PLEASE help us proof this new Inspector Safety course.

[Nick Gromicko]

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?course_id=35

Even members who contribute a little with a suggestion or discovering a typo... will be credited on the last page of the course.

Please take the course and quizzes and reveal your thoughts.

Many thanks to Joe Farsetta for his work developing this free online course.

[Michael R. Boyett]

So long as the reason is disclosed, personal safety will trump any perceived duty to inspect a potentially dangerous area. If the OSHA guidelines back the Inspector's opnion as to the potential danger, it may become an excellent defensive argument should the Inspector get dragged to court over a faulty inspecton, where defect or damage is found in, on, or around the area not examned for safety reasons.
This course is NOT designed to cover all the OSHA gudelnes. It was wrtten to raise awareness of potentally dangerous conditions and how to avoid them.

When lifting a ladder, one should always

lift wth the leg muscles
lift with the arm muscles
lift with one's entire body
lift with back muscles ad tught abdominal muscles
lift with the back muscles

Just a few typo's to start with.

[Nick Gromicko]

Keep 'em coming Michael. THANKS!!!

[Blaine Wiley]

If inspecting a commercial property, it is important to recognize those hazards which may be present.

Should be "hazards that".

So, what is an inspector supposed to do? Well, be sure that the clothing you are wearing is confortable, and not overly loose. Shirts should be made of materials that do not easily ignite or combust. Eye protection should be available at all times. Respirators should be worn in attic spaces, expecially where fiberglass, loose fill, or vermiculite insulation is present.

comfortable and especially

. Make sure the object is balanced and your grasp secure before walking.

grasp is secure


OSHA has jurisdiuction in the matter - jurisdiction.

It canot hurt, and knowledge is a powerful thing, so here goes… cannot, or can't

Insulative materials including fiberglass, blown imsulation, vermiculite, newspaper, and other materials... insulation

[Nick Gromicko]

Thanks Blaine!

[John McKenna]

Here are a few mistakes... but it was a very nice course... thanks.
Found these with spell check.

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...8&course_id=35
famliar, liabilty, somethng, beleves, oblgation, opnion, inspecton, examned, gudelnes, wttten, potentally

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...7&course_id=35
signage ??,

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...6&course_id=35
confortable, expecially, hardhat (needs space)

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...2&course_id=35
occurrs

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...7&course_id=35
dilligent, wth, tught, contrubute, njury, boredome

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...7&course_id=35
jurisdiuction, that (repeat)

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...9&course_id=35
canot, insector, clothng

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...0&course_id=35
Insulative, imsulation

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...1&course_id=35
threratening, ther, habitaton, busness, grey, eggsacks (need space),
ratleshake

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...5&course_id=35
ashysiation, confned, notorius, atmoshereic, crawlsace

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...9&course_id=35
Kingsnake (need space), soffoation, asphysiation, floccuation, suffoation,

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...6&course_id=35
hight

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...1&course_id=35
Usefullness, telecsopic

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...2&course_id=35
proximty, lnes, metallc, arond

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...3&course_id=35
Stepladers

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...0&course_id=35
pinchng, Acording, ratng, hight, hight, hight, Woden

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...5&course_id=35
intracranial (needs space),

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...1&course_id=35
inclimate, nto, anythng, nonimmunized (need space)

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...8&course_id=35
Electcal, nonconducting (need space)

http://education.nachi.org/show.php?...1&course_id=35
planty, woulds, thay, difficuly, Whan

[Blaine Wiley]

brown recluse often carries life threratening complications from the...threatening

Look for webs, and ther signs of insect habitaton or intrusion... their and habitation

...insect one may encounter in our line of busness, and in your... business

Brown Widows can be located by finding their eggsacks (crawlspaces, cellars), which are easily identifiable... that are easily identifiable

). Copperheads, rattle snakes, and... Rattlesnakes

If you would like to see the result of a ratleshake bite to a boy's.... rattlesnake

bottom of the pit to adjust the valves which controlled the fountain's water flow... valves that controlled.

ASPHYSIATION. Death by asphysiation is a genuine problem in some confned spaces... confined, and I do believe we're talking about Asphyxiation


Technically speaking, atmosphereic conditions must be verified ... atmospheric

The base of the ladder should be placed so that it is one foot away from the building for every four feet of hight to....height


Usefullness and convenience of storage and transport is never an excuse...usefulness

immediate proximty of electrical lines...proximity

No metallc ladders arond power lines!...metallic and around

. Stepladers should not be climbed when... stepladders

[jbowman]

Page 4
An electrical TIC-tracer is an inexpensive too to help identify live wires and if panel covers are energized
Suggested language. Change too to tool.

Page 6. Question #6
Doing tasks that require awkward posture for more than one minute may contrubute to
a lower back njury
vertigo
boredome
unintentional blindness
Suggested Changes:
lst line - change contrubute to read contribute.
2nd line - change njury to read injury.
4th line - change boredome to read boredom.

Page 7
A “confined space” is defined in OSHA’s General Industry Standard (29 CFR 1910) as a space that that must meet three conditions:
Suggested change: as a space that must meet three conditions:

Regardless, in all circumstances, an Inspector should NEVER enter ANY confined space unless someone is aware that said entry is occurring.
The rules are clear. Though they may not be always applicable to the home inspector, the inspector should still familiarize himself/herself with them. It canot hurt, and knowledge is a powerful thing, so here goes…

Suggested change: last line canot to cannot

[Nick Gromicko]

Thanks John and John!

[Brian E. Kelly]

Methane gas can cause death by

asphysiation

(correct)

floccuation

emulation
dehydration

emotication

suffoation

[Doug Edwards, CMI]

Under area where it discusses using a Respirator in the attic, it should include crawl spaces as well. Lot more nasty crap in crawls than in attics.

In section on attics and dangers it poses..no mention of excessive heat and possibly of heat related problems at all. Would be a good place to detail out symtoms and differences between heat stroke and heat exhaustion, how to treat each. Critical not to mix them up.

Would mention in the ladder section to avoid using the homeowners ladders. Often people offer the HI to use their ladders. I never use someone else's ladder. I am not familiar with it nor how it has been abused. Ive been offered some real POS ladders. I always politely decline and get my own. I know it and how it has been used.

On test on ladders; the word "Woden" is used instead of "Wooden" (second to last question)

Ladders and Electricity (heading) first paragraph "electrical lnes" instead of "electrical lines".

[Nick Gromicko]

Thanks Brian!
Thanks Doug!

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Are permits required when inspecting crawlspaces? For residential situations, the answer is generally no. Who would issue the permit, anyway? The term generally pertains to commercial establishments. So, if the Inspector is performing a commercial inspection, in an operating or occupied facility, the answer may be yes. It all depends. Regardless, in all circumstances, an Inspector should NEVER enter ANY confined space unless someone is aware that said entry is occurring. The rules are clear. Though they may not be always applicable to the home inspector, the inspector should still familiarize himself/herself with them. It cannot hurt, and knowledge is a powerful thing, so here goes… If an employer decides that its employees will enter permit spaces for any reason, the employer must develop and implement a permit space program as required in OSHA’s Confined Space standard. This applies to multi-inspector firms, and would include all sub-contractors. All employees entering into confined or enclosed spaces must be trained as to the nature of the hazards involved, the necessary precautions to be taken, the use of appropriate protective and emergency equipment, and specific permit space entry procedures. Why is this important? To make the Inspector THINK about the space they are about to enter. Are all the bases covered? Does anyone know where the Inspector is? Is he wearing the proper clothing and PPE? Is there a spotter present, in case something goes wrong? Has the atmosphere in the confined space been checked? All valid questions. All important. All potentially life-saving.

Chances are that we will not have a spotter. Joe could you include having a cell phone?

[Mario A. Kyriacou, CHI]

Just to qualify the above statement; When inspecting a crawl space chances are that we will not have the benefit of a spotter. Joe could you include having a cell phone on our person?
Great course BTW!!!

[Claude Lawrenson]

All very good points Mario - and have you thought about the potential health hazards that may exist. Mario touched on it - but there are many examples. I know we have home inspectors getting very sick from confined spaces such as attic and crawlspaces, and not just slips or falls from ladders, etc. Falls are the #1 accident, than electrical issues #2.

PPE - Personal Protective Equipment is a must. Even in Ontario - the electrical authority has cautioned about using unprotected multimeters. New multimeter now have fused leads rated up to 600v. In 1998 there were 3 accidents/17 across Canada - critical injuries based on wrong settings "ohms" rather "volts" that energized the meter which basically exploded. Which leads to questions about - are inspectors properly trained to use their power toys? It is an awful way to show - human error!

Again a few stats from Ontario
75% of electrocutions were - OSHA non-compliant issues
60% due to unsafe practice

BTW: Do not to forget about those nasty treatments that people inject to rid termites, spiders, and other harmful pesticides, inside and around the house. Or the bats, racoons, or mice "crap" etc in the attic.

The other issue here in Canada, some still like to believe that OH&S Act does not impact home inspectors - I say perhaps until there is an accident, or serious injury, perhaps death or until someone reports the inspector. We may be a small "blip" on their radar screen - but we are still talking about "occupational health and safety" - it impacts everyone sooner or later.