Facility Safety


$62,700 in Fines Issued to R.I. Shipyard for Exit, Electrical Hazards

"Left uncorrected, these conditions expose workers to potential crushing and 'struck-by' injuries, lacerations, amputations, electric shock, and being unable to exit the workplace swiftly in the event of a fire or other emergency," said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's Rhode Island area director.

OSHA Serves $122,200 in Fines to Kitchen Cabinet Maker

OSHA initiated an inspection as part of the agency's National Emphasis Program on Amputations that found one repeat, 25 serious, and four other-than-serious violations.

Putting the Right Signs in the Right Places

Enlist a safety team. Push your managers, machine operators, and safety personnel to gain a broad perspective on warehouse, assembly, and other manufacturing equipment and operations.

Power Up Your Safety Communication with Electronic Message Boards

The heart and soul of any digital signage program is the content. Far too little focus is placed on this aspect of the program.

OSHA Hammers Steel Foundry for Overexposing Workers to Crystalline Silica

Breathing crystalline silica dust can cause silicosis, an incurable condition that reduces the ability of lungs to take in oxygen.

ASSE Launches New Safety, Health Online Resource

The goal of the resource is to provide competency models, professional guidance, best practices, and policies and procedures to help promote professional growth.

7 Tips for Surviving the Lighting Revolution

Grainger offers advice to help facilities managers weather the transition as DOE's energy efficiency law takes effect next year. It will change the way facilities consume energy and maintain their lighting, Grainger says.

VA Confirms Sprinkler Mandate for Nursing Homes

This affirms the agency's final rule last February concerning NFPA codes and standards with which various facilities must comply.



Two Workers Struck by Cranes, Cleveland Firm Fined $157,200

An investigation was initiated after OSHA received complaints that two workers had been struck by overhead cranes at Legend Tube and Metal Sales Inc.'s facility, one on May 9 and another on May 10.

Smoke-Free Workplaces Reduce Heart Attacks, Study Says

Research suggests that the incidence of heart attacks and sudden cardiac deaths was cut in half among Olmsted County, Minn., residents after a smoke-free ordinance took effect.

Metal Finisher Fined $77,220 for Electrical, Health Deficiencies

Seven repeat safety and health violations include using PVC piping for compressed air throughout the facility, failing to secure or mount electrical outlets properly, and failing to guard live electrical parts of equipment.

CSB to Meet on Hoeganaes Cases

The commission called the Nov. 16 meeting in Gallatin, Tenn., to collect more information in its investigation of three 2011 combustible dust flash fires at the same facility.

Double Fatality at Texas Oil Rig Leads to $93,700 Fine

About five employees were performing drilling operations in the area when the kelly bushing came apart and fatally struck two employees working on the drill floor.

NIOSH Releases New Fact Sheet on Diacetyl Exposure

NIOSH recently compiled a fact sheet on lung disease that can result from exposure to flavoring chemicals containing diacetyl.

Texas Shipbuilder's LOTO, Repeat Hazards Carry $150,700 Fine

Some of the serious violations include failing to repair a defective hook latch on a crane, ensure the appropriate use of lockout equipment for energy sources, and provide training on confined spaces.

Worker's Fatal Crushing Leads to New York Recycler's $73,300 Fine

A worker, who operated a large baler, was fatally crushed on June 4 when the machine unexpectedly activated while he was clearing material and he became caught between the baler's pusher block/ram and its return cavity.

$422,600 in Fines Issued to Dough Maker for Repeat Machine Hazards

Violations include failing to provide guardrails on mixers, ovens, and ice machines; provide machine guarding to prevent workers from coming into contact with rotating parts; and develop energy control procedures for machinery with more than one energy source.

NRC Recommends Overhaul of Government Facilities Inventory

About 45,000 facilities are underutilized or obsolete, and investments in maintenance and repair have been inadequate for many years, the report says.

OSHA Busts Ohio Manufacturer Following Worker Fatality

The worker was removing a wooden pallet from a shot blast tumbler barrel when the wire rope cable on the loader bucket broke, causing the bucket to fall and strike the worker.

Pet Food Plant Cited with $758,000 in Fines

The case includes nine per-instance willful citations for failing to require respirator use by six workers exposed to dust above the permissible exposure limit and failing to adequately protect three dust collection units which collect dusts such as starch, potato base, cellulose fiber, and pea protein.

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