Top 10 OSHA Violations for 2005

OSHA Extends Comment Period on Electric Power Transmission Rule

The notice extends the period for written comments on the proposed rule to Jan. 11, 2006. OSHA extended the comment period to grant interested parties more time for a thorough review and response to the proposal. Additionally, the informal hearing originally scheduled for Dec. 6, 2005, will now be held on March 6, 2006; the extension reopens the period for interested parties to file notices of intent to appear at that hearing. The proposed standard includes requirements relating to enclosed spaces, working near energized parts, grounding for employee protection, work on underground and overhead installations, work in substations, and other special conditions and equipment unique to the transmission and distribution of electrical energy. If you would like to comment on the rule, submit written comments, postmarked no later than Jan. 11, 2006, to: OSHA Docket Office, Docket No. S-215, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Room N-2625, Washington, D.C. 20210. 
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Site Specific Targeting Plan Targets Foundry for Safety and Health Violations

OSHA cited Acme Foundry Inc., Coffeyville, Kan., for 37 alleged violations following targeted safety and health inspections of the iron castings manufacturer in April. Proposed penalties total $113,800. The inspections were conducted as part of OSHA's "Site Specific Targeting" plan that targets workplaces reporting high rates of injuries and illnesses. Acme has a workforce of 440. "Employers must take necessary precautions to protect employees from workplace hazards," said Charles E. Adkins, CIH, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City. "This significant penalty demonstrates OSHA's commitment to assure compliance with job safety and health standards." The safety inspection resulted in six repeat, nine serious and one other-than-serious alleged violations with proposed penalties of $77,500. The health inspection resulted in six repeat, ten serious, and five other-than-serious alleged violations with proposed penalties of $36,300. Alleged repeat violations addressed hazards associated with: lack of standard guard rails on all open-sided floors; machines not anchored when designed for fixed locations; misuse of electrical equipment; electrical disconnect not identified; unused openings in electrical boxes not effectively closed; lack of faceplates/covers on energized electrical boxes; eyewash/quick drenching facilities not provided where injurious corrosives were used; general machine guarding deficiencies; unguarded belts and pulleys of equipment; and unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals. Repeat violations are those for which an employer has been previously cited for the same or a substantially similar condition and the citation has become a final order of the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The alleged serious violations addressed hazards associated with cranes, floor holes, powered industrial trucks, exits, personal protective equipment, confined spaces, material storage, electrical hazards, damaged slings and machine guarding. Serious violations occur when there is probability of death or serious physical harm and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard. Alleged other-than-serious violations addressed hazards associated with flexible cords, injury and illness recordkeeping, housekeeping, and damaged slings.

Aluminum Dust Causes Fatal Explosion

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The explosion caused fatal burns to a mechanic working near an aluminum melt furnace, severely injured a second mechanic nearby, and caused lesser burns to a third worker. Four other workers suffered minor injuries.
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CSB investigators determined that the dust that exploded originated in a scrap system at the facility. A high concentration of aluminum dust, when suspended in air, is highly combustible. The CSB determined the dust was a byproduct of the process in which aluminum chips and scraps -- which are created as the wheel castings are machined -- are dried prior to being sent to a furnace for re-melting. Dust from the scraps is conveyed into a dust collector outside the building. The CSB determined that an explosion in the collector sent a pressure wave through the system ductwork and back into the building. A fireball then erupted inside the building, which lofted and ignited further aluminum dust that had accumulated on rafters and equipment.
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The Board found the company did not address why the chip drying system was releasing excess dust, and did not identify or address the dangers of aluminum dust ignition, despite having a history of small dust fires inside the factory. The CSB also determined that Hayes Lemmerz did not ensure the dust collector system it ordered was designed in accordance with guidance in a prominent fire code published by the National Fire Protection Association.
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CSB Chairman Carolyn Merritt said, "This accident followed a classic syndrome we call 'normalization of deviation,' in which organizations come to accept as ônormalö fires, leaks or so-called small explosions. The company failed to investigate the smaller fires as abnormal situations needing correction or as warnings of potentially larger more destructive events. The CSB almost always finds that this behavior precedes a tragedy."
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Chairman Merritt noted that aluminum dust collection systems are at particular risk. "The report indicates that aluminum dust is among the most explosive of all metal dusts and the conditions in dust collectors that are not properly designed, installed or maintained present the ideal environment for an explosion and fire," she said.
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The report refers to the National Fire Protection Association's NFPA 484 code as an important prevention document for companies to use to reduce the risk of such an explosion. "In this circumstance, NFPA 484 provisions were not being followed and the risk of such an explosion at this facility was extremely high," Chairman Merritt said.
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Chairman Merritt cited chemical dust as a particularly insidious danger needing careful hazard analysis and treatment. Noting the CSB is conducting a separate, comprehensive study of the hazards of dust in the workplace following the Hayes Lemmerz incident and two other dust explosions the CSB investigated in Kentucky and North Carolina, Ms. Merritt said, "As has happened in other plants, combustible dust can accumulate on rafters, above false ceilings, on top of equipment, in ventilation ducts and dust collectors just waiting for the right conditions of suspension and ignition. Processes where such dust is created are at risk and must take special care to eliminate the combustible dust hazard."
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The CSB listed among 22 key findings the company's "inadequate housekeeping" in the foundry area and "insufficient maintenance" of the chip processing equipment, leading to the dust accumulation that fueled the secondary explosion. In particular the findings noted the dust collector filters were infrequently cleaned, some ducts leaked dust because they were eroded, maintenance workers were not wearing flame-retarding clothing at the time of the accident, and the company did not have formal written maintenance procedures or employee training in place for the dust collector system.

OSHA Cites Two Contractors Following Fairfield Scaffold Collapse

Two contractors face a total of $27,100 in fines from OSHA following a Sept. 8 scaffold collapse in Fairfield, Conn.á Employees of New Haven Scaffolding and Petra Construction were working on a scaffold and on the roof of the Pequot Library when the scaffold tipped over, causing one worker to fall 17 feet to the ground. Petra Construction, based in North Haven, was the general contractor while New Haven Scaffolding was the scaffolding subcontractor. "This case highlights why it is vital for worker safety that scaffolds are erected properly, employees are trained adequately and fall protection is ensured," said Robert Kowalski, OSHA's area director in Bridgeport. "It's fortunate no one was killed in this incident, but safety must never be just a matter of luck." OSHA's inspection found that the scaffold was unsecured and unbraced; not fully planked; lacked a safe means of access, and was not erected under the supervision of a competent person. In addition, employees did not have fall protection and were not trained to recognize and address hazards associated with work on scaffolds. Also, the extension ladder used to access the roof was set on an uneven surface, unsecured and of inadequate length. As a result of these conditions, Petra Construction was issued six serious citations and fined $16,100 while New Haven Scaffolding was issued eight serious citations with $11,000 in fines. Both employers were cited for the scaffold, fall, access and ladder hazards; New Haven Scaffolding was also cited for the lack of employee training and improper erection of the scaffold. OSHA defines a serious violation as a condition where there is a substantial possibility that death or serious physical harm can result to an employee from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
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OSHA Cites Company for Exposing Workers to Falls

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OSHA has cited the owner of an apartment complex, and proposed a $42,000 penalty for exposing workers to fall hazards. "Falls are a leading cause of construction worker deaths and serious injuries in the Southeast," said Andre Richards, OSHA's Atlanta-West area director. "These accidents are preventable." In August, an OSHA inspector observed employees at the Rockberry Lane job site in Alpharetta, GA installing siding to the chimneys of two buildings, approximately 20 feet above ground level, with no fall protection. The company received one willful citation, with a proposed penalty of $42,000, for exposing workers to fall hazards. OSHA issues a willful citation when an employer has shown an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.
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Seminars for Mass. Health Care Workers Focus on Proper Handling of Dangerous Drugs

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Safe handling of hazardous drugs--antineoplastic agents, antivirals, unclassified therapeutic agents and others--by Massachusetts health care workers is the subject of free seminars to be held at Tewksbury State Hospital on Oct. 25 and Massachusetts Hospital School in Canton on Nov. 3. These events are sponsored by OSHA, the Massachusetts Nurses Association and Massachusetts Division of Occupational Safety's On-Site Consultation Program. The goal is to provide workers with the knowledge to spot and protect themselves against accidental exposures. Each session will take place from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Registration will close one week before each seminar. To register or obtain further information, contact Kathy Flannery at 617-969-7177 or Susan Clish at 781-821-4625.
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OSHA Cites Paramount Contracting for Trenching Hazards

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OSHA cited Morrow-based Paramount Contracting, and proposed penalties totaling $51,000, for safety hazards at an Alpharetta job site.
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"Strong enforcement is a key part of OSHA's commitment to reduce trenching accidents in Georgia," said Andre Richards, OSHA's Atlanta-West area director. "This employer was aware of the dangers but did not protect workers." OSHA issued one willful citation to the company, with a proposed penalty of $49,000, for allowing employees to work in a 12-foot-deep excavation that had not been shored or sloped to prevent the walls from collapsing.
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The company also received a serious citation, with a proposed penalty of $2,000, for failing to remove workers from the excavation when there was evidence of hazardous conditions that could result in a cave-in.
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OSHA "Tools" Help Sustain Worker Safety during Hurricane Recovery Efforts

Informational materials produced by OSHA are helping employers and workers better address safety and health hazards associated with hurricane clean-up and recovery. "Our goal is safe and healthy workers," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jonathan L. Snare. "These materials provide concise, expert information that will help workers avoid the vast array of hazards they will encounter during the Gulf Coast clean-up and recovery operations." OSHA safety and health experts have already developed 37 fact sheets and eight "quick cards"-two-sided, 4-by-9 inch cards with safety and health tips-on hazards such as molds and fungi, downed electrical wires and general decontamination, to name a few. Thousands of these "tools" have been printed, laminated and put in the hands of clean-up and recovery workers throughout the Gulf Coast area. In response to specific requests from workers and employers, OSHA is developing more quick cards on demolition, hydrogen sulfide, lead in construction, permit-required confined spaces, struck-by hazards during hurricane recovery and tree trimming. Additional information on other topics will be developed on a continuing basis. Hurricane-related job safety and health information is easily accessible for downloading through OSHA's hurricane recovery page on the Web. This site, which is updated daily, features links to public service announcements to inform workers about hazards related to response and clean-up. Links are provided to safety and health information bulletins focusing on topics such as respiratory protection and workplace precautions against West Nile Virus. Visitors can find information on frequently-asked questions and training programs and also link to other government resources.
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New Alliance Will Promote Safety for Solid Waste-to-Energy Management Workers

Improving worker safety and health in the solid waste-to-energy management industry is the goal of a new Alliance signed between OSHA and the Integrated Waste Services Association (IWSA). Through the OSHA and IWSA Alliance, the organizations will develop training and education programs for IWSA members and others, including small businesses, on reducing and preventing exposure to workplace hazards. Some of the hazards associated with management of municipal solid waste and the generation of electricity from such waste include lead exposure, confined spaces, and unsafe walking and working surfaces. "Safety and health in the workplace is our top priority," said Acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jonathan L. Snare. "Our Alliance with IWSA will help equip employees with the knowledge, skills and ability to identify and eliminate hazards before they cause injury or illness." OSHA and IWSA will provide expertise in developing information on the recognition and prevention of workplace hazards and on ways of communicating such information (e.g., print and electronic media, electronic assistance tools, and OSHA's and IWSA's Web sites) to employers and employees in the industry. The Alliance also calls for IWSA to share information with OSHA personnel as well as industry safety and health professionals about IWSA's best practices and to publicize results through outreach by IWSA and through OSHA, or IWSA-developed materials, training programs, workshops, seminars and lectures. In addition, Alliance members will promote the national dialogue on workplace safety and health by participating in forums, roundtable discussions and stakeholder meetings to forge innovative solutions to hazards in the solid waste-to-energy industry. IWSA members represent 65 plants, disposing of approximately 84,000 tons of trash each day while generating enough clean energy to supply electricity to about two million homes nationwide.

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