Confined Spaces


Installed Wind Energy Grew Quickly in 2011

Wind turbines and turbine blades are growing larger, as well. The new DOE report says about $14 billion of wind capacity was added in the United States in 2011.

Openings should be large enough to allow unobstructed access by people, including rescuers wearing PPE. (Summit Training Source, Inc. photo)

Farming Should Yield Life, Not Take It Away

Confined space training for farms is essential.

TEEX Annual Fire Schools About to Start

The three busiest weeks on the calendar of the Texas Engineeing Extension Service are coming up this month.

ISEA Announces Free Confined Spaces Expert Roundtable

The Aug. 21 event in Arlington, Va., comes as OSHA is nearing completion of a confined spaces rule for construction and Cal/OSHA has launched a special emphasis program, ISEA President Dan Shipp noted.

Contract Worker Dies in Lake Mead Intake 3 Project

OSHA, the Southern Nevada Water Authority, and the contractor are investigating the June 11 death of the victim, identified by KLAS-TV as Thomas Turner, 44.

N.Y. Wal-Mart Faces $52,600 in Fines for Storage-Area Hazards

OSHA found that emergency exit access from a receiving and storage area was obstructed by the storage of pallets containing merchandise and equipment.

MSHA Issues 306 Citations in April Impact Inspections

Coal mines were issued 254 citations, 19 orders, and one safeguard, and metal/nonmetal operations were issued 52 citations and nine orders.

Asphyxia Killed Three in Maryland Farm's Manure Pit

State police reported autopsies confirmed the deaths of a man and his teenage sons who were reported missing May 24 at the dairy farm.



Given the dangers and its large size and somewhat rural location, Clearwater Paper has had an on-site fire department for more than 30 years.

Prevention and Readiness at Clearwater Paper

With an average of 250 fire calls each year, quick response is vital to keep fires from spreading, says Brad Hukreide, fire chief at the Lewiston, Idaho, paper mill.

MSHA Files Complaint against Mining Firm to Reinstate Whistleblower

MSHA said that a miner had engaged in protected activity when he alerted the company about unresolved safety problems.

Feed Supplier Fined $157,500 after Worker Trapped in Cotton Bin

OSHA initiated an inspection in November 2011 after receiving a complaint that a worker had entered a milled cotton seed bin without preparation and appropriate equipment and became trapped and hung from a lanyard for a lengthy time.

Researchers Honored for Submarine Air Quality System

The U.S. Navy may deploy the nanotechnology-based system in its submarine fleet, according to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, which participated in the project.

Pump Service Penalized Following Death of 19-year-old Worker

OSHA issued citations as the result of an inspection conducted after a 19-year-old worker died when an unprotected trench collapsed at a Wisconsin job site. Proposed fines total $137,000.

Trenching Hazards Unearthed at Georgia Worksite

The inspection was initiated as part of OSHA's National Emphasis Program on Trenching and Excavation. Proposed penalties total $45,000.

USFA Releases Residential Building Fires Report

Cooking is the leading cause of residential building fires (45 percent). Nearly all residential building cooking fires are small, confined fires (94 percent).

MSHA: 10 Mining Deaths in First Quarter of 2012

An uncharacteristic trend identified over the quarter is that five of these fatalities—three of them involving mine supervisors—occurred on five consecutive weekends.

CSB Releases New Video on Hot Work Hazards

The video features a computer animation showing how hot work being conducted on top of a tank led to a deadly explosion that killed one contractor and injured another.

Fire, Fall Hazards Unearthed at N.D. Oil Rig

Repeat violations include exposing employees to a potential 26-foot fall hazard as they worked on the drilling floor next to an open V-door and a non-functional eye wash station used to prevent injury in the event of corrosive materials entering the eyes.

PHMSA Proposes New Rule to Increase Enforcement of Pipeline Excavation Programs

The proposed rule will encourage states to strengthen their excavation damage prevention enforcement programs, provide more protection for underground pipelines, and allow for federal enforcement against violators in cases where state enforcement may not occur.

Auto Parts Maker Hit with $151K Fine for Lack of Personal Protective Gear

Willful safety violations are failing to train workers on safe electrical working practices for voltage testing and the use of required personal protective equipment.

Featured

Artificial Intelligence