For those unavoidable times when spills do occur, work areas that contain hazardous chemicals should have a properly labeled chemical spill response kit.
On Sept. 20, flammable vapors ignited in a storage room holding more than 800 gallons of flammable liquids, and a plant employee who tried to extinguish the fire sustained burns that were not life-threatening.
An article in the EPRI Journal describes several robots being used for nondestructive evaluation, collecting data on light intensity, and inspecting transmission lines.
Chairman/CEO Jim Ryan said 2011 “was an exceptional year for Grainger” as he announced its $8.1 billion in sales and record earnings of $9.07 per share.
Ford Motor Company ACH and the United Auto Workers had two aims from the partnership launched 10 years ago with MIOSHA: focus on the hazards that can hurt people and get each plant involved.
Overall injury rates have improved by 90 percent since 1998. Dr. Greg Stone, its global safety and health director, says his team zeroes in on significant incidents and ensures the lessons learned are shared with every manufacturing plant around the world.
DOSH has created a new Web page offering training materials and other resources and developed a slideshow depicting two serious injuries due to molten metal.
"Left uncorrected, these hazards expose employees to possible electrocution, crushing, and struck-by injuries, being caught in moving machine parts, hearing loss, falls, eye and hand injuries, asbestos, and lead," said Arthur Dube, OSHA's acting area director in Albany.
The CSB investigation found that significant amounts of fine iron powder had accumulated over time at the Hoeganaes facility, and that while the company knew from its own testing and experience with flash fires in the plant that the dust was combustible, it did not take the necessary action to reduce the hazards through engineering controls and basic housekeeping.
Electrical safety radically improves when workers can determine a zero electrical energy state without any voltage exposure to themselves.
OSHA opened inspections in July after receiving complaints alleging burn hazards and poor housekeeping throughout the plant.
OSHA began its investigation in August in response to a complaint, and found workers exposed to sulfuric acid and caustic soda while recovering silver from X-ray film and processing plastics for recycling. Proposed penalties total $144,760.
Houston-based Piping Technology and Products Inc. faces 13 willful and 17 serious violations and has been added to OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which mandates targeted follow-up inspections.
The agency's $195,930 proposed fine and description of the June 12 fatality sounds all too familiar.
OSHA initiated an inspection of the fabrication plant after receiving a complaint alleging that injured workers, who were unable to perform their normal jobs, were moved to other jobs to avoid recordable injuries on the OSHA 300 logs.
Soot is generated by coal-fired power plants, diesel and other vehicles, agricultural burning, wood stoves, and industrial combustion.
"Our inspections found numerous electrical, chemical, mechanical, fire, and exit hazards at this plant," said Paul Mangiafico, OSHA's area director in Hartford, Conn.
"Failing to follow process safety management procedures to reduce workers' exposure to hazardous chemicals is unacceptable," said Kathy Webb, OSHA's area director in North Aurora.
NIOSH recently compiled a fact sheet on lung disease that can result from exposure to flavoring chemicals containing diacetyl.
"DPA's Safety Division is the fastest growing of the group's four market segments. We are getting so many requests from suppliers and distributors to join that we unfortunately have to turn many companies away."