The holiday season is here and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging consumers to keep safety in mind as they decorate for the holidays. Flickering candles, blinking holiday lights, and fragrant evergreens are beautiful staples of the holiday season, but when used improperly, these holiday decorating "must haves" can pose deadly dangers.
The presentation, which includes slides, focuses on hot work and arc flash hazards and how to protect oneself against shock and arc flashes or blasts.
A study examined factors contributing to occupational deaths in East Attica, Greece, in the five years preceding the 2004 Olympics. A 2002 increase to 19 deaths was linked with construction of large-scale public works projects, the investigators concluded.
The Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa) of the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech won the grand prize at the 2008 International Capstone Design Fair with a trio of pole-climbing serpentine robots designed to take the place of construction workers tasked with dangerous jobs such as inspecting high-rises or underwater bridge piers.
ACCSH advises the assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health on the formulation of standards affecting the construction industry and on policy matters arising in the administration of the safety and health provisions of the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act, and the OSH Act of 1970.
Meanwhile, fall protection in construction accrued the highest total penalty amounts of all the categories in FY 2008.
"Working without fall protection is like walking a tightrope blindfolded in that one slip or misstep can swiftly result in death or disabling injuries," said C. William Freeman III, director of OSHA's Hartford Area Office.
A post-collapse inspection by the agency revealed 46 alleged safety and health violations, including struck-by, fall, electrical, and noise hazards, as well as failure to prevent explosive dust from accumulating on machinery and the shop floor.
Aircraft parachutes carried for emergency use now must have been packed no more than 120 days previously, but after Dec. 19, 180 days will be permissible.
The two-day symposium takes place this week in Scottsdale and will be keynoted by T. Shane Bush's presentation, "Right Brain Leadership for the Future of Construction Safety."
The association's 25th annual conference will take place in August at the same San Antonio convention center where ASSE's PDC will be held June 28-July 1, 2009.
Employees, employers, and their families from the Hudson Valley and greater New York City area are invited to attend the second Hudson Valley Safety and Health Fair taking place today from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. EST, at the Westchester County Center in White Plains, N.Y.
The four states with the next-highest rates in 2008 are Montana, Ohio, Vermont, and New Hampshire. The lowest rate, $1.08 per $100 of payroll, belongs to North Dakota.
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) recently announced the winners of the Fiscal Year 2009 Intramural National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) competition. Demonstrating a high level of scientific merit and a focus on translating research into practice, awards were given to 17 projects in diverse areas covering some of the many priority needs in each of the NORA sectors.
Continued declines in major workplace injuries and deaths are good news, but the HSE's chair says she's concerned about agriculture, construction, waste and recycling industries, and slip-and-fall incidents.
Electronic tools helping small businesses evaluate workplace safety and health management programs was among the topics presented at a recent OSHA forum titled "Challenges Small Businesses Face in Complying with Regulations."
The construction company's activities at sites around the world continue through Sunday and remind the workers that active planning should precede every task.
OSHA has cited Precision Plaster Paint & Contracting LLC, a Utica, N.Y., contractor, for alleged willful, repeat, and serious violations of safety standards at a Utica worksite. Precision, which was installing a new stucco coating on a commercial building at 430 Court St., faces a total of $111,000 in proposed fines, chiefly for an improperly erected and maintained scaffold, and lack of fall protection for employees.
At 25 deaths on average per 100,000 workers in 2003-2006, this industry is on par with high-risk industries such as agriculture and mining. About a third of those who died of injuries in landscaping were self-employed.
As part of the agreement, the implementation team will conduct quarterly visits to the participating facilities and the Anna and King Salmon Platforms in the Cook Inlet.