The March 4 "OSHA Listens" meeting did not lack for out-of-the-box thinking. What OSHA does with the input from ASSE President Chris Patton and others is the crucial part, of course.
"OSHA standards are designed to minimize the risk of exposure and its potential impact on workers' health, but they are effective only so long as employers adhere to them," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.
Specifically, the agency found instances of improper transfer and storage of flammable liquids; lack of specific lockout/tagout procedures and training to prevent the unintended startup of machines during maintenance; lack of hearing protection; inadequate respirator training, fit-testing, medical evaluation, inspection, and maintenance; unguarded grinders; and more.
Magnus Nicolin, who was previously Newell Rubbermaid Inc.'s president for Europe, Middle East, Africa, and Asia Pacific, was chosen after "an extensive internal and external search that produced an exceptionally strong candidate pool," Ansell Chairman Peter Barnes said.
Sweating the small stuff can become a big problem. Clear vision is a must in order for your workers to be safe.
Exposure to hand and arm vibration in the workplace can range from severe and debilitating to nuisance level. Fortunately, there are simple solutions to this under-reported, under-regulated problem.
We must face the reality that hearing conservation efforts are interdisciplinary, integrated, and need leadership that executes a detailed and appropriate plan.
"While most people think of construction or manufacturing as high-risk occupations where eye injuries are prevalent, even jobs requiring 'smart phones,' laptops, and desktop computers can cause vision problems if not used properly," notes AOA's Dr. James Sheedy.
Former ACOEM President Dr. Robert McCunney, on a panel assembled by the American Wind Energy Association to review the published literature on possible health effects caused by today's wind turbines, said the experts found no risk at all.
The 2010 Safe-in-Sound Excellence in Hearing Loss Prevention Awards™ being presented tonight at the 35th Annual Hearing Conservation Conference thank companies and individuals for dedication in preventing workers' noise-induced hearing loss.
"This case is a clear and grave example of the human cost incurred when required fall protection safeguards are absent, ignored, or inadequate," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's New Hampshire area director.
The agency's revised "current intelligence bulletin" for asbestos fibers and other elongate mineral particles explains what NIOSH still wants to explore and also clarifies the 1990 NIOSH recommended exposure limit for airborne asbestos fibers.
Specifically, OSHA found blocked exits, workers lacking safety glasses and gloves while working with acid, unlabeled containers of hazardous chemicals, unmarked electrical equipment, exposed live electrical parts, and moisture in electrical equipment.
According to the study, the market is driven by the fact that more than 120 million workers across the globe are exposed to dangerously high noise levels (over 85 dB). In the United States alone, more than 30 million workers are exposed to prolonged noise levels in their day-to-day life.
The National Association of Tower Erectors worked with tower owners and operators to develop the content, which will guide on-site employees of owners, carriers, broadcasters, and general contractors.
A study done for Safe Work Australia also showed that many in the country's trades do not follow standard safety precautions to protect themselves against exposure to asbestos fibers.
The two deadly incidents, which befell separate worksites, were among five that occurred during a 15-day span in the Pittsburgh area last summer.
Among the imposed sanctions, the company, its owner, and former owner must pay outstanding monetary penalties, which continue to accrue interest, and other miscellaneous fees, in the current amount of $258,582.08; and the current owner must pay a $100 daily penalty, calculated from the time of default, in early 2008, on the ignored OSHRC final order.
The certification by Cal/OSHA and federal OSHA followed a three-year safety project at the Clean Harbors facility.
British agencies began a consultation on Feb. 9 to take stakeholders' comments on how to implement it.