This limited opening seeks to obtain comments related to the safe proximity between a worker and exposed electrical parts.
OSHA published a proposed rule to revise the general industry and construction standards for electric power generation, transmission, and distribution and for electrical protective equipment, such as insulating blankets, gloves, and rubber sleeves. That proposal included revised minimum approach distances (MAD) to determine how close a worker or an object that the worker is holding can get to an electrical part. The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers later made further corrections for calculating MAD and the current proposed rule includes those revisions.
“We want to incorporate the most accurate data for keeping workers at safe distances from dangerous electrical sources,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Jordan Barab. “Extending this rulemaking process will provide us with the information we need to provide the best possible protection for working men and women.”
A public hearing will be held October 28 from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. OSHA will accept comments on the proposed rule until October 15. Interested parties who would like to speak at the hearing must submit notices of intention to appear no later than October 1.
September is National Preparedness Month
Emergencies can be the result of man-made or natural causes, and include hurricanes, floods, tornadoes, explosions, civil disturbances, fires, toxic gas releases, chemical spills, radiological accidents, workplace violence, and terrorism. All too often, people are forced to evacuate their workplace without warning and when they least expect it. Few people can think clearly in a crisis, and that is why it is so important to prepare for an emergency before it happens.
National Institutes of Health Reports on Technology Advancement for Detecting Toxins
Imagine a polka-dotted postage stamp-sized sensor that can sniff out some known poisonous gases and toxins and show the results simply by changing colors. Support for the development and application of this electronic nose comes from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Once fully developed, the sensor could be useful in detecting high exposures to toxic industrial chemicals that pose serious health risks in the workplace or through accidental exposure. While physicists have radiation badges to protect them in the workplace, chemists and workers who handle chemicals do not have equivalent devices to monitor their exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. The investigators hope to be able to market the wearable sensor within a few years.
“The project fits into the overall goal of a component of the GEI Exposure Biology Program that the NIEHS has the lead on, which is to develop technologies to monitor and better understand how environmental exposures affect disease risk,” said NIEHS Director Linda Birnbaum, Ph.D. “This paper brings us one step closer to having a small wearable sensor that can detect multiple airborne toxins.”
The paper’s senior author is Kenneth S. Suslick, Ph.D., the M.T. Schmidt Professor of Chemistry at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Suslick and his colleagues have created what they refer to as an optoelectronic nose, an artificial nose for the detection of toxic industrial chemicals (TICs) that is simple, fast, inexpensive, and works by visualizing colors.
“We have a disposable 36-dye sensor array that changes colors when exposed to different chemicals. The pattern of the color change is a unique molecular fingerprint for any toxic gas and also tells us its concentration,” said Suslick. “By comparing that pattern to a library of color fingerprints, we can identify and quantify the TICs in a matter of seconds.”
The researchers say older methods relied on sensors whose response originates from weak and highly non-specific chemical interactions, whereas this new technology is more responsive to a diverse set of chemicals. The power of this sensor to identify so many volatile toxins stems from the increased range of interactions that are used to discriminate the response of the array.
To test the application of their color sensor array, the researchers chose 19 representative examples of toxic industrial chemicals. Chemicals such as ammonia, chlorine, nitric acid, and sulfur dioxide at concentrations known to be immediately dangerous to life or health (IDLH) were included. The arrays were exposed to the chemicals for two minutes. Most of the chemicals were identified from the array color change in a number of seconds and almost 90 percent of them were detected within two minutes.
The laboratory studies used inexpensive flatbed scanners for imaging. The researchers have developed a fully functional prototype handheld device that uses inexpensive white LED illumination and an ordinary camera, which will make the whole process of scanning more sensitive, smaller, faster, and even less expensive. It will be similar to a card scanning device.
“One of the nice things about this technology is that it uses components that are readily available and relatively inexpensive,” said David Balshaw, Ph.D., a program administrator at the NIEHS. “Given the broad range of chemicals that can be detected and the high sensitivity of the array to those compounds, it appears that this device will be particularly useful in occupational settings.”
CSB Public Meeting on Fatal Dust Explosion at Imperial Sugar Refinery
The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. at the Hilton Savannah Desoto, located at 15 East Liberty Street. The meeting is free and open to the public. Members of the public, those affected by the accident, and emergency responders are encouraged to attend and to provide comments prior to the Board’s consideration of the final report. The meeting is expected to conclude at approximately 9:00 p.m.
On February 7, 2008, large explosions and a fire occurred at the Imperial Sugar refinery northwest of Savannah, Georgia, causing 14 deaths and injuring 38 others, including 14 with serious, life-threatening burns. The explosion was fueled by accumulations of combustible sugar dust throughout the packaging building.
At the meeting, CSB staff will present the results of their investigation into this explosion. The presentation by CSB investigators will include a 3-D computer animation recreating the events that led to the tragedy. The presentation will be followed by a public comment period prior to a Board vote on the final report.
The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.
The CSB does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to companies, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA.
For more information, contact Public Affairs Specialist Hillary J. Cohen at 202-261-3601.
CSB Finds T2 Laboratories Explosion Caused by Failure of Cooling System Resulting in Runaway Chemical Reaction
The massive December 2007 explosion and fire at T2 Laboratories in Jacksonville was caused by a runaway chemical reaction that likely resulted from an inadequate reactor cooling system, investigators from the CSB said in a final draft report released recently.
Concluding that T2 did not recognize all of the potential hazards of the process for making a gasoline additive, the report calls for improving the education of chemical engineering students on reactive chemical hazards. The explosion and fire on December 19, 2007, killed four T2 employees and injured four others. In addition, 28 people working at nearby businesses were injured when building walls and windows blew in. The blast sent debris up to a mile away and damaged buildings within a quarter-mile of the facility.
“This is one of the largest reactive chemical accidents the CSB has investigated,” said Chairman John Bresland. “We hope our findings once again call attention to the need for companies to be aware of how to control reactive chemical hazards.” In 2002, the CSB completed a study of reactive chemical hazards, which identified 167 accidents over a two-decade period and made recommendations to improve reactive chemical safety.
The draft report on the T2 Laboratories explosion calls on the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET) to work together to include reactive chemical education in baccalaureate chemical engineering curricula across the country.
The CSB found that although the two owners of the company had undergraduate degrees in chemistry and chemical engineering, they were nonetheless likely unaware of the potential or the consequences of a runaway chemical reaction. The CSB noted that most baccalaureate chemical engineering curricula in the U.S. do not specifically address reactive hazard recognition or management.
Chairman Bresland said, “It’s important that chemical engineers recognize and are aware of the proper management of reactive hazards.”
Investigation Supervisor Robert Hall, PE, said, “Our recommendations aim to address the gap in the chemical engineering curriculum. If future chemical engineers are given the proper educational tools, they will be able to more fully comprehend the hazards that exist during a chemical manufacturing process.”
The CSB has also released a 3-D computer animation depicting the events that led to the accident. Following approval of the report, the CSB plans to release a new nine-minute safety video, “Runaway: Explosion at T2 Laboratories,” containing the 3-D computer animation and a description of the causes, consequences, lessons, and recommendations resulting from the accident.
The accident occurred during T2’s production of MCMT, a gasoline additive, which the company manufactured in batches using a 2500-gallon reactor. On the day of the accident, T2 was producing its 175th batch of the chemical when operators reported a cooling problem.
Mr. Hall said, “Despite a number of near-misses during earlier production efforts, T2 failed to recognize the underlying runaway reaction hazard associated with its manufacturing process.”
Chemical testing by the CSB found that the recipe used by T2 created two exothermic, or heat-producing, reactions; the first was an intended part of producing MCMT but the second, undesired reaction occurred if the temperature went above 390ºF, slightly higher than the normal production temperature. The cooling system likely malfunctioned due to a blockage in the water supply piping or a valve failure. The temperature and pressure inside the reactor began to rise uncontrollably in a runaway chemical reaction. At 1:33 p.m., approximately ten minutes after the initial cooling problem was reported, the reactor burst and its contents exploded.
For more information contact Public Affairs Director Daniel Horowitz at 202-441-6074 (cell), Sandy Gilmour 202-251-5496 (cell), or Public Affairs Specialist Hillary Cohen at 202-446-8094 (cell).
OSHA Guidance Document Describes Silica Control
The publication, intended to assist employers in providing a safe and healthful workplace, includes methods for controlling silica such as wet cutting during construction operations. Wet cutting controls silica dust generated when using hand-held saws, grinder, and jackhammers. Wetting materials at the point of impact makes the dust particles heavier and more likely to stick to each other, reducing the chance of dust becoming airborne.
Vacuum dust collection systems also effectively control silica by drawing dust particles away from the worker’s breathing zone and depositing them into a filtered dust collection chamber.
“Workers in the construction trades not only suffer serious injuries and illnesses resulting from unsafe equipment but also from inhaling harmful dusts,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Jordan Barab. “Providing guidance for reducing potentially fatal hazards associated with occupational exposure to silica dust is one of this agency’s priorities.”
Employers should conduct periodic monitoring of silica exposure by testing air samples at the construction site to determine if the level of silica in the air exceeds the permissible exposure limit (PEL) outlined in the construction PEL standard.
As one of OSHA’s areas of emphasis, the agency has developed standards for silica to assure work practice controls are effective.
Americold Fined $117,000 for Life Threatening Safety Hazards
OSHA has cited Americold Logistics LLC in Carthage, Missouri, for alleged safety and health violations and has proposed $117,000 in penalties.
OSHA cited the company following a targeted inspection conducted under its site-specific targeting program and found 19 alleged serious violations and one other-than-serious violation of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
“The workers at the company’s underground, refrigerated warehouse and distribution facility were needlessly exposed to multiple episodes of life-threatening injury and chemical exposure due to improper procedures and malfunctioning equipment,” said Charles Adkins, OSHA’s regional administrator in Kansas City. “It is imperative that employers eliminate hazards and provide a safe and healthful working environment for their workers to prevent injuries and illnesses from occurring.”
Furthermore, violations were identified relating to permit-required confined spaces, lockout/tagout procedures to prevent accidental energy start-up, electrical equipment and safe work practices, and powered industrial truck operations. OSHA issues a serious citation when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from a hazard about which an employer knew or should have known.
The other-than-serious violation relates to inadequate employee access to personal sampling results. OSHA issues other-than-serious citations when a violation is directly related to safety and health but unlikely to cause death or serious physical harm.
Nelson Pipeline Constructors Inc. Fined $40,000 for Trenching Violations
OSHA’s Englewood Area Office in Colorado, has proposed $40,000 in penalties against Nelson Pipeline Constructors Inc. in Fort Lupton, Colorado, for alleged trenching violations.
“The hazards associated with trench operations are well known as are the procedures for managing those hazards,” said Greg Baxter, OSHA’s regional administrator in Denver, Colorado. “All companies engaged in this type of work must endeavor to ensure the safety of their workers.”
OSHA’s investigation disclosed one alleged willful violation and two alleged serious violations following an inspection at a worksite in Parker, Colorado.
The alleged willful violation relates to the lack of protective systems required for trench operations. OSHA issues a willful citation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for employee safety and health.
The alleged serious violations relate to inadequate procedures for responding to water accumulating in the trench as well as poor egress procedures from the trench.
OSHA Fines Spaccamonti Excavating Inc. $40,000 for Trenching Violations
OSHA’s Englewood Area Office in Colorado, has proposed $40,000 in penalties against Spaccamonti Excavating Inc. in Pueblo, Colorado, for alleged trenching violations. OSHA’s investigation disclosed one alleged willful and three alleged serious violations following an inspection at a worksite in Pueblo West, Colorado.
“Trench operations are inherently dangerous,” said Greg Baxter, OSHA’s regional administrator in Denver. “The procedures for protecting trench workers are easy enough to implement, but what’s required first is employer and employee dedication to workplace safety and health.”
The alleged willful violation relates to the lack of protective systems required for trench operations.
The alleged serious violations relate to poor egress procedures from the trench, failure to provide proper training for trench operations and placing excavated materials too close to the edge of the trench.
OSHA Files Whistleblower Suit Against Contractor Working at Camp Pendleton, California
OSHA has filed a whistleblower suit on behalf of a worker fired by a government contractor responsible for cleaning up unexploded ordnance at the Camp Pendleton Marine base in San Diego County.
The suit alleges that Anchorage, Alaska-based Bering Sea Eccotech terminated a worker who complained of safety violations after observing two incidents of dangerous on-the-job explosions. The worker was laid off shortly after sending e-mails to upper management expressing safety concerns and was barred from re-hire. Bering Sea Eccotech, wholly owned by Tanadgusix Corp., specializes in unexploded ordnance clean-up, range management, and remediation services.
The former employee filed a complaint with OSHA in 2007 alleging retaliation by Bering Sea Eccotech in violation of Section 11(c) of the Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Act. OSHA investigated the complaint and determined it had merit. After being notified of OSHA’s findings, the employer refused to reinstate the worker to the same or a substantially equivalent position of employment, and refused to pay back wages or other employment benefits.
“Workers must be free to exercise their rights under the law without fear of termination or retaliation by their employers,” said Ken Nishiyama Atha, OSHA’s regional administrator in San Francisco. “This lawsuit underscores the Labor Department’s commitment to act vigorously in protecting those rights to ensure our workplaces are safe for all workers.”
The suit seeks to reinstate the employee, secure compensatory damages and lost wages, and require the company to post a notice in a prominent place for 60 days that explains employee rights under Section 11(c) of the OSH Act.
OSHA enforces the whistleblower provisions of the OSH Act and 16 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various trucking, airline, nuclear power, pipeline, environmental, rail, and securities laws.
More than 50 Percent of OSHA’s Region V Area Offices Attain VPP Recognition
With this addition, more than 50% of the Region’s area offices have attained recognition. A team of Special Government Employees, led by a Defense Logistics Agency representative, conducted the extensive on-site evaluation in the spring of 2009.
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