The refinery "did not ensure adequate maintenance and oversight of its process safety equipment, exposing workers to the release of toxic chemicals and posing a danger to not only the company's employees but to the community, as well," said Dean McDaniel, OSHA's regional administrator in Dallas.
"It's been 99 years since the fire at The Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in New York City took the lives of nearly 150 workers. . . . Blocked fire exits can be deadly. It is that simple," said OSHA chief Dr. David Michaels.
Requirements for exposure limits, exposure monitoring and determination, protective work clothing and equipment, medical surveillance, communication of hexavalent chromium hazards, and recordkeeping are described.
The society cited growth and interest in these sectors' safety for launching them. The Utilities Branch will address EHS issues in solar and wind power generation, water and wastewater, and telecommunications, among other areas.
Among the topics the agency wants to address in “OSHA Listens” on Feb. 10 is what specific actions can it take to enhance the voice of workers in the workplace, particularly workers who are hard to reach, who do not have ready access to information about hazards or their rights, or who are afraid to exercise their rights?
Are hospital operating rooms by default "wet locations"? Deciding yes or no has not been easy for the technical committee revising NFPA 99, Health Care Facilities, Richard P. Bielen writes in the current NFPA Journal.
Research aimed at adapting circulation control technology to wind turbine blades will be conducted by PAX Streamline, a California company, in collaboration with the Georgia Institute of Technology. The two-year project, which will lead to construction of a demonstration pneumatic wind turbine, will be supported by a $3 million grant from the Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy --the federal energy research and development organization also known as ARPA-E.
"Unfortunately, this incident was a classic example of a multiple-fatality event where would-be rescuers are themselves overcome in their attempt to save the initial victim," said Kay Gee, OSHA's area director for Queens, Manhattan, and Brooklyn.
According to the society, recent studies indicate that approximately 40 percent of work-related fatalities are design related.
The number of falsified emissions reports varied by defendant, with some defendants having falsified approximately 250 records, while others falsified more than double that number, for anywhere from $10 to $100 over and above the usual emissions testing fee, DOJ said.
The Department of Agriculture requires the heat treatment of wood pallets imported into the United States. The requirement is designed to prevent plant pests that can destroy domestic agriculture and livestock from entering the United States in wood packaging materials.
OSHA has cited Lyons & Sons Inc. with seven serious citations and Cocoa Services LP with five serious citations for workplace safety and health violations following the death of a worker.
Most characteristics of the "Type A" personality are linked to increased work stress. But there's one important exception, according to a study in the January Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, official publication of the American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (ACOEM).
The videos also explain how workers can perform a user seal check to test whether a respirator is worn properly and will provide the expected level of protection.
"Our inspections, and a worker fatality at the Blakely (Ga.) plant, show the need for management to get serious about the safety and health of its employees," said Robert Vazzi, OSHA's area director in Savannah, Ga.
The official launch date of the new campaign is April 28, 2010, this year's World Day for Safety and Health at Work.
Presenter Rand Beers, under secretary for the National Protection and Programs Directorate, will discuss the infrastructure protection mission and “The Next Frontier in Homeland Security.”
The agency has developed a new Web-based tool and interactive map that allows the public to get detailed information by location about the enforcement actions taken at approximately 4,600 facilities.
The event, held in conjunction with Reach Expo 2010, will feature a variety of noted professionals in the overhead crane and rigging industry.
Executives are people first. Sounds obvious, but this is key to heightening active support for Safety and Health from your company's apex.