NIOSH currently leads a nationwide initiative called Prevention through Design (PtD). PtD addresses occupational safety and health needs by eliminating hazards and minimizing risks to workers throughout the life cycle of work premises, tools, equipment, machinery, substances, and work processes including their construction, manufacture, use, maintenance, and ultimate disposal or re-use. The Plan outlined in this technical report establishes goals for the successful implementation of PtD. This comprehensive approach, which includes worker health and safety in all aspects of design, redesign and retrofit, will provide a vital framework for saving lives and preventing work-related injuries and illnesses.
The framework for the PtD initiative was developed through stakeholder input at the Prevention through Design Workshop in July 2007. The stakeholders represented all eight National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA) industry sector groups, and offered their assessment of the needs, challenges and opportunities for the PtD National Initiative. The output from the workshop was used to develop a strategic plan that highlights actions and milestones to institutionalize the PtD concept throughout the United States. NIOSH, in collaboration with the PtD organizational partners and Council members developed the draft goals, performance measures, activities and timeframes contained in the draft Plan.
Comments are being accepted through August 21, 2009.
NIOSH is interested in stakeholder opinions about the relevance of the goals and the value of the activities to achieve the goals in the draft Plan. NIOSH is also interested in identifying motivators, enablers and barriers to PtD implementation. In addition, NIOSH is interested in elements of the Plan stakeholders are planning to implement or have already implemented as well as the success of those implementation efforts.
OSHA Strengthens Integrity of Outreach Training Program
OSHA, in an effort to crack down on fraudulent trainers, is strengthening the integrity of its 36-year-old Outreach Training Program by improving how trainers become authorized to teach and ensuring these trainers are in compliance with OSHA program guidelines. This voluntary program has grown to a national network of more than 16,000 independent trainers eligible to teach workers and employers about workplace hazards and to provide OSHA 10-hour course completion cards. However, some trainers have fraudulently not provided the appropriate training in accordance with the program.
“The use of independent trainers has allowed OSHA to significantly extend its training capabilities,” said Jordan Barab, acting assistant secretary of labor for OSHA. “But OSHA will not tolerate fraudulent activity or unscrupulous trainers when workers’ health and lives may be at stake.”
Trainers are authorized by completing a one-week OSHA trainer course through an OSHA Training Institute Education Center. The trainers are then eligible to teach 10-hour programs that provide basic information to workers and employers about workplace hazards and OSHA, and 30-hour courses in construction, maritime and general industry safety and health hazards.
The program’s success has prompted some states and cities to legislate a requirement that workers complete training to earn an OSHA 10-hour card as a condition of employment. Because this training is becoming a requirement for gaining employment, the program has experienced fraudulent activity.
OSHA has increased unannounced monitoring visits to verify that trainers are in compliance with program requirements. OSHA will continue to refer fraudulent activity to the Labor Department’s Office of Inspector General, and trainers caught falsifying information will be subject to criminal prosecution. The public is asked to call a new outreach fraud hotline at 847-297-4810 to file complaints about program fraud and abuse.
OSHA began implementing other changes in 2008. These include requiring trainers to certify their classes and ensuring that training documentation is in accordance with OSHA’s guidelines before trainers can receive course completion cards. Tests for outreach training program trainer courses have been revised to ensure more rigorous exams for authorizing new trainers. OSHA is also developing an ethics module to be added to all trainer courses.
“Strengthening the integrity of the Outreach Training Program will help ensure that workers receive quality training, help them gain employment and return them home safely at the end of their workday,” said Barab.
MIOSHA Launches Initiative to help Employers during Tough Economic Times
The Michigan Occupational Safety and Health Administration (MIOSHA) is launching an extensive awareness campaign, “Protecting Workers in Tough Economic Times,” on how a comprehensive safety and health management system can help employers protect their workers and their bottom line. The MIOSHA program is part of the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor & Economic Growth (DELEG).
As part of this initiative, the MIOSHA program is offering penalty reductions to companies who are compliant at the end of a MIOSHA inspection, as well as other incentives to encourage companies to develop safety and health management systems that protect their workers.
“Businesses today are struggling to survive in the most precarious economic conditions we have seen in our lifetime,” said MIOSHA Director Doug Kalinowski. “When facing the challenging times of today, now is not the time to cut corners. As I’ve said many times before, the costs of reacting to workplace injuries and illnesses far exceed the costs of preventing them from happening in the first place.”
The MIOSHA Program recognizes the difficulties that employers and employees are facing and will do all that we can to help address workplace safety and health issues. MIOSHA is offering the following significant changes to help employers comply with MIOSHA requirements:
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Penalty Reduction – an additional 10 percent penalty reduction may be applied for prompt abatement.
- Penalty Payment Plan – an extended payment plan will allow employers the opportunity to pay the citation penalty in installments rather than one lump sum.
- Focused Inspections – inspections in most targeted general industry workplaces will focus on the primary hazards of the industry, instead of the traditional “wall-to-wall” approach.
- OTS Violations Not Cited – Other-than-Serious (OTS) violations relating to focused hazards will not be cited if the violation is abated in the presence of the inspector.
- Prehearing Options – three alternative options to prehearings conducted in Lansing will be available.
- Inspection Deferrals – employers working with the Consultation Education & Training (CET) Division may receive a deferral from a MIOSHA enforcement routine inspection.
- Good Faith Credits – new “Good Faith Credits” for penalty reductions have been implemented.
- MTI Training Scholarships – $18,000 in safety and health training scholarships will be available for MIOSHA Training Institute (MTI) courses in FY 2010.
- Increase Publication Limits – the CET Division will increase the limits on free copies of popular printed material, like permits, stickers, and posters.
- Access to Standards – All MIOSHA standards are now searchable and downloadable from our website, and our new “A-Z Index” makes locating standards easier.
- Free Video Loan Library – the CET Video Library is transitioning from VHS to DVDs and has 76 DVD titles on a wide range of safety and health topics available on a free-loan basis.
Employers have a legal obligation to provide a safe and healthy work environment for employees. The MIOSH Act requires employers to provide “a workplace free of recognized hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to the employees.” The purpose of MIOSHA safety and health rules is to set minimum requirements and provide guidelines for identifying and correcting the hazards contributing to injuries and fatalities.
The MIOSHA program is required to monitor the safety and health conditions in workplaces covered by the MIOSH Act. Our inspection system focuses on Michigan workplaces with the highest injury and illness rates. We want to target worksites where we can do the most good. In addition, consultation activities are focused where the greatest potential for improvement exists.
MIOSHA urges proactive attention to safety and health diligence in all workplaces. Fatal accidents can be prevented when employers develop and implement safety and health management systems. These systems include not only following MIOSHA rules, but emphasize the need for ongoing strong leadership support, employee involvement, worksite monitoring, and training.
Workplace safety just makes good business sense. The direct costs of workplace accidents were estimated at $48.6 billion in 2006 (Liberty Mutual 2008 Workplace Safety Index). Liberty Mutual estimates that businesses pay an additional $127 billion to $212 billion of indirect costs, bringing the total financial impact of serious workplace incidents to between $170 and $255 billion annually.
“The MIOSHA program is dedicated to protecting the safety and health of Michigan’s working men and women,” said Kalinowski. “We are ready to partner with any Michigan employer or organization to increase safety and health awareness and encourage the use of all available resources, including MIOSHA outreach services, to provide a safe and healthy work environment.”
Federal OSHA estimates that for every $1 invested in workplace safety, employers see a $4 to $6 return. The MIOSHA Consultation Education and Training (CET) Division has consultants available to provide employers with assistance in creating safety and health systems, developing accident prevention programs, and implementing long-term safety and health solutions.
Companies can call the CET Division at 517.322.1809 for free statewide safety and health assistance. For more information on MIOSHA standards, enforcement regulations and outreach services, companies and employees can also call our toll-free number at 800.866.4674. MIOSHA developed the attached fact sheet for employers that details the initiative’s program incentives and lists the safety and health benefits.
MIOSHA’s goal is to ensure that effective tools and training are available to employers to help prevent workplace injuries, illnesses and fatalities. A variety of information is available on our website at www.michigan.gov/miosha, including standards, outreach services, publications, training calendar, alliances and partnerships, initiatives, and fact sheets. In addition, the MIOSHA website highlights Michigan workplaces that have been recognized for their outstanding efforts to protect workers.
Warning to Vacationers: Save Your Skin!
To remind Americans to practice sun-safe behaviors this summer, EPA’s SunWise Program and the National Council on Skin Cancer Prevention are drawing attention to safe practices to prevent skin cancer. Skin cancer is largely preventable; however, new cases of melanoma, the most deadly of skin cancers, continue to rise at a faster rate than the seven most common cancers.
“Any change in your skin, whether burned or slightly tanned, is a sign of ultraviolet radiation damage,” said Drusilla Hufford, director of EPA’s Stratospheric Protection Division and council co-chair. “The good news is you can protect yourself and your family members from too much sun, the main cause of skin cancer, by taking simple steps like putting on sunscreen, a hat, sunglasses and a t-shirt.”
“Many people believe skin cancer occurs after a lifetime of exposure, and yet, melanoma is the second most common form of cancer for young adults 15-29 years of age,” said Dr. Henry Lim, council co-chair. “In the last 30 years, the number of women under age 40 diagnosed with basal cell carcinoma has more than doubled while the squamous cell carcinoma rate has also increased significantly.”
Consistent with Administrator Lisa P. Jackson’s priorities, EPA’s participation focuses on children and families. The SunWise Program recognizes the important role parents play in protecting their children from too much sun. Sunburns in childhood are associated with an increased risk of developing melanoma.
EPA is encouraging schools to participate by pledging to incorporate sun safety into their May activities. Participating classrooms will receive a Don’t Fry Day poster and a classroom set of sun safety stickers. In addition, each classroom will be entered into a drawing for a SunWise Classroom Prize Pack—a set of UV-sensitive SunWise bracelets, a real-time UV monitor, and other sun safety resources.
EPA recommends some simple ways to stay safe in the sun. Remember, Slip, Slop, Slap and Wrap and plan activities away from the midday sun.
- Slip on a shirt
- Slop on sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher)
- Slap on a hat
- Wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and sensitive skin around them from ultraviolet light
Skin cancer from UV radiation is the most common of all cancers in the United States. More people will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year than breast, prostate, lung, and colon cancer combined. UV radiation is a carcinogen whether it comes from the sun or an artificial light source.
There is a misperception that people of color are not at risk of getting skin cancer. While the risk for people of color is not as high, skin cancer, including melanoma, affects all skin types. Skin cancer is often detected in people with darker skin after it is too late, so it is important that people of color are safe in the sun and see a doctor if they notice any changes with their skin.
As part of their campaign, EPA is also targeting the 10 states with the highest number of new melanoma cases by releasing state-specific skin cancer fact sheets for Connecticut, Idaho, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, and Washington. Additionally, Salt Lake County, Utah will become a SunWise Community, the newest member of a national program of eight communities that encourage sun safety on the part of their citizens.
May is Asthma Awareness Month
Asthma is a serious, sometimes life-threatening respiratory disease that affects the quality of life for millions of people; but it can be managed if people know what it is and understand how the environment can affect asthma patients. EPA has declared May as Asthma Awareness Month to place emphasis on educating the public about air pollutants that trigger asthma, and methods to reduce the incidence and severity of asthma attacks caused by these pollutants.
Although there is no cure for asthma yet, the disease can be controlled through medical treatment and management of environmental triggers. Some of the most common indoor asthma “triggers” are secondhand smoke, mold, dust mites and cockroaches, household pets, and combustion byproducts.
“People can control their asthma by knowing the warning signs of an attack, staying away from things that trigger an attack, and following the advice of their healthcare providers,” said George Pavlou, Acting EPA Region 2 Administrator.
Asthma is one of the most common long-term diseases of children, but adults have asthma, too. Asthma causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. People who have asthma have it all the time, but will have asthma attacks only when something bothers their lungs.
About 23 million people, including 6.8 million children, have asthma. Asthma in children is the cause of seven million physician visits and nearly 200,000 hospitalizations. Thirteen million school days are missed each year due to asthma.
Remember, asthma is not restricted to an age bracket, nationality or gender, but is extremely common in children. African-Americans are three times more likely to die or be hospitalized because of asthma according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The rate of asthma among Puerto Ricans is 125% higher than non-Hispanic white people.
Adults and children with asthma can lead healthy, active lives. There is no cure for asthma, but there are steps that people can take to reduce its severity. Asthma sufferers should:
- Talk to a doctor
- Learn what triggers their asthma attacks
- Asthma-proof their homes
New QuickCards™ from OSHA
North Carolina’s Permissible Exposure Limits Revised Effective May 1
In 1989, federal OSHA revised the permissible exposure limits (PELs) for air contaminants standard (29 CFR 1910.1000). This revised standard lowered the PELs for 212 substances, set new PELs for 164 previously unregulated substances, and left unchanged PELs for 52 substances.
At that time, the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) adopted the new PELs verbatim pursuant to North Carolina General Statute § 95-131(a). However, a legal challenge by representatives of both labor and industry resulted in a decision by the 11th Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals that vacated the revised PELs. The court ruled that OSHA did not sufficiently explain or support its threshold determination that exposure to these substances at previous levels posed a significant risk of these material health impairments or that the new standard eliminated or reduced that risk to the extent feasible.
As a result of the court’s decision, OSHA reverted back to the original PELs that were promulgated in 1971. To ensure compliance with the letter of the law, the N.C. Department of Labor recently repealed its state-specific PELs, which were based on the 1989 PELs, and reverted back to the PELs currently enforced by OSHA pursuant to 29 CFR 1910.1000. The effective date of this change was May 1, 2009.
NCDOL is currently conducting research to support lower threshold limits for certain substances. The department will begin the administrative rulemaking process later this year.
Lessons Learned: Only Qualified Personnel Should Work on Electrical Equipment
The NC Commission of Labor’s Labor Ledger describes case studies that examine fatal workplace accidents and then provides information as to how the accident could have been prevented. The May/June 2009 issues describes an incident in which a heavy equipment mechanic was electrocuted and describes steps that all workplaces can take to ensure that similar events do not occur.
Fatal Event:
On July 8, 2008, a 40-year-old heavy equipment mechanic was electrocuted in the process of repairing damage to a transformer that he had struck with a front-end loader.
Investigative Findings:
On the day of the accident, the victim had come to the work location to repair a front-end loader. By the time he had secured the necessary parts to make the repair, other employees at the site had left for the day. When they returned the next day, they noticed the mechanic’s parked truck and eventually came upon his lifeless body.
The ensuing investigation determined that the victim had moved the front-end loader in the course of making the repairs. Damage to the body of the front-end loader and the paint markings on a tire of the equipment indicated an accident had taken place. This assumption was confirmed by the presence of a damaged transformer in the vicinity of the front-end loader.
While there was obvious damage done to the transformer as a result of contact with the front-end loader, the lock—designed to limit access to high voltage wiring—had also been pried off and damaged. With the evidence available, it became apparent that the victim had inadvertently struck the transformer with the front-end loader and in an attempt to repair the damage that he had caused, tried to gain access to the electrical wiring in the transformer to make the necessary repairs. In the process of attempting to make the electrical repairs, the heavy equipment mechanic was electrocuted.
There was no record of the victim attempting to report the damage of the electrical transformer to any management officials before attempting to make the necessary repairs. At the same time, the victim was also not qualified to work on electrical equipment. We can only speculate at to why the unfortunate victim exposed himself to the serious electrical hazard that resulted in his death.
Recommendations:
- Only authorized employees with proper training should operate equipment.
- Only qualified persons should work on electrical equipment.
- In most cases, electrical equipment should be de-energized before beginning work on it.
- Electrical equipment should be protected from damage.
- A safety and health culture should be established in the workplace that reinforces a safety and health response to potential hazard exposure.
Prevent Tick Bites While Working Outdoors
Ticks can be more than just a nuisance to those who work outside—they can cause serious illnesses, including Lyme Disease. Workers in the construction, landscaping, forestry, farming, railroad, oil field, park and wildlife management, and utility industries—to name a few—are at increased risk of tick-related and other outdoor hazards.
OSHA Cites Oil Refinery in East Texas for 30 Safety Violations Following Fatalities
OSHA has cited Delek Refining Ltd. in Tyler, Texas, with one alleged willful and 29 alleged serious violations after a fire and explosion claimed the lives of two workers and injured three others. The proposed penalties total $217,350.
“OSHA’s Process Safety Management standard contains specific requirements that are essential to the safety and health of workers in the petroleum refining industry, and it is crucial that employers follow these safety and health requirements,” said Stephen Boyd, OSHA’s area director in Dallas. “If Delek had followed OSHA’s standards, it is possible this tragic accident could have been avoided.”
OSHA’s Dallas Area Office began its investigation November 20 at the company’s facility on East Commerce Street in Tyler. Flammable vapors were ignited after a Naphtha (flammable liquid) discharge line ruptured at the saturated-gas unit, killing two workers and injuring three others. The investigation found a willful violation for failing to adequately maintain and repair processing equipment. OSHA defines a willful violation as one committed with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act.
Serious citations were issued for violations of OSHA’s Process Safety Management involving electrical, asbestos, benzene and portable fire extinguisher standards. Serious citations are issued when death or serious injury could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
Brentwood, Tennessee-based Delek Refining, which employs about 270 workers in Tyler, is a high conversion, independent refinery with a design crude distillation capacity of about 60,000 barrels per day.
The company has 15 working days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the Dallas area director or contest the citations and penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
Cotractor Facing Fines of More than $113,000 for Fall, Electrocution, and Scaffold Hazards
A West Hartford, Connecticut, roofing contractor faces a total of $113,200 in proposed fines from OSHA after an employee was seriously injured when he fell 24 feet from a roof. The accident took place on November 17, 2008, at a residential construction project in West Hartford.
OSHA’s inspection found that the employer, J.P. Carroll Construction Inc., failed to supply fall protection for employees working on the roof and that the aluminum ladder used to access the roof did not extend at least three feet above the roof’s edge for required stability. The aluminum ladder also posed an electrocution hazard because it was located only 14 inches from an energized electric power line.
As a result of these conditions, OSHA issued J.P. Carroll Construction Inc. three willful citations with $105,000 in proposed fines. OSHA previously cited the company in 2004 and 2007 for fall-related hazards at worksites in West Hartford and Hartford.
“This case is a graphic example of what can happen when basic, commonsense and legally required safeguards are ignored,” said C. William Freeman III, OSHA’s area director in Hartford. “Equally troubling was the placement of the aluminum ladder next to a live power line. This set-up left workers just inches away from death or disabling injuries.”
The latest inspection also resulted in the issuance of three serious citations, with $8,200 in proposed fines, for a damaged scaffold, failing to have the scaffold erected under the supervision of a competent person and allowing debris to accumulate on work platforms.
J.P. Carroll Construction Inc. has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to request and participate in an informal conference with OSHA or contest them before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA’s Hartford Area Office.
OSHA Cites Sulzer Metco Coating with 23 Violations and Fines Following Fatality
OSHA has cited Sulzer Metco Coating with 23 alleged serious safety and health violations following the death of a worker in West Virginia. OSHA began its investigation February 25 following the death of a worker who was pulled into a large piece of lathe machinery that did not have proper machine guarding. The citations carry proposed penalties totaling $56,250.
“Sulzer Metco Coating needs to take immediate action to eliminate each identified violation to prevent another tragic fatality,” said Jeff Funke, director of OSHA’s Charleston Area Office.
Other serious violations included blocked or locked exit routes; lack of proper fire protection equipment and training; inadequate fork truck training; improper storage of compressed gas cylinders; lack of a hazard communication program; exposure to noise at levels greater than the permissible exposure limit; inadequate means to ensure supplied air for respirator user’s breathing quality; and hexavalent chromium issues including surface contamination, lack of protective gear for skin exposure, and improper cleaning techniques for areas where hexavalent chromium was present.
The company, which employs 285 workers nationwide, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference with the OSHA area director in Charleston, West Virginia, or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The investigation was conducted by OSHA’s Charleston Area Office.
OSHA Forms Safety Partnership with Turner Construction During Connecticut Hospital Project
OSHA has formed a site safety partnership with Turner Construction of Milford, Connecticut, to minimize hazards and enhance worker safety and health during the construction of a new 320,000-square-foot, 10-story tower at the St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center in Hartford.
“This partnership is designed to encourage, recognize and assist contractors in their efforts to analyze, identify and eliminate hazardous conditions before they harm workers,” said C. William Freeman III, OSHA’s area director in Hartford.
Under the agreement, Turner will develop a project-specific safety and health plan to be administered by a qualified safety and health representative; conduct job hazard analyses; ensure that all employees on site receive necessary safety and health training, including training on the safe operation of cranes; implement and enforce an ongoing site safety audit program that will include daily site walk-throughs; and establish a system to collect and analyze injury and illness trends.
Subcontractors will be expected to develop and maintain project-specific safety and health plans; provide employees with safety orientation, training and weekly task-specific safety instructions; and conduct weekly safety and health inspections. OSHA will review and evaluate the safety and health plan and compliance; assist in ensuring the delivery of effective training; provide clarification, feedback and input, as needed; and periodically attend site safety and health meetings.
More than 1.4 million employees and nearly 28,000 employers across the United States have participated with OSHA in more than 580 strategic partnerships since the program began in 1998.
Staycation Safety Hazards
This summer many families will be trying to beat the heat—and recession—by swapping traditional vacations for trips to the backyard play set or pool and restricting dining out to outdoor grilling. But while your backyard might provide financially sound alternatives, it can also increase the potential for unnecessary accidents.
With nearly half of all unintentional child injury-related deaths occurring in June, July and August, Underwriters Laboratories (UL), an independent product safety testing organization, is reminding families how to stay safe and out of the emergency room during their summer staycations.
“Each year about 2.7 million children make emergency room visits in the summer months due to injuries around the pool or backyard,” says John Drengenberg, director of Consumer Safety at Underwriters Laboratories. “Nothing is more tragic when avoidable accidents suddenly overshadow rest and recreation. By making safety part of their daily routine, parents can protect their children from hazards in and around the home.”
Parents can make safety a regular part of their summer routine by following these safety tips from UL:
- Supervision is a must—and is the key to preventing accidents at the pool. Follow the 10/20 rule, which means the supervising adult can scan the pool within 10 seconds and reach the water within 20 seconds. Each year about 300 children drown in residential swimming pools, so it’s imperative to designate an adult to watch swimming children.
- Keep grills at least 10 feet from the house or any building. According to the National Fire Protection Association, gas and charcoal grills cause about 8,300 home fires each year, which includes 3,400 structure fires and 4,900 outside fires. In addition to keeping the grill a safe distance from your home, be sure to:
- Never use gasoline or kerosene to light a charcoal fire.
- Never attempt to restart a flame by adding additional lighting fluid to an already-lit grill, as this can cause a flare-up.
- Dispose of charcoal away from kids and pets and cool it down with a hose. Coals get very hot -- in some cases up to 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit. When grilling use insulated, flame-retardant mitts or long-handled barbecue tongs and utensils.
Finally, because seventy percent of all playground-related deaths occur on home playground equipment, Drengenberg recommends that parents carefully inspect backyard swing sets and jungle gyms before inviting neighborhood kids over. Make sure equipment is anchored safely in the ground, all equipment pieces are in good working order, S-hooks are entirely closed and bolts are not protruding.
“Whether your family is splashing in the pool, preparing a family barbeque or taking part in a neighborhood summertime bash, paying attention to a few often overlooked safety precautions can help avoid unnecessary trips to the emergency room,” said Drengenberg.