Safe Workplace and Safety News

The San Jose Mercury News reports today: "The father of an 18-year-old Redwood City man found his son dead after he fell into a waist-high vat of sulfuric acid early Sunday morning in a bizarre industrial accident, police said."

The complete article is available at: http://www.mercurynews.com/ci_6979959?source=most_viewed

Labels: Industrial Safety

The OSHA Strategic Partnership Program provides an opportunity for OSHA and employers to work together to provide a safe workplace. The following describes a OSHA Strategic Partnership that was recently announced:

OSHA teams with The United Illuminating Company and Black & Veatch Energy on the Middletown-Norwalk Project

NEW HAVEN, Conn. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has entered into a cooperative partnership agreement with The United Illuminating Company (UI) and Black & Veatch Energy (B&V) to reduce hazards and enhance employee safety during the construction of UI's portion of the Middletown-Norwalk Transmission Project currently underway in Stratford and Bridgeport, Conn.

The partnership will emphasize preventing workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities through the implementation of effective safety and health management systems, increased training, use of best work practices, and compliance with applicable OSHA safety and health regulations. B&V is the construction manager for UI's portion of the Middletown-Norwalk Transmission Project, which includes the erection of the new Singer Substation in Bridgeport and approximately six miles of an underground concrete encased duct line in Stratford and Bridgeport.

"Though construction can be a high-hazard industry, effective measures will be taken to minimize and preempt its dangers on this project," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "This agreement will involve thorough, rigorous steps on the part of UI and B&V to aggressively identify, address and eliminate potentially hazardous conditions before they harm employees."

The partnership requires all project contractors and subcontractors to implement effective safety and health management systems to include written safety and health programs. All employees will receive a site-specific construction safety orientation. Daily safety audits will be conducted as will monitoring for toxic substances. An aggressive fall protection program and effective environmental monitoring, hearing conservation, electrical safety and machine guarding programs and procedures will be implemented and followed.

UI and B&V also will establish a system to collect, analyze and disseminate to subcontractors data on injuries, illnesses, accidents and "near-misses"; conduct a comprehensive monthly safety audit; and hold weekly jobsite safety meetings. OSHA will provide technical assistance, review the monthly reports, participate in the monthly meetings, and provide safety and health resources.

The partnership was signed today at UI headquarters in New Haven by Foulke, OSHA New England Regional Administrator Marthe Kent, UI President Anthony J. Villillo and B&V President Dean Oskvig.

A Strategic Partnership does not exempt worksites from routine inspections. OSHA allows exemptions from routine inspections only for VPP and SHARP participants. The benefit to the employer is assistance from OSHA in improving workplace safety.

Labels: safety, Safety Training

We talk about safety first, but do we really mean it?

In the early 1900's the Delaware & Hudson Coal Company placed a sign at the entrance to the Baltimore No. 2 tunnel in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. The sign said, "Safety First" in large, white letters. At 6:40 AM on June 5, 1919 an explosion in the Baltimore No. 2 tunnel killed more than 90 miners and injured many others.

The online edition of Plant Safety Magazine has an article that points out that safety is more than lip service. I'm sure you've already heard this said many, many times before. We all know that if we don't walk-the-talk, then our words are meaningless. What I like about this article is that it provides real-life examples of safety problems and solutions. It's a safety article that provides practical, hands-on useful information, illustrating how both management and employees must walk-the-talk.

You can read the article at: http://www.plantservices.com/articles/2007/189.html?page=3

What happened on June 5, 1919 to cause that tragedy? The Fort Wayne News and Sentinel reported the workers had just entered the mine on a train:

"The train was drawn by a motor. The rear car carried 12 kegs of black powder used for blasting loose the coal in the chambers. The trolley wire snapped when the train had gone about 200 feet from the entrance to the mine. The wire sputtered and the sparks it emitted touched off the powder.

There was a roar and in an instant every man and boy on the train was either dead or dying. Mangled bodies were found everywhere by the rescue crews which instantly rushed into the mine. Firemen quickly put out the flames which followed the blast. Violation of mine laws of the state caused the loss of life. One of the most drastic provisions of the anthracite mine code is the section forbidding the transportation of men on a car or train which carries explosives. Yet the train of little cars conveying its freight of miners had attached to its rear a car with a dozen kegs of powder."

Labels: Industrial Safety, safety

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has published a Request for Information seeking input from the public to determine what action, if any, the Agency should take to further address emergency response and preparedness. The Request for Information was published in the September 12th Federal Register and OSHA is accepting comments from the public until Dec. 10, 2007.

"Elements of the health and safety for emergency responder are currently regulated by OSHA, primarily under six standards," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "Some of these standards were promulgated decades ago and none were designed as a comprehensive emergency response standard. Emergency responders often encounter significant hazards while on the job, and this Agency wants to ensure it is doing everything possible to keep these vital employees safe and healthy while at work."

Current OSHA standards do not reflect all of the major improvements in safety and health practices that have already been accepted by the emergency response community and incorporated into industry consensus standards. This Request for Information is intended to gather information about current thinking and practices relative to emergency responders and skilled support employees.

The public may submit comments electronically at http://www.regulations.gov, the Federal eRulemaking Portal; or by sending or hand delivering three copies to the OSHA Docket Office, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave., N.W., Washington, DC 20210. Submissions that are less than ten pages may be sent by FAX to (202) 693-1648. Comments must include the Agency name and the docket number for this Request for information, Docket No. S-023B. See the Federal Register notice for more information on submitting comments.

Labels: OSHA

IMCO Recycling of Idaho has earned membership in the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). A recognition ceremony recently was held at the company’s plant in Post Falls, Idaho.

“IMCO Recycling of Idaho has identified safety as a core value in its business plan,” said Richard Terrill, OSHA’s regional administrator in Seattle. “In collaboration with employees, the company continues to improve on its already excellent safety and health management system.”

IMCO Recycling of Idaho’s aluminum recycling operations convert beverage cans, scrap and dross (a by-product of aluminum melting) to aluminum. The Post Falls facility has 26 employees.

In addition to its safety and health management system, the plant has an injury and illness case rate well below the industry average. As a participating SHARP company, IMCO Recycling of Idaho is exempt from OSHA programmed inspections until July 6, 2009.

Through SHARP, OSHA recognizes smaller employers that implement, operate and continuously improve exemplary safety and health management systems at their worksites. SHARP status, which is designed to provide incentives and support to employers, may be renewed.

Labels: SHARP

Wisconsin Power Constructors, a Washington Group International subsidiary, has earned OSHA's VPP Star status for its work on a power plant project in Wisconsin, and the project has surpassed two million hours worked without a days-away injury.

The company's construction performance at the Wisconsin Energy Port Washington Generating Station near Milwaukee has been awarded "Star" status in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP). Star status is the highest level available under the program, which recognizes exemplary work sites with comprehensive, successful safety and health management systems.

Wisconsin Power Constructors is providing engineering, procurement, and construction services for a 545-megawatt, combined-cycle facility in Port Washington. The firm completed a similar plant at the site in 2005.

"Designation as a VPP Star site is recognition of sustained excellence in all areas of our safety and health management system," said Brad Giles, Washington Group International's vice president for environmental safety and health. "Other Washington Group sites have also achieved VPP Star status."

OSHA's review of the Port Washington site highlighted several "areas of excellence," including employee integration into site inspections and exemplary owner, management, and craft worker relationships.

"Safety is at the core of Washington Group's values and work practices and is a critical part of successful project performance," said Lou Pardi, president of the company's Power Business Unit, headquartered in Princeton, N.J. "The safety of our workers is always of paramount importance, and we welcome this recognition of our commitment -- and the commitment of our client -- to continue achieving excellence."

Workers at the site, where 100 to 200 crane lifts occur daily, recently surpassed two million hours worked without a days-away injury. All employees are trained and mentored in an extensive safety program, and ongoing meetings and inspections help ensure adherence to established procedures. Approximately 400 union employees work at the project that is scheduled for completion in mid-2008.

At the corporate level, in 2006, Washington Group International became the fifth organization in the United States to be inducted into OSHA's VPP Corporate Pilot Program, joining Georgia-Pacific, International Paper, the U.S. Postal Service, and Dow Chemical Company.

Washington Group International, headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has more than $3 billion in annual revenue and employs approximately 25,000 people at work around the world providing solutions in power, environmental management, defense, oil and gas processing, mining, industrial facilities, transportation, and water resources.

Labels: VPP

National Semiconductor Corporation's Arlington, Texas manufacturing facility has surpassed two million working hours without a lost time injury. To achieve two million hours, Arlington's employees and contractors worked without experiencing a lost time injury for two years.

This safety milestone is the latest in a series of the site's safety accomplishments over the past several years. For example, National's Arlington facility was awarded the OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program (VPP) STAR Award in 2005. Less than 0.0002 percent of U.S. corporations have earned this distinction. The site has also received numerous safety awards from the National Safety Council as well as ISO 14001 and OHSAS 18001 Certifications, two key international safety and environmental standards.

Achieving two million hours without a lost time injury is a significant milestone and reflects the commitment of every employee in our plant," said John Conn, vice president and managing director of National's Arlington manufacturing facility.

The facility manufactures high-performance, energy-efficient analog integrated circuits that extend battery life in cell phones as well as provide fidelity audio and vibrant displays in numerous electronic systems. The company currently employs about 500 people in Arlington, Texas.

Labels: VPP

The University of Vermont web site provides a free Safety PowerPoint Presentation Library. Over 250 safety presentations are available for downloading. Topics include:

• 15 Passenger Van Safety


• Blasting Regulations


• Chemical Carcinogen Training


• Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety


• Construction Safety Management


• Heat Safety


• Lock-out/Tag-out


• Respiratory Protection and Personal Protective Equipment


• Use of Fire Extinguishers

Visit the UVM Safety PowerPoint Presentation Library to download presentations or for more information.

In January 2004 an employee of Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging Inc., died when a paper cutter was not locked out and was subsequently started up.

Occupational Health and Safety Magazine reports that Longview Fibre Paper and Packaging Inc. (Longview, Washington), the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (WSDLI) and the Association of Western Pulp & Paper Workers Union, Local 153 have reached a settlement ending a three year appeals process.

The settlement involves, among other things, Longview Fibre being accepted into the VPP. Read about the settlement here.

Labels: LOTO, VPP

The Department of Energy has compiled a list of VPP tools used by various DOE sites. Here is that list:

VPP Tools and Processes

Employee Involvement

• Hanford's: Union Safety Representative


• Savannah River's: SAFE-T Construction Safety Program


• Idaho's: Safety Observations Achieve Results (SOAR) process


• Idaho's: Passports


• Idaho's: Safety Meetings Online


• Idaho's: DO It (Define, Observe, Intervene and Test


• Idaho's: i-Stretch/i-Balance Program

Communication Tools

• Idaho's: "Safety Menu" or "Food for Thought"


• WIPP's: The Porcelain Press


• Idaho's: Safety Recognition Week

Hazard Identification Tools

• DoD - MSDS: Hazardous Materials Information Resource System


• Hanford's: Automated Job Hazard Analysis Program

Hazard Prevention and Control

• River Corridor Project: 360-Degree Photograph Technology


• Kansas City's: Job Hazard Analysis System


• Argonne's: Job Hazards Questionnaire


• Savannah River's: SAFE-T Construction Safety Program


• WIPP's: The Porcelain Press

Management Commitment

• Savannah River's: Integrated Safety Committee


• Hanford's: Union Safety Representative


• Savannah River's: SAFE-T Construction Safety Program

(VPP) Program Evaluation Tools

• OSHA's: Safety and Health Management Systems eTool


• Hanford's: General Employee Training VPP Survey


• Idaho's: Maturity Path for Employee Safety Teams


• Idaho's: VPP Gap Analysis Booklet

Safety and Health Training

• Hanford's: General Employee Training VPP Survey

Work Site Analysis

• Hanford's: Automated Job Hazard Analysis Program


• Idaho's: Safety Observations Achieve Results (SOAR) process

VPP Logos for download

Labels: VPP, VPP Implementation

OSHA Press Release

SAVANNAH, Ga. -- The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has proposed penalties totaling $76,500 against Savannah Luggage Works, a Vidalia, Ga., manufacturer of military and commercial products, including body armor vests.

The Labor Department proposed a fine of $63,000 against the company for willfully failing to provide machine guards to protect employees and penalties of $13,500 for four other serious safety violations.

"Despite warnings and the company's own experiences, management chose not to undertake a basic and easily implemented action that could prevent employees from being injured while operating mechanical rivet/snap machines," said John J. Deifer, OSHA's area director in Savannah.

The willful violation was issued after OSHA inspectors determined that the company did not take corrective action despite having been notified by a safety consultant in 1993 that the machine guards were necessary. Two employees have been injured as a result of the missing guards, which came with the original equipment that was purchased but were later removed from the machines.

The four serious safety violations included exposing employees to electric start-up hazards by not implementing a lockout program, exposing employees to electrical shocks by using a metal-cased duplex electrical receptacle, not providing guards on machine drive pulleys and belts, and not having a written exposure control plan for employees assigned as first-aid responders.

The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to contest them and the proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The site was inspected by staff from OSHA's office in Savannah, 450 Mall Boulevard, Suite J; telephone (912) 652-4393.

Labels: OSHA Citations

Occupational Health and Safety Magazine reports that: "OSHA has scheduled a December 4th informal public hearing in Washington, D.C., about its proposal to steadily update some PPE standards according to changes in 'good design standards.'"

Anyone wishing to testify at this public hearing must file a written notice by October 1st.

Labels: OSHA, PPE