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Occupational Safety and Health Administration

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July 15, 2011 · Volume 10, Issue 14
In this issue

Secretary of Labor Solis travels to Florida to bring message on protecting workers from heat-related illnesses

Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis traveled to Florida July 13 to take OSHA's message of Water-Rest-Shade to workers. Taking a tour and meeting with workers at a Florida Power and Light (FPL) generation plant in Dania Beach, the Secretary spoke to local media about the importance of OSHA's Heat Illness Campaign. The FPL site was chosen because the company has worked hard with their unionized employees (International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers) to put together a program focused on the hazards of heat stress. This site is also a participant in OSHA's Voluntary Protection Programs.

"We're obviously concerned about utility workers, berry pickers, landscapers and brick layers. But our message is just as important for the baggage handlers who transport luggage across the hot tarmac at Miami International Airport or car salesmen who pace the hot asphalt lots at dealerships that line Northwest 36th Street and 27th Avenue, as well as those working on road crews in heavy safety gear revamping North Miami Avenue and I-195," Solis explained. "Statistically, we know that Latino workers are at the greatest risk of heat illness. They are more likely to work in outdoor industries such as agriculture and construction and are at greater risk of ending up hospitalized or worse from heat stroke."

After the tour and a series of quick interviews, Solis headed for an informal luncheon at the OSHA Area Office in Fort Lauderdale to thank OSHA, Wage and Hour and EBSA employees for their efforts in protecting workers.

OSHA schedules stakeholder meetings to discuss occupational exposure to infectious diseases

OSHA will hold two informal stakeholder meetings July 29 in Washington, D.C., to solicit comments on exposure to infectious diseases in the workplace. OSHA will use information gathered during these meetings to explore the possible development of a proposed rule to protect workers from occupational exposure to infectious agents in healthcare settings where direct patient care is provided and other settings where workers perform tasks with occupational exposure. Based on responses to OSHA's May 2010 Request for Information on Infectious Diseases and an ongoing review of literature on this subject, OSHA is considering development of a proposed program standard to control worker exposures to infectious agents. The two meetings will be held July 29 from 9 a.m. to noon and from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. at DOL headquarters in Washington, D.C. See the news release for more information.

Safety summit in New York reaches out to Asian American/Pacific Islander workers

Director of OFCCP Patricia Shiu gives her keynote address at the AAPI Worker Protection Summit in Flushing, N.Y.
Director of OFCCP Patricia Shiu gives her keynote address at the AAPI Worker Protection Summit in Flushing, N.Y.
Nearly 150 participants attended the New York Asian American/Pacific Islander (AAPI) Worker Protection Summit hosted July 9 by OSHA and DOL's Wage and Hour Division at Flushing Town Hall in Flushing, N.Y. The summit was co-sponsored by community service and advocacy organizations, membership-based organizations and labor unions representing AAPI workers. Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) Director Patricia A. Shiu gave the keynote speech. Educational materials were available in Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese and breakout groups had staff fluent in Cantonese, Mandarin and Korean. This was a unique opportunity to build bridges between government agencies and workers in the community, and to discuss workplace safety and health issues, workplace wage and hour issues, worker rights and how to voice concerns when those rights are violated.

OSHA holds Web chat on Semiannual Regulatory Agenda

OSHA officials held a Web chat July 11 to discuss the agency's new regulatory agenda with the public and members of the press. Executive Order 12866 requires the semiannual publication of an agenda of regulations that contains a listing of all the regulations the Department of Labor expects to have under active consideration for promulgation, proposal, or review during the coming one-year period. During the hour-long Web chat, OSHA staff responded to more than 80 questions.

OSHA issues hazard alert on use of scissor lifts to film events and other functions

OSHA issued a hazard alert about the hazards of using scissor lifts to film events and functions. Scissor lifts are portable, hydraulic-powered lifts that are commonly used by colleges and high schools to film athletic and band activities. Hazards associated with scissor lifts include using the equipment during high winds or bad weather; overloading the equipment with heavy objects; removing the guardrails during operation; and driving the lift on uneven or unstable ground. The alert recommends precautions to reduce the risk of these and other hazards. See the news release for more information.

In October 2010, a 20-year-old University of Notre Dame employee was killed during a football practice while filming the team from a scissor lift that was blown over by high winds. The worker, who reportedly was not trained to properly operate the equipment, raised the lift more than 39 feet into the air on a day in which winds exceeded 50 miles per hour. After investigating the incident, the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration fined the university $77,500 and cited it with the most serious safety violation allowable under Indiana law.

National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health makes recommendations to OSHA

The National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH) recommended at a June 22 meeting in Washington, D.C., that OSHA keep the Injury and Illness Prevention Program proposed rule as the highest priority in its regulatory agenda by keeping it on a timely schedule as it moves through the regulatory process. NACOSH also expressed support for the efforts of OSHA, in consultation with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), to modernize the system for collection of injury and illness data to assure that it is timely, complete, accurate and both accessible and useful to employers, employees, responsible government agencies and members of the public. NACOSH's other recommendations included NIOSH working with employers and employees to assure completeness and accuracy of injury and illness data and OSHA taking whatever steps are necessary and possible to issue the proposed silica rule without further delay. See NACOSH's complete recommendations for more information.

Committee will meet July 27-28 to advise OSHA on protecting the safety and health of construction workers

OSHA will hold a meeting of the Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health (ACCSH) July 27-28 at DOL headquarters in Washington, D.C. ACCSH, an advisory body established under the Contract Work Hours and Safety Standards Act and the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, has advised the secretary of labor and assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health for more than 35 years on construction standards and policy matters. The ACCSH agenda will include remarks from OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels. The agenda also will include updates from the Directorates of Construction and Cooperative and State Programs, and an update on the Injury and Illness Prevention Program rulemaking. ACCSH work groups will meet July 27, and the full committee will meet July 28. Individuals have until July 21 to submit comments and requests to speak by mail, fax or online through the Federal eRulemaking Portal. See the Federal Register notice for details.

Michaels seeks nominations for Federal Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health

OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels is seeking nominations for membership on the Federal Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (FACOSH), which advises the secretary of labor on all matters relating to the occupational safety and health of federal employees. This includes providing advice on how to prevent injuries and illnesses in the federal workforce and how to encourage the establishment and maintenance of effective occupational safety and health programs in each federal agency. FACOSH is comprised of 16 members, eight representing management and eight representing labor organizations. Michaels is seeking nominations to fill three positions each from management and labor. Interested parties have until Sept. 6 to submit nominations online, by mail, or by fax. See the Federal Register notice for more information.

OSHA revises directive for reducing and eliminating hazards in commercial diving operations

OSHA recently revised a directive that provides guidance on OSHA procedures aimed at eliminating hazards and reducing worker injuries, illnesses and deaths during commercial diving operations. OSHA's commercial diving standard (29 CFR 1910 Subpart T), issued in 1977, applies to diving and related support operations in the general, construction and maritime industries. Changes in the current directive include:

  • listing answers to commonly asked questions about commercial diving operations
  • clarifying the requirements for and duties of workers who assist divers with their diving suits and gear, communications equipment and other functions

Included in the directive are inspection procedures for before, during and after dives; equipment maintenance; and recordkeeping requirements. The directive is available on OSHA's Safety and Health Topics page on Commercial Diving, along with commercial diving standards specific to shipyard employment, marine terminals and longshoring, hazards and solutions, and safety and health programs. See the news release for more information.

Michaels participates in European Union talks on worker safety

OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels traveled to Brussels, Belgium, to speak at a July 13 meeting of the European Parliament Committee on Employment and Social Affairs. Michaels spoke to the committee members about the state of occupational safety and health in the United States and the opportunities for global progress by working with the European Union. Speaking about the importance of Injury and Illness Prevention Programs, Michaels said, "Our successful collaboration can serve as a blueprint to develop the tools employers and workers need to successfully implement these programs. We benefit from each other's perspectives, and we move forward to improve conditions for our workers, our economies and our societies."

DOL resolves OSHA citations against gunpowder manufacturer for explosion that killed two workers

As part of an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor, Black Mag LLC, doing business as BMI and as Black Mag Industries, and Craig Sanborn, the company's president, managing member and primary owner, have surrendered Black Mag LLC's explosives manufacturing license and will permanently refrain from employing workers in any explosives-related business enterprise. OSHA fined Black Mag LLC $1.2 million in October 2010 and cited the company for more than 50 willful, egregious and serious violations of safety standards in connection with a May 14, 2010, explosion at the company's Colebrook, N.H., facility. The explosion killed two employees who were manufacturing a gunpowder substitute. The employer contested the citations and fines to the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission, but has since withdrawn its notice of contest and agreed to entry of an order that it violated the Occupational Safety and Health Act. See the news release for more information.

Two employers fined more than $600,000 after four workers suffer amputations
Companies placed in OSHA's Severe Violator Enforcement Program

OSHA fined Quality Stamping Products Co. $426,100 and cited the company for 27 safety and health violations, including one willful violation for failing to report two amputation injuries that occurred at the company's metal stamping plant in Cleveland. Two employees had fingers severed and crushed while operating mechanical power presses in the plant prior to OSHA's January inspection. As a result, the company was cited for a total of nine willful safety violations, which also included failing to train press operators in safe work methods and failing to ensure the flywheels on the mechanical power presses were adequately guarded. The company was also cited with one willful health violation for its lack of proper chemical hazard communication and training. See the news release for more information.

OSHA fined T & D Metal Products LLC $214,830 and cited the company with four safety violations, after two workers suffered amputation injuries at the company’s Watseka, Ill., metal stamping facility. Inspectors found that the company willfully disregarded the law’s requirements by failing to lock out/tag out hazardous energy sources prior to performing maintenance operations and to have point-of-operation guarding on two press brakes that caused the worker amputations in two separate incidents. OSHA also cited the company with a serious safety violation for failing to use safety blocks when dies were being adjusted and repaired. Prior to this inspection, the company had been cited by OSHA for 47 violations since 1988. See the news release for more information.

Contractor fined more than $350,000 after repeatedly exposing workers to trenching cave-in hazards

OSHA fined contractor P. Gioioso & Sons Inc. $354,000 after exposing its workers to cave-in hazards at Massachusetts work sites in Cambridge and Framingham. The company, which is primarily engaged in the construction of underground water and sewer mains, has a long history of violating workplace safety standards. Since 2000, Gioioso was cited seven times for repeat violations of OSHA's trenching and excavation safety standards prior to these most recent citations. The Cambridge inspection was opened when an OSHA inspector observed a Gioioso employee working in an unprotected trench. During the inspection, a section of the trench wall collapsed while the employee was still in the trench. The second inspection began after a concerned passer-by informed OSHA of workers in an unguarded trench. In both cases, OSHA found that the trenches lacked cave-in protection and a ladder or other safe means for workers to exit the trenches. See the news release for more information.

OSHA staff help provide assistance to ensure the safety and health of workers during tornado cleanup in Joplin

An OSHA industrial hygiene Compliance Safety and Health Officer (right) using a respirable dust monitor
An OSHA industrial hygiene Compliance Safety and Health Officer (right) using a respirable dust monitor and discussing his findings with a contractor in Joplin, Mo., following the May 22 tornado that devastated the city.
OSHA Area office personnel have been on the ground providing assistance and monitoring cleanup operations in Joplin, Mo., since the city was hit by a devastating tornado May 22 to see that workers are being protected from hazards during the recovery process. Conservative estimates are that there are more than three million cubic yards of debris left behind by the tornado that workers must collect and transport to local landfills for disposal. Region VII OSHA staff completed approximately 200 interventions to date with federal, state, local, and private sector entities working in Joplin. Concerns range from worker exposure to asbestos and other hazardous materials, heat stress, cuts, falls, and large vehicle traffic. OSHA personnel have made every effort to ensure work practices are well-planned and employee exposures are addressed. See OSHA’s Tornado Preparedness and Response Web page for information on preventing worker injuries and illnesses during tornado recovery operations.


Manufacturer reduces worker injuries and illnesses with help from OSHA’s free On-site Consultation Program

Rynone Manufacturing Corporation, a family owned and operated manufacturer of marble countertops, contacted OSHA’s free On-site Consultation Program to request assistance in improving their safety and health management system. During an initial comprehensive visit at Rynone’s Sayre, Pa., facility the consultant identified hazards related to process operations and provided training on hazard recognition. As a result of the assistance it received from the On-site Consultation personnel, the company enhanced its safety and health management system and achieved recognition in the On-site Consultation Program’s Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP). See the online success story for more information.

Wyoming OSHA and state oil and gas industry form alliance to protect worker safety

The Wyoming Occupational Safety and Health Administration and the Wyoming Oil & Gas Industry Safety Alliance (WOGISA) signed an alliance June 15 to increase safety in the oil and gas industry. WOGISA comprises oil and gas employers throughout the state, including producers, drillers, service companies, support activities and others. The three major goals of the Wyoming OSHA/WOGISA alliance are to:

  • Develop training and education programs regarding specific hazard recognition and prevention associated within the Wyoming oil and gas energy industry.
  • Create a forum for employers and employees to work together to resolve workplace safety and health issues.
  • Deliver, arrange for, or assist in the delivery of the OSHA 10-Hour Construction and OSHA 10-Hour General Industry courses, and other applicable training.

In addition to education efforts, the alliance will facilitate better communication between Wyoming OSHA and industry safety and health professionals. See the news release for more information.

Water, rest and shade: Protecting workers from heat-related illness

Water. Rest. Shade. OSHA initiated its national Heat Illness Campaign to educate workers and their employers about the hazards of working outdoors in the heat. OSHA is leveraging relationships with other state and local partners, employers, trade organizations, unions, community groups, educational institutions and healthcare professionals, to disseminate training materials across the country. Online resources include educational materials, a curriculum for workplace training and print ads in color and black & white, all available in English and Spanish. Multiple copies of heat campaign publications can be ordered from OSHA’s Web site. OSHA is also partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on weather service alerts to incorporate worker safety precautions when heat alerts are issued across the United States. NOAA is also including pertinent worker safety information on its Heat Watch Web page.

OSHA celebrates 40 years of helping to ensure healthier workers, safer workplaces and a stronger America

Throughout 2011, OSHA is presenting a series of materials and activities to celebrate the agency's 40th anniversary. Visit the OSHA at 40 Web page for resources including a short video using old and new footage to highlight key moments in the agency's history, an interactive timeline and a commemoration of the 1911 Triangle shirtwaist factory fire. The page also links to an anniversary message from OSHA Assistant Secretary David Michaels as well as a video of his participation in a panel discussion on the nation's progress in worker safety and health over the past forty years and the challenges that lie ahead.

 OSHA Photo Contest

OSHA photo contest to end in August

OSHA's photo contest celebrating the agency’s 40th anniversary ends Aug. 12. Picture It! Safe Workplaces for Everyone challenges anyone with a passion for photography to capture an image of workplace safety and health and share it with OSHA. See the contest Web site for more information.

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Editor: Richard De Angelis, OSHA Office of Communications, 202-693-1999.
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