Workers who erect and maintain wind turbines can be exposed to fall hazards. Wind turbines vary in height, but can be more than 100 feet tall. Exposure to high winds may make work at high elevations even more hazardous. OSHA has different fall protection requirements for construction (installation of towers) and general industry (maintenance).
With a new state bill that raises the height for fall protection requirements, Arizona is pitting itself against the federal government – and the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) is urging OSHA to enforce federal fall hazard standards.
Concrete contractors cited with egregious willful violations
July 25, 2012
OSHA has cited four New Jersey contractors working on a 20-story building in Jersey City for exposing workers to fall hazards following a December 2011 inspection during which inspectors observed employees working on the fourth floor without personal fall protection or fall protection systems.
Falls are one of the most common fatal events in the U.S. oil and gas extraction industry. The frequent need to work at elevations and the misuse or non-use of fall protection systems makes fall injuries a significant hazard, according to NIOSH.
Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis earlier this year announced a new campaign led by OSHA to prevent deadly falls in the construction industry. The awareness campaign will provide employers and workers with life-saving information and educational materials about working safely from ladders, scaffolds and roofs. In 2010, more than 10,000 construction workers were injured as a result of falling while working from heights, and another 255 workers were killed.
OSHA has issued a request that construction companies ensure their employees working above 6 feet have the proper equipment to protect themselves from falls on the job. OSHA has opened investigations following four unrelated construction accidentsin New Jersey.
A booming manufacturing sector combined with a relatively recent focus on workplace safety make China the biggest potential market for PPE, according to a comprehensive new market study conducted by 3M.
Although they are often described as the backbone of the U.S. economy, small businesses are at a disadvantage when it comes to dealing with worksite safety and health issues: they often do not have staff dedicated to the subject.
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