Weekly news round-up
Chemical facility safety and security, an underwater construction fatality and the power of mentors were among the top EHS-related stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
Employee injured after being caught in machinery at Parker Hannifin plant
OSHA cites manufacturer for 3 safety violations
A 44-year-old machine operator suffered severe injuries when a part of his face was caught in a power press he operated at Parker Hannifin Corp.'s Lewisburg, Ohio, plant. Following an investigation, OSHA issued one repeat citation and two serious safety violations for exposing the worker to machinery operating parts with inadequate safeguards.
Guide to controlling asthma at work
Unlike at home, you may have less control at work over your exposure to certain irritants and allergens that can be harmful if inhaled and can cause asthma symptoms (coughing, wheezing, and shortness of breath). Here are four steps to prevent asthma symptoms at work.
Use care when decking the halls this holiday season
As you deck your halls this holiday season, make sure to keep fire safety in mind. According to the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), home candle and decoration fires peak in December. Nearly half of all holiday decoration fires occur because the decorations are placed too close to a heat source, with two out of every five home decoration fires started by candles.
CSB: Much more needs to be done to prevent chemical accidents
-and Board not buying “outlier” excuse
Written Testimony Submitted by U.S. Chemical Safety Board Chairman Rafael Moure-Eraso to the Joint Committee: Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works and the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearing entitled, "Oversight of the Implementation of the President’s Executive Order on Improving Chemical Facility Safety and Security.”
Fla. diver dies during underwater construction work
A 45-year-old untrained driver died June 10, 2014 while completing surface-supplied air diving during underwater construction activities for the City of Weston, Florida.
Bill to strengthen chem facility security clears Senate
Congress moved a step closer to making chemical facilities in the U.S. safer with the Senate’s passage yesterday of the Protecting and Securing Chemical Facilities from Terrorist Attacks Act of 2014. The House is expected to take up the legislation soon.
Returning to work after an injury
After a person experiences an injury and has taken time off work to recover, he or she will need to go through a transition period when first returning to work. Transitional work is a step in the recovery process when a person is able to complete some job tasks but is not yet at full capacity.
Hand, arm of Illinois worker caught in industrial mixer
A Wagner's LLC employee didn't expect to spend his 25th birthday in the hospital, but that’s what happened on May 31, 2014. The worker’s hand and arm were severely injured after becoming caught in a moving piece of machinery while he was clearing birdseed from an industrial mixing tank.
Latino worker dies following exposure to nitrogen in tanker truck
OSHA cites 5 serious safety violations
Violations of OSHA’s confined spaces safety regulations led to the death of a worker on June 19, 2014, at Michael Foods Inc. in Wakefield, according to the agency. The 23-year-old Latino worker was found unresponsive in a tanker truck at the company's Big Red Farms facility.
Report slams New Jersey secrecy over chemical accident readiness plans
A new report is sharply critical of the way New Jersey handles chemical accident preparedness, and says the lack of transparency on state and local levels increases the danger for both the public and emergency responders.
AEM releases new Crane Safety Video, updated Crane Safety Manual
Companion pieces outline current industry best practices, include OSHA requirements
A new live-action Crane Safety Video and extensively revised Crane Safety Manual from the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) provide machine operators with a look at current industry best practices, including U.S. OSHA 1926:1400 crane standard requirements.
By Jenny Brown
Paul Proudlock went to bed at midnight to calibrate his sleep for a freight train he was to drive at 2 p.m. the next day. At 2:15 a.m., a Canadian Pacific dispatcher called him and asked him to take a passenger train in three hours.
Smoking still causes large proportion of U.S. cancer deaths
A new American Cancer Society (ACS) study finds that despite significant drops in smoking rates, cigarettes continue to cause about three in ten cancer deaths in the United States. The study, appearing in the Annals of Epidemiology, concludes that efforts to reduce smoking prevalence as rapidly as possible should be a top priority for the U.S. public health efforts to prevent cancer deaths.
OSHA cites El Paso metal plate company for exposing employees to electrical shock hazards
OSHA has slapped a metal-plating company in East El Paso with more than 40 citations for alleged health and safety violations, and proposed combined penalties totaling about $9,000, according to the federal agency.
Roofers exposed to fall hazards by repeat violator
Four employees of Affordable Exteriors Inc. were routinely exposed to dangerous fall hazards while completing a residential roofing job for homebuilder Hildy Homes in Elkhorn. OSHA has cited Affordable Exteriors for two willful violations, carrying proposed penalties of $140,000, for failure to provide required fall protection and fall protection training.
Arc flash victim survives 80% burns & 17 surgeries
A 29-year-old technician at a windmill survived 80% burns caused by a massive electric shock at his workplace in India, in a recovery that took six weeks and 17 surgeries, according to theBangalore Mirror.
From ASSE’s Professional Safety Journal:
Mentors help ease learning curve for new safety hires
Companies that support a robust mentor program for new safety employees are more apt to reduce the learning curve they face and retain their services longer, an important feat considering competition to keep them will rise with an estimated 25,000 safety practitioners retiring by 2016.
A U.S. Department of Labor Blog post
Recommitting to safety on National Miners Day
By Thomas Perez
The following was posted on Saturday, Dec. 6: One hundred seven years ago today in Monongah, West Virginia, 362 coal miners – many of them teenage boys — went to work and never came home. That morning, an explosion ripped through two connected mines.
USPS mail handler fired following work-related injury
Witness statements contradict USPS’ “unsafe manner” claim
The U.S. Department of Labor has filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Postal service for firing a mail handler who sustained a workplace injury. OSHA’s Nick Walters called the USPS’ actions regarding the employee at the Sharonville, Ohio facility “retaliation.”
Wisc. temp worker suffers electrical shock burns
A 24-year-old temporary maintenance employee sustained severe burns from electrical shock while on assignment for Parallel Employment Group of Wisconsin Inc. Working at the Arvato Digital Services LLC distribution center in Pleasant Prairie, Wisc., the employee came in contact with an energized electrical source and suffered electrical shock.
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