More fallout from those Louisiana chemical plant explosions, the compliance date for anti-fatigue rules for truckers draws near and the winner’s of ISHN’s first-ever Readers’ Choice Awards were all in the news this week:
New procedures to focus on hazardous liquid exposure
June 21, 2013
The ability of protective clothing worn by first responder to limit exposure to hazardous liquids will undergo new testing procedures developed by the Fire Protection Research Foundation and International Personnel Protection, Inc.
No protection against cave-ins, falls or struck-bys
June 21, 2013
OSHA has cited Gulf Coast Utility Contractors LLC with two willful and two serious safety violations with proposed penalties totaling $106,400 for exposing workers to a cave-in and other hazards while they were installing underground utilities at a job site in Panama City Beach.
It takes only five seconds for a worker who is walking on moving grain to become engulfed in it to the extent that he is unable to extricate himself. It only takes 60 seconds for him to become completely submerged.
Despite having such poor vision that he drove with a restricted (auto) license, a train engineer was medically recertified by his employer, Union Pacific Railroad. Those vision problems contributed to fatal 2012 head-on collision between two freight trains in Oklahoma, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Best practice development, outreach programs part of effort
June 20, 2013
In recent months, we have received many reports of temporary workers suffering fatal injuries — some during their first days on the job. One of our most recent high-profile enforcement cases was with Bacardi Bottling Corp. following the death of a 21-year-old temporary worker. LAWRENCE DAQUAN "DAY" DAVIS was crushed to death on his very first day at work while he was cleaning up glass inside a palletizer at the Florida bottling facility.
A new rule that limits the number of hours truckers can drive takes effect July 1st – but that’s not stopping the debate over it. Under the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) hours-of-service rule, drivers will be able to drive 12 fewer hours per week and will be required to take regular 34-hour rest periods that include pre-dawn hours of two straight days, under the rule.
A series of recent chemical plant explosions – including two fatal ones in La. last week – has safety advocates once again calling for stronger federal legislation for chemical plant safety and security. A total of three workers were killed and approximately 80 others injured in the two La. incidents.
Separation from physical health concerns needs to end
June 20, 2013
Mental health professionals need to be part of primary care teams to ensure that patients get complete care that addresses both mental and physical health, according to the head of the American Psychology Association (APA). In a panel hosted recently by the White House’s National Conference on Mental Health, Norman B. Anderson, PhD, said the U.S. needs to end the traditional separation of substance abuse and mental health problems from physical health problems.
No emergency eyewash station in the acid room, either
June 19, 2013
A worker who sought emergency treatment for leg burns due to an acid spill alerted OSHA to a lack of PPE at a company that uses acid, hazardous chemicals, lead and cadmium in its Illinois manufacturing facility. The company, Advanced Strobe Products, manufactures strobe and other lights for the aerospace, photographic, vehicular, warning, beacon, and machine industries.