Spread the Word about Heat Illness

For the third year in a row, OSHA is raising awareness about the hazards of working in the heat to educate workers and employers about ways to prevent heat-related illness and death of outdoor workers. According to OSHA, the 2012 campaign reached 4.5 million employers and workers, and more than 314,000 print resources were distributed around the US. This year, the agency is asking occupational and environmental safety professionals, industrial hygienists, and others to help spread the message.

OSHA’s heat campaign webpage includes:

The social media hashtag for the campaign is #WaterRestShade.

GHS Worker Training PowerPoint Now Available

With OSHA’s adoption of the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals, virtually every chemical label, MSDS—now called Safety Data Sheet (SDS), and written hazard communication plan must be revised to meet the new standard.

By December 1, 2013, all employees at your site that work with, or are exposed to, hazardous chemicals must be trained to understand the new classification system, labels, warning statements, precautions, pictograms, and safety data sheets for chemicals at your worksite.

Environmental Resource Center is making available a PDF presentation or a customizable PowerPoint that you can use for on-site worker training. The training program, which covers all of OSHA’s required GHS Hazard Communication training requirements, is in a format that is easy to understand.

Pricing and options:

Options:

1. Customized PowerPoint: send us your written GHS hazard communication plan and 10–20 safety data sheets. We’ll create a custom training program for your site: $899
2. If you have not updated your hazard communication plan, let Environmental Resource Center update it for you: $799
3. Customized PowerPoint and hazard communication plan: $1600

Newark and Dayton RCRA and DOT Training

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, MSDS (now called safety data sheet or SDS), 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 SDSs.

New OSHA Fact Sheet: Safe Use of Stepladders

Workers who use ladders in construction risk permanent injury or death from falls and electrocution. Common stepladder hazards include:

• Damaged stepladders
• Ladders on slippery or unstable surfaces
• Unlocked ladder spreaders
• Standing on the top step or top cap
• Loading ladder beyond raised load
• Ladders in high traffic location
• Reaching outside ladder side rails
• Ladders in close proximity to electrical wiring/equipment

NIOSH Publishes New Method for Monitoring Toluene Exposure

NIOSH has added a new method for monitoring workers’ exposure to toluene to the NIOSH Manual of Analytical Methods (NMAM), a collection of methods for the sampling and analysis of contaminants in workplace air, and in the blood and urine of workers who face on-the-job exposures. The PDF includes lists of equipment and reagents needed, as well as special precautions to take while performing the sampling and analysis work detailed in the method.

To date, NIOSH has developed and evaluated more than 300 methods that are included in NMAM. The agency recommends that the best available method be used for making each measurement, and recognizes that methods published by others (e.g., OSHA, MSHA, and EPA) may have advantages over NIOSH methods, depending on the sampling situation. According to NIOSH, an industrial hygienist should determine the sampling protocol, taking analytical accuracy, cost, and optimum sampling number under consideration.

Contractors Face $465,410 in Fines after Exposing Workers to 13,200-Volt Unguarded Power Lines

OSHA has cited three contractors and proposed penalties totaling $465,410 for alleged willful and serious workplace safety violations at a construction work site located at 14 Brooklyn Ave. in Valley Stream, New York.

Electrocution hazards accounted for the largest of the fines after inspectors from OSHA’s Long Island Area Office found that workers for the three contractors performed their concrete work and crane operations close to energized 13,200-volt overhead power lines.

“OSHA standards prohibit working in close proximity to live power lines. These employers allowed workers to be exposed to electrocution hazards despite repeated cease and desist notices from the Long Island Power Authority,” said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA’s Long Island area director. “Their workers should never have been placed in harm’s way. They were fortunate not to be electrocuted.”

All three employers were issued willful citations for allowing employees and crane operations in close proximity to the power lines.

They were issued serious citations for not marking the power lines with warning signs. MSI and North Eastern Precast were issued serious citations for not assuming the power lines were energized; checking with the utility operator whether lines had been de-energized; training workers on electrocution hazards; having cranes inspected by a qualified person after assembly; marking the crane’s swing radius; having protective helmets; and labeled and protected rigging. All three employers were issued serious citations for not marking overhead power lines with warning signs.

MSI was issued a repeat citation for unguarded rebar; they were cited in March 2010 for the same hazard at a Brooklyn work site.

In total, Vordonia was issued two willful and one serious citation, with $145,530 in fines; MSI was issued two willful, one repeat, and 10 serious citations, with $181,280 in fines; and North Eastern Precast was issued two willful and 10 serious citations, with $138,600 in fines.

“These hazards should not have existed in the first place,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York. “A proper and effective illness and injury prevention program, in which employers work with their employees to proactively identify, address and eliminate hazards, is a critical investment that pays dividends in safety and health for both workers and employers.”

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. 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. A repeat citation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule, or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.

VM Construction Inc. and Concrete Systems Inc. Cited after Workers Operate in Unprotected 8-foot Trench

VM Construction Inc., based in Miami, and Concrete Systems Inc., based in Stirling, New Jersey, were cited by OSHA for willful and repeat trenching hazards found at a Kearny, New Jersey, work site. OSHA’s November 2012 investigation was prompted by an imminent danger complaint that alleged workers operated in an unprotected excavation 8 feet deep.

One willful violation, carrying a $28,000 penalty, was cited against VM Construction Inc., for those workers operating in an unprotected excavation. The construction company was also cited for one serious violation, with a $2,400 penalty, for failing to ensure a competent person inspected the excavation prior to allowing workers to enter.

Concrete Systems Inc., a concrete and masonry contractor, faces $100,100 in penalties for two repeat violations involving workers operating in an unprotected excavation and entering an excavation that was not inspected beforehand by a competent person. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Similar violations were cited in 2008.

“Improperly protected trenches can collapse suddenly and with great force,” said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA’s Parsippany Area Office.

Davis Tool & Die Cited for 17 Violations after Worker Electrocuted at Missouri Facility

OSHA has cited Davis Tool & Die for 17 safety violations and proposed $77,000 in fines after a maintenance worker was electrocuted March 6, 2013, at the Fenton, Missouri, tool and die facility.

“Allowing maintenance workers to service energized equipment without taking required safety precautions and providing necessary personal protective equipment is inexcusable. In this incident, such disregard had fatal consequences,” said Bill McDonald, OSHA’s area director in St. Louis. “Davis Tool & Die has a responsibility to protect workers from known hazards at its manufacturing facility. No worker should risk his life for a job.”

A repeat safety violation involves failing to have point of operation guards on three CNC milling machines. The same violation was cited in January 2012 at Poplar Bluff Tool & Die, under the same ownership.

Nine serious safety violations relate directly to the electrocution, which occurred when the maintenance worker came in contact with exposed energized parts while examining malfunctioning electrical heating components on the heat treat oven. Violations include failing to evaluate the need for personal protective equipment and insulated tools and provide them as necessary; modifying the oven wiring of heating elements from the manufacturer’s design; lack of safety-related work practices and worker training in those concepts; failing to de-energize parts and verify de-energization prior to maintenance; failing to ensure worker qualifications for performed duties; and allowing conductive articles of jewelry or clothing to be worn near electrical components.

Seven additional safety violations involve lack of machine guarding and an emergency eyewash station for workers exposed to corrosive materials, as well as procedures to control the use of hazardous energy. The company also failed to install electrical equipment properly, periodically test electrical protective equipment, and evaluate forklift truck drivers at least once every three years.

Gilman Cheese Corp. Fined $126,700 after Worker’s Fingers Amputated in Unguarded Machine

Gilman Cheese Corp., of Gilman, Wisconsin, has been cited for 10 safety violations totaling $126,700 in proposed fines. A worker had two fingers amputated by an unguarded cheese packing and labeling machine at the Gilman factory. A January inspection was prompted by a referral. OSHA found that another worker suffered a similar amputation in January 2012.

“This tragedy could have been prevented if Gilman Cheese Corp. ensured adequate machine guarding and lockout/tagout procedures,” said Mark Hysell, OSHA’s area director in Eau Claire. “Too often, compromised safety procedures have tragic consequences. OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job.”

Two willful violations involve failing to develop and train workers on machine-specific lockout procedures to prevent unexpected start-up and lockout machinery during servicing and maintenance, and to provide adequate machine guarding.

Additionally, six serious violations involve inadequate guarding on a bench grinder and a portable grinder; lack of adequate emergency eyewash stations for workers handling corrosives; operating powered industrial vehicles without adequate training and inspections; using a flexible cord as permanent wiring; lack of an electrical safety program; and failing to provide training on bloodborne pathogens to those who cleaned equipment following the amputation.

Two other-than-serious violations include obstructing a means of egress and using compressed air greater than 30 lb per square inch for cleaning. 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.

S.A. Baxter Faces Nearly $118,000 in Additional Fines for Uncorrected and Recurring Hazards

 The follow-up inspection began in April by OSHA’s Albany Area Office.

The company did not implement a specific respiratory protection program for plant workers at its work site. It failed to provide a medical evaluation to determine worker fitness to wear a respirator, fit-test respirators before use by a worker, train workers in fire extinguisher use, mark an exit door, and have an exposed opening in an electrical cabinet. Six failure-to-abate notices were issued, carrying $101,200 in proposed fines. A failure-to-abate notice applies to a condition, hazard, or practice found upon reinspection that the employer was originally cited for and has not corrected.

“Despite having sufficient time to correct all hazards cited during the previous inspection, this employer failed to do so. Moreover, other hazards were allowed to recur, and new hazards were identified,” said Kim Castillon, OSHA’s area director in Albany. “The sizable fines proposed reflect both the severity of these hazards as well as this employer’s failure to take necessary corrective action.”

Three repeat citations, with $13,200 in fines, involve improper storage of respirators, lack of a hazard communication program, and no hazard communication training for working with or near hazardous chemicals.

Two serious citations, with $3,520 in fines, were issued for lack of respirator training and an unlighted exit sign.

“A responsible employer will not only correct hazards, but take action to prevent them from occurring in the first place,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York. “A responsible employer will institute and maintain an effective illness and injury prevention program, working with employees to proactively identify and eliminate hazards that can injure or sicken workers.”

S.A. Baxter LLC has elected to contests its citations, failure to abate notices, and proposed penalties to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

Nucap Fined $55,505 for Power Press, Electrical, and Other Hazards

Nucap U.S. Inc., has been cited for 17 alleged serious violations of workplace safety and health standards at its Watertown, Connecticut, manufacturing plant. The manufacturer of motor vehicle brake systems faces $55,505 in proposed fines following inspections by OSHA’s Hartford Area Office that began in February in response to a complaint.

Inspectors found several hazardous conditions involving mechanical power presses used in the manufacturing process. These included lack of an arming button or other safeguard to prevent unintended operation of a press, lack of an air-pressure switch to ensure prompt stopping of a press operation in the event of a pressure supply power loss, unsecured barrier guards, and failure to routinely use die blocks when employees worked on dies in the presses.

“The absence of these safeguards means that employees are vulnerable to crushing and amputation injuries from the unintended operation of a press or from entering a press’ point of operation,” said Warren Simpson, OSHA’s area director in Hartford. “Other cited conditions expose workers to the possibility of electrocution, hearing loss, exposure to blood and body fluids and exposure to hazardous chemicals. For the safety and health of its workers, this employer must address all of these hazards effectively and expeditiously.”

Additional hazards identified during the inspection include lack of training and personal protective equipment for employees performing maintenance on live electrical equipment; not providing baseline audiograms and annual audiometric testing to employees exposed to excessive noise levels; no written exposure control program for employees acting as first responders; unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals; improper storage of oxygen and acetylene cylinders; improper disposal of combustible materials; unguarded grinding equipment; and failure to annually review the plant’s hazardous energy control program.

Statement from CSB Chair on Recent Court Decision Upholding County Law that Requires Fencing, Gates, and Warning Signs at Oil and Gas Sites

Rafael Moure-Eraso, the Chairperson of the US Chemical Safety Board, issued the following statement on the Mississippi Supreme Court’s recent decision to uphold a county law requiring fencing, gates, and warning signs at oil and gas sites.

Northwest Crane Safety Emphasis Program Aims to Curb Maritime and Construction Fatalities

OSHA is launching a program aimed at reducing serious injuries and fatalities associated with the operation of cranes in construction, general industry, and maritime operations for employers under federal OSHA jurisdiction in Idaho, Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

“We know that most of these injuries and fatalities are preventable with adequate training and proper attention to safety controls,” said Dean Ikeda, regional administrator for OSHA’s Region 10, based in Seattle. “Our goal is to highlight the safety concerns and help employers and employees take steps to reduce the incidents related to crane operations. We want to improve safety for those working with or in the zone of danger where a crane is in use.”

OSHA has investigated 13 fatal accidents involving cranes in the past five years in areas where the federal agency has jurisdiction in the four Northwestern states. The most common hazards leading to serious injuries and fatalities are crane tip-overs, being struck-by a crane, electrocutions, being caught in between a crane and other equipment or objects, and falls from the equipment.

To help improve compliance and prevent injuries and deaths for those working on cranes, OSHA compliance officers will conduct inspections at ports, construction sites, and other locations where cranes are in use. OSHA will also conduct outreach, training, on-site consultation and use partnerships, alliances, and participation in the Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) in an effort to improve compliance and prevent serious injuries and fatalities.

Federal OSHA’s jurisdiction is shared with state-run safety and health programs in Washington, Oregon, and Alaska. Federal OSHA has full jurisdiction for safety and health in Idaho.

OSHA Cites PumpCo Energy Services Inc. for Safety and Health Hazards at Texas Worksite

OSHA has cited PumpCo Energy Services Inc., for 14 safety and health workplace violations for exposing workers to hazards at the company’s maintenance facility in Valley View, Texas. OSHA’s Fort Worth Area Office opened an inspection on December 19, 2012, in response to a complaint alleging unsafe working conditions. Proposed penalties total $72,900.

 The two serious health violations were cited for failing to provide medical evaluations and conduct fit testing for workers required to wear respirators.

“PumpCo Energy Services jeopardized the safety of its employees by failing to ensure proper confined space entry procedures were followed to protect workers from possible hazardous atmospheric conditions,” said Jack Rector, OSHA’s area director in Fort Worth. “Employers are responsible for recognizing the hazards that exist in their workplace and for implementing the proper policies and procedures to protect their employees from serious injury.”

PumpCo Energy Services is an oil and gas industry pressure pumping services company employing approximately 1,100 workers nationwide.

Metro North Commuter Railroad Co. to Pay Damages to Employee who Reported On-the-Job Injury

OSHA has found that the Metro North Commuter Railroad Co., violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act (FRSA) when it issued a reprimand to an employee who reported a workplace injury. The railroad, which provides commuter rail service to Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, has been ordered to pay more than $6,800 in punitive damages and attorney’s fees, and take other corrective action.

“Workers must be able to report on-the-job injuries to their employer without fearing that the employer will take adverse action against them for doing so,” said Marthe Kent, OSHA’s New England regional administrator. “Such action has a chilling effect on workers. If they are afraid to report injuries, then that silence may mask hazardous conditions that could injure or sicken other workers.”

On November 2, 2010, an employee in the railroad’s New Haven, Connecticut, storeroom lost his footing, slipped, and fell while descending a rolling ladder as he faced away from the ladder. He immediately reported his injury to the railroad. On November 16, 2010, he received a letter of warning from the railroad stating that he had violated a safety rule. He subsequently filed a whistle-blower complaint with OSHA.

OSHA’s investigation found that the railroad had not disciplined other employees commonly committing the same violation, making it appear that Metro North singled out this employee for discipline as a result of his reporting the injury, thereby providing evidence of disparate treatment. OSHA has consistently found that a written warning constitutes an adverse action due to how it may dissuade a reasonable employee from engaging in protected activity.

In addition to paying $2,500 in punitive damages to the worker and $4,331 in attorney’s fees, Metro North has been ordered to remove disciplinary information from the employee’s personnel record and provide whistle-blower rights information to its other employees. Either party in the case can file an appeal with the Department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.

On July 16, 2012, OSHA and the US DOT’s Federal Railroad Administration signed a memorandum of agreement to facilitate coordination and cooperation for enforcing the FRSA’s whistle-blower provisions. Between August 2007, when OSHA was assigned responsibility for whistle-blower complaints under FRSA, and September 2012, OSHA has received more than 1,200 FRSA whistle-blower complaints. More than 60% of the FRSA complaints filed with OSHA involve an allegation that a railroad worker has been retaliated against for reporting an on-the-job injury.

OSHA enforces the whistle-blower provisions of FRSA and 21 other statutes, protecting employees who report violations of various airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health care reform, nuclear, pipeline, worker safety, public transportation agency, maritime, and securities laws.

Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who raise various protected concerns or provide protected information to the employer or to the government. Employees who believe that they have been retaliated against for engaging in protected conduct may file a complaint with the secretary of labor to request an investigation by OSHA’s Whistle-blower Protection Program. 

Safety Precautions for Summer Road Trips

As the busy summer driving season begins, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) urges you to take simple, yet necessary, precautions to ensure your vehicle is in optimal driving condition and appropriately equipped prior to taking to the road. NHTSA advises drivers to avoid risky behaviors that could potentially place road users inside and outside of the vehicle in danger.

NHTSA offers the following safety recommendations:

Vehicle Preparation

• Regular maintenance – Tune-ups, oil changes, battery checks, and tire rotations go a long way toward preventing breakdowns before they happen. If your vehicle has been serviced according to the manufacturer’s recommendations, it should be in good shape and ready to travel. If not, or you don’t know the service history of the vehicle you plan to drive, schedule a preventive maintenance check-up with your mechanic.
• Tires – The best way to avoid a flat tire or a blowout is to use a tire pressure gauge—keep one handy in your vehicle—to check your vehicle’s tire pressure, including the spare, at least once a month. All tires naturally lose some air over time and under-inflation is the leading cause of tire failure. To get an accurate reading, check pressure when tires are cold, meaning they haven’t been driven on for at least three hours. Find the correct tire pressure on the label inside the driver’s doorframe or in the vehicle owner’s manual as the correct pressure is not the number listed on the tire. In addition to the safety implications, properly inflated tires can improve gas mileage, thereby saving fuel and energy.
• Belts and hoses – Look under the hood and inspect all belts and hoses to make sure they are in good shape with no signs of blisters, cracks, or cuts in the rubber. High summer temperatures accelerate the rate at which rubber belts and hoses degrade. Replace them if they show signs of obvious wear.
• Wiper blades – Like rubber belts and hoses, wiper blades are susceptible to the summer heat. Clear vision of the road ahead is vital for safe driving. Examine blades for signs of wear and tear. If they aren’t in tip-top condition, install new ones before you go.
• Cooling system – When the engine is cold, check your engine coolant level to make sure it’s adequate. In addition, if it’s time to have your cooling system flushed and refilled, do it now. You’ll want your cooling system functioning at peak performance to avoid the possibility of your engine overheating.
• Fluid levels – Periodically check your vehicle’s oil level and, if necessary, get an oil change. Also check the following fluid levels: brake, automatic transmission, power steering, and windshield washer. Make sure each reservoir is full and if you see any sign of fluid leakage, take your vehicle in to be serviced.
• Lights – Make sure headlights, brake lights, turn signals, emergency flashers, and interior lights are in working order. If you are towing a boat, RV or other item, be sure to check your trailer lights, including your brake lights and turn signals. Failure of trailer light connections is a common problem and a serious safety hazard.
• Air conditioning – Check your air conditioning system to ensure it is properly functioning and if the air is not blowing cold, have the system repaired before traveling. Lack of air conditioning on a hot summer day affects people who are in poor health or are sensitive to heat, such as children and seniors.
• Emergency roadside kit – Even a well-maintained vehicle can break down, and having an emergency roadside kit is important to prepare for the unexpected. Suggested items include: a fully charged cell phone, first-aid kit, flashlight, flares and a white flag, jumper cables, nonperishable food, drinking water, and medicines.

For Drivers and Passengers

• Buckle seat belts, don’t drink and drive, and avoid distractions – All drivers and passengers should wear seat belts every time when traveling in a vehicle. Wearing a seat belt is one of the best defenses to prevent injury and death in a crash. Every 45 minutes someone in the US dies in an alcohol-impaired-driving crash. Be responsible and don’t drink and drive. If you plan to drink, choose a designated driver before going out. Drivers should always focus on keeping their eyes and attention on the road. According to NHTSA data from 2011, 10% of fatal crashes and 17% of injury crashes were distracted-affected. Distracted driving can be anything that pulls your attention away from driving, including cell phone use, texting while driving, eating, drinking, talking with passengers, and using in-vehicle technologies and portable electronic devices.
• Protect child passengers – If you’re traveling with children, remember the best way to protect them in the car is to put them in the right seat, at the right time, and use it the right way. All children 13 and younger should ride in the back seat. Also, to prevent injuries and deaths due to child heatstroke in hot vehicles, never leave a child unattended in a vehicle, even if the windows are partially open or the engine and air conditioning is running. Make a habit of looking in the front and back of the vehicle before locking the door and walking away.
• Watch for motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians – Warmer weather typically attracts a greater number of motorcyclists, bicyclists, and pedestrians. These roadway users are more vulnerable since they lack the protection of a car or truck, and collisions almost always result in injury.

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