"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.
Some other establishments that did not answer an OSHA Data Initiative survey also will be targeted. The agency said its intent is to deter employers from not responding to avoid inspection.
"I want to keep people in the loop and let them know it’s not over. I want people to leave the presentation with the idea that this is something that can really happen and can affect their business and company, and they need to take protective measures,” said Larry D. Riley, compliance consultant with the Workplace Safety Awareness Council, who will present “The Swine Flu Pandemic: Urban Myths and Real Solutions for Your Facility” at the event.
“There are grounds for optimism, but there is even greater reason for caution,” said NAM President John Engler.
Fellowship program recipients will be given the opportunity to attend Oregon State University tuition-free for three years, and they will be required to teach at the collegiate level for three years after completing their degree.
“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.
DOJ notes the plea is related to felony guilty pleas already entered by the company and its president, who pleaded guilty to a felony violation of the Clean Water Act for disposing pesticide waste down the sewers of the city of St. Joseph, Mo.
The separate settlements took place one week apart in different states and together totaled more than $2 million in monetary relief for the victims.
The Georgia-based company has been cited for having no written procedures for formaldehyde process equipment, engineering controls not implemented for overexposure to dust, and exposing employees to dust two-and-a-half to 20 times the permissible exposure limit, among other violations.
The agency's inspection found that the facility, which uses large amounts of anhydrous ammonia in its refrigeration system, had not conducted a proper evaluation of hazards and that standard operating procedures were either incomplete or had not been developed for all system activities, among other things.
The February 2008 explosion and fire at the Imperial Sugar refinery in Georgia sparked attention and concern about combustible dusts. The company's computer-based training teaches workers about dust, food safety, emergency preparedness, and heat stress.
"The sizable fines proposed here reflect the gravity of this employer's ongoing failure to correct clear and recognized hazards that could result in burns, crushing injuries, or death for its employees," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's area director in Buffalo, N.Y.
With hurricane season in full swing and experts predicting an increase in cases of the H1N1 virus this fall, now is the time to revisit preparedness plans.
Like clockwork, the start of each day in the office usually involves reading through at least 30 new e-mails. Among that electronic clutter, only five to six items are original, followed by numerous replies back and forth between everyone addressed. Getting up-to-date on each e-mail is a tricky proposition that often results in the accidental deletion of a reply here and there.
Better packaging standards would provide protection from mercury vapor emissions from this source.
Having well-documented information about the pre-disaster condition of your facility helps you pinpoint the spots that are at greatest risk.
One of the best options for effective emergency communications is a multi-modal notification system that incorporates an institution's existing modes of communications with newer technologies, such as mobile phones.
"We believe that this agreement represents a fair and just resolution of this matter and, hopefully, will serve as a warning to all businesses that generate wastewater that they must abide by all requirements of their discharge permits," said U.S. Attorney Nora R. Dannehy.
According to DOJ, the company's six plants in the state are illegally emitting massive amounts of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and particulate matter.
According to a study by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals, SH&E professionals with certifications such as the Certified Safety Professional (CSP) can earn up to $30K more per year than persons without certifications.