"Scaffolds must be properly erected and fall protection provided to employees when they work on scaffolds at heights of 10 feet or more, yet this employer has repeatedly neglected to implement these basic, commonsense and legally required safeguards," said Anthony Ciuffo, OSHA's Long Island area director in Westbury.
The deadline is Sept. 24 for National Safety Excellence Awards being presented in February 201 in Orlando, Fla.
OSHA recently awarded $8 million in Susan Harwood Capacity Building Grants to 45 organizations, including nonprofit and community/faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor/management associations, and colleges and universities. The grants will assist these organizations in providing safety and health training, and educational programs for workers and employers.
Some of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries' operations were closed Tuesday because of the state's budget problems. But its 2011 workplace calendar, "Keep Washington Safe and Working," nevertheless will be available later this month.
“Employers are legally bound to provide a safe work environment for their employees,” said OSHA chief David Michals. “This company has repeatedly failed to do so, costing one worker his life and grievously injuring another. This must stop.”
"You cannot overstate the gravity of this hazard," said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director for Rhode Island. "A cave-in can occur in seconds with soil and debris engulfing workers before they can react or escape."
The week is a nationwide initiative that revolves around Labor Day and is the result of an on-going collaboration between local Mexican Consulate offices, federal and state labor and workforce departments, labor rights advocates, and others.
According to OSHA, an employee operating a tractor struck and hospitalized another worker who was digging a shallow ditch.
High-heat procedures are now required for five industries when temperatures reach 95 degrees or above: agriculture; construction; landscaping; oil & gas extraction; and transportation or delivery of agricultural products, construction material, or other heavy materials.
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.
Agency inspectors passing by the worksite observed a worker installing a water main in an apparently unprotected 6-foot-by-6-inch deep trench. An inspection was opened on the spot and OSHA found that the trench lacked protection against a potential collapse of its walls.
BLS said the economy "played a major role" in the drop from 2008's final count of 5,214 workplace deaths to its preliminary 2009 total, 4,340. Almost every sector and type showed an improvement, notably construction and mining.
"If OSHA's standards regarding proper trench sloping, shoring, and shielding were followed, it is possible this tragedy could have been avoided," said Michael Rivera, OSHA's area director in Corpus Christi.
It was one of the five large unions to join the Change to Win Coalition in 2005, targeting high-growth occupations in the U.S. economy, including health care, transportation, and hospitality.
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.
The two Canadian companies involved, the contractor and a drywall/stucco subcontractor, both pleaded guilty to failing to ensure the injured worker was protected by a guardrail.
The company received repeat citations for failing to make a reasonable estimate of employee exposure to hazardous chemicals such as hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide; it received willful citations for failing to implement confined space entry procedures.
The company's "refusal to honor the requirements of this agreement reflects an irresponsible approach to worker safety and health, leaving workers vulnerable to injuries and possible fatalities," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York. "This situation is unacceptable and will not be tolerated."
"While it is fortunate that no one was injured here, good luck is never an acceptable worker safeguard,” said Patrick Griffin, OSHA's area director for Rhode Island. “For the safety and well-being of its workers, this employer must take effective, ongoing action to prevent these hazards from recurring."
Here's how to improve the overall fall protection program and prepare returning workers to get back in the fall protection habit.