Before Artery Management begins to work on a job, the site has to be carefully examined to ensure the safety of staff, customers and the general public. We not only look at how we are going to get the jobs done, but the challenges of keeping people safe while working. For example, if we are working in an area that is too high for a ladder, we have to hire a scissor lift instead. We always make sure that we have cones, extensions and caution tape so that we can create barriers to prevent people from getting hurt. Last year, Artery Management worked in a college in Santa Fe and was responsible for opening up manholes around the campus. Our workers had to be aware of student and faculty safety, including the general public, as well. The college was situated in a residential area, and the people who live in that area also had access to the property we were working on. People came for walks,to exercise, or to use the library, so we had to be very aware of everybody around us. Precautions taken when working on Manholes Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards for manholes cover every aspect of our work. There are hundreds of regulations that the OSHA sets for our industry. For example, they have a description of what a confined space means:-
So when we enter a manhole, we have to make sure we have all the safety gear that is required to ensure the safety of our staff. The first thing we do is use an air meter that detects gas; air quality is crucial for the safety of our workers. The person going into the manhole must have a tripod with a wrench that attaches them to a harness so that if something happens or if someone loses consciousness we can wrench them out of the manhole to safety. Another example is that we worked on a job were we had fiber optic cables in the manhole so we couldn’t put the manhole covers on while we were working so we hired someone to stand outside the manhole and keep watch; making sure that the passing public did not fall in and get hurt. Safety issues when working with electricity Artery Management, is a full electrical contractor that deals with low, medium, and high voltage; that is from 40 – 480 watts. We therefore exercise extreme caution when dealing with electricity specifically. Measures taken when dealing with electricity include being aware of your surroundings. Our staff also need to ensure that lock-out and tag-out procedures are followed; this ensures that the circuit they are working on is turned off. This is done by putting on a padlock that nobody else has a key to and which nobody can turn on while they are working. Weather conditions and Safety issues Artery Management adhere to the OSHA’s guidelines with regards to extreme weather conditions. Things to be aware of when working in extreme heat
In places like Arizona workers start work at 3am and finish at 11am in the morning because of the extreme heat in the afternoons. In situations of extreme cold, it is recommended that electrical cable installation be avoided because the jackets of the cables can crack. Even in situations like working in 45° temperatures; although human beings can comfortably work in these temperatures by wearing the right clothing; materials they are working with cannot withstand the low temperatures. We find that when working in cold conditions the heat gets trapped in the ceiling areas where the cables are being installed but the cables in the boxes on the ground are at a much lower temperature and therefore will crack.
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AMGArtery Management Group, LLC (AMG) is a licensed contractor and equipment supplier in New Mexico. ArchivesCategories |