Hazardous Energy Control (LOTO)

Below is a list of our most requested training topics. For more information on a specific topic not listed or to group training topics please contact us.

• NFPA 70E Arc Flash Safety
• Control of Hazardous Energy (LOTO)
• Bloodborne Pathogens
• Confined Space Safety
• Electrical Safe Work Practices
• Emergency Action Plans
• Ergonomics
• Fall Protection
• Fire Extinguishers
• Lockout Tagout
• Safety Management for Supervisors
• Flammable Liquid Safety
• Safety Committee Training
• Hazard Communication
• Forklift
• Industrial Hygiene
• Hazardous Material Spill Response
• New Employee Safety Orientation
• Personal Protective Equipment
• Respiratory Protection
• Machine Guarding
• Welding & Hot Work
• Workplace Violence

 An Arc Flash is a dangerous condition associated with the explosive release of energy caused by an electrical arc due to either a phase to ground or phase to phase fault. This fault can result from many factors, including dropped tools, accidental contact with electrical systems, build up of conductive dust, corrosion, and improper work procedures.

NFPA 70E requires the following elements:

• Arc Flash Hazard Assessment (Annex H Methodology and/or Engineering Calculations) of the entire operations.
• Determination of applicable flash and shock boundaries for each electrical enclosure.
• Labeling of all applicable electrical enclosures based on the findings of the arc flash hazard assessment. The labeling must specify the arc flash hazard category, flash boundary and shock boundary.
• PPE determinations based on the potential energy exposure levels (cal/cm2).
• Training of all Qualified Employees, Non-Qualified Employees, and Contractors.
• Other elements as applicable to specific operations.

These inspections are conducted focusing on regulatory compliance. The intent is to identify potential violations prior to an actual compliance inspection. The Hilgeman Group will review your operations, written programs, and processes. A confidential audit report will identify the strengths of your safety program, compliance issues, violations and typical penalty amounts that would be issued by OSHA if they cited the violations identified. Recommended corrective actions will also be given for each compliance item noted.

Our firm has decades of experience in the manufacturing sector. Let us put our experience to work for your organization! 

Major changes have come our way when implementing and updating a Hazardous Energy Control Program in industry applications. We have adapted and are able to offer many resources to keep our clients up to date.

• Hazardous Energy Control (LOTO) Procedure Development
• Annual Audits
• Classroom and Hands on Qualified Level Employee Training
• Written Programs

 Infrared electrical inspections find hot spots caused by defects in connections and components. Infrared thermography is used to find areas of excess heat (caused by increased resistance) so that problems can be corrected before a component fails, causing damage to the component, creating safety hazards and productivity loss. Because increased heating is a sign of failure, infrared is the best diagnostic tool available for finding these hot connections in the early stages of degeneration.

The McGarrh Group's IR inspection services are designed to provide our clients with the many benefits of infrared thermography without the need to make the capital investment in equipment and employee training. Our certified Electrical Safety Specialists and Safety Engineers make the thermography process highly cost-effective and efficient.

Clients are provided with full color thermography reports with recommendations for cost-effective corrective actions. 

The McGarrh Group has a strong reputation for providing reliable, cost-effective industrial hygiene services to our clients throughout the country. Our testing services include:

• Baseline Industrial Hygiene Surveys
• Area and Personal Sampling
• Organic Solvents
• Dust & Particulates
• Welding Fumes
• Noise
• Carbon Monoxide
• Asbestos
• Mold & Microbiology
• Lead Paint
• Hexavalent Chromium
• Many Others

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) are both aggressively emphasizing combustible dust safety throughout the United States. The Hilgeman Group offers combustible dust hazard analysis, program development, employee training and operational guidance to ensure the safety of employees and the facility.

Between 1980 and 2008, combustible dust was responsible for 348 explosions, 793 injuries, and 133 deaths. It is a hazard that goes overlooked in many facilities due to the fact that it is not fully understood. Dust can become fuel for fires and explosions when it accumulates to dangerous levels. Combustible dust comes from many sources, such as sugar, flour, feed, plastics, wood, rubber, furniture, textiles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, coal, and metals, and therefore poses a risk across a number of different industry sectors throughout the United States.

The safety engineers at The Hilgeman Group are available to conduct a hazard analysis at your facility to determine the location and severity of combustible dust hazards. Our team can also assist with developing combustible dust policies, safety programs, aid in training and implementation of the program, and provide recommendations for the design and selection of explosion prevention and protection equipment (when warranted).

Hazard Analysis
During the hazard analysis, The Hilgeman Group’s safety engineers will examine the combustible dust handling and generating processes at a facility. MSDS’s will be examined to determine the explosibility of a material and material sampling may take place if necessary. The hazard analysis report will include locations and severities of hazards and provide recommendations designed to lower the risk associated with combustible dust. NFPA 654 – Dust Screening Analysis (ASTM 1226-2010) testing is a critical part of our hazard analysis protocol.

Combustible Dust Safety Program
The Hilgeman Group can develop a facility-specific Combustible Dust Safety Program that will be an all-inclusive safety plan addressing combustible dust hazards. It will outline policies and procedures used to help ensure employee safety. Elements of the plan include drawings illustrating the locations of dust hazards, housekeeping standards, training schedule, emergency response, inspection forms and recommendations for improving facility safety.

Training and Implementation
The Hilgeman Group prides itself on providing world-class Combustible Dust Training Program for management and employees. The training helps personnel to understand the hazards involved with their jobs and their responsibilities to ensure the safety of themselves and fellow employees. The training is “site specific” to address the unique hazards present at the facility.

The Hilgeman Group is available to assist in the implementation of the Combustible Dust Safety Program, work with personnel so they understand their roles in combustible dust safety and help them complete the checklists and inspection forms that are part of the program. Our safety engineers are also available for periodic audits to ensure the plans are being followed. 

During the past several years, industrial operations, particularly the petroleum, petrochemical and chemical industries, have been actively addressing the growing hazard of flash fire. As a result of some of the recent industrial flash fire accidents, OSHA has forced industry to be proactive in implementing flash fire safety programs to protect their workforce.

The flash fire hazard can be deadly due to the burn injuries sustained during the exposure. A person’s ability to survive an industrial burn is a function of three factors: the person's age, the severity of the burn, and amount of burn injury (% body surface area). As age, severity and amount of burn injury increase, survivability decreases. The most logical and cost-effective approach to minimizing the risk of serious body burn during a flash fire event is the implementation of a flame-resistant garment program. 

Services Include

• Assessing the workplace to determine the potential for flash fire (hazard assessment, OSHA 1910.132)
• Crafting a flame resistant garment safety program (NFPA 2112)
• Training employees on the risk of flash fire and the function of FR garments (OSHA 1910.132)
• Providing cost-effective solutions to minimize the risk of flash fire (OSHA 5(a)(1))
  

Expert witness services are provided in the areas of occupational safety & health, workers' compensation, OSHA compliance, premises liability, and chemical exposure.

Services include accident scene investigation and analysis, deposition and document review, review of photographs or videos, researching applicable regulatory requirements & standards, technical report writing, testimony under oath for depositions or at hearings, trials, mediations, or arbitrations.

We offer these services to our clients on a regular basis. Don't go into a legal situation without the proper representation. Make sure your attorney considers the value of utilizing an Expert Safety Witness.