Confined Spaces


MSHA Warns Mining Industry about Dangers of Cold Weather

Low barometric pressure and low humidity, combined with the seasonal drying of many areas in underground coal mines, have been key factors in past mine explosions.

ISEA Releases New Fall Protection Guidance Documents

Prepared by manufacturers in the ISEA Fall Protection Group, the use and selection guide describes the process of developing a corporate fall protection program and explains the components of fall protection systems.

Hexavalent Chromium Hazards Lead to Manufacturer's $90,000 Fine

Seventeen serious safety and health violations were cited. Those related to hexavalent chromium include failing to prevent exposure beyond OSHA's authorized limits and not developing a plan to limit exposure.

Worker Fatally Struck by Conveyor in Tunnel, Contractor Fined $55,440

An employee who was operating a locomotive sustained a fatal head injury when he struck a conveyor on the tunnel boring machine.

OSHA Hits Texas Oil Rig with $130,900 in Fines

Seven serious violations involve failing to provide protection from trip and fall hazards, ensure electrical cords are not spliced, and ensure industrial machines were properly guarded.

Hazardous Waste Tanks Lead to Firm's $122,760 Fine

OSHA inspectors found that workers were exposed to respiratory and confined space hazards while cleaning waste tanks used to store petroleum hydrocarbons at a job site in Channahon, Ill.

Workplace Deaths Drop 25 Percent in Missouri

A preliminary total of 107 workers were killed in Missouri in 2010, down from the 142 fatalities reported in 2009.

Two Workers Die in Flash Fire, Boat Repair Firm Fined $221,200

Nine employees were performing cutting and fire watch operations inside the hopper space, an area between the cargo hold and the bottom plate of the vessel, with limited means of entry and exit when the flash fire occurred.



The Pennsylvania Convention Center in downtown Philadelphia is the host site for the 2011 National Safety Congress & Expo. (Paul Loftland photo)

All Aboard for Safety

Historic Reading Railroad Terminal is the site of the National Safety Congress & Expo’s long-awaited return to Philadelphia.

MSHA Awards $1 Million in Brookwood-Sago Mine Safety Grants

The funding will be used to develop and implement training and related materials for mine emergency preparedness, as well as for the prevention of accidents in underground mines.

Foundry Fined $124,000 Following Worker Fatality

In this case, a coal chute became jammed and the operator left his controls to attempt to un-jam it. Through miscommunication, another employee took the controls and moved the transport vehicle, which hit the worker, crushing him between a guardrail and the jammed coal bin chute.

Worker's Death at Recycling Facility Results in $183,300 Penalty

OSHA opened an inspection after a worker was found dead inside the rotating drum assembly of a machine used to screen recyclables from other refuse on March 30.

USFA Releases Annual Report on Firefighter Fatalities in U.S.

Eighty-seven on-duty firefighters from 31 states lost their lives as the result of 83 fatal incidents that occurred in 2010.

OSHA Nails Three Marine Corps Contractors for Crane, Trenching Hazards

OSHA cited the contractors for safety hazards after a worker received burns from an electrical shock during the installation of a new landfill gas processing and compression facility at the U.S. Marine Corps Logistic Base in Albany, Ga.

Oregon OSHA Plans Confined Space Changes

Two public hearings are set for Sept. 30 and Oct. 7 on its proposed rule that would include the construction industry in its scope.

OSHA Blasts N.J. Construction Firm for Trenching Hazards, Issues $158,400 in Penalties

The willful violations involve failing to ensure that the excavation spoil pile was at least 2 feet from the edge of the excavation, ensure that the ladder extended 3 feet above the level being accessed, and provide cave-in protection for employees working in the excavation.

Grain Elevator Hazards Add Up to $229,000 in Fines for Montana Firm

Serious violations involve unguarded platforms, walkways with uncovered holes, improper design of ladders, and a lack of implementation of a housekeeping program for combustible dust.

Commercial Diving, Disorientation Hazards Lead to Firm's $83,160 Fine

OSHA cited Trenton, N.J.-based IEW Construction Group Inc. for 12 serious safety violations found while the company was doing repair work on the Alexander Road Bridge in Princeton, N.J.

Worker's Grain Engulfment Carries $185,600 Penalty

OSHA opened an inspection following the death of a worker who suffocated when engulfed in grain that he was walking on in a bin that had a running auger.

Portable electronic gas detectors worn by workers can provide a warning within seconds of being exposed to dangerous levels of H2S. (Photo: Draeger Safety, Inc.)

Monitoring H2S to Meet New Exposure Standards

2010 ACGIH guidelines provide an impetus for companies to collect H2S monitor data, allowing them to evaluate and refine their safety and hygiene programs.

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