The violations include inadequate hearing and respiratory protection programs, electrical hazards, improper use of compressed air, as well as employee exposure to silica, lead, and manganese fumes.
According to OSHA, an employee operating a tractor struck and hospitalized another worker who was digging a shallow ditch.
Citations against two USPS facilities in the past week are the latest in a string of penalties against other individual postal facilities nationwide, and follow DOL's filing in July of an enterprise-wide complaint that included 350 postal outposts.
In addition to 18 serious citations, the company received four repeat citations, in part for failing to develop an energy control program, develop and implement a written hazard communication program, and train workers on chemical hazards in their work area.
"Creating a safer environment and eliminating hazardous conditions on the high seas is one of the goals of the NTSB," said Robert Sumwalt, NTSB board member. "The forum will provide a great opportunity to identify strategies to improve safety."
Data from two nationally representative surveys indicates that the prevalence of hearing loss among U.S. adolescents increased by about 30 percent from 1988-1994 to 2005-2006, with 1 in 5 adolescents having hearing loss in 2005-2006, according to a study in the August 18 issue of JAMA.
OSHA head Dr. David Michaels said employers are allegedly withholding written certificates attesting successful completion of HAZWOPER training to prevent workers from leaving their employ.
White Cap Construction Supply Inc. of Costa Mesa, Calif., voluntarily recalled the tools because the head can loosen and detach, posing an injury risk to users.
MSHA decided to distribute this alert based on testimony delivered during a House Education and Labor Committee hearing in Beckley, W.Va., in May that raised serious questions as to whether or not the Upper Big Branch mine was properly following ventilation standards prior to the explosion on April 5.
The North Carolina Department of Labor presented it in recognition of that achievement at the company's Monroe, N.C., manufacturing facility.
At one of the sites, the farmer-owned company failed to test the atmosphere before entry and to have an employee entering wear a safety harness and lifeline. It also failed to post an employee to observe the entry. Both facilities failed to turn off and lock out power to the auger before workers entered the grain bins, investigators said.
The agency's May 2010 request for information attracted comments for and against a rulemaking that would address workers' protection against exposure to H1N1, TB, and other diseases.
The 24 alleged serious violations that resulted from a site-specific targeting program investigation included a failure to have at least two suitable gas masks available and accessible; lack of developed confined space procedures; and grinding wheel, compressed air, and electrical shock hazards.
By focusing proper cleaning on surfaces in the office that get more hand attention, health-based cleaning services target potentially contaminated surfaces that can harbor MRSA and other harmful pathogens.
Last year's event in San Antonio, Texas (pictured), drew 2,836 attendees representing all areas and professions affiliated with the safety and health industry. For this year's conference in Orlando, organizers are expecting to up that number to at least 3,000.
Sept. 1 is the deadline to apply for the 2011 awards from NIOSH and the National Hearing Conservation Association.
In addition, OSHA issued the company 50 serious and two other-than-serious violations for failing to provide proper protective equipment for employees working with lead and other extremely dangerous dust and chemicals, and failing to develop or implement a hazard communication program, among other things.
Coronary events are a major health issue in firefighters, causing nearly half of all deaths on duty. Exposure to ultrafine particles could contribute to coronary disease in firefighters—not only as a long-term health risk, but also as a cause of coronary events while responding to fires.
The acquisition of Sperian shares held by Essilor International, Ginette Dalloz, and Societe Civile Familiale Dalloz means the current tender offer until Sept. 2 remains on track.
Total mining deaths through July 30 stood at 53, the highest number since 2007, and 48 U.S. firefighters had died in the line of duty as of July 31.