Public comment is being invited on the draft National Nanotechnology Initiative Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health, and Safety Research at the NNI Strategy Portal. This is a great opportunity for the public to help shape policy in an important area of science, health, and environmental stewardship.
Nanotechnology—the emerging field in which scientists and engineers work on scales of billionths of a meter—has the potential to significantly transform society in many key areas including materials, processes, and products for revolutionary applications in areas as wide-ranging as energy storage, medical diagnostics, and high-speed computing. The responsible development of nanotechnology is one of the four goals of the National Nanotechnology Initiative (NNI), as described in the upcoming NNI Strategic Plan. In order to fully realize the promise of nanotechnology, research is needed to understand its environmental, health, and safety (EHS) implications, help assess potential risks, and provide guidance on the safety of nanomaterials throughout the product life cycle—from manufacture to use to disposal.
The NNI, the U.S. Government nanotechnology R&D program consisting of 25 agencies, is coordinated under the Nanoscale Science, Engineering, and Technology (NSET) Subcommittee of the National Science and Technology Council’s Committee on Technology. The NNI provides a framework for a comprehensive nanotechnology R&D program by establishing shared goals, priorities, and strategies complementing agency-specific missions and activities. The NSET Subcommittee’s Nanotechnology Environmental and Health Implications (NEHI) Working Group provides a forum for focused interagency collaborations on EHS and leadership in establishing the national nanotechnology EHS research agenda.
The draft NNI nanoEHS Strategy includes a scientific framework that incorporates the research needed to assess the environmental, health, and safety of nanomaterials. The strategy describes the NNI EHS research investment by research need, the state of the science, and an analysis of the gaps and barriers to achieving that research as part of the NNI’s adaptive management process. It updates and replaces the NNI EHS Strategy of February 2008. The strategy aims to ensure the responsible development of nanotechnology by providing guidance to the Federal agencies that produce the scientific information for risk management, regulatory decision-making, product use, research planning, and public outreach. The core research areas providing this critical information are measurement, human exposure assessment, human health, and the environment, in order to inform of risk assessment and risk management.
Detailed and highly collaborative planning efforts were required in the development of this strategy. NEHI analyzed information from Federal agencies with responsibility for the oversight of R&D, manufacture, import, sale, or use of nanomaterials and nanotechnology-enabled products. They also solicited input from other stakeholders, including the nanotechnology EHS R&D community, public health advocacy groups, non-governmental organizations, industry representatives, and the public. Members from these communities planned and contributed to a series of four NNI-sponsored workshops in 2009 and 2010, specifically targeted at informing this latest NNI nanoEHS Strategy.
Your comments on this draft of the plan must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 6, 2011. Please reference page and line numbers as appropriate, and keep your responses to 4,000 characters or less.
IATA Update – What’s New for 2011?
Each year, the International Air Transportation Association (IATA) updates and revises the regulations for the transportation of dangerous goods (hazardous materials) by air. If you offer dangerous goods for transportation by air, you must follow the new regulations by January 1. A large number of significant changes are being implemented in the 2011 IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR).
At this live webcast, you will learn:
- Changes in the regulations for consumer commodities– new marking and shipping paper entries
- New test authorized to determine classification and packing group of corrosives
- Changes in the classification criteria for magnetized materials
- Revisions to the classification of environmentally hazardous substances, marine pollutants, and aquatic pollutants
- Phase in of new packing instructions for Class 3 flammable liquids, Class 4 flammable solids, Class 5 oxidizers/organic peroxides, Class 8 corrosives, Class 9 miscellaneous, and Division 6
- New entries on the IATA List of Dangerous Goods and new special provisions
- New marking requirements for net quantities, limited quantities, environmentally hazardous substances, and orientation arrows
Cleveland RCRA and DOT Training
Advertising Opportunities Available
Environmental Resource Center is making a limited number of advertising positions available in the Safety Tip of the Week™, the Environmental Tip of the Week™, and the Reg of the Day™.
Carbon Nanotubes and Nanofibers: NIOSH Seeks Comment on Draft Recommendations, Research Needs
The draft document summarizes current scientific knowledge about the occupational safety and health implications of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers, and recommends an occupational exposure limit and measures for controlling work related exposures to those types of nanomaterials, based on the current state of knowledge. The draft document also suggests areas where further research is vital for more certainty in assessing potential risk of adverse health effects for workers in the manufacture and industrial use of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers.
Public comment will be accepted until February 18, 2011. NIOSH also announced that it will hold a public meeting to discuss and obtain comments on February 3, 2011, in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“As nanotechnology becomes more widely used and as public awareness grows, employers, workers, and health and safety professionals all increasingly seek guidance on measures for controlling occupational exposures,” said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. “These diverse stakeholders agree that the prudent stewardship of nanotechnology is essential for public acceptance and U.S. competitiveness in the global market.”
“Meeting this need poses a tremendous challenge for scientists,” Dr. Howard noted. “As we continue the research necessary for understanding the unique properties and implications of nanomaterials, we are also tasked by the fact that nanomaterials are already being produced and used in the workplace, where workers may be exposed to them. This is particularly true of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers, which are currently used in numerous industrial and biochemical applications. We invite public comment on the draft Current Intelligence Bulletin to help us develop final recommendations.”
The draft document includes, for comment:
- A recommendation that employers minimize work-related exposures until scientific studies can fully clarify the physical and chemical properties of carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers that define their potential for adverse occupational health effects through inhalation. The draft document recommends a strategic approach for assessing potential work-related exposures and risks, controlling exposures through a hierarchy of measures, instituting appropriate medical screening programs, and educating workers on sources and job tasks that may expose them to these types of nanomaterials.
- A recommended exposure limit (REL) of 7 micrograms of carbon nanotubes or carbon nanofibers per cubic meter of air as an eight-hour, time-weighted average, respirable mass concentration. This is the concentration that can most reliably be measured with current instrumentation. The draft document states, “NIOSH recognizes that the REL may not be completely health protective but its use should help lower the risk of developing [work-related] lung disease and assist employers in establishing an occupational health surveillance program that includes elements of hazard and medical surveillance.” The draft document recommends that airborne concentrations should be reduced as low as possible below the REL by making optimal use of sampling and analysis.
NIOSH has worked with its partners to advance strategic research on the occupational health and safety aspects of nanotechnology for more than six years, and has published numerous studies, recommendations, and scientific methods in this pioneering area.
OSHA Recommends Safety Measures to Protect Workers from Dacetyl and Diacetyl Substitutes
Diacetyl is a chemical used to add flavor and aroma to food and other products. Some workers who breathe diacetyl on the job have become disabled or have died from severe lung disease. Some diacetyl substitutes may also cause harm. OSHA strongly recommends that all flavoring and food manufacturers review and consider implementing applicable recommendations regarding engineering and work practice control measures, medical surveillance, workplace monitoring, and use of appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) to minimize each worker’s exposure to these flavoring substances.
“Illnesses arising from diacetyl exposure continue to place workers at risk,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “It is vital that employers use preventive measures to protect their workers from the harmful effects caused by these dangerous chemicals.”
Currently, OSHA does not have permissible exposure limits (PELs) for most flavoring substances, including diacetyl. Based on concerns for workers’ safety and health, OSHA is updating its National Emphasis Program on Microwave Popcorn Plants to include diacetyl substitutes, and has initiated rulemaking on occupational exposure to diacetyl and food flavorings containing diacetyl.
OSHA Extends Comment Period on Noise Control Interpretation
OSHA is extending the official comment period on the proposed interpretation titled, “Interpretation of OSHA’s Provisions for Feasible Administrative or Engineering Controls of Occupational Noise,” which was published in the Federal Register on October 19. Interested parties are encouraged to submit comments by March 21, 2011.
The agency also announced that it will hold a stakeholder meeting before the end of the comment period to listen to the concerns of businesses and workers about the proposed noise interpretation.
“We’re very eager to get input from those parties who would be affected by this proposed interpretation,” said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. “We have by no means completed our review of the issue and seek to make an informed decision that is in the best interest of protecting workers, yet sensitive to the operating changes businesses would need to make.”
Every year thousands of workers continue to suffer from preventable hearing loss due to high workplace noise levels. Since 2004, the Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported that more than 125,000 workers have suffered significant, permanent hearing loss. In 2008 alone, BLS reported 22,000 hearing loss cases.
Responding to continuing high levels of hearing loss among employees in the nation’s workplaces, the notice proposed to make enforcement of the hearing conservation standard consistent with enforcement of other OSHA standards by clarifying the term “feasible administrative or engineering controls” as used in OSHA’s general industry and construction occupational noise exposure standards.
OSHA’s current enforcement policy for noise exposures less than 100 decibels has not accurately reflected the noise standard’s requirements that feasible engineering and administrative controls be used as the primary means of reducing noise exposure. Instead, OSHA has allowed many employers to rely upon a hearing conservation program, including the use of hearing protectors such as ear plugs.
“There is sufficient evidence that hearing protection alone cannot prevent workers from suffering preventable hearing loss,” said Michaels. “Easily applied administrative or engineering controls can and must be used to protect workers. There are plenty of employers out there who play by the rules and want to do the right thing, and we’re hopeful we can work with them to craft a policy that’s good for all.”
Alternatively, you may mail or deliver comments (three copies) to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2010-0032, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Ave. NW, Washington, DC 20210. Submissions up to 10 pages in length may be faxed to 202-693-1648.
Don’t Blame the Pill for Estrogen in Drinking Water
Contrary to popular belief, birth control pills account for less than 1% of the estrogens found in the nation’s drinking water supplies, scientists have concluded in an analysis of studies published on the topic. Their report suggests that most of the sex hormone—which is a concern as an endocrine disrupter having possible adverse effects on people and wildlife—enters drinking water supplies from other sources.
Amber Wise, Kacie O’Brien, and Tracey Woodruff note ongoing concern about possible links between chronic exposure to estrogens in the water supply and fertility problems and other adverse human health effects. Almost 12 million women of reproductive age in the United States take the pill, and their urine contains the hormone. Hence, the belief that oral contraceptives are the major source of estrogen in lakes, rivers, and streams. Knowing that sewage treatment plants remove virtually all of the main estrogen—17 alpha-ethinylestradiol (EE2)—in oral contraceptives, the scientists decided to pin down the main sources of estrogens in water supplies.
Their analysis found that EE2 has a lower predicted concentration in U.S. drinking water than natural estrogens from soy and dairy products and animal waste used untreated as a farm fertilizer. And that all humans (i.e., men, women, children, and especially pregnant women) excrete hormones in their urine, not just women taking the pill. Some research cited in the report suggests that animal manure accounts for 90% of estrogens in the environment. Other research estimates that if just 1% of the estrogens in livestock waste reached waterways, it would comprise 15% of the estrogens in the world’s water supply.
Louisiana-Pacific Receives MIOSHA Recognition for Workplace Safety and Health Excellence
Louisiana-Pacific Corporation’s Building Products (LP) Newberry, Michigan, plant recently received renewal of its MVPP Star Award, the state’s highest workplace safety and health award, from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
“Louisiana-Pacific is to be commended for its exemplary corporate commitment to workplace safety and health,” said MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski. “They have created a corporate culture where workplace safety and health is a top priority. LP recognizes that a safe workplace provides the foundation for a productive workplace.”
MIOSHA established the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) program in 1996 to recognize employers actively working toward achieving excellence in workplace safety and health. Since 1999, Michigan has recognized 27 MVPP Star companies. This is the most prestigious safety and health award given in Michigan. The Louisiana-Pacific Newberry plant first received MVPP Star approval on March 11, 2004.
“I’m so proud of our employees,” said Russ Norkoli, LP Newberry Safety Manager. “Without their dedication and passion towards working safely, we would not have this MVPP certification. They continuously come up with ideas to make the mill a safer place to work. And with all the ups and downs our industry has gone through over the past few years, our employees continue to come to work with a positive attitude.”
“Success in safety can only be measured by how each employee leaves his/her workplace at the end of each work day,” added Kurt Chamberlain, LP Newberry Plant Manager. “Again, we are very proud of all our employees and pleased with this facility’s direction as our process workers, maintenance support staff and management team continue to work together creating standards and improving processes with safety at the forefront of each decision made.”
The Newberry plant’s incidence rate and lost work day rate are below the Michigan average for their NAICS code 321219 – Reconstituted Wood Product Manufacturing. Their total case incidence rate (TCIR) was 0.8 in 2008, and 1.0 in 2009—compared to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) industry average of 2.5 in 2008, and 3.5 in 2009. Their total day’s away/restricted cases (DART) rate was 0.8 in 2008, and 1.0 in 2009—compared to the BLS industry average of 1.0 in 2008, and 1.8 in 2009.
“LP is committed to supporting VPP efforts where there is an interest at a local level,” said Keith Harned, LP Corporate Health and Safety Director. “The support and dedication of the LP Newberry employees regarding safety is outstanding. We are proud of Newberry and their safety and health contributions to the company as a whole. We also applaud MIOSHA for their support of this partnership.”
The Newberry facility employs 112 workers and is considered a high-hazard operation. The MIOSHA review team consisted of John Bodnar, Team Leader and Safety Consultant; Dave Humenick, Industrial Hygienist; and Tony Neroni, Safety Consultant. The team examined various elements of Newberry’s safety and health system, and found them to effectively address the scope and complexity of the hazards at the site.
During the review, the safety manager, management personnel, and employee representatives were questioned about changes to the safety and health management system. Established written safety and health programs are still in effect and the safety and health management system continues to be effective. System highlights include:
- An extensive fire assessment was recently performed and the site is in the process of addressing the identified concerns.
- Increased emphasis on dust control, including additional employee education and housekeeping.
- Data from Hot Work Permits is being more thoroughly reviewed and tracked in order to identify potential problem areas. This information allows the site to address concerns before a serious injury occurs.
- A “CAP Tracker” system is now utilized to ensure that identified safety and environmental issues are corrected. The item, responsible party, and target completion date are entered into the system where it is tracked to completion.
- A thermal oil heating system training program has been developed and all affected employees have been trained based on the potential exposure in their work area.
Areas of excellence include:
- Dust Control – Routine audits are performed to identify dust leaks and ensure proper housekeeping to control the build up of dust. These audits take precedence over other routine maintenance procedures. A moveable/floating exhaust duct system on the flying cut-off saw was installed to reduce the accumulations of dust in the area.
- Fall Protection – All fixed ladders that are ten feet long or more are equipped with cages which are above and beyond the requirement of 20 feet in General Industry Safety Standard, Part 3, Fixed Ladders.
- The use of hearing protection is required throughout the entire facility regardless of the documented noise levels (some areas are below 80 dBA).
The company conducts inspections in various areas of the plant each month to ensure the entire facility is covered every few months. Managers and supervisors are required to complete an established number of proactive safety-related tasks each month. Corporate safety and health professionals have developed a Leading Indicator system to help each LP facility stay focused on maintaining safety and health compliance.
OSHA Fines U.S. Minerals $273,000 for Alleged Safety Violations
OSHA has cited U.S. Minerals Inc., with three alleged willful and 35 alleged serious violations for exposing workers to multiple safety and health hazards at the company’s facility in Galveston, Texas. Proposed penalties total $273,000.
“This company jeopardized the safety of its employees by not providing the proper fall protection and machine guarding,” said Mark Briggs, OSHA’s area director for the Houston South Area Office. “Employers’ disregard for worker safety will not be tolerated.”
The willful violations are for failing to provide fall protection for open-sided platforms, failing to provide conveyors equipped with emergency stops or pull cords, and failing to provide adequate fall protection for the bulk load out area. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
Serious violations include failing to provide covers on chute floors, failing to remove damaged portable metal ladders from service, failing to ensure compressed gas cylinders were properly secured, failing to provide fire extinguishers where combustible and flammable materials were stored and failing to develop and document machine specific lockout/tagout procedures for equipment. A serious violation is one in which there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
U.S. Minerals, a privately held company that manufactures abrasive blasting and roofing materials, employs about 60 workers and operates two plants in Illinois, one in Harvey, Louisiana, and the Galveston facility. In September, OSHA fined the company’s Baldwin, Illinois, facility $466,400 and cited 35 health and safety violations for willfully exposing its workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and failing to provide adequate breathing protection. As a result of the Baldwin inspection, which took place on March 11, OSHA opened inspections of additional U.S. Minerals facilities in Coffeen, Illinois, and Harvey, Louisiana, and this one in Galveston. OSHA’s inspection of the Louisiana facility resulted in the company being cited with 30 safety violations and proposed penalties of $110,400.
Initiated in the spring of 2010, SVEP is intended to focus OSHA enforcement resources on recalcitrant employers who endanger workers by demonstrating indifference to their responsibilities under the law by committing willful, repeated, or failure-to-abate violations in one or more of the following circumstances: a fatality or catastrophe, industry operations or processes that expose workers to severe occupational hazards, employee exposure to hazards related to the potential releases of highly hazardous chemicals, and all egregious enforcement actions.
OSHA Fines Texas Linen $126,000 for Fall Hazards and Repeat Violations
OSHA has issued Texas Linen Co. Ltd., five serious and 15 repeat citations following a safety and health inspection at the company’s facility in Austin. Proposed penalties total $126,400.
“This is not the first time this company has exposed its employees to workplace hazards,” said Casey Perkins, OSHA’s area director in Austin. “OSHA’s safety and health standards must be followed to prevent injuries and accidents.”
OSHA began its inspection June 10 at the company’s worksite on Smith Road and found employees operating a forklift without wearing a seat belt, as well as wet floors in passageways, aisles and laundry work areas.
OSHA issued serious citations alleging a failure to provide fall protection for employees working at an elevation of 16 feet; to provide an adequate number of locks and enforce lockout procedures during machine servicing to prevent injuries from unexpected re-start of machines and equipment; and to ensure a fiberglass ladder was set up and used correctly.
Repeat citations were issued alleging a failure to keep flooring dry; cover floor holes; provide machine guards for rotating parts, points of operation, and sprockets and chains; provide illuminated exit signs and clear exit access; provide properly identified locks for machine servicing; and provide working and easily accessible portable fire extinguishers. A repeat citation is issued 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.
In 2008, the company was fined more than $150,000 and cited for more than 40 safety and health violations at this same location, including a willful citation for not providing Hepatitis B vaccinations to employees within 10 days of being assigned to handle soiled health care linens.
OSHA Cites 3 Massachusetts Contractors for Cave-in Hazards at New Hampshire Jobsite
OSHA has issued a total of $154,700 in proposed fines against three Massachusetts contractors for exposing workers to cave-in hazards at a Salem, New Hampshire, worksite. Cited were Joseph P. Cardillo & Son Inc., of Wakefield, Majestic Mechanical Contractors Inc., of Tewksbury, and Domenick Zanni Sons Inc., of Reading.
The cited companies had been contracted to install a grease trap and piping for a supermarket under construction on Route 28 in Salem, New Hampshire. The OSHA inspection began in June when an agency official observed employees working in an unprotected 8-foot deep excavation that also lacked a ladder or other safe means of egress.
“The size of these proposed fines reflects the gravity of these hazards and the fact that two of the employers knew cave-in protection and a ladder were required, yet refused to provide these vital safeguards,” said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA’s New Hampshire area director. “The danger was real and present because the walls of an unguarded trench can collapse in seconds, striking and engulfing workers before they have a chance to react or escape.”
For the cave-in and ladder hazards, Cardillo was issued two willful citations with $105,000 in fines, Majestic was issued two willful citations with $42,000 in fines, and Zanni was issued two serious citations with $5,600 in fines. Cardillo and Majestic were also issued three other-than-serious citations each and fined $1,200 and $900, respectively, for inadequate recordkeeping. Cardillo faces a total of $106,200 in fines; Majestic, a total of $42,900; and Zanni, a total of $5,600.
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.
OSHA standards require that excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapse.
Newman and Co. Cited Following Worker Fatality
OSHA has cited Newman and Co., for exposing workers to numerous workplace safety and health hazards after a worker was killed at the paper manufacturer’s Philadelphia plant.
OSHA initiated an investigation on June 12 after being notified that a worker was crushed by a paper hopper during loading operations. As a result of the investigation, citations were issued for 39 serious and four other-than-serious violations.
“All of these violations contribute to an extremely hazardous work environment for Newman and Co. employees,” said Al D’Imperio, director of OSHA’s Philadelphia Area Office. “It is absolutely vital that the company remove all hazards to prevent future tragedies from occurring.”
Serious violations include the company’s failing to remove hazards from aisles, an inadequate lockout/tagout program that exposes workers to hazardous energy, inadequate machine guarding, electrical hazards, blocked fire exits, an ineffective pest control program, a lack of personal protection equipment to protect against burns, inadequate exposure control for bloodborne pathogens, and a lack of runway guard rails.
Other-than-serious citations were issued for failing to provide hearing conservation training, effectively inform workers of the dangers related to confined space, and record employee injuries.
OSHA Proposes $71,000 in Fines against Cannon Industries for Recurring and Other Hazards
OSHA has cited Cannon Industries Inc., for alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace safety standards at its Rochester, New York, plant. The stainless steel fabricator faces a total of $71,000 in proposed fines for hazardous energy control, machine guarding, and electrical hazards.
OSHA’s inspection found that workers performing service and maintenance on various machines had not been adequately trained in hazardous energy control, and had not affixed lockout devices to machines before performing service and maintenance. In addition, brakes on mechanical power presses were not guarded to prevent employees from being caught in their moving parts. OSHA had cited the company in December 2007 for similar hazards. As a result, OSHA now has issued the company three repeat citations with $42,000 in proposed fines for these recurring hazards.
“OSHA’s hazardous energy control standard requires that machines’ power sources be isolated and locked out to prevent their unintended activation during service or maintenance,” said Arthur Dube, OSHA’s area director in Buffalo. “Failure to train workers and follow proper procedures exposes these employees to potential serious injury or death.”
The company also has been issued six serious citations with $29,000 in fines for newly identified conditions, including failing to conduct periodic inspections of energy control procedures; steel lifting slings not labeled with their lifting capacity and other required information; no inspection records for lifting slings; unguarded moving machine parts; misused electrical equipment; and an exposed electrical conductor.
“One means of eliminating hazards such as these is for employers to establish an illness and injury prevention program in which workers and management work together continuously to identify and eliminate hazardous conditions,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.
OSHA Cites GSI Group LLC After Worker Killed in Industrial Accident
OSHA has cited GSI Group LLC, headquartered in Assumption, Illinois, after a worker was killed at the company’s Newton plant on June 7 while operating a laser cutting machine. The manufacturer of grain dryer equipment has been issued one willful and two serious safety violations for failing to have machine guarding in place.
“GSI could have avoided this tragedy had it been following the required OSHA safety standard,” said OSHA Area Director Thomas Bielema in Peoria, Illinois. “A worker should never lose his or her life because an employer fails to follow safety regulations. OSHA is committed to protecting employees in the workplace.”
OSHA’s inspection resulted in one willful violation for the company’s failure to have guards in place on its automatic laser cutting machine. The worker who died was struck within the “point of operation” zone of the machine.
GSI Group also received two serious violations for failing to use lockout/tagout procedures while performing various operations on the laser cutting machine and failing to effectively close an electrical box opening.
The Newton facility employs 215 workers. GSI Group LLC has manufacturing facilities in Assumption, Newton, Paris and Flora, Illinois, as well as in six foreign countries. The company has been inspected, under various name changes, 17 times since 1976, and was cited previously for electrical hazards, machine guarding hazards, and lockout/tagout violations. The OSHA inspection was the first for the Newton facility. The company faces fines of $78,500 for the current violations.
OSHA Fines U.S. Minerals $396,000 for 28 Violations, Including Exposure to Hazardous Dust
OSHA has cited U.S. Minerals LLC with willfully exposing its workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust, and not providing adequate breathing protection and training for workers at its facility in Coffeen, Illinois. The company, headquartered in Dyer, Indiana, has been issued a total of 28 health and safety citations with proposed penalties of $396,000.
“U.S. Minerals has severely jeopardized the health and safety of its workers by exposing them to extremely high levels of hazardous dust and other dangers,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “This is the fourth U.S. Minerals facility where very serious violations were cited in the past three months, clearly indicating these problems are widespread and systemic. This blatant disregard of workers’ health and safety is not acceptable.”
Inhalation of the hazardous dust material produced at the facility can cause debilitating lung disease such as pneumoconiosis, which is characterized by symptoms including chronic cough, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath.
Initiated in the spring of 2010, SVEP is intended to focus on recalcitrant employers who endanger workers by committing willful, repeat, or failure-to-abate violations in one or more of the following circumstances: a fatality or catastrophe, industry operations or processes that expose workers to severe occupational hazards, employee exposure to hazards related to the potential releases of highly hazardous chemicals, and all egregious enforcement actions.
OSHA has issued the U.S. Minerals Coffeen facility six willful citations with proposed fines of $336,000 for exposing workers to levels of hazardous dust at concentrations higher than the PEL, failure to implement a written respiratory protection program or to mandate employees wear respirators, failure to implement engineering controls to reduce harmful dust exposures, and failure to develop and utilize energy control procedures.
“U.S. Minerals continually has failed to come into compliance on safety issues such as providing adequate breathing protection,” said OSHA Area Director Thomas Bielema in Fairview Heights, Illinois. “We are committed to seeing that the workers at this facility are provided a safe and healthful workplace.”
The company has received seven repeat citations with fines of $34,200 for violating permit-required confined space entry rules, failure to provide fall protection, failure to provide required training on energy procedures, and failure to provide guards on mechanical powered equipment.
The company also has been issued 10 serious citations with proposed penalties of $24,000. Violations include failure to assess the need for adequate PPE, inadequate eye protection, failure to develop procedures and practices for permit-required confined space entry, lack of a written hazard communication program, inadequate information and training on dust containing silica, and failure to cover floor holes and enclose electrical boxes.
The company also has received five other-than-serious citations with $1,800 in penalties for lack of proper injury and illness recordkeeping.
The company manufactures abrasive blasting and roofing materials from slag produced at coal-fired power plants. In September, OSHA issued a $466,400 penalty to the company’s facility in Baldwin, Illinois, citing 35 health and safety violations for willfully exposing workers to dangerously high levels of hazardous dust and failing to provide adequate breathing protection. As a result of the egregious conditions found at that worksite, OSHA initiated inspections of the company’s other facilities, including the Coffeen location. The company’s Harvey, Louisiana, operation was cited last month with 30 violations and proposed penalties of $110,400. The Galveston, Texas, facility was fined $273,000 last week, and cited with 38 violations for exposing workers to fall and machine guarding hazards.
OSHA Cites Jamison Construction for Cave-in Hazards at Florida Worksite
Proposed penalties total $45,500.
The company has been issued one willful citation with a proposed penalty of $38,500 for failing to have an adequate cave-in protection system in place while trenching.
Jamison Construction also has received two serious citations with a proposed penalty of $7,000. One citation was issued for allowing employees to work in an 8-foot deep trench without proper training or experience to recognize hazards related to trenching. The other citation was issued for failing to have a ladder or another means of egress available.
“This employer knew there were trench boxes available at a nearby worksite, but chose not to use them and put the lives of its workers at risk,” said James Borders, OSHA’s area director in Jacksonville, Florida. “Disregarding the safety of workers is unacceptable and OSHA will not tolerate it.”
OSHA standards require that all trenches and excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapse.
OSHA Fines Republic Engineered Products $156,000 for Fall Hazards, Faulty Equipment
OSHA has issued Republic Engineered Products Inc., a steel manufacturing company, two willful and four serious citations for exposing its workers to fall hazards and failing to maintain equipment and walkways at its Canton facility. The company faces penalties totaling $156,000.
“Republic Engineered Products Inc. has repeatedly demonstrated a willful disregard for employees’ safety by continually failing to provide fall protection and maintain equipment in its steel plants,” said OSHA Area Director Rob Medlock in Cleveland, Ohio. “Failing to correct these issues is not acceptable. OSHA is committed to seeing that the workers at this facility are provided a safe and healthy workplace.”
As a result of the June inspection by OSHA, the company was issued two willful citations with proposed fines of $140,000 for exposing workers to fall hazards and failing to complete periodic inspections of overhead cranes within the past 12 months.
Republic Engineered Products Inc., also received four serious citations with proposed penalties of $16,000. Alleged violations include operating cranes with severe cracks in the brake assemblies, failing to provide proper illumination on ladderways and stairways, failure to keep floor areas and walkways clear of debris, and failing to maintain equipment.
The company’s Canton location, which employs about 670 people, has been inspected six times and received 31 safety violations since 2005. Republic Engineered Products Inc., which is headquartered in Canton, employs more than 1,000 workers company-wide and operates additional manufacturing facilities in Lorain and Massillon, Ohio; as well as Blasdell, New York; Gary, Indiana; and Hamilton, Ontario, in Canada. The Lorain operation was cited in November for 13 OSHA violations and fined $143,000.
OSHA Fines Ameriwood Industries $60,000 for Lack of Protective Gear and Training
OSHA has cited Ameriwood Industries Inc., a wood furniture manufacturer in Tiffin, Ohio, with two alleged serious and two alleged repeat safety violations for failing to train employees in safe work practices and require them to wear proper safety equipment when working on electrical panels. Proposed penalties total $60,000.
“Injuries from electrical shock hazards are very preventable, especially if personal protective equipment is used and workers receive the proper training,” said OSHA Area Director Jule Hovi in Toledo, Ohio. “OSHA is committed to ensuring that all workers are provided a safe and healthful workplace.”
OSHA began its inspection in June, resulting in the issuance of two repeat violations for failing to train workers in proper safety procedures, and to ensure workers wore fire resistant clothing and voltage-rated protective gloves when working on 480-volt electrical panels. Those citations carry penalties of $50,000.
The company also received two serious citations for failing to implement safety-related work practices and require employees to wear personal face protection gear when working on electrical panels, resulting in an additional $10,000 in fines.
Ameriwood Industries Inc., was cited by OSHA in 2009 with 12 violations for exposing workers to hazardous dust, a lack of training, failing to ensure employees wore PPE, and failing to implement and train employees in lockout/tagout procedures of energy sources. The 2009 case was settled informally and the company paid $70,725 in penalties.
Simmons Manufacturing Co. Earns OSHA Star for Workplace Safety and Health
“Simmons Manufacturing has demonstrated a firm commitment to ensuring a safe and healthful work environment for employees, making it most deserving of this honor,” said Mark Stelmack, the director of OSHA’s Wilkes-Barre Area Office, who attended the ceremony.
The company produces more than 500 models of mattresses for residential, commercial, and government customers.
The VPPs recognize employers and workers in private industry and federal agencies that have implemented effective safety and health management systems, and maintain injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages for their respective industries. In the VPP, management, labor, and OSHA work cooperatively and proactively to prevent fatalities, injuries, and illnesses through hazard prevention and control, worksite analysis, training, management commitment, and worker involvement.
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