The intensive weeklong event, Feb. 14-20, will include more than 50 seminars ranging from one to three days in length on all manner of safety and health topics.
An agency inspection identified dozens of instances throughout the plant where workers were exposed to possible lacerations, amputation, and crushing injuries from unguarded moving parts of mechanical power presses and other machinery as well as a lack of specific procedures to prevent the accidental startup of numerous machines during set-up, maintenance, and repair.
A paper published in the September issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found households in which someone with a transportation-related disability lives have spent more time packing necessary supplies and identifying a safe place to meet, but they’ve done no more to become aware of evacuation routes or to create an emergency plan.
Although BLS' preliminary total of 5,071 deaths in 2008 means the fatal injury rate for U.S. workers dropped to 3.6 per 100,000 from the previous year's 4.0, celebration may be premature: Delayed processing by state agencies may bump the totals more than in past years, BLS said.
"There is an endless possibility of things that could have gone wrong here," said Petty Officer 2nd Class John Brooks, a boat coxswain at Coast Guard Station Gloucester. "But most likely they could have been run over by their own boats or their vessels could have collided with other mariners."
The repeat violations contributing to the proposed penalties totaling $144,900 included failing to provide guardrails on scaffolds at different working levels, provide access ladders and toe boards, and ensure all working levels were fully planked.
OSHA has cited Amer Industrial Technologies Inc. for alleged safety and health violations, proposing $63,750 in penalties.
ASTM F1637-09, Standard Practice for Safe Walking Surfaces, addresses the design, construction and minimum maintenance criteria for floors, walkway surfaces, sidewalks, short-flight stairs, gratings, wheel stops, and speed bumps of new and existing buildings.
Safety authorities around the world, working together in some cases, have focused recently on health issues, construction falls, hospital-associated infections, and aviation safety.
The 2007 installment is a tough act to follow, but A+A 2009 looks ready to defend its title Nov. 3-6, 2009, as the world's largest trade show for workplace safety and health.
A newly posted Letter of Interpretation says the employer must provide it at no cost to employees who work with flammable liquids and products because the footwear provides additional protection and is designed for special use on the job.
"This partnership showcases a commitment to the value of safety and health shared by PPGA and Black & Veatch and acts as a force multiplier to the advancement of OSHA's mission to promote the safety and health of working men and women," said Charles E. Adkins, OSHA's regional administrator in Kansas City, Mo.
Fall hazards, lack of personal protective equipment, and deficiencies in the plant's confined space, respirator, and lockout/tagout programs are among the 73 safety violations cited in an inspection conducted by OSHA's Concord Area Office.
Three more standards have won ANSI approval, including 12, about connecting components, and 13, about energy-absorbing lanyards.
"The size of these fines reflects the gravity and recurring nature of these hazards, any one of which could have resulted in death or disabling injury for these workers," said Richard Mendelson, OSHA's area director for Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
The committee advises the Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA on issues relating to occupational safety and health policies, programs, and standards in the maritime industries, focusing on the shipyard and marine cargo handling (longshoring) industries.
The footwear was manufactured in Romania and sold by specialty outdoor retailers nationwide for between $140 and $400 (U.S.) and for between $200 and $500 (Canada) from December 2007 through June 2009.
ACCSH advises the secretary of labor and the assistant secretary of labor for OSHA in the formulation of standards affecting the construction industry and on policy matters arising in the administration of the safety and health provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the OSH Act of 1970.
One case involved alleged machine guarding and other violations against Crucible Specialty Metals following an investigation sparked by a worker's death Jan. 15.
A written and enforced floor safety policy and procedures guide will improve floor safety while demonstrating management's commitment to prevention. Slip-resistant footwear is part of the solution.