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Z Overhead Utilities and Hazards. Overhead hazards can include low hanging structures that can cause injury due to bumping into them.
<br />Other overhead hazards include falling objects, suspended loads, swinging loads, and rotating equipment. Hardhats must be worn by
<br />personnel in areas were these types of physical hazards may be encountered. Barriers or other methods must also be used to exclude
<br />personnel from these areas where appropriate. Electrical wires are another significant overhead hazard. According to OSHA (29 CFR
<br />1926.550), the minimum clearance that must be maintained from overhead electrical wires is 10 feet from an electrical source rated < 50
<br />kV. Sources rated >50 kV require a minimum clearance of 10 feet plus 0.4 inch per kV above 50 kV.
<br />Z Pedestrian Traffic. The uncontrolled presence of pedestrians on a drilling or excavation site can be hazardous to both pedestrians and site
<br />workers. Prior to the initiation of site activities, the site should be surveyed to determine if, when, and where pedestrian may gain access.
<br />This includes walkways, parking lots, gates, and doorways. Barriers or caution tape should be used to exclude all pedestrian traffic.
<br />Exclusion of pedestrian traffic is intended to prevent injury to the pedestrians and eliminate distractions that could cause injury to Terrax
<br />personnel or other site workers.
<br />ID Test Pit and/or other Excavations. All provisions of the OSHA trenching and excavation standard (29 CFR 1926.650-652) must be
<br />followed during excavation activities. This includes all test pit excavation and sampling activities. The estimated location of utility
<br />installations such as sewer, telephone, electric, water lines, and other underground installations that may reasonably be expected to be
<br />encountered during excavation work, must be determined prior to opening an excavation.
<br />Excavations in contaminated or potentially contaminated areas must be tested for confined spaces atmospheric hazards prior to entry.
<br />Excavations should not be entered if other means are available to perform the task requiring entry. If entry into an excavation is required,
<br />the atmosphere within the space must be monitored by a trained person to assure that oxygen concentrations are at greater than or equal to
<br />19.5 percent, that combustible gas levels are less than 10 percent, and that vapor levels are within applicable safe exposure (PEL and TLV)
<br />limits.
<br />A ladder or similar means of egress must be located in excavations greater than 4 feet in depth so as to require no more than 25 feet of lateral
<br />travel for employees. No person should be allowed to enter an excavation greater than 5 feet in depth unless the walls of the excavation
<br />have been protected using an approved shield (trench box), an approved shoring system, or the walls have been sloped back an appropriate
<br />angle, the excavation is free of accumulated water, and the excavation has been tested for hazardous atmospheres as noted previously. If
<br />personnel enter an excavation, the spoils pile and all materials must be placed at least 2 feet from the edge of the excavation to prevent the
<br />materials from rolling into the excavation. Personnel must remain at least 2 feet away from the edge of the excavation at all times. Upon
<br />completion of a test pit exploration, the excavation should be backffiled and graded. Excavations should never be left open unless absolutely
<br />necessary, and then only with proper barricading and controls to prevent accidental injury.
<br />Z Underground Utilities and Hazards. The identification of underground storage tanks (USTs), pipes, utilities, and other underground
<br />hazards is critically important prior to all drilling, excavating and other intrusive activities. In accordance with OSHA 29 CFR 1926.650,
<br />the estimated location of utility installations, such as sewer, telephone, electric, water lines and other underground installations that may
<br />reasonably be expected to be encountered during excavation work, must be determined prior to opening an excavation. The same
<br />requirements apply to drilling operations and the use of soil-gas probes. Where public utilities may exist, the utility agencies or operators
<br />must be contacted directly or through a utility-sponsored service such as Dig-Safe. Where other underground hazards may exist, reasonable
<br />attempts must be made to identify their locations as well. Failure to identify underground hazards can lead to fire, explosion, flooding,
<br />electrocution, or other life threatening accidents.
<br />Ej Water Hazards and Boat Sampling. The collection of water or sediment samples on or immediately adjacent to a body of water can pose
<br />significant hazards. In addition to the slip, trip, and fall hazards associated with wet surfaces, the potential for drowning accidents must be
<br />recognized. These hazards can be intensified by the use of some PPE, particularly if respiratory protection is worn. OSHA 29 CFR 1926.106
<br />requires that all employees working over or near water, where the danger of drowning exists, must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved life
<br />jacket or buoyant work vest Ring buoys and emergency standby personnel must also be in place.
<br />Hazard Assessment: Chemical Hazards and Related Concerns
<br />Z Chemicals Subject to OSHA Hazard Communication. All chemicals used in field activities such as solvents, reagents, decontamination
<br />solutions, or any other hazardous chemical must be accompanied by the required labels, Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), and employee
<br />training documentation (OSHA 1910.1200).
<br />Asbestos. Disturbance of building materials in buildings built prior to 1980 must be evaluated for the presence of asbestos-containing
<br />materials by an accredited Terrax inspector. The inspection and/or removal of asbestos-based or asbestos-containing building materials is
<br />regulated by some major cities and several states. Regulations require individuals who conduct building inspections for the presence of
<br />asbestos or collect samples of asbestos containing materials to be licensed or certified. Terrax employees must determine the applicability
<br />of these regulations prior to any activities involving asbestos. The primary health effects of asbestos exposure include asbestosis (a scarring
<br />of the lungs), lung cancer, mesothelioma, and other forms of cancer. Exposure to asbestos is regulated by a comprehensive OSHA standard
<br />(29 CFR 1910.1001).
<br />Z BTEX Compounds. Exposure to the vapors of benzene, ethyl benzene, toluene, and xylenes above their respective permissible exposure
<br />limits (PELs), as defined by OSHA, may produce irritation of the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract, nose, and mouth.
<br />Overexposure may also result in the depression of the central nervous system. Symptoms of such exposure include drowsiness, headache,
<br />Site-Specific Health and Safety Plan Page 7
<br />Version 1.02 September 30,2016
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