OSHA NEWS
NEWS
February, 2010
OSHA provides additional earthquake and structural collapse information for workers
OSHA expanded its online earthquake and structural collapse information for rescue workers and emergency responders. The agency provides the information to help minimize the risk of injury and death for workers assisting in the areas of earthquakes and structural collapse. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Safety and Health Topics Web page includes information from OSHA, NIOSH, CDC, FEMA and NIEHS.
FY 2010 Budget Scheduled to be Announced Feb. 6
The President's fiscal year 2010 budget for the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will continue to promote a balanced approach to workplace safety and health emphasizing enforcement, compliance assistance and outreach programs, and cooperative programs. The administration's FY 2010 budget for federal agencies will be announced Feb. 6. Visit OSHA's Web site for details on the budget proposal.
OSHA Resumes Regular Enforcement Along Most of U.S. Gulf Coast
OSHA has resumed regular enforcement of job safety and health standards throughout much of the hurricane impacted U.S. Gulf Coast. On January 25, normal enforcement was being conducted throughout Florida and Alabama, in Mississippi north of Interstate 10, and in Louisiana except in 7 parishes in and around New Orleans.
February 1, 2010 · Volume 9, Issue 3
February 1 budget rollout features Web chat with stakeholders
Public encouraged to participate
On Monday, Feb. 1, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis will hold a live Web chat to discuss the U.S. Department of Labor's 2011 budget. Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels will join Secretary Solis in the live Web chat from 1-3 p.m. (EST) and encourages interested parties to participate in the discussions. Secretary Solis will provide an overview of the Department's efforts to provide "Good Jobs for Everyone." Assistant Secretary Michaels will be available to answer specific questions concerning OSHA's 2011 budget. To view: www.dol.gov/budget.
OSHA proposes $233,500 in fines against Home Goods for exit hazards
OSHA proposed $233,500 in fines against Home Goods for exit access, fire and crushing hazards at its Commack, N.Y., store. Responding to an employee complaint, OSHA found exit routes that were too narrow for passage, blocked by stock and equipment, or hidden by stacks of material. Other hazards included blocked access to fire extinguishers, workers not trained in fire extinguisher use, and boxes stored in unstable 8-foot high tiers. OSHA had cited Home Goods in 2006 and 2007 for similar conditions at the company's Mount Olive, N.J., and Somers, N.Y., locations. "It's been 99 years since the fire at The Triangle Shirtwaist Co. in New York City took the lives of nearly 150 workers and almost 19 years since two workers were killed when they were unable to exit the McCrory's store in Huntington Station, N.Y., during a fire," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels. "Blocked fire exits can be deadly. It is that simple." For more inf ormation, read the news release.
Secretary Solis to kick off National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety
In an effort to reduce injuries and illnesses among Latino workers, Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis will kick off the National Action Summit for Latino Worker Health and Safety April 14-15, 2010, in Houston. The event will also feature Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA David Michaels and Dr. John Howard, director of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. The summit will include workers and representatives from employer associations, labor unions, faith community, consulates and non-traditional partners and is sponsored by OSHA and NIOSH and in partnership with the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences. The Secretary's goal is to reduce injuries and illnesses among Latino workers by enhancing knowledge of their workplace rights and improving their ability to exercise those rights.
Stakeholders invited to "OSHA Listens" public meeting; Webcast offered
The "OSHA Listens" public meeting will be Feb. 10 in Washington and also broadcast via the World Wide Web. Assistant Secretary David Michaels is holding the meeting to solicit comments and suggestions from OSHA stakeholders on key issues facing the agency. "Public involvement in the government's activities is a priority for this Administration and is important to OSHA efforts to protect the safety and health of workers," said Michaels. For more information on the meeting, see the news release. Visit OSHA's Web site in the next week for details on the Webcast.
Worksite and industry-specific data now available to public on Data.gov and agency Web sites
OSHA's data on employer specific injury and illness incidence rates is now publicly available on Data.gov and its Web site. OSHA collects work-related injury and illness data from more than 80,000 employers within specific industries and of a certain employment size. The agency uses this data for its strategic management plan and as a targeting mechanism for its Site-Specific Targeting enforcement program. Data is now searchable from 1996 to 2007 and can be used by interested individuals or groups to look at establishment-specific injury and illness data. The information includes the establishment name, address, industry, and associated total case rate; days away, restricted and transfer case rate; and days away from work case rate. Suspect or unrelia ble data is not included in this database.
OSHA will hold informal stakeholder meetings on combustible dust hazards
OSHA has scheduled two informal stakeholder meetings Feb. 17, at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m., at the Marriott Perimeter Center in Atlanta to solicit comments and suggestions on combustible dust hazards in the workplace. According to David Michaels, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, the agency will use comments from these meetings in developing a proposed standard for combustible dust. Since 1980, more than 130 workers have been killed and more than 780 injured in combustible dust explosions. A Feb. 7, 2008, explosion at an Imperial Sugar Co. plant in Port Wentworth, Ga., killed 14 people and resulted in OSHA issuing nearly $8.8 million in penalties. OSHA is holding the meeting in Atlanta to make it easy for victims' families and others with relevant information about this deadly incident to attend. "Information gathered from these meetings will help OSHA move ahead on this urgently needed standard and prevent more deaths from combustible dust expl osions," said Michaels. See the Jan. 25 Federal Register notice for details.
Updated OSHA guidance aims to prevent workplace violence affecting late-night retail workers
According to Bureau of Labor Statistics' data, 167 retail trade workers were killed in 2007. Nearly half of these were employed in late-night establishments such as gasoline stations, liquor and convenience stores. OSHA recently updated its guidance document Recommendations for Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Late-Night Retail Establishments that addresses issues causing late-night retail workers to be killed on the job. Of these worker deaths, 39 killed were employed at convenience stores, 32 worked at gasoline stations and 7 worked at liquor stores. "The number of retail workers who died as a result of workplace violence has declined over the past 10 years - from 286 in 1998 to 167 in 2007. This decline is encouraging, but not good enough," said Assistant Secretary Michaels. "Workers should not go to work fearing they won't live through the day." The violence prevention information presented in this document builds on OSHA's Recommendations for Workplace Violence Prevention Programs in Late-Night Retail Establishments, published in 1998. The updated Recommendations identify risk factors and describe feasible solutions. Copies can be ordered online from OSHA's publications page.
OSHA provides additional earthquake and structural collapse information for workers
OSHA expanded its online earthquake and structural collapse information for rescue workers and emergency responders. The agency provides the information to help minimize the risk of injury and death for workers assisting in the areas of earthquakes and structural collapse. The Emergency Preparedness and Response Safety and Health Topics Web page includes information from OSHA, NIOSH, CDC, FEMA and NIEHS.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Connecticut (CT) Passes Law Requiring
Osha 10 Hour Training for Construction
The State of Connecticut passed a law requiring 10 hour Osha Construction safety training that went in effect July 1, 2007.
Substitute House Bill No. 5034
Public Act No. 06-175
AN ACT CONCERNING CONSTRUCTION SAFETY.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2006) (a) Each contract entered into on or after July 1, 2007, for the construction, remodeling, refinishing, refurbishing, rehabilitation, alteration or repair of any public building project by the state or any of its agents, or by any political subdivision of the state or any of its agents, where the total cost of all work to be performed by all contractors and subcontractors in connection with the contract is at least one hundred thousand dollars, shall contain a provision requiring that, not later than thirty days after the date such contract is awarded, each contractor furnish proof to the Labor Commissioner that all employees performing manual labor on or in such public building, pursuant to such contract, have completed a course of at least ten hours in duration in construction safety and health approved by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration or, in the case of telecommunications employees, have completed at least ten hours of training in accordance with 29 CFR 1910. 268.
(b) Any employee required to complete a construction safety and health course required under subsection (a) of this section who has not completed the course shall be subject to removal from the worksite if the employee does not provide documentation of having completed such course by the fifteenth day after the date the employee is found to be in noncompliance. The Labor Commissioner or said commissioner's designee shall enforce this section.
(c) Not later than January 1, 2007, the Labor Commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to implement the provisions of subsections (a) and (b) of this section. Such regulations shall require that the ten-hour construction safety and health courses required under subsection (a) of this section be conducted in accordance with federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Training Institute standards, or in accordance with 29 CFR 1910. 268, as appropriate. The Labor Commissioner shall accept as sufficient proof of compliance with the provisions of subsection (a) or (b) of this section a student course completion card issued by the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration Training Institute, or such other proof of compliance said commissioner deems appropriate, dated no earlier than five years before the commencement date of such public works project.
(d) For the purposes of this section, "public building" means a structure, paid for in whole or in part with state funds, within a roof and within exterior walls or fire walls, designed for the housing, shelter, enclosure and support or employment of people, animals or property of any kind, including, but not limited to, sewage treatment plants and water treatment plants. "Public building" does not include site work, roads or bridges, rail lines, parking lots or underground water, sewer or drainage systems including pump houses or other utility systems.
Approved June 9, 2006
Previous Issues
Slip Resistance Provision Removed from Steel Erection Standard
OSHA is revoking a provision of the steel erection standard that addresses the slip resistance of walking surfaces of coated structural steel members. The provision required that coated structural steel meet a specified level of slip resistance when measured using ASTM test methods. Details on the provision's revocation appear in the Jan. 18 Federal Register.
OSHA Offers New Guidelines to Help Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes
Employers and employees who use motor vehicles for work purposes stand to benefit from new guidelines developed by OSHA, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety. The 32-page Guidelines for Employers to Reduce Motor Vehicle Crashes offers useful information to help employers design an effective driver safety program in their workplace. The motor vehicle guidance is available from OSHA's publications page on the Web, or can be ordered by calling the publications office at (202) 693-1888.
Reminder to Employers: Post Injury/Illness Summaries Beginning in February
Beginning this month, employers must post a summary of the total number of job-related injuries and illnesses that occurred last year. Employers are only required to post the Summary (OSHA Form 300A) -- not the OSHA 300 Log -- from Feb.1 to April 30, 2006. Copies of the OSHA Forms 300, 300A and 301 are available on the OSHA Recordkeeping Web page.
New OSHA Partnership Formed to Protect Worker Safety and Health
Ensuring the safety and health of employees constructing the Life Sciences Building at Cornell University is the goal of a new partnership between OSHA, Skanska USA Building Inc. and 14 building and trades unions. A key goal of the agreement is to eliminate accidents and injuries stemming from major construction hazards. Through its Strategic Partnership Program, OSHA and its partners agree to work cooperatively to address critical safety and health issues.
OSHA Certifies Newest "SHARP" Companies
OSHA recently certified the following companies as Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program (SHARP) sites: Region VI: Jason International Inc., North Little Rock, Ark.; Greene's Energy Group, Lafayette, La.; Houma Fabrication, Houma, La.; Acord Transportation, Chandler, Okla.; Newell Coaches Corporation, Miami, Okla.; Kel-Tech Incorporated, Midland, Texas; Kopriva Cabinets, Temple, Texas; Standard Sales, Odessa, Texas; Sun Gro Horticulture, Terrell, Texas Region VII: Lakepoint Nursing & Rehab Center, El Dorado, Kan.; Scoular Company Big Springs, Big Springs, Neb.; Scoular Company, Grant, Neb. Region VIII: Agland Inc. Petroleum Division, Lucerne, Colo.; Chaco Inc. Warehouse, Delta, Colo.; Henningsen Cold Storage Co., Grand Forks, N.D.; Northern Electric Cooperative Inc., Redfield, S.D.; Star Valley Lumber, Etna, Wyo.; Teton Truss Operation, Etna, Wyo. Region IX: Hatachi Automotive Parts Inc., Torrance, Calif.; KB Homes Coastal Inc., San Marcos, Calif.; PSC Industrial Outsourcing, Benicia, Calif.; Jack's Tours Inc., Hilo, Hawaii; Kimi Hotel Inc. (Maui Seaside Sands Hotel), Kahalui, Hawaii; Antioch Company, Sparks, Nev.; Basalite, Carson City, Nev.; Bonanza Casino, Reno, Nev.; Carson Valley Inn, Minden, Nev.; Horizon Specialty Hospital, Las Vegas, Nev.; Trex Company Inc., Fernley, Nev.; Wyman Gordon, Carson City, Nev. Region X: North Slope School District, Barrow High School, Barrow, Alaska; North Slope School District, Ipalook Elementary School, Barrow, Alaska. (See the Jan. 15, 2006, issue of QuickTakes for the most recent SHARP-certified companies from Regions I-V.)
Occupational Safety & Health Administration - The State of Connecticut passed a law requiring 10 hour Osha Construction safety training. Osha compliance and regulation classes online, OSHA standard, OSHA Safety Training and Environmental Management Training Courses, construction, refresher class, HAZWOPER 40 Hour & 8 Hour Annual Refresher class, Hand tools, Power Tools, Hazardous Materials, Scaffolding, Stairways, Ladders, Welding and Cutting, Brazing, Forklift Safety, Steel Erection, Internet OSHA approved classes, form 300 requirement, OSHA 300 log, law, fall protection, guidelines, reporting, training institute, State of Connecticut - CT 10 hr osha training course
Call 1.877.250.4435
for
States served:
OSHA CLASSROOM ONLINE
Notice to Nevada residents
Since January 1, 2010, the OSHA 10 Hour course is required to to work any type of construction
