Safe Workplace and Safety News

 Summary of OSHA major citations announced during the week of January 22nd.

The following are press releases from OSHA.



Jennie-O Turkey Store Cited After Worker Loses Arm ($318,000)
Loveland Products Inc. Cited For 25 Safety Violations ($148,000)
Morgan Truck Body, Rydal, GA Cited  For Safety and Health Violations ($93,000)
Penney Construction Co. LLC Cited For Exposing Workers To Cave-In Hazards ($169,000)

---

Jennie-O Turkey Store was cited for 11 safety violations at its Barron facility after a worker's arm was amputated below the shoulder while the individual was conducting cleaning activities in a confined space. Jennie-O Turkey Store, based in Willmar, Minn., is a division of Austin, Minn.-headquartered Hormel Foods Corp.

"Jennie-O Turkey Store has a legal responsibility to follow established permit-required confined space regulations to ensure that its employees are properly protected from known workplace hazards," said Mark Hysell, director of OSHA's Eau Claire Area Office. "Failing to ensure protection through appropriate training and adherence to OSHA regulations led to a worker losing an arm."

OSHA initiated an inspection after the July 20, 2011, incident, in which the employee's arm allegedly became caught in an energized turkey shackle line while the employee was working alone in a confined space. Afterward, the employee had to walk down a flight of 25 stairs and 200 feet across the production floor to get the attention of a co-worker for assistance.

Four willful violations involve not following OSHA's permit-required confined space regulations in the carbon dioxide tunnel room, including failing to ensure that workers isolated the carbon dioxide gas supply line and locked out power to the shackle line prior to entering the room to conduct cleaning activities, verify that electro-mechanical and atmospheric hazards within the room were eliminated prior to workers entering the space, test atmospheric conditions prior to allowing entry and provide an attendant during entries to the room. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Seven serious violations involve failing to provide fall protection, provide rescue and emergency services equipment, develop procedures to summon rescue and emergency services, provide confined space entry procedures, prepare entry permits for the confined space, train employees and supervisors in entry permit procedures, and ensure that the entry supervisor performed required duties. 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.

In many instances, employees who work in confined spaces face risk of exposure to serious physical injury from hazards such as entrapment, engulfment and hazardous atmospheric conditions. Confinement may also pose entrapment hazards and require employees to work in closer proximity to hazardous machinery components than they would otherwise. Additional information on confined space hazards is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/confinedspaces/index.html.

Based on the violations cited during this latest inspection, OSHA has proposed $318,000 in fines. Jennie–O Turkey Store operates turkey growing and processing facilities in Minnesota and Wisconsin as well as national and international distribution systems. The company employs 1,200 workers at the Barron facility and 5,000 corporatewide. Prior to this inspection, OSHA had inspected the Barron facility four times since 2004, resulting in citations for 12 violations.

The citations can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/JennieOTurkeyStoreIncCitationInspection92562.pdf*.

Jennie-O Turkey Store has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

---

OSHA has cited Loveland Products Inc. in Fairbury for 25 safety violations, 14 of which relate directly to OSHA's standard regulating the process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals. Proposed penalties total $148,000.

OSHA initiated its inspection of the liquid-based fertilizer producer under both the agency's Site-Specific Targeting Program for industries with high occupational injury and illness rates, and its process safety management national emphasis program for chemical manufacturers. OSHA's PSM standard contains specific requirements for the management of hazards associated with processes using dangerous chemicals, and establishes a comprehensive management program integrating technologies, procedures and management practices. Additional information is available online at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/processsafetymanagement/index.html.

"OSHA has a stringent process safety management standard, and it is imperative that employers rigorously update and properly maintain each element of the process to minimize hazards, and provide a safe and healthful workplace for employees," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "OSHA is committed to protecting workers and educating employers about the risks involved with exposure to hazardous chemicals."

Of 24 serious violations, those related to process safety management include incorrect and incomplete process and implementation diagrams, a deficient process hazard analysis of the system, incomplete operating procedures, an inadequate mechanical integrity program for the system, inappropriate inspections and tests of the system, and a lack of hot work permits. OSHA also found compliance audits to be insufficient and that the employer failed to follow up on compliance audit findings. Other serious violations involve electrical hazards as well as deficiencies with walking/working surfaces, overhead storage, an emergency action plan, hazard communication and procedures for the lockout/tagout of energy sources. A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard that the employer knew or should have known.

One other-than-serious violation with no penalty was issued for failing to document powered industrial truck training. 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.

The citations can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/LovelandProd_314061896_0123_12.pdf*.

---

Morgantown, Pa.-based Morgan Corp., doing business as Morgan Truck Body LLC, was cited for 24 safety and health violations following a July inspection at the company's manufacturing plant in Rydal. OSHA initiated the inspection under its Site-Specific Targeting Program for industries with high occupational injury and illness rates. Proposed penalties total $93,000.

One repeat violation with a $30,000 fine has been cited for failing to provide welding screens for employees performing welding operations and those working in adjacent areas. 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 facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. The company received citations for similar violations at its Ephrata, Pa., plant in 2007.

Seventeen serious violations with penalties of $63,000 involve failing to keep exits unobstructed; develop specific lockout/tagout procedures for energy sources; periodically inspect energy control procedures; train workers on the hazardous energy control program and lockout/tagout procedures; provide training on hazardous chemicals such as titanium dioxide, xylene, argon, carbon dioxide and propane; secure and cap gas cylinders before storing; correct several electrical deficiencies; and provide machine guarding; as well as operating a forklift with an unsecured gas cylinder creating a safety hazard. Additionally, employees were allowed to bypass a constant pressure switch on portable handheld drills. 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.

Six other-than-serious violations with no monetary penalty involve failing to provide head protection to employees working under heavy materials; mount a fire extinguisher and have it readily available in the maintenance area; train and certify forklift operators; label the petroleum gas storage tank with contents and warnings; develop or implement a noise monitoring program; and ensure appropriate waste receptacles were being used for the disposal of spray painting waste. 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.

"The size of the penalties and the number of violations is an indication of the gravity of the hazards at this facility. This employer is putting workers at risk by exposing them to electrical, amputations and fire hazards," said Andre Richards, director of OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office. "It is the employer's responsibility to provide a safe and healthful workplace to prevent from workers from being injured."

The Morgan Truck Body plant in Rydal manufacturers and assembles heavy duty truck bodies for Home Depot Inc., Lowe's Cos. Inc., UPS Inc., FedEx and Ryder System Inc. The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Atlanta-West Area Office at 678-903-7301.

---

OSHA has proposed a total of $169,000 in fines against contractor Penney Construction Co. LLC in Hartford, CT., chiefly for exposing its workers to cave-in hazards while repairing a sewer line in a 10-foot-deep trench on Park Street.

An inspection by OSHA's Hartford Area Office found that not only did the trench lack any protection to prevent the walls from collapsing onto workers, the cave-in hazard was intensified by the presence of an unsupported sidewalk and catch basin overhanging the trench. OSHA standards require that trenches or excavations 5 feet or deeper be protected against collapse through shoring, sloping of the soil or use of a protective trench box. Even after being informed that the conditions posed an imminent danger, the employer continued to send workers into the trench. These hazards resulted in citations for two willful violations with $140,000 in fines. 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.

Five serious violations with $29,000 in fines involve rocks and soil falling into the trench, not testing the sewer line for hazardous atmospheres, a lack of personal protective equipment and not adequately training the workers to recognize the hazards associated with their work. 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.

"This employer repeatedly sent its workers into harm's way even after being told that the unguarded trench posed a clear, immediate and potentially deadly threat," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director in Hartford. "These workers could have been crushed or buried alive in seconds."

OSHA has placed Penney Construction in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. Initiated in June 2010, the program focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations.

The citations can be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/penneys-construction-314406406-01202012.pdf*.

Penney Construction has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

---

---

---

 Related Past Posts:
OSHA Citations - The Week OF January 15th
OSHA Citations - The Week of January 9th

Labels: OSHA Citations, OSHA Fines, OSHA Inspections, OSHA serious violations, OSHA Willful Citation

The following is a press release from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA):

The EPA has issued the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, the first national standards to protect American families from power plant emissions of mercury and toxic air pollution like arsenic, acid gas, nickel, selenium, and cyanide. The standards will slash emissions of these dangerous pollutants by relying on widely available, proven pollution controls that are already in use at more than half of the nation’s coal-fired power plants.

EPA estimates that the new safeguards will prevent as many as 11,000 premature deaths and 4,700 heart attacks a year. The standards will also help America’s children grow up healthier – preventing 130,000 cases of childhood asthma symptoms and about 6,300 fewer cases of acute bronchitis among children each year.

"By cutting emissions that are linked to developmental disorders and respiratory illnesses like asthma, these standards represent a major victory for clean air and public health– and especially for the health of our children. With these standards that were two decades in the making, EPA is rounding out a year of incredible progress on clean air in America with another action that will benefit the American people for years to come," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards will protect millions of families and children from harmful and costly air pollution and provide the American people with health benefits that far outweigh the costs of compliance."

"Since toxic air pollution from power plants can make people sick and cut lives short, the new Mercury and Air Toxics Standards are a huge victory for public health," said Albert A. Rizzo, MD, national volunteer chair of the American Lung Association, and pulmonary and critical care physician in Newark, Delaware. "The Lung Association expects all oil and coal-fired power plants to act now to protect all Americans, especially our children, from the health risks imposed by these dangerous air pollutants."

More than 20 years ago, a bipartisan Congress passed the 1990 Clean Air Act Amendments and mandated that EPA require control of toxic air pollutants including mercury. To meet this requirement, EPA worked extensively with stakeholders, including industry, to minimize cost and maximize flexibilities in these final standards. There were more than 900,000 public comments that helped inform the final standards being announced today. Part of this feedback encouraged EPA to ensure the standards focused on readily available and widely deployed pollution control technologies, that are not only manufactured by companies in the United States, but also support short-term and long-term jobs. EPA estimates that manufacturing, engineering, installing and maintaining the pollution controls to meet these standards will provide employment for thousands, potentially including 46,000 short-term construction jobs and 8,000 long-term utility jobs.

Power plants are the largest remaining source of several toxic air pollutants, including mercury, arsenic, cyanide, and a range of other dangerous pollutants, and are responsible for half of the mercury and over 75 percent of the acid gas emissions in the United States. Today, more than half of all coal-fired power plants already deploy pollution control technologies that will help them meet these achievable standards. Once final, these standards will level the playing field by ensuring the remaining plants – about 40 percent of all coal fired power plants - take similar steps to decrease dangerous pollutants.

As part of the commitment to maximize flexibilities under the law, the standards are accompanied by a Presidential Memorandum that directs EPA to use tools provided in the Clean Air Act to implement the Mercury and Air Toxics Standards in a cost-effective manner that ensures electric reliability. For example, under these standards, EPA is not only providing the standard three years for compliance, but also encouraging permitting authorities to make a fourth year broadly available for technology installations, and if still more time is needed, providing a well-defined pathway to address any localized reliability problems should they arise.

Mercury has been shown to harm the nervous systems of children exposed in the womb, impairing thinking, learning and early development, and other pollutants that will be reduced by these standards can cause cancer, premature death, heart disease, and asthma.

The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards, which are being issued in response to a court deadline, are in keeping with President Obama's Executive Order on regulatory reform. They are based on the latest data and provide industry significant flexibility in implementation through a phased-in approach and use of already existing technologies.

The standards also ensure that public health and economic benefits far outweigh costs of implementation. EPA estimates that for every dollar spent to reduce pollution from power plants, the American public will see up to $9 in health benefits. The total health and economic benefits of this standard are estimated to be as much as $90 billion annually.

The Mercury and Air Toxics Standards and the final Cross-State Air Pollution Rule, which was issued earlier this year, are the most significant steps to clean up pollution from power plant smokestacks since the Acid Rain Program of the 1990s.

Related Past Posts:
Health Hazards Of Laundered Towels
OSHA Fines Environmental Service Company
New SpillArrest Catalog - Spill Cleanup

Labels: Industrial Health

Cal/OSHA has issued $256,445 in citations to two companies in Chino for violations discovered during warehouse inspections that found unsafe working conditions.

The California Department of Industrial Relations' Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) issued citations to warehouse owner National Distribution Centers and its temporary staffing contractor, Tri State Staffing, for more than 60 violations at four warehouses in San Bernardino County. The violations include lack of fall protection for high-rise pickers, unstable storage stacking and unguarded machinery.

"California law requires all employers to identify and mitigate safety risks in the workplace," said DIR Director Christine Baker. "In the warehouse industry, low-wage workers are particularly vulnerable to unsafe working conditions where work is often hidden from public view. Hazards include moving vehicles, precariously stacked goods and unguarded equipment."

Cal/OSHA found a dual-employer relationship--where one employer hires workers and provides them to another employer--at three of the four warehouses inspected. In this situation, both employers are potentially liable for violations of safety and health regulations that are meant to prevent workers' injuries or illnesses. The most common dual-employer situation is a Professional Employer Organization (PEO) that provides an employee to work at a worksite under the supervision and control of another company. PEOs are prevalent in the warehousing industry.

"When employers use a contractor for their staffing needs, they are not released from their responsibilities to provide a safe workplace," said Cal/OSHA Chief Ellen Widess. "As dual employers sharing responsibility for training and worker safety, both National Distribution Centers and Tri State Staffing were responsible for ensuring that all employees are protected on the job."

The warehouse inspections were prompted by complaints received from Warehouse Workers United and a worker's heat illness injury in August of 2011.

In the latter case, Cal/OSHA found that a 49-year-old warehouse employee had become dizzy and nauseous while working in 90-degree temperatures inside the building. The employer failed to recognize the symptoms as heat-related or address conditions that led to the worker's illness, issues that are required to be addressed in an effective Injury and Illness Prevention Program (IIPP).

Every employer in the state of California is required to have an IIPP that addresses the safety hazards associated with their specific work site. If heat is a hazard in an indoor workplace, a common problem in warehouses, then the IIPP is required to address preventive measures to protect employees from the heat.

"It's not just outdoor workers who are vulnerable to heat illness," said Cal/OSHA Chief Widess. "It can also happen indoors in a warehouse on a hot day. Every California employer needs to be aware of heat illness symptoms so that appropriate steps can be taken to prevent serious on-the-job injuries or death."

The four warehouses cited are all in the region east of Los Angeles called the Inland Empire, which has the largest concentration of warehouses in the United States. Goods shipped through the Ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach are sent to Inland Empire warehouses for storage before being distributed throughout the country.

The Division of Occupational Safety and Health, better known as Cal/OSHA, protects workers and the public from hazards through its standards and numerous inspection programs, and also provides consultation to employers. Employers who want to learn more about Cal/OSHA and how to reduce workplace injuries can get information at the DIR Web site at www.dir.ca.gov/dosh .

Cal/OSHA's Consultation Unit at (800) 963-9424 provides free information and training on occupational safety and health hazards and ways to protect workers from these hazards.

No information was available from National Distribution Centers in response to the Cal/OSHA citations.

Related Past Posts:
OROSHA Fines Americold Logistics
OSHA Cities Company For Asbestos Hazards
Zombies Increase Workplace Hazards

Labels: warehouse safety

In 2010, more than 3.9 million workplace injuries and illnesses were reported, many of which were preventable. No significant changes to these statistics are expected for 2011. With the new year now in full swing, Cintas Corporation, a supplier of first-aid and safety products, today identified the top five safety resolutions for 2012 to help safety professionals improve the health and wellness of their workplace.


"Workplace accidents result in lost productivity and excessive injury costs, directly impacting both workers and a business' success," said Tom Lally, Director of Training and Compliance, First Aid & Safety, Cintas. "Following these resolutions will enable safety professionals to take their business beyond compliance and build a safer work environment in 2012."

The top safety resolutions for 2012 include:

-- Perform regular audits of workplace safety initiatives: Benchmark safety programs to establish a baseline of performance. Once this has occurred, regularly audit the program to ensure it is working. Solicit feedback from employees and work with third-party organizations to pinpoint areas that work well and/or need improvement.

-- Set a zero-injury goal: Studies show that workplaces with higher employee engagement programs are less likely to have accidents and that reducing the frequency of incidents allows worker productivity to remain high. To achieve a culture of safety, create prevention programs that exceed compliance regulations. Engage employees in the safety process by having them lead committees and facilitate safety audits.

-- Offer training classes that engage employees: Blended training programs that incorporate adult learning principles with traditional and technology-mediated learning is more likely to capture the attention of employees, and in turn, be more successful. In addition to adjusting meeting formats, focus the content of safety meetings on topics of interest to employees.

-- Raise awareness of leading causes of workplace injuries: Overexertion from excessive lifting, falling objects and slip and fall injuries are among the most common reported workplace incidents. Ensure that employees understand the conditions that lead to common injuries and the potential hazards associated with not following protocol. For example, to reduce slip and fall incidents, train personnel to clear excess liquid and objects from the floors immediately.

-- Implement a first-aid cabinet: Having a first-aid cabinet in the workplace ensures emergency response can occur quickly in the event of an injury or illness. Cabinets provide a centralized location for bandages, aspirin and antibiotic ointment so employees know where to go should an accident occur. This also makes it easier to maintain inventory and keep track of items that need restocking.

"By developing engaging training programs and implementing attainable goals, safety professionals can create a safe work environment that protects workers and the company's bottom line," added Lally. "A successful workplace is one that views safety as a top priority year after year."

For more information on Cintas first-aid and safety products, go to http://www.cintas.com/FirstAidSafety/.


About Cintas

Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cintas Corporation provides highly specialized services to businesses of all types. Cintas designs, manufactures and implements corporate identity uniform programs, and provides entrance mats, restroom supplies, promotional products, first aid and safety products, fire protection services and document management services to approximately 900,000 businesses. Cintas is a publicly held company traded over the Nasdaq National Market under the symbol CTAS, and is a component of the Standard & Poor's 500 Index.

Related Past Posts:
A Century Of Safety Captured In New ASSE Film
Workplace Safety, Have You Learned From The Past
OSHA's New Severe Violator Program and Increased Penalties

Labels: safety, safety management, safety responsibility, Safety Training, workplace safety

The U.S. Department of Labor's regional solicitor's office in Boston has filed a complaint against DeMoulas Super Markets Inc., doing business as Market Basket, with the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The complaint asks the commission to order the Tewksbury, Mass.-based chain to comply with the department's Occupational Safety and Health Administration's safety standards designed to protect employees from fall and laceration hazards at the employer's more than 60 stores in Massachusetts and New Hampshire.

This marks the second such time that the department has expressly sought enterprise-wide relief from an employer. The first time was against the U.S. Postal Service in July 2010 for correction of electrical work safety violations at 350 postal facilities throughout the nation. That matter is pending.

This request for enterprisewide relief is based upon hazards OSHA found during inspections of various DeMoulas stores, including the agency's most recent inspections at Market Basket stores in Rindge and Concord, N.H. Those inspections resulted in citations and proposed OSHA fines totaling $589,200, which DeMoulas has contested to the Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.

"Hazardous conditions at multiple locations that expose employees to serious injuries demand a swift and comprehensive corrective response at the corporate level," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "OSHA insists that this employer completely and effectively eliminate the hazards it never should have allowed to exist in the first place."

The department's complaint alleges that employees at multiple Market Basket stores were exposed or likely to be exposed to fall hazards from unguarded, open-sided work and storage areas, including storage lofts and atop produce coolers and freezers. An employee of the Market Basket store in Rindge was seriously injured in April 2011 when he fell 11 feet onto a concrete floor from an inadequately guarded storage mezzanine, and an employee at a Billerica, Mass., store was seriously injured under similar conditions in 2007.

The company also allegedly failed to protect employees in produce, deli and bakery departments against laceration hazards from knives and cutting instruments by not conducting job hazard analyses that would have identified the need for hand protection, and by not providing such hand protection to workers exposed to the hazards. In 2006, after being cited by OSHA, the company agreed to complete job hazard analyses in all stores but failed to do so. Between 2008 and 2011, employees at the Rindge and Concord stores sustained at least 40 recorded hand lacerations.

"Worker safety is not optional, and it cannot be addressed in a piecemeal fashion. It must be addressed across the board," said Michaels. "This employer has the responsibility to safeguard all its employees at all its locations, something it has failed to do."

DeMoulas Super Markets has 20 days from receipt of the complaint to file an answer. Details of OSHA's inspections of the Rindge and Concord stores and copies of the citations can be found at http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_table=NEWS_RELEASES&p_id=20880.

Related Past Posts:
OSHA Fines Indiana Company Over $460,000
$1,000,000 Fine For Piping Technology Company
Declining Work Related Fatalities

Labels: safety and law, safety responsibility, U.S. Department of Labor

 OSHA major citations announced during the week of January 15th.






American Marazzi Tile Cited For 25 Violations ($318,000)
Curt Manufacturing Cited For Lack Of Machine Guarding ($105,000)

---

American Marazzi Tile was cited for 25 safety and health violations for exposing workers to excessive noise levels, machine guarding hazards and other dangerous conditions at its facility in Sunnyvale. Proposed penalties total $318,000.

OSHA's Dallas Area Office initiated an investigation on July 13 at the company's Clay Road facility as part of the agency's Site-Specific Targeting Program, which directs enforcement resources to workplaces with higher-than-average injury and illness rates.

"This company knowingly failed to implement necessary safety and health programs to protect employees from coming into contact with moving parts of machinery and prevent hearing loss," said John Hermanson, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas. "It's the employer's responsibility to know the hazards and safeguard workers from these hazards in order to provide a working environment free of injuries and illnesses."

Three willful violations involve failing to establish and maintain a hearing conservation program for workers exposed to noise levels exceeding 85 decibels; provide the required machine guards for exposed belts, pulleys, chains and sprockets; and establish a lockout/tagout program for energy sources to protect workers from the unexpected start up of machinery. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Twenty-one serious violations involve failing to provide personal protective equipment, provide confined space training, provide machine guarding to prevent workers from coming into contact with rotating parts, develop energy control procedures for machines with more than one energy source, provide fire extinguisher training, properly store oxygen and acetylene cylinders, develop a bloodborne pathogens program and train employees on hazardous chemicals used in the facility. 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 is for failing to post a copy of the hearing conservation standard in the workplace. 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.

OSHA has placed American Marazzi Tile in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections to ensure compliance with the law. Initiated in June 2010, the program focuses on recalcitrant employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat or failure-to-abate violations.

---

OSHA has cited Curt Manufacturing LLC with eight safety violations, including one willful violation for allowing workers to continue operating an unguarded hydraulic power press brake after a worker was injured. On July 25, the employee's thumb was crushed while he was bending a metal part between the unguarded dies of the brake. The thumb had to be medically amputated. The Eau Claire-based company was still operating the unguarded press brake when OSHA initiated an inspection on Aug. 16 based on a referral from the state of Wisconsin. Proposed fines total $105,000.

"Failing to have proper machine guarding in the first place, and to cease operating the power press brake in order to correct safety discrepancies following the injury of a worker, demonstrate a complete lack of regard for employees' safety and health," said Mark Hysell, OSHA's area director in Eau Claire. "OSHA is committed to protecting workers on the job, especially when employers fail to do so."

The willful violation carries a proposed penalty of $70,000. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law's requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.

Five serious safety violations with proposed penalties of $35,000 involve failing to develop, document and use hazardous energy control procedures for machines with multiple energy sources; conduct annual inspections of those procedures; ensure lockout devices were affixed to energy isolating devices by authorized employees; provide point-of-operation guarding on a band saw and tube bender; and provide hand tools that permit easy material handling and prevent workers from placing their hands in machine danger zones. 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.

Two other-than-serious violations involve failing to provide information to workers voluntarily using respirators and failing to evaluate a potential permit-required confined space. 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 injury.

The citations may be viewed at http://www.osha.gov/ooc/citations/CurtManufacturingLLC_97672_01-13-12.pdf*.

Curt Manufacturing specializes in the manufacture of towing components and employs approximately 430 people.

Related Past Posts:
OSHA Citations - Week Of January 8th

Labels: OSHA Citations, OSHA Fines, OSHA Inspections, OSHA serious violations, willful violation, workplace safety

OSHA has ordered AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of Dallas, Texas-based Southwest Airlines Co., to reinstate a former pilot who was fired after reporting numerous mechanical concerns. The agency also has ordered that the pilot be paid more than $1 million in back wages plus interest and compensatory damages. An investigation by OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program found reasonable cause to believe that the termination was an act of retaliation in violation of the whistleblower provision of the Wendell H. Ford Aviation Investment and Reform Act for the 21st Century, known as AIR21.

"Airline workers must be free to raise safety and security concerns, and companies that diminish those rights through intimidation or retaliation must be held accountable," said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. "Airline safety is of vital importance, not only to the workers, but to the millions of Americans who use our airways."

The pilot's complaint alleged that the airline removed him from flight status on Aug. 23, 2007, pending an investigative hearing regarding a sudden spike in the pilot's mechanical malfunction reports, or PIREPS. The airline held an internal investigative hearing on Sept. 6, 2007, that lasted 17 minutes. Seven days later, the airline terminated the pilot's employment, claiming that he did not satisfactorily answer a question regarding the spike in reports. OSHA found that the pilot did not refuse to answer any questions during the hearing, answers to questions were appropriate, and the action taken by the airline was retaliatory.

"Retaliating against a pilot for reporting mechanical malfunctions is not consistent with a company that values the safety of its workers and customers," added Michaels. "Whistleblower laws are designed to protect workers' rights to speak out when they have safety concerns, and the Labor Department will vigilantly protect and defend those fundamental rights."

Either party to the case can file an appeal with the Labor Department's Office of Administrative Law Judges, but such an appeal does not stay the preliminary reinstatement order.

AirTran Airways is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings Inc. with headquarters in Orlando. On May 2, 2011, Southwest Airlines completed the acquisition of AirTran Holdings Inc. and now operates AirTran Airways as a wholly-owned subsidiary.

OSHA enforces the whistleblower provision of AIR21, as well as 20 other statutes protecting employees who report violations of various securities, trucking, workplace health and safety, nuclear, pipeline, environmental, rail, maritime, health care, consumer product and food safety laws.

Employees who believe that they have been retaliated against for engaging in protected conduct may file a complaint with the secretary of labor for an investigation by OSHA's Whistleblower Protection Program.

Detailed information on employee whistleblower rights is available online at http://www.whistleblowers.gov.

To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742), the agency's Atlanta Regional Office at 678-237-0400 or its Tampa Area Office at 813-626-1177.

Related Past Posts:
Whistleblower Got Railroaded
Protecting American Workers Act
Air Carrier To Pay $400,000 To Employee

Labels: OSHA, whistleblower

You won't think you'd need to specifically lay out a set of rules for safety while attending a safety meeting.  But apparently it is needed.

Reports from Las Vegas yesterday state that "A Las Vegas city employee has been arrested after allegedly stabbing a fellow employee during a safety training session."

What happened is that two city employees engaged in horseplay during a safety meeting. Both had knives and one employee stabbed the other in the back of the leg.

The story is being reported on a number of Las Vegas TV stations, including KASA.

Past Posts:
OSHA Safety and health advisory committee

Labels: safety, safety management, Safety Training

OSHA has reaffirmed its commitment to Injury and Illness Prevention Program (I2P2) through the release of a white paper.  The purpose of the white paper is to demonstrate the value of I2P2. OSHA has been heading towards requiring that most workplaces implement I2P2 with the intention of to proactively improving health and safety.

What is I2P2?

The following is the introductory descriptiuon from OSHA's white paper:

An injury and illness prevention program, is a proactive process to help employers find and fix workplace hazards before workers are hurt. We know these programs can be effective at reducing injuries, illnesses, and fatalities. Many workplaces have already adopted such approaches, for example as part of OSHA’s cooperative programs. Not only do these employers experience dramatic decreases in workplace injuries, but they often report a transformed workplace culture that can lead to higher productivity and quality, reduced turnover, reduced costs, and greater employee satisfaction.

Thirty-four states and many nations around the world already require or encourage employers to
implement such programs. The key elements common to all of these programs are management
leadership, worker participation, hazard identification and assessment, hazard prevention and
control, education and training, and program evaluation and improvement.

Based on the positive experience of employers with existing programs, OSHA believes that
injury and illness prevention programs provide the foundation for breakthrough changes in the
way employers identify and control hazards, leading to a significantly improved workplace
health and safety environment. Adoption of an injury and illness prevention program will result
in workers suffering fewer injuries, illnesses and fatalities. In addition, employers will improve
their compliance with existing regulations, and will experience many of the financial benefits of
a safer and healthier workplace cited in published studies and reports by individual companies,
including significant reductions in workers’ compensation premiums.

Past Posts:
Employer OSHA Obligations
Revised OSHA Materials On Health And Safety

Labels: occupational safety standards, OSHA, OSHA Training Programs

OSHA announced its selection of 10 OSHA authorized training providers to deliver 25 online courses as part of its Outreach Training Program. The OSHA Outreach Training Program teaches workers how to identify, prevent, and eliminate workplace hazards. The program also informs workers of their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint.

"We are pleased to announce the selection of these online training providers," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "These high-quality online courses will allow a greater number of workers to receive valuable interactive training supported by safety professionals -- especially in remote areas with limited access to standard classrooms."

The online courses are voluntary and are not required by OSHA, but they provide training that can help protect workers' safety and health and help employers reduce the high costs of worker injuries and illnesses. Workers must receive additional training on hazards specific to their job.

The organizations selected by OSHA to offer the online courses will provide a variety of 10- and 30-hour classes designed for Construction, General Industry, and Maritime. Since OSHA began authorizing training providers to offer Web-based distance learning in 2001, the online Outreach Training Program has grown significantly. More than 135,000 workers were trained online in 2011? a five-fold increase from the number of online students trained in 2007. Access to courses and other information about the program are available at http://s.dol.gov/L6.

Today's selections are the culmination of a national competition announced last March. The newly selected OSHA-authorized Outreach Training Program online training providers are:

• Construction 10-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, CareerSafe, ClickSafety, Compliance Solutions, PureSafety, Safety Unlimited, Texas Engineering Extension Service
• Construction 10-Hour Spanish: ClickSafety and PureSafety
• Construction 30-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, ClickSafety, PureSafety, Texas Engineering Extension Service, Turner Knowledge Network
• General Industry 10-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, CareerSafe, ClickSafety, North Carolina State University, PureSafety, Safety Unlimited, Texas Engineering Extension Service
• General Industry 30-Hour: AdvanceOnline Solutions, ClickSafety, PureSafety
• Maritime 10-Hour: Moxie Media

OSHA provides no funding to authorized Outreach Training Program training providers.

Past Posts:
Rules For Lone Workers?
Free Online Safety Training
Workplace Safety - Have You Learned From The Past?

Labels: OSHA, OSHA Training Programs, Safety Training

The OSHAtest.net web sit offers free online safety and health quizzes. The quizzes are professional, they have appropriate questions, and the web site works well. They were created by a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) and a Certified Safety Professional (CSP).  The web site is solely dedicated to the safety quizzes. Other than a few Google ads, there are no other promotions.  The site offers to provide a certificate, for each safety quiz that is passed, for a $10 fee.

• The safety quizzes are free
• The safety quizzes are regulatory based.
  
• The level of difficulty is moderate-to-high.
  
• You can take any test as many times as you want.
  
• You can see your result/score and review the correct answers at the end of each quiz.
  
• The safety quiz will generate an auto-email on completion - you can either ignore it, direct it to yourself to keep a record of test, or allow it to be sent to us.
  

The topics covered by these safety quizzes include:

Excavations
Portable Ladders
Excavating and Tunneling
Fall Protection In Construction
The NFPA Diamond
Respiratory Protection
Permit Required Confined Spaces
Lead In Construction

Training Related Past Posts:
Free Online Safety Training
Safety Training Materials From OSHA
Challenging The Value Of Safety Training

Labels: Industrial Health, Industrial Safety, safety and law, Safety Training

 OSHA major citations announced during the week of January 9th.






Sunland Construction Cited For Trenching Violations ($140,000)
American Felt & Filter Co. Cited For 32 Serious Violations ($146,000)
Gemini Linen Rental Cited For 37 Serious Violations  ($125,000)
Hostess Brands Cited For Safety Hazards ($105,000)
Coleman Natural Foods Cited For Repeat & Serious Violations ($142,000)

---

A Barber Green Ditcher - Trench Digging Machine

Sunland Construction Inc. was cited for two willful violations for exposing workers to the possibility of a trench collapse while replacing high pressure gas lines along Fischer Road in Newnan. OSHA is proposing $140,000 in penalties.

"Cave-ins can happen quickly, without warning and with deadly consequences. OSHA will not allow employers to be indifferent to protecting their employees against these hazards," said Andre Richards, director of OSHA's Atlanta-West Area Office.

OSHA began its inspection Aug. 12 when an agency investigator noticed that the employer had failed to provide a safe means of egress from a 5-foot-10-inch trench and protect workers from a cave-in hazard. As a result of these conditions, the company was cited for the two willful violations. 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.

Sunland Construction, which provides pipeline construction and related services, has been cited by OSHA three other times since 2010 at locations in Alabama, North Carolina and Texas. The violations cited in Georgia are similar to ones cited after OSHA inspected the company's construction site in Deer Park, Texas.

There was no response on the Sunland web site, but a press release from July 2011 described their safety efforts. It stated:

---

American Felt & Filter Co. was cited for 35 alleged violations of workplace safety and health standards at its New Windsor plant. The company, which manufactures woolen felt for a variety of products, faces a total of $146,300 in proposed fines following an inspection by OSHA's Albany Area Office.

"Our inspections identified numerous safety and health hazards, including several similar to those cited during earlier OSHA inspections of this facility," said Arthur Dube, the agency's acting area director in Albany." Left uncorrected, these hazards expose employees to possible electrocution, crushing and struck-by injuries, being caught in moving machine parts, hearing loss, falls, eye and hand injuries, asbestos and lead."

In addition to identifying machine guarding and electrical hazards, OSHA found that the plant failed to inspect cranes and lifting devices; remove an unsafe powered industrial truck from service; properly stack materials; monitor noise levels, and test and train employees exposed to excessive noise levels; provide first-aid supplies, eye and hand protection, and an emergency eyewash; ensure appropriate respiratory protection and other safeguards for employees exposed to lead; perform asbestos exposure monitoring; identify and label asbestos-containing materials; and provide training for employees on asbestos hazards. These conditions resulted in citations for 32 serious violations carrying $118,580 in penalties. 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.

Three repeat violations carrying $27,720 in fines involve unguarded lathes and failure to implement an effective respiratory protection program. 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. OSHA cited the plant for similar hazards in 2007.

No comments were available on American Felt & Filter Company's web site.

---

Gemtex Inc., doing business as Gemini Linen Rental, was cited for 37 serious and 11 other-than-serious safety and health violations at its Palmyra facility. OSHA initiated an inspection in response to a referral from New Jersey's Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Program. Proposed fines total $126,875.

"These safety and health hazards pose serious risks to Gemini employees and must be addressed immediately," said Paula Dixon Roderick, OSHA's area director in Marlton. "Employers are legally responsible for ensuring safe and healthful workplaces."

The serious violations, which carry $124,775 in penalties, involve failing to provide protection from electrical hazards; develop and implement written respiratory protection, hazard communication and confined space entry programs; provide machine guarding; provide guardrails for stairways and working platforms; conduct a personal protective equipment hazard assessment; ensure the safe use of ladders and forklifts; provide lockout/tagout, respirator, hazard communication and fire extinguisher training; provide an eyewash station; provide mounted fire extinguishers; and ensure aisles and passageways were clear. 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 other-than-serious violations, with $2,100 in penalties, involve various electrical hazards as well as incomplete record keeping for the OSHA 300 injury and illness logs. 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.

No comments were available on Gemini Linen Rental's web site.

---

Hostess Brands Wonder Bread Truck Dwight Burdette Photo

Hostess Brands was cited for eight serious and two repeat alleged violations of workplace safety standards at its Biddeford production plant. The company, which manufactures Hostess products, faces a total of $104,700 in proposed fines following a safety inspection by OSHA's Augusta Area Office.

"Our inspection identified mechanical, electrical, fall and exit hazards, including some similar to those cited at other Interstate Brands facilities," said William Coffin, OSHA's area director for Maine. "Left uncorrected, these violations expose workers to the hazards of electrocution, lacerations, amputation, falls, being caught in operating or unexpectedly activated machinery and being unable to exit the workplace swiftly in the event of a fire or other emergency."

OSHA's inspection found an absence of guardrails to prevent workers from falling into and through hoppers; a locked emergency exit door and an exit route blocked by product racks; unguarded moving machine parts on a conveyor belt, band saw blade, drill press and other equipment; undocumented procedures to prevent the unintended activation of machinery during maintenance; and individuals working on live electrical equipment who were not familiar with the protective equipment needed for such work. These serious violations resulted in citations carrying $42,200 in fines. 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 recurring violations involve failing to guard chains and sprockets on a cake alignment conveyor and a packaging machine feeder, and provide personal protective equipment to safeguard employees against electrical shocks, arc flashes and arc blasts while working with live electrical parts. The citations carry $62,500 in fines. 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. OSHA cited International Brands in 2010 for similar hazards at plants in Columbus, Ga., and Schiller Park, Ill.

No comments were available on the Hostess Brands web site. Last Wednesday, January 11th, Hostess Brands filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy.

---

Poultry processor KD Acquisition I LLC, doing business as Coleman Natural Foods, was cited for eight safety violations at its KD5 plant in Braselton after receiving a complaint in July about safety hazards. Proposed penalties total $142,150.

OSHA has cited the company for three repeat violations with penalties of $121,000 for failing to install machine guards on equipment where employees could come into contact with moving parts, tightly seal electrical enclosures to prevent severe corrosion and provide adequate strain relief on electrical components. 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. Similar violations were cited in 2006 and 2007.

KD Acquisition also has been cited for four serious safety violations with penalties of $21,150 for failing to provide an ammonia detector that would warn of gas dispersal into the air, provide training to workers acting in the capacity of hazardous materials technicians when accessing equipment during emergency releases of ammonia, repair or contain hydraulic fluid leaks that created slippery floor surfaces and provide machine guards when operating the shaft ends of the conveyor systems. 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 with no monetary penalty has been cited for failing to provide an annual maintenance inspection of a fire extinguisher. An other-than-serious violation is described as a situation that relates to job safety and health that would not likely cause death or serious physical harm.

"OSHA will not tolerate conditions that endanger employee safety. The company has been cited for similar hazards in the past, and there is no excuse for OSHA finding them again during our latest inspection," said William Fulcher, director of the agency's Atlanta-East area office. "Management must correct these violations before a serious injury occurs to one of KD Acquisition's workers."

No comments were available on the Coleman Natural Foods web site.

Past Posts:
Foundry Cited $550,000
Lack of LOTO
Noise And Energized Equipment Hazards

Labels: OSHA Citations, OSHA Inspections, OSHA serious violations

Last week I asked what you had learned about safety in 2011. We got email!  And it covered more than just what was learned in 2010.

Thank you for your suggestions for improving the Workplace Safety Blog.  You'll notice that starting this week we are including images in most of the posts. Also, there was a comment thanking me for including both sides when we report on an OSHA citation.  This is something I started about two weeks ago and I'll try to do it more often, when there is publicly available information from the company.

One of the themes running through several emails was that of a culturally diverse workplace. Workers from some cultures, such as Indonesia for example, may be reluctant to report safety hazards. In their culture saying something that might embarrass a superior is not acceptable.  Other cultures have a macho attitude that can result in workers "showing off" their "manhood" by taking risks.  Young workers may have an attitude of "it can't happen to me."

These cultural differences need to be addressed with training for managers and supervisors. They need to know about cultural differences and how to communicate with and lead the people who work for them.

In my previous post I forgot to mention that I'd like to quote from the emails you send. Unless you otherwise tell me not to, emails I receive this week and after may be quoted in this blog.  Please let me know if I can use your company name when I identify who I'm quoting.  Otherwise I'll just use first names.

Send your comments about:

- what you learned (about safety) in 2010
- any comments you have about safety
- any solutions you have to a safety problem
- any comments about this blog

Send them to: duralabelpro@gmail.com.

Pictures are also welcome, if you have something that can be better said using a picture.

Of course, you can also add your comments directly to any post by click on the "Add Comment" link at the bottom of each post.

Thank you!
Steve
The Safe Workplace Blog

Labels: workplace safety

A lone worker (LW) is defined as an employee who performs an activity that is intended to be carried out in isolation from other workers, without close or direct supervision.

What do you think?

Janitorial and maintenance staff may frequently be lone workers.

Are there standards, rules and regulations are there in the U.S. that specifically protect lone workers?  A quick search of the OSHA web site turned up nothing.  Are lone worker standards needed? Or are existing standards requiring safe work practices sufficient?

The United Kingdom has specific legislation and standards that are relevant to Lone Workers and their Employers.  Common practices used by companies to manage the personal safety of their Lone Workers are:

• Conducting Risk Assessments
• Documenting a Lone Worker Policy
• Implementation of a Buddy System
• Lone Worker Training
• Conflict Management Training
• Use of monitoring systems and equipment (Panic Alarms, Mandown (fall/impact) Detectors, Pendant Trackers)

What do you think? Add your comment using the "Add Comment" link below.

Past Posts:
The Fight Over Silca Dust Exposure
Employer OSHA Obligations
Protecting Roofing Contractors

Labels: Food Manufacturing Safety, OSHA, workplace safety

The Bureau of National Affairs reports that OSHA conducted slightly fewer inspections in 2011, but the average proposed penalty for a serious workplace safety violation more than doubled.  The report on their web site states:

"The average serious violation penalty for 2011 was $2,132, up 102 percent from the 2010 average of $1,053. Under the Bush administration in 2008, the average was $998. The maximum penalty for a serious violation is $7,000."

"The increase resulted from OSHA instituting a new penalty structure on Oct. 1, 2010 (40 OSHR 843, 10/14/10). The changes reduced the size of penalty cuts employers were eligible for because of the number of workers, safety records, and other factors."

You can read the complete report here.

Related Past Posts:
OSHA Fine For Lack Of LOTO
$1,000,000 OSHA Fine
OSHA Fine Could Close Small Company

Labels: OSHA Citations, OSHA Fines, osha information, OSHA Inspections

The Spokesman-Review in Washington state reported on Friday that:

Long wall mining. Photo by Markus Schweiss.

"The number of U.S. mining deaths last year was the second-lowest reported since statistics were first recorded in 1910, the U.S. Department of Labor says. Work-related accidents took the lives of 37 miners in 2011."

You can read the complete article here.

More details are available in the Mine Safety News blog, which has the complete MSHA press release, which reports:

"Of the 37 fatalities reported, 12 occurred at surface coal mines, 11 at surface metal/nonmetal mines, nine at underground coal mines and five at underground metal/nonmetal mines. Nine workers died in accidents involving machinery — six in coal mines and three in metal/nonmetal mines — making it the leading cause of fatal mining accidents. Kentucky had the most mining deaths — eight — in 2011, followed by West Virginia with six and Ohio with three. All but one of those deaths occurred in coal mines."

"Several of the larger coal-producing states, including Alabama, Pennsylvania, Illinois and Utah, experienced zero mine fatalities last year."

Labels: MHSA, Mining Safety

Casper, Wyoming

Last week Wyoming was reported as being the worst state for safety.  An article in the Billing Gazette reported:

"An epidemiologist's yearlong study of Wyoming's grim record as one of the worst states for deadly workplace accidents has produced a scathing assessment: Employers consistently fail to enforce safety rules while telling their employees to just 'get the job done.'"

Business Week magazine reported: "Wyoming's overall workplace death rate was more than three and a half times the national average in 2010 and has ranked worst in the nation five of the past 10 years"

"Ignored safety rules correlated with 96 percent of the 62 deaths in Wyoming's petroleum industry from 2001-2008, when objects struck or crushed 16 of 32 workers killed on drilling rigs and 17 of the 25 oil and gas workers killed in vehicle accidents weren't wearing seat belts."

On Friday a pree release from the Wyoming State AFL-CIO and SAFER, released through the Equity State Policy Center, called for sweeping changes in Wyoming to improve worker safety. The press release stated:

Wyoming must make sweeping legislative, agency, policy, and cultural changes to ensure the safety of its workers.

Dr. Timothy Ryan, then the state epidemiologist, extensively documented Wyoming's appalling workplace safety record in his December 19th report to Governor Matt Mead. Wyoming had the nation's highest or second highest workplace fatality rate in the country for eight of the nine years between 2001 and 2009. In 2010 there were 34 workplace fatalities in Wyoming, a 78% increase from 2009.

Dr. Ryan's report also points out the failure of state and industry leaders to take the carnage seriously and do something about it.

"It's high time that state government and the Legislature quit playing games with the lives of workers in Wyoming," said Wyoming State AFL-CIO Executive Secretary Kim Floyd.

"Eight years of being worse or second-worst in death-on-the-job is proof that there's a problem in Wyoming that needs to be remedied," he added. "They need to step up to the plate."

Another year has passed but Dr. Ryan's report offers only more of the same palliatives, calling for continuing data collection and monitoring, along with more encouragement of industry efforts to reform itself – efforts that industry itself admits have failed.

"That Wyoming lacks a strong culture of safety should be obvious to anybody familiar with our State's abhorrent workplace safety record," said Mark Aronowitz, lead attorney for SAFER, the Spence Association For Employee Rights. "What we urgently need is a renewed commitment to safety with on-the-ground changes, from the highest levels of our state government down to individual work sites."

The state must use its legal power and moral authority to force industry to adopt the fundamental changes required to, as Gov. Mead says, "… get workers in Wyoming home safely at the end of the day."

Wyoming must:

- Empower OSHA, enabling it to hire more inspectors to not only increase courtesy inspections, but to conduct both scheduled and surprise inspections and subsequently fine and penalize companies violating safety laws. Mandatory inspections should be required following any accident requiring hospitalization;

Coal mine in Wyoming

- Direct OSHA to determine why Wyoming mines, where the federal Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) regulates safety, have significantly better safety records than other hazardous industries;

- Increase penalties and fines for employers and employees who discourage reporting of injuries to avoid increases in Workers Compensation premiums, to protect safety bonuses, or for any other reason;

- Make company injury records public. MSHA does this. General contractors, worksite owners, and workers, especially those working in ultra and extra hazardous industries, deserve to know whether their sub-contractors, independent contractors, and employers have instilled or rejected a culture of safety.

"Data collection and analysis are fine, but preventing injuries and fatalities must be the primary focus of any meaningful change," Aronowitz said.

Labels: Construction Safety, Industrial Safety, osha information, OSHA Inspections, workplace safety

OSHA recently updated its Federal Agency Targeting Inspection Program (FEDTARG) directive for fiscal year 2012. FEDTARG directs programmed inspections of federal agency establishments that experienced high numbers of lost time injuries during FY 2011.

The directive outlines the procedures for carrying out programmed inspections at some of the most hazardous federal workplaces. OSHA will inspect all establishments reporting 100 or more lost time cases (LTCs) during FY 2011; 50 percent of those establishments reporting 50 to 99 LTCs; and 10 percent of those reporting 20 to 49 LTCs.

Changes to this directive include provisions for reviewing alternate and supplementary standards for federal agencies, which are the equivalent of private sector variances from OSHA standards. Other changes include clarifications of how OSHA Area Directors determine the appropriate number and location of on-site inspections for establishments with multiple services or operations.

FEDTARG12 continues OSHA's nationwide inspection targeting program for federal worksites. This program began in 2008 in response to a Government Accountability Office audit report that recommended the agency develop a targeted inspection program for federal worksites. Executive Order 12196, Occupational Safety and Health Programs for Federal Employees, Paragraph 1-401(i) requires Federal OSHA to "conduct unannounced inspections of agency workplaces when the Secretary determines necessary if an agency does not have occupational safety and health committees; or in response to reports of unsafe or unhealthful working conditions."

Labels: OSHA, safety management, safety responsibility

With a few breaks I've been writing this safety blog for nearly six years. There are nearly 1000 safety professionals subscribing to it. As I'm sitting here this morning reviewing the past year, I'm wondering what 2011 was like for you. Based on statistics the workplace in general is becoming slightly safer. There have been a lot of changes at OSHA. The workforce is changing, becoming older in some respects, but also having an influx of young workers. Plus our employees are becoming much more diverse.

So... what was 2011 like for you? What was the one most important safety (or industrial health) lesson you learned in 2011? And please don't tell me you didn't learn anything new. When I was a softball umpire I learned that after every game I could go over it in my head and see something I could have done better. Every game I umpired I learned how to be a better umpire. Safety is much more important than softball.


So what did you learn about safety or health last year? In what ways were you able to improve your safety performance or awareness?

You can email me at: duralabelpro@gmail.com

I'll share some of the answers I get in a future blog post.

Labels: Industrial Health, Safety Training, workplace safety

Free Safety Webinar
January 25, 2012: New Standards for Arc Flash Labels

New labeling standards just published by the NFPA require arc flash labels to display more information than previously required.  And arc flash labels must be used on many more types of electrical equipment than previously required.

This FREE arc flash labeling webinar is being provided by Graphic Products. It will explain many of the new NFPA 70E arc flash labeling standards and describe what is needed to be in compliance with the new standards.

The Date:
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
10 AM Pacific / 1 PM Eastern

Who Should Attend?
Industrial Electricians, Electrical Contractors, Industrial Hygienists, Safety Supervisors, and all other electrical professionals.

• Learn where arc flash labels must be posted
• Find out what new information arc flash labels must display
• See how labeling software makes compliance easy

Presenter: Eric Johnson, Arc Flash Product Specialist
For more than 3 years Mr. Johnson has served as both a product specialist and technical writer at DuraLabel. His industrial research and writing have been and continue to be instrumental in helping the company develop new labeling products for electrical professionals and others in the electrical industry.
There will be plenty of information to help today's electrical professional comply with these latest standards and provide improved safety near arc flash hazards.

Remember, the new NFPA 70E standards are already in effect. Use the webinar to get up to speed on what is required for arc flash labeling.

Register for the Graphic Products Arc Flash Webinar

Labels: Arc Flash, Safety Training

At the end of each year I do a survey of the internet to see what's available for free online safety training.  I'm looking for quality, comprehensive safety training that would be useful for small companies with limited budgets. This year I found a safety training site I had not seen before.  It is called www.Free-Training.com and it focuses on providing free OSHA compliance training.

The quality of the graphics and web design is not very good.  This gives an initial impression that this is not a very professional web site.

There are two areas within the web site. One for those taking the training, and another, password protected area for training managers.  Signing up as a training manager is quick, but apparently signups are reviewed manually and getting your password may take up to a day.

There are currently four training courses offered:

1. Hazard Communication
2. Personal Protective Equipment
3. Back Safety
4. Forklift Safety and Operation

The screen below is from the forklift training course.



The courses are good. They start at a very basic level that is good for new employees. They incorporate questions, that must be answered correctly before moving to the next page of the course. The only drawback is, like the overall web site, the graphics and design are simplistic.  However, although not flashy the training that is provided is good.

If you are looking for a source for free online safety training, the www.free-training.com web site is worth checking out.

Labels: forklift safety, hazardous materials, OSHA Training Programs, PPE, Safety Training