The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) launched its second nationwide sweep of coal mining operations this year to raise awareness among coal miners and mine operators about hazards and the entrance to the winter season.
"With colder weather and its increased hazards approaching, everyone in the mining industry needs to focus on maintaining safe conditions and practices," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Mine Safety and Health Dave D. Lauriski. "We are using every mine visit to carry this message to operators and miners."
Enforcement personnel will take time during inspections at active coal mines to tell miners, mine operators and contractors about current concerns, potential hazards and safe work procedures. MSHA education and training specialists as well as technical personnel also will make mine visits. They will tailor safety information to the conditions at each site.
"While we have seen improvements over the past two years, we need more progress," said Lauriski. "Constant vigilance is needed throughout the mining industry at every mine during every hour of every working day so that every miner gets safely home."
With regard to fatal accidents occurring this year, some of the top concerns of MSHA officials include the following:
- Thirty-six percent of the fatalities this year have involved maintenance and construction activities, which include cutting and welding;
- Twenty-seven percent the fatalities in 2003 involved independent contractors;
- Seven of the 28 fatalities this year involved transportation equipment on the surface;
- Fifty-six percent of the victims this year had more than 10 years of total mining experience.
MSHA annually warns the mining industry about the dangers that cold weather presents for underground mines. The number of coal mine fatalities currently stands at 28. Coal mine deaths in 2002 totaled 27, a historic low.
ACOEM's CheckList Focuses on Controlling Infectious Diseases in the Workplace
Every year, millions of Americans contract infectious diseases that can result in staggering health care costs, reduced workplace productivity, and adverse or even fatal outcomes. At a time when new infections such as the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) have appeared, it is important to remember that many life-threatening infectious illnesses can be prevented by adhering to simple principles of infection control both in the workplace and at home. Because of the world-wide concern regarding the spread of viruses, the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM) has chosen the prevention of infectious diseases as the focus of its annual CheckList.
The 2003 Labor Day CheckList recommends ways to curtail the spread of infectious diseases. It summarizes several steps employees can take to reduce the chances that they, a family member, or a colleague will unnecessarily contract an infectious illness. Covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, washing your hands frequently and properly, storing foods at correct temperatures, and receiving an annual flu vaccination if you are in a high-risk category, are only a few of the steps listed in the easy-to-read table format for employers and employees.
“With current emerging infections, such as SARS, that remind us how easily potentially deadly viruses can be passed from person to person, it is worth reviewing the very basic principles of infection control,” states Mark Russi, MD, chair of ACOEM’s Committee on Infectious Diseases and author of this year’s CheckList. “Follow the suggested measures for employers and employees alike to reduce workplace transmissions of infectious illness and adhere to steps that can be taken at home as well,” recommends Dr. Russi.
ACOEM is an international medical society of more than 6,000 occupational and environmental health professionals. Founded in 1916, ACOEM provides leadership to promote optimal health and safety of workers, workplaces, and environments. The College is headquartered in Arlington Heights, Ill.
CSB Investigators Find Likely Source of Dust Explosion at Indiana Automotive Plant
Investigators from the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) have determined that last week’s fatal accident at the Hayes Lemmerz automotive parts plant in Huntington, Indiana likely involved an explosion of aluminum dust that originated near an aluminum chip melting furnace.
A secondary explosion occurred some minutes later in the dust collection equipment, and there were also smaller blasts involving gas cylinders and tires located outside of the building in an environmental contractor’s trailer. Two Hayes Lemmerz employees were severely burned during the explosions. One died the following day, and the other remains hospitalized. A third employee was treated at a hospital and released. Approximately 80 workers were at the plant on the evening of October 29, 2003 when the incident occurred.
The furnace involved was used to melt aluminum chips, which were a byproduct of machining auto wheels cast at the plant. The chip processing produced aluminum dust, which like many other finely divided metals is flammable when mixed with air. Dust that had accumulated on surfaces in the work area was ignited by a flash fire that escaped from the dust collection hood over the furnace. The initial blast occurred as employees were restarting the chip processing operations after a temporary interruption caused by a small duct fire earlier in the day. Investigators believe that fire – which occurred in a separate duct system – had been fully extinguished and was not the ignition source for the later explosions.
The aluminum reprocessing area remains damaged and shut down in the aftermath of the accident, although other parts of the facility are back in operation. The explosions also destroyed external dust collection equipment and the environmental contractor’s trailer, as well as causing some damage to the roof of the main building.
The investigators’ preliminary findings come after almost a week of field work at the site, including numerous interviews with plant employees and management personnel. According to lead investigator Angela Blair, “We collected a number of dust samples from the blast site and will begin analytical testing to determine the explosive properties of the dust.”
Board member Dr. Gerald V. Poje, who accompanied the field team, said: “We are deeply concerned by the number of serious dust explosions that have occurred at various companies in recent months. The Board will work expeditiously to determine the root causes of the accident at Hayes Lemmerz and recommend new safety measures to save lives at this and other firms around the country.” The Board is currently investigating two dust explosions that killed a total of 13 workers at unrelated facilities in North Carolina and Kentucky earlier this year. The Kentucky plant, which made fiberglass automotive parts, was heavily damaged, while the plant in North Carolina was destroyed and is being rebuilt at another site.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. CSB investigations look into all aspects of such events, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in safety management systems. Typically, the investigations involve extensive witness interviews, examination of physical evidence, and chemical and forensic testing. The Board does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
OSHA Cites Barge Company For Confined Spaces Violations; Penalties Total Over $169K
OSHA announced it is citing HBC Barge, LLC of Brownsville, Pa. for allegedly allowing employees to enter dangerous confined spaces without training and exposing them to explosive conditions. Proposed penalties for the alleged willful and serious violations total almost $170,000. HBC builds and repairs barges.
OSHA's Pittsburgh office initiated an inspection after an explosion in May injured two workers. The employees, who were painting in confined spaces below the deck of a barge, were not evacuated when flammable vapors reached dangerous levels.
"Confined spaces can be particularly hazardous, because of cramped working conditions or dangerous atmospheres," cautioned U.S. Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao. "This significant penalty of $169,600 sends a strong signal this blatant disregard for worker safety will not be tolerated."
According to OSHA's citations, the workers were not trained on confined space entry and a competent person did not perform frequent tests to monitor the concentration of flammable vapors, as required by safety standards. These alleged violations are considered willful and carry a penalty of $126,000.
Twelve serious violations, with a proposed penalty of $43,600, were issued for other hazards associated with work in confined spaces such as the lack of adequate ventilation. Others included the lack of fall protection and fire extinguishers, permitting hot work in dangerous atmospheres without atmospheric testing, and a lack of proper personal protective equipment.
The company has 15 working days to contest the citations before the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Willful violations are those committed with intentional disregard, or plain indifference, to safety and health regulations. Serious violations are defined as those where death or serious injury could occur and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard.
OSHA Offers Safety Tips for Tilt-Up Construction
. The bulletin offers safety information for workers involved in tilt-up panel erection-a common method used to raise concrete wall panels during the construction of many types of buildings and structures.
"We want to make every effort to prevent and reduce injuries and illnesses in the construction industry," said OSHA Administrator John Henshaw. "Our new bulletin helps identify potential hazards for tilt-up panels and outlines ways to improve safety at these types of construction sites."
The new bulletin was developed following an accident in North Carolina, in which three workers were fatally injured when a twenty-ton concrete wall panel (23 feet high by 19'7" wide) collapsed. A summary of the accident investigation by the North Carolina Department of Labor, Division of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH-NC) identifies various hazards that contributed to the collapse, including a failure to install adequate bracing or removal of temporary braces prior to the completion of all permanent connections to the structure. The investigation also revealed that steel joists were not properly secured and that supervisors and employees did not receive proper training for tilt-up construction.
The bulletin recommends that employers take the following measures to prevent wall panels from toppling over:
- Maintain programs to provide frequent inspections of the job site;
- Instruct employees in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions, and OSHA regulations that are applicable to the work environment;
- Comply with all requirements for pre-cast concrete construction;
- Ensure that tilt-up panels are properly braced to resist wind and lateral forces;
- Instruct supervisors and employees not to remove temporary braces until roof structure and/or columns are in place to stabilize the building; and
- Use only certified welders when welding steel joists to embed on tilt-up wall panels.