OSHA and other federal safety agencies announced that they have designated May 2–6, 2016, for the third annual National Safety Stand-Down. The event is a nationwide effort to remind and educate employers and workers in the construction industry of the serious dangers of falls - the cause of the highest number of industry deaths in the construction industry.
“Falls still kill far too many construction workers,” said Dr. David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. “While we regularly work with employers, industry groups and worker organizations on preventing falls and saving lives, the National Safety Stand-Down encourages all employers - from small businesses to large companies operating at many job sites - to be part of our effort to ensure every worker makes it to the end of their shift safely.”
More than four million workers participated in the National Safety Stand-Downs in 2014 and 2015, and OSHA expects thousands of employers across the nation to join the 2016 event. After their events, employers are encouraged to provide feedback and will receive a personalized certificate of participation.
“In many workplaces, falls are a real and persistent hazard. Given the nature of the work, the construction industry sees the highest frequency of fall-related deaths and serious, sometimes debilitating injuries,” said Dr. John Howard, Director of NIOSH. “Since the effort began in 2014, the National Safety Stand-Down serves as an important opportunity for both employers and workers to stop and take time in the workday to identify existing fall hazards, and then offer demonstrations and training to emphasize how to stay safe on the job.”
OSHA has also produced a brief video with more information about the 2016 Stand-Down in English and Spanish.
New Exclusions for Solvent Recycling and Hazardous Secondary Materials
EPA’s new final rule on the definition of solid waste creates new opportunities for waste recycling outside the scope of the full hazardous waste regulations. This rule, which went into effect on July 13, 2015, streamlines the regulatory burden for wastes that are legitimately recycled.
The first of the two exclusions is an exclusion from the definition of solid waste for high-value solvents transferred from one manufacturer to another for the purpose of extending the useful life of the original solvent by keeping the materials in commerce to reproduce a commercial grade of the original solvent product.
The second, and more wide reaching of the two exclusions, is a revision of the existing hazardous secondary material recycling exclusion. This exclusion allows you to recycle, or send off-site for recycling, virtually any hazardous secondary material. Provided you meet the terms of the exclusion, the material will no longer be hazardous waste.
Learn how to take advantage of these exclusions at Environmental Resource Center’s live webcast where you will learn:
- Which of your materials qualify under the new exclusions
- What qualifies as a hazardous secondary material
- Which solvents can be remanufactured, and which cannot
- What is a tolling agreement
- What is legitimate recycling
- Generator storage requirements
- What documentation you must maintain
- Requirements for off-site shipments
- Training and emergency planning requirements
- If it is acceptable for the recycler to be outside the US
San Jose RCRA and DOT Training
Charlotte RCRA and DOT Training
Houston RCRA and DOT Training
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.
Environmental Resource Center is offering live online training for you to learn how the new rule differs from current requirements, how to implement the changes, and when the changes must be implemented
OSHA Announces National Safety Step-up to Protect Workers at Oil and Gas Exploration Sites
OSHA recently announced the 2016 Step-Up for Safety in the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry to raise awareness among employers and workers about hazards in oil and gas exploration. During step-up events, employers around the country will take time out to conduct site inspections, safety training, and other activities. These events will be held mid-February until the end of March.
Twenty-two regional STEPS Networks will coordinate and promote the events.
“Hazardous working conditions are taking the lives of a growing number of workers employed in oil and gas extraction,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “This safety step-up will help emphasize the tremendous value in dedicating time during a workday to improve safety and health.”
The National STEPS Network, founded in 2003, is a volunteer organization that includes industry operators, contractors and associations, OSHA and NIOSH representatives, and educational institutions that promote safety, health, and environmental improvement in oil and gas exploration and production in U.S. onshore operations.
FAA Urges Airlines to Assess Lithium Battery Risks
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently issued a safety alert to U.S. and foreign commercial passenger and cargo airlines, urging them to conduct a safety risk assessment to manage the risks associated with transporting lithium batteries as cargo. The FAA also is issuing guidance to its own inspectors to help them determine whether the airlines have adequately assessed the risk of handling and carrying lithium batteries as cargo.
FAA battery fire testing has highlighted the potential risk of a catastrophic aircraft loss due to damage resulting from a lithium battery fire or explosion. Current cargo fire suppression systems cannot effectively control a lithium battery fire. As a result of those tests, the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus have advised airlines about the dangers associated with carrying lithium batteries as cargo and also have encouraged them to conduct safety risk assessments.
In addition, a number of large commercial passenger airlines have decided voluntarily not to carry rechargeable, lithium-ion batteries. The safety risk assessment process is designed to identify and mitigate risks for the airlines that still carry lithium batteries and to help those that don't carry them from inadvertently accepting them for transport.
N-Hexane, Nickel, PFOA and PFOS Considered for Proposition 65 Listing
The California Environmental Protection Agency’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) has selected the chemicals below for review for possible listing as reproductive toxins under Proposition 65. OEHHA is initiating the development of hazard identification materials on these chemicals.
- n-Hexane
- Nickel and nickel compounds
- Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and its salts
- Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) and its salts
OEHHA is giving the public an opportunity to provide information relevant to the assessment of the evidence of developmental and male and female reproductive toxicity for these chemicals. The publication of this notice marks the start of a 45-day data call-in period, ending on Monday, April 4, 2016. The information received during this period will be reviewed and considered by OEHHA as it prepares the reproductive toxicity hazard identification materials on these chemicals.
Please include the chemical name in the subject line. Comments submitted in paper form may be mailed, faxed, or delivered in person to the following address:
Ms. Michelle Robinson
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment
Proposition 65 Implementation
P.O. Box 4010, MS-12B
Sacramento, California 95812-4010
Fax: 916-323-2265
Street Address:
1001 I Street Sacramento, California 95814
No Significant Risk Concentration Set for Diisononyl Phthalate
On February 8, 2016, California’s Office of Administrative Law approved the amendment of Title 27, California Code of Regulations, section 25705, Specific Regulatory Levels Posing No Significant Risk for the chemical Diisononyl Phthalate (DINP). This regulation establishes a No Significant Risk Level (NSRL) of 146 micrograms per day for DINP.
Storm Recovery Workers and Public Urged to be Vigilant During Storm Cleanup
As they recover from the impacts of severe storms and tornadoes, Mississippi’s emergency workers, employers, and the public at-large should be aware of the hazards they may encounter and take necessary steps to stay safe, OSHA urges.
“Recovery work should not send you to the hospital emergency room,” said Kurt Petermeyer, OSHA’s regional administrator in Atlanta. “A range of safety and health hazards exist following storms. You can minimize these dangers with knowledge, safe work practices and personal protective equipment. OSHA wants to make certain that all working men and women, including volunteers, return home at the end of the workday.”
Other hazards pertain to demolition activities; debris cleanup; tree trimming; and structural, roadway, and bridge repair; hazardous waste operations; and emergency response activities.
Flooded areas have unique cleanup challenges, including dam and levee repair, removal of floodwater from structures, and repairing downed electrical wires in standing water. Workers and residents taking defensive action to protect structures or evacuate severely impacted areas may encounter hazards, such as rapidly rising streams and moving water.
Only workers provided with the proper training, equipment, and experience should conduct cleanup activities.
Protective measures should include the following:
- Evaluating all work areas for hazards
- Employing engineering or work practice controls to mitigate hazards
- Using personal protective equipment
- Assuming all power lines are live
- Using portable generators, saws, ladders, vehicles and other equipment properly
- Heeding safety precautions for traffic work zones
Walker International Events Inc. Fined $33,800 After Circus Tent Collapse Leads to Fatalities
The circus tent that collapsed in Lancaster during a sudden downdraft of air called a “micro-burst” on August 3, 2015, was not properly erected and the circus operator, Walker International Events, did not follow repeated National Weather Service storm warnings, an inspection by OSHA has found.
The collapse killed two audience members and injured dozens of others, including two circus employees.
OSHA inspectors determined that the Florida-based Walker International Events did not erect the tent in accordance with the professional engineer’s design and diagrams. The company’s deviations included failing to:
- Use the required tent stakes
- Properly anchor the stakes
- Remove and replace damaged stakes
- Disassemble and take down the tent amid expected winds exceeding 60 miles per hour
The events company assembled the tent and began the performance even though the weather service issued seven severe weather and high-wind warnings during the day and preceding the microburst.
“Walker International Events’ failures to erect the tent correctly and heed warnings of severe weather needlessly placed at risk the lives and well-being of its employees and everyone else in and around the tent that day,” said Rosemarie Ohar Cole, OSHA’s New Hampshire area director. “No enforcement action will bring the victims home to their families and community but we want to send a message to this and other employers to follow proper procedures at all times and take effective and appropriate action to prevent an incident such as this from ever happening again.”
OSHA also identified several other hazards that placed circus employees at risk of electric shock, burns, lacerations, and struck-by injuries. These included numerous instances of ungrounded or misused electrical equipment, the use of inappropriate electrical equipment and connections in wet areas, lack of eye protection, unmarked exits, and lack of fire extinguishers inside the tent where employees worked with open flames.
Failure to Prevent Equipment from Operating Leads to Fatality at Crothall Laundry Services
OSHA opened an investigation after a 34-year-old man servicing equipment at the industrial laundry facility was severely injured on August 13, 2015. A conveyor system propelled the employee into an industrial dryer and he became trapped. He died of his injuries on August 27. Inspectors determined the dryer’s conveyor should have been made inoperable.
Inspectors also found:
- Specific procedures for the control of hazardous energy were not developed for dyers and conveyors
- The company failed to inspect energy-control procedures at least annually
- Workers were not trained on the methods and means necessary for energy isolation
- Improper use of fiberglass ladders
“This man’s untimely death would easily have been prevented if Crothall Laundry had utilized procedures to prevent the conveyor belt from operating while the worker was conducting servicing,” said Christine Zortman, OSHA’s area director in Milwaukee. “Training workers and complying with OSHA standards protect workers from injury and death on the job.”
Proposed penalties total $41,200.
Sawyer Tree Service’s Failure to Inform Employees of Hazards Leads to Fatality
“This was a tragic, preventable death of a young man who had been on the job just two months,” said Aaron Priddy, OSHA’s area director in Fairview Heights. “As loggers use their tools and equipment, they deal with massive weights and the momentum of falling, rolling, and sliding trees and logs. Training workers to recognize hazards is vital to preventing injuries in this dangerous occupation.”
The agency found the Robinson-based company, which recently started a logging division, was in the process of removing logs from two tracks of land in Woodlawn. At the time of the fatal incident, a second employee was operating a log skidder and pulling two logs down a path when the logs struck a damaged tree causing it to break off and fall. The falling tree hit the young man, who suffered fatal internal injuries.
In its investigation, OSHA determined Sawyer Tree Service should have removed the damaged tree prior to conducting logging operations. The agency also found the company allowed employees, other than the operator, to ride on mobile vehicles without using safety restraints and seat belts. Sawyer also failed to provide first-aid and CPR training to employees.
OSHA has proposed penalties of $19,600.
Republic Wire Worker Loses Finger in Unguarded Machine
OSHA opened an investigation of the cable wire insulation manufacturer after a 30-year-old line operator’s left pinky finger was crushed and amputated by the clamp arm of a machine as he welded two copper cables.
The agency cited the company for:
“Each year, hundreds of workers suffer amputation and other serious injuries because employers fail to install machine guards and train workers in safety procedures,” said Ken Montgomery, OSHA’s area director in Cincinnati. “Complying with OSHA standards protects workers from injury and death on the job.”
Proposed penalties total $69,300.
Primecraft Doors Inc. Exposes Workers to Moving Parts, Electrocution Hazards
OSHA began an inspection on December 2, 2015, after a complaint about several unsafe working conditions at the Primecraft Doors’ Malvern, Arkansas, location.
Proposed penalties total $65,600.
“With more than 30 violations, Primecraft Doors must immediately address many hazards to the safety and health of their employees before someone gets seriously injured or worse,” said William “Monty” Cole, OSHA’s acting area director in Little Rock.
Bryant University Fined $59,290 After a Structural Steel Collapse
The structural steel collapse at Bryant University in Smithfield, Massachusetts, that injured six workers on September 1, 2015, could have been prevented, an inspection by OSHA has determined.
OSHA found that Barnes Building & Management Group, the Weymouth, Massachusetts, contractor which was erecting the steel framework for an indoor practice facility at the university, did not erect it according to the manufacturer’s plan. The contractor also failed to install adequate bracing to ensure the framework’s structural stability during erection. These conditions led to the collapse and worker injuries.
Barnes Building & Management Group knew this and also knew it needed to follow the manufacturer’s erection plan. Instead, the company chose to disregard these important safeguards, resulting in a needless and preventable collapse and injuries,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA’s Rhode Island area director.
As a result of these hazards, OSHA issued citations to the company on February 8, 2016, for one willful and one serious violation of workplace safety standards. Proposed penalties total $59,290.
Midwest Farmers Cooperative Fined $56,430 for Grain Handling Hazards
The program focuses on the grain and feed industry’s six major hazards: engulfment, falls, auger entanglement, “struck by,” combustible dust explosions, and electrocution hazards.
Inspectors found:
“Allowing excessive levels of dust to accumulate and failing to ensure elevated work areas and equipment are properly guarded to protect workers from falls is unacceptable,” said Jeff Funke, OSHA’s area director in Omaha. “Complying with OSHA standards protect workers from injury and death on the job.”
Proposed penalties total $56,430.
National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health to Hold a Special Meeting
NACOSH was established under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 to advise, consult with and make recommendations to the Secretaries of Labor and Health and Human Services on matters relating to the administration of the Act, including regulatory, research, compliance assistance, and enforcement issues.
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