August 05, 2019
3M Fall Protection announced an immediate stop use and product recall of the 3M™ DBI-SALA® Nano-Lok™ edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg Self Retracting Lifelines. The twin-leg Nano-Lok edge is part of a personal fall protection system and connects two self-retracting lifelines/devices (SRL’s/SRD’s) directly under the dorsal d-ring of a worker’s harness. It is intended to be anchored at foot-level, and is designed for sharp edge applications. The twin-leg Wrap Back Nano-Lok is intended for wrapping around an anchor and incorporates a similar energy absorber. 3M has determined that in the event of a fall and under certain conditions, the energy absorber may not properly deploy which could expose the worker to serious injury or death. Although there have been no reports of accidents or injuries associated with this issue, these products must be removed from service immediately.To address this situation in the interests of worker safety, 3M is launching a global stop use of the Nano-Lok edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg SRL units and is recalling all these units to be repaired or replaced as soon as a solution is identified, tested and certified. In the interim, and until a repair or replacement is available, end-users may elect to receive cash for their returned units as described below. This stop use and recall affects all versions of the Nano-Lok edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg SRL’s since first introduced in 2013.
Users and owners of these products should immediately stop using your Nano-Lok edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg SRL and take these units out of service. Next, go to www. NanoLokEdgeRecall.com and follow the instructions on how to return your unit. As soon as a product solution is available, 3M will either repair or replace your unit and return it to you at 3M’s expense. Alternatively, and until a product solution is available, you can elect to receive cash in the amount of $200 USD when you return your unit. As an interim solution for applications requiring 100% continuous connection in leading edge applications with sufficient fall clearance, 3M recommends the DBI-SALA® EZ-Stop Leading Edge 100% Tie-Off Cable Shock Absorbing Lanyard. You can also contact 3M Customer Service at 1-833-638-2697 or 3musfpserviceaction@mmm.com for additional recall information.
Product distributors should contact 3M’s Customer Service department at 1-833-638-2697 or email at 3musfpserviceaction@mmm.com to obtain a listing of all Nano-Lok edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg SRL’s sold to you. If you have any of these units in stock, please return them to 3M Fall Protection for credit at 3M’s expense. Please share this Notice to any of your users who have purchased Nano-Lok edge and Wrap Back Twin-Leg SRL’s from you with an urgent request that they read and comply with this notice.
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Mines can now reduce the risk of post-blast ground falls with the DRIFT software, which helps engineers to create more effective blast designs. DRIFT was developed by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Mining Program to help reduce the risk of ground falls, which remain a serious threat to the safety of miners.Particularly in underground metal/nonmetal mines, controlled blasting is used to create entries, commonly referred to as drifts. Poor blast design can lead to loose or damaged rocks in the roof and at the ribs of drifts when the force of a blast extends beyond the target area. Scaling, excessive overbreak, and damage to supported ground all pose a risk of disabling injuries and fatalities to miners after blasting is completed.
Engineers rely on good design practices to limit damage to areas surrounding the blast zone. Current controls address this problem through perimeter blasting, but these controls lack precision. DRIFT, an acronym for Design method to Reduce risk of Injury from ground Falls Technique, combines perimeter blast designs with a buffer row to further reduce ground falls that occur from perimeter damage.
“DRIFT is an invaluable tool for mines that want both more control over their blasting designs and a reduced risk of ground falls for workers,” said NIOSH Associate Director for Mining, Dr. Jessica Kogel.
DRIFT enables engineers to create a conceptual blast design by coordinating perimeter and buffer rows for blasting. The software provides nine blast damage models to use and evaluate when developing designs. Application of these models produces damage calculations for each blasthole in a graphical format. The calculated damage can then be used to determine the spacing necessary for each row. Blast designs can be saved, revised, and printed along with the graphs and calculations. A manual design option—which allows users to input all variables—is also available.
When using DRIFT, NIOSH recommends field trials and refinements until design objectives are met for each entry before blasting is undertaken. Download DRIFT from the NIOSH Mining website.
Fuyao Glass America Inc. Faces $724,380 Fine for Multiple Hazards at Ohio Plant
OSHA has cited Fuyao Glass America Inc. for exposing employees to multiple safety and health hazards at its Moraine, Ohio, production plant. The company faces $724,380 in penalties.OSHA initiated an inspection of the automotive glass manufacturer under the Agency’s Site-Specific Targeting program, which directs enforcement resources to workplaces where the highest rate of injuries and illnesses have occurred. OSHA cited Fuyao Glass America for nine repeated and 13 serious violations, including exposing employees to electrical safety violations; and failing to evaluate the workplace to determine permit-required confined spaces; train employees on lockout/tag out and entering confined spaces; install machine guarding; provide hearing protection; provide personal protective equipment, and require the use of fall protection. OSHA has inspected the Fuyao plant 12 times in the past four years.
“This company’s repeated failure to implement and enforce safety and health programs at the workplace is unacceptable,” said Acting Regional Administrator Bill Donovan, in Chicago, Illinois. “Employers must continually evaluate their facilities for hazards, and train employees and managers to use proper safety controls and equipment to keep their worksites safe and healthful.”
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the safety and health citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
U.S. Nonwovens Corp Cited After Employee Injury at Long Island Plant
OSHA has cited U.S. Nonwovens Corp. – a home and personal care fabric product manufacturer – for repeat and serious safety violations after an employee suffered a fractured hand at the plant in Hauppauge, New York. The company faces $287,212 in penalties.
Investigators determined the employee’s injury occurred when his hand became caught in a fabric-softener sheet-cutting machine. OSHA cited U.S. Nonwovens Corp. for lack of machine guards; failing to train and evaluate forklift operators on how to safely operate equipment, and provide training on lockout/tagout procedures. OSHA also cited the company for exposing employees to fire and smoke inhalation hazards, and failing to report an amputation, provide illness and injury records to OSHA in a timely manner, store materials securely, and repair damaged storage racks.
“Companies are required by law to train employees and provide appropriate measures to protect workers from workplace injuries,” said OSHA Long Island Area Director Anthony Ciuffo in Westbury, New York.
Wisconsin Lumber Mill Fined $348,467 Following Fatality
OSHA has cited Pukall Lumber Company Inc. – a lumber mill in Arbor Vitae, Wisconsin – for exposing employees to multiple safety hazards following a worker fatality. The company faces penalties of $348,467.
An employee suffered fatal injuries when caught in an outdoor bark conveyor belt in January 2019. OSHA cited Pukall Lumber for two willful violations for failing to implement energy control procedures, and ensure the conveyer had adequate guarding to prevent employees from coming in contact with the moving parts. OSHA also cited the company for 13 serious violations for exposing employees to falls, electrical safety, welding, and woodworking hazards; and failing to install machine guarding, implement lockout/tagout, label containers with product identifiers and appropriate warnings, and properly store oxygen and fuel tanks. OSHA has placed the company in the Severe Violator Enforcement Program.
“Tragedies such as this are preventable when employers comply with safety standards that exist to protect employees from workplace hazards,” said OSHA Area Director Robert J. Bonack, in Appleton, Wisconsin. “Employers must continually evaluate their facilities for hazards, and ensure supervisors properly train employees on the correct use of safety controls and equipment to prevent injuries and fatalities on the job.”
Pukall Lumber Company manufactures solid wood flooring and paneling, wood sidings, moldings, and log home packages under the “Woods of Woodruff” trade name and also operates a retail store in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin, and a home design center in Woodruff, Wisconsin.
The company has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
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