While inspecting the site, OSHA found that two trenches—including the one in which the injured employee was working—lacked cave-in protection, as neither had a trench box or shield system.
Construction falls and trench collapses might occur at any time during the year, but they typically peak during the summer.
OSHA began an inspection in October 2010 after an employee died when he was crushed by a large steel frame weighing approximately 1,550 pounds. Proposed penalties total $127,200.
The recycling facility located in Buffalo, N.Y., was cited for hazardous energy control (lockout/tagout) and bloodborne pathogen hazards, among others.
Each year, thousands of outdoor workers experience heat illness, which often manifests as heat exhaustion. If not quickly addressed, heat exhaustion can become heat stroke, which killed more than 30 workers last year.
Facilities storing spent nuclear fuel and high-level radioactive waste soon will be complying with new security requirements to prevent sabotage.
"Eliminating safety barriers and failing to develop emergency plans because they are inconvenient or time-consuming is no excuse for endangering employees," said William Fulcher, director of OSHA's Atlanta-East Area Office.
The organization submitted a similar petition that FDA denied in 1999, but Public Citizen says the reasons cited for the denial are no longer valid and many glove manufacturers support a ban.
OSHA has issued the company 13 safety citations for failing to provide fall protection and implement water safety procedures for workers sandblasting and painting the Interstate 75 Disalle Bridge more than 40 feet above the Maumee River.
The document will help establishments with fewer than 500 workers ensure safe production of ready-to-eat meat and poultry products.
An OSHA inspector was performing a work site inspection when he directed an employee to exit the trench, believing collapse was imminent. Within five minutes the trench collapsed and could have buried the worker under 6 to 7 feet of soil.
Loads that are improperly rigged can expose workers to hazards including falls, electric shock, amputation, and being crushed by objects.
OSHA cited the company for 12 serious and one repeat violation after an inspection identified two incidents of anhydrous ammonia release, an absence of fall protection, the employer's failure to implement an emergency response plan, and other workplace hazards.
Lord Young's report proposed that employers have to report injuries only if they cause seven days of lost time, rather than the current three. The society says this is a bad idea.
"This case is a stark example of the devastating consequences to workers when adequate machine guarding is absent," said Edward Jerome, OSHA's area director in Albany.
The injured worker suffered third degree burns to his neck, chest and arms, and second degree burns to the face as a result of an arc flash that occurred when a transformer was unexpectedly energized by another worker.
OSHA proposed $82,700 in penalties for the violations following its inspection, which was conducted based on high injury and illness rates reported at the site.
The safety inspection found 10 serious and five repeat safety violations. A health investigation yielding nine serious violations was opened Nov. 15, 2010, based on a referral from the safety inspection.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission unanimously approved (5-0) a new mandatory standard to improve the safety of toddler beds. The new federal standard builds upon the ASTM voluntary standard for toddler beds (F1821-09) and adds additional protections to prevent injuries to children.
Without precautions being taken, such as proper ventilation or protective equipment, the preparation, administration, and the disposal of these drugs exposes hundreds of thousands of workers to potentially harmful levels of the chemicals involved.