In addition, the company faces fines for three serious violations relating to poor egress procedures from the trench, failure to provide proper training for trench operations, and placing excavated materials too close to the edge of the trench.
Under an agreement signed last week, OSHA and LSU Continuing Education will work together to deliver workplace safety and health courses, specifically focusing on related hazard awareness and the recognition and benefits of an effective safety and health management system.
OSHA cited the company with one willful violation for failing to provide an adequate protective system for employees working in an excavation 8 to 10 feet in depth and one serious violation for failing to ensure employees were wearing high visibility vests.
Proposed penalties against the two companies total more than $97,000. John Healy, OSHA's area director in Englewood, Colo., said the agency "will be stepping up its enforcement of fall hazards, especially in those areas of the state that experienced significant hail damage this year--areas where we expect to see an influx in roofing work."
According to the investigation, the worker was covered by almost 240-degree asphalt released from an open valve on the transfer system due to a pressure increase that separated the transfer hose from the system.
Nine Ohio mine rescue teams will be assigned the same emergency problem and will be evaluated by state and federal mine inspectors on their procedures and speed. Two courses will run simultaneously and teams will be sequestered until it is their turn to compete.
The Oct. 6-7 and Nov. 17-18 events in Arlington, Va., are part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative's nanoEHS series.
The National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) recently announced that its 35th annual conference will be held Feb. 25-27, 2010, at the Rosen Plaza Hotel in Orlando, Fla. Titled "Explore the World of Hearing Loss Prevention," the conference will focus on various topics of local and international concern, including "whole life" hearing loss prevention; chemicals, ototoxicity, and otoprotection; and the impending change to the Noise Reduction Rating in the United States.
The newly downloadable document addresses methods for controlling silica such as wet cutting during construction operations and using vacuum dust collection systems.
At a public meeting in Jacksonville, CSB investigators will present their final report on the batch reactor explosion that killed four workers and injured 32 people Dec. 19, 2007.
In addition to issuing willful, repeat, and serious citations to the company, OSHA also issued it a notice of failure-to-abate citation relating to its failure to implement a respiratory program, institute a medical surveillance program for workers overexposed to chromium VI, and develop and implement a hazard communication program for workers exposed to caustics and corrosives.
Work continues on new approval criteria for various respiratory categories, and the branch chief at NPPTL asks whether users have additional needs that NIOSH could address.
The new IPAF safety video uses scenarios extracted from its popular operator training course, which is used to train about 80,000 people per year.
"Workers exposed to occupational hazards requiring head, foot, or eye and face protection will now be provided protection based on a standard that reflects state-of-the-art technology and materials," said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab.
A follow-up OSHA visit found uninspected overhead cranes; uninspected lifting hooks; defective and unmarked lifting slings; unguarded live electrical parts; damaged electrode holders and insulation; incorrectly stored compressed gas cylinders; unmarked and unchecked fire extinguishers; and slipping hazards from an oil spill in a work area.
"OSHA has inspected this company on five occasions going back to 1997, resulting in numerous violations, including many we found again on this most recent inspection," said OSHA Area Director Kathy Webb, North Aurora, Ill.
Preventing transmission by droplets is the key recommendation from researchers who analyzed the June 2009 outbreak among a tour group visiting southwestern China. Thermal scanning and health questionnaires at the Chinese airports did not detect symptomatic passengers.
“Even in these difficult economic times, cities must appropriately allocate resources to protect all employees from potential on-the-job dangers,” the group said in a statement issued to its members nationwide.
The Institute of Medicine committee also recommended funding research to design and develop the next generation of respirators for health workers.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced Howard's selection today. OSH professional societies had pushed for him to be returned to NIOSH's top post.