Translated into dollars, OSHA estimates that companies participating in OSHA's VPP program have saved since 1982 more than $1 billion.
$2.3 Million Fine Following Two Fatal Falls
OSHA cited Thomas Industrial Coatings Inc. of Pevely, Mo., for 33 willful violations, including instance-by-instance willful violations, and eight serious alleged violations of job safety and health standards. Proposed penalties total $2,362,500.
OSHA's citations resulted from the investigation of two fatal workplace accidents within two months involving the painting contractor. Both accidents occurred at the same bridge painting worksite in Kansas City and the same suspended scaffold. One employee died when he fell through a hole in the platform while he was painting. The other employee fell to his death while dismantling the scaffold.
"Not only did two workers suffer fatal falls while working in Kansas City, but another employee of this company suffered a fatal fall in a similar accident earlier in the year in the St. Louis area," said Edwin G. Foulke Jr., assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Three fatalities in five months show gross plain indifference to employee safety. Employers must ensure that their workers are protected from unsafe working conditions."
The instance-by-instance willful violations alleged the lack of fall protection and training for employees, especially in the use of fall protection and the safe dismantling of the scaffold. The single willful citations alleged the lack of safe scaffold access; a qualified person did not design the scaffold; and there were no competent persons to supervise the work. The citations also alleged the employer failed to inspect the scaffold and its components and to secure the suspension cables properly. The serious citations addressed other unsafe practices, including the employer's permitting debris that employees could trip over in front of the large platform holes and overloading the personnel lift.
Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard of the requirements of the OSH Act or plain indifference to employee safety. OSHA can issue instance-by-instance citations for each violation of a standard; for example, as in this case, issuing a citation for each platform hole through which an employee could have fallen. Serious violations are those that could result in death or serious physical harm about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA Cites Contractors $328,000 Following Triple Fatality
OSHA has cited two Florida construction companies following the investigation of a roof collapse in which three workers were killed. The fatal accident occurred May 6, at One Bal Harbour on Collins Avenue, Miami Beach.
The agency has proposed penalties totaling $297,500 for Southland Forming and $30,525 for the general contractor Boran Craig Barber Engel Construction.
Three Southland employees died when formwork and poured concrete for the roof level of a condominium building collapsed, trapping them on the level below. A fourth worker was hospitalized with serious injuries.
OSHA issued four willful citations to Southland, with maximum proposed penalties of $280,000, for failing to design and erect formwork that would adequately support the weight of concrete being placed upon it; failure to properly position and ensure stability of shoring posts; and failure to conduct inspections during the concrete pour.
The company, based in West Palm Beach, also received four serious citations, with proposed penalties of $17,500, for failing to determine that planned formwork would not support a change to the roof design; to assure that shoring and support posts were properly erected; and to properly train employees.
Naples-based Boran Craig Barber Engel Construction also received four serious citations, with proposed penalties of $30,525. Two, directly related to the accident, were for exposing workers to the collapse by failing to assure that structures were designed to support concrete and that posts were properly attached to formwork. The other citations were for allowing a load that was raised by a crane to be lifted above workers and failing to adequately light a stairway, exposing workers to struck-by and tripping hazards.
Safety Program to Protect Young Workers
State educators and safety experts have joined forces with OSHA to develop courses aimed at reducing exposure to safety hazards for young workers. An alliance signing ceremony was recently held at Alabama State University’s Montgomery campus.
“The mission of this alliance is to provide career technology educators throughout the state with the resources necessary to offer effective safety and health training for students,” said Ken Atha, OSHA’s area director in Mobile.
Educators certified as safety instructors will conduct OSHA courses as part of a school’s curriculum. The classes will equip students with the skills they need to recognize and abate hazards commonly found in school laboratories and at their workplaces.
Alliance participants include Safe State Alabama Onsite Consultation Program; Alabama Department of Education, Career/Technical Education Section; American Society of Safety Engineers, Alabama and Mississippi chapters; and OSHA’s area offices in Mobile and Birmingham.
The OSHA area office in Mobile is located at 1141 Montlimar Drive, Suite 1006; phone: 251-441-6131. The area office for OSHA in Birmingham is at 950 22nd St. North, Suite 1050; phone: 205-731-1534.
OSHA Renews Alliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare
OSHA renewed its two-year-old alliance with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO) and the Joint Commission Resources, Inc. (JCR).
"The healthcare community is reaping benefits as a result of this cooperative relationship, and we are pleased to continue working with both organizations to further safety and health for healthcare employees."
Dennis S. O'Leary, JCAHO president, and Karen H. Timmons, JCR chief executive officer echoed Foulke sentiments. Said O'Leary: "Improvements in workplace safety protect clinical care-givers and ultimately benefit those for whom they provide care." Timmons said employee safety is "imperative" in today's healthcare environment. "JCR is working side-by-side with experts at OSHA and JCAHO to provide a host of educational resources that arm healthcare organizations with strategies, tools and techniques to help keep employees safe."
OSHA and JCAHO/JCR developed the curriculum for the 1st and 2nd Emergency Preparedness Conferences held in Washington in 2005 and last month. The alliance also resulted in the successful audio/web conference in January with the American Heart Association, another alliance program participant, which provided attendees an overview of new cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) guidelines. The alliance participants also jointly write a standing column for JCR's newsletter Environment of Care® News.
The alliance unites OSHA and JCAHO/JCR on efforts to provide education and compliance assistance to healthcare providers and others with information and access to training resources on biological and airborne hazard topics, in addition to emergency preparedness, ergonomics, and workplace violence.
Independent Electrical Contractors Renew Alliance with OSHA
The Independent Electrical Contractors (IEC), a trade association of merit shop electrical and systems contractors, will once again extend its Alliance with OSHA, the agency announced earlier this month.
"This cooperative relationship with IEC has been productive for more than four years, and we are pleased to be able to continue that effort," said OSHA Administrator Ed Foulke. Added Bruce Bowman, chairman of the IEC National Safety Committee: "Keeping a safe workplace is good business for all independent electrical contractors. Renewing this alliance and making OSHA's knowledge, experience and resources available to all IEC members will lead to safer jobsites across the country."
Additionally, OSHA and IEC developed a slide presentation about updates to OSHA's electrical standard, focusing on topics such as hot work and arc flash.
The eTool was originally developed with input from the OSHA and IEC alliance and posted on OSHA's Web site in 2003.
OSHA Renews Safe Tank Alliance to Advance Safety and Health at Petroleum and Petrochemical Liquid Storage Sites
OSHA renewed a joint alliance with three organizations to promote safe and healthful working conditions for workers in the petroleum and petrochemical industry.
(STI is a new participant in the alliance).
"We are pleased to welcome the Steel Tank Institute to this very important and successful alliance," said OSHA Administrator Ed Foulke after signing a two-year renewal to the agreement. "In two short years, we've already seen good results; it is imperative that this significant alliance be continued."
Echoing Foulke's sentiments was Wayne Geyer, executive vice president of STI, who commended OSHA for its approach to work with industry. "We're pleased to be part of an alliance that is committed to disseminating information of the many hazards that can be encountered in petrochemical storage tanks and confined spaces." NFPA president and CEO James M. Shannon said the first two years of the alliance "have been successful in promoting safer and healthier working conditions for workers in the industry," and also extended a welcome to STI.
OSHA and the Safe Tank Alliance developed and held a successful Safe Tank Entry Best Practices Seminar recently in Richmond, Calif. More than 80 representatives of the Alliance joined refinery professionals, OSHA personnel, and Alaska and California state plan participants for discussions on above ground petroleum storage tanks. Alliance participants also serve on editorial boards for OSHA Safety and Health Topics pages and eTools related to oil and gas well drilling and servicing. The participants are also reviewing and providing comments on the draft storage tank module which will be added to that topics page.
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