More civilian federal employees died on the job in 2013 than in any year in the last decade, according to data recently released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The 124 federal fatalities marked a dramatic 19% increase from the number of deaths in 2012, and was the highest total since 2002.
Transportation of Infectious Substances by Ground and Air
Because pathogens can cause widespread danger, the requirements for the shipment of infectious substances are significantly different than those that apply to other hazardous materials. Infectious substances are found not only in hospitals, clinics, labs, and universities, but are also found at many industrial facilities where regulated medical (red bag) waste is generated.
In this live webcast, which will be held on November 6, you will learn the unique requirements for the transportation of infectious substances, including how to:
- Classify the different types of infectious substances
- Determine when you must triple-package infectious substances, and how to package these materials in accordance with the latest regulatory requirements
- Mark, label, and document infectious substances for shipment by ground and air
- Protect yourself and coworkers from the hazards of infectious substances
- Comply with both DOT and IATA regulations for infectious substances shipped by ground and air
A special offer is available for sites with multiple attendees: after the first two attendees pay the full price, each additional attendee will attend at half price.
How to Implement OSHA’s Globally Harmonized Hazard Communication Standard (GHS)
OSHA has issued a final rule revising its Hazard Communication Standard, aligning it with the United Nations’ globally harmonized system (GHS) for the classification and labeling of hazardous chemicals. This means that virtually every product label, safety data sheet (formerly called “material safety data sheet” or MSDS), and written hazard communication plan must be revised to meet the new standard. Worker training must be updated so that workers can recognize and understand the symbols and pictograms on the new labels as well as the new hazard statements and precautions on safety data sheets.
Williamsburg RCRA and DOT Training
Orlando RCRA and DOT Training
Charlotte RCRA and DOT Training
CSB Releases Safety Bulletin in Wake of Several Serious Accidents During Educational Demonstrations
The first incident described in the CSB safety bulletin is the September 3, 2014, accident at the Terry Lee Wells Discovery Museum, known as “The Discovery,” in Reno, Nevada, where thirteen people, most of them children, were injured. Two CSB investigators were deployed to the site and interviewed personnel who were directly involved.
Just 12 days after the fire in Nevada, a second similar accident occurred on September 15th at the SMART Academy in Denver, Colorado, severely burning a 16-year-old high school student. Most recently, on October 20, 2014, less than five weeks after the incident at SMART, three Cub Scouts and one adult were injured during a demonstration using methanol at a Cub Scout event in Raymond, Illinois.
All the incidents involved demonstrations of flames—usually with a color additive—using methanol as the flammable liquid. In all three cases there was a flash back to the methanol bulk containers, and fire engulfed members of the viewing audience who were not protected by any physical barriers.
The safety bulletin notes that these incidents are similar to others the CSB has identified in which laboratory demonstrations involving flammable materials have resulted in fires and injuries. These include a 2006 accident at an Ohio high school that severely burned then-15-year-old student Calais Weber. The accident took place during a demonstration of a chemical “rainbow” that involved combusting salts with methanol. Calais’ story was described in a CSB safety video released in December 2013, called “After the Rainbow.”
The CSB found that the accident at The Discovery took place during a “fire tornado” demonstration, where salts of different elements are burned in a dish along with methanol-soaked cotton balls, while spinning on a rotating tray. This produces a colored flame that looks like a tornado.
However, on the day of the accident the cotton failed to catch fire as expected. Additional methanol was added from a four-liter (about a gallon) bottle. CSB investigators determined that unbeknownst to museum personnel, the cotton ball was likely already smoldering, which ignited the freshly added methanol. A flash fire raced back into the large bottle—and burning methanol from the bottle sprayed toward the nearby audience of adults and children.
CSB Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “ When performed safely these kinds of demonstrations can engage students and visitors and stimulate their interest in science. But methanol, the hazardous chemical involved in The Discovery and two other recent incidents the CSB has investigated, is classified as a highly flammable liquid, and users should adopt strict safety controls.”
Methanol can ignite at room temperature and has the potential for dangerous flash fires, especially when large quantities are present. The threat is quite similar to gasoline. However, CSB investigators learned that methanol is readily sold to schools and museums in four-liter containers.
The CSB also found that The Discovery developed the fire tornado demonstration based on YouTube video and additional online resources, where descriptions of accident risks or comprehensive safety instructions were not provided. And museum personnel who wrote procedures for the demonstration did not have an adequate background in chemistry or safety. The demonstration was performed approximately 15 feet away from museum visitors, with no barrier between the audience and the flames.
Similarly the CSB found that in the incident at SMART in Denver, the school lacked adequate safety procedures and a lab safety training program. The accident occurred during a demonstration activity of flammable properties which involved igniting a small pool of methanol to create a flame. When the flame did not rise as high as anticipated, additional methanol was added from a four-liter bulk container resulting in a 12-foot flash fire.
The CSB found that the teacher was not aware of the potential for a methanol flash fire and had received no training about the hazards related to demonstrations involving large quantities of methanol or other flammable materials. This incident resulted in four students being burned in the flash fire, one seriously.
Likewise the October 20, 2014, accident demonstration at a Cub Scout event in Raymond, Illinois, occurred when methanol was poured from a container onto boric acid near an open flame. Similar to other incidents, the flame propagated back into the bottle and resulted in a flash fire that burned members of the group and seriously injured one Cub Scout. Like The Discovery incident, this demonstration involved burning methanol with boric acid to produce a green colored flame.
The CSB safety bulletin outlines key lessons learned as a result of the CSB’s investigation into these incidents:
- Due to flash fire hazards and the potential for serious injuries, do not use bulk containers of flammable chemicals in educational demonstrations when small quantities are sufficient
- Employers should implement strict safety controls when demonstrations necessitate handling hazardous chemicals—including written procedures, effective training, and the required use of appropriate personal protective equipment for all participants
- Conduct a comprehensive hazard review prior to performing any educational demonstration
- Provide a safety barrier between the demonstration and the audience
Chairperson Rafael Moure-Erason said, “These key lessons, if followed, will prevent future injuries. Educators should substitute or minimize the use of flammable chemicals and perform an effective hazard review prior to conducting an educational demonstration. Safety must be the absolute priority and educators should demonstrate chemical safety concepts as well as the science topic.”
Bosco Custom Homes Fined $174,240 for Serious and Repeat Safety Violations
Proposed penalties total $174,240.
Bosco Custom Homes has not provided OSHA with documentation to prove it fixed hazards identified in a previous inspection, and has not paid any portion of the $17,200 in penalties.
“Bosco Custom Homes has failed to fix safety hazards related to falls. This shows an inexcusable and deliberate lack of care for the safety and health of the company’s employees,” said Jake Scott, OSHA’s area director in North Aurora. “Falls remain the leading cause of death in the construction industry, and allowing construction workers to be exposed to fall hazards without fall protection is unacceptable.”
An OSHA inspector observed eight employees engaged in framing operations on a ranch home under construction on April 30, 2014, in Elgin, Illinois. The workers were constructing rafters high in the air and were not provided a recommended means of fall protection, such as guardrail systems, safety nets, warning-line systems or personal fall arrest systems. The workers were exposed to falls in excess of 11 feet.
On June 10, employees were observed working without fall protection at a home in Wheaton and were exposed to falls of 19 feet. Additionally, workers were exposed to falls of 12 feet at a residential home under construction in Elgin on June 19.
Bosco Custom Homes was cited for one willful violation for failing to provide fall protection at each of these work sites. A willful violation is one committed with intentional, knowing, or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirement, or with plain indifference to employee safety and health.
The company was cited for seven repeat violations for failing to provide protective helmets and fall protection training and improper use of an extension ladder. OSHA issues repeat violations if an employer was previously cited for the same or a similar violation of any standard, regulation, rule, or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years. Bosco Custom Homes was cited for similar violations in March 2013 at work sites in Plainfield and Naperville and in October 2013 at a work site in Elgin.
An OSHA violation is serious if death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard an employer knew or should have known exists.
The page offers fact sheets, posters, and videos that vividly illustrate various fall hazards and appropriate preventive measures. OSHA standards require that an effective form of fall protection be in use when workers perform construction activities 6 feet or more above the next lower level.
Wayne Farms Poultry Plant Fined $102,000 for Exposing Workers to Musculoskeletal, other Hazards
OSHA issued 11 citations to the poultry processing plant in Jack, Alabama, including nine serious, one repeat, and one other-than serious violation. The investigation was initiated after the agency received a complaint from the Southern Poverty Law Center. Proposed penalties total $102,600.
“OSHA found that workers in this plant were exposed to safety and musculoskeletal hazards and suffered serious injuries as a result. The outcome of this investigation deepened our concern about musculoskeletal hazards in poultry plants, where employees are at increased risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome and other disorders that affect the nerves, muscles, and tendons,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. “These types of injuries are preventable by implementing appropriate engineering and administrative controls in the workplace, and when they occur, they must be treated early with appropriate medical care to prevent the illness from progressing. However, in this plant, OSHA found workers were often required to seek assistance from the company’s on-site nurse many times before they were referred to a physician.”
On August 1, the US Departments of Agriculture and Labor mailed a joint letter to all poultry plants regarding their responsibility to prevent work-related musculoskeletal disorders.
“Our investigation revealed that employees suffered musculoskeletal injuries, and Wayne Farms failed to record those injuries and properly manage the medical treatment of injured employees at the facility,” said Joseph Roesler, OSHA’s area director in Mobile. “By failing to report injuries, failing to refer employees to physicians, and discouraging employees from seeking medical treatment, Wayne Farms effectively concealed the extent to which these poultry plant workers were suffering work-related injuries and illnesses. And as a result, it reported an artificially lower injury and illness rate.”
One repeat violation, with a penalty of $38,500, was cited for the employer’s failure to protect workers from moving parts of a machine during servicing and maintenance work. In this instance, the employer lacked lockout/tagout procedures for maintaining a plastic strapping machine, something it failed to do following a previous OSHA inspection in February 2012 at the company’s Enterprise, Alabama, facility. A repeat violation exists when an employer previously has been cited for the same or similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
Seven serious violations, carrying penalties of $49,000, involve exposing workers to serious safety hazards, including unguarded machines, slippery floors, and fall hazards. In addition, OSHA issued two more serious general duty clause citations for musculoskeletal disorder hazards with penalties of $14,000. One general duty clause citation was issued for exposing employees on the debone line to hazards while performing prolonged, repetitive, forceful tasks, often while using awkward postures. OSHA issued the second general duty citation for exposing employees to the stressors of repetitive lifting and carrying of totes filled with chicken that can weigh in excess of 75 lb.
Another violation, with a $1,100 penalty, was cited for failing to record serious work-related injuries on OSHA’s 300 form for tracking work-related injuries and illnesses, as required.
Since 1994, OSHA has conducted 33 inspections at Wayne Farms facilities in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. The most recent inspection at the Jack plant was conducted in June 2011 when the company was cited for record-keeping violations.
Under appropriate circumstances, OSHA uses the general duty clause when it does not have a specific standard addressing a workplace hazard. Under this provision, an employer can be cited if it does not furnish each of its employees’ employment and a place of employment free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.
Wayne Farms is the sixth largest vertically integrated poultry producer in the United States. Its corporate office, based in Oakwood, Georgia, and its Jack plant have a combined estimated 1,115 employees. The company employs approximately 9,800 additional workers in its nine integrated complexes, comprised of nine hatcheries, eight feed mills, nine slaughter processing plants, and two further processing plants. Wayne Farms’ plants are located in Albertville, Alabama; Decatur, Alabama; Dothan, Alabama; Enterprise, Alabama; Union Springs, Alabama; Danville, Arkansas; Laurel, Mississippi; Dobson, North Carolina; and Pendergrass, Georgia.
CSB Releases Safety Video on Fatal 2010 Tesoro Anacortes Refinery Accident
The US Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a safety video on the fatal April 2, 2010, explosion and fire at the Tesoro refinery in Anacortes, Washington. The accident occurred during startup of the refinery’s “naphtha hydrotreater unit” after a maintenance shut down. A nearly 40-year-old heat exchanger violently ruptured, causing an explosion and fire that fatally injured seven workers—the largest loss of life at a US refinery since 2005.
CSB Chairperson Dr. Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “The CSB is seriously concerned by the number of deadly refinery accidents in recent years. We have concluded that extensive improvements must be made in how refineries are regulated at the state and federal level.”
The CSB’s investigation found an immediate cause of the tragedy to be long-term, undetected High Temperature Hydrogen Attack (HTHA) of the steel equipment, which led to the vessel rupture on the day of the accident. The CSB found the industry’s standard for determining vulnerability of equipment to HTHA, to be inadequate.
In the video Investigator Lauren Grim discusses HTHA, stating: “High temperature hydrogen attack, or HTHA, is a common hazard that has long been known within the petrochemical industry. However, Tesoro engineers and corrosion experts did not believe it could occur within the heat exchanger that ultimately failed.”
The investigators also reported their findings of a substandard safety culture at Tesoro, which led to a complacent attitude toward flammable leaks and occasional fires over the years. And the CSB found that the complexity of the startup procedure typically required more than just the one outside operator. Yet operating procedures were not updated to account for the role of additional personnel during the hazardous non-routine work.
The CSB made recommendations in these areas to both the industry group, which issues guidance on HTHA, the American Petroleum Institute, as well as to Tesoro.
Investigator Dan Tillema says, “The CSB found that if Tesoro had a strong safety culture, it would have addressed the ongoing leaks and defined a reasonable number of essential personnel for the startup activity. Had Tesoro done these things, we concluded that fewer workers would have been present on the night of the accident, and lives would have been spared.”
The CSB’s final report also recommended that the governor and legislature of the State of Washington significantly strengthen the oversight of refineries. Specifically, the Board called on the state to require refineries to:
- Conduct more comprehensive hazard analyses and damage mechanism reviews
- Document the effectiveness of process safeguards
- Increase the role for worker representatives in process safety management
- Have company safety reviews examined by technically competent regulators
Chairperson Rafael Moure-Eraso said, “Seven lives were lost at Tesoro. It should not have happened. Companies, workers, and communities would all benefit from a more rigorous regulatory system that is focused on continuously lowering risks.”
Kronis Coatings Faces Proposed Penalties of $62,400 for Repeat, Serious Amputation Hazards
OSHA has cited the company, based in Mansfield, Ohio, with one repeat and four serious safety violations, which carry proposed penalties of $62,400.
“Kronis Coatings Division has continually exposed workers to dangerous, moving machinery, which can cause life-altering injury, including amputation,” said Kim Nelson, OSHA’s area director in Toledo. “When an employer is cited for repeat violations, it demonstrates that safety is not part of the company’s culture. That is unacceptable.”
OSHA initiated an inspection July 17, 2014, as a part of its Site-Specific Targeting Program, which focuses inspection efforts on employers in high injury and illness industries.
The company was cited for failure to protect workers from moving machinery parts and other violations in 2012 and during the July 17 inspection.
A serious violation occurs when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Kronis Coatings Division welds and powder coats metal automotive parts and employs 45 workers. Jay Industries, which employs about 1,000 workers companywide, operates five facilities in Mansfield-one of which is Kronis Coatings Division-and one each in Ann Arbor, Michigan; St. Charles, Illinois; and Gadsen, Alabama.
C & G Refrigeration Inc. Exposes Workers to Potentially Deadly Trench Hazards
Two workers are killed every month in trench collapses. Employees of C & G Refrigeration, Inc., were twice exposed to many of the hazards that lead to this alarming statistic, according to investigations by OSHA. In April 2013, OSHA cited C & G, a Hanover, Pennsylvania, plumbing, heating, and air conditioning contractor, with four safety violations after a trench collapse at a work site in Hanover. Though there were no injuries in the collapse, investigators found employees working in an unprotected trench that was 7-feet deep.
Despite the employer’s heightened awareness of trenching safety requirements, an August 2014 complaint investigation by OSHA found that C & G again exposed workers to potentially deadly trenching hazards while they performed underground utility work at a residence in Hanover. Investigators observed an employee working at the bottom of an unprotected trench that was 13-feet deep. They also observed a trench that was not widened with approved methods, such as benching or sloping, and determined that the employer did not provide any physical protection, such as trench shields or boxes.
“An unprotected trench can quickly become a grave without the proper safeguards in place. This is why it is critical for employers in this industry to ensure that trenching safeguards are in place,” said Kevin Kilp, director of OSHA’s Harrisburg Area Office. “This employer’s history shows that it is fully aware of the dangers of trenching and excavation, yet they continue to put their worker’s lives at risk.”
- Allowing employees to work in a trench without protection from a cave-in or an adequate protective system
- Failure to instruct employees in the recognition and avoidance of unsafe conditions while performing trenching and excavation work
- Failure to have a competent person conduct an investigation of the excavation
These violations carry a $61,600 penalty.
Additionally, the employer did not ensure workers used a protective helmet while in a trench. This serious violation carries a penalty of $3,080.
Continental Fabricators Inc. Fined $52,500 for Exposing Workers to Amputation Hazards
OSHA has proposed penalties of $52,500.
“Continental Fabricators demonstrates a company culture that does not put safety first. Workers should not be suffering fractures, sprains and muscular injuries on the job. “A high injury rate should be a wake-up call for any manufacturer to re-examine its safety procedures and training.”
OSHA’s inspection found several machines in the plant lacked emergency stop devices and adequate machine guarding, which exposed workers to amputation hazards. The company had inadequate lockout/tagout procedures to prevent unintentional operation of dangerous machinery during service and maintenance.
Employee Fatally Injured after Being Caught in Machinery at Alpha Baking Co.
“It is unacceptable that Alpha Baking Co., would expose workers to unguarded machinery. This tragic loss of life could have been prevented by ensuring workers were not exposed to dangerous equipment without safety mechanisms,” said Angeline Loftus, OSHA’s area director at its Chicago North Office in Des Plaines. “Injuries involving machinery and equipment often result in death or permanent disability. OSHA continues to focus on identifying and eliminating these types of hazards.”
OSHA’s inspection found that the employee, who had been with the company six years, was attempting to check the oil level of the encoder gearbox on a bakery loader after the equipment was serviced. The machine guards had not been reinstalled following maintenance. He placed his head into the gearbox area to get a better view of the oil level when the gear arm unexpectedly rotated and struck him in the head, catching him between the machine’s gear arm and frame.
Other amputation and caught-in hazards were found at the facility and included the company’s failure to implement specific lockout/tagout procedures to prevent machinery from operating during service and maintenance. These violations are among the most frequently cited by OSHA.
OSHA has proposed fines of $42,000 for the violations.
Alpha Baking Co., employs 1,400 workers and produces hot dog and hamburger buns and other bread goods at two plants in Chicago and one in La Porte, Indiana. The company currently sells its products under the S. Rosen’s, Mary Ann, Kreamo, Golden Hearth, and Natural Ovens brand names.
Maui Zip-Line Owner, Operator Cited for Employee Death from Fall
OSHA is fining the owners and operators of a Maui zip-line course the maximum amount allowed for the death of a new employee who fell from a platform while at work in May 2014.
OSHA investigators determined that Patricia Rabellizsa died because of inadequate safety measures in place on the platform at the Pi’iholo Ranch Zip-Line Course where she received riders arriving from the previous platform. The operator’s policy made it optional for employees to wear restraining lanyards connected to their harnesses, which directly led to Rabellizsa’s 125-foot fall into a ravine.
“When working 120 feet above a ravine, properly connected safety harnesses are absolutely mandatory, not optional,” said OSHA Regional Administrator Ken Atha. “This young woman’s tragic death could have been prevented had her employers valued her safety as much as they valued customer fun.”
Rabellizsa had been working at the zip-line course for only three days when she lost her life. On the morning of May 1, Rabellizsa and a colleague were receiving the last two zip-line customers when she tried to capture one of them coming from the previous platform.
The zip-line customer’s momentum pulled them both off the platform above the ravine. Rabellizsa, who was not wearing a properly latched safety harness, held onto the customer for several minutes before losing her grip and falling to her death. Her fellow receiver was strapped in and survived when the rider’s momentum pulled him from the platform.
OSHA is citing owner Jeff Baldwin of Baldwin Brothers, LLC, for $7,000 and site operator Altres, Inc., for $7,000. OSHA is fining both entities because Altres, Inc., a local staffing agency, has a unique amount of control over the day-to-day operations at the facility.
BNSF Railway Ordered to Pay $12K to Worker Disciplined for Taking Doctor-Ordered Leave
The company has been ordered to pay the conductor $12,000 in damages, remove disciplinary information from the employee’s personnel record and provide whistleblower rights information to all its employees.
“Workers should never be forced to choose between staying healthy or facing disciplinary action,” said Marcia P. Drumm, OSHA’s acting regional administrator in Kansas City. “Whistleblower protections play an important role in keeping workplaces safe. It is not only illegal to discipline an employee for following doctor’s orders, it puts everyone at risk.”
OSHA’s investigation upheld the allegation that the railroad company disciplined the conductor in retaliation for taking leave in line with a treatment plan ordered by a doctor. The employee was ill and saw a doctor on December 16, 2013. Following the appointment, the conductor immediately notified a supervisor that the doctor had ordered him to stay out of work for the remainder of the day. The note also covered illness suffered during the weekend, which was part of the employee’s scheduled time off. The employee was subsequently disciplined for violating the company’s attendance policy.
BNSF Railway has been ordered to pay $2,000 in compensatory and $10,000 in punitive damages, as well as reasonable attorney’s fees. Any of the parties in this case can file an appeal with the department’s Office of Administrative Law Judges.
Employers are prohibited from retaliating against employees who raise various protected concerns or provide protected information to the employer or to the government.
Safety News Links