The listing of trichloroethylene is based on formal identification by the EPA, an authoritative body, that the chemical causes reproductive toxicity (developmental and male reproductive endpoints). The criteria used by OEHHA for the listing of chemicals under the “authoritative bodies” mechanism can be found in Title 27, Cal. Code of Regulations, section 25306.
The documentation supporting OEHHA’s determination that the criteria for administrative listing have been satisfied for trichloroethylene is included in the Notice of Intent to List posted on OEHHA’s website and published in the November 29, 2013 issue of the California Regulatory Notice Register (Register 2013, No. 48-Z). OEHHA received two public comments that supported the listing that are posted with the Notice of Intent to List.
EPA’s New Solvent Wipe, Shop Towel Rule Demystified
Beginning this month, this new rule will provide significant new exclusions for shop towels and wipes, provided you manage them correctly. In this webcast, you will learn:
Does the rule apply to both cloth and paper wipes and rags?
- What solvents can be on the towels, and which are prohibited?
- Does the rule also apply to towels that contain characteristic hazardous waste?
- Can P or U-listed wastes be on the towels?
- How must the towels be stored on-site?
- Do they need to be tested for anything?
- How long can they be stored?
- How must the containers be marked or labeled?
- How must they be prepared for transportation?
- Where can you ship them and what are the disposal and recycling options?
- What are the documentation requirements?
- How is the new rule impacted by current state regulations?
Attend Environmental Resource Center’s Solvent Wipe Rule webcast on February 21 or February 27 and get the facts you need to comply with the new rule.
Did You Miss OSHA’s December 1 GHS Hazard Communication Training Deadline? Use Environmental Resource Center’s GHS OSHA Hazard Communication Training PowerPoint
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.
OSHA’s December 1, 2013, deadline under the revised Hazard Communication Standard required that all employees at your site who work with, or are exposed to, hazardous chemicals 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 is designed to cover your site’s GHS Hazard Communication training requirements, is in a format that is easy to understand.
Price and options:
Multiple PDF copies can be purchased for $99/copy (1–10), $79/copy (11–20), or $69/copy (21+).
Multiple PowerPoint copies can be purchased for $199/copy (1–10), $179/copy (11–20), or $169/copy (21+).
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
*Call 800-537-2372 for Spanish pricing
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
Dorothy Dougherty Appointed OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary
Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels has appointed Dorothy Dougherty as the new deputy assistant secretary for OSHA. Dougherty brings more than 32 years of federal experience to this position, having served for 22 years in OSHA and several years in the Mine Safety and Health Administration as an industrial hygienist and coal mine inspector.
Prior to becoming OSHA's deputy assistant secretary, she served as the director of the agency's Directorate of Standards and Guidance. Dougherty first joined OSHA as chief of the Compliance and Technical Guidance Division for the Office of Federal Agency Programs. She also served the agency in other capacities, including deputy director of technical support and executive assistant for the OSHA assistant secretary. A graduate of Old Dominion University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Health, she also holds a Master of Science degree in Safety from Marshall University.
"Dorothy's leadership and broad knowledge of the agency have already led to significant contributions to our agency and beyond," said Assistant Secretary Michaels. "We look forward to continuing to work with her in her new capacity."
J.B. Stamping Cited after Inspection Reveals 21 Violations at Cleveland Metal Stamping Facility
J.B. Stamping, Inc., has been cited by OSHA for 21 safety violations found at the Cleveland metal stamping facility during a complaint inspection. OSHA has proposed penalties of $63,000 for the violations, which include several instances of failing to have adequate machine guarding to protect workers from amputation and other hazards.
"It's unacceptable that J.B. Stamping, Inc., failed to ensure adequate guards were placed on machinery. This could cause serious injury to workers," said Howard Eberts, OSHA's area director in Cleveland. "Companies must implement safeguards, create a culture of safety and provide workers with adequate training for the hazards that exist in their facilities."
A total of 20 serious violations involved:
- Multiple mechanical power press violations, such as failure to guard the point-of-operation of the presses effectively, maintain pull-out devices and remove damaged wristlets from service, and maintain two-hand press controls in a fixed position. Presses were not equipped with control reliability or a brake monitoring system, and standard household light switches were used in place of proper press motor controls. The employer also failed to develop written die-setting procedures.
- Lack of machine guarding was also found on chain and sprocket assemblies, mechanical power press flywheels, belts, and abrasive wheel machinery. Other violations involved failing to have a written hazard communication program, a powered industrial vehicle training program, and a lockout/tagout program for the control of hazardous energy.
- Several electrical violations were identified, including failing to properly install electrical equipment, ineffectively closing unused openings in electrical cabinets, and improperly using extension cords in place of fixed wiring.
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.
One other-than-serious violation was issued for having a damaged flexible conduit on a mechanical power press, which exposed the electrical wire to potential damage. An other-than-serious safety violation is one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably would not cause death or serious physical harm.
This was the first OSHA inspection at J.B. Stamping.
The Roof Authority Exposes Workers to Fall and Struck-By Hazards
OSHA has cited The Roof Authority, Inc., of Fort Pierce for one willful and one serious safety violation following an August 2013 inspection at a job site on North Palm-Aire Drive in Pompano Beach. OSHA conducted its inspection as part of the agency's regional emphasis program for falls in construction. Proposed penalties total $59,290.
"The Roof Authority continues to disregard the safety of its workers by not addressing known hazards," said Condell Eastmond, OSHA's area director in Fort Lauderdale. "Management must take immediate action to correct these deficiencies."
The willful citation, with $53,900 in penalties, involves the employer exposing workers to a fall hazard because the workers removed roofing materials without fall protection. 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 serious violation, with $5,390 in penalties, involves the employer exposing workers to a struck-by hazard. The workers were close to a crane operating with an outrigger pad that had sunken into the ground due to insufficient support materials.
It was developed in partnership with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health and NIOSH's National Occupational Research Agenda program.
Missouri Plumbing Company Fined after Worker Fatally Injured in Trench Collapse
OSHA has cited Larry Strate Plumbing & Heating after a foreman was fatally injured October 24, 2013, while working in an excavated trench in Lee's Summit. The worker was installing sanitary sewer lines at a residential home under construction when the incident occurred. Five serious violations have been issued to the Holden–based company.
"This was a tragic incident that may have been prevented with the installation of trench protection and with additional employee training," said Barbara Theriot, OSHA's area director in Kansas City, Missouri. "Trenching hazards result in numerous fatalities and injuries every year. Companies specializing in this type of work have a responsibility to protect their workers from known hazards."
Five serious violations were issued involving failing to:
- Provide a safe means or egress from a trench
- Protect workers in a trench from the trench collapsing
- Ensure equipment and soil piles are maintained at least 2 feet from a trench
- Inspect trenches daily, prior to each shift and after, to ensure stability
- Train workers to recognize hazards associated with trenches
OSHA has proposed fines of $35,000.
Workers Unable to Open Exit Doors at Illinois Food Warehouse
Freezer Refrigerated Storage, which operates as Gateway Cold Storage, has been cited for five safety violations after OSHA found that workers were unable to open exit doors from the inside at the Valmeyer food storage facility. Proposed penalties total $47,160.
"It's unacceptable to maintain an environment where employees are unable to access emergency exit doors and routes," said Karl Armstrong, OSHA's assistant area director in Fairview Heights. "OSHA is committed to ensuring the safety of America's workers on the job."
A willful violation was issued because employees could not open the exit doors from the inside.
Three serious violations involve failing to maintain emergency exit routes free of blockage and obstacles; maintain safeguards, such as working exit lighting; and training forklift operators about safe forklift operation rules.
One other-than-serious violation was cited for exposing unqualified workers to electrical shock by leaving panel boards open.
Torrance Castings Inc. Fined over $47,000 after Furnace Operator Fatally Injured
Torrance Castings, Inc., has been cited for 10 safety violations by OSHA after a furnace worker was fatally injured at the La Crosse-based iron foundry while working alone in a permit-required confined space while conducting maintenance on July 29, 2013.
The 30-year-old male had been working at the foundry for about two years. He fell into an electrical inductive furnace that he was trying to reline.
"Torrance Castings has a responsibility to protect workers from known hazards. In this case, OSHA's permit-required confined space standards explain how to keep workers safe when entering these spaces," said Kim Stille, OSHA's area director in Madison. "Preventable deaths are completely unacceptable, and employers are responsible for ensuring that they do not happen at their facilities."
Nine serious violations were issued. Four violations involve OSHA's permit-required confined space program regulations. A permit-required confined space is a space that has limited or restricted means for entry or exit and is not designed for continuous employee occupancy.
The company was cited for failing to:
- Implement a written confined space permit program and develop procedures and practices to allow safe entry for electric inductive furnaces
- Prepare an entry permit prior to entry into the inductive furnace
- Provide an attendant outside the permit space for the duration of the entry operation
Other violations include:
- Failing to ensure employees pouring metal and shifting weights were wearing arm protection and using face shields
- Failing to include the health effects of silica, copper, and other hazardous materials in employee training programs
- Failing to have a workbench for the stand grinder
- Allowing a worker to clean equipment suspended by a half-ton chain hoist
- Using electrical equipment in the powdered paint room not rated for such use
One other-than-serious violation was cited for failing to assess employee exposure to silica, copper, polyester triglycidyl isocyanurate powder, and coal tar pitch volatiles.
Because of this investigation, OSHA has proposed penalties of $47,700.
Roofing Company Cited for Repeatedly Exposing Workers to Falls
OSHA has cited Fry's Roofing and Construction for two willful safety violations, carrying proposed penalties of $52,250. In July 2013, workers were observed working on a residential roof without proper fall protection. Since 2008, the company has been cited in five inspections for similar violations.
"It's unacceptable that Fry's Roofing and Construction repeatedly fails to ensure that workers use fall protection," said Kim Nelson, OSHA's area director in Toledo. "Falls remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and companies are responsible for implementing safeguards that create a culture of safety."
Two willful violations were cited for failing to ensure employees had fall protection while engaged in roofing activities and that employees wore eye protection when operating pneumatic nail guns. Fry's Roofing and Construction has previously been issued one repeat, two willful, and two serious citations for these same violations.
The page offers fact sheets, posters, and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection, such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems, be in use when workers perform construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level.
Lapmaster Precision Finishing Services Cited for Repeat Safety Violations at Ohio Plant
. The inspection found five repeat violations, including failing to provide personal protective equipment and training for workers. OSHA has proposed fines of $103,800.
"Companies, such as Lapmaster Precision Finishing Services, who are cited for repeat violations, demonstrate a lack of regard for employee safety and health," said Bill Wilkerson, OSHA's area director in Cincinnati. "Employers are responsible for identifying hazards that exist in their workplace and training workers to follow proper procedures to prevent injuries and illnesses."
Five repeat violations involved a lack of training on electrical safety, hazard communications and powered industrial vehicles, failing to ensure workers used personal protective equipment for energized electrical work, and failing to label coolant bottles. A repeat 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 other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Lapmaster Precision Finishing Services was cited for similar violations at the Dayton facility in 2012.
Six serious violations involve a lack of machine guarding; use of exposed fan blades; a lack of written safety procedures for electrical work; use of receptacles that were not suitable for a wet environment; and uncovered floor holes. The company also lacked specific energy control procedures for machines and equipment, and failed to train employees in lockout/tagout procedures to control hazardous energy.
Lapmaster Precision Finishing Services is a part of Lapmaster International, LLC, in Mount Prospect, Illinois. The Dayton facility, which processes cast iron, steel, and several metal alloys, as well as plastics, Teflon, ceramics, and composite materials to finish tolerances for automotive and other manufacturing applications, employs approximately 48 workers.
Recycler Cited for Heat-Related Death
"This was a needless and preventable loss of life," said Kay Gee, OSHA's area director for Brooklyn, Manhattan and Queens. "This employer failed to train workers and implement safeguards that could have protected them from excessive heat conditions. Workers were also exposed to potentially fatal injuries from falls, electrocution and unguarded operating machine parts."
. Workers were exposed to excessive ambient heat stemming from environmental sources and the heat generated by recycling machinery. OSHA's investigation found that the company failed to inform and train workers on the recognition, prevention and treatment of heat-related illnesses and did not provide temperature controls in the work area or implement a work/rest regimen.
OSHA found workers exposed to falls of 20 to 40 feet due to unguarded wall openings, missing guardrails and lack of fall protection equipment; electrocution hazards from an ungrounded electrical outlet and power cord; and lacerations and amputations from unguarded grinders. As a result, eight serious citations were issued.
It is available for download, in English and Spanish, on Android-based platforms and the iPhone.
OSHA Establishes Alliance with Chicago Roofing Contractors Association to Improve Health and Safety at Construction Sites
OSHA has established an alliance with the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association that will focus on sharing information about OSHA emphasis programs and occupational safety and health laws and standards, including the rights and responsibilities of workers and employers.
"This alliance is an opportunity for OSHA and the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association to work together to train employers and workers about the unique hazards of the roofing industry, including falls," said Angie Loftus, area director for OSHA's Chicago North Area Office. "Our focus is to continue to improve the safety and health of workers at Illinois construction sites."
OSHA and the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association will provide information and guidance to employers and workers. They will develop training and education programs for roofing contractors regarding hazards in construction and promote understanding of workers' rights. Training programs on common hazards in the construction industry will be discussed quarterly. Additionally, the alliance will provide a forum for OSHA personnel to appear and speak at events sponsored by the association, including its annual trade show. OSHA will raise awareness of best practices, regulatory updates, and national campaigns.
The purpose of each alliance is to develop compliance assistance tools, resources, and to educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities.
OSHA Forms Alliance with Staffing Agency in Houston to Train Construction Industry Temporary Workers
The alliance provides workers with workplace safety training and collaborates on outreach to temporary employment agencies and businesses with temporary workers in Houston.
"Falls, struck-by, caught-in-between, and electrical hazards are commonplace in the construction industry and pose a risk to all workers, whether they've been on the job for one day or throughout a project," said David Doucet, OSHA's area director in the Houston North Area Office. "This voluntary alliance will provide safety hazards training to temporary construction workers in English and Spanish. It affirms their right to a safe and healthful workplace."
MEMCO is a customer-oriented staffing and payroll firm that provides services ranging from temporary workers to meet specific job needs to temporary-to-permanent employee management and payroll-related duties.
Merrill Aviation and Defense Receives State Award for Outstanding Safety and Health Record
Merrill Aviation and Defense in Saginaw received the CET Gold Award recently for an outstanding safety and health record from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA). MIOSHA is part of the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA).
"We are honored to present this award to Merrill Aviation and Defense. Manufacturing facilities have significant workplace hazards and we are pleased to recognize your exemplary record of protecting your workers," said LARA Deputy Director Stephanie Comai. "Your dedication sends the message to Michigan employers that focusing on safety up front is a sound business decision."
The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division recognizes the safety and health achievements of Michigan employers and employees through CET Awards, which are based on excellent safety and health performance. The CET Gold Award recognizes an outstanding safety record of two years or more without a lost time accident.
MIOSHA Deputy Director Bart Pickelman presented the award to Jeff Yackel, Vice President of Merrill Technologies Group, Craig Witte, General Manager of Merrill Aviation and Kelvin Willoghby, Safety Manager, who accepted on behalf of all employees. Invited guests, management and employees attended the award presentation and luncheon.
According to the agency, Merrill Aviation and Defense has an exemplary safety and health record, and has exhibited outstanding leadership in recognizing that a comprehensive safety and health program is critical to successful businesses. CET Industrial Hygienist Greg Kozak conducted a hazard survey at the plant. This allowed the company the opportunity to walk through the facility with a MIOSHA representative and correct problem areas that were noted.
Besides going more than three years without a lost-time accident, the facility has completed the following criteria to receive the Gold Award:
- Developed and implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system
- Established a safety and health committee, with both employee and management participation
- Developed an employee training system, with an emphasis on how to do the work in a safe and healthful manner
- Worked diligently to change their workplace culture to reflect the importance of worker safety
"Companies that establish an integrated safety and health program reap the benefits of significantly reducing their injury and illness rates," said Pickelman. "Reducing these rates not only protects employees—it has a healthy impact on a company's bottom line."
Merrill Aviation and Defense is part of Merrill Technologies Group (MTG), headquartered in Saginaw, whose other three companies include Merrill Fabricators, Merrill Tool & Machine, and Merrill Engineering & Integration. The Merrill Technologies Group companies are leaders in the machining, fabricating, and systems integration fields, serving customers in a wide range of industries. Their unique capabilities have helped them "make things possible" for some of the most respected names in robotics, machine building, energy, aerospace, and defense.
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