Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009 - (Page 16)

Fall Protection Tips Safe Tank Alliance Outlines Safe Practices for Biofuels Plants Workers at the nation’s ethanol and biodiesel plants spend their days working on top of tank farms, and scrambling to the tops of railcars and tank trucks to load bulk fuels. The tanks themselves can range in size from 5,000 to 500,000 gallons with heights as tall as 10 stories. According to Tom Semiklose, vice president of SafeRack, LLC, Sumter, SC (866-761-7225), a partnership was formed in 2004, between the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the National Fire Protection Association, and the American Petroleum Institute called the Safe Tank Alliance (STA) to promote worker safety regarding fall protection. According to Semiklose, the STA wanted to help ensure that employees at terminals and refineries such as biofuels plants are kept safe and aware of the standards that govern fall protection. “To this end, companies, facilities, and OSHA regulations require training that defines and explains fall-protection systems, how to recognize fall hazards, manufacturer’s recommendations on fall-protection personal-protective equipment, and when there is a need for specially qualified personnel,” Semiklose said. Recognizing Hazards • Holes in walking or working surfaces. • Untidy or congested work areas. • Obstructed walkways. • Improper use of equipment or procedures. • Slippery floors. Safety Equipment Semiklose noted that employees are also are taught to recognize the fall hazards in and around tanks—things like: Some of the safety equipment needed to avoid falls include: • Lifeline cables. Pre-engineered, usually synthetic lightweight cable for resistance to weather and chemicals. • Trolley beam. An I-beam suspended over the truck or railcar loading position, which workers clamp onto before moving along the vessel. • Safety cages. For tank-car use adjusted to the height of the gangway. • Permanent platforms. Permanent structures equipped with both single- and double-sided platforms that can be track-mounted. • Mobile access units. For truck or railcars that can be moved easily into place. Knowing Procedures “While the prevention of falls can, in many cases, be as simple as workers doing (or not doing) the things that their parents have been telling them since they were children, many industries—including the biofuels and liquid bulk terminal industries—present unique challenges in preventing falls, fatal or otherwise,” Semiklose said. “In addition to knowing the proper fall protection safety procedures, the best companies—with oversight from OSHA and other agencies—provide their employees with the equipment they need to best ensure that no catastrophic accident happens.” Myke Feinman, editor 16 BFJ | JAN/FEB 09

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009

Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009 Contents Safety Training Expanding Safety Pays Top 2008 OSHA Citations Ethanol Terminal Safety Preventing Falls Fighting Ethanol Fires Biodiesel Safety Bridgeport Ethanol John Kruse, Global Insight Barley Ethanol New DDGS Market—Fish Mary Beth Stanek, General Motors RINs As Commodity POET BioRefining Ethanol Pipeline—Florida DDGS Causing E. coli Community College Biofuels Ethanol Plants in the Pipeline State Report: Ohio Ethanol World Profile: Adam Dunlap, BlueFire Ethanol When to Harvest Switchgrass, Miscanthus Indirect Land Use Change Profile: Greg Olson, POET-Corning Growth Energy Monthly Ethanol Production Case Study: Fuelzyme Ethanol Industry News Greg Poe, Ethanol Pilot Sponsored by Fagen Inc. Blackhawk Biodiesel Biodiesel Roundup Biodiesel World Peanut Biodiesel Pennycress Biodiesel Radish Biodiesel Profile: Joe Korpi, Renewable Energy Group Biodiesel Convention NBB Eye on Biodiesel Awards Calendar of Events Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Under Construction Cellulosic Ethanol Plants Construction Map Breaking Cellulosic Ground Show Me’s Collecting Biomass Inland Empire Oilseeds POET’s Project Liberty Update Vermeer’s Cob Harvester Iowa State Cob Harvest Research Europe’s Energy Parks Imported Deere Cob Harvest Kit/Case IH Coskata Sugar/Mascoma Update Range Fuels Update Tom Warne, Schutte-Buffalo Hammermill University of Illinois Biofuels Master’s Roger Ladig, Laidig Systems, Inc. Miscanthus vs. Switchgrass Biofuels Automation Scott Martin, LeMar Industries Biodiesel Financing EISENMANN Corp. GATX / Beta Tec ProSonics / S.K. Patil DOE Grant Action Unloaders Ad Index

Biofuels Journal - January/February 2009

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