Q&A: Health & Safety on Contaminated Sites
What constitutes a contaminated site?
Land contamination can stem from a variety of intended, accidental, or naturally occurring events. These events may include manufacturing, mineral extraction, abandonment of mines, national defense activities, waste disposal, spills, illegal dumping, storage tank leaks, hurricanes, floods, pesticide use, and fertilizer application.
In 2008, the EPA expanded its national tracking efforts of contaminated land to include Superfund sites, brownfield sites, and sites contaminated by natural disasters, terrorism, or accidental spills, to name a few.
What are some of the more common health and safety hazards to consider when working at a contaminated site?
Injuries: Accidents may occur due to slippery surfaces, uneven terrain, or the presence of equipment in the vicinity. Attention to and awareness of your surroundings can help reduce risks, especially in unfamiliar areas.
Vehicular Equipment: Traffic-related incidents are the leading cause of work-related deaths. Vehicles pose a range of potential risks, which may be caused by driver fatigue, poor vehicle conditions due to a lack of pre-operation inspection, and much more.
Heavy Equipment: Equipment like earth movers, cranes, backhoes, and rough terrain forklifts are often used at contaminated sites. To mitigate on-site incidents, the project team must establish work zone boundaries and implement a clear method of communication between the equipment operator and spotter.
Exposure: At contaminated sites, workers may be exposed to natural elements (e.g., sun, air, water, soil, and sediment), biological elements (e.g., poison ivy, poison oak, snakes, ticks), toxic chemicals, and/or radionuclides. Protective measures must be taken to ward off potential risks. These measures include dressing appropriately, applying sunscreen, having access to a well-stocked first aid kit, and preplanning to determine if there are chemical or radiological hazards.
What on-site safety measures should be taken?
- Regularly assess risks
- Wear appropriate personal protective equipment
- Conduct behavior-based observations
- Encourage Take 5 (stop, think, evaluate, plan, and start/stop) last-minute risk assessments
- Complete a job safety analysis to identify potential hazards associated with the job or task at hand
- Hold safety stand-downs following high-risk events or incidents to openly discuss hazards and mitigation measures
- Complete required safety training (e.g., HAZWOPER, First Aid, CPR, AED, and bloodborne pathogens)
- Utilize Stop Work Authority protocols to allow employees to stop work without the threat of retaliation
Gary Cluck is an EHS Business Transformation Consultant with over 30 years of experience. He specializes in EHS process optimization and has held various EHS positions in manufacturing and corporate environments (including food, chemical, pharma, consumer electronics). He helps clients digitally transform EHS processes to improve company efficiency, meet organizational goals, and optimize safety processes to include training, audits, and program reviews. Cluck is also an OSHA-authorized trainer in general industry.