Under an agreement signed last week, OSHA and LSU Continuing Education will work together to deliver workplace safety and health courses, specifically focusing on related hazard awareness and the recognition and benefits of an effective safety and health management system.
OSHA cited the company with one willful violation for failing to provide an adequate protective system for employees working in an excavation 8 to 10 feet in depth and one serious violation for failing to ensure employees were wearing high visibility vests.
Grantees will use the funds to provide federally mandated training and retraining of miners working at surface and underground coal and metal and nonmetal mines, including miners engaged in shell dredging or employed at surface stone, sand, and gravel mining operations.
"This case clearly shows that an unprotected excavation can turn deadly in seconds, trapping and burying workers before they can react or escape," said Brenda Gordon, OSHA's area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts.
Nine Ohio mine rescue teams will be assigned the same emergency problem and will be evaluated by state and federal mine inspectors on their procedures and speed. Two courses will run simultaneously and teams will be sequestered until it is their turn to compete.
The serious violations OSHA unearthed related to inadequate process safety management of highly hazardous chemicals, lack of emergency preparedness and response procedures, and poor respiratory protection for workers.
"The procedures for protecting trench workers are easy enough to implement, but what's required first is employer and employee dedication to workplace safety and health," said Greg Baxter, OSHA's regional administrator in Denver.
Imagine a polka-dotted, postage stamp-sized sensor that can sniff out some known poisonous gases and toxins and show the results simply by changing colors.
"OSHA has inspected this company on five occasions going back to 1997, resulting in numerous violations, including many we found again on this most recent inspection," said OSHA Area Director Kathy Webb, North Aurora, Ill.
The agency's inspection found that the facility, which uses large amounts of anhydrous ammonia in its refrigeration system, had not conducted a proper evaluation of hazards and that standard operating procedures were either incomplete or had not been developed for all system activities, among other things.
OSHA issued about $1 million in fines against two of the companies that were charged in the Aug. 27 indictment, which was announced the following day by U.S. Attorney David Gaouette, shown here.
NIOSH on Aug. 21 said more inert material should be spread in the intake airways of underground bituminous coal mines because coal dust found in those mines today is much finer, and thus more explosive, than in mines of the 1920s.
The Sept. 30 webcast will allow participants to interact with Terry Krug, vice chairman of the Z117 Accredited Standards Committee, and to look at the changes to the standard that will impact employers and operations.
OSHA has cited Branco Enterprises Inc. with an alleged willful and nine serious violations of federal health and safety regulations following an inspection at the company's worksite in Fort Smith. Proposed penalties total $102,600.
Pause for a moment to take a few deep breaths. Inhale, exhale, and repeat. For something we do continuously, it's strange how seldom we actually think about breathing. In fact, beyond activities such as meditation and exercise, we're rarely conscious of breathing, simply because it's an automatic process.
The 2007 installment is a tough act to follow, but A+A 2009 looks ready to defend its title Nov. 3-6, 2009, as the world's largest trade show for workplace safety and health.
Of the two deaths that have occurred in recent years from catastrophic pump failures, the first happened when a clean coal filter drain pump exploded due to restricted material flow that caused heat and pressure buildup within the pump. The pump’s access cover plate was blown off the pump, striking a plant operator who was standing approximately eight feet away at the on/off switch.
Fall hazards, lack of personal protective equipment, and deficiencies in the plant's confined space, respirator, and lockout/tagout programs are among the 73 safety violations cited in an inspection conducted by OSHA's Concord Area Office.
The Health and Safety Executive seeks comments at a stakeholder forum this week in London as it reviews the issue and IOSH queries its 35,000 members.
One case involved alleged machine guarding and other violations against Crucible Specialty Metals following an investigation sparked by a worker's death Jan. 15.