"Employers should not assume this [combustible dust] hazard is minor or non-existent. Addressing it requires ongoing attention and effort, but proper precautions can prevent or minimize the possibility of a devastating explosion or fire," said William Coffin, OSHA's area director for Maine.
Exposure to the toxic chemical can affect the nervous system and can cause changes in color vision, fatigue, slowed reaction time, concentration problems, and balance problems.
Rick Marinelli joined FAA in 1992 and now serves as manager of its Airport Engineering Division, responsible for programs relating to runway and taxiway geometry, airport airspace analysis, airport winter operations, design standards for airport facilities and equipment, airport pavements, airport lighting and electrical systems, and airport safety data.
The new guidance does away with the old Survey Type 1, 2, and 3, replacing those with the more comprehensive Management Survey and Refurbishment and Demolition Survey.
Among the most significant challenges facing the river is the runoff of excess nutrients from manure and commercial fertilizer, specifically nitrogen and phosphorus.
An inspection found workers unable to open emergency exit doors from inside the workplace; a lack of specific procedures to lock out machine power sources; missing guardrails; improperly stored oxygen cylinders; several electrical hazards; and more.
Among the products considered most likely to lead to the danger of an explosion or fire are zinc and other metallic powders, wheat flour and other food products, and certain plastics and resins. In all of these cases, if unprotected, normal processing steps can produce enough static electricity to ignite a dust cloud.
Specifically, the agency found instances of improper transfer and storage of flammable liquids; lack of specific lockout/tagout procedures and training to prevent the unintended startup of machines during maintenance; lack of hearing protection; inadequate respirator training, fit-testing, medical evaluation, inspection, and maintenance; unguarded grinders; and more.
Acting in response to the U.S. Chemical Safety Board's recommendations from the ConAgra Slim Jim explosion, NFPA's National Fuel Gas Code Committee proposed an emergency change to strengthen NFPA 54. Expedited public review and comment will follow.
There will come a point during the upcoming American Society of Safety Engineers Professional Development Conference & Expo, June 13-16 in Baltimore, when visitors will have the opportunity to witness something close to what inspired Maryland native Francis Scott Key by that dawn's early light in 1814, when he penned the words of what would become our national anthem.
"This facility has not experienced an injury resulting in lost time in the last four years," noted Richard S. Terrill, OSHA's regional administrator. "Their outstanding efforts have included significant management commitment and employee involvement."
Investigations Supervisor Don Holmstrom briefed reporters today about the investigation so far into the Feb. 7 Kleen Energy explosion, which has claimed six lives.
"Out of sight does not mean out of mind when it comes to underground petroleum storage tanks, and it is critical that facilities monitor their tanks and make sure they are not leaking," said EPA Regional Administrator Judith Enck.
The company's location in Lenexa, Kan., generates hazardous and non-hazardous solid waste as a result of ordinary breakage, leakage, and spillage from the approximate 400,000 packages workers handle at the facility each day, EPA said.
Specifically, OSHA found blocked exits, workers lacking safety glasses and gloves while working with acid, unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals, unmarked electrical equipment, exposed live electrical parts, and moisture in electrical equipment.
The willful violations cited address the inappropriate location of an air material separator that lacked explosion venting, an inadequate housekeeping program, and allowing combustible dusts to collect at depths greater than one-eighth of an inch.
"From the top down, Fred Weber Inc. has displayed outstanding effort in implementing a comprehensive safety and health management system," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo. "The company is an exemplar of workplace safety."
According to the study, the market is driven by the fact that more than 120 million workers across the globe are exposed to dangerously high noise levels (over 85 dB). In the United States alone, more than 30 million workers are exposed to prolonged noise levels in their day-to-day life.
EPA noted that a spill of only one gallon of oil can contaminate one million gallons of water. SPCC regulations require onshore oil production or bulk storage facilities to provide oil spill prevention, preparedness, and responses to prevent such discharges.
The dairy facility and its former owner are the last two of five defendants to settle claims made in a 2008 civil lawsuit accusing the company of violating the Clean Water Act and befouling the Elkhorn River.