Chemical emergencies are high risk events that require first responders to quickly make a series of complex decisions to minimize the risk of injury to their patients and themselves.
CHEMM enables first responders and other healthcare providers and planners to plan for, respond to, recover from, and mitigate the effects of mass-casualty incidents involving accidental or terrorist chemical releases. CHEMM is a web-based resource that is downloadable in advance so that it is available during an event if the Internet is not accessible. It provides evidence-based information and guidance on a wide variety of topics, including quick chemical identification, acute patient care guidelines, and initial event activities.
CHEMM enhances and builds on the successes of the suite of Emergency Medical Management tools that began with the Radiation Emergency Medical Management () web-based resource, which provides information for health care providers about clinical diagnosis and treatment of radiation and other injuries anticipated following radiological and nuclear emergencies.
CHEMM and REMM are the result of collaborative efforts between the US Department of Health and Human Services, the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR)–Office of Preparedness and Emergency Operations (OPEO), the National Library of Medicine–Division of Specialized Information Services (NLM/SIS), as well as many medical, emergency response, toxicology, industrial hygiene, and other experts.
Safety Consultant/Trainer
Environmental Resource Center has a new opening for a safety consultant and auditor. We are looking for a former OSHA CSHO, OSHA trainer, or state inspector for this position in our Cary, North Carolina, office. Applicants should have excellent writing and speaking skills and be willing to travel 7–14 days per month. We are looking for an expert in all of the General Industry and Construction standards who is capable of performing audits of industrial facilities as well as conducting on-site training.
Strong consideration will be given to applicants who also have experience providing Hazwoper, Hazcom, lockout/tagout, confined spaces, and machine guarding training.
The position includes maintenance of training materials (books and presentations), working on consulting projects, development of classes and computer-based training programs, and ensuring customer satisfaction.
How to Prepare for OSHA Adoption of the GHS for Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
This means that virtually every product label, material safety data sheet (soon to be called “safety data sheet”), and written hazard communication plan must be revised to meet the new standard. Worker training must be updated so that workers can recognize and understand the symbols and pictograms on the new labels as well as the new hazard statements and precautions on MSDSs.
Environmental Resource Center is offering webcast training courses where you will learn how the new rule differs from current requirements, how to implement the changes, and when the changes must be implemented. Dates for the upcoming webcasts include:
- August 31
- September 16
- September 27
Advertising Opportunities Available
Fatal Occupational Injuries Level Off in 2010
Preliminary results from the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries show little change in the number of workplace fatalities in 2010 compared with 2009. Last year, 4,547 workers died from work-related injuries, down from a final count of 4,551 fatal work injuries in 2009. In response, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement:
“No worker should have to sacrifice his or her life to earn a living. An average 12 workers die on the job every day, and that reality continues to drive the work of the Labor Department. When the Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed in 1970, the National Safety Council estimated that 14,000 workers died each year on the job. Now, with a workforce that has doubled in size, the annual number of fatalities has dropped significantly. But it’s not enough. We cannot relent from our enforcement of laws that keep our nation’s workers safe. One worker killed or injured on the job is one too many.”
“As our economy continues to strengthen and the workforce expands, we at the Department of Labor will remain resolute in our mission to ensure that safety is not sacrificed as America’s workers provide for themselves and their families. My constant focus is ‘good jobs for everyone,’ and safety is an essential part of that equation.”
Economic factors continue to play a role in the fatal work injury counts. Total hours worked were up slightly in 2010 in contrast to the declines recorded in both 2008 and 2009, but some historically high-risk industries continued to experience declines or slow growth in total hours worked.
Key preliminary findings of the 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries include:
- The number of fatal work injuries among the self-employed declined by 6% to 999 fatalities, more than the decline in their hours worked. The number of fatal injuries among wage and salary workers increased by 2% in 2010.
- Fatal work injuries in the private mining industry rose from 99 in 2009 to 172 in 2010, an increase of 74%. The fatal work injury rate for mining increased from 12.4 per 100,000 FTEs in 2009 to 19.9 per 100,000 in 2010. The multiple-fatality incidents at the Upper Big Branch Mine and the Deepwater Horizon oil rig are included in these figures.
- Fatal work injuries in the private construction sector declined by 10% from 2009 to 2010 and are down nearly 40% since 2006.
- Work-related fatalities resulting from fires more than doubled from 53 in 2009 to 109 in 2010—the highest count since 2003.
- Workplace homicides declined 7% in 2010 to the lowest total ever recorded by the fatality census, but workplace homicides involving women increased by 13%.
- Fatal work injuries among non-Hispanic black or African-American workers declined by 9% in 2010 while fatalities among non-Hispanic white workers were higher by 2%. Fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers were down 4% in 2010.
- The number of fatal workplace injuries among police officers increased by 40%, from 96 in 2009 to 134 in 2010.
Profile of 2010 fatal work injuries by type of incident
The number of fatal work injuries resulting from fires and explosions rose from 113 in 2009 to 187 in 2010, an increase of 65%. The increase was led by an increase of 106% in fatalities resulting from fires which rose from 53 in 2009 to 109 in 2010. Of the 187 fatalities involving fires and explosions, 82 occurred in multiple fatality incidents.
Workplace homicides fell by 7% in 2010. The preliminary workplace homicide total for 2010 (506 cases) represents a decline of more than 50% from the high of 1,080 homicides reported in 1994. (See Chart 1.) Despite the overall decline, workplace homicides involving women were up 13% in 2010. Workplace suicides declined slightly from the series high of 263 cases in 2009 to 258 cases in 2010. Even with the decline, the 2010 preliminary count of workplace suicides is the third highest annual total for the fatal work injury census.
Fatal falls declined 2% in 2010 (from 645 in 2009 to 635 in 2010). Overall, fatal falls are down 25% from the series high of 847 fatal falls reported in 2007. Since 2007, fatal falls in the private construction industry have decreased by 42%. Fatal injuries resulting from being struck by objects or equipment were also lower, down 4% in 2010 to 402. Fatal work injuries involving exposure to harmful substances or environments were up slightly, but electrocutions declined.
Transportation incidents decreased slightly in 2010 relative to 2009, but still accounted for nearly 2 out of every 5 fatal work injuries in 2010. Non-highway incidents, such as an off-road tractor overturn, were higher in 2010 (up 4%) as were transportation incidents involving pedestrians and railways. Fatal occupational injuries involving water vehicle incidents and aircraft incidents were both lower in 2010. (Note: Final transportation counts are expected to rise when updated 2010 data are released in Spring 2012.)
Profile of fatal work injuries in 2010 by industry sector
Private sector mining fatalities were up 74% in 2010, increasing from 99 cases in 2009 to 172 cases in 2010. Fatal work injuries were sharply higher both in mining activities other than oil and gas (up 110%) and also in support activities for mining (up 71%). Multiple-fatality incidents in this industry were a major factor in the increased fatality total in mining. The Upper Big Branch mining disaster claimed 29 workers and 11 workers died in the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion.
The number of fatal work injuries in the private industry construction sector declined by 10% in 2010. Fatal work injuries in construction have declined every year since 2006 and are down nearly 40% over that time. Economic conditions may explain much of this decline with total hours worked having declined another 6% in construction in 2010, after declines in both 2008 and 2009. Even with the lower fatal injury total, construction accounted for more fatal work injuries than any other industry in 2010. (See Chart 2.)
Among service-providing industries in the private sector, fatal work injuries in transportation and warehousing accounted for 631 fatalities, about the same as the count in 2009 (633 fatalities). However, the number of fatal injuries in truck transportation, the largest subsector within transportation and warehousing in terms of employment, increased by 2% in 2010, led by a 17% increase in specialized freight trucking. Among other transportation subsectors, fatal work injuries in air and rail transportation were higher, but fatalities in water transportation declined in 2010.
Fatal work injuries in the professional and business services sector were down 16%, led by a decline in fatalities in landscape services from 168 in 2009 to 130 in 2010. Fatal injuries in the educational and health service industries were higher by 13%.
Fatal work injuries among government workers were up 3% in 2010, due largely to an increase in fatalities to state government workers (notably police protection workers) from 75 in 2009 to 107 in 2010. Fatal work injuries incurred by local government workers were also higher in 2010, but fatal injuries among federal government workers were lower (down 21% to 96 fatal work injuries in 2010).
Profile of fatal work injuries in 2010 by occupation
Fatal work injuries in the construction and extraction occupations declined by 9% in 2010 to the lowest level since the series high reported in 2006. Construction trades worker fatalities were down 15% (from 621 in 2009 to 530 in 2010) and have declined 46% since 2006. Fatal work injuries involving construction laborers, the worker subgroup accounting for the highest number of fatalities in the construction trades worker group, were down by 16% in 2010 to 193 fatal work injuries. In contrast, fatal work injuries involving extraction workers were up sharply, from 59 in 2009 to 91 in 2010, including a number of fatal work injuries from the Upper Big Branch Mine and Deepwater Horizon oil rig incidents.
Fatal work injuries involving farming, fishing, and forestry workers increased by 9% in 2010. Fatalities involving agricultural workers, including farmworkers and laborers, rose from 127 in 2009 to 156 in 2010. Fatalities among logging workers also increased in 2010 from 36 in 2009 to 59 in 2010, but fatalities among fishers and related fishing workers declined.
The number of fatal work injuries among protective service occupations increased by 6% in 2010 after two years of declines. The increase was led by fatalities among police officers which rose 40% from 96 to 134 in 2010. Of the 134 fatal work injuries among police officers, 57 involved highway incidents and 48 involved homicides. Most other subgroups in the protective service occupational group declined in 2010.
Fatal work injuries involving workers in transportation and material moving occupations were higher by 5% in 2010 and accounted for about one quarter of all occupational fatalities. Driver/sales workers and truck drivers, the subgroup with the highest number of fatal work injuries within the transportation and material moving group, led the increase. Fatalities in this subgroup rose from 647 in 2009 to 683 in 2010, an increase of 6%.
Fatal work injuries involving resident military personnel decreased 44% in 2010 to 42 fatalities.
Profile of fatal work injuries in 2010 by worker characteristics
The number of fatal work injuries rose 2% among non-Hispanic white workers in 2010, but were lower for both non-Hispanic black or African-American workers and for Hispanic or Latino workers. The largest decline was among non-Hispanic black or African-American workers who recorded 9% fewer fatalities in 2010 after a decline of 21% in 2009. With the lower count in 2010, fatal work injuries among black or African-American workers have decreased by more than a third (37%) since 2007.
Fatal work injuries among Hispanic or Latino workers were down 4% in 2010 to the lowest level since 1997. Of the 682 fatal work injuries involving Hispanic or Latino workers, 427 (or 63%) involved foreign-born workers. Overall, there were 774 fatal work injuries involving foreign-born workers in 2010, of which the greatest share (297 or 38%) were born in Mexico.
Total hours worked for wage and salary workers increased slightly in 2010, but declined by nearly 2% for the self-employed. Fatal injuries to self-employed workers (the lowest annual total since the fatality census was first conducted in 1992) declined 6% from 2009 to 2010, while fatalities among wage and salary workers rose by 2%.
Fatal work injuries incurred by women increased by 6% in 2010, but declined by 1% for men. Fatal work injuries increased for workers under 18 years of age, workers age 25 to 34, and for workers 55 years of age and older. All other age groups recorded lower numbers of fatalities.
Profile of fatal work injuries by state
Twenty-seven states and the District of Columbia reported higher numbers of fatal work injuries in 2010 than in 2009, while 23 states reported lower numbers.
For more detailed state results, contact the individual state agency responsible for the collection of CFOI data in that state. Although data for Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and Guam are not included in the national totals for this release, results for these jurisdictions are available.
Fatal Occupational Injuries Drop in Indiana to Lowest Rate Ever
The Indiana Department of Labor released its annual Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries () report for 2010. The state reported 115 fatal occupational injuries in 2010, the lowest experienced since the report was introduced in 1991.
“While a record low is good statistically speaking, for 115 families, their tragic loss defies any statistic,” said Lori A. Torres, Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Labor. “That is why there is no higher priority in our agency than safeguarding the lives of working Hoosiers through safety and health initiatives and enforcement programs.”
Some findings of the 2010 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries report include:
- Agricultural crop related fatalities in Indiana decreased from 20 fatalities in 2009 to 14 in 2010. Overall, the agriculture industry remained statistically unchanged with the exception of an increase in fatalities in animal husbandry (0 to 5).
- Hoosier manufacturing continued its steady decline from 40 fatalities in 1997 to 13 fatalities in 2010.
- Despite a consistent decrease in workplace deaths over the past 20 years, construction continued to have the highest rate of fatalities (15.61 per 100,000 workers) compared to other non-farm industries (3.34 per 100,000 workers).
- The leading cause of all workplace fatalities was transportation incidents (54 out of 115). This includes vehicular accidents and persons being struck by a vehicle.
A survey pertaining to non-fatal occupational injuries and illness for 2010 is scheduled for release in October 2011.
MSHA Issues Notices of Potential Pattern of Violations to Mines in Tennessee and West Virginia
The US Department of Labor’s Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued notices of a potential pattern of violations to two mines that received similar notices last November. Solid Fuel Inc.’s, No. 1 Mine in Claiborne County, Tennessee, formerly known as Wilcoal’s Tri-State Mining, and Rhino Eastern LLC’s, Eagle 1 Mine in Raleigh County, West Virginia, both implemented corrective action programs and successfully achieved their target improvements during the last Potential Pattern of Violations (PPOV) evaluation. However, they have failed to maintain those health and safety improvements and again have met the PPOV criteria, a first in the history of the enforcement of the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act of 1977.
In accordance with MSHA’s POV procedures summary, the agency has continued to monitor the mines for long-term compliance. Based on the most recent enforcement data, MSHA determined that these mines are no longer making a good faith effort to eliminate violations.
In the five months following the evaluation period, both operations’ significant and substantial violation rates increased considerably. The rate of Solid Fuel Inc.’s, No. 1 Mine increased from 4.84 to 21.94 S&S citations and orders per 100 inspection hours. The rate of Rhino Eastern LLC’s, Eagle 1 Mine increased from 4.18 to 24.77 S&S citations and orders per 100 inspection hours. A rib fall fatality occurred at the latter mine in June, even though rib falls were specifically addressed in Rhino Eastern’s corrective action program.
MSHA regulations authorize the agency to consider mines for a PPOV at least once a year. Mines that receive PPOV notices have the opportunity to implement corrective action programs, and they must reduce their S&S rates to targets set by agency POV procedures. MSHA encourages mine operators to implement corrective action programs with long-term goals for reducing violations beyond the goals established by MSHA under the POV procedures. However, when mine operators do not sustain these goals, MSHA determines whether they are making a good faith effort to eliminate violations.
“The need to monitor long-term compliance of potential POV mines was an issue raised by the Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General, and one with which we fully agree,” said Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health. “MSHA will not allow mines to abandon corrective action programs after meeting short-term PPOV goals. We will insist these mines continue to provide miners the protections they deserve, and we will use all of the tools available to us under the Mine Act to ensure that they do.”
Department of Labor Improves Enforcement Databases
The US Department of Labor announced enhancements to its online enforcement database designed to improve public access to and understanding of the department’s enforcement actions. The updated website includes a number of new features, including map displays of inspection and violation data from OSHA and MSHA, as well as the ability to view individual inspection records and the enforcement history of a particular company or mine.
“These improvements to our online enforcement database are part of our commitment to open, transparent enforcement,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “By making this information available and easy to use, we’re helping to ensure a level playing field for employers who follow the law.”
In addition to mapping capabilities, the updated site allows users to easily view important agency metrics; perform keyword searches; filter data by year, violations, or penalties; and export search results or an entire data set into downloadable formats. A new “labs” feature allows users to create data visualizations and animations using several decades of MSHA data.
CONN‐OSHA Recordkeeping Seminar on September 22
Employers who know the rules and who use OSHA’s Log of WorkRelated Injuries and Illnesses will have a major advantage when an OSHA inspector comes to call.
The upcoming September 22 RecordKeeping seminar facilitated by the Connecticut Department of Labor’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health (CONN‐OSHA) is designed to guide and advise employers on recordkeeping rules and the importance of keeping accurate track of workplace injuries and work‐related illnesses. The free training session will be conducted by CONN‐OSHA Research Analyst Erin Wilkins from 9:00 a.m. to noon in the agency’s Central Office at 200 Folly Brook Boulevard in Wethersfield, Connecticut.
“When an OSHA inspector visits an establishment, he or she will typically begin an inspection with a review of the company’s OSHA log,” Wilkins explains. “Unfortunately, too often forms are outdated or not completed properly. OSHA recordkeeping rules can be confusing to some and that’s why we offer this training—to make them crystal clear.”
According to Wilkins, recordkeeping rules underwent a major change in 2002 and, as a result, many employers are inaccurately reporting occupational injuries and illnesses.
OSHA Cites Met Weld for Repeat, Serious and Other Violations
OSHA has cited Met Weld International LLC, of Altamont, New York, for 21 alleged violations of workplace safety and health standards. The company, which manufactures and engineers power generation process systems, faces a total of $49,210 in proposed fines following inspections of its plant on Ostrander Road begun in April.
“The inspection identified a cross section of hazards that expose employees to the dangers of fire, lacerations, insufficient respiratory protection, hearing loss, being struck by a vehicle and being caught in unexpectedly activated machinery,” said Edward Jerome, OSHA’s area director in Albany. “It is imperative that the employer address these conditions promptly and take effective steps to prevent them from recurring.”
Eight serious violations carrying $28,910 in proposed fines involve a storage cabinet for flammable liquids that did not meet fire resistance requirements, an auger that did not have its power source locked out to prevent its activation while employees cleared jams, blocked and unmounted fire extinguishers, a lack of fire extinguisher training, a nonworking horn on a powered industrial truck, an unsecured power press, an unguarded grinder, and the lack of a high temperature or carbon monoxide alarm on a compressor used to supply breathing air to a respirator. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Two repeat violations with $12,600 in fines involve conditions similar to those cited in a 2006 OSHA inspection: a lack of an effective hearing conservation program, and not providing medical evaluations and fit-testing for employees using respirators. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule, or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
Finally, 11 other-than-serious violations with $7,700 in fines involve incomplete or incorrect recording of occupational injuries, tripping hazards, and a missing respirator tag. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
“Establishing an injury and illness prevention program in which workers and management continually identify and eliminate hazardous conditions can prevent hazards such as these,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.
OSHA Cites Estis Well Service Following Worker Death
OSHA cited Estis Well Service LLC, for one willful and eight serious safety violations following the death of a worker at Rig No. 23 located near Bayou Sorrel, Louisiana.
“This company willfully jeopardized the safety of its employees,” said Dorinda Folse, OSHA’s area director in Baton Rouge. “If the company had followed OSHA and industry standards, this tragic accident might have been avoided.”
OSHA’s Baton Rouge Area Office began its inspection March 10 following a report that an employee was fatally injured when a land-based portable rig, which was mounted on a barge, tipped over, and crushed the employee to death. The rig was being used to conduct remedial operations on an oil well to increase production.
The willful violation was for failing to ensure employees were protected from falls while working on an elevated drill floor by providing rails or personal fall arrest systems. A willful violation exists when an employer has demonstrated either an intentional disregard for the requirements of the law or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
The serious violations include failing to utilize confined space permits; provide an emergency escape line or other form of emergency egress for employees working on the monkeyboard (a platform on which a derrickhand stands to handle the top end of a pipe as it is run into, or out of, the drill hole); utilize industry-approved methods to anchor or brace a well rig; ensure the use of personal protective equipment such as fire retardant clothing; and provide a competent, qualified person on the rig to administer first aid in the event of an emergency.
OSHA Cites Plastican Inc. for 11 Safety Violations
OSHA cited Plastican Inc., in Macon, Georgia, a division of Bway Holding Corp., with 11 safety violations following an April inspection of the company’s facility. Proposed penalties total $51,757.
Ten serious violations involve failing to develop lockout/tagout procedures for the energy sources of the injection molding machine, grinders, and blenders; exposing employees to fall hazards by having a missing mid-rail on a platform; allowing unguarded equipment; not closing the open holes of junction boxes located throughout the plant; not labeling the purposes of the breakers on the electrical panel; obstructing access to the electrical panels; exposing electrical parts on equipment; not wiring a fan directly to a switch; slip and trip hazards; and several instances of flexible cords being used as permanent wiring.
One other-than-serious violation is being cited for failing to certify monthly inspections of the hooks for the overload crane.
“This inspection identified a broad range of hazards that, if left uncorrected, expose workers to electric shock, potential falls and ‘caught-in’ hazards posed by work around machinery,” said Bill Fulcher, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office. “Employers cannot wait for an OSHA inspection to identify the hazards that expose their employees to serious injury. It is good business to implement preventive programs and systems to ensure that such hazards are identified and corrected as part of day-to-day operations.”
Bway Holding Corp., a North American manufacturer of rigid metal and plastic containers, has its corporate office in Atlanta and acquired Plastican Inc., in October 2010. The Macon facility manufactures plastic open head pails and screw top injection pails.
OSHA Cites F&C Professional Aluminum Railing Corp. for Safety and Health Hazards
OSHA cited F&C Professional Aluminum Railing Corp., for 20 workplace safety and health violations following an inspection of the company’s Plainfield, New Jersey, facility. Proposed penalties total $51,480.
“Each of these violations leaves employees at the facility vulnerable to hazards that can result in serious injury and possible death,” said Patricia Jones, director of OSHA’s Avenel Area Office. “It is vital that the company correct these violations immediately to ensure a safe and healthful work environment.”
Nineteen serious violations involve hazards associated with exposure to chemicals above recommended limits; a lack of respiratory protection, including respirator use, fit-testing, medical evaluation, and training; missing machine guarding; a lack of a written hazard communication program; a lack of material safety data sheets; improper labeling of temporary containers; and improper use of electrical equipment.
One other-than-serious violation, which does not carry a monetary penalty, is being cited for the company’s failure to provide employees who use respirators on a voluntary basis with necessary information.
The citations are based on an inspection initiated by OSHA in March. F&C Professional Aluminum Railing Corp., which manufactures aluminum railings for residential and business use, has 19 employees.
OSHA cites Roma Construction for Scaffolding Hazards
OSHA has cited Roma Construction with six safety violations after an inspection of the company’s work site on Wild Basin in San Antonio, Texas, found employees exposed to scaffolding hazards while applying stucco to the exterior of a home. A July 20 inspection was conducted as part of OSHA’s regional emphasis program to prevent occupational fatalities and injuries from falls, electrical hazards, and struck by and caught by hazards. Proposed penalties total $50,820.
“This is not the first time Roma Construction has jeopardized the safety of its employees,” said Jeff Funke, OSHA’s area director in San Antonio. “Exposing workers to possible falls is unacceptable and can have tragic consequences.”
One serious violation was cited for failing to ensure that employees erecting, dismantling, moving, repairing, maintaining, or inspecting scaffolding were trained by a competent person to recognize the hazards associated with working on a scaffold.
Five repeat violations include failing to ensure that working levels of scaffolding were fully planked with safe means of access and egress, ensure that scaffolding was inspected by a competent person for visible defects and protect employees from falling by providing guardrail systems or other means. OSHA cited the company in February and March of 2009 for similar violations with proposed penalties of $4,050 and $3,450, respectively.
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