The report states that the evidence is strong enough for EPA to include ozone-related mortality in health-benefit analyses related to future ozone standards. The committee that wrote the report was not asked to consider how evidence has been used by EPA to set ozone standards, including the new public health standard set by the agency last month.
Ozone, a key component of smog, can cause respiratory problems and other health effects. In addition, evidence of a relationship between short-term—less than 24 hours—exposure to ozone and mortality has been mounting, but interpretations of the evidence have differed, prompting EPA to request the Research Council report. In particular, the agency asked the committee to analyze the ozone-mortality link and assess methods for assigning a monetary value to lives saved for the health-benefits assessments.
Based on a review of recent research, the committee found that deaths related to ozone exposure are more likely among individuals with pre-existing diseases and other factors that could increase their susceptibility. However, premature deaths are not limited to people who are already within a few days of dying.
In addition, the committee examined research based on large population groups to find how changes in ozone air concentration could affect mortality, specifically to determine the existence of a threshold—a concentration of ozone below which exposure poses no risk of death. The committee concluded that if a threshold exists, it is probably at a concentration below the current public health standard. As people have individual susceptibilities to ozone exposure, not everyone may experience an altered risk of death if ozone air concentration also changes. Further research should explore how personal thresholds may vary and the extent to which they depend on a person’s frailty, the committee said.
The research on short-term exposure does not account for all ozone-related mortality, and the estimated risk of death may be greater than if based solely on these studies, the committee noted. To better understand all the possible connections between ozone and mortality, future research should address whether exposure for more than 24 hours and long-term exposure—weeks to years—are associated with mortality, including how ozone exposure could impact life expectancy. For example, deaths related to short-term exposure may not occur until several days afterward or may be associated with multiple short-term exposures.
Additionally, EPA should monitor ozone during the winter months when it is low and in communities with warmer and cooler winters to better understand seasonal and regional differences in risk. More research could also look at how other pollutants, such as airborne particulate matter, may affect ozone and mortality risk.
EPA, like other federal agencies, is required to carry out a cost-benefit analysis on mitigation actions that cost more than $100 million per year. EPA recently used the results of population studies to estimate the number of premature deaths that would be avoided by expected ozone reductions for different policy choices, and then assigned a monetary value to the avoided deaths by using the value of a statistical life (VSL).
The VSL is derived from studies of adults who indicate the “price” that they would be willing to pay—i.e. what benefits or conveniences someone would be willing to forgo—to change their risk of death in a given period by a small amount. The monetary value of the improved health outcome is based on the value the group places on receiving the health benefit; it is not the value selected by policymakers or experts.
EPA applies the VSL to all lives saved regardless of the age or health status. For instance, a person who is 80 years old in poor health is estimated to have the same VSL as a healthy 2-year-old. To determine if an approach that accounts for differences in remaining life expectancy could be supported scientifically, EPA asked the committee to examine the value of extending life. For example, EPA could calculate VSL to estimate the value of remaining life, so a 2-year-old would have a higher VSL than an 80-year-old. It is plausible that people with shorter remaining life expectancy would be willing to devote fewer resources to reducing their risk of premature death than those with longer remaining life expectancy. In contrast, if the condition causing the shortened life expectancy could be improved and an acceptable quality of life can be preserved or restored, people may put a high value on extending life, even if they have other health impairments or are quite elderly.
The committee concluded that EPA should not adjust the VSL because current evidence is not sufficient to determine how the value might change according to differences in remaining life expectancy and health status. However, the committee did not reject the idea that such adjustments may be appropriate in the future. To move toward determining a value of remaining life, alternative approaches should be explored in sensitivity analyses, and further research should be conducted to answer the questions raised about the validity of EPA’s current approach.
The study was sponsored by the EPA. The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council make up the National Academies. They are private, nonprofit institutions that provide science, technology, and health policy advice under a congressional charter. The Research Council is the principal operating agency of the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering. A committee roster follows.
OSHA Announces Informal Public Hearing on Proposed Rule on Confined Spaces in Construction
. The hearing is scheduled for 10 a.m. on July 22, 2008, at the Department of Labor’s Frances Perkins Building in Washington, D.C. If a second or third day is necessary, the hearing will begin at 9 a.m. on those days.
“The proposed rule is intended to address construction-specific issues as they relate to confined spaces and establish comprehensive procedures to protect employees,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. “This hearing will allow interested parties the opportunity to provide input on the proposed rule.”
OSHA published the proposed Confined Spaces in Construction Standard on November 28, 2007 (72 FR 67351) and the public was given until February 28, 2008, to submit comments. Those who intend to present testimony at the hearing must notify OSHA in writing of their intention to do so no later than May 21, 2008. Parties who request more than 10 minutes for their presentations at the hearing and those who will present documentary evidence must provide the agency with copies of their full testimony and all documentary evidence no later than June 20, 2008.
OSHA Chief Testifies on Agency Efforts to Protect Workers from Combustible Dust and Announces OSHA Initiatives
Edwin G. Foulke Jr., assistant secretary of occupational safety and health, testified on Capitol Hill to discuss the OSHA efforts to protect workers from combustible dust hazards and investigate the cause of the Feb. 7 explosion at Imperial Sugar Refinery in Savannah, Ga.
“OSHA is intensifying its ongoing enforcement, education and outreach programs to ensure that employers and workers are doing everything they are supposed to be doing to protect against combustible dust,” Foulke told the House Education and Labor Committee.
Foulke also announced several initiatives that OSHA has undertaken to improve its enforcement and outreach. The fact sheet provides a descriptive overview of combustible dust hazards and offers suggestions for eliminating these hazards.
Foulke has issued a memorandum to OSHA’s state plan administrators urging state-run occupational safety and health agencies to join OSHA in its focus on combustible dust hazards. He has ordered OSHA to refine and expand the combustible dust National Emphasis Program that was announced in October 2007 to focus on facilities most likely to experience catastrophic dust explosions. Foulke also stated that the agency’s Harwood training grant program will include combustible dust as a training topic for grant solicitations for fiscal year 2009.
Additionally, on March 10, OSHA provided a two-hour refresher training on the subject to 700 compliance officers. Foulke also has ordered his staff to prepare guidance for stakeholders to improve hazard communication related to combustible dust.
OSHA Proposes $169,000 in Fines Against Beryllium/Copper Foundry
OSHA has proposed $169,200 in fines against Semco Inc., a beryllium/copper foundry in Marion, Ohio for willful and serious violations of federal workplace safety and health regulations.
OSHA opened its inspection in October 2007 to determine if the company had corrected safety hazards found during a 2005 inspection as agreed. In addition, inspectors wanted to ensure that no other hazards existed as part of OSHA’s Toledo, Ohio, area office site-specific targeting program. The inspection found, among other concerns, that the company remained in violation of beryllium over-exposure. Specifically, OSHA has alleged three willful and 21 alleged serious violations of OSHA standards.
Willful violations include employee over-exposure to beryllium, failing to ensure that employees do not have facial hair that would interfere with the proper fit for required respirators, and a lack of engineering controls and personal protective equipment in molten metal furnace and pouring operations. Serious violations include issues involving employee exposure to beryllium, lack of or inadequate personal protective equipment, electrical hazards and lockout/tagout violations, which refer to procedures intended to prevent accidental start-up of machinery during maintenance.
“It’s disappointing when we find on re-inspection that problems which may lead to death or serious injury still exist,” said Jule Hovi, OSHA’s area director in Toledo. “There is no excuse for this kind of attitude toward the health and safety of employees.”
OSHA has inspected the Semco plant four times since 2003 and has previously cited the company for 11 serious and two repeat violations of the agency’s standards.
OSHA Proposes $94,000 Penalty Following Inspection of Construction Trench in Atlanta
OSHA has proposed $94,250 in penalties for seven safety violations after inspecting an Atlanta worksite on Fulton Industrial Boulevard where employees of two construction contractors were installing storm drainage and sewer lines.
OSHA cited Plateau Excavation Inc. from Austell, Ga., with two repeat safety violations and proposed penalties of $75,000. Company violations include exposing employees to cave-in hazards by placing excavated material within two feet of the trench and allowing employees to work in an 18-foot-deep trench without an adequate protective system. The company also has been cited with one serious violation carrying a $7,000 proposed penalty for not providing employees with a means of egress from the trench.
Graham, Ala.-based Beck Inc. has been cited with four serious safety violations and $12,250 in proposed penalties. OSHA noted the contractor failed to provide hazard recognition training to employees, provided inadequate access for a 24-foot-deep trench, allowed excavated materials to be placed too near the edge of a trench and did not provide an adequate protective system for employees working in a trench.
“These employers were well aware of the OSHA requirements, yet in the interest of saving time, bypassed critical safety measures and placed their employees at serious risk,” said Andre Richards, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-West Area Office.
OSHA Fines Contractors $79,000 for Trenching and Excavation Hazards
OSHA has cited Voegele Mechanical Contractors Inc. in North Little Rock, Ark., with proposed penalties totaling $79,000 for allegedly failing to protect employees from trenching hazards during the installation of a water pipe.
OSHA has alleged three willful and one serious violation following an investigation under the agency’s National Emphasis Program on excavation and trenching that began March 17 when an OSHA investigator observed employees working in a 7-foot-deep unprotected trench.
“The OSHA inspection revealed that the company did not take appropriate action to protect its employees from serious injury,” said Dean McDaniel, OSHA’s regional administrator in Dallas. “Employers must remain committed to keeping the workplace safe and healthful at all times.”
The willful violations include the employer failing to provide a safe egress from a trench greater than 4 feet deep; to ensure the materials removed from the trench are kept at least 2 feet from the edge of an excavation; and to ensure employees in an excavation greater than 5 feet in depth be protected from a cave-in.
The serious violation is for the employer failing to properly instruct all employees in the hazards and regulations applicable to excavation and trenching. Serious violations are issued when there is a substantial probability that death or serious injury could occur from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
OSHA Proposing Almost $60,000 in Fines Against Metal Fabricator for Willful Violations
OSHA has proposed $59,800 in penalties against Lyons Tool and Machine Inc. for four alleged safety violations following a March inspection of its Lyons, Ga. plant.
The company has been cited for a willful violation of OSHA standards with a $56,000 proposed penalty for failing to provide machine guards on its mechanical power press. A willful citation is issued when an employer has shown an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
“Amputation is a very real threat when machines lack the proper safety features,” said John J. Deifer, OSHA’s area director in Savannah. “OSHA inspectors found that this employer continued to disregard the agency’s requirements on machine guards, despite an earlier citation for a similar violation in 2006.”
The metal fabrication company also has been cited with two serious violations and $2,800 in penalties for exposing employees to struck-by hazards from compressed gas cylinders that were not properly secured. A $1,000 penalty has been proposed against the company for failing to produce an OSHA 300 log for 2008, which companies are required to maintain to record work-related injuries and illnesses.
OSHA and the Industrial Truck Association Renew Alliance to Prevent Hazards of Powered Industrial Trucks
OSHA recently renewed its Alliance with the Industrial Truck Association (ITA). The organizations will continue their efforts to provide employers and employees with training resources on the proper operation and use of powered industrial trucks.
“OSHA and ITA have made significant achievements in promoting safety when using powered industrial trucks,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. “We are pleased to work with an organization whose leadership appreciates the results our collaborative relationship has achieved in improving the safety of powered industrial truck operators. As we continue our Alliance, our goal is to increase access to training resources to reduce injuries and prevent exposure to other potential hazards.”
Through the OSHA and ITA Alliance, ITA is presenting an Industrial Truck Best Practices Seminar titled, “Forklift Safety: Man, Machine & Environment.” The seminar for OSHA staff focuses on maintaining vehicle stability and preventing vehicles from tipping over. In addition, ITA distributed to its members the Department of Labor-developed article “VPP—A Proven Way to Reduce Injuries, Illnesses and Costs.” ITA representatives continue to serve on the editorial board for the OSHA Powered Industrial Trucks Safety and Health Topics page, where nearly 84,000 individuals have received information and training resources.
“The Alliance with OSHA has become the single most important government relations effort ITA has engaged in since its move to Washington in 1984,” said Stan Simpson, ITA president. “Through ITA’s Alliance with OSHA, the association is engaging in very important outreach and compliance assistance activities. We’ve increased our communications with the public and our industry about the importance of safety and health in the workplace through our websites and OSHA speakers at our events.” Mr. Simpson continued, “More importantly, the OSHA and ITA Alliance Industrial Truck Best Practices Seminar: ‘Forklift Safety: Man, Machine & Environment’ is sharing information with the agency’s staff throughout the country about best practices relating to the use of powered industrial trucks.”
ITA represents manufacturers and suppliers of lift trucks. Its members also manufacture tow tractors, rough terrain vehicles, hand-pallet trucks and automated guided vehicles. The association works with federal, state and standards-setting organizations to develop guidelines to reduce the number and severity of lift truck accidents.