Welcome to the JSABuilder news & resource page!

Welcome to the JSABuilder news and resource page! Formatted as a blog, we have set this page up to function as a collection of resources, news and pertinent safety information. We are excited to dialogue with you about workplace safety and provide you with resources and information to use in building a safer workplace, as well as share tips on how to use the JSABuilder program. Over the course of the next few months, we will be loading in past articles from the JSABuilder quarterly Safety Analysis Newsletter, as well as beginning to publish additional new content, videos, safety links and reviews. Please join us, leave a comment or view some of the resource links embedded in our posts. We look forward to the conversation!

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A Lost Time Injury

The Task: Remove a mobile generator from a storage shed for transportation to well sites, where it is used to power equipment.

The Facts: The generator weighs about 100 lbs, has only two wheels, and no ergonomically designed lifting handle. Workers must utilize the frame to lift & move the generator. The generator is stored amongst other equipment in the storage shed, making access difficult. A job safety analysis was not performed in advance.

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Ladder Safety

The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries cautions that the risk of ladder falls can increase during the holiday season when workers are hanging and removing holiday decorations. They recommend the following ladder safety tips:

• Carefully inspect the ladder for defects, cracks and corrosion before use. Tag and remove from service any ladders deemed unsafe.

• Make sure the ladder’s feet have slip-resistant pads.

• Use a fiberglass ladder around electricity.

• When setting up a ladder, look for a location with firm, level footing and a rigid support for the top of the ladder.

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Replacing a User

With the start of the new year, some of the multi-user accounts may be going through personnel changes as people move throughout the organization. A couple tips for account Administrators on changing out user IDs in JSABuilder:

• Delete the old user, rather than simply using “edit” to change his or her name and login. Using “edit” to change users will replace the old user’s name with the new user, and show all JSAs created by the original user as being created by the new user. By clicking the “delete” link next to the user name in your Admin console, the user is instead deactivated. All JSAs created by that user will remain in the account (the JSAs are not deleted!), and will continue to be listed as being created by him (her).

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Who’s requiring JSA now?

This quarter’s Case Study is replaced by an overview of regulatory requirements pertaining to job safety analysis.

Job safety analysis (JSA), job hazard analysis (JHA) and activity hazard analysis (AHA) are accepted techniques for analyzing workplace/job hazards and implementing controls to eliminate or minimize the hazard to workers; and in some instances are required. The following provides an overview of some of these requirements.

The most recent JSA regulatory requirement is 30 CFR 250.1911 (b) of the Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement (BSEE) Final Rule for 30 CFR Part 250 Subpart S – Safety and Environmental Management Systems. This new rule, effective November 15, 2011, governs safety of offshore oil and gas exploration and production facilities. The rule requires the following:

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Winter Driving

While a portion of our JSABuilder community is enjoying a sunny, southern hemisphere summer, most of our community is in the midst of a northern hemisphere winter – and facing dramatically different driving conditions than the rest of the year. For some drivers, this means snow covered roads and near-blizzard conditions. For other drivers in more moderate, dry climates, this means now adjusting to driving in wet conditions. Either way, it means cooler temperatures than normal, fewer hours of daylight, and facing other drivers who are also not used to driving in these seasonal conditions.

• Follow the 4-second rule: leave four seconds of road space between you and the car in front of you

• Maintain a view of the big picture: keep checking down the road in front of you, as well as in the lanes next to you, for erratic drivers, changes in road conditions and slowing traffic, and make sure to keep a safe space cushion around your vehicle (sides, front, back)

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Winter Numbers: keeping healthy and alive

It is officially winter in North America! From Alaska or Florida, the changes in temperature, humidity, daylight hours and potential holiday stress contribute to a winter season that is a peak time for flu, heart problems, weight gain and seasonal affective disorder. As well, statistics also show that winter is a peak time for unintentional deaths by poisoning, choking and fire/flame/smoke.

According to Harvard Medical School, deaths and hospitalizations for heart disease and stroke have been reported to increase more than 50% in winter. This is attributed to
• shorter daylight hours (affects heart-related hormones, such as cortisol),
• cold weather (arteries constrict when cold, impacting blood flow),
• increased strain on heart (increased demand for oxygen as heart works harder to maintain body heat),
• changes in personal habits (extra food, alcohol, smoking and weight gain during the holidays; overexertion in beginning New Year’s exercise resolutions),
• changes in psychological issues (stress, anxiety, depression during holidays and due to lack of sunlight); and
• the flu (influenza, not be confused with intestinal or stomach flu; inflammation from the flu can trigger heart attack). (see also write-up in Medicine Net)

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Rolling-out a company-wide JSABuilder program

With many of our larger clients in the midst of their own corporate roll-out of the JSABuilder program, the question of how to conduct a smooth, company-wide mounting of the program has been coming up. This month’s Case Study highlights how one company did just that – from introducing it to a small test group, to presenting it to leadership, to developing a training program and a phased roll-out.

Matt Kane of Colonial Pipeline Company discovered JSABuilder during an on-line search. After playing around with it for a couple days, he purchased a subscription and began to investigate it more thoroughly. He demonstrated the program for fellow members of Colonial’s Safety Council, a group charged with bringing new and innovative safety solutions to Colonial’s workforce.

The Council believed JSABuilder was a good fit for Colonial, whose operations extend from Houston to New York. The Council met with project managers and others to select a small group of employees who would serve as a test group. Additional subscriptions were purchased and, over the next few months, the group used JSABuilder and gave their feedback to Matt and the Safety Council.

The program was shared with corporate and mid-level leadership teams and demonstrated at an annual Safety & Operations Symposium. Shortly afterwards, the program was slated for a company-wide rollout. Matt asked JSABuilder for a 3- to 4-month rollout and fliers, handouts and training materials.

Two questions to consider were 1) who would need create or use a JSA for their job, and 2) who would need to be trained. The Safety Council developed a list of about 300 people who would need access to JSABuilder. Matt worked with Colonial’s Training Services Department to supplement and load the JSABuilder training materials into their computer based training (CBT) system. Matt then visited the different regional and state technician meetings to conduct informational sessions on JSABuilder, while other Safety Council members took the program to project management meetings.

Four months after leadership approval, Colonial’s roll-out began. Employees were introduced to JSABuilder at safety meetings, and were able to document their training through Colonial’s CBT system. With training materials accessible via the CBT system, even new employees could receive immediate training on the program. As well, all Safety Council members are designated as administrators on the account and can be contacted for help regarding any aspect of JSABuilder.

Matt notes that Colonial’s emphasis on safety and training helped support the process. “At Colonial, training is highly valued. We make sure people are really trained and know what they are doing before we roll out anything new – whether it’s a new paystub process or an operations process,” says Matt.

With everyone now on board, Matt and other Safety Council members are able to go through and review JSAs throughout the company, commending those that are particularly well done, and following-up with those that might benefit from additional training.

Sign up and create your JSA!

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Deer Season

It is deer season again, all across North America. Rutting, or breeding, season can extend from September through February, which means deer are likely to be more active now. In Washington State, “more than half of all deer/vehicle collisions occur in October and November,” (Washington State, Department of Fish and Wildlife). Deer are also likely to travel in groups, so if you see one preparing to cross the road, there will likely be others as well. Deer tend to live at the edge of suburban environments bordering nature lands and woods or water, and they tend to travel and dawn and dusk, typical commuter hours. “Deer can be seen crossing roadways at any time of day, but typically are most active and dawn and dusk,” former New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection Comissioner Lisa P. Jackson, 9/24/08, motorist alert.

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Safety in numbers: meeting together with other EHS professionals

According to the National Safety Council 2011 Edition Injury Facts publication, the average cost for all worker compensation claims in 2007 and 2008 was $34,377 (based on data provided by the National Council on Compensation Insurance’s [NCCI] Workers Compensation Statistical Plan [WCSP] database). Most of us have probably heard of the correlation between safety and savings. As a friend of JSABuilder, you are also already aware of the importance in conducting a safety analysis of each job – and each part of the job. Safety pays – not just in corporate financial savings, but in a safer, healthier workplace.

However, has your company seen a correlation yet between attendance at safety conferences and workplace safety? If a conference is outside of your budget, what about simply making a point of connecting with other safety professionals in your area, outside of your company? This quarter’s Stats write-up takes a look at safety conferences – and offers an invitation to come see us promote job safety analysis via JSABuilder at the 2011 NSC Expo.

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JSAB tip – use of new features

The past few months, we have seen the roll out of some great new features by our JSABuilder programmers!

• JSA Access options (editing privileges) – Administrators can now control which users on the account have access to modify JSAs/AHAs: JSA creator only, creator and Admin, or everyone on the account (default). (Admin – Organizational Settings – JSA Access Options)
• Updates to the “deleted JSAs” folder – formerly any JSA/AHA deleted by a non-Admin user was sent to the Admin “deleted JSAs” folder for review (from whence it could be restored to the console, or permanently deleted); now ALL deleted JSAs – including those deleted by an Admin – are moved to the “deleted JSAs” folder fro review. (Admin – Deleted JSAs)
• Colored coded AHA matrix – by popular request, our programmers rolled out a color coded AHA matrix for the AHA format! In addition to a color coded matrix at the top of the finalized AHA, each job step’s risk ranking is also color coded.
• Logo page – JSABuilder is pleased to introduce our client logo page! Intended both to help credentialize JSABuilder with new prospective clients, and honor our current clients for their commitments to safety.

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