Worker Protection against Avian Flu
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Useful information is available on OSHA's web site spotlighting precautions for workers who may become exposed to avian flu, commonly called "bird flu." The guidance provides specific recommendations for farm workers and animal handlers, laboratory workers, medical personnel, food handlers, airline flight crews and travelers. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently posted a new page on its Web site highlighting the issue.
OSHA Updates Construction eTool for Spanish-speaking Workers
A Web-based training tool has been restructured to aid Spanish-speaking construction workers. OSHA recently posted a new version of its construction eTool that will help employers and workers identify and avoid hazards that commonly cause the most serious injuries in construction including electrical, falls, struck-by and trenching. The updated version uses safety and health terms from OSHA's English-to-Spanish and Spanish-to-English construction dictionaries, and includes a glossary of construction safety and health terms, and topics to aid in developing and maintaining effective workplace safety and health programs.
Acting Assistant Secretary Snare to Address OSHSPA
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Missouri's Mine Safety Program Takes Additional Safety Precautions to Protect Miners
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In the wake of the tragic mine accidents in West Virginia that killed 14 miners last month, the Missouri Division of Labor Standards' Mine Safety Program today announced it began conducting additional consultations to miners in an effort to increase safety awareness in Missouri mines.
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"Even though Missouri does not have mining issues identical to West Virginia, we feel it's imperative that we do everything in our power to ensure the safety of Missouri miners," said Allen Dillingham, director of the Missouri Division of Labor Standards.á "The intent of the additional consultations is to get miners to work safer and smarter."
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Mine safety inspectors plan to visit two mines per day for ten days.á Inspectors will begin with the coal mines located in Bates County.á Missouri only has two coal mines, both of which are surface mines.á Inspectors examine the mines and discuss accident prevention methods, hazard awareness and fire and evacuation procedures with mine owners and miners.á If this new program is well received by mine owners and miners, additional consultations will be presented to other mines across the state.á Forty mines will be contacted over the first ten days.á
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In addition to mine inspections, the Mine Safety Program's instructors will provide more comprehensive training regarding safety issues such as risk and hazard awareness, ventilation and fire and evacuation procedures.
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The Mine Safety Program provides no-cost training and consultation to mine owners and workers, as well as contractors.á Consultation services include MSHA training plans, evacuations plans, ventilation plans, noise surveys, substance abuse, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, hazard awareness and elimination, and more.á The program's mine safety instructors trained more than 5,700 miners in federal fiscal year 2005.á Missouri has approximately 450 mines.
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For additional information regarding the Mine Safety Program, or other workplace safety questions, call (573) 751-3403
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OSHA Cites Contractor for Electrical Hazards after Boy Scout Tent Accident Injures Workers
OSHA cited Tents and Events, Fisherville, Va. for alleged safety and health violations, proposing a total of $5,600 in penalties after an electrical accident injured two workers. The company, contracted to set up tents at the 2005 Boy Scouts Jamboree at Fort AP Hill in Bowling Green, Va., was issued two serious violations, each with a penalty of $2,800.
OSHA initiated its investigation on Jul. 25 in response to the accident and found that the workers were injured while they were erecting a tent and one of the poles came in contact with an overhead electrical line.
The violations address the company's failure to adequately train employees in electrical safety work places and for allowing employees to work within 10 feet of an energized power line. A serious violation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious injury could occur from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
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OSHA Fines Miller-Holzwarth $113,500 Following Amputation
OSHA announced citations against Miller-Holzwarth Inc., Salem, Ohio, with proposed penalties totaling $113,500, following a workplace safety and health inspection that began in August 2005.
OSHA officials opened an inspection after they received information that an employee suffered an amputation injury while operating a press, and that employees were improperly trained to operate certain hazardous equipment at the business, which produces components for armored vehicles. The agency issued citations for two willful, 12 serious and six other-than-serious alleged violations.
"Strong enforcement is a key part of OSHA's efforts to reduce workplace injuries and illnesses," said Rob Medlock, OSHA area director in Cleveland. "The significant penalty of $113,500 in this case demonstrates our commitment to protecting the health and safety of America's workers."
OSHA issued citations for serious violations relating to lack of employee training and personal protective equipment and deficiencies in machine guarding. The willful citations alleged that a power press was operated without machine guards and that the company failed to conduct necessary safety inspections on mechanical power presses.
Willful violations are those committed with an intentional disregard for, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act. A serious citation is issued 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.
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OSHA Fines Recycling Plant Nearly $60,000 after Fatality
The death of a worker at a North Tonawanda, N.Y., waste paper recycling plant has resulted in $59,850 in proposed fines. Frontier Fibers Inc., 22 Mechanic St., was cited for 20 alleged serious violations of workplace safety standards following the Aug. 12, 2005, accident in which a worker fell into a baler while attempting to clear a jam in a chute that fed material into the baler.
OSHA's inspection found that the chute opening through which the worker fell lacked fall protection and that there was no emergency stopping device in the immediate vicinity of the worker to prevent his being carried into the baler. In addition, there were no procedures in place to shut down the baler and lock out its power source while clearing jams or performing maintenance; no employee training in such procedures, and no inspections to ensure such procedures were effective and in use.
"This is exactly the type of accident that safeguards and safety procedures can prevent," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director for western New York. "This accident illustrates the tragic cost of failing to supply and ensure safety measures."
Other hazards cited during OSHA's inspection include various fall hazards; unguarded moving machine parts; blocked access to fire extinguishers; lack of fire extinguisher training; debris and cardboard blocking work areas and aisles; inadequate training for employees operating powered industrial trucks; no hazard communication program and employee training, and various electrical hazards.
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OSHA Proposes Over $332,000 in Penalties for Workplace Hazards at McWane Foundry
OSHA has cited McWane Cast Iron Pipe for 38 safety and health hazards at the company's Birmingham plant. The agency is proposing penalties totaling $332,700.
In August, OSHA conducted comprehensive safety and health inspections at the facility under its site-specific targeting program that identifies workplaces with high rates of injuries and illnesses. The program is used to target inspections based on an annual survey of some 80,000 workplaces in high-hazard industries.
"The goal of site-specific targeting is to direct OSHA's resources to those establishments with the highest injury and illness rates," said Roberto Sanchez, OSHA's area director in Birmingham.
OSHA issued 10 repeat citations, with proposed penalties of $242,700, against the company. Alleged violations included exposing workers to: silica above permissible levels; "struck by" injuries from improperly blocked and stacked pipes and from a ladle without safety latches that carried hot molten metal; unguarded machinery, electrical hazards and falls through unguarded floor openings and platforms.
The agency issues repeat citations when an employer has been cited previously for substantially similar conditions and the citations have become a final order of the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
The company also received 28 serious citations, with proposed penalties of $90,000. Violations included exposing workers to noise and dust above permissible levels; electrical hazards from damaged equipment; improperly operated forklifts; inadequate lockout-tagout procedures and a front end loader that had been modified, contrary to the manufacturer's recommendation. Serious citations are issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew, or should have known, of the hazards.
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Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories Earns Top Safety and Health Recognition
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Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories (SEL) has been recognized by the Washington Department of Labor and Industries for achieving excellence in workplace safety and health at its Pullman headquarters.
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The manufacturing lab was named a Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR worksite, the state's highest honor for comprehensive and successful programs focused on occupational safety and health. This status is based on leadership and commitment, extensive employee participation, an ongoing safety and health improvement program, and successfully passing an L&I audit and extensive on-site review. SEL joins an exclusive club of only 25 Washington worksites that have earned VPP recognition.
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SEL has 880 employees in Pullman. They design, develop and manufacture equipment and services to protect, monitor, control, automate and meter utility and industrial electric power systems worldwide.
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The worksite's potential hazards include machinery, electrical, thermal and energy hazards, and exposure to injuries from lifting, confined spaces, hazardous noise levels, falls and chemicals. The company devoted significant resources to reducing or eliminating the hazards, resulting in a total case incident rate 44 percent below the national average for similar industries.
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"We would encourage all employers to follow Schweitzer's example in preventing injuries and illnesses in the workplace," said Labor and Industries Director Gary Weeks. "One of our core missions is to work in partnership with employers and employees for safer workplaces, and we stand ready to help them as we balance effective education and outreach with enforcement, when it's necessary."
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Sara Lee Food and Beverage Receives State Award for Outstanding Safety and Health Record
The Sara Lee Food and Beverage Traverse City facility received the CET Platinum Award today from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) for an outstanding safety and health record.á The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth (DLEG).
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Sara Lee Food and Beverage has logged an unprecedented nine million work hours and nearly eight years without a lost time accident!á This is the first Platinum Award presented by MIOSHA in almost four years.
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MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski presented the award to Randy Tucker, Plant Manager; Neal Jones, President & Business Agent, Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers & Grain Millers International Union, Local 81; and the Joint Safety Committee.á
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"It is a distinct honor to present the Platinum Award to one of Traverse City's outstanding corporate citizens," said Kalinowski.á "Your record of nearly eight years and nine million work hours without a lost time accident is an astounding success!á Your commitment is proof that focusing on safety up front is a sound business decision."
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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.á The CET Platinum Award recognizes an outstanding safety record of 250,000 - 7,500,000 continuous hours worked without days away from work based on the employer's size and type of business.
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Sara Lee's outstanding safety and health record came from several areas, including:á significant employer commitment; an active safety and health committee; a written and implemented safety and health program; hazard identification and corrective action; and regular safety and health training.á They also use outside consultants, including the CET Division of the MIOSHA program.
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With 620 employees, the Traverse City plant manufactures frozen baked and unbaked pies, premium HiPies, unbaked pie shells, cream and meringue-topped pies, parfait dessert cups, quiche, and unbaked cheese cakes.á They purchase over 39 million pounds of flour, and their most popular pie flavors are apple and cherry - where they use around 22 million pounds of apples and 7.3 million pounds of cherries.
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TOSHA Cites Contractor in Trench Fatality - Fines Total $147,200
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The Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) completed a investigation of a workplace accident that resulted in a fatality on December 1, 2005, at a highway construction site at Elm Hill Pike and Briley Parkway in Nashville. The report cites Mountain States Contractors LLC and its successors located in Mt. Juliet, with fines totaling $147,200.
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TOSHA issued both willful and serious citations to the company, with proposed penalties of $147,200. The following are the areas cited:
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Serious Violations: Serious citations are issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result and the employer knew or should have known of the hazard.
- The employer did not instruct each employee in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions and the regulations applicable to the worker's environment.
- Protection was not provided by placing and keeping excavated or other materials or equipment at least two feet from the edge of excavations or by using retaining devices.
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Willful Violations: Willful citations are issued when an employer has shown an intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Act and regulations.
- Where the competent person found evidence of a situation that could result in a possible cave-in. . .exposed employees were not removed from the hazardous area until the necessary precautions had been taken to ensure their safety
- Each employee in an excavation was not protected from cave-ins by an adequate protective system
á Because of the continuing incidence of trench/excavation collapses and accompanying loss of life, TOSHA placed renewed emphasis in this area.
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New Compound May Protect Against Liver Cancer
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Researchers have identified a new compound called CDDO-Im that protects against the development of liver cancer in laboratory animals. The compound appears to stimulate the enzymes that remove toxic substances from the cells, thereby increasing the cells' resistance to cancer-causing toxins. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences and the National Cancer Institute, agencies of the federal National Institutes of Health, provided funding to researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health for the two-year study.
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The compound's effectiveness at very low doses suggests it may have similar cancer-fighting properties in humans. Researchers believe it may be particularly effective in preventing cancers with a strong inflammatory component, such as liver, colon, prostate and gastric cancers. The compound could eventually play a preventive role in a wide range of other illnesses such as neurodegenerative disease, asthma and emphysema.
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The study results are featured on the cover of the February 15, 2006 issue of the journal Cancer Research.á "The results show that the potency of this compound is more than 100 times as great as that of other chemopreventive agents in protecting against cancer," said NIEHS Director David A. Schwartz, M.D. "This protective effect, combined with the compound's anti-inflammatory properties, make it an exciting avenue for the prevention of other diseases as well."
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CDDO-Im belongs to a class of cancer-fighting compounds called triterpenoids. It is a synthetic compound derived from oleanolic acid, a naturally occurring substance found in plants all over the world. Research with other oleanolic derivatives showed marked anti-tumor activity in both animals and humans.
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According to Kensler, CDDO-Im activates a protein called Nrf2 that plays a central role in protecting the cells against the toxic effects of environmental agents. "Nrf2 directs certain genes to stimulate the cell's defense mechanisms," he said. "The protein also stimulates key enzymes that can detoxify harmful agents like aflatoxin and remove them from the cell."
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Like other compounds derived from oleanolic acid, CDDO-Im also has strong anti-inflammatory properties that make it ideally suited to the prevention of certain cancers. "When cells become inflamed, they can produce reactive molecules called free radicals that can damage DNA and promote cancer development," said Kensler. "CDDO-Im can also inhibit cancer formation by interfering with this inflammatory process."
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Because it can stimulate the body's cancer-fighting capabilities at such low doses, Kensler believes that CDDO-Im is an excellent candidate for cancer prevention use in humans. "If this compound can produce such a potent and dramatic reduction in the number of pre-cancerous growths, it should have an equally dramatic impact on the development of actual cancers," he said.
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In addition to serving as a valuable tool in the development of new cancer prevention interventions, CDDO-Im may offer protection in a wide range of other disease settings. "We know that the Nrf2 protein plays a role in regulating many different kinds of genes involved in protecting the cell from harmful agents," said Kensler. "It follows that activation of the Nrf2 pathway with CDDO-Im could provide protection against a number of diseases where environmental agents play important roles in their causes."
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