The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued the first approval for a respirator that complies with the new requirements for Closed-Circuit Escape Respirators (CCERs). The approval comes approximately nine months ahead of the deadline established for companies to transition to the new requirements. The new requirements are intended to strengthen emergency respiratory protection for workers relying on these devices during life-threatening escape situations.
Approval TC-13G-0001 was issued to Avon Protection Systems, Inc., on July 24, 201,4 for its ER-2 EEBD. The ER-2 EEBD is certified by NIOSH as a Cap I, 20-liter, CCER for use in non-mining applications. This device provides the user with 20 liters of oxygen to escape from atmospheres considered to be immediately dangerous to life and health.
“The improvements made to these devices under the new standard include features and capabilities such as sensors to warn the user of any change to the device performance and the capability for devices to withstand more rugged environments. In addition, enhanced evaluations using a breathing simulator establish a more reliable testing process,” states Maryann D’Alessandro, Ph.D., Director of the National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory, the NIOSH Division responsible for certifying respirators.
The new testing and certification requirements were established by NIOSH in a new standard for CCERs published in 2012. The purpose of the updated requirements is to enable NIOSH to more effectively ensure the performance, reliability, and safety of CCERs.
Known in the Navy and commercial shipping industry as emergency escape breathing devices/apparatus (EEBD/EEBA) and in the mining community as self-contained self-rescuers (SCSR), closed-circuit escape respirators are the most compact technology capable of providing self-contained, breathable air to workers in emergencies, such as escape from a shipboard fire below deck or a smoke-filled mine from a mine fire. The devices are also found in other work environments such as tunneling operations in construction and for crewmembers in locomotive cabs on freight trains carrying hazardous materials.
Due to their compact size, CCERs are often carried on a worker’s belt or they may be found stored in close proximity to be accessible in an emergency. Closed-circuit technology re-circulates and replenishes the user’s breathing air making the most efficient use of the oxygen it contains. Carbon dioxide is chemically removed, and oxygen is replenished from either chemical reaction, or from a compressed-oxygen supply. The newly certified product relies upon compressed gaseous oxygen.
EPA’s New Solvent Wipe, Shop Towel Rule Demystified
- Does the rule apply to both cloth and paper wipes and rags?
- What solvents can be on the towels, and which are prohibited?
- Does the rule also apply to towels that contain characteristic hazardous waste?
- Can P or U-listed wastes be on the towels?
- How must the towels be stored on-site?
- Do they need to be tested for anything?
- How long can they be stored?
- How must the containers be marked or labeled?
- How must they be prepared for transportation?
- Where can you ship them and what are the disposal and recycling options?
- What are the documentation requirements?
- How is the new rule impacted by current state regulations?
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.
Greensboro RCRA and DOT Training
Dallas RCRA and DOT Training
Birmingham RCRA and DOT Training
OSHA Issues Directive to Keep Communication Tower Workers Safe
This follows an alarming increase in preventable injuries and fatalities at communication tower work sites.
More fatalities occurred in this industry in 2013 than in the previous two years combined. This disturbing trend appears to be continuing, with nine worker deaths occurring so far in 2014.
"This directive ensures that communication tower workers are protected regardless of the type of the work they are doing on communication towers," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Employers and cell tower owners and operators must make sure workers are properly trained and protected."
The directive outlines the proper use of hoist and other fall arrest systems and includes detailed information on how to hoist people safely. The directive updates a 2002 enforcement policy, which only covered the hoisting of workers to workstations during new tower erection activities. The updated policy covers any work on a communication tower—including both maintenance and new construction—that involves the use of a hoist to lift workers from one elevated workstation to another.
The release of the new directive is the latest in a series of actions OSHA has taken to improve cell tower safety.
This outreach follows a November 2013 memo to OSHA's compliance officers and regional administrators mandating increased attention, education, and data collection on the industry. OSHA continues to investigate past incidents and will issue the results as they become available. Communication towers are on the agency's regulatory agenda and OSHA expects to issue a Request for Information later this year.
NIOSH Health Hazard Evaluation Highlights Importance of Preventing Heat-Related Illness
A recently released Health Hazard Evaluation Report from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is raising awareness of the risks of working in extreme heat. The report, which is based on an evaluation of heat stress at a national park, provides recommendations that can be applied to other worksites where extreme heat may be a factor.
Heat-related illnesses are the body’s response to a hot environment and outdoor workers are at especially at risk of heat-related illness during the hot summer months. Working in hot environments and/or prolonged exertion can raise the body’s temperature, resulting in heat stress in workers. Heat stress may lead to heat exhaustion, heat cramps, heat rashes, and heat stroke. Heat stroke is the most severe form of heat related illness and can be fatal if not quickly treated. The symptoms of heat stroke include a change in mental status that can range from confusion or bizarre behavior to seizures or loss of consciousness.
Employers should establish a heat illness prevention program that should include assigning outdoor tasks at night or during cooler weather if possible, providing rest periods in shaded or cool areas, ensuring employees have access to water or other hydrating beverages, implementing a mandatory buddy system, and training workers to recognize symptoms of heat-related illness. This is essential as someone with heat stroke often will not be aware they are not functioning normally.
Another key to preventing heat-related illness is to acclimatize workers and allow frequent breaks for new workers or those who have been away for a week or more to build a tolerance for working in the heat. Acclimatization is the adjustment the body makes after being gradually exposed to hot environments. If you have pre-existing medical conditions, a doctor should clear you before starting work in a hot environment.
Some helpful tips for outdoor workers to help prevent heat related illness and fatalities:
- Learn the signs of heat illness and what to do in an emergency
- Keep an eye on fellow workers and call for help immediately if they become confused or act strangely during work in a hot environment. Move them to a cool area immediately.
- Drink water frequently, even if you are not thirsty. By the time you become thirsty, you are already dehydrated.
- Use water and low sugar beverages to rehydrate. Avoid alcohol and caffeine in hot environments, as these will cause you to become dehydrated quicker.
- Rest in an air conditioned or shaded area to cool down
- Wear a hat and light-colored/light weight clothing
- "Easy does it" on your first days of work in the heat. You need to get used to it.
Agencies to Protect Workers from Retaliation for Reporting Unsafe Conditions
OSHA and the US Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen the coordination and cooperation between the agencies regarding the anti-retaliation provision of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act. The memorandum allows for the exchange of safety, coercion, and retaliation allegations, when received by one agency, that fall under the authority of the other.
The STAA protects drivers and other individuals working for commercial motor carriers from retaliation for reporting or engaging in activities related to certain commercial motor vehicle safety, health, or security conditions.
"Commercial vehicle drivers who report injuries, hazards and illegal work practices should not fear retaliation for speaking out about unsafe work conditions," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Through this agreement, we are sending a clear message that silencing workers who try to do the right thing is unacceptable for workers and also unsafe for the public."
"This strengthened partnership with OSHA extends our inter-agency collaboration specifically to include the sharing of reports of alleged coercion—companies forcing or intimidating truck or bus drivers to violate federal safety regulations," said FMCSA Administrator Anne S. Ferro. "Pressuring drivers to stay behind the wheel beyond their hours-of-service limits, or to disregard other federal safety rules, seriously jeopardizes the safety of every traveler on our highways and roads. Commercial truck and bus companies that knowingly endanger the motoring public, or retaliate against whistleblowing employees, will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law."
OSHA and FMCSA each play a specialized role in protecting the safety of commercial drivers and of the motoring public. OSHA investigates employee complaints of retaliation by commercial truck and bus companies. FMCSA is responsible for regulating both industries and—along with its state law enforcement partners—ensuring company and driver compliance with federal safety regulations, including driver on-duty and driving time limits to prevent fatigue, commercial driver's licenses rules, medical qualifications, drug and alcohol testing, hazardous materials safety standards, and others.
In the last nine years, OSHA has processed more than 2,800 cases under STAA. Recently, OSHA ordered an Iowa waste removal company to reinstate a driver and pay the employee more than $123,000 in compensation after the company terminated the driver for raising safety concerns over company routes that violated Department of Transportation regulations, potentially causing serious injury to the worker, co-workers or the public. Read the press release on that case for more information.
Under the MOU, FMCSA will refer employees who complain of retaliation to OSHA, and OSHA will provide FMCSA with copies of complaints filed and findings issued under STAA. The agencies will report to each other annually on information shared during the previous year. The MOU also provides that FMCSA will process OSHA requests for information from various FMCSA databases.
The public, commercial drivers, motor carriers and other industry members may file a safety, service or discrimination complaint against a household goods moving company, bus or truck company, including hazardous materials hauler or a cargo tank facility, by calling toll free 1-888-DOT-SAFT (1-888-368-7238) from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, Eastern Time.
Montana Asks Employers to Protect Roofing and Construction Workers Against Falls
Following a major hailstorm on May 18 and a resulting increase in construction, OSHA is extending enforcement activity and asks for Billings-area employers, workers, and consumers to protect roofing and construction workers against fall hazards. The Weekend Work Initiative aims to increase workplace surveillance of construction fall hazards and other dangers to prevent employee injuries and fatalities. Fall hazards are the leading cause of injuries and fatalities in the construction industry.
Construction activity is at a peak because of the hailstorm. OSHA's Billings Area Office is extending its enforcement activities to include weekends, so that fall hazard inspections can be conducted during days of frequent construction.
The historic storm pounded Yellowstone County with golf-ball-size hail and damaged approximately 80% of area roofs. For workers and homeowners, the consequences of the storm are not over. OSHA urges those engaged in storm-related roofing repair, exterior siding, exterior painting, and rain gutter replacement in the Billings area to provide necessary fall safety protection.
"Falls from roofs, ladders, and scaffolds can be prevented by planning ahead, providing the right equipment for the job and by training everyone working on a project to use the equipment safely," said Jeff Funke, OSHA's area director in Billings. "Consumers should verify that fall protection will be used and request information on a contractor's safety record."
In 2010, there were 264 fall fatalities nationwide out of 774 total fatalities in construction. The most recent fall fatality in Montana took place on April 9, 2014, when a 51-year-old roofer removing shingles from a residential home fell roughly 9 feet and suffered massive trauma.
Worker Safety in Grain Facilities
As farm workers prepare for this year’s harvest, the Indiana Department of Labor issued a reminder to employers and employees about grain handling facility hazards and how to prevent occupational injuries and fatalities.
On July 10, 2014, a 9-year-old boy died after falling into a grain bin in Lancaster, Wisconsin, underscoring the dangerous conditions of grain facilities. In June 2013 a Hoosier farm worker in LaPorte County was killed in a grain bin accident. And in April of this year a Darlington resident was severely injured in a grain bin accident.
Grain bins across the US have killed more than 180 people and injured more than 675 since 1980. Grain dust is highly flammable and is the number one cause of grain bin explosions.
“The safety of our farm workers is of paramount importance to our Indiana agriculture industry,” said Commissioner Rick J. Ruble. “Grain handling facilities are extremely dangerous, and workers must recognize the dangers and take all necessary precautions.”
Employees working in or near grain handling facilities should never work alone because they are exposed to significant occupational safety and health hazards including falls, electrocution, engulfment, auger entanglement, and dust explosions. Working with a partner ensures help is always nearby.
Additionally, employers and employees can reduce the likelihood of worker injury, illness, or death by taking the following precautions:
- Prevent falls: Provide all employees with a body harness and lifeline, or a boatswains chair, and ensure it is properly secured before entering a grain bin
- Prevent electrocution and auger entanglement: Before grain bin or silo entry, shut down and lock out all equipment power sources. Station an observer outside the bin or silo to continuously monitor and track the employee inside the bin.
- Prevent engulfment: Prohibit employees from walking-down the grain or using similar practices to make the grain flow. Prohibit entry into bins or silos underneath a bridging condition or where there is a build-up of grain products on side walls that could shift and bury a worker.
- Prevent dust explosions: Prior to entry, test the air within a bin or silo for the presence of combustible and toxic gases and make sure there is sufficient oxygen for safe entry
Employers and employees are strongly encouraged to learn about safe grain handling procedures and take the necessary precautions. T
Warehouse Company Fined over $300,000 for Failing to Correct Serious Hazards
Cal/OSHA cited warehousing and logistics company National Distribution Center LP (doing business as NFI) $308,435 in proposed penalties on Monday for not providing employees with foot protection—a safety violation for which the company was previously cited in 2012 and has failed to abate, despite its obligation to do so.
“Prevention is vital to limiting accidents in warehouses where hazards are magnified by the size of the facility and number of employees. Unfortunately, the employer in this case did not follow through on an agreement to provide protection,” said Christine Baker, Director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). The Division of Occupational Safety and Health, known as Cal/OSHA, is a division of DIR.
The case began in July 2012, following a complaint. Cal/OSHA’s San Bernardino office inspected NFI’s Mira Loma facility, known as a cross-docking operation, and issued a number of citations. Cross-docking is a logistics procedure in which goods are unloaded quickly from inbound transportation docks and moved to outbound docks without storing them. The Mira Loma cross-dock is 599,340 square foot, one of the largest in the country, with 450 employees on site.
One serious citation found that NFI employees were exposed to foot injuries because they did not have appropriate protection when working near the facility’s dozens of forklifts. Serious violations are cited when there is a realistic possibility that death or serious physical harm can result.
Cal/OSHA also cited NFI to replace worn and faded painted stripes that delineate pedestrian aisles and forklift aisles, because the forklifts were observed driving through the pedestrian aisles to reach the dock doors.
NFI appealed the citations to the Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board (OSHAB), but later withdrew its challenge of the foot protection violation. An administrative law judge signed an order in January approving a settlement of the case, affirming the citation. In February, NFI and Cal/OSHA met to discuss abatement options. But following a report that a forklift ran over a worker’s foot and broke a toe, the division conducted a follow-up inspection of the warehouse on March 25. It was discovered that NFI had purchased foot coverings, but they were noncompliant and had not been distributed to the workers. Cal/OSHA issued a notification of failure to abate to NFI, and calculated additional penalties based on the number of days the company exposed workers to foot hazards.
“Had NFI followed through on its obligation to provide proper foot protection two years ago when this was first brought to their attention, the additional penalties would not have been needed,” said Juliann Sum, Acting Cal/OSHA Chief. “Forklift operation is the biggest single cause of serious injury to workers’ feet. NFI ignored this hazard.”
National Distribution Center LP, based in New Jersey, provides distribution and warehouse services in the United States and Canada. It has appealed the failure to abate to OSHAB, where it will be scheduled for expedited proceeding.
Forever 21 Fined $158,000 for Repeat Workplace Safety Violations
OSHA inspected the store in January 2014 after receiving a complaint alleging dangerous conditions. It proposed $158,000 in penalties for three repeat violations.
Inspectors cited the company for stored boxes filled with merchandise in front of electrical boxes; for failure to store material in a way that prevented sliding or collapse; and for failure to provide a cover for fluorescent lights that would prevent accidental contact or breakage. A repeat citation is issued when a substantially similar violation is found at any of an employer's facilities in federal enforcement states within five years of a previous citation. The company was previously cited for one or more of these violations every year since 2010.
"Forever 21 in Paramus, New Jersey, was cited for workplace safety and health violations on January 2, 2014, and a complaint was received at the Wayne location later that same month. The new $158,000 citation is the result of the Wayne inspection. This is the third time in less than seven months that Forever 21 has been cited by OSHA at three separate locations with penalties in excess of $100,000 each," said Lisa Levy, director of OSHA's area office in Hasbrouck Heights. "The employees at Forever 21 should be able to work in a hazard-free environment. Stacking boxes safely, keeping access to electrical panel boxes clear and putting covers over fluorescent lights are simple, basic safety measures that a company like Forever 21 should know and must provide to its workers."
United Airlines Fined $101,300 for Repeat and Serious Safety Hazards
The safety violations were found during a January 2014 inspection that is part of an OSHA effort to focus on workplaces with high rates of injuries and illness. The inspection found three repeat violations that had been discovered by OSHA during inspections in 2011 and 2013.
"United Airlines should immediately address these safety violations to prevent worker injuries and ensure a safe workplace," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA"s Parsippany Area Office. "These workers face electrical hazards, falls, and being struck-by objects and equipment daily. Their safety is critical. Airline ground operations safety is of vital importance, not only to the workers, but to the millions of Americans who depend on air travel every day."
Carrying a $55,000 penalty, the repeat violations were cited for United Continental Holdings, Inc.’s, failing to clearly mark exits located inside facilities where food service employees, baggage handlers and gate agents worked; keep unused openings closed on an electrical box where conduit or knockout plugs were located; and use extension cords as a substitute for required permanent wiring at Newark Liberty International Airport.
The company was cited for nine serious violations, with a $46,300 penalty, including exposing aircraft mechanics to fall hazards while working from a ground support vehicle and struck-by hazards by storing materials, such as aircraft parts including landing gear tires and aircraft struts and fasteners, on storage racks, which were damaged and not anchored. United Airlines also failed to:
- Properly guard equipment, store materials, and dispose of waste materials
- Ensure exits were unobstructed and wide enough and place directional signs in areas where exits were not apparent
- Ensure employees operating tugs to transport luggage used seat belts
- Use power strips according to manufacturer’s recommendations
- Use ladders for purposes intended by the manufacturer, and remove damaged ladders from service
A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazard.
Three other safety violations involved failing to maintain clean and orderly work areas, and not providing fire extinguisher training for ground operation workers and welders. Additionally, powered industrial trucks in need of repair were not taken out of service, and placards on the trucks were illegible.
OSHA Cites Ohio Lowe's for Repeat Electrical Hazards
OSHA initiated the inspection in March 2014 after the store reported a higher than average injury rate. Proposed penalties total $53,240.
"Lowe's has a responsibility to train its managers and workers nationwide to maintain safe working conditions. In this case, multiple stores across the country have been cited for similar hazards, but the chain has failed to address them at all locations and create a culture of safety for all workers," said Deborah Zubaty, OSHA's area director in Columbus.
The repeat electrical violations involve using cords in lieu of fixed wiring, failing to guard live parts of electrical equipment adequately against accidental contact and not closing unused openings in electrical panels. Repeat violations were cited for failing to provide workers with information on the voluntary use of respiratory protection and improperly handling flammable liquid storage containers.
Lowe's was cited for similar violations at home improvement stores in New York, Kansas, Texas, Louisiana and Florida between 2009 and 2014.
A serious violation also was cited for not installing and using electrical equipment in accordance with listed or labeled instructions.
Structural Collapse Led to 2 Worker Fatalities, 9 Injuries at International Nutrition
The January 20 structural collapse of International Nutrition, Inc.'s, Omaha facility, was caused by overloading nine storage bins on the building's roof level, an investigation by OSHA has found. The collapse at the livestock feed supplement manufacturer caused the death of two workers and injuries to nine others.
A structural failure of the east side truss caused the bins to collapse down three floors into the center of International Nutrition's Omaha facility, January 20, 2014.
As a result of the tragic incident, OSHA has cited the company with one willful, one repeat, and 11 additional safety violations for failing to protect workers from hazards associated with structural collapse.
The investigation determined a structural failure of the east side truss, after bins that it supported were loaded with an excess of limestone. The extra weight caused the bins to collapse three floors into the center of the facility in about 30 seconds.
A 53-year-old worker, who had been with the company just over a year, was cleaning on the second floor and a 47-year-old worker, who had been employed at the facility for 10 years, was conducting maintenance when the bins collapsed. Both were fatally injured.
Four workers were trapped in the rubble of the building after the collapse and were rescued by the Omaha Fire Department's ladder truck rescue team. They and five other workers were transported to the hospital with injuries.
International Nutrition's decision to overload these bins directly led to the deaths of these two workers and the injuries sustained by nine other employees," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Families lost loved ones because International Nutrition did not follow the basic safety procedures that would have prevented this senseless loss of life."
The company manufactures a feed supplement using multiple dry ingredients, rice hulls, solulac, and limestone—the ingredients that were stored in the nine bins on the roof of the structure.
OSHA has proposed penalties of $120,560 and placed the company in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program after its investigation into the collapse.
OSHA conducted its investigation in cooperation with several other governmental agencies and specialized companies including the City of Omaha and the Omaha Fire and Police Departments, as well as Urban Search and Rescue based in Lincoln. Engineering Specialists provided professional engineering assistance.
"Each of these agencies and companies provided professional knowledge that was critical to protecting workers during the building demolition and in determining the cause of the structural collapse," said Bonita Winingham, OSHA area director in Omaha. "Omaha Fire and Rescue prevented further injury and Urban Search and Rescue performed some of the most hazardous work by entering the building to recover the two victims. OSHA is appreciative of the cooperation demonstrated by all the professionals involved in the investigation and their commitment to preventing future tragedies."
The company's failure to protect workers from hazards associated with overloading the bin structures on the roof and its subsequent collapse resulted in the issuance of one willful safety citation. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirement, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.
A repeat violation was also issued for failing to protect workers from hazards associated with using compressed air at greater than the recommended 30 pounds per square inch. The company was previously cited for this violation in 2011.
OSHA Schedules Meeting of the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health
OSHA will hold a meeting of the Maritime Advisory Committee for Occupational Safety and Health August 19–20, 2014, in Washington, D.C. The Longshoring and Shipyard work groups will meet August 19 and the full committee will meet August 20.
The MACOSH agenda will include discussions on surface preparation and preservation in shipyards, shipboard refrigeration systems, pedestal crane safety on commercial fishing vessels, preventing chassis drivers from jostling in the cab in marine terminals, the accuracy of declared container weights, baggage handling in cruise terminal operations, review of the 2010 International Maritime Organization annex, "Guidance on Providing Safe Working Conditions for Securing of Containers on Deck," and log handling safety.
MACOSH was established to advise the secretary of labor through the assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health on workplace safety and health issues in the maritime industries.
The meeting will be held at the US Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20210. Work groups will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Tuesday, August 19 in Conference Rooms C-5521, Room 4 and C-5515, Room 2. The full committee will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Wednesday, August 20 in Conference Room C-5521, Room 4.
MACOSH meetings are open to the public.
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