles. Make sure to use the correct manhole key for the manhole covers you have in your municipality. Another excellent multi-task tool is a pick (with a point on one end and a flat horizontal claw on the other end). A long heavy-duty flat screwdriver can be helpful too, or a hammer with an extra-long handle and a straight claw. Consider the types of manholes you have in your municipality. Some manhole covers don’t have the keyhole built into them - they have a grooved slot around the rim - a pick works best on these manhole covers.

Manhole covers are difficult to open on the best of days. Here is a tip to help get stubborn manholes popped. Occasionally, a manhole cover gets stuck in its ring. When this happens, we usually resort to the tools we have on hand to pry the cover open. Most often the “go-to” tool is the sledgehammer and when used, what follows is usually a lot of effort and lack of success. Far too often, the cover is broken after too many sledgehammer strikes, trying to avoid spending the time getting the backhoe to the job site. Breaking lids are not only costly but also dangerous. Joel Baker, Public Works Operator for the Town of Talala has a method that saves a lot of time and effort. He recommends ensuring the edge of the manhole cover is clear of dirt, debris, or other sediments that cause the manhole lid to bind in the hole making it more difficult to dislodge. Once the edge of the cover has been cleaned, Joel pours a liberal amount of water around the edge of the manhole cover. Allow the water a few minutes to work its way in to loosen debris between the ring and cover. Take your time, it’s better than beating the cover senseless with a sledgehammer and wearing yourself out. Now, once the water has had time to work, give the manhole cover a couple of shots with your sledgehammer and it should pop loose. If not, you can pour more water into the gap.

This technique works on most manholes lids and has saved many from being broken. There is no magic wand or silver bullet when it comes to stuck manhole lids. Occasionally, you will come across a stubborn lid that won’t budge no matter how hard you pry or how much water you pour. In these cases, it is better to use a backhoe or similar equipment to lift the cover

Manhole keys are the recommended tool for the job, but there are other methods to dislodge stuck lids. However, it is crucial to exercise caution when using tools not specifically designed to open manholes. Crowbars and screwdrivers are also effective at prying open a lid from its ring. However, neither the crowbar nor the screwdriver can actually lift the lid, they merely create a gap to wedge another tool, like the pick/key under to lift the lid. Avoid lifting the manhole lid with your hands if possible.

Regardless of which tool or method is employed to open manhole covers, safety should always be the top priority. Covers are rough, rusty, and sometimes have sharp edges. Be sure that you’re wearing heavy-duty gloves to protect your hands from injury when lifting manholes covers. Pay close attention to keep your hands clear of pinch points. Also, make sure to straddle the manhole cover and lift with your back straight and your knees bent.