The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is informing respirator users that the NIOSH certificate of approvals TC-84A-4404 and TC-84A-4405 for JTN models MVP-TR1 and MVP-TR2 N95 Filtering Facepieces have been revoked as of Dec. 4, 2008.
OSHA Extends Comment Period for Proposed Rule on Cranes and Derricks
The proposed rule addresses the key hazards associated with construction cranes and derricks. A notice on the extension will be published in the Federal Register.
OSHA is extending the comment period because of the length of the original Federal Register notice, the comprehensive nature of the proposed rule, and the number of requests for public comment contained within the Notice. OSHA will be scheduling a public hearing.
If submitting comments by regular mail, messenger, or courier service, send them to the OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. OSHA-2007-0066, U.S. Department of Labor, Room N-2625, 200 Constitution Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20210. Comments (10 pages or fewer) may be submitted via fax to 202-693-1648.
OSHA’s Guidance for Protecting Employees in Cold Environments
The calendar says it’s almost winter; but, for many employees throughout the nation, the weather doesn’t follow the calendar—it’s already cold, pure and simple. OSHA is reminding employers and employees to take necessary precautions to prevent and treat cold-related health problems. Employees in construction, commercial fishing, maritime, and agriculture are particularly susceptible to the effects of cold.
The following are a few suggestions for employers to help protect their employees in cold environments:
- Recognize the environmental and workplace conditions that may be dangerous.
- Train workers about the signs and symptoms of cold-induced illnesses and injuries and how to assist.
- In extreme cold, allow employees to take frequent short breaks in warm and dry shelters.
- If feasible, use the buddy system—work in pairs so employees can recognize danger signs and take action.
OSHA’s Cold Stress Pocket Card is available online and provides a reference guide and recommendations to combat and prevent many cold-related injuries and illnesses.
Benefits of Workplace First-Aid Training
Training in first aid can be an important part of an employer’s workplace safety and health management system.
Karena Lorek of OSHA’s Chicago Region received such training on the job, and her quick thinking and skill were put to use while driving to work one day. She witnessed a car accident and immediately stopped to assist one of the drivers experiencing chest pains and rapid breathing. Lorek assessed the victim and advised her on what to do to alleviate the pain. She stayed with the victim and was constantly evaluating her situation until emergency medical personnel arrived on the scene.
Eliminate the Risk of Carbon-Monoxide Poisoning in Your Home
Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced whenever any fuel such as gas, oil, kerosene, wood, or charcoal is burned. As the winter months come upon us, our use of fuel for heating increases, thereby increasing the potential for elevated levels of carbon monoxide.
Nationwide, hundreds of people die accidentally every year from CO poisoning caused by malfunctioning or improperly used fuel-burning furnaces or appliances. According to the New Hampshire fire marshal’s office, several deaths occur in New Hampshire every year. Infants, elderly people, unborn babies, and people with anemia or with a history of heart or respiratory disease can be especially susceptible.
Techniques to reduce the risk of CO poisoning in your home when using fuel-burning devices include:
- Have a trained professional inspect, clean, and tune up the central heating system (furnaces, flues, and chimneys) annually and repair any leaks promptly.
- Install CO alarm(s) with battery backup outside of sleeping areas.
- Test your CO alarm(s) frequently and replace dead batteries.
- Do not use a gas oven to heat your home, even for a short time.
- Keep gas appliances properly adjusted.
- Do not use any gasoline-powered engines, such as portable generators, in enclosed spaces.
- Do not idle your vehicle inside the garage.
- Do not sleep in any room with an unvented gas or kerosene space heater.
- Install and use an exhaust fan vented to outdoors over gas stoves.
- Make certain that doors on all wood stoves fit tightly.
“Furnaces and appliances that are not working properly or are used incorrectly can produce dangerous levels of CO,” DES Commissioner Tom Burack said. “If these devices are maintained and used properly, the amount of CO produced is usually not hazardous. We encourage all residents to take steps to reduce the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning in their homes.”
Symptoms of CO poisoning may include headache, dizziness, weakness, nausea, vomiting, sleepiness, and confusion. Do not ignore symptoms, particularly if more than one person is feeling them. If you suspect CO poisoning, get outside to fresh air immediately and then call 911.
OSHA Fines Brooklyn Developer More Than $48,000 for Violations at Asbestos Removal Worksite
OSHA has cited State Assets LLC, a Brooklyn, N.Y., building developer, for 18 alleged willful and serious violations of health and safety standards at a building rehabilitation site in New Haven, Conn.
State Assets LLC faces a total of $48,100 in proposed fines following an OSHA inspection that began June 11 in response to employee complaints. The citations address a variety of hazards involving the removal of insulation and floor tiles containing asbestos, chemical hazard communication, flammable chemicals, fire protection, electrical safety, and lack of personal protective equipment for employees.
“Employees who were removing asbestos-containing materials at this site lacked basic safeguards that must be in place before performing such work,” said Robert Kowalski, OSHA’s area director in Bridgeport. “In addition, they were exposed to serious and potentially fatal fire, electrocution, and chemical hazards.”
OSHA’s inspection found that State Assets did not monitor the worksite to determine the levels of asbestos to which the employees were exposed, did not establish and mark regulated asbestos removal areas, and did not provide employees with required respirators, eye protection, and protective clothing.
In addition, there were several electrical related hazards including exposed live electrical parts and ungrounded, damaged, or misused electrical cords; no hazard communication training, unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals; missing material safety data sheets; no fire protection program on the site and failure to replace a discharged and damaged fire extinguisher; containers of flammable chemicals not protected from damage; improper storage of compressed gas cylinders; no eye protection for an employee using a cutting torch; lack of protective gloves; and protruding nails from scrap lumber.
As a result of these conditions, OSHA issued State Assets LLC one willful citation for the lack of asbestos monitoring and 17 serious citations for the other conditions. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health. 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.
State Assets LLC has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to meet with OSHA or to contest them to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Bridgeport Area Office.
Healthy Holiday Gift Ideas to Help You Get Creative and Stay Healthy
We all know how hard it is to stay healthy over the holidays. This year, don’t be part of the problem. Here are some gift ideas from the National Institute of Health (NIH) to help your family and friends be more, not less, healthy.
Typical food gifts encourage unhealthy eating during the holidays. Instead of giving a box of rich chocolate, try something more nutritious, like a box of fresh fruit. You can also bring gift boxes of almonds, walnuts, and other unsalted nuts. Or how about a collection of gourmet teas? Look for gifts that come in reusable metal boxes, which can serve as a reminder of your thoughtfulness for years to come, not to mention being reusable.
Another option is to prepare something yourself. You might put together a soup mix in a nice mason jar. Or you can simply get a gift card to a health food store or a quality grocery store to encourage them to pick out what they like themselves, or, you can also give a healthy foods cookbook.
Physical activity, of course, is the other part of staying healthy. For kids, sports equipment can be a great gift. Even something small like a flying disc, boomerang, football, or soccer ball can provide hours of healthy and fun family activity.
Exercise clothing—particularly outdoor clothes for cold weather exercise—can make a great holiday gift. So can accessories, like a pedometer, which is an inexpensive device you clip to your belt to measure how many steps you take per day. Did you know that a good goal is to get at least 10,000 steps per day?
A watch with a heart rate monitor can be a wonderful gift for active people. It can help them exercise at a level that safely improves their fitness. For runners, a watch with a GPS (global positioning system) can help them track not only how far they’re running but also their average pace. Hikers might also appreciate a GPS device or other accessories, like a walking stick.
With a gift of a bicycle trainer, a cyclist can keep cycling no matter how bad the weather. The hub of a bicycle’s back wheel clamps into one of these devices, allowing cyclists to spin indoors. Cyclists can switch gears to vary resistance and at the same time read, watch TV, or use a video to boost motivation. For the more serious cyclist, bicycle rollers provide a realistic, albeit pricier, indoor cycling experience.
Other pricier fit gift ideas include a bicycle, push scooter, ping-pong table, or indoor exercise equipment like a treadmill. Some video game systems have special accessories that encourage physical activity as well.
If you’re not sure what they’d like, consider giving a gift card for an outdoor or sports shop and let them pick something out themselves. For someone who’s not sure where to start, a drop-in gift certificate for exercise or yoga classes at a local health club—or a visit with a fitness trainer—might encourage them to get into the exercise habit.
Books and videos on health and fitness are also a good gift idea. These can outline a fitness program or help improve performance in a sport. Or try a book of local walking tours, hiking paths, or bicycling paths.
Another idea is to give a subscription to a healthy living magazine. Whether cooking, fitness, or general health, a monthly dose of good advice can help people stay on track all year round.
Chronic stress has been linked to high blood pressure, coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular problems. So why not give something to help with relaxation? It could be soothing music, candles, or soaps. Also consider a gift certificate for a massage or relaxation spa.
As we’ve reported in these pages, scientists are finding that the arts can benefit both your mental and physical health. So how about some nice art supplies as a gift? Or a musical instrument? A gift certificate for dance lessons can improve both mental and physical health.
You don’t even have to spend any money to give a great gift, either. You can make up a coupon for a run, bike ride, or a workout together—or even just to meet for a walk. Get creative and give a health-edifying gift to those you care about.
OSHA’s Strategic Partnership Program Celebrates 10th Anniversary
The program was created Nov. 13, 1998, for employers, employees, associations, unions, and other stakeholders to enter into voluntary cooperative agreements with OSHA on reducing workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.
Each partnership establishes goals, strategies, and targeted outcomes on improving employee occupational safety and health. Since its inception, OSHA and its partners have signed 583 agreements positively affecting more than 27,000 employers and one million employees.
Safety Day Conference Planned for January 6 in Jackson, Mississippi
A Safety Conference Day is being planned for Jan. 6, 2009, at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson, Miss.
OSHA Forms Alliance with Rhode Island Construction Community to Enhance ‘SAFER’ Working Conditions
OSHA has joined with the Safety Alliance Furthering Educational Resources in Rhode Island (SAFER) to provide safety and health information, training, and resources for employers, employees, and others involved in the Ocean State’s construction industry.
The centerpiece of the alliance will be a series of free monthly roundtable meetings to be held the first Wednesday of each month, September through June, at the New England Institute for Technology in West Warwick or at other locations in Rhode Island. Each meeting will focus on specific construction safety, and health topics, and offer SAFER members opportunities to network with safety professionals, learn how to control safety hazards, share lessons learned, exchange information, discuss OSHA regulations, and review local injury and illness trends.
“We want to reach out to everyone in the state’s construction community—small and large employers, their employees and trainees, safety and health professionals—and provide them with practical, useful information and productive dialogue that will help them better identify, evaluate, and eliminate hazards before they harm workers,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA’s area director for Rhode Island.
OSHA and SAFER also will share information on construction safety best practices and effective approaches, encourage SAFER members to build relationships with OSHA’s area and regional offices, promote SAFER members’ or worksites’ participation in OSHA’s cooperative programs, speak and exhibit at OSHA and SAFER events, and explore other methods of communicating safety and health information to the state’s construction industry.
The alliance was signed in West Warwick by OSHA’s Griffin and 32 members of SAFER. SAFER is an association of individuals and businesses in Rhode Island’s construction community with an active interest in fostering workplace safety and health. Members of the state’s construction industry interested in learning more about the SAFER alliance may contact Maryann Medeiros, the compliance assistance specialist in OSHA’s Providence Area Office, at 401-528-4669.
