A new guidance document published by OSHA titled, “Assigned Protection Factors,” (), provides employers with vital information for selecting respirators for employees exposed to contaminants in the air.
OSHA revised its existing Respiratory Protection standard in 2006 to add APFs and Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) provisions. APF means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or class of respirators is able to provide to workers. The higher the APF number (5 to 10,000), the greater the level of protection provided to the user. APFs are used to select the appropriate class of respirators that will provide the necessary level of protection against airborne contaminants. Such exposures can come from particles, gases, or vapors.
MUC represents the limit at which the class of respirator is expected to provide protection. Whenever a hazard's exposure level exceeds MUC, employers should select a respirator with a higher APF. MUC means the maximum atmospheric concentration of a hazardous substance for which a worker can be expected to be protected when wearing a respirator.
“Proper respirator selection prevents exposure to hazardous contaminants and is an important component of an effective respiratory protection program,” said Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Donald G. Shalhoub. “This guidance document serves as another useful resource for protecting the health and safety of workers at risk for respiratory illnesses.”
APF and MUC are mandatory respirator selection requirements that can only be used after respirators are properly selected and are used in compliance with the entire standard. The Respiratory Protection standard requires fit testing, medical evaluations, specific training, and proper respirator use. The standard applies to general industry, construction, longshoring, shipyard, and marine terminal workplaces.
OSHA Revises Field Operations Manual to Enhance Enforcement and Compliance Assistance
OSHA has revised its Field Operations Manual () to provide OSHA compliance officers with a single comprehensive resource of updated guidance in implementing the agency's mission to more effectively protect employees from occupational injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
“The manual will be a resource for workers and employers, giving them a consolidated reference on how OSHA expects workplaces to be safe and healthful,” said OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary of Labor Donald G. Shalhoub. “This document is part of OSHA's continuing commitment to make its standards and enforcement activities transparent and understandable to all parties.”
The Field Operations Manual, formerly called the Field Inspection Reference Manual, constitutes OSHA's general enforcement policy and procedures for use by the agency's field offices in conducting inspections, issuing citations, and proposing penalties. It is the guiding document for OSHA's compliance officers, whose mission is to assure the safety and health of America's working men and women.
The manual assists compliance officers in scheduling and conducting inspections, enforcing regulations, and encouraging continual improvement in workplace safety and health. It also offers guidance on how to inform employers about OSHA's free On-Site Consultation Service and compliance assistance.
Stimulus Package Tops Agenda for OSHA's Advisory Committee Meeting
The effect of the federal economic stimulus package on the construction industry will be the main topic discussed at a meeting of the OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (), April 14-17, 2009 in Washington, D.C.
The meeting will include discussion of the stimulus package's impact on aspects of construction safety such as road and bridge construction, equipment operations, highway work zone, and green construction.
ACCSH workgroups will meet on Tuesday and Wednesday, April 14-15 and the full meeting will convene Thursday, April 16 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Friday, April 17 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The committee will meet at the U.S. Department of Labor, Frances Perkins Building, Rooms N-3437 A-C, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C., 20210.
Topics that will be addressed during the two days of workgroup meetings are:
- Women in Construction—8:15 a.m. to 9:45 a.m., April 14
- Rollover Protective Structures—10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m., April 14
- Power Fastening Tools (Nail Guns)—12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m., April 14
- Silica—2:15 p.m. to 3:45 p.m., April 14
- Residential Fall Protection—3:45 p.m. to 5:15 p.m., April 14
- Regulatory Compliance (Focused Inspections)—8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m., April 15
- Education and Training—10:15 a.m. to 11:45 a.m., April 15
- Trenching—12:45 p.m. to 2:15 p.m., April 15
- Multilingual (explores safety issues created by language differences)—2:30 p.m. to 4 p.m., April 15
The committee advises the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA on creating standards affecting the construction industry and on policy matters arising in the administration of the safety and health provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, and the OSH Act of 1970. Press inquiries should be directed to Jennifer Ashley, OSHA, Office of Communications, at 202-693-1999. General information inquiries should be directed to Michael Buchet, OSHA, Directorate of Construction, at 202-693-2020
Fall Hazards Lead to $118,000 in OSHA Fines
OSHA has proposed $118,650 in fines against 4 Brothers Stucco Co., a Cleveland, Tennessee, stucco contractor, for 15 alleged repeat and serious violations of safety standards at a Torrington, Connecticut, worksite.
OSHA's inspection found that employees working on scaffolding, in an aerial lift, and on the roof at the worksite were exposed to falls of up to 22 feet. The inspection also identified electrical, overhead, and chemical hazard communication deficiencies at the worksite.
“These sizable fines reflect both the seriousness and recurring nature of several of the conditions cited here,” said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford. “Keep in mind that falls are the number one killer in construction work and can occur in an instant. Be it a scaffold, an aerial lift or a roof, proper and effective fall protection must be in place and in use at all times.”
Specifically, 4 Brothers, which also operates as VP Stucco Co. Inc., was issued six repeat citations, with $84,000 in proposed penalties, for no fall protection for employees in an aerial lift, lack of guardrails on the scaffold, employees climbing the scaffold's side and cross braces, employees not trained to recognize scaffold hazards, no protective helmets; and failing to have the scaffold erected and dismantled under the supervision of a competent person. OSHA cited the company in 2007 and 2008 for similar hazards at worksites in Concord, New Hampshire, and Plainville, Connecticut.
The Torrington inspection also resulted in nine serious citations, with $34,650 in proposed penalties, for employees working on a roof without fall protection; an improperly supported scaffold; unguarded walkways between scaffolds; using an ungrounded extension cord to power a mixing drill; and lack of a hazard communication program, training, material safety data sheets, and protective gloves for employees working with cement and hazardous chemicals. OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA Cites Contractor Following Trench Collapse Fatality
OSHA cited Phillips Construction in Hernando, Mississippi, with nine safety violations following an October 2008 trench collapse in Horn Lake, Mississippi, that resulted in the death of one worker and injury to another.
“Trenching and excavation work creates hazards to employees, but this tragedy could have been prevented by simply following good safety practices,” said Clyde Payne, director of OSHA's Jackson Area Office.
OSHA has cited the company with one willful safety violation carrying a proposed penalty of $49,000 for failing to provide cave-in protection, such as shoring, sloping, or a trench box for its employees. The agency defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
Six serious safety violations with $21,000 in proposed penalties have been proposed for failing to develop and maintain safety and health programs, provide training on trenching hazards, provide personal protective equipment, provide a means of egress from the trench, keep excavated soil at least 2 feet away from the trench edge, and remove surface encumbrances from the trench side.
Additionally, the company has been cited with two other-than-serious violations with $3,500 in proposed penalties for failing to notify OSHA of a fatality within eight hours of the incident.
Grain Storage Company Cited for 35 Violations Following Fatality
OSHA cited Victoria-Calhoun Grain Co., following a worker's fatality, with three alleged willful and 32 serious violations of safety standards at the company's facility in Placedo, Texas. OSHA has proposed $109,050 in penalties against the company for the violations.
“Employers must ensure employees are fully trained and protected from all hazardous conditions in and around grain storage units,” said Michael Rivera, OSHA's area director in Corpus Christi, Texas. “In this case, the employee was walking on top of the grain using a pole to loosen it. When the grain collapsed beneath him, he became engulfed and suffocated.”
OSHA's Corpus Christi Area Office began its investigation October 1, 2008, at the company's facility on Main Street in Placedo. The investigation found willful violations including failing to provide lockout/tagout safeguards during confined space entry and failing to provide workers with personal protective equipment.
Serious violations included failing to train employees about hazardous conditions associated with grain storage facilities and confined space entry, failure to ensure that floor openings holes were properly guarded, and failure to implement a respiratory protection program.
Victoria-Calhoun Grain, which employs about 25 workers at its Placedo location, is an agricultural storage facility engaged in buying, receiving, and marketing grains such as corn, sorghum, and oats from farmers.
NIOSH Update on Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium
NIOSH is conducting a public review of the NIOSH draft document, “NIOSH Criteria Document Update: Occupational Exposure to Hexavalent Chromium.” This draft NIOSH document provides a review of the available literature and an update of NIOSH policies on occupational exposure to hexavalent chromium compounds. This guidance document does not have the force and effect of law.
NIOSH Health Hazard Alert for Powder Painting
The NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation (HHE) Program evaluated potential chemical exposures at a metal furniture manufacturing facility. Investigators recommended that the facility use powder paints that do not contain 1,3,5-triglycidyl isocyanurate and welding wire that does not contain manganese. It was also recommended that spot cooling fans and exhaust fans be installed in the paint booth room to control heat stress and that exhaust fans be installed in the welding area to remove welding fumes. Employees were instructed to notify their supervisor about any work-related health problems.
Musculoskeletal Disorders Decrease for Most Industries but Increase for Others
The rate of musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) across all U.S. private industry decreased from 49.6 per 10,000 in 2003 to 38.6 in 2006. The Transportation and Warehousing (NAICS 48–49) sector rates were consistently higher by more than two-fold, with very high rates reported by employers for two subsectors: Air Transportation (NAICS 481), with a rate more than five times greater than the U.S. private industry rate; and Couriers and Messengers (NAICS 492), with a rate more than 3.6 times greater than the U.S. private industry rate.
Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports
NIOSH recently released the following Fire Fighter Fatality Investigation Reports:
- Volunteer fire fighter dies while performing exterior fire suppression at a large machine shed fire—Illinois
- Volunteer deputy fire chief dies when struck by motorized water monitor that “launched” off aerial ladder truck—Pennsylvania
- Fire fighter suffers fatal heart attack at fire at his residence—Florida (
- Engineer suffers fatal heart attack at scene of residential fire—Michigan (
- Fire fighter-emergency medical technician suffers sudden cardiac death during overhaul—New York (