OSHA has cited Precision Plaster Paint & Contracting LLC, a Utica, N.Y., contractor, for alleged willful, repeat, and serious violations of safety standards at a Utica worksite. Precision, which was installing a new stucco coating on a commercial building at 430 Court St., faces a total of $111,000 in proposed fines, chiefly for an improperly erected and maintained scaffold, and lack of fall protection for employees.
A 2008 appropriations bill directed the agency to "regulate the sale and transfer of ammonium nitrate by an ammonium nitrate facility . . . to prevent the misappropriation or use of ammonium nitrate in an act of terrorism." DHS is taking comments until Dec. 19.
Since the agency's Web site went online in 1995, its traffic has consistently increased by 12 percent to 15 percent annually, according to OSHA, reaching more than 110 million visitor sessions annually, at last count.
If successful, the lawsuit would trigger protections against several harmful pollutants associated with a wide variety of serious adverse health effects.
The U.S. Department of Labor has ordered The Charles Schwab Corp. to reinstate and pay back pay and damages to two employees who were fired in violation of the whistleblower provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The whistleblower complaint was filed with OSHA on June 15, 2007, naming The Charles Schwab Corp., Charles Schwab & Co. Inc., Charles Schwab Bank, and three individuals as defendants.
Originally signed in 2002, the alliance has resulted in products and resources addressing issues ranging from ergonomics and hazard communication to personal protective equipment and noise and hearing conservation, the groups noted.
MSHA said the Oct. 22 fatality was the fourth accident in five weeks where a bulldozer operator died or suffered life-threatening injuries on the job.
The event will be held in Arlington, Va., but also will be broadcast via the Web for those unable to attend in person.
"Our common goal is to ensure that every employee goes home safe and healthy at the end of each workday," said Jeff Funke, director of OSHA's area office in Charleston, W.Va.
The lawsuit alleges that members of the company’s investment committee, administration committee and board of directors violated ERISA by letting workers invest in overpriced Agway securities.
In September, the company pleaded guilty to related charges and agreed to pay a fine of $600,000 plus an additional $150,000 to fund a community service project for the benefit, preservation, and restoration of the environment and ecosystems in the waters adjoining the two nearby rivers in Michigan.
The agency says it has surpassed congressional expectations mandated through the 9/11 law of screening 50 percent of cargo on passenger-carrying aircraft by February 2009 and 100 percent of cargo by August 2010.
A sentencing hearing has been set for Feb. 20, 2009. Knowingly storing hazardous waste without a permit carries a maximum fine of $50,000 for each day of violation.
The syringes have been distributed nationwide; Novartis said in August it planned to have 20 million doses available by the end of September. Cal/OSHA and OSHA rules require needles with built-in sharps injury protection.
Nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses reported by private industry employers declined from 4.4 cases per 100 workers in 2006 to 4.2 cases in 2007.
As part of the agreement, the implementation team will conduct quarterly visits to the participating facilities and the Anna and King Salmon Platforms in the Cook Inlet.
"Left uncorrected, these conditions expose employees to the ongoing threats of electrocution, lacerations, amputations, fires, falls, chemical burns, hearing loss, and crushing hazards," said C. William Freeman III, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is urging parents and caregivers to closely inspect the hardware and stability of their cribs to ensure all parts are in place and secure. The warning by CPSC comes after the agency's Early Warning System has identified concerns with the durability of cribs, especially those with drop sides that can disengage and lead to dangers of entrapment and strangulation.
OSHA recently announced that a proposed Request for Information (RFI) related to its Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory (NRTL) program will be published in the Oct. 20, 2008 Federal Register. A copy of the proposed RFI currently is available on OSHA's Web site. The public comment period on the RFI will close on Jan. 20, 2009.
TOSHA's safety tips for National Fire Prevention Month include controlling combustible dust, ensuring exits are available and workers are informed about hazards, and keeping heat producing equipment clean and maintained.