America’s solar energy industry has grown rapidly — more than doubling its workforce. There are now more than 242,000 U.S. solar workers. Training programs and compliance with OSHA safety standards keep workers informed and can prevent accidents.
Unfortunately, electrical work by its very nature is dangerous due to the high energy levels involved and, until an accident occurs, electricity is odorless, colorless, and invisible. As an electrical worker, you’ve chosen the third most dangerous profession, according to OSHA.
OSHA has cited Day & Zimmerman NPS, Inc., for exposing employees to electric shock hazards at the Tennessee Valley Authority Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant in Soddy Daisy, Tenn. The company faces $71,599 in proposed penalties.
Two employees pulling electrical cable suffered burns from an arc flash.
According to OSHA, arc flash burns are one of the top three most common hazards when working with energized electrical equipment.
Every day in the U.S. there are up to 10 arc flash incidents, totaling more than 3,600 disabling electrical contact injuries each year. The violent nature of arc flash exposure, which can result in a fatality, even if a worker is 10 feet from the blast site.
OSHA cited ASARCO – a metal smelting company – for electrical hazards after an arc flash caused three workers to suffer severe burns at its facility in Hayden, Arizona. The company faces $278,456 in penalties for two willful violations and one serious violation.
Arc eye, or welder’s flash, is an inflammation of the cornea, caused by the UV rays from the arc during welding. The symptoms, which appear a few hours to several hours after exposure, can include mild to severe pain, red watery eyes, sensitivity to light and the feeling of a foreign object in the eye. Typically, arc eye is temporary, but repeated or prolonged exposure can lead to permanent eye injury.
“Welding fumes are a complex mixture of fine condensed metallic particulate and other solid particles. While welding fume is not a gas, some gases such as ozone, NOx and carbon monoxide are also generated during the welding process,” says Keith Daley, environmental systems manager at The Lincoln Electric Company of Canada.
Welding helmets protect you from UV radiation, particles, debris, hot slag and chemical burns. It’s important that you wear the right lens shade for the work you are carrying out. Follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and gradually adjust the lens filter until you have good visibility that does not irritate your eyes.
Welding fumes inhaled through the years may cause serious medical complications. Those noises that didn't seem so loud actually were, potentially destroying your ability to hear. The parts that didn't seem so heavy may trigger shoulder problems. The constant kneeling can lead to knee troubles.
Welding operators should always wear an approved respirator unless exposure assessments are below applicable exposure limits.
Report concerns to a supervisor so your exposure to substances of the welding fumes can be checked.
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