Tim Pope was immediately intrigued when he first saw the hearing protection device because it was unlike any ear plug or muff he'd ever seen. Pope, vice president and owner of rapidly growing tree service company Terry Tree Service, LLC, then saw the company's claims for the product — comfortable, totally passive hearing protection that allows conversation during use — and just had to try them.
Only a few comments have been submitted to the online rulemaking docket, most of them manufacturers' requests to present during the Oct. 7 public hearing in Washington, D.C. The cost of testing custom molded ear plugs is a concern.
The researchers looked at a construction site, an industrial facility with a variable noise environment, and an industrial facility with a steady noise environment for one workday and for a two-week period.
Between the National Safety Congress and A+A, taking place amid Dusseldorf's lovely scenery, the world's PPE providers and safety professionals will have plenty to chew on before the holidays.
"You might not think of a carwash as a particularly dangerous workplace, but hazards can be present in any workplace if the proper safeguards are not provided and maintained," said Robert Kowalski, OSHA's area director in Bridgeport, Conn.
OSHA, the University of the Sacred Heart, and the Puerto Rico OSHA also vowed to work together on specific issues and projects regarding construction and general industry safety and health that are developed and addressed through the alliance.
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.
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.
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."
The Oct. 6-7 and Nov. 17-18 events in Arlington, Va., are part of the National Nanotechnology Initiative's nanoEHS series.
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 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.
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.
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.
"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.