OSHA has issued its annual inspection plan of federal agency establishments under its Federal Agency Targeting Inspection Program directive (FEDTARG) for fiscal year 2013. FEDTARG will bring programmed inspections to federal agency establishments where a high number of employees have been absent due to injuries they incurred at work.
The directive outlines procedures for carrying out programmed inspections at these federal worksites. OSHA will inspect all establishments reporting 100 or more cases where a worker is away from work due to injury during fiscal year 2012; 50% of those establishments reporting 50–99 cases; and 10% of those reporting 20–49 cases.
The FEDTARG 2013 directive clarifies how OSHA develops the inspection lists and includes a new standard from US Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.
The inspection targeting program began in 2008 in response to a Government Accountability Office (GAO) audit report that recommended OSHA develop a targeted inspection program for federal worksites. Executive Order 12196, Occupational Safety and Health Programs for Federal Employees, requires federal OSHA to “conduct unannounced inspections of agency workplaces when the Secretary determines necessary if an agency does not have occupational safety and health committees; or in response to reports of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions.”
OSHA’s Office of Federal Agency Programs provides leadership and guidance to the heads of federal agencies to assist them with their occupational safety and health responsibilities.
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Safer Lithium Ion Batteries
Looking toward improved batteries for charging electric cars and storing energy from renewable but intermittent solar and wind, scientists at Oak Ridge National Laboratory have developed the first high-performance, nanostructured solid electrolyte for more energy-dense lithium ion batteries.
Lithium-ion batteries currently rely on a liquid electrolyte, the material that conducts ions between the negatively charged anode and positive cathode. But liquid electrolytes often entail safety issues because of their flammability, especially as researchers try to pack more energy in a smaller battery volume. Building batteries with a solid electrolyte, as ORNL researchers have demonstrated, could overcome these safety concerns and size constraints.
"To make a safer, lightweight battery, we need the design at the beginning to have safety in mind," said ORNL's Chengdu Liang, who led the newly published study in the Journal of the American Chemical Society. "We started with a conventional material that is highly stable in a battery system—in particular one that is compatible with a lithium metal anode."
The ability to use pure lithium metal as an anode could ultimately yield batteries five to 10 times more powerful than current versions, which employ carbon based anodes.
"Cycling highly reactive lithium metal in flammable organic electrolytes causes serious safety concerns," Liang said. "A solid electrolyte enables the lithium metal to cycle well, with highly enhanced safety."
The ORNL team developed its solid electrolyte by manipulating a material called lithium thiophosphate so that it could conduct ions 1,000 times faster than its natural bulk form. The researchers used a chemical process called nanostructuring, which alters the structure of the crystals that make up the material.
"Think about it in terms of a big crystal of quartz vs. very fine beach sand," said coauthor Adam Rondinone. "You can have the same total volume of material, but it's broken up into very small particles that are packed together. It's made of the same atoms in roughly the same proportions, but at the nanoscale the structure is different. And now this solid material conducts lithium ions at a much greater rate than the original large crystal."
The researchers are continuing to test lab scale battery cells, and a patent on the team's invention is pending.
"We use a room-temperature, solution-based reaction that we believe can be easily scaled up," Rondinone said. "It's an energy-efficient way to make large amounts of this material."
Illinois Pasta Manufacturing Plant Facing $54,000 in OSHA Fines
OSHA has cited Rana Meal Solutions, LLC, in Bartlett, Illinois, with 12 safety violations following a complaint inspection alleging workers were exposed to ammonia hazards in July 2012 at the Bartlett plant, which was being retrofitted for use as a pasta production facility. Proposed fines total $54,000.
These included a lack of written standard operating procedures for the ammonia refrigeration process, no emergency action plan, failing to perform inspections and tests on process equipment, not addressing the hazards of the ammonia refrigeration process, and failing to address the findings and recommendations of the process hazard analysis team.
“OSHA provides guidelines for employers to manage the safety and health of workers associated with processes involving hazardous chemicals. Failing to properly address these issues puts workers at risk for exposure,” said Diane Turek, area director for OSHA’s Chicago North office. “OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job, especially when employers fail to do so.”
A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Additionally, one other-than-serious violation was issued for a slip and trip hazard after water was found on the floor of the engine room. An other-than-serious violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
New York Asbestos Removal Company Facing $83,300 in Proposed Penalties
OSHA has cited Lorice Enterprises, LLC, of Albany, New York, for nine alleged violations of safety and health standards, including one willful violation, while removing asbestos containing roofing material. The asbestos remediation company faces a total $83,300 in proposed fines.
“Lorice Enterprises did not conduct an initial exposure assessment to determine exposure for the workers removing asbestos-containing roofing material. Additionally, the employer did not utilize wet methods to ensure that asbestos did not become airborne and failed to ensure head and eye protection for these workers,” said Kimberly Castillon, OSHA’s area director in Albany. “Safety conditions must be addressed promptly and effectively, now and in the future, so workers are not exposed to potential injuries and illnesses.”
OSHA’s Albany Area Office initiated the August 2012 inspection in response to a referral from the New York State Asbestos Control Bureau. The inspection resulted in the issuance of one willful citation with a $49,000 fine for failing to perform daily monitoring for asbestos exposure. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
The eight serious violations, with $34,300 in fines, include failing to wear protective equipment properly and wet materials to prevent exposure to possible airborne asbestos.
“One of the best means of preventing serious workplace hazards is to establish an effective safety and health management system through which management and employees work together to actively identify, analyze and eliminate work-related hazards,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.
Month-long Safety Stand-down at Oil and Gas Exploration Sites Through February 28
OSHA, in partnership with the National Service, Transmission, Exploration, and Production Safety Network, more commonly known as STEPS, is sponsoring a month-long safety stand-down through February 28 to promote safety and health practices at oil and gas exploration and production sites in Arkansas, Louisiana, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas.
“This safety stand-down is an important effort to bring heightened safety and health awareness for workers in the oil and gas industry to identify and eliminate work-related hazards,” said John Hermanson, OSHA’s regional administrator in Dallas. “There is tremendous value in dedicating time during a workday to make a concerted effort to provide training.”
With the kickoff of the STEPS stand-down, participating companies can choose stand-down training events to take place at their work sites during the month-long event. Some employers have already voluntarily committed to conduct site inspections, document and eliminate hazards, and train workers at oil and gas sites during the stand-down. OSHA will provide training materials and assistance.
STEPS is a volunteer organization founded in 2003 in south Texas by OSHA and the oil and gas industry in an attempt to reduce injuries and fatalities. The organization has grown to include 17 independent networks serving 15 oil- and gas-producing states. Eight of the networks have signed formal alliances with OSHA.
The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools and resources and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.
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