From voluntary to required

A MESSAGE TO OFFSHORE CONTRACTORS FROM ENDURE, INC.

The Safety Situation
As many of you know, on November 15th all offshore oil and gas operators were required to comply with the new regulations established by BSEE. The regulations mandate that oil and gas operators on the outer continental shelf (OCS) develop and implement SEMS (Safety and Environmental Management Systems) in accordance with API RP 75.

While we all commend the hard work and diligence of those who worked to reopen the gulf’s beaches, businesses, and communities, as well as the government’s efforts to ensure the safe operations of activities on the OCS, one implication of the new federal regulations has been overlooked: the impact of these regulations on small businesses that support offshore operators.

Small offshore contractors get ready!
The new regulations clearly state that contractors do not have to have SEMS, but the regulations do require that Operators & Contractors must document their agreement on appropriate contractor safety and environmental policies (bridging document).

Due to the urgency and critical nature of the new regulations, offshore operators are covering their bases and most are requiring contractors to have SEMS in order to continue working offshore. This could shut down the operations of some medium and small offshore contractors indefinitely.

One offshore contractor I met two weeks ago in Houston had just received notice of a pending SEMS audit and was being required to have SEMS implemented. This offshore contractor was facing the end of a multi-year contract until SEMS was implemented and the audit was passed. The contractor didn’t know where to start.

What does this mean?
Contractors may only need to have a working knowledge of SEMS, operators’ safety protocol, and sign a bridging document to continue supporting some offshore operators. However, a growing number of operators, like in the example above, are requiring that offshore contractors have SEMS implemented inside their own companies. For contractors providing piping or drilling support functions, this is a reasonable request and these companies likely have the resources and capacity to comply. However, for many offshore contract companies, developing a SEMS system is not only exceedingly difficult, but prohibitively time consuming and expensive.

The Solution
As an environmental and safety management consultant for over 20 years and a w/mbe, I understand the potential impacts of these new federal regulations on small businesses. Seeing the proverbial ‘writing on the wall’ early this year, I designed a safety and environmental training course to guide small businesses to comply with the new regulations.

ENDURE’s SEMS training course is designed to educate and empower contractors to support the compliance requirements of their respective operators. Over the course of two days, we will cover the history of API RP 75, the full regulatory requirements, operator’s responsibilities, and walk through what contractors need to do to begin developing and implementing their own SEMS. This is a high-powered, detailed course built for owners, senior company leaders, and safety personnel who will be responsible for developing and implementing SEMS.


To learn more about ENDURE’s Safety and Environmental training courses, including our 2-day SEMS Compliance course for offshore operators, go to endure-inc.com. You may also send questions or comments to Angelia Hopson, CEO/President of ENDURE, INC. at:

Visit our site - endure-inc.com
Visit our blog - endure360.blogspot.com

Sincerely,
Angelia Hopson

ENDURE, Inc.
360 Beinoris Drive
Wood Dale, IL 60191
P (630) 766-9700
F (630) 766-9701
E ahopson@endure-inc.com
Chicago * Houston * New Orleans * Orlando


For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com

Start Planing for a Drug Free Workplace!

America’s businesses pay a high price for alcohol and drug abuse. Some costs—increased absences, accidents and errors—are obvious. Others, such as low employee morale and high illness rates, are less so, but the effects are equally harmful to workplace safety. The good news is that employers have enormous power to protect their organizations from alcohol and drug abuse by educating employees and volunteers about its dangers and encouraging individuals with alcohol and drug problems to seek help.  The term “drug-free workplace” is used generally to describe employer-sponsored substance abuse prevention programs.

     Worksite alcohol and drug use cannot be taken lightly, especially on construction sites where we rely on each other for safety. As a worker on this site, you have certain responsibilities related to drug and alcohol use. It is your responsibility to:

•  Understand the project’s drug-free workplace policy.
• Follow it and set a good example for others by working drug and alcohol free.
• Seek help if you or your co-worker(s) need it.
• Notify management if you observe use of or impairment from drugs or alcohol that could threaten the health and safety of employees.

 Remember: if you directly observe drug-free workplace policy violations or obvious, on-the-job impairment that you believe poses an immediate danger to any worker on the job (perhaps caused by alcohol or drug use):

• DO NOT delay or ignore the situation.
• STOP the worker from committing the unsafe practice, if at all possible.
• NOTIFY your supervisor or foreman, immediately.
• BE WILLING to risk being wrong. When your safety and that of your co-worker(s) is on the line, it is better to be safe than sorry.

 A safe, healthy and drug-free workplace is everybody’s responsibility. Thanks for making it yours.
For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/

A Positive Attitude For Safety in 2011

Care and attitude are two of the more important aspects of your job. They not only affect the way you do your job, but also have a definite relationship to your mental as well as your physical well-being.

Have you ever noticed how much energy you have for the things you enjoy doing, projects you are enthusiastic about? It has been proved that people who perform their jobs with an assured attitude are more safety-conscious, work more efficiently, and have a healthier outlook. Safety means approaching your job with confidence, doing things the right way, the safe way, with concern for others.

A safe attitude contributes to everyone’s well-being. If a proper attitude is not maintained, job performance and quality of workmanship are likely to suffer. This in turn could result in a personal injury, inferior products, or damaged materials. A person who thinks safety will take the extra time to do the job correctly.

Even the people who buy the product you had a part in making could be affected, since a bad attitude can lead to poor workmanship—perhaps defective parts that might malfunction, causing injury to the consumer.

Have you ever has a bad day and felt guilty because the quality of your work was less than you’re capable of? You also know how satisfying it is to know that you’ve done a job well. When you do an admirable job and feel good about it, everything else seems to fall into place. Your job should not be “just a job”—it should be an enjoyable experience. After all, you spend one-third of your life working, which enables you to support yourself—and possibly a family—and to take pleasure in the activities you like to do off the job.

When you are enthusiastic about your job, and show concern and a positive attitude, you not only make a better employee but also become a much more appreciated individual. There is nothing as contagious as enthusiasm—if everyone makes the effort. Don’t be someone who just “has a job.” The proper attitude—the safe attitude—will show that you care.

A safe attitude can play a big role in all of our lives. By staying in the right frame of mind we can accomplish all things we attempt in a safe manner. Remember, your attitude matters to the company, to your co-workers, ultimately to your own health and self-esteem.

For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/

Winter Driving Safety

When winter storms strike, do not drive unless necessary.

1. If you must travel, make sure you car is stocked with survival gear like blankets, a shovel, flashlight and extra batteries, extra warm clothing, set of tire chains, battery booster cables, quick energy foods and brightly-colored cloth to use as a distress flag.
2. Keep your gas tank full to prevent gasoline freeze-up.
3. If you have a cell phone or two-way radio available for your use, keep the battery charged and keep it with you whenever traveling. If you should become stranded, you will be able to call for help, advising rescuers of your location.
4. Make sure someone knows your travel plans.

Winterize Your Vehicle
Preparing your vehicle for the winter season now will help ensure your vehicle is in good working order when you need it most.

1. Have a mechanic check the following items on your vehicle:
   • Battery
   • Wipers and windshield washer fluid
   • Antifreeze
   • Ignition system
   • Thermostat
   • Lights
   • Exhaust system
   • Flashing hazard lights
   • Heater
   • Brakes
   • Defroster
   • Oil level
2. Install good winter tires. Make sure the tires have adequate tread. All-weather radials are usually adequate for most winter conditions. You may also want to carry a set of tire chains in your vehicle for heavy snow conditions.
3. Keep a windshield scraper and small broom for ice and snow removal and maintain at least a half tank of gas throughout the winter season.
4. Finally, plan long trips carefully. Listen to the local media report or call law enforcement agencies for the latest road conditions.

Drive Safely
The leading cause of death and injuries during winter storms is transportation accidents.

1. Before getting behind the wheel this winter season, every driver could learn a lesson from our school bus drivers. It is elementary, but we have to keep our vehicles clear of ice and snow. Good vision is a key to good driving.
2. Plan your stops and keep more distance between cars. Be extra alert. Remember, snowdrifts can hide smaller children. Moreover, always match your speed to the road and weather conditions.

Trapped in a Car
What would you do if a blizzard trapped you on the road?
Here are some tips to follow:

1. Stay in your car and wait for help to find you.
2. Run your engine for short periods of time to stay warm. Keep your down-wind window open and make sure your exhaust pipe is clear of snow.
3. Turn on the dome light at night when you are running the engine to signal rescuers.
4. Hang a brightly colored piece of cloth or piece of clothing from your car.
5. Exercise from time to time by vigorously moving arms, legs, fingers and toes to keep blood circulating and to keep warm.

For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/

7 Steps for prevention of Frostbite and Hypothermia

Unfortunately, the cold weather brings with it more risks that are invisible to the naked eye. Actually, they’re really invisible. With the dropping temperature across the nation, workers are under the threat of suffering from cold stress. Those who belong to the construction, agriculture, maritime and commercial fishing industries are the most exposed to the fatal hazards of cold weather.

Cold stress can be a fatal threat to every worker. Once exposed to cold or freezing temperature for long periods of time, they run the risk of losing a serious amount of body heat. If not treated immediately, this could lead to brain damage and even death.

Here are safety tips to prevent cold stress or cold-induced illnesses or injuries:

1. Train employees for the cold and changing weather.

Training sure is a timeless necessity in the workplace. In these colder days, workers must be trained not only about cold-induced illnesses and injuries, but also to determine environmental or work site conditions that may cause cold stress. They should be especially trained in recognizing the signs and symptoms of cold stress or cold-induced injuries like hypothermia and frostbite.

Here are signs and symptoms of hypothermia:

• Cool skin
• Slower, irregular breathing
• Slower heartbeat
• Weak pulse
• Uncontrollable shivering
• Severe shaking
• Rigid muscles
• Drowsiness
• Exhaustion
• Slurred speech
• Memory lapses

The following are signs and symptoms of frostbite:

• Paleness of the skin
• Sensation of coldness or pain
• Pain disappears after a while with the freezing of the tissues.
• Tissues become increasingly whiter and harder.

2. Use a buddy system.

Sure, you may want to be left to yourself while working. But believe me, this is not the time to enjoy solitude while accomplishing your tasks outdoors. You don’t want to be working one minute and thawing your fingers the next.

So get a partner and work on monitoring each other for signs of cold stress. Don’t be stubborn because most of the time, it’s just difficult to determine danger signs when you only have yourself to rely on.

3. Adjust your work schedule to the cold or changing weather.

Don’t punish yourself too much. Just because you have to work outside and it feels like stepping into a walk-in freezer, it doesn’t mean you have to bask in the frigid winds all day.

Schedule work during the warmest part of the day. Break a task into shifts so you can take frequent, short breaks in warm dry shelters.

4. Layer clothing.

At this time of the year, the saying “less is more” surely does not hold true. Well, maybe partly true since wearing less clothes means getting exposed to more cold-stress-related threats.

Remember that it’s better to go for several thin layers of clothing instead of wearing just a couple of thick layers. For clothes next to the skin, choose those with synthetic fabrics to avoid absorption of sweat. An ideal choice is polypropylene. For your outer layer, choose fabrics made of waterproof and wind-resistant material.

5. Wear complete PPE (personal protective equipment).

You know you need it. Wear warm gloves, hats and hoods. In extreme conditions, don a warm woolen hood that covers your neck, head and ears. If you get hot while working, just open your jacket. Don’t remove your hat and gloves. The key is in wearing clothing that can be adjusted to changing conditions.

Avoid wearing tight-fitting footwear as this restricts blood flow. Your shoes or boots should allow you to wear either one thick or two thin pairs of socks.

6. Eat and drink hot or warm foods and liquids.

You might have to say goodbye to hot coffee and choco for a while. Drinking caffeinated and alcoholic beverages is not recommended while working in cold weather. Instead, go for warm, sweet beverages like sports drinks and sugar water. Keep in mind that you are also at risk of dehydration under cold weather so make it a habit to drink up.

Good news, though. You can feast on hot pasta dishes, soups and other foods rich in calories. Remember, though, that if you’re sick or under medication, you are more at risk to get cold stress. This is especially true if you have hypertension, diabetes or a cardiovascular disease.

7. Wear eye protection.

Ice or snow + excessive ultraviolet rays = eye injury. Yes, this is one proven equation. Before working outside, check first if you may be exposed to glare or, worse, blowing ice crystals. If conditions point to the affirmative, then go wear the right kind of eye protection.

For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/

Can you think of even one job or occupation where you never have to lift an object? I can’t. Lifting of objects can range from very light objects such as a piece of paper, a pin or a pen to very heavy objects like loads of boxes. Lifting is very much a part of our every day jobs. And, because it is something we do so often, we tend to do it without thinking, or at least we do until we strain a muscle, or worse, hurt our backs.
Lifting incorrectly can result in a variety of injuries. Back strain is a very common one. It results from over-stretching certain muscles, but it can be avoided by practicing safe lifting techniques. A hernia is another injury associated with lifting. A hernia does not generally result from a single lifting effort. It is usually the result of continued extreme exertion, especially done contrary to the structure of body.

Don’t underestimate the importance of being in good physical condition. Years of poor posture, overeating, lack of exercise, stress and improper lifting can catch up with you. Learn how your back works and what you can do to keep it strong. Ask for your physician’s recommended stretching, warm-up, and reconditioning exercises; then practice them regularly.

Safe lifting plays an important role in keeping your back healthy. Although there doesn’t seem to be just one right method to lift an object, there are lifting techniques that take strain off the low back area.
These techniques have several steps in common. They recommend you “size up the load”. That is, look it over. Decide if you can handle it alone or if you need help. When in doubt, ask for help. Moving a box or other object that is too heavy for one person is not worth strained and sore back muscles.
You should also “size up the area”. Look over the area where you are carrying the object to, and make sure it is clear of obstacles before beginning to carry the object.

For that period of time spent lifting, the load becomes a part of your body. You support and propel the object while it is attached to you. This attachment should be firm and sure. Get a good grip.
Attaching yourself to a load will change your balance. To keep this change of balance to a minimum, keep the load close to your body, to your normal center of gravity between the legs, between the shoulders.
Good foot position allows you to keep your balance and bring into play the full power of your leg muscles. Leg muscles are more powerful and more durable than back muscles. Let your leg muscles do the work. Again, footwork is important once you avoid twisting your upper body. Use your feet to change direction. Don’t twist your body. Twisting compounds the stress of the lift and affects your balance.

When you have someone helping you lift an object, teamwork becomes important. If you’re going to be carrying the load to another point, both of you should decide in advance how it is to be handled. Check the route and clearance. One person should be the leader and be in a position to observe and direct the other. Lifting and lowering should be done in unison. Don’t let the load drop suddenly without warning your partner.
Everyone has a way of lifting that seems most natural. Examine yours to see if you are using lifting techniques that reduce strain on your lower back. As the employee making the lift, you’re being counted on to make lifts that are safe and comfortable for you based on the items we’ve discussed:
Stay in shape
Size up the load; ask for help, if needed
Get a good grip
Keep the load close
Keep your balance with footwork
Let your leg muscles do the work
Don’t twist your body....


For more information about our safety services go to http://www.endure-inc.com/

Slips, Trips, & Falls

Did you know that slips, trips, and falls are second only to automobile accidents in causing personal injury? Over half of the fall injuries happen on the same level. In other words, people fall to the surface on which they are walking or working. The rest of the falls are from one elevation to another. These falls may include falls from ladders, roofs, catwalks, uneven surfaces, or stairs. There are thousands of minor injuries caused by slips, trips, and falls each year. Most alarming of all is the fact that industrial falls cause over 1000 deaths each year. Slips and trips result from some kind of unintended or unexpected change in the contact between the feet and the walking or working surface. What can be done to prevent slips, trips and falls? Most of the suggestions in this article can be used on the job and at home.

SLIPS occur when there is too little friction between a person’s feet and the walking surface. Many factors can cause a slip. Ice, oil, water, cleaning fluids, and other slippery substances are probably the most obvious causes. However, the flooring may be inappropriate-perhaps it is a slick material-or the person who slips may not be wearing proper shoes. To prevent slips, avoid walking in areas that pose slipping hazards if at all possible. Always promptly clean up spills of slippery substances. Better yet, prevent the spills in the first place. If an area is a chronic problem, re-route foot traffic in order to avoid it. If flooring is a problem, contact your supervisor to consider replacement or coating with a non-slip surfacing material. Be sure you have and use footwear that is appropriate for the surface you walk on and the work you do.

TRIPS occur when a person’s foot contacts an object and they are thrown off balance. The main cause of tripping is obvious–anytime something is in a walkway it could cause someone to trip. Another culprit is an object that projects into the walkway–perhaps material stored low on a shelf. Prevention of trips is simple but does require diligence. Keep objects that could cause someone to trip out of the way. Report uneven flooring and check the lighting.

FALLS can be caused by a number of things. Slips and trips frequently result in a fall. Falls also occur for other reasons. Improper use of ladders and scaffolding can result in a fall-usually a very serious one. Falls also happen when people climb objects without using fall protection equipment. Don’t risk serious injury by taking shortcuts. If you are working on a ladder, scaffold, or other elevated platform, make sure you know the requirements for using them safely. Always use fall protection equipment when it is required.
Proper lighting is another area to check to help avoid a slip or trip. Turn on the light before walking into a room. Don’t walk in the dark. Replace burned out bulbs or tubes. When moving from areas of different light intensity, give your eyes a chance to adjust before proceeding.

In walkways or aisles, dispose of waste properly and replace equipment in an orderly manner. Close cabinet doors and drawers.

Always use handrails on stairs and take just one step at a time. Report any broken or loose steps on stairs or ladders.

Slips, trips, and falls cause numerous injuries every day. But they are among the easiest hazards to correct. Take the time to look around your worksite for these hazards and work to prevent them. Take care not to cause any slip, trip, or fall hazards as you go about your daily activities. Don’t let a slip, trip, or fall keep you from enjoying all that life has to offer.