Weekly news round-up
Workplace violence takes a deadly toll in Milwaukee, a shocking number of truckers test positive for substances and public health experts call for infrastructure investment to combat the coronavirus outbreak.
Ala. contractor has fall hazards at two different worksites
February 28, 2020
OSHA has cited Jaime Martinez Hernandez – a residential framing contractor based in Phenix City, Alabama – for exposing employees to fall and struck-by hazards at two Alabama worksites. The contractor faces $240,880 in penalties. The agency conducted the inspections in conjunction with the agency’s Regional Emphasis Program for Falls in Construction after investigators observed employees working from heights without fall protection at worksites in Auburn and Opelika.
Who is covered by OSHA’s hazmat standard?
February 27, 2020
OSHA’s Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response Standard (HAZWOPER) applies to five distinct groups of employers and their employees. This includes any employees who are exposed or potentially exposed to hazardous substances -- including hazardous waste -- and who are engaged in one of the following operations as specified by 1910.120(a)(1)(i-v) and1926.65(a)(1)(i-v).
2 more safety recommendations implemented from NTSB’s 2019 - 2020 “Most Wanted List”
February 27, 2020
Hazardous materials incident response planning and pipeline safety recently were enhanced as two more safety recommendations from the National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) 2019 – 2020 Most Wanted List of Transportation Safety Improvementswere implemented.
Gunman kills five, self at Molson Coors facility in Wisconsin
February 27, 2020
A 51-year-old employee at the Molson Coors brewing facility in Milwaukee opened fire yesterday afternoon, killing five people before taking his own life. All five victims were employees of Molson Coors. The company sent an email to employees at 2:19 p.m., alerting them to an active shooter in or near the facility’s south packaging building.
Motor vehicle deaths estimated to have dropped 2% in 2019
NSC calculations signal a decline after several years of spikes
February 26, 2020
For the second consecutive year, the U.S. experienced a small decline in roadway deaths, according to preliminary estimates released by the National Safety Council (NSC). In 2019, an estimated 38,800 people lost their lives to car crashes – a 2% decline from 2018 (39,404 deaths) and a 4% decline from 2017 (40,231 deaths).
FMCSA’s drug and alcohol clearinghouse IDs 7K+ substance abuse violations in first weeks of operation
February 26, 2020
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has released data following the first weeks of operation of its Commercial Driver’s License Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse. The clearinghouse has detected and identified nearly 8,000 positive substance abuse tests of commercial drivers since January 6, 2020. The clearinghouse now has more than 650,000 registrants.
Slow, steady increase in exercise intensity is best for heart health
February 26, 2020
For most people, the benefits of aerobic exercise far outweigh the risks, however, extreme endurance exercise – such as participation in marathons and triathlons for people who aren’t accustomed to high-intensity exercise – can raise the risk of sudden cardiac arrest, atrial fibrillation (a heart rhythm disorder) or heart attacks, according to a new Scientific Statement published in the Association’s premier journal Circulation.
Rail car tank cleaning co. cited for “numerous” hazards
February 26, 2020
OSHA has cited Dana Rail Care for workplace safety and health hazards at the facility in Wilmington, Delaware. OSHA cited the company for electrical and explosion hazards, insufficient means of egress, use of defective powered industrial trucks, lack of medical clearance for respiratory protection use, improper use of respirators and inadequate secondary air supply, and lack of signage in a silica-regulated area.
Experts: U.S. must invest in public health to combat coronavirus outbreak
February 25, 2020
"If the U.S. wants to remain fully prepared to protect its residents from diseases such as COVID-19, it must invest in public health readiness. Doing so will help shore up an already-taxed public health system,” according to a new editorial in the American Public Health Association’s (APHA) American Journal of Public Health.
Worker, would-be-rescuer fall victim to hazmat fumes
February 25, 2020
Two workers are dead after a hazmat incident last week at a trucking company in Cleveland, Ohio. News sources say 30-year-old Ashley N. Friedman was cleaning out a semi-trailer tanker at Kenan Advantage Group when she was overcome by fumes. When a co-worker, 60-year-old Alan Linder, attempted to rescue her, he, too fell unconscious.
February 25, 2020
A high-quality telecommunicator CPR (T-CPR) program can save more lives from out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and strengthen the chain of survival, according to a new advisory from the American Heart Association (AHA) published in Circulation, a journal of the AHA, today. Each year in the United States, an estimated 350,000 people experience sudden cardiac arrest in out-of-hospital environments. Sudden cardiac arrest is the unexpected loss of heart function, breathing and consciousness and commonly the result of an electric disturbance in the heart.
Employer with extensive history of safety violations cited again
February 25, 2020
OSHA has cited DB Custom Carpentry LLC – based in Aurora, Illinois – for exposing employees to falls. The homebuilder faces penalties of $333,968 for three willful and one repeat safety violations. In August 2019, OSHA inspectors observed two employees sheeting a residential roof without adequate fall protection in Naperville, Illinois. The agency also cited the company for failing to train employees on fall protection, and to provide and ensure that employees wore safety glasses and hard hats.
AIHA joins OSHA's Ambassador Program
The program will improve workplace health and safety by sharing information, guidance & providing access to training resources
February 24, 2020
The American Industrial Hygiene Association (AIHA®) announced today that it has joined the Ambassador Program of the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The program builds upon OSHA's Alliance Program and will be used to improve workplace health and safety by sharing information and guidance and providing access to vital training resources.
Here’s the latest on the coronavirus outbreak
February 24, 2020
The respiratory disease caused by a novel (new) coronavirus that was first detected in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China has now been detected in 32 locations internationally, including cases United States. The virus has been named “SARS-CoV-2” and the disease it causes has been named “coronavirus disease 2019” (abbreviated “COVID-19”).
Georgia mulch manufacturer exposes employees to amputation, struck-by hazards
February 24, 2020
OSHA has cited Garick LLC – operating as Smith Garden Products – for exposing employees to safety hazards at the Cumming, Georgia, facility. The manufacturer of specialty mulch products faces $148,867 in penalties. The agency cited Garick LLC for failing to ensure energy control procedures contained clear and specific steps to limit the release of hazardous energy.
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