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In This Month's Issue:
Legislative Updates Recall Information
Upcoming Events Member Promotion
Informative Articles 6 Hour Class
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MA Law Extends OSHA Standards
to the Public Sector
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Massachusetts law now provides public sector workplaces with the same safety and health protection as private industry workers. On March 9, 2018 House Bill 3952, An Act to Further Define Standards of Employee Safety that amends M.G.L. chapter 149 §6 ½ was enacted. The law updates and clarifies employee safety requirements in public sector workplaces, and is enforced by the Department of Labor Standards (DLS). This law is effective February 1, 2019
The law defines a public sector workplace to include counties, municipalities, all state agencies, quasi-public independent entities, courts, bureaus, commissions, divisions or authorities of the commonwealth, political subdivisions, and public colleges and universities.
The law requires all public sector employers to implement methods of reducing work-related injury and illness that meet the minimum requirements provided under the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970.
Download highlights of the Massachusetts law here:
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Below is a list of bills that MECA is keeping an eye on. We will update our members once these bills start moving. Click the link below and enter the bill number for more details.
House Bills Senate Bills
HB136 SB158
HB147 SB161
HB155 SB172
HB186 SB2080
HB1338
HB1734
HB1992
HB2812
HB3952
HB4359
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MECA Members:
Mention the ad below and receive 10% OFF from Hafele!
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Schneider Electric Recalls Square D Safety Switches Due to Electrical Shock Hazard
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Name of product:
Square D brand General Duty 30 & 60A, 120/240-volt, 2-phase and 3-phase NEMA 3R Safety Switches
Hazard:
The power can stay on when the safety switch handle is in the “OFF” position, posing an electrical shock or electrocution hazard to consumers.
Recall date:
April 17, 2018
Units:
About 1,079,000
Consumer Contact:
Schneider Electric toll-free at 877-672-1953 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or online at www.schneider-electric.us/gdss-safetyalert or www.schneider-electric.com and click on “Square D” (found under Quick Links) for more information.
Recall Details
Description:
This recall involves Square D brand General Duty 30 & 60A, 120/240-volt, 2-phase and 3-phase NEMA 3R safety switches. The switches are a dark gray metal box with a black handle on the side that can be moved to an “ON” or “OFF” position. The “OFF” position is designed to shut off the flow of electricity. The switches may be used in or around commercial buildings, outbuildings, apartments and homes. They measure about 10 inches by 7 inches by 4 inches. Brand name “Square D”, the ampere of the safety switch and the 120/240-volt or 240-volt marking is printed on a label on the front of the safety switch. The recalled switches were manufactured between January 1, 2014 through January 18, 2018 and have date codes 1401 through 1803. The date codes are in the YYWW format (example: 1401 = year 2014, week 1). The date code of the product can only be found on the inside of the cover and is not accessible if the product is installed and in-service. Only safety switches with the following catalog numbers printed on a separate label on the side are included in the recall:
Catalog Number
CD321NRB, D211NRB, D211NRBCP, D221NRB, D221NRBCP,
D221NRBUP, D321NRB, D321NRBCP, D321NRBUP,
DU221RB, DU221RBUP, DU222RB, DU222RBUP, DU321RB,
DU321RBUP, DU321RBCP, DU322RB, DU322RBCP, DU322RBUP
Remedy:
Consumers should immediately inspect installed safety switches by moving the handle to the “OFF” position. If the power stays on when the handle is in the “OFF” position, contact Schneider Electric for a free replacement safety switch and free service support to install the replacement switch. If the safety switch is not installed and included in the recall, contact Schneider Electric for a free replacement safety switch. Instructions on how to inspect the switch can be found at www.schneider-electric.us/gdss-safetyalert.
Incidents/Injuries:
None reported
Sold At:
Authorized Schneider Electric distributors, Home Depot, Lowe’s, original equipment manufacturers and others stores nationwide and online at Amazon.com, HomeDepot.com, and Lowes.com from January 2014 through January 2018 for between $40 and $500.
Manufacturer(s):
Schneider Electric USA Inc., of Andover, Mass.
Manufactured In:
Mexico
Recall number:
18-140
Report an Incident Involving this Product
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What is National Electrical Safety Month?
The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) is a non-profit organization dedicated exclusively to promoting electrical safety in the home, school, and workplace. To commemorate National Electrical Safety Month, ESFI spearheads an annual campaign to educate key audiences about the steps that can be taken in order to reduce the number of electrically-related fires, fatalities, injuries, and property loss. ESFI's National Electrical Safety Month 2018 campaign features a comprehensive collection of new and updated resources to help facilitate an effective electrical safety awareness campaign for your community, organization, school, or family.
Included is an extensive collection of useful fact sheets and related safety tips, plus templates and tools you can use to promote electrical safety and National Electrical Safety Month in your home, school, community, or workplace. We have even provided media outreach materials and social media content to further spread our life-saving campaign messages.
Raising awareness about electrical hazards is the key to reducing home electrical fires, injuries and death, which is why we developed ESFI's 2018 National Electrical Safety Month Electrical Safety Advocate Guide. Together, we can reduce the number of electrically-related deaths and injuries – one home, one school, and one workplace at a time.
National Electrical Safety Month 2018 Campaign Overview
In celebration of Electrical Safety Month 2018, ESFI is excited to announce the launch of the fifth installment of its National Electrical Safety Month publication, Electrical Safety Illustrated. This year's theme "Understanding the Code that Keeps Us Safe," focuses on the importance of the National Electrical Code and its three year cycle.
Resources: view all
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Video series highlights key changes in 2018 70E; tie to electrical safety in the workplace
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The 2018 edition of 70E is now available and NFPA developed a short five-part video series featuring NFPA technical experts, Chris Coache, senior electrical engineer, and Derek Vigstol, electrical technical lead, who explain some of the key changes. The topics discussed in the series include:
- Article 110.1(H) – Risk Assessment Procedure
- Article 120 – How to Establish an Electrically Safe Work Condition
- Table 130.5(C) – Estimate of the Likelihood of Occurrence of an Arc Flash Incident
- Table 130.5(G) – Selection of Arc-Rated Clothing Using Incident Energy Analysis Method
- Standards for Personal Protective Equipment
Learn how these changes to the code reflect new technologies, knowledge and safety advancements in the industry, and how they relate to the job you do. If you missed any of the videos, find the full series online
At NFPA our goal is to provide you with everything you need to take your electrical safety skills to the next level. This series and additional resources related to 70E including articles, a blog series, fact sheet, trainings, products and more, can be found at www.nfpa.org/70E
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