It includes sections on the disease itself, hazard recognition, medical information, standards for protecting workers, control and prevention, and additional resources.
New York Committee for Occupational Safety and Health (NYCOSH) released new Ebola factsheets to better educate employers, healthcare workers, airport workers, and the public on how Ebola is transmitted and what protections are necessary for workers who may come into contact with Ebola-infected patients or infectious body fluids.
How prepared are hospitals, doctors, and nurses to handle Ebola cases in the US, and what measures should be taken to increase safety?
Transportation of Infectious Substances by Ground and Air
Because pathogens can cause widespread danger, the requirements for the shipment of infectious substances are significantly different than those that apply to other hazardous materials. Infectious substances are found not only in hospitals, clinics, labs, and universities, but are also found at many industrial facilities where regulated medical (red bag) waste is generated.
In this live webcast, which will be held on November 6, you will learn the unique requirements for the transportation of infectious substances, including how to:
- Classify the different types of infectious substances
- Determine when you must triple-package infectious substances, and how to package these materials in accordance with the latest regulatory requirements
- Mark, label, and document infectious substances for shipment by ground and air
- Protect yourself and coworkers from the hazards of infectious substances
- Comply with both DOT and IATA regulations for infectious substances shipped by ground and air
A special offer is available for sites with multiple attendees: after the first two attendees pay the full price, each additional attendee will attend at half price.537-2372.
How to Implement OSHA’s Globally Harmonized Hazard Communication Standard (GHS)
OSHA has issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard, aligning it with the United Nations’ globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals. This means that virtually every product label, safety data sheet (formerly called “material safety data sheet” or MSDS), 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 safety data sheets.
Raleigh Area DOT and IATA Training
San Diego RCRA and DOT Training
Williamsburg RCRA and DOT Training
NIEHS Podcast Training on Disaster Worker Resilience
It is based on a new training program developed by the NIEHS Worker Training Program (WTP) that aims to better prepare participants to deal with the psychological impacts associated with disaster response.
Prevent Fatalities in Telecommunications Industry
Kathy Pierce expected her son, Chad Weller, to come home on March 19, 2014, at the end of his shift as a cell tower climber. But Weller, always ready with a smile for his mother, never came back. He was sent up alone to fix a communication signal on top of a water tower in the rain while wearing a harness two sizes too big—and he lost his life in a fatal fall. Chad Weller is one of 11 workers who have lost their lives in 2014 while constructing or repairing cell towers. Thirteen died in the previous year, including Bridgette Hester's husband, who was killed as he worked on a tower that was struck by a vehicle and collapsed.
US Secretary of Labor Thomas E. Perez and FCC Chairman Thomas E. Wheeler spoke at the event to announce a new working group that will collaborate in the development and implementation of recommended safety practices for the growing telecommunications industry.
"The cellphones in our pockets can't come at the cost of a worker's life. The cell tower industry might be small, with 10,000 to 15,000 workers, but it's quickly proving to be one of the most dangerous. If we don't do something now, the number of fatalities is going to grow as fast as the industry does," said Secretary Perez. "We know we can't solve this problem alone though, and that's why I am so glad to be joined in partnership on this issue with the FCC and major carriers like AT&T. It's a perfect example of federal agencies and industry breaking down barriers and identifying common goals to save workers' lives."
The event featured a morning workshop led by the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, comprised of two panel discussions featuring representatives from OSHA, the FCC, AT&T and the National Association of Tower Erectors. The first panel discussed the root causes of the high fatality and injury rates, while the second explored solutions. During the discussions, OSHA shared steps taken to curb these injuries and fatalities, including public outreach and enforcement, as well as the agency's emphasis on worker training.
"The fatality rate in this industry is extraordinarily high—tower workers are more than 10 times as likely to be killed on the job as construction workers," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "But these deaths are preventable. OSHA has developed a comprehensive initiative to ensure that safer working conditions and best practices are not just recommendations, but the law of the land. We look forward to the help FCC and industry can provide in making this a reality."
Following OSHA's workshop, members of the Telecommunications Industry Registered Apprenticeship Program, Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. Michaels, Chairman Wheeler, and Secretary Perez participated in a signing ceremony for the new apprenticeship program. It was spearheaded by the telecommunications industry, with the advice and assistance from the Department of Labor, and will provide high-quality skills and safety training for telecommunication tower technicians.
Small Study May Have Big Answers on Health Risks of Fracking’s Open Waste Ponds
CPWR’s Nanotechnology Inventory of Products
Currently, the inventory features over 400 products. Users can browse through product categories like coatings, caulks, and patching compounds.
Texas Dollar Tree Stores Fined $262,500 for Exposing Workers to Serious Hazards
Across the nation, Dollar Tree Stores have been cited for more than 200 safety and health violations since 2009. Proposed penalties for the latest inspection total $262,500.
"In the past five months, OSHA has issued more than $800,000 in fines to Dollar Tree Stores for the same or similar violations," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "This latest incident yet again demonstrates the company's deliberate and ongoing refusal to effectively address hazards that have been cited multiple times at their stores across the country. OSHA will not tolerate such blatant disregard for worker safety."
At the Watauga store, two willful violations, with a penalty of $130,500, were cited for failing to ensure exit doors were kept clear and unobstructed and that products were stored in a stable and secure manner. 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.
Four repeat violations, carrying a penalty of $132,000, were cited for failing to keep passageways clean and clear and to secure compressed gas cylinders and prevent blocking of portable fire extinguishers and electrical panels. 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.
Jack Rector, OSHA's area director in Fort Worth, said, "Allowing boxes weighing up to 45 pounds to be haphazardly stacked in the storage room exposes workers to crushing injuries. Failing to correct this violation and other hazards, including blocked exits, puts worker safety in jeopardy—and that is unacceptable."
OSHA has received complaints from Dollar Tree Stores employees in 26 states since 2009, and it has cited the company for 234 safety violations in that time period.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe LLC Ordered to Pay More than $225K to Worker Terminated after Reporting Injury
Burlington Northern Santa Fe, LLC, wrongfully terminated an employee in Kansas City after he reported an injury to his left shoulder, according OSHA.
"The resolution of this case will restore the employee's dignity and ability to support his family," said Marcia P. Drumm, OSHA's acting regional administrator in Kansas City, Missouri. "It is illegal to discipline an employee for reporting workplace injuries and illnesses. Whistleblower protections play an important role in keeping workplaces safe because they protect people from choosing between their health and disciplinary action."
OSHA's investigation upheld the allegation that the railroad company terminated the employee following an injury that required the employee to be transported to an emergency room and medically restricted from returning to work. The company's investigation into the injury, reported on August 27, 2013, concluded that the employee had been dishonest on his employment record about former, minor workplace injuries unrelated to the left shoulder. These conclusions led the company to terminate the employee on November 18, 2013.
OSHA found this termination to be retaliation for reporting the injury and in direct violation of the FRSA. BNSF has been ordered to pay $50,000 in compensatory damages, $150,000 in punitive damages, more than $22,305 in back wages and interest and reasonable attorney's fees.
Any of the parties in this case can file an appeal with the department's Office of Administrative Law Judges.
Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who raise various protected concerns or provide protected information to the employer or to the government.
Graham Lumber Co. Cited for Willful and Serious Safety Violations Following Worker Fatality
A Graham Lumber Co., employee was killed after he became entangled in a conveyor belt at the company's lumber mill in Fulton. The worker, employed at the company for less than two weeks, was cleaning up sawdust and bark around an unguarded conveyor when the entanglement occurred. OSHA cited Graham Lumber for one willful and one serious safety violation following the April 2014 fatality.
"This tragic incident could have been prevented if the employer ensured that the safety guard, which had been removed, was replaced immediately. This illustrates how important it is for a company to maintain safeguards even during nonproduction work activity because it directly affects the health and safety of all workers," said Eugene Stewart, director of OSHA's Jackson Area Office.
The willful citation was issued for the employer's failure to ensure machine conveyor belts, sprocket chains, and rollers were guarded to prevent employees from becoming caught in them.
OSHA issued the serious citation for failure to provide a safety guard on a rotating shaft end on a sawdust collector conveyor belt, which exposed workers to caught-in and amputation hazards. 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.
This facility was previously inspected by OSHA in 2011 after an employee was electrocuted, and 15 citations for safety violations were issued. Additionally, the Selma, Tennessee, and the Fulton facilities experienced fatalities in 2014 within 90 days of each other. Both incidents were related to workers becoming entangled in unguarded machinery.
Graham Lumber, a subsidiary of American Hardwood Industries, has headquarters in Waynesboro, Virginia, and produces hardwood lumber for the flooring industry. The company employs approximately 26 workers at the Fulton mill and 400 employees nationwide.
Xtreme Restoration & Waterproofing LLC Exposes Employees to Potentially Fatal Fall Hazards
New Haven roofing contractor employees were exposed to potentially fatal falls at a Bridgeport work site due to their employer's deliberate failure to supply required fall protection.
The Bridgeport Area Office of OSHA found employees of Xtreme Restoration & Waterproofing, LLC, working without fall protection atop a two-story roof at a residential work site at 1040-1044 Stratford Ave. on June 16, 2014.
"Some workers lacked any fall protection, while others had safety harnesses that were not tied off to an independent anchorage point. This meant there was nothing to stop these workers from falling and suffering a deadly or disabling injury," said Robert Kowalski, OSHA's area director in Bridgeport. "These hazards were intensified by allowing workers to use a ladder with broken and damaged rungs to access the roof and by failing to train employees to recognize and protect themselves against these hazards."
OSHA cited Xtreme Restoration & Waterproofing for a willful violation for lack of fall protection. The company received a repeat violation for lack of fall protection training, which OSHA had cited the company for in 2011 at a Branford job site.
Two serious violations were cited for using a ladder with damaged and broken rungs to access the roof and for not training employees on ladder hazards and safeguards. The company faces $70,070 in fines for these violations.
The page offers fact sheets, posters, and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures.
Hurst Auto-Truck Ltd. Exposes Workers to Combustible Dust, Amputation, and other Serious Hazards
The plant specializes in chrome plating and powder-coating finished accessories for the automotive industry.
"Combustible dust can burn rapidly and explode with little warning, putting workers at risk for severe injury and death," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "OSHA's inspection found that Hurst Auto-Truck Electric failed to maintain areas free of combustible dust and used ignition in areas where combustible dust was present. When the stakes are so high, employers must recognize and eliminate these hazards."
OSHA's March 17, 2014, inspection found workers were exposed to combustible aluminum and steel dust while they worked in the facility. If this dust is suspended in the air in the right concentration, under certain conditions, it can become explosive. The force from such an explosion can cause death, injury, and destruction of buildings. The US Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board identified 281 combustible dust incidents between 1980 and 2005 that led to the deaths of 119 workers, another 718 injured and extensive damage to numerous industrial facilities.
Chris Sawdo Construction Fined $60,500 for Failing to Protect Workers from Falls
Chris Sawdo Construction, LLC, in Middleburg, has been cited OSHA for one willful and three serious safety violations for exposing workers to fall hazards. The inspection was initiated in May 2014 when OSHA officials observed that employees doing roofing work at a residence on South Twin Maple Road in St. Augustine were working without fall protection. Penalties total $60,500.
"Although this employer has been cited three times since 2011 for fall protection violations, it continues to expose employees to serious injury or death by failing to ensure that workers are wearing fall protection that is anchored properly," said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA's area director in Jacksonville. "The employer has previously signed and agreed to comply with OSHA standards, but has yet to establish a safety and health program that protects its workers."
OSHA cited the employer for a willful violation for allowing workers to wear unanchored safety harnesses while installing roof sheathing at heights of up to 18 feet.
The citations for serious violations were issued for failure to provide stairs or a ladder for access between elevations, to set up a roof access ladder properly and to remove a damaged ladder from service. 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.
Chris Sawdo Construction has been inspected by OSHA five times since 2004 for similar fall hazards at work sites in Jacksonville and Orange Park.
Advanced Tree Service Cited for Willful and Serious Safety Violations Following Worker Fatality
As a result of the fatality, OSHA cited Advanced Tree Service in Newberry for five safety violations. The employee was topping off a tree at a residence on 14th Avenue in Gainesville when the incident occurred on May 30, 2014.
"This tragedy could have been prevented if the employer followed proper safety procedures by performing the mandatory service and maintenance to the aerial lift, as required," said Brian Sturtecky, OSHA's area director in Jacksonville. "The only difference between a safe and unsafe act is the level of importance an employer places on doing what is right."
OSHA issued one willful citation for the employer's failure to ensure the worker in the aerial lift had a body belt with a lanyard attached to the boom or the basket.
Four serious violations were cited for failure to take an aerial lift out of service that had a frayed cable that had not been rebuilt in 15 years and to mark lift controls properly. OSHA also cited the company for allowing workers to use chain saws without eye protection and for not ensuring that employees working in an area where tree limbs were cut wore head protection.
Proposed penalties total $41,000.
OSHA Partners with General Contractor to Protect Workers in Arkansas
"The strategic partnership between CDI and OSHA affirms a shared commitment toward providing a safe work environment during the project's construction," said Carlos Reynolds, OSHA's area director in Little Rock. "This agreement will help to ensure that goal is accomplished."
Little Rock-based CDI, with two offices in Arkansas, employs about 298 workers, and 13 of those employees are connected to the Little Rock Outlets Mall construction project. OSHA and CDI will work to reduce serious workplace injuries and illnesses, increase the number of safety and health programs among contractors and subcontractors, and build a relationship focused on preventing work-related fatalities. The project is scheduled for completion in summer 2015.
Most strategic partnerships aim to have a broad impact by building cooperative relationships with groups of employers and workers. These partnerships are voluntary relationships among OSHA, employers, worker representatives and groups, such as trade unions, trade and professional associations, universities, and other government agencies.
The Samuels Group, OSHA Renew Partnership to Protect Construction Workers in Wisconsin
These dangers are the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in the industry.
"We want to help Sacred Heart identify and control hazards, while continuing to improve safety and health programs at the site and encouraging employee participation," said Mark Hysell, OSHA's area director in Eau Claire.
The partnership aims to meet goals through increased training, implementation of best work practices, creation of written site-specific safety and health programs and compliance with applicable OSHA standards and regulations.
Approximately 50 workers are replacing a nine-story curtain wall system for the hospital. The $20 million project is scheduled for completion in 2015. The project consists of demolishing and then replacing the exterior, veneer curtain wall structures, glass and metal panels, and glazing. The partnership was originally signed in April 2012. The renewed partnership covers the second phase of the project.
The Samuels Group, a commercial construction contractor headquartered in Wausau, has implemented a site-specific safety and health program that includes a weekly safety stand-down; daily stretch and flexes program; and job site hazard training.
Wisconsin's consultation program is funded by federal OSHA and operated by the state of Wisconsin.
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