This information is important for employers, workers, and OSHA in evaluating the safety of a workplace, understanding industry hazards, and implementing worker protections to reduce and eliminate hazards.
Cal/OSHA reminded employers to post their annual summaries of work-related injuries and illnesses from February 1 through April 30.
“This yearly requirement is a graphic reminder on the importance of workplace safety. It provides important data about injuries and illnesses that took place at the worksite, and highlights the need to address potential hazards,” said Christine Baker, Director of the Department of Industrial Relations (DIR). Cal/OSHA, also known as the Division of Occupational Safety and Health, is a division of DIR.
“Employers must summarize information about every work-related death, and every recordable work-related injury or illness,” said Cal/OSHA Chief Juliann Sum.
All current and former employees, as well as employee representatives, must be allowed the opportunity to review any injury or illness that took place at the worksite during 2014.
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.
Tampa RCRA and DOT Training
Dallas RCRA and DOT Training
Chicago RCRA, DOT, and IATA/IMO Training
Mean Green Cleaner and Degreaser Products Recalled Due to Chemical Hazard
Mean Green® Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser and Mean Green? Industrial Strength Cleaner & Degreaser are being recalled by CR brands because although the products are labeled “does not contain Ammonia,” the products may contain ammonia. The mislabeling of the bottles can pose a chemical hazard to consumers. If ammonia is mixed with bleach or other household chemicals, irritating or toxic gases could be produced.
The recalled cleaning products came in white plastic spray bottles and white or green plastic containers. The words “Mean Green Super Strength Cleaner & Degreaser” or “Mean Green Industrial Strength Cleaner & Degreaser” are on a label on the front and the UPC number is on the back. The recall involves products with date codes 4225, 4226, 4227, 4228, 4229, and 4230. The date code is printed below the label on the bottle. UPC codes on the recalled products are: 720547001208, 720547001406, 720547001017, and 720547001024.
If you have a product with the UPC and date code, you should immediately discontinue use of the product and return it to the retailer for a replacement. The products were sold at Dollar General, Dollar Tree, Family Dollar, Fred’s, Wal-Mart and small retailers nationwide from August 2014 to November 2014 for between $1 and $8.
Closed-Circuit Escape Respirators; Extension of Transition Period
In March 2012, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a final rule establishing new standards for the certification of closed-circuit escape respirators. The new standards were designed to take effect over a 3-year transition period.
HHS has determined that extending the concluding date for the transition is necessary to allow sufficient time for respirator manufacturers to meet the demands of the mining, maritime, railroad, and other industries. This rule became effective on January 29, 2015.
WKW Erbsloeh North America Failed to Correct Safety Violations that Led to Worker Injury
Imagine being on the job and suddenly you are horrifically injured. Adding to your pain, you learn later company management knew of the hazards that injured you and did nothing to stop this from happening. This situation became all-too-real for a maintenance worker at WKW Erbsloeh North America, Inc.’s, Alabama facility. The worker was standing above the tanks, while helping with tank maintenance, when he slipped, fell backwards, and submerged himself into a tank filled with highly corrosive phosphoric and sulfuric acid. The man was saved, but not before suffering severe burns to his face and internal organs.
OSHA investigators responded in July 2014 and discovered safety violations that placed employees in serious peril and led to the worker’s injuries. Proposed penalties total $177,500.
Smart Staffing Solutions, doing business as Temp Force Staffing and ABC Employment Holding, LLC, doing business as MS Companies, LLC, provided WKW with temporary workers. OSHA did not issue citations to the temporary staffing agencies after conducting inspections of the companies.
WKW was issued a willful citation for exposing workers to falls from walkways without railings. OSHA requires walkways, platforms or runways above or next to dangerous equipment, including chemical tanks, to have railing and toeboards installed. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirement, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.
“Allowing a worker to be injured by a hazard that was known by all is terrible. This worker was doing the right thing, but management was not,” said Ramona Morris, director of OSHA’s Birmingham Area Office. “Employers have the responsibility to protect employees from injuries and illnesses.”
A repeated violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule, or order at any facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. WKW was cited previously for similar violations in March 2010 at the Pell City facility.
The five serious citations were issued for failing to provide workers with equipment to prevent accidental machine startup; not ensuring workers followed procedures to prevent accidental machine startup; failing to monitor air quality inside chemical tanks that workers entered; not training workers on the hazards of confined spaces; and no periodic inspections of worker procedures to prevent accidental machine startup. 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.
The initiative includes outreach, training and enforcement to ensure that temporary workers are protected on the job.
Xpedited Services Fined $63,000 for More than a Dozen Serious Violations
Tangled extension cords, overloaded power outlets in wet locations, blocked exits, faulty forklifts, machines without safety guards and damaged floors-all in a hazardous day at work for employees at Xpedited Services, LLC’s, warehouse in Jersey City, an inspection by OSHA investigators found. After the August 14, 2014, inspection, the Jersey City-based trucking company received 14 serious citations with $63,000 in associated fines for permitting dangerous electrocution, fire, and other hazardous risks to exist.
“Xpedited Services created an electrical nightmare for its workers, exposing warehouse employees to electrocution hazards and significant fire risk. It was unacceptable that the company failed to comply with long-standing federal electrical safety standards and local building codes,” said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA’s Parsippany Area Office.
OSHA investigators found that in place of permanent wiring, the company used flexible cords and temporary wiring to power hand-held tools and the warehouse, which created electrocution and fire hazards. Making matters worse, cords were used in wet areas without damage protection and were not inspected regularly. The inspection also found four extension cords plugged into a single, overloaded electrical outlet.
In addition to the electrical and fire hazards, Xpedited Services was cited for lacking mechanical safety devices; allowing exit routes to be blocked in two locations; operating damaged forklifts; improperly storing propane bottles; and having open holes in warehouse floors. Employees also lacked forklift or fire extinguisher training.
Georgia-Pacific Chemicals Fined $60,500 for 11 Serious Chemical Safety Violations
Workers at Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, LLC, were exposed to dangerous chemicals, such as formaldehyde and other potential health and safety hazards, because the company failed to implement proper chemical management procedures at its Columbus, Ohio plant. An investigation by OSHA produced 11 serious violations with penalties totaling $60,500.
One of the hazards identified was formaldehyde, which is manufactured for use in various industrial applications and products. Formaldehyde can irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and throat; it is deadly if swallowed. Formaldehyde also is a fire and explosion hazard if exposed to heat or flame. It is a colorless, strong-smelling gas.
“Chemical manufacturing can be catastrophic if proper safeguards are not in place, and Georgia-Pacific Chemicals failed to meet that responsibility,” said Deborah Zubaty, OSHA’s area director in Columbus. “Exposure to formaldehyde can have serious health consequences. Workers should not be put at risk because this company failed to implement required procedures.”
The July 16, 2014, inspection found that Georgia-Pacific Chemical’s standard operating procedures did not contain accurate information on safety systems and how they worked. The company’s process hazard analysis, an evaluation used to identify potential hazards associated with the processing of highly hazardous chemicals, failed to address many issues in the plant. In addition, employees were not trained in changes to these processes, and inspections and equipment testing were not completed as scheduled.
Atlanta-based Georgia-Pacific Chemicals, a subsidiary of Georgia-Pacific, LLC, is a nationwide chemical manufacturer and distributor. The company produces a diverse range of products used in the building, oil and gas, mining, paper, and packaging industries.
Workers at Omega Protein Unaware of Toxic, Explosive Fumes, Leads to Fatality
. One of the two men found out later as he lay in a hospital with a fractured skull, internal injuries and broken bones. The second, a 25-year-old man named Jerry Taylor, died when the tank exploded.
OSHA investigated the incident and has found four companies violated safety regulations that could have prevented the tragedy. The companies are Accu-Fab & Construction, Inc., Omega Protein, and JP Williams Machine & Fabrication, all in Moss Point, and Global Employment, in Pascagoula.
Accu-Fab, a metal fabricator, was contracted by Omega Protein to manufacture and erect a wastewater storage tank that required modification of existing pipes. A staffing agency, Global Employment Services, provided Accu-Fab with the employees needed at Omega. JP Williams Machine, which provides industrial service and repair, was on-site the day of the explosion performing unrelated maintenance activities.
“The Omega Protein plant explosion shines a spotlight on how critical it is for employers to verify, isolate and remove fire and explosion hazards in employee work areas,” said Eugene Stewart, OSHA’s area director in Jackson. “If the employer ensured a safe environment, this tragic incident could have been prevented.”
The repeated violations involve not having standard railings on open-sided floors and platforms and failing to label electrical boxes properly.
Omega Protein was cited previously for these same violations in 2012. Additionally, the serious hazards included allowing workers to weld and cut piping on an improperly prepared storage tank containing explosive methane and hydrogen sulfide gases and failing to label or tag the storage tank to note that it contained hazardous chemicals.
The willful violation was issued for failure to train workers on chemical hazards in the work area, such as hydrogen sulfide, methane, welding gas, and paints. Additionally, both employers were cited for a serious violation for failure to instruct employees about avoiding unsafe work conditions. Accu-Fab was also cited for failure to ensure employees working on top of a storage tank at heights of up to 29 feet were wearing fall protection and for not recording this fatality or two other recordable injuries.
Exposure to acetylene can cause headache, dizziness, asphyxiation and even frostbite.
OSHA has conducted 13 inspections at Omega Protein facilities in Mississippi, Virginia and Louisiana since 1998. . Accu-Fab has three prior OSHA inspections, most recently in 2002, and has been cited for scaffolding, forklift, welding, cutting, and electrical violations. Both JP Williams and Global Employment have no prior OSHA inspection history.
Atlas Steel Coatings Inc. Exposes Workers to Unsafe Levels of Lead
Lead exposure can cause impaired kidney function, high blood pressure, and other negative health effects. Other violations include the employer’s failure to conduct forklift training and failure to notify workers in writing of their blood lead test results within five days. 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. Proposed penalties total $58,800.
“This employer not only exposed its workers to unsafe levels of lead but it also failed to take any precautions required to prevent workers from transferring lead contamination, to their homes or families,” said Robert Vazzi director of OSHA’s Savannah Area Office. “OSHA holds employers accountable for correcting conditions that threaten worker safety and health.”
Gerber Legendary Blades, Division of Fiskars Brands Inc. Agrees to $2.6 Million Civil Penalty, Internal Compliance Improvements for Failure to Report Defective Gator Combo Axe
The complaint charges that the knife in the Gator Combo Axe handle could and did dislodge from the handle when the axe is used for chopping or hammering, posing a serious laceration hazard to consumers. Beginning in 2005, Fiskars began receiving reports of laceration injuries caused by the Gator Combo Axe, including serious injuries requiring surgery.
“CPSC’s job is to protect consumers,” said Chairman Elliot F. Kaye. “The sooner a firm informs CPSC about incidents or injuries with defective products, the quicker we can act to protect the American public. Failure to report in a timely basis is not only illegal, it can endanger consumer safety. We will not tolerate such irresponsible and dangerous behavior.”
“In this case, Fiskar’s failure to report to the CPSC not only put consumers at risk, it contributed to people being injured as a result of the unsafe product design,” said US Attorney S. Amanda Marshall for the District of Oregon. ”The settlement not only addresses the product safety issue, but also holds the company accountable and sends a message to others that these violations will be taken seriously.”
Federal law requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers to report to CPSC immediately after obtaining information reasonably supporting the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard, creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death, or fails to comply with any consumer product safety rule or any other rule, regulation, standard, or ban enforced by CPSC.
In addition to imposing a $2.6 million civil penalty on Fiskars, the consent decree granted injunctive relief. The relief requires that Fiskars comply with federal consumer product-related reporting requirements. To assure compliance with those legal requirements, the consent decree requires Fiskars to implement and maintain a compliance program that, at a minimum, contains the following elements:
- Written standards and policies
- Procedures for reviewing claims and reports for safety concerns and for implementing corrective and preventive actions when compliance deficiencies or violations are identified
- Confidential employee reporting of compliance-related questions or concerns to either a compliance officer or another senior manager
- Effective communication of compliance-related policies and procedures to all employees, through training programs or otherwise
- Senior manager responsibility for compliance and accountability for violations
- Oversight of compliance by Fiskars’ governing body
- Records retention requirements
The consent decree further requires Fiskars to maintain and enforce internal controls and procedures designed to ensure that Fiskars:
- Reports to CPSC as required by federal law
- All reports are timely, truthful, complete and accurate
- Promptly discloses to Fiskars’ management any material deficiencies or weaknesses in the design or operation of the internal controls
The CPSC investigation that led to the settlement of this matter was initiated by CPSC’s Office of Compliance and Field Operations, and the Office of the General Counsel handled the enforcement action. The Department of Justice’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case in the US District Court on behalf of CPSC.
P & W Painting Repeatedly Exposes Workers to Workplace Dangers
Twice in two years, employees at P & W Painting Contractors were found in danger of falling as they worked on top of machines and elevated platforms more than 14 feet off the ground. After a complaint was filed, OSHA inspectors identified one repeated and eight serious safety violations, including lack of fall protection and forklift hazards at the company’s Toledo facility. OSHA has proposed penalties of $40,040.
“Once again, P & W has failed to protect its employees. At dangerous heights without fall protection, their laborers were placed at risk of a potentially fatal or debilitating fall. On-the-job falls lead to hundreds of deaths and injuries each year,” said Kim Nelson, OSHA’s area director in Toledo. “P & W must change its culture, and stop ignoring regulations that protect the safety of workers.”
Fatal falls, slips, or trips killed 699 workers in 2013, with falls to a lower level accounting for 574 of those fatalities.
OSHA issues repeated violations if an employer previously was cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
In addition to the fall hazards, P & W also used forklifts that had been modified without manufacturer approval and allowed employees to use damaged forklifts. Inspectors also found that brakes and warning signals on overhead cranes were not working.
Superior Steel Worker Fatally Injured in Forklift Accident
Ernesto Paramo never knew his shift on August 4 would be his last, leaving his family and friends to grieve his untimely death. The 30-year-old welder clocked in as he had many times before and then went to work at Superior Steel Products, Inc. Paramo was in an unsecured basket raised improperly on a forklift about nine feet off the floor when the basket fell off a forklift onto the concrete floor below.
An investigation by OSHA found Superior Steel did not protect employees from numerous hazards related to the use of forklifts, including training, modifications, and operation. Investigators also discovered confined space, flammable liquid, and respiratory hazards. OSHA has proposed fines of $38,780 for these violations.
“We send our condolences to the family and friends of Ernesto Paramo. They lost someone they loved because Superior Steel Products did not ensure basic safety procedures for dangerous heavy equipment,” said Galen Blanton, acting OSHA regional administrator in Seattle.
Based in Caldwell, Superior Steel Products is a manufacturer of steel and aluminum storage tanks, such as crude oil tankers, aviation fuel storage, fuel transportation tanks, fertilizer storage tanks, and chemical transportation tanks.
Albemarle Corp. Named Star Site for Outstanding Safety and Health Management
Albemarle Corporation’s South Haven facility was awarded the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) Star Award, the state’s highest workplace safety and health award, from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
“As a former ‘rising star,’ MIOSHA is thrilled to recognize Albemarle Corporation for its certification as an MVPP Star site,” said MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder. “Albemarle’s management commitment, employee involvement, and excellent safety measures demonstrate that employee safety and health is its top priority.”
“Albemarle is committed to sustainable operations, and we are honored to have been recognized for the hard work the team has put into improving our workplace safety,” said South Haven Plant Manager Dru Manuel. “We recognize that health and safety are critical to our sustainable growth, and we’re excited for the challenge to further improve our operations in the future.”
MIOSHA established the MVPP in 1996 to recognize employers actively working toward achieving excellence in workplace safety and health. This is the most prestigious safety and health award given in Michigan.
“National VPP sites experience 60 to 80 percent less lost work day injuries than would be expected of an average site in their industry,” said Yoder. “In addition to significantly reducing injuries and illnesses, this program has a tremendous impact on the bottom line.”
The MIOSHA MVPP Review Team consisted of Doug Kimmel, team leader and safety specialist, and Dave Humenick, senior industrial hygienist. During the review, the team examined various elements of the safety and health management system and found them to effectively address the scope and complexity of the hazards at the site.
Albemarle Corporation employs approximately 130 employees at its South Haven facility and is a chemical manufacturer of intermediate and active pharmaceutical ingredients, food additives, and custom chemicals. The company also performs research and development and commercial manufacturing.
The MVPP assists employers and employees by providing a mechanism and a set of criteria designed to evaluate and recognize outstanding safety and health management systems. The program is designed to establish a cooperative relationship between management, labor, and MIOSHA. MVPP participants implement safety and health management systems that provide protections beyond what is required by MIOSHA standards.
There are two levels of recognition in the MVPP. The Michigan Star program is designed for workplaces that have an exemplary safety and health management system with injury and illness incidence rates below the industry average for the last three years. The Rising Star program provides the “stepping stone” for those establishments that have the desire and potential to achieve Star Status within one to three years. Rising Star participants have a good safety and health management system and have incidence rates at or below the industry average for two out of the last three years.
Current Star sites are available to mentor other companies that have an interest and desire to improve their safety and health management system. Mentors inform, counsel, train, and strive to achieve excellence in safety and health through the MVPP.
Albemarle Corporation is a premier specialty chemicals company. Albemarle develops, manufactures, and markets technologically advanced and high value added products, including lithium and lithium compounds, bromine and derivatives, catalysts and surface treatment chemistries used in a wide range of applications including consumer electronics, flame retardants, metal processing, plastics, contemporary and alternative transportation vehicles, refining, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, construction, and custom chemistry services.
Covanta Kent Inc. Receives MIOSHA’s Highest Recognition Award of their Workplace Safety and Health Excellence
Covanta Kent, Inc., of Grand Rapids, an energy-from-waste facility, was awarded the state’s most prestigious workplace safety and health award from the MIOSHA for the third time. The MIOSHA program is part of the LARA.
“Covanta Kent has once again been named a Michigan Star Worksite for the continuous development and improvement of its safety and health management system,” said MIOSHA Director Martha Yoder. “This high level of achievement demonstrates a commitment to workplace safety beyond what is required by MIOSHA standards, making Covanta Kent a true model of excellence in its industry.” MIOSHA established the Michigan Voluntary Protection Program (MVPP) program in 1996 to assist and recognize employers actively working toward achieving excellence in workplace safety and health.
“It’s a great honor to be named a Michigan Star Worksite for a third time. Driven by employees, Covanta Kent has implemented on-site safety activities and procedures that have generated outstanding results. This award recognizes our steadfast commitment to safety and the tremendous record that we have worked so hard to achieve,” said Randy Inman, Covanta Kent facility manager.
The MIOSHA MVPP Review Team consisted of Dave Humenick, team leader and senior industrial hygienist, and Deb Gorkisch, senior safety specialist. The team examined various elements of the safety and health management system, and found them to effectively address the scope and complexity of the hazards at the site.
Covanta Kent employs 38 workers and generates steam from burning municipal solid waste to produce electricity. The facility has an exemplary safety and health record, and has exhibited outstanding leadership in recognizing that a comprehensive safety and health system is critical to successful businesses today.
“The numbers for national VPP worksites show that the average site has a Days Away Restricted or Transferred case rate of 52 percent below the average for its industry,” said Yoder. “These types of reductions in injuries and illnesses are attainable when a site commits to the program’s comprehensive approach to safety and health.”
The MVPP assists employers and employees by providing a mechanism and a set of criteria designed to evaluate and recognize outstanding safety and health management systems. The program is designed to establish a cooperative relationship between management, labor, and MIOSHA. MVPP participants implement safety and health management systems that provide protections beyond what is required by MIOSHA standards.
There are two levels of recognition in the MVPP. The Michigan Star program is designed for workplaces that have an exemplary safety and health management system with injury and illness incidence rates below the industry average for the last three years. The Rising Star program provides the “stepping stone” for those establishments that have the desire and potential to achieve Star Status within one to three years. Rising Star participants have a good safety and health management system and have incidence rates at or below the industry average for two out of the last three years.
Current Star sites are available to mentor other companies that have an interest and desire to improve their safety and health management system. Mentors inform, counsel, train, and strive to achieve excellence in safety and health through the MVPP. Covanta Kent, Inc., located in Grand Rapids, Michigan, processes 625 tons-per-day of municipal solid waste, generating up to 18 megawatts of electricity. Under Covanta’s operating contract, the company is responsible for maintaining the Energy-from-Waste facility. Waste is delivered to the facility from Grand Rapids and five surrounding cities.
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