In early February the Imperial Sugar refinery in Port Wentworth, Georgia, exploded, killing 13 workers and severely injuring many more. OSHA and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), which have launched a major investigation into the Imperial Sugar explosion, have concluded that the explosion was caused by combustible sugar dust.
In 2006, following a series of fatal combustible dust explosions, the U.S. CSB conducted a major study of combustible dust hazards. It identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 that killed 119 workers, injured 718 others, and extensively damaged industrial facilities. The tragedy at Imperial Sugar shows that the threat of dust explosions is very real at industrial worksites across America and needs to be addressed immediately.
The Chemical Safety Board urged OSHA in 2006 to issue rules controlling dust hazards, but OSHA has never offered any indication that it is planning to issue such rules. The agency has the authority to issue these rules without Congress passing new legislation, but it has failed to act. The CSB concluded that voluntary dust standards issued by the National Fire Protection Association were effective if employers complied with them.
Since 2001, in case after case and industry after industry, OSHA has chosen to emphasize voluntary compliance. Effective voluntary guidelines to control combustible dust hazards and prevent dust explosions already exist. But to truly protect workers, OSHA needs an enforceable standard is based on these voluntary guidelines. Without an OSHA standard, many employers are unaware of the hazards of combustible dusts, while others have chosen not to adopt voluntary standards.
When dust builds up to dangerous levels in industrial worksites, it can become fuel for fires and explosions. Combustible dust can come from many sources, such as sugar, flour, feed, plastics, wood, rubber, furniture, textiles, pesticides, pharmaceuticals, dyes, coal, and metals, and therefore poses a risk across a number of different industries throughout the United States.
To address dust hazards, H.R. 5522 would:
- Direct OSHA to issue an interim final Combustible Dust standard within 90 days. The standard would include measures to minimize hazards associated with combustible dust through improved housekeeping, engineering controls, worker training and a written combustible dust safety program.
- Direct OSHA to issue a final standard within eighteen months. OSHA would be required to include relevant parts of National Fire Protection Association standards. In addition to items required in the interim standard, the final standard would include requirements for building design and explosion protection. The interim standard would remain in effect until the final standard is issued. OSHA would be required to fulfill all administrative rulemaking requirements including full public hearings, feasibility analysis and small business review.
- Direct OSHA to include combustible dusts in the Hazard Communication Standard which requires workers to receive information and training about the hazards they face.
OSHA Cites United Airlines for Workplace Safety Violations and Proposes $215,500 Penalty
OSHA has proposed $215,500 in fines against United Airlines Inc. in Chicago for alleged multiple serious and repeat violations of federal workplace safety standards.
OSHA selected United Airlines for inspection after reviewing occupational injury and illness data, which included ramp services, customer service areas, air freight, aircraft and ground equipment maintenance, building/facility maintenance, business operations, strategic procurement, medical facilities and flight attendant operations. As a result of its inspection, OSHA issued 43 serious violations and four repeat violations.
The serious violations address hazards associated with fall protection, hazardous energy control procedures and training, storage of oxygen and fuel-gas cylinders, platform load ratings and electrical hazards. The four repeat violations, based on citations issued and affirmed in 2006 and 2007, cover machine guarding and electrical issues. Proposed penalties for the repeat violations alone total $57,500.
"Falls, electrical hazards and machine guarding issues, as well as energy lockout/tagout procedures, which are intended to prevent accidental start-up of machinery during maintenance, are problems that should not exist at any worksite," said Diane Turek, director of OSHA's Chicago North Area Office in Des Plaines, Ill. "They are problems that can be avoided if an employer is dedicated to protecting employees. Employers must remain dedicated to keeping the workplace safe and healthful, or face close scrutiny by this agency."
Since 2004, OSHA has inspected United Airlines 22 times at various locations nationwide. United Airlines operations at O'Hare International Airport have been inspected eight times since 2000 with only three of those inspections resulting in citations.
OSHA operates a vigorous enforcement program, conducting more than 39,000 inspections in fiscal year 2007 and exceeding its inspection goals in each of the last eight years. In fiscal year 2007, OSHA found nearly 89,000 violations of its standards and regulations.
OSHA Proposes $115,000 in Penalties Against Contractor for Safety and Health Violations
OSHA has proposed $115,000 in penalties against John Moriarty & Associates of Florida Inc. (JMAF) for two alleged willful and one serious violation of OSHA standards uncovered during an inspection of the company's construction site in Miami.
Three employees contracted from a temporary help company were injured after they were instructed by JMAF supervisors to clean the inside of a tank that contained concrete slurry waste. Two of the employees were admitted to a local hospital with second-degree chemical burns.
"These employees were placed in a hazardous situation by JMAF's supervisors who ignored OSHA standards and the warning of their own safety professional," said Darlene Fossum, OSHA's area director in Fort Lauderdale.
OSHA has cited the company for two willful violations, with proposed penalties of $110,000, for instructing the employees to enter a confined space without first identifying and correcting any possible hazards, which exposed the employees to concrete slurry waste. The employer failed to instruct employees on the hazards associated with confined spaces and failed to train the employees on the use of protective and emergency equipment. A serious violation with a $5,000 penalty has been issued for failing to require employees to wear appropriate protective equipment, including eye and face protection, while working with a hazardous material.
The company has 15 business days to contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by staff from OSHA's Fort Lauderdale Area Office.
Samscreen Fined Additional $75,000 for Failing to Correct Machine Guarding Hazards
A Conklin, N.Y., manufacturer of industrial screening media faces an additional $75,000 in fines from the OSHA for failing to correct machine guarding hazards cited during a previous OSHA inspection.
Samscreen Inc. was cited by OSHA in June 2007 for inadequate guarding of moving machine parts and other hazards at its 216 Broome Corporate Parkway manufacturing plant. The company agreed to correct all cited hazards and paid a fine of $4,725. However, an OSHA follow-up inspection begun in February 2008 found that three press brakes and eight revolving rollers remained unprotected, leaving employees exposed to potential laceration, amputation and crushing injuries.
"The purpose of machine guarding is to prevent any part of an employee's body from coming in contact with a machine's moving parts," said Christopher Adams, OSHA's area director in Syracuse. "The sizable fine proposed here reflects the seriousness of this employer's ongoing failure to effectively safeguard its employees against this potentially deadly hazard."
As a result, OSHA issued Samscreen two failure to abate citations, with $75,000 in proposed fines. OSHA issues a failure to abate citation when an employer does not correct a cited violation by an established date. OSHA may impose a penalty of up to $7,000 per day for each violation.
Jump in Fatalities of Latino Workers Reports New AFL-CIO Death on the Job Study
In 2006, fatal injuries among Latino workers increased by seven% over 2005, with 990 fatalities among this group of workers, the highest number ever reported.
The total number of fatal workplace injuries in the United States was 5,840, an increase from the year before. On average, 16 workers were fatally injured and another 11,200 workers were injured or made ill each day in 2006. These statistics do not include deaths from occupational diseases, which claim the lives of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 more workers each year.
The fatality rate among Hispanic workers in 2006 was 25% higher than the fatal injury rate for all U.S. workers. Since 1992, when data was first collected in the BLS Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, the number of fatalities among Latino workers has increased by 86%, from 533 fatal injuries in 1992 to 990 deaths in 2006. Among foreign-born workers, job fatalities have increased by 63%, from 635 to 1,035 deaths.
“It’s clear that the workplace safety net has more holes than fabric, and it is costing too many American workers their lives,” said AFL-CIO President John Sweeney. “Our nation’s workplaces have gotten more dangerous, not safer, under President Bush. Congress and the next President must take real action by strengthening the OSHA Act with tougher civil and criminal penalties, addressing increasing risks for Hispanic and immigrant workers, increasing funding for OSHA, and fully implementing the provisions of the MINER Act.”
The construction sector had the largest number of fatal work injuries (1,239, up from 1,192 in 2005), followed by transportation and warehousing (860), and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting (655). In the construction sector, there was a gap between Hispanic and non-Hispanic workers. In 2005, the death rate for Hispanic construction workers was 12.4/100,000 full time workers compared to 10.5/100,000 non-Hispanic construction workers.
The report also examined OSHA staffing levels, finding that to inspect each workplace once, it would take federal OSHA 133 years with its current number of inspectors. The current level of federal and state OSHA inspectors provides one inspector for every 63,913 workers. This compares to a benchmark of one labor inspector for every 10,000 workers recommended by the International Labor Organization for industrialized countries.
The release of the Death on the Job report comes in advance of the 20th Workers Memorial Day, April 28th, which commemorates workers who were killed or injured in the past year. Community and union members around the world will gather at hundreds of events to remember local workers and draw attention to the problem of unaddressed workplace hazards.
Edwin G. Foulke Jr., on Workers Memorial Day 2008
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. released the following statement on the observance of Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2008: "On this day, we remember and honor those who were injured or lost their lives as a result of job-related hazards. One fatality is one too many. We pay tribute to them and will continue to remain steadfast in our mission of promoting a safe and healthy workplace for all employees."
"The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been quite successful in improving workplace safety and health over the past 37 years. Injury and illness rates have continued to decline to record lows. The injury and illness incidence rate of 4.4 per 100 employees in 2006 was the lowest that the Bureau of Labor Statistics has ever recorded. The 2006 fatality rate, at 4.0 per 100,000 employees, remains at an historic low. OSHA will continue to work diligently to focus its resources where they will have the most impact in assuring that every working man and woman returns home safe to his or her family every day."
"On our 37th anniversary, we remember those employees who are no longer with us, and because of their sacrifice, we remain firm in our commitment to improving safety and health in all workplaces."
Oregon OSHA to Host Roofing Symposium
The Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) is partnering with the Association of Roofing Contractors to host a workshop designed to promote safe workplace practices and reduce accidents in the roofing industry.
Oregon OSHA and the Association of Roofing Contractors will host the free event on May 7, 2008. The symposium, which runs from 8:30 a.m. to noon at the Northwest College of Construction in Portland, will focus on the hazards of the roofing industry. Michael Wood, administrator of Oregon OSHA, will also speak at the event.
Oregon OSHA, a division of the Department of Consumer & Business Services, will provide training on how to integrate safety into a business plan to reduce accidents. According to workers’ compensation claims, nearly 200 injuries are reported a year in Oregon’s roofing industry. Improper fall protection continues to be the number one Oregon OSHA citation, with nearly $630,000 in penalties assessed in 2006.
Jim Fisher, owner of Jim Fisher Roofing and Construction in Sherwood, says Oregon OSHA’s educational opportunities can make a difference. Over the last few years, he has noticed more contractors taking a proactive approach to safety. Fisher says he continues to work on changing the culture in his industry.
“Peer pressure will force some of the other roofing companies to take safety more seriously but the consumer has to help,” Fisher said. “They can’t always go with the cheapest contractor and not ask why. We spend a huge amount of money, as in thousands, on safety to protect our employees.”
OSHA regulations require that roofing contractors are trained on the following issues:
- Use of appropriate safety equipment (eye and hearing protection, safety harnesses, lanyards, associated personal fall protection)
- Proper ladder use
- Guarding or covering any floor openings or holes they could fall or trip into
- Use of other fall protection systems
“Part of our job is to provide businesses with the educational tools to keep workers safe,” said Michael Wood, Oregon OSHA administrator. “People like Jim Fisher are changing the industry culture, and we want to support that change.”
Oregon Hospital Awarded Grant of Nearly $400,000 to Promote Safe Patient Handling to Reduce Workplace Injuries
As part of an effort to reduce injuries and cut health care claims, Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) has awarded Hermiston’s Good Shepherd Medical Center with a $394,617 grant. The money will help the hospital buy patient lifting equipment and comes from the Workers’ Benefit Fund, maintained by the Department of Consumer and Business Services.
On average, nurses lift a cumulative nine tons a week—the equivalent of 28 Double Decker buses per year. Sprains and strains among nurses and other health care workers comprise a significant portion of all workplace injuries, with more than 500 reported each year in Oregon.
Oregon OSHA, a division of DCBS, has been working with the Oregon Coalition for Healthcare Ergonomics to develop a pilot program for safe patient handling at Good Shepherd that can be applied to other rural hospitals in the state.
“This grant will make a big difference for us,” said Vicki Horneck, Good Shepherd interim vice-president of nursing. “We don’t have any ‘extra’ nurses here, so anything that reduces injuries to nurses and keeps our staffing levels constant is a direct benefit to our patients.”
Injuries in health care are a growing problem, both in Oregon and nationwide, and contribute to rising health care costs. A recent report released by DCBS shows that while workers’ compensation claims in other industries are declining, health care claims have remained steady.
Claims in the health care industry represented nine% of all claims in Oregon in 2005, an increase from 7.3% in 1996. Safe-lifting programs at Good Shepherd and other hospitals across the state could reduce the number of claims by cutting injuries.
“There are proven ways to reduce injuries, and this grant will allow the hospital to purchase the necessary equipment,” said Michael Wood, administrator of Oregon OSHA. “When they demonstrate how these techniques work in a small facility, urban hospitals can learn from this model too.”
Oregon OSHA is taking a multi-faceted approach to reducing health care claims. Consultants work with hospitals to conduct training for safe patient handling and safety committees. The division also has a federally-recognized alliance with the Oregon Coalition for Healthcare Ergonomics.
Oregon OSHA Encourages Employers to “Take a Break for Safety’s Sake” on May 14, 2008
Oregon’s Department of Consumer and Business Services, Occupational Safety and Health Division (Oregon OSHA) coordinates this one-day event, designed to raise awareness and promote the value of workplace safety and health in preventing injuries and illnesses. The event takes place in workplaces across Oregon and is designed to be flexible to meet an employer's safety and health program needs.
"Every employer’s business philosophy should value safety and health," said Michael Wood, administrator of Oregon OSHA. "The annual Safety Break for Oregon creates a chance for employers and workers to come together to discuss safety and health, and to begin or continue a conversation about how to prevent injuries and incidents in the workplace.”
In 2003 Oregon OSHA created Safety Break for Oregon, the one-day event, at the urging of industry leaders concerned about an increase in workplace deaths in the state during 2002.
Oregon companies enjoyed a steady decrease in employee deaths for more than a decade, hitting a record low of 34 in 2001 before jumping to 77 in 2002.
Oregon OSHA attributes the 2002 increase to the state's lagging economy, which resulted in some companies laying off employees in safety-related positions. But members of the business community, including construction companies, were concerned there were other factors involved.
"People started to worry that maybe communities as a whole weren't aware of how important workplace safety was on a daily basis," said Kevin Weeks, an Oregon OSHA spokesman. "There was a concern that maybe safety wasn't at the front of people's minds when they went to work each day."
At the request of business leaders, Oregon OSHA agreed to help organize and promote a day dedicated to safety awareness, urging businesses and government agencies to spend at least a part of that day reminding employees about basic on-the-job safety.
Rather than create a single event for Safety Break for Oregon day, Oregon OSHA encourages companies to create their own programs, from simple 15-minute talks about general workplace safety to more elaborate ceremonies to recognize employees dedicated to job safety.
Indiana Department of Labor Honors Jasper Engines and Transmissions in Jasper, Indiana with Safety Award
The Indiana Department of Labor is pleased to announce the “Merit” certification of Jasper, Indiana’s Jasper Engines and Transmissions in Indiana’s Voluntary Protection Program (VPP).
VPP, Indiana's Voluntary Protection Program, was established to recognize and promote safety and health management programs throughout the state. All companies, regardless of size or business, can participate in VPP—where management and employees work together to create and maintain a healthy working environment.
Jasper Engines and Transmissions was founded in 1942 in Jasper, Ind., and operates three production sites nationwide. Employing more than 850 workers, the company’s Jasper site remanufactures drive train components that include gasoline and diesel engines, stern drives, transmissions, differentials and performance (NASCAR) and alternative fuel engines. “It is always gratifying to witness companies that proactively address and manage workplace safety and health.
“The Department of Labor is pleased to partner with and congratulate Jasper Engines and Transmissions for achieving VPP ‘Merit’ status,” commented Commissioner of Labor Lori A. Torres.
The VPP “Merit” certification ceremony was held on April 29, 2008 in Jasper, Indiana. The ceremony provided an opportunity for Jasper Engine and Transmissions’ employees, staff, and management to showcase their exemplary status to the media, state officials and local elected officials.
The facility has also been successful in reducing the number of OSHA recordable injuries and illnesses by 39% in a three-year span. “VPP sites are demonstrated leaders in the occupational safety and health arena. The reduction of recordable injuries and illnesses at Jasper Engines and Transmissions is proof-positive in how successful implementation of a safety and health management system has an impact on not only injury and illness rates, but also on employee satisfaction and morale,” added Torres.
The Jasper, Ind., site is the first of the company’s facilities to achieve VPP status.
Indiana Department of Labor Kicks off Teen Summer Job Safety Campaign
The Indiana Department of Labor is reminding employers and teens to work safely. Employment for teens can be a valuable experience as it gives teens an opportunity to learn important job skills, explore future careers and enhance their academic experience. Across the nation, however, approximately 70 adolescents die each year from work-related injuries. Many also suffer adverse health affects from hazardous exposures in the workplace.
Working together employers, educators, parents and teen workers can make teenagers’ work experience safer and more rewarding by understanding how to assess if a job, task and work environment is safe and appropriate for a teenage worker.
Teen workers and their parents should take the following steps to assess workplace safety and protect working teens:
Know and follow safe work practices
- Recognize the potential for injury at work
- Follow safe work practices
Ask about job training
- Teens should participate in training programs offered by their employer, or request training if none is offered.
Ask about hazards
- Teen workers should not be afraid to ask questions if they are unsure about the tasks they are assigned. Teens are encouraged to discuss concerns with their supervisor or employer prior to performing tasks.
Know your rights
- Teens have the right to refuse to perform unsafe work or work under unsafe conditions
- Teens have the right to file a complaint with the Indiana Department of Labor if they feel their rights have been violated or their safety has been jeopardized.
Know the laws
- Prior to beginning employment, teens should learn what jobs they are prohibited from doing.
Employers should take the following steps to assess workplace safety and protect working teens:
Supervise young workers
- Ensure young workers are appropriately trained and supervised
- Make sure that supervisors and adult co-workers are aware of tasks young workers are prohibited from performing
- Label equipment and supplies that teens cannot use, or color-code uniforms of young workers so that others know that they cannot perform certain jobs or tasks.
Provide job-related training
- Provide training in hazard recognition and safe work practices
- Have teen workers demonstrate that they can perform assigned tasks safely and correctly
- Ask for feedback from the teen workers about the training offered.
Know the laws
- Prior to employing teens, know and comply with all Child Labor Laws.
Educators should take the following steps to assess workplace safety and protect working teens:
Talk to students about work
- Talk to students about safety and health hazards in the workplace and students’ rights and responsibilities as workers.
Ensure safety of school-based work programs
- Ensure that vocational education and school-to-work programs offer students work that is allowed by law and is in safe and healthful environments free of workplace hazards.
- Include safety and health training programs in vocational education and school-to-work programs.
Know the laws
- Those responsible for signing work permits or certificates must know the Child Labor Laws.
For more information and recommendations on Teen Worker Safety, visit the website for the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health ().
National Safe Kids Week Report Says Accidental Injury Death Rate Down 45%
The accidental injury death rate of children 14 and under has declined by 45% in the U.S. since 1987, yet accidental injury remains the nation’s leading killer of kids, according to a new national report released by Safe Kids USA.
"We’re losing too many children to an epidemic that can be prevented,” said Mitch Stoller, president and chief executive officer of Safe Kids USA. “The 45% drop demonstrates tremendous progress, but we can’t lose sight that accidental injury remains the leading killer of our nation’s kids and that many of these injuries can be prevented.”
“The drop in children’s accidental deaths gives us thousands of reasons to celebrate—one for every single child who was saved from a serious or fatal injury,” said Jan Stegelman, Safe Kids Kansas Coordinator. “But we’re still losing too many kids in this country which is why Safe Kids Kansas joins the national effort to make child injury prevention a priority.”
National report findings
The comprehensive national report was undertaken by Safe Kids USA in celebration of the 20th anniversary of Safe Kids Worldwide, a global network of organizations whose mission is to prevent accidental childhood injury. The report also compares current data to data from 1987 and 1997.
The report unveils many findings including:
- Only 58% of parents with children 14 and under report their child being involved in a serious accident or getting seriously injured as a major concern—a 7% drop since 1987.
- There is little change from 1987 to 2007 in the amount done by parents to ensure their child’s safety—due to reasons varying from parents actually feeling the chance of their child being seriously injured is slim (especially fathers); to reporting that taking all the necessary steps are a hassle; to 20% of low income families (household income levels under $25,000) saying many safety devices such as fire extinguishers and bike helmets cost too much.
- Yet when parents do take action, they are not always taking the right steps every time their child is at risk of injury. For example, 31% of households with children 14 and under do not consistently ensure their children ride in the back seat of a car all the time; 24% do not consistently supervise their children around the water all the time, and 18% do not always ensure their children (under 10 years of age) are with an adult when crossing the street.
In addition, the report demonstrates that among children ages 14 and under, accidental death rates are declining except for the childhood suffocation death rate which has increased by 21%. (This is partly due to a re-categorization of deaths previously attributable to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.)
The injuries examined in the report are serious, many resulting in death or permanent disabilities. Many children survive, but live with significant physical and emotional health consequences for a lifetime. The stress on the children, their families and the health care system cannot be underestimated. In 2000, in the U.S., injuries to children ages 14 and under cost society approximately $58 billion in medical bills, lost wages of the children’s caregivers, and more.
“The great strides made over the past 20 years in reducing accidental childhood injuries by Safe Kids USA, the American injury prevention community, parents and governments is reason for optimism,” says Stegelman. “Yet all of us can do more to create a safer environment for the children of Kansas.”
What parents can do:
The four leading causes of death from accidental injuries to children 14 and under are suffocation (19%), motor vehicle occupant injuries (16%), drownings (16%), and pedestrian incidents (11%). Here are 10 steps Safe Kids Kansas recommends to parents that could have a major impact on their children’s safety:
- Properly secure your children under age 13 in a back seat every time they ride in a car.
- Keep your children in the right type of car or booster seat until adult lap and shoulder belts fit them correctly.
- Make sure your children wear a helmet and other protective gear every time they bike, skate, skateboard or ride a scooter.
- Teach your children to cross streets at corners and look left, right and left again before crossing. Make sure children younger than 10 always cross the street with an adult.
- Always keep your eyes on your children when they are playing in or near water.
- Always make sure your children wear life jackets when riding on boats or playing in or near open bodies of water.
- Install smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors on every level of your home and outside of every sleeping area. Change the batteries once a year, and test them monthly.
- Do not place blankets, pillows or other soft items in a baby’s crib. Keep small items such as toy parts, coins, buttons and beads away from children under age three.
- Keep poisonous items, such as medicines and cleaners, locked away and out of reach of children.
- Do not let your children play on stairs, furniture, balconies, roofs, or in driveways, streets, or parking lots.
What government can do:
“Our nation needs a coordinated strategy on children’s injury prevention that allows us to turn research into safety strategies that save lives,” says Martin R. Eichelberger, M.D., founder and director of Safe Kids Worldwide and chief of Trauma and Burn Services, Children’s National Medical Center in Washington, D.C. “From Capitol Hill to our local communities, we need to act together to make our neighborhoods and homes safer places for children to live, learn, travel, and play.”
Safe Kids Kansas joins Safe Kids USA in calling on national and state governmental leaders to recognize that accidental injury is the #1 threat to Kansas children, and in response, to marshal a multi-faceted effort (similar to what the nation has done to address drunk driving and smoking cessation) to eliminate this serious public health threat.
Some of their specific calls to action to government include:
- Congress continuing its efforts to modernize the operations and authority of the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission so that it can better fulfill its critical mission of protecting consumers, especially children, from dangerous products.
- The President and Congress providing sufficient federal budget support for the other federal agencies charged with promoting child safety. Those agencies include the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the United States Fire Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (National Center for Injury Prevention).
- State legislators addressing specific risk areas—such as motor vehicle collisions—by passing or improving laws that require all children to be appropriately buckled in a child safety seat (infant seat, forward facing child safety seat or booster seat) or seat belted in the back seat of motor vehicles.