Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
DID YOU KNOW?
Caution!
If the system has stainless steel pipe, a worker may be exposed to
hexavalent chromium hazards.
distribution systems (i.e., a system that is supplying power to town or more buildings)
or if they are only emergency or standby nature. However, if they supply power to
a distribution system, then the provisions contained in 29 CFR 1910.269 (Electric
Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution) will apply.
Welding and Cutting
*
Many geothermal systems will be built with metal pipe at some part of the system.
This will be the same as any pipe fitting or welding project. Welding and cutting
metals can be very dangerous. Workers can be burned by the hot metals and may be
exposed to ultraviolet light from arc welding. Workers must be protected from these
welding hazards.
Fall Protection
†
Workers installing and maintaining geothermal systems can be exposed to fall haz-
ards when working near trenches, excavations, and pits that are dug for the piping
systems. Falls can also occur when workers are installing above-ground system com-
ponents on roofs or other elevated locations. Falls may also be a hazard when con-
structing, operating, and maintaining systems used for power generation. Falls kill
hundreds of construction workers each year. OSHA standards require employers to
protect workers from fall hazards. In the case of trenches, guardrails and barricades
may be used to keep workers away from an open trench. Construction workers who
are exposed to fall distances of 6 feet or more must be protected from falls by using
one of the following methods. Many times the nature and location of the work will
dictate the form that fall protection takes.
Guardrail Systems
An employer that chooses to use a guardrail system must comply with the following
provisions:
•
The top edge height of the top rails, or equivalent guardrail system mem-
bers, must be between 39 and 45 inches above the walking/working level,
except when conditions warrant otherwise and all other criteria are met
(e.g., when employees are using stilts, the top edge height of the top rail
must be increased by an amount equal to the height of the stilts).
*
Adapted from OSHA's
Green Job Hazards: Geo-Thermal Energy—Welding
,
https://www.osha.gov/dep/
†
Adapted from OSHA's
Green Job Hazards: Geo-Thermal Energy—Fall Protection
,
https://www.
