1998 Safety Committee Reports

October 27,1998

To: Joe Hasen
From: Mike Schwanz

Subject: Joint Safety Committee Report

Joe,

The JSC convened on Tue. Oct. 13,1998 at 1:00pm . We discussed a number of items under all categories, including, old , new and pending items. The following outline will summarize those discussions for you. Please pay special attention to the first case item #9-98-8, it concerns the gear pits and open trenches of the hangar.

Old and pending items

9-98-8 The elevator landing gear pits in the hangar are filthy and unsanitary, as are the open trenches. There is standing water in several of the pits creating potential electrical shock hazards. The stagnant water contains dead insect carcasses and an array of other unsavory items combined to create a dangerous and unsanitary environment. The general condition of these pits and trenches is deplorable and needs to be addressed. I notified Amy Nettles that we would file a System Joint Safety Committee complaint on this issue if we did not see some action on it between now and Dec. 1,1998.This item has been brought up in past JSC meetings with no response.

9-98-7 Battery Shop thermal meltdown hazards and harness shop component testing.

Status: Three exhaust fans will be installed in the battery shop as well as one exhaust fan in the harness shop. this item will be closed out once we see the installation process begin.

9-98-9 Fall protection needs to be improved in Bay 1.

Status: Paul Onyeabor will work with Amy Nettles to remedy this item.

9-98-10 Emergency Water response plan.

Status: Facilities Maintenance has alternative water source to supply base water in the event of an emergency but I would like to keep this item open until procedure is put into writing and proven to work.

9-98-11 Emergency Location Information Sheet.

Status: When complete this sheet should be posted at all phone locations. It will identify your current bldg. #, location, phone# , column #,etc. In the event of an emergency the caller can notify security and /or fire dept. etc. of their correct location. I believe this is a very good idea to supplement our current emergency response efforts.

8-98-6 Prescription chemical goggles for aircraft cleaners.

Status: Inserts for the Steath Uvex chemical goggles have been found and will be distributed to the appropriate people.

4-98-2 Rinse hose reels are difficult to use creating an injury hazard.

Status: Closed- New reels have been installed.

7-98-5 Communication and line of sight problems during aircraft push-out.

Status: Closed- June Sewell worked with Mike Crowley on this issue. They agreed that procedures were adequate but communication and line of sight could be improved. Whistles will also be provided to assist in the communication process.

New Business

1) Snorkel lift use during windy conditions. The GPM should indicate maximum allowable wind speed that lifts can be used. This figure may have been removed from the GPM. If this has occurred the JSC will insist that a maximum velocity figure be returned to the GPM.

2) Asbestos update for oven shop. The ovens containing asbestos will not be serviced at AFW. All employees that have performed work in the effected shop areas will be eligible for X-rays and physical exams, per Dr. Green, AA medical. The JSC suggests that all effected parties be notified in writing of this conclusion.

3) Thrust reverser stands. These stands need tow bars to assist employees who required to move them about.

4) Warehouse- Barrels, sometimes containing acid and others hazardous materials are left in inappropriate areas. Amy will contact Chris Russell on this issue.

5) Stores area in facilities maintenance- Concerns of occasional high levels of toxic weld fumes from weld shop. This item is under investigation.

6) Emergency lights (base wide)/ exit signs hangar - This is actually a very old item but has been re-addressed. During base electrical shutdown on Sunday Oct. 11,1998 it was confirmed that many of the emergency lighting systems and exit signs were not operating properly.

7) Mfg. Shop, structures bldg.- There have been complaints from structures bldg. concerning the high levels of dust created by Phenolic cutting. I have recommended that the work area be enclosed and properly ventilated. The issue is under investigation.

8) Tay Shop- Hoists installed by contractors were not marked as being load tested or certified. Industrial engineers involved assured me that the certificates would be forthcoming on Wed. Oct.28,1998.
Meeting Adjourned

Fraternally,
Michael Schwanz

cc James Klopp
Dwight B.

Note: please post on the committee board at the hall for the membership to read !

To: Joe Hasen
From: Mike Schwanz

Subject: Joint Safety Committee Report

Dear Joe,

The Joint Safety Committtee convened on November 11, 1998 at 1:00p.m.. Before reviewing the status of the safety issues discussed I would like to update you on some other more recent developments and concerns. On November 5th I took David Campbell and Jerry Connelly on a tour of the gear pits in the hangar. The purpose of the visit was to give David an oppurtunity to see for himself the deplorable conditions existing within those work areas. David was appalled at what he saw and expressed that to me, and directed Jerry Connelly to immediately proceed with cleaning and repairs. As of today all of the pits have been thoroughly steam cleaned. The plumbers are currently repairing and/or replacing the sump pumps. I will also request that periodic inspections be made by an exterminator. Jerry Connelly committed to me that the future scheduled cleaning of the pits would be performed by the PMM's working out of the hazardous waste plant. I will continue to monitor this project.

Last spring the company committed to enclose the mechanical equipment located in the aircraft cleaners shop. This equipment is very noisey and continued exposure to it could cause hearing damage to the occupants of that area. I recieved a call yesterday afternoon from the safety rep. in that area requesting assistance on this issue. This is yet another example of an old issue that should have been closed out long ago but is not, I plan on pursuing it vigorously and ask for your support.

There have been reports of questionable policies and/or procedures for safety practices in the paint and fiberglass shop in the structures bldg.. Amy Nettles and I visited the shop to identify some of their concerns. Some of those concerns are: Is the ventilation in the sanding booth appropriate? How many can share on a common air supply system (conflicting stories from management), access to personal safety equipment e.g. hoods, airhoses for supply air etc.. I will continue to monitor the situation and if anyone reading this report recieves any new information on these items please notify me.

On Friday, Nov. 12th I investigated a safety issue ( in the tay shop ) assisted by Paul Johnson and Howard Collins. The issue involves a lifting device known as a grasshopper. There are two of them, they were designed and built by AA, they sit on wooden pallets and are towed with hand carts attached to the pallets. This method of transportation is unsafe and inadequate, but has been practiced apparently without question from management until Fridays incident. On Friday the unstable device fell over while being prepared for transit. It damaged an engine when it fell, it could have as easily injured a bystander. I request that AA management re-think their current means and method of transportation by redesigning this equipment. I discussed this with Amy Nettles and she agreed with me that improved design would prevent future accidents.

Old and Pending Items

10-98-13 The specific maximum allowable wind knots to operate boom lifts safely. Was this information previously included in the GPM? Where is this identified? The users must have access to this info.

status : pending , A placard will be affixed to each boom lift designating maximum knots per manufacturers recommendation.

10-98-14 Asbestos exposure in the oven shop.

status : pending, Dr. Green of AA medical has commited to allow effected parties to be included in the OSHA asbestos monitering program, which includes chest x-rays for a baseline data history ( letter dated 10-16-98 ). The employees must submit a written request to be eligible. We will compose a form letter that can be easily distributed for each employee to sign to help simplify the process. Unfortunately it is rumored that John Flynn of AA Safety and Health, Hdq., is opposed to the monitoring program. Updates will be forthcoming and I ask for your continued support on this issue.

10-98-15 Tow bars on thrust reverser stands.

status: open. work order request was submitted to wrong crew chief.

10-98-16 Facility Maintenance weld shop fumes entering stores area.

staus: open. F/M is committed to write procedures and post them to eliminate fumes by proper use of ventilation sustems. JSC still wants an air sampling test during peak usage periods.

10-98-19 Emergency lighting pms

status: Open.These are not being performed to our satisfaction and will soon be a very hot item.

10-98-20 Emergency exit signs in the hangar.

status: Open.Many are not operating in the hangar as well as all other areas on the base. One electrician is now working on the project, but will take too long to accomplish the desired goal at this pace.

10-98-21 Cutting Phenolic boards is creating a hazardous dust in the structures bldg.

status : Open. There is a good possiblity that the company will soon replace this product with a new material, Industrial Engineering is researching this.

9-98-9 Fall protection in Bay 1 ( and all other open bays ).

Status: Open. this is an ongoing old issue, supposedly Sam Anderson is involved in it as well as Paul Onyearbor. They need to attend the JSC meetings to inform us as to status. I believe refusal to perform work in some of these areas of concern may expediate the process.

9-98-10 Emergancy water supply.

status: Pending. Written procedure was provided to the JSC at this meeting. The backup water supply would be provided by a ten inch water main designed for fire protection/backup. The procedure looked good but we want to see it demonstrated/proof-tested before we will close this item.

Closed Items

10-98-17 Certification for new hoist in tay shop.

status: closed. certificates were provided to the JSC.

8-98-6 Prescription goggles for aircraft cleaners.

status : Inserts for the Stealth Uvex chemical goggles have been provided and distributed.

9-98-7 Ventilation for thermal runaway situations in the battery shop.

status: three exhaust fans have been installed.

9-98-8 Gear pits in the hangar.

status : see opening statements on report.

4-98-2 Rinse reels in wash bay.

status: New reels have been installed.

New Business

•  JSC will request A/C maintenace to conduct a fire drill.

•  PM's on docks: safety rep. Doug Wilson of bay 2 reviewed his discussion with F/M supervisor Rick Arnold. Rick told him repairs were being performed on the docks, but no ongoing PM's were being performed on the docks and no monitoring of the brass nuts supporting the docks was being done. Doug asked the committee to investigate the falling dock issue.

•  Safety harness reels: no inspections are being done on these.

•  Extrusion storage carts in the hangar: these carts need to be modified, currently materials thrown in the carts extend out at head and body level creating a potentially hazardous situation.

•  Aircraft cleaner fell from ladder in Bay 1. We need to provide better work platforms to support the various conditions and working heights that exist in the hangar. These platforms could be designed and built in house by Facilities Maintenance.

•  Flouresent lights/lamps: Are these hazardous materials or not? Where is the proper place to dispose of them? My opinion is yes, and that hazardous waste should be responsible for disposal .

•  Medical kits located in the shops. Recently a F/M mechanic got something in his eye and removed the eye wash from the shop medical kit. The eye wash was three years out of date ( expiration date 5-95 ). These need to be maintained properly, who is responsible?

Meeting Adjourned

Fraternally,
Michael Schwanz

cc James Klopp
Dwight B.
Mike Martin

To : Joe Hasen
From:Mike Schwanz

Subject: Joint Safety Committee Report for December, 1998

Dear Joe,

The Joint Safety Committee convened on December 15,1998 , at 1:00pm . I will summarize JSC agenda items and status reports, but I would like to first review several items discussed at this months Accident Prevention Council meeting, held on Tuesday December 29, 1998 .

APC members in attendance were as follows; David Campbell, Jim Cobbett, Rex Decker, Daryl Marquardt, Jerry Connelly, Fred Schmidt, Pat Stewart, Ellaine McKee ( AA MED), George Hutton (Burns Security), Amy Nettles(AA Safety) and Mike Schwanz (TWU JSC). Several key issues were discussed, I have outlined the results of those discussions.

•  A) Center I beam fall protection for Bays 1 & 5. status

Status : The work will be done before the new line opens on bay 1, Bay 5 is on hold till the new dock on bay 7 is configured and installed properly.

•  B) Procedures to call 911, lack of consistent procedures when dealing with security.

Status : Emergency calls will all be patched thru security. The new emergency call number will be listed base wide. Supposedly it is impossible to call 911 on our existing "on base" phone lines.

•  C) Transportation of injured employees.

Status : If supervisors are not available, security will transport injured employees if requested. Also Fac. Maint. has loaned their pickup to security, they will now have two vehicles for transportation.

•  D) Procedures to maintain the Rine Air System for fuel tank entry.

Status : Certificate inspections should be staggered, Daryl Marquardt is not sure of the status on this item but committed to follow-up. Chris Russell is also working on this.

•  E) Aircraft maintenance, fuel tank entry permits.

Status : Read and sign will be issued to insure compliance with this procedure.

•  F) * Emergency Water Supply Procedure.

Status : Fac. Maint. provided the JSC with it written procedure for transferring our water supply to another source. I stated that the issue would not be closed out till the procedure could be proof -tested by actually switching the supplies and demonstrating that the procedure would in fact work. Today Jerry Connelly reported that the procedure did in fact fail , that the water main was frozen shut due to corrosion and could not be used until repaired. David Campbell asked Jerry why the repair had not yet been made and Jerry responded that "we have been working on it for weeks trying to make it work...". This item is still very much listed as OPEN.

•  G) Acid Spill in the Central Plant. Saturday evening, 12-26-98 there was a large acid spill in Central Plant.

Status : Sulfuric Acid over ran a 500 gal. containment area and made its way into the drain system. Central Plant Mechanics requested that I request a modification of this system to prevent future occurrences such as this. I brought the issue up at the APC meeting. I requested that the Sulfuric Acid transfer tank be relocated to the outside containment area adjacent to the 1600 gal. main tank, this would contain any future spills as well as give better ventilation for operators making transfers. Another advantage to this request would be completely separating the Sulfuric Acid tank from the Chlorine tank now sharing the same containment area, creating a potentially extremely hazardous situation. I also requested high level sensors be installed as early warning alarms. Jerry Connelly Agreed that these were all good ideas and committed to follow through on the request. I also notified those present that this request had been suggested during the installation phase of this system but was not accepted due to financial concerns of the additional plumbing required to install the tank in question outside.

•  H) Mechanical room in the cleaners shop. The company committed last April 1998 to enclose this area due to high noise levels.

Status: Jerry Connelly committed to have this area both air-conditioned and noise problem resolved by the End of the first quarter, 1999.

Joint Safety Committee- Old and Pending Items

10-98-19 PMs for Emergency Lights have not been completed. They are not all in the system (computer), many do not operate and still need batteries.

Status : Jerry Connelly committed to have these complete by 2-1-98 at the December APC meeting.

10-98-20 Emergency Exit signs in the hangar have not been changed out. These signs were installed originally with faulty light boards. The new boards have not all been installed yet, though they hav been available for quite some time.

Status: Jerry Connelly committed to have this done by 2-1-98 at the Dec. APC meeting.

10-98-14 Asbestos exposure in the oven shop.

Status : Medical has setup exams to begin during the second weekend of Jan. 1999.

10-98-16 Fac. Maint. weld shop fumes, etc. effecting stores area.

Status : Open air welding on some items and following proper procedures is supposed to eliminate this problem. I still believe they should partition off the stores area completely to resolve this issue.

10-98-15 Tow bars on thrust reverser stands.

Status : Fac. Maint. has the casters, etc. and has begun installations.

Closed Items

10-98-21 Cutting Phenolic boards in structures bldg..

Status : MSDS sheets have been provided as well as other documents to support AA position that being phased out for another type of product that did not produce the unpleasant odor associated with phenolic.

11-98-22 Retractable Safety reels are not being inspected.

Status : The manufacturer is required to make this inspection every three years. If this occurs David Campbell and I believe Fac. Maint. should install a computer based tracking system to insure that this occurs, much the same as a PM. We may also purchase new reels every three years ( this was discussed at the Dec. APC meeting also ). Jerry Connelly agreed with the tracking system idea at the Dec. APC.

11-98-23 Extrusion carts for scrap metal collection. These carts cause hazards when metal extends out past the confines of the cart.

Status : These carts are the property of the contractor that collects the scrap, Supervisors have been instructed to have metal cut to fit into the carts before disposal.

Meeting Adjourned

Fraternally,
Michael Schwanz
Executive Board Member
Safety Committee Chairman

cc: James Klopp
Dwight Bauermeister
Mike Martin

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