This is the safety news blog for the Safe Workplace web site. We cover safety related news with a focus on how safety, or a lack of safety, impacts employers, employees and their families. We also cover topics such as safety training, safety tools, and legal issues related to safety. For regular safety news and information enter your email address in the box above the Subscribe Me! button (then click on the button).
Monday, December 31, 2007
OSHA Surpasses Goal For 2007 Inspections
The following is an OSHA press release:
WASHINGTON -- The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) recently released its annual enforcement statistics, confirming that the agency's enforcement programs are producing positive results for the benefit of American workers.
In FY 2007, OSHA conducted 39,324 total inspections, a 4.3 percent increase over its stated goal of 37,700. Total violations of OSHA's standards and regulations were 88,846, a 6 percent increase from Fiscal Year (FY) 2006. The agency cited 67,176 serious violations, a 9 percent increase from the previous year and a more than 12 percent increase over the past four years. The number of cited repeat violations also rose from 2,551 in FY 2006 to 2,714 in FY 2007.
"The fact that OSHA surpassed its inspection goal for FY 2007 proves our enforcement commitment remains strong," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "The significant increase in citations for serious and repeat violations documents OSHA's focus on identifying and eliminating severe hazards in the workplace."
Fatality and injury and illness rates have continued to decline to record lows. The injury and illness incidence rate of 4.4 per 100 employees for calendar year (CY) 2006 was the lowest that the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has ever recorded. Workplace fatality rates hit an all-time low in CY 2006 with 3.9 fatalities per 100,000 employees.
OSHA's results show that a strong, fair and effective enforcement program, along with outreach to employees and employers and partnerships and cooperative programs, add value to the workplace for both employers and employees by reducing injuries, illnesses and fatalities.
The following is a press release from the University of Minnesota Center for Drug Design
Cure likely to benefit firefighters, industrial workers, victims of terrorism
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL -- University of Minnesota Center for Drug Design and Minneapolis VA Medical Center researchers have discovered a new fast-acting antidote to cyanide poisoning. The antidote has potential to save lives of those who are exposed to the chemical -- namely industrial workers, firefighters and victims of terrorist attacks.
"Current cyanide antidotes work slowly and are ineffective when administered after a certain point," said Steven Patterson, Ph.D., principal investigator and associate director of the University of the Minnesota Center for Drug Design.
Patterson is developing an antidote that was discovered by retired University of Minnesota Professor Herbert Nagasawa. This antidote works in less than three minutes -- meeting the United States Department of Defense "three minute solution" standard. The research will be featured in the Dec. 27, 2007 issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry.
"It’s much, much faster than current antidotes," Patterson said. "The antidote is also effective over a wider time window. Giving emergency responders more time is important because it's not likely that someone will be exposed to cyanide near a paramedic."
The antidote was tested on animals and has been exceptionally effective, Patterson said. Researchers hope to begin human clinical trials during the next three years.
The antidote is also unique because it can be taken orally (current antidotes must be given intravenously) and may be administered up to an hour prior to cyanide exposure.
Cyanide is a rapid acting toxin that inhibits cellular respiration -- it prevents the body from using oxygen. This means it rapidly shuts down many of the fundamental biochemical processes the body needs to survive. Symptoms of acute cyanide poisoning include headache, vertigo, lack of motor coordination, weak pulse, abnormal heartbeat, vomiting, stupor, convulsions, coma, and even death.
When released in an enclosed area, cyanide can be particularly deadly and impact a victim very quickly. Survivors of cyanide poisoning are also at risk of short-term memory loss and development of a Parkinson's-like syndrome.
Because cyanide occurs naturally in pitted fruits, some grasses and other foods, and the body has mechanisms to detoxify small amounts in the diet. The new antidote takes advantage of this natural detoxification pathway by providing the substance the body naturally uses to convert cyanide to non-toxic thiocyanate.
The theory and proof of concept for the research originated from Nagasawa, who has since retired from the University of Minnesota, but Patterson continues this work at the Center for Drug Design.
The study is being funded by a five-year grant from the National Institutes of Health.
The Academic Health Center is home to the University of Minnesota’s six health professional schools and colleges as well as several health-related centers and institutes. Founded in 1851, the University is one of the oldest and largest land grant institutions in the country. The AHC prepares the new health professionals who improve the health of communities, discover and deliver new treatments and cures, and strengthen the health economy.
Contact: Nick Hanson, Academic Health Center, (612) 624-2449, hans2853@umn.edu Molly Portz, Academic Health Center, (612) 625-2640, mportz@umn.edu
An OSHA press release provided this information about the updated electrical standard:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration will publish a final rule in the February 14th Federal Register for an updated electrical installation standard.
"These are the first changes to the electrical installation requirements in 25 years, so it is important the standard reflects the most current practices and technologies in the industry," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke Jr. "The revised standard strengthens employee protections and adds consistency between OSHA's requirements and many state and local building codes which have adopted updated National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and National Electrical Code provisions."
Changes to OSHA's general industry electrical installation standard focus on safety in the design and installation of electric equipment in the workplace. The updated standard includes a new alternative method for classifying and installing equipment in Class I hazardous locations; new requirements for ground-fault circuit interrupters (GFCIs) and new provisions on wiring for carnivals and similar installations.
The final rule updates the general industry electrical installation requirements to the 2000 edition of the NFPA 70E, which was used as the foundation of the revised standard. The final rule also replaces the reference to the 1971 National Electrical Code in the mandatory appendix to the powered platform standard with a reference to OSHA's electrical installation standard.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) yesterday published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register (www.osha.gov) for a new fit-testing protocol -- the Abbreviated Bitrex Qualitative Fit-Testing (ABQLFT) protocol -- under Appendix A of OSHA's Respiratory Protection standard. The agency is accepting public comments until Feb. 25, 2008.
"This proposed rule will add a new fit-test method that has a shorter exercise duration than the current methods," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "This method will give employers additional flexibility in selecting procedures for conducting fit-testing."
The proposed rule would add the ABQLFT as an alternative to the four existing OSHA-approved qualitative fit-test protocols. The ABQLFT protocol currently listed in the existing OSHA-approved Bitrex fit-test protocol in the Respiratory Protection standard would shorten the duration for each of the seven fit-test exercises from one minute to 15 seconds.
The proposed protocol would apply to employers in general industry, shipyard employment and the construction industry.
Interested parties may submit comments at http://www.regulations.gov, the federal eRulemaking Portal; by sending three copies to the OSHA Docket Office, Room N-2625, U.S. Department of Labor, 200 Constitution Ave. N.W., Washington, DC, 20210; telephone (202) 693-2350; or if the written submission is ten pages or less, FAX to (202) 693-1648. All comments on the NPRM must include the docket number for this Federal Register notice, OSHA 2007-0006. See the Federal Register notice for more information on submitting comments.
Technical questions about this NPRM can be addressed to John E. Steelnack, OSHA Directorate of Standards and Guidance, at (202) 693-2289.
Is an employee entitled to workers' comp. no matter what the circumstances of the accident were?
The #2 Occupation Hazards Magazine story in 2007 discusses a young KFC worker who refused to follow the instructions of his supervisor and who also ignored safety warning labels. He was injured and collected workers' comp. This article describes what happened and how the Ohio State Supreme Court ruled concerning whether workers' comp. benefits should be paid. The story is called:
This article announces the ten companies that were named to the 2007 list of America's Safest Companies. On October 15, 2007 Occupational Hazards announced:
"America's Safest Companies, founded in 2002 by Occupational Hazards, a Penton Media Inc. publication, is a corporate award honoring the safest companies in the United States. This year's honorees are BWXTPantex, CH2M Hill, E. J. Ajax and Sons, Kroger Manufacturing, Louisiana-Pacific Corp., MB Herzog Electric Inc., Parker Drilling Co., Rea Magnet Wire, Southern Ohio Medical Center and WW Grainger."
I read the above title and did not have a clue as to what the story was about. The first paragraph explains:
"Rep. George Miller, D-Calif., chose to honor America's workers on Labor Day by launching an interactive online map that tracks the location, employer, date, cause of death and name of every worker killed on the job."
What they have done is used Google Maps and marked the location of about about 10% of the worker deaths that have occurred in 2007. The article reports: "The dots that appear on the map represent the victims that have died while working on the job within their state. When viewers click on the dots, an information box will appear showing the name of the victim, the company and industry they worked for, the date of the incident and the cause of their death. The map also shows where the incident took place."
It is a sobering reminder of the need to improve workplace safety.
Occupational Hazards E-News has published their list of the top, most read stories they published in 2007. This week we'll take a look at the top five stories. Number 5 was a story titled "Training From Hell". That is certainly an attention grabbing headline. What was it about?
This article is about the things instructor and trainers should not do. The opening paragraph states:
"Are you the type of trainer who shows up late and forgets to bring handouts? The type of trainer who uses foul language, takes cell phone calls, chews gum and jingles pocket change throughout the session?"
Some of the points made by people interviewed for this article include:
The United Steel Workers have produced a Christmas video. It's not industrial safety related, but it thought it would be a good way to go into the weekend with a Christmas song.
Oklahoma State University freely makes available a set of online Environmental and Health Safety training modules. They were designed for training OSU staff, but are available online for anyone to use. Most of the courses are available online, and many have downloadable PowerPoint presentations available. The topics covered include:
Asbestos Awareness Back Safety Bloodborne Pathogens Compressed Gas Cylinders Electrical Safety Fire Extinguishers Hazard Communications Hazardous Materials Transportation Lockout/Tagout Material Safety Data Sheets Mercury Spill Cleanup Procedures Mower Safety Office Ergonomics Personal Protective Equipment in the Laboratory Practicing Safe Science (from HHMI Safety is Everybody's Business Scaffolds Stress Management (Steven L. Burns, MD) Sun Safety Suspicious Package Training Walking on Ice & Snow
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the page where you'll find links to other free safety training resources.
Contractor Serves Jail Time Following Worker's Death
The director of Wrexham Roof Services Ltd was found guilty of manslaughter following the death of an employee who fell through a skylight. He served 2-1/2 years in prison.
The following is a press release from the United Kingdom's Health and Safety Executive (HSE). HSE is the part of the United Kingdom government that is responsible for the regulation of risks to occupational health and safety in the UK.
Under UK law, in addition to fines similar to those levied by OSHA, the responsible parties for a death resulting from a workplace accident may be charged with manslaughter.
Here is the HSE press release:
The Health and Safety Executive is warning companies whose business involves working at height to ensure they provide suitable safety equipment and have appropriate procedures in place before allowing their staff to work in potentially dangerous situations.
It follows the prosecution of a North Wales roofing contractor in relation to an incident where one of his employees sustained serious injuries, and later died, after a 25ft fall through a skylight on the roof of the Comet store in Wrexham.
Paul Christopher Alker, 33, required surgery for a broken collar bone after the fall, just days after starting work with Wrexham Roof Services Ltd. He died shortly after his operation.
In a prosecution brought by the Crown Prosecution Service, Steven Christopher Smith, director of Wrexham Roof Services Ltd, Rhostyllen, Wrexham, pleaded guilty to manslaughter, a charge under the Health and Safety at Work etc Act 1974 and a further charge of committing acts intending to pervert the course of justice. Smith was jailed for a total of two and a half years following a hearing at Mold Crown Court.
HSE assisted North Wales Police on the investigation into the incident, and HSE inspector Debbie John said it was not acceptable for employers to cut corners.
"Mr Smith clearly knew that he should have provided safety harnesses for people working on roofs, but chose only to do this after the incident which led to the death of Mr Alker."
Figures show that in 2006/07, 45 people have died and more than 3000 suffered a serious injury after a fall from height in the workplace. It remains the most common cause of fatal injury in the workplace, but the risk does not just apply to those working at great height. Many fatal and serious injuries are caused by people falling from below head height too.
"Health and Safety rules are not there to inconvenience employers or to wrap employees or others in cotton wool – they are in place to ensure incidents like this are prevented, and the risk of this incident happening would have been significantly reduced had appropriate safety equipment been provided."
Industrial Safety Systems to Benefit from Growing Need for Operational Excellence and Safety Regulation Compliance
Press Release From: Frost & Sullivan
Palo Alto, Calif. – Process owners face immense pressure to curtail production costs in order to compete in the global market. Currently, process efficiency, reliability, quality product supplies and hazardous working environments continue to push the process industry to its limits. Despite this challenging environment, the process industry continues to work toward the improvement of operational excellence while remaining competitive in the market by complying with safety regulations. With the global industry witnessing strong double-digit growth rates due to a large number of upcoming worldwide Greenfield projects, safety solution providers have the opportunity to cash in on this boom.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan finds that the market earned revenues of $1.0 billion in 2006 and estimates this to reach $2.1 billion in 2013.
"With automation taking huge strides in process industries, safer working environments are inevitable," notes Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Muthuraman Ramasamy. "In particular, significant investments have been made in key end-user verticals such as oil and gas, chemical and petrochemicals, and power."
These long-term investments should have a lesser total cost of ownership (TCO) and faster return on investment (ROI) because end-users feel pressured to reduce costs while simultaneously improving the quality and supply of products.
Therefore, end users welcome a system that addresses the underlying challenge of minimizing the trade off between process uptime and process safety. In addition, end users favor vendors that have significant technical experience in installing complex integrated safety solutions that monitor safety and non-safety functions while reducing the costly channels of diversified communication.
"Safety system vendors can respond to this growing need by rapidly developing total integrated solutions to capitalize on this market," says Ramasamy. "Apart from offering integrated solutions with a superior value-cost proposition, market participants who have the ability to deploy solutions globally and introduce technologically advanced products that address market challenges will garner success in the safety systems for process industries market."
Additionally, increasing the predictability of safety system failure would enable end users to prevent costly downtime, thereby strengthening a system's value proposition. This predictability would have an indirect impact on process efficiency by improving the productivity, process uptime and output.
In order to achieve greater market penetration, market participants must also educate end users on the benefits of technologically advanced safety systems over homegrown solutions. Furthermore, a regional analysis clearly demonstrates that Asia-Pacific will likely become a booming market for process safety due to strong growth in its scale of economies.
Lucrative opportunities lie in legacy installations and the retrofit market, wherein the demand for safety systems remains largely untapped. Solutions with open architecture and flexibility to adapt to different systems provided by various automation suppliers increase the acceptability level among end users. Hence, market participants should focus on understanding end-user requirements and processes to develop a system that strategically meets their critical safety demands and needs.
If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides manufacturers, end users, and other industry participants with an overview of the World Safety Systems Markets for Process Industries, then send an e-mail to Sara Villarruel, Corporate Communications, at sara.villarruel@frost.com, with the following information: your full name, company name, title, telephone number, e-mail address, city, state, and country. We will send you the information via email upon receipt of the above information.
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Consulting Company, partners with clients to accelerate their growth. The company's Growth Partnership Services, Growth Consulting and Career Best Practices empower clients to create a growth focused culture that generates, evaluates and implements effective growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan employs over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from more than 30 offices on six continents. For more information about Frost & Sullivan's Growth Partnerships, visit http://www.frost.com.
New OSHA Cleaning Industry Safety and Health Resources Web Page
A new U.S. Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration web page will help cleaning and maintenance industry employers protect the safety and health of their employees.
The new Safety and Health Topics page, "OSHA Assistance for the Cleaning Industry," provides information on potential hazards, such as slips, trips and falls, OSHA standards, and links to free resources from OSHA and other organizations. The web page was developed by OSHA with input from ISSA, a cleaning industry trade association, as part of the OSHA and ISSA Alliance.
"OSHA is the leading resource on safety and health issues for employers and employees in all industries," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. "This new Safety and Health Topics page is another example of OSHA’s commitment to assist employees with identifying and preventing workplace hazards in the cleaning industry."
The page features information from OSHA and other organizations on the types of hazards common in the cleaning and maintenance industry. Visitors may examine topics related to hazardous or toxic substances, cleaning chemicals and electrical risks, and possible solutions to avoid these hazards. In addition, the page features links to standards frequently cited by OSHA in this industry, such as bloodborne pathogens, asbestos and hazard communication.
OSHA and ISSA have worked together under the Alliance for two years, providing more than 77,000 ISSA members and other stakeholders with valuable information and training resources. ISSA represents more than 4,800 distributor, manufacturer, building service contractor and in-house service provider members.
Bronx, N.Y., Manufacturer Faces $382,500 in OSHA Fines
$382,500 in fines for uncorrected and other safety and health hazards
NEW YORK -- Gen-Cap Industries Inc., a Bronx manufacturer of fireproof doors, faces a total of $382,500 in proposed fines from the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for 76 alleged safety and health violations at its 913 Edgewater Road plant, including 14 instances of failing to correct hazards cited in previous OSHA inspections.
"Left uncorrected, this mixture of new, ongoing and uncorrected hazards exposes employees to potential injury or death from fire, explosion, laceration, amputation, electrocution, chemical burns, hearing loss and crushing," said Diana Cortez, director of OSHA's area office in Tarrytown, N.Y., which conducted the inspections. "The sizable fines proposed here reflect the scope and seriousness of these conditions and the need for them to be promptly and effectively addressed."
OSHA opened follow-up inspections in May 2007 to verify correction of hazards cited in November 2004, when the plant operated as JGB LLC, doing business as General Fireproof Doors. As a result of its latest inspections, OSHA issued the company:
Fourteen notices for failure to abate, with $288,000 in proposed fines, for failing to develop a program and supply training and equipment to ensure that machines' power sources were shut down and locked out to prevent their accidental startup during maintenance; unguarded press brakes and welding machines; no eyewash facilities where required; no fire extinguisher training; no shielding on a spot welding machine to minimize burn hazards; and no hazard communication program and training. The plant was supposed to have corrected these hazards but did not do so.
Thirteen repeat citations, with $27,600 in fines, for no hearing conservation program; sprinklers not kept free of paint deposits; failure to clean accumulated combustible debris; improper disposal of combustible material; failure to enforce the use of eye, face and foot protection; unsanitary bathrooms and toilets; no lead cleaning schedule; an unprotected electrical outlet; and unguarded grinders. The plant had been cited for substantially similar hazards in 2004.
Forty-nine serious citations, with $66,900 in fines, for blocked, unmarked or unilluminated exits; blocked fire extinguisher access; no fire extinguisher for a battery charging area; a defective powered industrial truck; crane safety defects; numerous instances of unguarded machinery; a variety of electrical hazards; unsecured compressed gas cylinders; unbonded containers of flammables; uncleaned paint spray booth walls; defective respirators; inadequate personal protective equipment training and use; no respirator program; and no welding shield.
I ran into an interesting safety blog that covers safety from a different view that I do. My background includes working in industrial construction, power plants, paper mills and refineries, so I tend to lean toward covering safety in construction, industry and utilities. The OSHA Underground Blog seems to cover smaller business. While I try to also provide information about safety resources, training and codes & regulations, the OSHA Underground has more of a focus on reporting safety violations and problems. So although we both talk about safety, we provide completely different views of safety.
It has been about a week since the last post in this blog. We've be working to move our blog from being hosted on Blogger, to being an integrated part of our web site. It was a little more complicated than anticipated and involved changing our hosting, but we should now be back to our regular posting schedule. The next step is a complete upgrade for our web site.
Top Ten Precautions To Take When Exposed to Cold Weather
The following is a press release from ESIS.
What Every Construction and Outdoor Worker Should Know
Prolonged exposure to freezing temperatures can result in injuries as serious as frostbite and hypothermia. ESIS, Inc., ("ESIS®") a risk management services company of ACE USA, recently released a top ten list of precautions construction and other outdoor workers should take when exposed to cold weather.
"Cold weather takes away body heat. Too much heat loss can cause the inner body temperature to fall to dangerously low levels causing hypothermia and even death," said Allen Abrahamsen, Assistant Vice President, Construction Safety Services for ESIS® Risk Control Services.
About 700 deaths a year are attributed to hypothermia alone, which results when the body’s internal temperature drops below 95°F. In addition:
• Exposed body parts may freeze in extreme cold weather (e.g. frostbite). • Cold weather can aggravate existing medical conditions such as rheumatism and arthritis. • Cold weather affects dexterity, mental skills, and coordination. • Prolonged exposure to even moderately cold weather can cause injuries. • Working in cold weather increases the risk of musculoskeletal injuries such as back strain.
TOP TEN PRECAUTIONS TO TAKE WHEN EXPOSED TO COLD WEATHER
Cold Temperature Exposures, Injuries, and Controls on the Jobsite
1. Wearing the proper clothes may be the most significant precaution to reducing cold stress. Wearing appropriate clothes for cold weather involves using three layers of clothing. Also use layering to protect the head, hands, and feet.
2. Drink plenty of fluids, preferably warm, sweet beverages. Thirst is suppressed in a cold environment and dehydration may occur when fluid intake is reduced.
3. Increase caloric intake when working in cold environments. Workers in cold environments who wear heavy, protective clothing expend more heat and so require 10-15 percent more calories.
4. A Work Warm-Up Schedule should be used to provide periodic times for warm-up breaks. Additional breaks should be provided as the wind velocity increases and/or the temperature drops.
5. Avoid taking certain drugs such as alcohol, nicotine, caffeine, and medication that inhibit the body's response to cold or impairs judgment.
6. Avoid the cold if you are becoming exhausted or fatigued. Energy is needed to keep muscles warm.
7. Shield work areas from drafty or windy conditions. Provide a heated shelter for workers with prolonged exposure to equivalent wind-chill temperatures of 20 F or less.
8. Select the warmest hours of the day when braving the cold. Minimize activities that reduce circulation.
9. Educate employees on symptoms of cold-related stresses: heavy shivering, uncomfortable coldness, severe fatigue, drowsiness, and/or euphoria.
10. Use the buddy system. Always work in pairs when working in extreme weather conditions so partners can monitor one another and obtain help quickly in an emergency.
According to Mr. Abrahamsen, the impact of cold weather on the health of employees, as well as quality and productivity is often underestimated. "Construction is about producing a quality product on time and on budget," said Mr. Abrahamsen, "Since cold weather generally has an indirect impact on these measures, it's not immediately identifiable as a cause of decreased safety, quality, and productivity." Injuries due to cold stress can develop slowly and unobtrusively. The symptoms may go undetected until a worker’s health or life is in danger. These tips can help employers and employees to protect themselves against cold stress exposure and injury on the jobsite.
ESIS Risk Control Services is widely respected within the construction industry for its emphasis on proactive measures, strong focus on client education, and solid expertise in lessening the potential for risk in construction operations. Their "hands on" experience of more than 80 years of construction-related loss control activities enable the engineer to assist in developing solutions that can be effective in the unique environment of the dynamic construction site.
Organized in 1953, ESIS, Inc. (ESIS) provides sophisticated risk management services designed to help reduce our clients’ total cost of loss. ESIS takes a holistic approach that blends people, process and technology to offer programs that are customized to meet each client’s needs. ESIS is part of ACE USA, the U.S.-based retail operating division of the ACE Group of Companies, headed by ACE Limited (NYSE: ACE). ACE USA is rated A+ (Superior) by A.M. Best Company and A+ (Strong) by Standard & Poor’s. ACE USA, through its underwriting companies, provides insurance products and services throughout the U.S. Additional information about ACE USA and its products and services can be found at www.aceina.com. Additional information about ESIS, Inc. and its products and services can be found at www.esis.com. The ACE Group of Companies provides insurance and reinsurance for a diverse group of clients around the world.
