Milling & Baking News - September 10, 2019 - 34

Industry Activities

A.B.A. advocates OSHA update to
hazardous energy regulations
WASHINGTON - Updates in hazardous energy regulations must maintain
workplace safety, reflect technological
advancements and offer employers
flexibility, according to the Coalition
for Workplace Safety (C.W.S.) and the
American Bakers Association, a member of the coalition.
The recommendations were part
of a C.W.S. response letter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regarding potential
modifications of the standard governing the Control of Hazardous Energy. OSHA on May 20 requested comments on the regulation. Published in
The Federal Register, the request noted
that the current rule has its origins in
the early 1980s. The rule was promulgated in September 1989 based on a
consensus standard published in 1982
by the American National Standards
Institute (ANSI).
The A.B.A. said it concurs with several coalition comments to OSHA:
* The standard is outdated and
needs to be updated in a way reflecting many technological advancements;
* OSHA must account for the role
that robotics plays in commerce;
* OSHA must allow employers flexibility in determining how to protect

their employees from hazards;
* and certain language and definitions must be updated and redefined
in order to ensure transparency and
safety.
According to OSHA, hazardous energy refers to danger from a variety of
energy sources, including electrical,
mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic,
chemical, thermal, or other sources in
machines and equipment that can be
hazardous to workers.
"During the servicing and maintenance of machines and equipment, the
unexpected start-up or release of stored
energy can result in serious injury or
death to workers," according to OSHA.
Traditional methods of protecting
workers from this risk include lockout
devices that keep an energy-isolating
device (such as a manually operated circuit breaker or a disconnect switch) in a
safe position, keeping machinery from
starting up. An alternative to a lockout
device is tagout, which essentially is a
warning tag stating that the machinery
tagged must not be operated until the
tag is removed consistent with established and appropriate procedures.
In recent years, ANSI has recognized that the standards may be dated since advancing technology has
opened the possibility of advanced

Grain Craft honors military
veterans with special event
As part of the outing, the group attended a welcome reception at The
Chattanoogan hotel. The group then attended a breakfast the following day at
the Grain Craft office to meet the staff
and share their military experiences with

GRAIN CRAFT

CHATTANOOGA, TENN. - Grain
Craft recently honored veterans with
a trip to Chattanooga. The group included Grain Craft employees, customer representatives and veterans
from the local community.

Grain Craft employees, customer representatives and a group of veterans from the local Chattanooga, Tenn., community took part in an event hosted by Grain Craft.
34 / September 10, 2019

Milling & Baking News

control systems that "provide new
opportunities for addressing energy
control where conventional lockout is
not feasible, where energy is required
to perform a task, where repetitive
cycling of an energy-isolating device
increases risk, and where energy is
required to maintain equipment in
a safe state." A new ANSI consensus
standard was published in 2016, providing for "decision-making flexibility
regarding hazardous energy control."
The A.B.A. also is advocating the update of specific language in the regulation
regarding "Reliable Control Circuits"
and their use versus energy-isolation.
"The current language is vague and
confusing to employers and could in
turn lead to inadvertent danger in
certain situations," the A.B.A. said.
"There must be full steps to isolate all
forms of energy to provide safety for
employees."
The bakers also said interlocks
should not be considered a safe alternative to complete isolate of electrical
energy to equipment. When lockout/
tagout is not used, alternative methods should be pursued only when
hazards have been assessed and risks
documented.
Amplifying the C.W.S. point on the
importance of addressing robotics in
the new standard, the A.B.A. said such
a modification "would be beneficial
not only to the baking industry but to
all sectors of manufacturing." MBN
each other. They also attended the "Celebration of Valor" luncheon, which Grain
Craft sponsors. The luncheon is a tribute
to military heroes and a benefit for the
Charles H. Coolidge National Medal of
Honor Heritage Center. The luncheon
featured a presentation by Medal of
Honor recipient Clint Romesha.
"Grain Craft is proud to support and
honor our veterans," said Pete Frederick, president of Grain Craft. "They
have each served our country and
their sacrifice is priceless. This special
veterans' event is just a small token of
appreciation compared to their selfless
service. As a company we are committed to supporting our military veterans
and their families, and we look forward
to hosting future events."
Other activities on the trip included
a ride on the Chattanooga Duck Boat,
a World War II amphibious craft designed in 1942, and a visit to the Tennessee Aquarium, which houses the
"River Journey" once deemed the
largest freshwater aquarium in the
world when it opened in 1992. MBN
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Milling & Baking News - September 10, 2019

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