Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
•
Remove systems and components from service immediately if they have
been subjected to fall impact, until inspected by a competent person and
deemed undamaged and suitable for use.
•
Promptly rescue employees in the event of a fall or ensure that they are able
to rescue themselves.
•
Inspect systems before each use for wear, damage, and other deterioration,
and remove defective components from service.
•
Do not attach fall arrest system to guardrail systems or hoists.
•
Rig fall arrest systems to allow movement of the worker only as far as the
edge of the walking/working surface, when used at hoist areas.
Solar panels should be lifted safely to the rooftops. Workers should never be
allowed to climb ladders while carrying solar panels. Lifting equipment, such as lad-
der hoists, swing hoists, or truck-mounted cranes/conveyors, should be used wher-
ever possible. Maintenance work on solar panels is generally considered to fall under
OSHA's general industry standards. Such workers when exposed to fall hazards of
4 feet or more must be protected by a standard railing. If such a railing is not possi-
ble, then the workers must be protected by a fall protection device such as a personal
fall arrest system or a safety net.
Lockout/Tagout
*
Lockout/tagout (LOTO) refers to specific practices and procedures designed to
safeguard employees from the unexpected energization or startup of machinery
and equipment or from the release of hazardous energy that could occur during
service or maintenance activities. Approximately 3 million workers service equip-
ment and face the greatest risk of injury if lockout/tagout is not properly imple-
mented. Compliance with the lockout/tagout standard prevents an estimated 120
fatalities and 50,000 injuries each year. Workers injured on the job from expo-
sure to hazardous energy lose an average of 24 work days for recuperation. In a
study conducted by the United Auto Workers, 20% of the fatalities (83 of 414)
that occurred among their members between 1973 and 1995 were attributed to
inadequate hazardous energy control procedures, specifically lockout/tagout pro-
cedures. Solar energy equipment can generate electrical energy and may be con-
nected to electrical circuits. Workers may be exposed to electrical hazards from
solar panels and from electrical circuits. Employers should ensure that workers,
while installing or servicing solar panels, cover the solar panel, and employers
should protect workers from electrical circuits. Workers performing servicing
or maintenance of solar panels may be exposed to injuries from the unexpected
energization or release of stored energy in the equipment. Solar energy employers
may be required to follow procedures outlined in the OSHA standards 29 CFR
1910.269(d) or 29 CFR1910.147.
*
Adapted from OSHA's
Green Jobs Hazards: Solar Energy—Lockout/Tagout
,
http:www.osha.gov/dep/
