Facility Safety


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Would an online engineering analysis of fall protection anchor points really work? Who needs it? OH&S Editor, Jerry Laws, asked those questions before seeing a demo of the Anchor Point Evaluation Program from Fall Protection Professionals, Inc.'s Jeffrey B. Reep, P.E., the Green Bay, Wis., company's senior structural engineer and developer of the program. What he demonstrated was the initial release, which evaluates the steel supports of fixed or mobile anchoring systems. Timber and concrete add-on modules are scheduled to be released later this year, Reep said.

Hispanic TV Station Earns 'Estrella de OSHA' for Safety

"Telemundo KVDA-TV 60 is the nation's first broadcaster of Hispanic programming to earn VPP star recognition," said OSHA's Region VI Administrator Dean W. McDaniel. "The station's outstanding efforts include zero injuries and illnesses over the past three years."

OSHA Cites Mississippi Contractor Following Worker Fatality

OSHA has cited LandCoast Insulation Inc. for three alleged safety violations following six injuries and one employee fatality last November when a scaffold collapsed inside a boiler at Mississippi Power's Plant Daniel in Moss Point.

Construction Services Firm Establishes ASSE Scholarship, Internship

The first recipient of the award--to be announced in early April--will receive a $5,000 safety and health scholarship, an internship that includes salary and living expenses, and an opportunity to attend ASSE's annual PDC, being held this year in San Antonio at the end of June.

New DOT Video Counters Those Trying to 'Beat' Their Drug Test

"By complying with these 10 steps, collection site personnel will communicate to employees and employers that their collection site is following DOT procedures for ensuring collection site security," says the agency's Office of Drug & Alcohol Policy & Compliance.

Hurricanes, Safety Culture, Kidnapping: Ready for RIMS 2009?

Online registration closed March 23, and admission to the April 20-22 expo is fairly expensive. But this event at the Orange County Convention Center, shown here, is a must for risk managers and insurers.

Civil Engineers Release 'Study Guide' to Improving America's Infrastructure

A report released by the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) shows that with ingenuity and the right amount of commitment on the part of the nation's leaders and the American people, the infrastructure crisis we face is a solvable problem.

Bank Employee Reports Suspected Fraud, Suffers Retaliation; OSHA Steps In

"This order reaffirms both the right of employees to raise concerns regarding violations of Securities and Exchange Commission rules and the Labor Department's commitment to take the necessary steps to protect that right," said Ken Atha, OSHA's regional administrator in San Francisco.



EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson

Latest Toxics Release Inventory Shows Increase in PCBs

"This information underscores the need for fundamental transparency and provides a powerful tool for protecting public health and the environment," said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. "Serving the public’s right to know is the crucial first step in reducing toxic chemicals in the places where we live, work, and raise children."

Penn Medicine Multi-Pronged Approach Reduces Bloodstream Infections

Central line-associated bloodstream infections (CLABSI) fell by more than 90 percent during the past three years at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania due to a multi-pronged approach combining leadership initiatives, electronic infection surveillance, checklists to guide line insertion and maintenance, and implementation of the Toyota Production System to encourage best practices in line care.

Tewksbury Post Office Delivers Safety, Health

Among the site's areas of excellence are proactive efforts to identify and correct hazards to carriers encompassing community involvement, analysis of route hazards, and implementation of a motor vehicle logbook system for vehicle safety.

Metal Forgings Manufacturer Cited for Serious Safety Violations

A Dec. 23, 2008, incident in which two employees were injured when they were struck by a 700-pound forging that shot up in the air while they were attempting to free it from a malfunctioning die on a power press led to the second of two agency inspections.

MSHA Fines Hiawatha Coal Co. Nearly $342,800 for Rollover Accident

MSHA recently announced it has issued penalties totaling $342,800 to Hiawatha Coal Co. for a powered haulage accident last year at the Bear Canyon Mine in Huntington, Utah. A miner was seriously injured in that accident.

Chemical Releases Spur Investigation, Lead to $44,000 in Penalties

The W. Va.-based company was cited for failing to ensure that operating procedures addressed special or unique hazards of the process, failing to conduct adequate inspections on process equipment, and failing to ensure that proper respiratory protection and personal protective equipment were utilized during an emergency response, among other things.

Burger King to Pay $85,000 for Teen Harassment

The suit asserted that Joyner complained about the harassment to her assistant managers, who failed to take appropriate action to stop the unlawful conduct.

United Airlines to Pay $850,000 for Disability Discrimination

"Disability does not mean inability," said EEOC San Francisco District Director Michael Baldonado. "The ADA encourages us all to focus on opening doors to all a worker can do and discourages the closing of doors through restrictive stereotypes about disabilities, such as what you may think that person cannot do."

DOL Proposes Nine-Month Suspension of H-2A rule

On March 13, the Department of Labor's Employment and Training Administration announced the proposed suspension for nine months of a final rule implementing changes to the H-2A program, which allows U.S. agricultural businesses to employ foreign workers in temporary or seasonal agricultural jobs.

New Study Finds Worker Wellness Programs Could Lower BMIs, Bottom Lines

A new analysis by researchers at the National Business Group on Health suggests that investing in employer-sponsored health programs could improve companies' bottom lines by reducing medical claim costs.

Sugar Producer Fined for Combustible Dust Hazards

Other alleged violations of the Florida company include not developing lockout/tagout procedures on packaging machines to prevent accidental machinery start-up; exposing employees to electrical hazards; and using high-pressure compressed air for cleaning purposes.

New Whitepaper Provides Roadmap for Reducing Electrical Risks

"The shrouded mystery of electricity compels many safety managers to depend upon plant electrical maintenance or engineering departments to manage their electrical safety program," writes Phil Allen, president and owner of Grace Engineered Products.

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