OSHA Alarmed by Under-Reporting of Workplace Injuries

“Accurate injury and illness records are vital to protect workers’ health and safety,” said Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis. “They not only enable OSHA to better target its resources and determine the effectiveness of its efforts, accurate numbers are also an important tool that workers and employers can use to identify hazards in their workplaces.”

The report identifies worker intimidation as well as a number of disincentives that may discourage workers and employers from reporting work-related injuries and illnesses. The report also notes widespread reports from occupational health practitioners who were pressured not to record an injury or illness.

Acting Assistant Secretary for OSHA, Jordan Barab, announced that the agency will move swiftly to implement the recommendations made by the GAO. Additionally, in response to numerous studies of under-reporting and congressional interest, on October 1, OSHA implemented a National Emphasis Program on Recordkeeping. OSHA will send inspectors into worksites across the country to review the occupational injury and illness records prepared by businesses.

“Many of the problems identified in the report are quite alarming, and OSHA will be taking strong enforcement action where we find under-reporting,” Solis said.

OSHA Revises Acetylene Standard

“This final rule incorporates current technology that enhances OSHA’s acetylene standard for improving industry work practices and providing safer workplaces,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, Jordan Barab. “It exemplifies our mission of providing strong and effective regulations that protect the safety and health of working men and women.”

The revised standard requires that in-plant transfer, handling, storage, and use of acetylene cylinders comply with Compressed Gas Association Pamphlet G-1-2003, titled Acetylene. The revised standard also updates references for the provisions addressing piping systems, acetylene generators, and filling acetylene cylinders.

Acetylene is a colorless gas that can become explosive if liquefied, heated, compressed, or mixed with air. It is commonly used in certain plastics and as fuel for welding and metal cutting.

FDA Approves Additional Vaccine for 2009 H1N1 Influenza Virus

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has announced that it has approved a fifth vaccine for protection against the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. The vaccine is manufactured by ID Biomedical Corp., of Quebec, Canada, owned by GlaxoSmithKline PLC.

As with the four previous H1N1 influenza vaccines licensed by the FDA on September 15, 2009, ID Biomedical Corporation will manufacture its H1N1 vaccine using the established, licensed, egg-based manufacturing process used for producing seasonal flu vaccine.

Potential side effects of this H1N1 vaccine are expected to be similar to those of the seasonal and H1N1 flu vaccines. The most common side effect is soreness at the injection site. Others may include mild fever, body aches, and fatigue for a few days after the inoculation.

ID Biomedical’s H1N1 monovalent vaccine will be produced in multi-dose vials, in a formulation that contains thimerosal.

As with any medical product, unexpected or rare serious adverse events may occur. FDA is collaborating with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other government agencies to enhance the capacity for adverse event safety monitoring during and after the 2009 H1N1 vaccination program.

CSB Conducting Full Investigation of Massive Tank Fire at Caribbean Petroleum Refining

CSB investigators are continuing to examine the events and circumstances surrounding the catastrophic tank explosion and fire.

At 12:23 a.m. on October 23, a large vapor cloud ignited at the Caribbean Petroleum facility near San Juan, Puerto Rico. The blast caused damage to homes and businesses over a mile from the facility. Investigators from the CSB arrived in Puerto Rico that evening. Over the past few weeks the five-person investigation team has conducted numerous interviews, requested hundreds of pages of documents, and catalogued key pieces of evidence.

CSB Board Member William Wright said, “The CSB will conduct a thorough and comprehensive investigation of this accident; our team will uncover exactly what events led to an explosion of this magnitude. Our goal is to determine not only what happened, but why it happened.”

Caribbean Petroleum is a significant petroleum products supplier for Puerto Rico. The facility includes a tank farm and refinery that was shutdown in 2000. Prior to October 23, the tank farm stored gasoline, diesel fuel, jet fuel, and fuel oil in approximately 30 operational aboveground storage tanks.

At the time of the incident, a tank was being filled with gasoline from a ship docked in San Juan harbor. Investigators have determined that a likely scenario leading to the release was an accidental overfilling of the tank. Gasoline spilled from the tank without detection, and as the material spilled it vaporized and spread across the facility. CSB investigators estimate that the vapor cloud spread to a 2000 foot diameter until it reached an ignition source in the northwest section of the facility.

The CSB found that on the evening of the incident, the liquid level in the tank could not be determined because the facility’s computerized level monitoring system was not fully operational. In order to monitor the level in the tank, operators used a mechanical gauge on the tank’s exterior wall. Therefore as the gasoline level in the tank rose and eventually overflowed, employees located in the facility’s control room were unaware of the emergency.

“The filling of a tank without a functioning monitoring system is the type of activity the CSB will be examining very closely,” said Investigator-in-Charge Jeffrey Wanko, P.E. CSP. “The CSB’s investigation will examine operations particular to Caribbean Petroleum, but will also look at the regulations and best practices surrounding the industry as a whole in an effort to improve safety practices at similar facilities.”

The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. The agency’s board members are appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate. CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failure as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards, and safety management systems.

The CSB does not issue citations or fines but does make safety recommendations to plants, industry organizations, labor groups, and regulatory agencies such as OSHA and EPA. For further information, contact CSB Public Affairs Specialist Hillary Cohen at 202-446-8094.

OSHA Provides Crowd Control Guidelines for Protecting Workers During Retail Sales Events

Last year a worker was trampled to death while a mob of shoppers rushed through the doors of a large store to take advantage of a Black Friday sales event. The store was not using the kind of crowd control measures recommended in OSHA’s fact sheet.

“Crowd-related injuries during special retail sales and promotional events have increased during recent years,” said acting Assistant Secretary for OSHA Jordan Barab. “Many of these incidents could be prevented, and this fact sheet provides retail employers with guidelines for avoiding injuries during the holiday shopping season.”

The fact sheet provides employers with recommended elements for crowd control plans. Plans should include having trained security personnel or police officers on site, setting up barricades or rope lines for pedestrians and crowd control well in advance of customers arriving at the store, making sure that barricades are set up so that the customers’ line does not start right at the entrance of the store, preparing an emergency plan that addresses potential dangers, and having security personnel or customer service representatives explain approach and entrance procedures to the arriving public.

OSHA also recommends not allowing additional customers to enter the store when it reaches its maximum occupancy level and not blocking or locking exit doors.

OSHA Issues Compliance Directive to Address Flu Prevention for Health Care Workers

“OSHA has a responsibility to ensure that the more than nine million frontline health care workers in the United States are protected to the extent possible against exposure to the virus,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA,Jordan Barab. “OSHA will ensure health care employers use proper controls to protect all workers, particularly those who are at high or very high risk of exposure.”

In response to complaints, OSHA inspectors will ensure that health care employers implement a hierarchy of controls, and encourage vaccination and other work practices recommended by the CDC. Where respirators are required to be used, the OSHA Respiratory Protection standard must be followed, including worker training and fit testing. The directive also applies to institutional settings where some workers may have similar exposures, such as schools and correctional facilities.

The CDC recommends the use of respiratory protection that is at least as protective as a fit-tested disposable N95 respirator for health care personnel who are in close contact (within 6 feet) with patients who have suspected or confirmed 2009 H1N1 influenza.

Where respirators are not commercially available, an employer will be considered to be in compliance if the employer can show a good faith effort has been made to acquire respirators.

Where OSHA inspectors determine that a facility has not violated any OSHA requirements but that additional measures could enhance the protection of employees, OSHA may provide the employer with a hazard alert letter outlining suggested measures to further protect workers.

The 2009 H1N1 influenza is transmitted via direct or indirect person-to-person spreading of infectious droplets passed when an influenza patient coughs, sneezes, talks, or breathes. Transmission occurs when expelled infectious droplets or particles make direct or indirect contact with the mucus membranes of the mouth, nose, or eyes of an uninfected person. The OSHA directive and other guidelines show steps to eliminate the hazard.

H1N1 Training Tool Now Available

The PDF version of the H1N1 Training Tool is now available on the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) Worker Education and Training Program (WETP) Clearinghouse Web site. This training tool is an awareness level health and safety resource for workers who might come in contact with the H1N1 Influenza in their workplace. 

OSHA Proposes $88,200 in Fines against O’Connell Electric Co. Inc. after Worker Burned in SUNY Buffalo Arc Flash

OSHA has cited O’Connell Electric Co. Inc., of Victor, New York, for 14 alleged serious violations of safety standards after a company employee was burned in a May 18 electrical arc flash on the North Campus of the State University of New York (SUNY) Buffalo. The electrical contractor faces a total of $88,200 in proposed fines.

The incident occurred as O’Connell employees were performing maintenance on 34,500 volt electrical switches and transformers in the basement of Baldy Hall. OSHA’s inspection found that one of the switches had not first been de-energized, as required, before employees began their work, nor had the switches been properly barricaded and tagged to prevent exposure to live electrical parts.

OSHA also determined that the injured worker and other employees had not been adequately informed about and supplied with adequate personal protective clothing. In addition, they had not been adequately trained in electrical safe work practices and in proper hazardous energy control procedures.

“This is a clear example of the grave consequences that can result when basic electrical safeguards are not provided and used,” said Arthur Dube, OSHA’s area director in Buffalo. “Electricity can injure and kill almost instantly, which makes it vital that power sources be de-energized and locked out, and workers be properly trained and equipped before electrical work is performed.”

OSHA issues serious citations when death or serious physical harm is likely to result from hazards about which the employer knew or should have known.

“One means of preventing hazardous conditions and the accidents that can result from them is to establish an effective safety and health management system through which employers and employees work together to proactively evaluate, identify and eliminate hazards,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.

OSHA Cites Kane Contracting Inc. $42,000 for Fall Hazard at Middle School Construction Site

OSHA has cited Kane Contracting Inc., for an alleged willful violation of safety standards during renovation work at a Middle School in Peekskill, New York. The contractor faces $42,000 in penalties following an inspection opened June 29 in response to a complaint.

OSHA found workers exposed to falls of up to 18 feet while using a scaffold to install sheetrock on the ceiling of the school’s auditorium. The scaffold lacked guardrails, and fall protection equipment was neither supplied nor used. OSHA requires an effective form of fall protection be in place and in use whenever employees are working on scaffolds 10 feet or higher above the next level.

“Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, and this employer well knows the requirement that workers be protected against this constant hazard,” said Diana Cortez, OSHA’s area director in Tarrytown.

As a result, OSHA has issued Kane Contracting Inc., one willful citation with the $42,000 fine, for the fall hazard. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with plain indifference to or intentional disregard of employee safety and health.

“There is ample compliance assistance information available from this office and online that Westchester County employers can use to comply with OSHA standards and safeguard their workers,” said Cortez. “Obtaining and effectively utilizing this information can also help employers avoid the human and financial costs that can result from workplace hazards.”

“An additional means of helping ensure worker safety is for employers to establish an effective safety and health management system through which they and their employees work together to proactively evaluate, identify and eliminate hazards,” said Robert Kulick, OSHA’s regional administrator in New York.

OSHA Issues $41,700 in Proposed Fines for Callaway Farms Manufacturing Following Worker’s Partial Amputation

OSHA has cited Callaway Farms Manufacturing for safety and health violations following an inspection that occurred in July at the Washington, Georgia, worksite following an incident in which a worker slipped and suffered a partial amputation to both feet while attempting to remove an obstruction from a shaving machine.

Callaway Farms is being cited with 20 serious violations and $41,700 in proposed penalties. The employer did not ensure workers wore protective footwear, did not develop procedures to control hazardous energy, permitted employees to operate machinery without guards, and failed to install the proper electrical equipment where there was combustible dust. Several deficiencies also were cited regarding the manufacturer’s lockout/tagout of energy sources and confined space programs.

Additionally, the violations include the employer failing to provide workers who are exposed to bloodborne pathogens with a written bloodborne pathogens program, training, and Hepatitis B vaccination or medical evaluation at no cost.

“This incident has highlighted the dangers Callaway Farms workers face daily. OSHA found a number of serious hazards that put employees at risk and must be corrected before another injury occurs,” said Gei-Thae Breezley, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office. “All workers deserve a safe workplace and to return to their homes injury-free at the end of their workdays.”

Cave-in Hazard in Downtown Boston Trench Leads to $33,700 in OSHA Fines for P. Gioioso & Sons Inc.

OSHA has cited P. Gioioso & Sons Inc., for alleged repeat and serious violations of excavation safety standards after an OSHA inspector observed three company employees working in an unprotected trench at a Boston worksite. The Hyde Park, Massachusetts, contractor faces a total of $33,700 in proposed fines.

“An unprotected trench is a potential grave, since its sidewalls can collapse in an instant, crushing and burying workers before they have a chance to react or escape,” said Brenda Gordon, OSHA’s area director for Boston and southeastern Massachusetts. “Workers should never enter a trench until it is protected against cave-ins.”

The OSHA inspector found that the nearly six-foot deep trench was not sloped at a shallow angle or otherwise protected against a potential collapse of its sidewalls onto the employees working within. OSHA had previously cited this employer in December 2006 for an unprotected excavation at a Worcester, Massachusetts, jobsite.

Due to the previous violation, OSHA has now issued P. Gioioso & Sons Inc., one repeat citation, with a $28,000 fine, for this latest hazard. OSHA issues repeat citations when an employer has been previously cited for a substantially similar hazard and that citation has become final.

The contractor also has been issued two serious citations, with $5,700 in fines, for the absence of a ladder or other safe means to exit the trench and for not having the trench inspected by a competent person, one with the knowledge and authority to identify and correct hazards such as these.

OSHA standards require that all trenches and excavations five feet or deeper must be protected against collapse. 

Country Fresh Grand Rapids Facility Receives State Awards for Outstanding Safety and Health Record and Ergonomic Innovation

The Country Fresh LLC Grand Rapids Garage Facility has received the CET Platinum Award from the Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) for an outstanding safety and health record that includes going six years without a lost-time accident.

The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division recognizes the safety and health achievements of Michigan employers and employees through CET Awards, which are based on excellent safety and health performance. The CET Platinum Award recognizes an outstanding safety record of five years or more without a lost time accident.

The Country Fresh Grand Rapids Plant also received the Ergonomic Innovation Award from MIOSHA. This award is presented to employers for implementing ergonomic improvements to reduce job risk factors associated with musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs). The ergonomic improvements have helped employees work safely without needing to over-lift, over-reach, sit or stand too long, or use awkward postures.

“We are very pleased to recognize the Country Fresh Grand Rapids facility for your outstanding efforts to create a safe and healthy work environment,” said Susan R. Corbin, DELEG Deputy Director & Chief of Staff. “Through your exemplary commitment and diligence, you are reducing ergonomic hazards, protecting workers, and increasing productivity.”

Country Fresh made their ergonomic improvements on three distinct production lines, which have significantly reduced musculoskeletal injuries. On two of these lines, employees hand-packed containers in boxes. Automated robotics were incorporated to pack the boxes. This reduced employee exposure to repetitive hand strain, back strain, lifting and twisting, improper posture, and fatigue.

At the end of these three lines, employees manually loaded boxes onto pallets. To reduce stress on the shoulders and back, they utilized three robotic cells to palletize boxes which eliminated all ergonomic concerns.

The facility has worked with the MIOSHA CET Division over several years, and CET Safety Consultant Micshall Patrick performed a hazard survey on site, which is a part of the award process. This survey allowed them an opportunity to walk through the facility with a MIOSHA representative and correct any problem areas that were noted.

In addition to achieving more than six years without a lost-time accident, the garage facility has completed the following criteria to receive the Platinum Award:

• Developed and implemented a comprehensive safety and health management system;
• Established a safety and health committee, with both employee and management participation;
• Developed an employee training system, with an emphasis on how to do the work in a safe and healthful manner; and
• Worked diligently to change their workplace culture to reflect the importance of worker safety.

The North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) code for the Country Fresh Grand Rapids facility is 311511—Fluid Milk Manufacturing. To qualify for the CET awards, the company’s total case incident rate (TCIR) must be at or below the Michigan industry average (7.5 in 2008) for their NAICS code. The Grand Rapids facility has 350 employees, many of whom are represented by the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), Local 386.

Country Fresh LLC is part of the Great Lakes Division of Dean Foods, Inc., the nation’s leader in quality dairy products. They also received guidance and approval from Dean Foods corporate for all phases.

Plant operators and packers were involved in the upgrade process from the beginning. Country Fresh believes its work force is part of the solution and their people need to be involved in all phases.

“Companies that establish an integrated safety and health program reap the benefits of significantly reducing their injury and illness rates,” said Davis-Ray. “Reducing these rates not only protects employees—it has a healthy impact on a company’s bottom line.”

Avoid Food Poisoning During the Holidays by Properly Preparing Food

Health officials in various states are reminding the public about the importance of properly handling and preparing foods to avoid getting food poisoning this holiday season.

Susan Parachini, the retail food program manager for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment’s Consumer Protection Division, said the most frequent causes of foodborne illnesses are improper cooling of foods, lack of adequate hand washing, preparing ready-to-eat foods with contaminated utensils, and improper cooking temperatures.

Parachini provided the following tips for keeping foods safe:

• Cool all leftovers to 41?F or lower within four hours after cooking is complete. Do not leave foods containing meat, milk, eggs, fish or poultry at room temperature for more than the four-hour limit. This includes pumpkin or other custard pies that are popular during the holidays.
• Wash hands frequently and thoroughly with soap and warm water before food preparation and after using the bathroom, changing diapers, sneezing, coughing, eating, drinking, or smoking.
• Bacteria can spread throughout the kitchen and onto cutting boards, knives, sponges, and counter tops. Minimize cross-contamination risks by thoroughly cleaning and sanitizing knives, cutting boards, and utensils before and after preparing raw foods and foods that do not require further cooking. A sanitizing solution can be prepared using one tablespoon of unscented chlorine bleach per gallon of water.
• Buy a cooking thermometer and use it. Turkey and stuffing should be cooked thoroughly to 165?F and ham to 145?F or above before serving. Recipes requiring eggs must be cooked thoroughly to 135?F or above. If egg dishes do not require cooking, such as homemade eggnog, use pasteurized egg products instead of shelled eggs.
• Do not prepare or handle foods if you already are ill to avoid spreading the illness to others sharing the meal.
• Do not thaw foods at room temperature. Plan enough time to thaw them in the refrigerator, and place them on a tray to catch any juices that may leak from the original packaging to avoid cross-contamination.

Parachini said, “By following simple safety precautions, you can ensure your holiday parties and meals will be safe and enjoyable for all.”

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