As a first step in looking at indoor air quality, employers would be well advised to examine NIOSH's eight-point plan for improving IAQ.
Follow these steps to develop a comprehensive safety program that fully protects workers on the job.
The second inspection of the Primary Containment Vessel at Fukushima Daiichi Unit 2 found only about 60 centimeters of water at the bottom of the vessel. Meanwhile, an expert IAEA team delivered its review of Japan's process for assessing nuclear plants' safety.
OSHA's Fort Worth Area Office began its investigation Sept. 20 following a report that an employee's arm was pulled into the rollers of an operating textile machine while the employee was cleaning fibrous material out from under the machine.
The worker's thumb was amputated on Sept. 22 when a forging machine foot pedal, which was not adequately guarded, operated unintentionally.
OSHA inspectors found that workers melting and pouring casts were exposed to mechanical, welding, electrical, and confined space hazards, as well as a lack of machine guarding.
OSHA issued one willful and nine serious violations following a health inspection that found workers exposed to excessive noise levels and other hazards at the company's Houston facility.
The fine involves obstructed exit routes and storing materials in an unsafe manner.
On June 20, 2009, the employee submitted a letter to his direct supervisor that addressed alleged safety hazards, specifically, improperly placed extension cords and a lack of sprinkler systems.
OSHA's Birmingham Area Office initiated an inspection Sept. 12 in response to the fatality. The willful violation is failing to install guards to prevent access to the rotating and moving parts of a pre-plate boring machine used to drill holes into railroad ties.
The new policy is geared to enhance the role played by plant workers in determining root causes of incidents and promoting facility safety.
OSHA's Houston South Area Office initiated a safety inspection on Sept. 7, 2011, as a result of several employee complaints, while concurrently conducting a site-specific target inspection.
When completed, the building's broadcast center is projected to generate more than $10 million annually by broadcasting TV and FM radio signals. The building's construction has reached the 92nd floor.
Provide training in the proper selection and use of PPE for your employees and yourself such as eyewear, gloves, boots, and dust masks/respirators for cleaning and other operations.
Safety and health violations include inadequate lockout/tagout programs, fall protection, and noise sampling, among others. Proposed penalties total $174,600.
OSHA found that employees performing welding work in the main fabrication area were exposed to airborne concentrations of hexavalent chromium in excess of the permissible exposure limit.
"The level of disregard for workers' safety demonstrated by this employer is irresponsible. Although the employer knows the fire and explosion hazards associated with the accumulation of combustible dust, a choice was made to do nothing about it," said Les Grove, OSHA's area director in Tampa.
The alliance is geared to address hazard communication and to increase awareness of the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS).
Suzanne Hart, 41, died on Dec. 14, 2011, as she was entering elevator number 9 at 285 Madison Ave. and it accelerated upward with its doors open. Two city departments have suspended the license of the elevator maintenance firm.
"Allowing workers to come in contact with exposed and energized parts without appropriate personal protective equipment demonstrates a lack of concern for their safety," said George Yoksas, OSHA's area director in Milwaukee.