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AWO, National Fire Protection Association and National Safety Council Collaborate on New Safety Brochures

Washington, D.C. -- The American Waterways Operators (AWO) has teamed up with the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and the National Safety Council (NSC) to develop two new safety brochures. The brochures address risks associated with work in confined spaces and work activities that are possible ignition sources. The AWO Interregion Safety Committee has distributed over 20,000 of these brochures to 80 AWO member companies. Accompanying lesson plans help introduce vessel crewmembers to the important topics addressed in the brochures.

The first brochure is titled "REACH (Recognize, Evaluate, and Control Hazards) for Safety in Confined Spaces." It describes the risks associated with work in confined spaces and details measures that personnel can take to mitigate these risks. The other brochure, titled "REACH (Recognize, Evaluate, and Control Hazards) for Hot Work Safety," explains the components of the "fire triangle" - oxygen, fuel and ignition - and how activities such as drilling, grinding, and chipping can serve as possible ignition sources. This brochure also details measures that can be taken to reduce the likelihood that these activities will lead to a fire.

The lesson plans to accompany the brochures were also developed by the AWO Interregion Safety Committee. The lesson plans can be customized to reflect a company's unique policies and procedures and are available to be downloaded from the AWO Web site, www.americanwaterways.com (in the Safety Tools/Documents Library, under the heading "Commitment to Safety").

AWO and the Interregion Safety Committee are gratified that this group effort with the NFPA and NSC has successfully capitalized on the resources of all three safety leaders. The joint effort has helped AWO to expand its effectiveness in setting high industry safety standards and achieving its safety goals.

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