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MCCI NEWS

The staff at MCCI likes to keep its customers informed of some of the safety news that may directly affect their businesses and safety programs.

OSHA releases semi-annual reglatory agenda JJ Keller's Construction Regulatory Update Vol. 18/No.6  June 2010 In April OSHA released their semi-annual regulatory agenda.  If you're a construction employer, the following information from the agenda may have an impact on your company. Injury and Illness Prevention Program - Prerule stage OSHA is developing a rule requiring employers to implement an Injury and Illness Prevention Program.  It involves planning, implementing, evaluating, and improving processes and activities that protect employee safety and health. OSHA has substantial data on reductions in injuries and illnesses from employers who have implemented similar effective processes. The Agency currently has voluntary Safety and Health Program Management Guidelines (54 FR 3904-3916), published in 1989.  An injury and illness prevention rule would build on these guidelines as well as lessons fearned from successful approaches and best practices under OSHA's Voluntary Protection Program Safety and Health Achievement Recognition Program and similar industry and international initiatives such as American National Standards Institute/American Industrial Hygiene Association Z10 and Occupation Health and Safety Association 18001.  Twelve States have similar rules.  As a first step, the Agency plans to hold stakeholder meetings to obtain input for an injury and illness prevention rulemaking. Confined Spaces in Construction - Proposed rule stage In January 1993, OSHA issued a general industry rule to protect employees who enter confined spaces (20 CFR 1910.146).  this standard does not apply to the construction industry because of differences in the nature of the construction worksite.  In discussions with the United Steel Workers of America on a settlement agreement for the general industry standard, OSHA agreed to issue a proposed rule to extend confined-space protection to construction workers appropriate to their work environment. OSHA is due to complet the analysis of comments by October 2010.

At Least 5 Dead in Connecticut Power Plant Explosion

Feb 8, 2010 From EHS Today; by Laura Walter

 

At least five workers are dead and two dozen injured following a Feb. 7^th explosion at Kleen Energy Plant in Middletown, Conn.  Media reports indicate up to five additional people may still be missing.

Authorities said the blast, which occurred at approximately 11:30am on Feb. 7, most likely was a natural gas explosion.  According to authorities and media reports, search and rescue teams are on site working to locate other possible victims.  Names of the deceased have not yet been released.

The Office of Middletown Mayor Sebastian N. Giuliano issued a release explaining that multiple contractors were on site at the time of the explosion, which created confusion surrounding exactly how many employees were on site.  The mayor’s office also announced that testing was occurring Fe. 7, which meant the plant was not fully on line at the time of the explosion.

Mayor Giuliano assured the public that the incident did not pose a public health threat; that the air quality and public drinking water supplies were not compromised; and that terrorism is not suspected.

The Red Cross set up a family and victim crisi intervention site at City Hall, located at 245 DeKoven Drive, and established a family information hotline number: 10860-347-2577.

 

CSB Investigates

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is deploying a seven-person team to the site to investigate the incident.

“The CSB’s investigative team will examine the activities that were ongoing at the time of this accident, including any gas purging, as indicated by initial media reports,” said CSB lead investigator Don Holmstrom.

At a public meeting only 3 days before the explosion.  CSB issued urgent recommendations that the national fuel gas codes be changed to improve safety when gas pipes are being purged (cleared of air) during maintenance or the installation of new piping.  CSB’s urgent recommendations resulted from the ongoing federal investigation into the June 9, 2009, natural gas explosion at the ConAgra Slim Jim production facility in Garner, N.C., which caused four deaths, three critical life-threatening burn injuries and other injuries that sent a total of 67 people to the hospital.

CSB issued a safety bulleting on gas purging in October 2009, because of the occurrence of multiple serious accidents during purging operations.  Key safety lessons described in the bulletin included purging gases to a safe location outdoors away from ignition sources, evacuating non-essential workers during purging, using combustible gas monitors to detect any hazardous gas accumulations and effective training for personnel involved in purging.

CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating serious chemical accidents.  CSB investigations look into all aspects of chemical accidents, including physical causes such as equipment failures as well as inadequacies in regulations, industry standards and safety management systems.

 

 

 

OSHA withdraws abbreviated Bitrex® qualitative fit-testing proposed rule   J.J. Keller’s Construction Regulatory Update – September 2009 – Vol.17/No.9   On June 25, 2009, the proposed rule on an abbreviated Bitrex® qualitative fit-testing (ABQLFT) protocol was officially withdrawn.  OSHA’s decision to withdraw the proposed rule came after a thorough review of comments and other information available.  The review proved that the protocol was not sufficiently accurate with regard to determining fit for N95 filtering-face piece respirators and overall test-sensitivity, making the proposed protocol unacceptable for listing in Appendix A of OSHA’s Respiratory Protection Standard.   The ABQLFT protocol is a variation of the existing Bitrex® qualitative fit-testing protocol, which OSHA approved for inclusion in the final Respiratory Protection Standard.  It uses the same fit-testing requirements and instrumentation with the following two exceptions: *        Exercise times are reduced from 60 seconds to 15 seconds; and *        It is used only with test subjects who can taste the Bitrex® screening solution within the first 10 squeezes of the nebulizer bulb.   The proposed rule to add a new fit-testing protocol to the Respiratory Protection Standard was first published in the Federal Register on December 26, 2007.  For more information, visit edocket.access.gpo.gov/2009/pdf/E9-14979.pdf     Heat guns recalled due to fire and burn hazards   The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with Wagner Spray Tech Corp., announced a voluntary recall of heat guns due to an electrical component failure inside the guns that can cause them to continue to produce heat after the power switch is turned off.  This can melt the heat gun’s plastic exterior posing fire and burn hazards.   The recalled heat guns emit hot air that are used for paint and flooring removal, defrosting freezers and water lines, bending plastic, crafting, etc.  Recalled models include the following: *        Milwaukee Heat Gun MHT3300 *        ACE HT3500 Heat Gun *        Wagner Heat Gun HT3500   The heat gun’s name and model number are located on a black label on the bottom of the heat gun’s barrel.  The heat guns are black or yellow plastic and measure about 10 inches long, 8 inches high, and 3 inches wide.   To date, the firm has received nine reports of the heat guns overheating.  However, there have been no injuries or property damage reported.   Consumers should immediately stop using the recalled heat guns and contact Wagner for a free replacement product by either calling (888)925-6244 between 8 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. CT Monday through Friday, or visiting the firm’s website at www.wagnerspraytech.com     DEWALT recalls framing nailers due to serious injury hazard The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with DEWALT Industrial Tool Co., has announced a voluntary recall of DEWALT D51825 and D51850 Framing Nailers due to incorrectly assembled bump action triggers.  According to the company, the bump action trigger on the framing nailers could have been incorrectly assembled during production, which would allow the nailer to eject a fastener unexpectedly or cause the trigger lock-off not to function.  This can pose a serious injury hazard to the user or bystander.  Although there are no injuries reported to date, approximately 9,000 DEWALT framing nailers have been sold.  The recall is for the following nailers: Model Number            Description                                          Date Code Range D51825                       Clipped Head Framing Nailer             20080249-20082749 D51850                       Full Round Head Framing Nailer       20080249-20082749   Consumers should immediately stop using the framing nailers and contact DEWALT for instructions on receiving a free replacement bump action trigger.  For additional information, contact DEWALT toll-free at (877) 437-7181 between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or visit the firm’s website at www. DEWALT.com     Even Small Manufacturers get sited by OSHA – Make sure your company has a comprehensive safety program in place   OSHA Regional News Release – Region 4 – 9/18/2009   Atlanta – The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is proposing $58,887 in penalties for 44 safety and health violations after inspecting Precision Hose, a metal hose manufacturing plant in Stone Mountain, GA, that employs about 55 workers.   Responding to a compliant, OSHA found 29 serious safety violations including fall hazards, tripping hazards, electrical hazards and a lack of machine guards.  Employees operated forklifts without training and operated an overhead crane that had not been inspected recently with controls in need of repair.  Flashback protection was not provided for the welding equipment, and oxygen and acetylene cylinders were stored together in the fabrication area.  Proposed penalties total $38,000 for these safety violations.   The agency is proposing $15,887 in penalties for 10 serious health violations including noise hazards and a lack of eyewash or shower stations near where employees were exposed to corrosive materials.  The employer lacked a respiratory protection program, and workers used respirators incorrectly and without adequate training.  The company had failed to develop an adequate hazard communication program.   The company is being cited with two other-than-serious health violations with $4,000 in proposed penalties and three other-than-serious safety violations with $1,000 in proposed penalties.  The employer failed to maintain the required OSHA logs, failed to conduct daily inspections of powered industrial trucks, had not attached a load rating capacity to its storage racks and did not make first aid treatment readily available to workers when needed.   “If Precision Hose had implemented a comprehensive workplace safety and health program by taking advantage of the resources that OSHA makes available to smaller employers, it could have avoided these penalties, and its workers would not have been exposed to these hazards,” said Gei-Thae Breezley, director of OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office.   Precision Hose has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, request an informal conference or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.  The site was inspected by staff from OSHA’s Atlanta-East Area Office, 2183 Northlake Parkway, Building 7, Suite 110, Tucker GA; Telephone 770-493-6644.   Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA’s role is to promote safe and healthful working conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach and education.  For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.   Nursing Homes and Manufacturers are targeted by OSHA – Are You Ready?   OSHA Regional News Release – Region 4 – 9/18/2009   Washington – The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Site-Specific Targeting 2009 (SST-09) program will focus enforcement efforts on nearly 4,000 high-hazard worksites on the agency’s list for comprehensive safety inspections.  The program helps OSHA direct enforcement resources to workplaces such as manufacturing and nursing homes where the highest rate of injuries and illnesses occur.   Changes to this year’s program include dividing the primary list of establishments slated for inspection into three sectors – manufacturing, non-manufacturing, and nursing homes.  Rather than using one rate for all establishments, OSHA established minimum injury and illness rates for each group, allowing the agency to inspect even more establishments that exceed the minimum rates specific to that sector.  Additionally, some facilities that did not answer an OSHA Data Initiative survey will be added to the inspection list.  The agency’s intent is to deter employers from not responding to avoid inspection.   “These inspections examine all aspects of a workplace’s operations and the effectiveness of its safety and health efforts,” said acting Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Jordan Barab.  “The SST program emphasizes to employers the importance of ensuring safe working conditions for workers.”   The SST-09 inspection program is based on injury and illness data from the agency’s 2008 Data Initiative survey of 80,000 employers, with 40 or more workers, in industries with historically high occupational injury and illness rates.  The primary and secondary lists show case rates calculated from the number of days away from work, restricted work activity or job transfer (DART), or a “days away from work injury and illness” (DAFWII) rate.   The primary list includes 3,100 manufacturing establishments with a DART rate of 8 or more, or a DAFWII rate of 6 or more.  The 500 non-manufacturing establishments have a DART rate of 15 or more or a DAFWII rate of 13 or more.  The remaining 300 establishments are nursing homes and personal care facilities with DART or DAFWII rates of 17 or more or 14 or more, respectively.   The secondary list shows establishments in manufacturing with a DART rate between 6 and 8, or a DAFWII rate between 4 and 13; non-manufacturing with a DART rate between 6 and 15, or a DAFWII rate between 4 and 13; and nursing homes and personal care facilities with DART or DAFWII rates between 15 and 17 or between 11 and 14, respectively.   Under the Occupational Asafety and Health Act of 1970, OSHA’s role is to promote safety and healthful working conditions for America’s working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, outreach and education.  For more information, visit www.osha.gov.

March 2008 15 Most Often Cited OSHA Standards for Construction Poorly constructed scaffolding is the most frequently cited violation of construction standards, according to David Coble, a former OSHA inspector. Scaffolds - Proper placement & use of scaffolds, citations were given if the scaffold was not built according to the manufacturers’ specifications & OSHA & Scaffold Industry Association (SIA) standards. Not having the scaffold deck fully floored Not having the scaffold level or capable of supporting its designated load with the proper use of screw jacks, footings, etc. Not providing safe access for each scaffold Not providing proper fall, or falling object, protection — guardrails, midrails, toe boards, screens & debris netting Not having scaffold components approved by a competent person on the job site Not having the scaffold inspected daily Access should be provided by fixed ladders. Fall Protection - While fall protection is required so employees will not fall more than six feet, Coble suggested fall protection be provided for a minimum of four feet. Ladders - Fall protection for fixed ladders is provided so employees will not fall more than 24 feet & portable ladders must extend at least three feet above the point of support. Electrical Wiring Methods Not protecting all light bulbs from damage by using a cage, protection screen, etc. Not protecting flexible cords from damage Not covering all knockout holes Not covering all circuit breaker holes Running cords through walls, ceilings & floors Stairways - Temporary stairways were not built to specification were often cited. These specs include: Stairs must be installed between 30- & 50-degrees. The rise & tread width must be uniform. Stairs with four or more risers or rising above 30 inches must have stair rails. General Safety & Health Provisions - Employees must be trained to work safely, use proper tools, store tools safely & have tools guards on power tools. Fall Protection Systems - Comprehensive fall protection systems, where applicable, should be in place to avoid citations. Fall protection systems include: Guard rails with midrails & toeboards Safety net systems no more than 30 feet below the working level Safety net systems inspected weekly Fall arrest anchorages that support 5,000 pounds per employee Controlled access zones at least six feet from the edge Electrical Wiring Design & Protection - All handheld tools to be grounded or double-insulated. Ground fault circuit interrupters (GFI) or assured equipment grounding conductor program should be in use to avoid citations & injury. Inspectors also looked for overhead open conductors were not installed at the proper height —10 feet above grade for job sites in general, 12 feet above grade for vehicular traffic, 15 feet above grade for truck traffic & 18 feet above public streets. Head Protection - Hardhats are required where there is a danger of falling objects, impact or electrical shock & hardhats should meet manufacturers’ requirements or ANSI Z89 standards. Decals placed improperly on hardhats have been known to transmit electricity & cause serious injury & even death. Hazard Communication - OSHA inspectors cited job sites where hazardous chemicals were present & a written hazard communication plan was not developed or chemicals were not properly labeled or marked with a warning. Aerial Lifts - Among the more common violations for aerial lifts were: Lifts being used by unauthorized or not properly trained personnel A lack of body belts or lanyards t keep the employee on the basket floor so he would not be thrown Not using the lifts according to the manufacturers’ recommendations General Electrical Requirements - Among the general requirements often cited were: Electrical equipment not meeting the proper NEMA rating Electrical equipment not protected from damage Unapproved gang boxes Spliced flexible cords or cords not of continuous length Circuit breakers not properly labeled Fall Protection Training - Fall protection systems should be reinforced with fall protection training if citations are to be avoided. Housekeeping - Job sites tend to be littered with garbage, debris & scraps were subject to citations. He said debris should be removed on a regular basis & forms & scrap lumber should be free of protruding nails. Construction Training & Education - Not only should employees be trained to recognize & avoid hazards, they should be trained to work in confined or enclosed spaces, to work with caustics & other harmful substances & to avoid harmful plants & animals.

High Risk: Despite Regulations, Scaffold Accidents Continue Scaffolding accidents are as alarming as they are numerous, and some are tragic. In September 1992, an incident that took place in Pennsylvania where a 34-year-old bridge painter fell 364 feet to his death after a suspension cable snapped. But not all incidents end in tragedy. That same year, a construction worker in North Dakota fell 13 feet when a scaffold collapsed. Fortunately, he escaped serious injury because he was wearing a safety harness. Both incidents, each in their own way, underscore the importance of scaffolding safety. Read entire article

Iowa Plan About the Iowa State Plan The Iowa Division of Labor Services, Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Act was passed by the Iowa Legislature and signed by the Governor on April 20, 1972. In accordance with Section 18(b) of the Federal OSHA law, Iowa submitted its State Plan on July 19, 1972. On July 20, 1973, the Assistant Secretary published a notice granting initial approval of the Iowa Plan as a developmental plan. On September 14, 1976, the Assistant Secretary certified that Iowa had satisfactorily completed all development steps. The Assistant Secretary determined that the State of Iowa's occupational safety and health program is at least as effective as the Federal program in providing safe and healthful employment and places of employment and meets the criteria for final State Plan approval in section 18(e) of the Act and implementing regulations at 29 CFR 1902. Accordingly, the Iowa plan was granted final approval on July 2, 1985. Jurisdiction The Iowa State Plan applies to all public and private sector places of employment in the State with the exception of private sector maritime activities; marine terminals; longshoring; federal government-owned, contractor-operated military/munitions facilities; bridge construction projects spanning the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers between Iowa and other states; federal government employers and employees; and the United States Postal Service; which are subject to Federal OSHA jurisdiction. The U.S. Department of Labor, Employment Standards Administration exercises jurisdiction with respect to field sanitation and temporary labor camps. Read entire article

The Versatile SH&E Pro An identity crisis is taking place in the American workplace. The dynamics of the organizational structure of many businesses are in a state of flux because of issues such as globalization, the shift to a more service-oriented economy and reduced workforces. Professionals and practitioners are being asked to take on more and varied responsibilities, many of which extend beyond their traditionally defined roles.         These new hybrid jobs make it difficult for employees to map career paths or to position or prepare themselves for new work-related opportunities. Employers are almost forced to look for more versatile workers, which is leading to a change in the "value proposition" for many professions. The model is shifting from "Do you have the technical skills typically associated with your profession?" to "How do your skills add value to the organization?" This phenomenon is not limited to anyone occupation. The Society for Human Resource Management, the Society of Actuaries and the American Industrial Hygiene Association are a few groups that have recently looked at the issue on behalf of their professions.         ASSE is taking the lead in guiding its members and the profession through this period of change. The Society's goals are to ensure that the value proposition for the SH&E professional is clearly understood by employers/ customers and that ASSEmembers have the entire set of skills needed to compete in this new workplace environment.         To that end, ASSE,through its Council on Professional Affairs (CoPA), recently completed a study on current perceptions of the safety professional's value in the workplace and how safety professionals could better meet the needs and expectations of the management team. The project consisted of a member survey and one-on-one interviews with managers who hire, manage or work with safety professionals.         Working with an outside marketing consultant, 2,370 member surveys were processed and 70 telephone interviews were conducted with senior managers. The primary purpose of the research was to identify gaps in perceptions between safety professionals and senior management. The survey /interview tool was designed to: Measure the importance and perceived value of the safety function overall and relative to a list of specific tasks, including those in ANSI 2590.2, Scope and Fun.ctions of the Professional Safety Position. Identify overall strengths and weaknesses of safety professionals in general. Determine barriers that impact the effectiveness of individuals performing the safety function. Gain insight into the nature of the workplace relationship between safety professionals and senior management. The Findings         Overall, the results from this study were positive in terms of perceptions toward safety professionals and the safety function as a whole. However, in several areas, the perceived performance of the safety professional fell below management's stated expectations. These areas include business and strategy, and technical safety expertise. Business &Strategy         Corporate managers noted that the safety function performs less effectively in the following skill areas: Plan and react strategically. Transform data/insights into practical solutions. Develop methods that integrate safety performance into business productivity. Align the group's project plans with overall business strategy. Understand financial-related terms and information. Evaluate proposed investments against their projected payoff. Technical Safety Expertise         With respect to technical skills, managers noted these as potential areas for improvement: Assess the probability and severity of losses and accidents that may result from hazards. Implement techniques to evaluate hazard control and program effectiveness. Provide advice in planning, design, development, fabrication, testing and packaging of products or services regarding safety requirements/principles. Organizational & Management Support         The study also found gaps in the perceptions between safety professionals and senior management with respect to organizational and management support of the safety function. For example, the issue safety professionals cite most frequently as a barrier that affects the safety function is lack of support by upper management and line management. However, senior managers are considerably more likely to say that no barriers affecting the safety function exist at their company. In addition, senior managers' perceptions of organizational culture are significantly more favorable than safety professionals' perceptions. Where To From Here?         What do the findings of the study mean in light of the new "value-add, versatile employee" model? The perception among senior managers is that in many respects safety professionals do not have the skills necessary to fill these new adaptive roles. Safety professionals are viewed as too technical, not able to look at issues from a big picture perspective or integrate programs into the organization. Ironically,senior managers also view safety professionals as lacking key adaptive-type technical skills such as evaluating the effectiveness of safety-related programs. Finally,certain technical skills seem to be undervalued, such as the safety professional's involvement in project design and planning.         While one can debate whether these views are accurate, as the adage states, "perception is reality" Therefore, CoPA is developing a two-pronged plan to address these findings. The first part will deal with the skill sets of the safety professional-determining what training and awareness programs are needed to reposition the safety professional in today's workplace. The second part will look at what steps can be taken to improve the image of the safety professional in the minds of employers/customers and to correct any misconceptions. The goal is to have safety professionals at the front of employers' minds when they are looking for that value-add, versatile employee. Article from www.asse.org

Bureau of Labor Statistics Washington, D.C. NATIONAL CENSUS OF FATAL OCCUPATIONAL INJURIES IN 2007 A total of 5,488 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2007, a decrease of 6 percent from the revised total of 5,840 fatal work injuries reported for 2006. While these results are considered preliminary, this figure represents the smallest annual preliminary total since the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI) program was first conducted in 1992. Final results for 2007 will be released in April 2009. Based on these preliminary counts, the rate of fatal injury for U.S. workers in 2007 was 3.7 fatal work injuries per 100,000 workers, down from the final rate of 4.0 per 100,000 workers in 2006, and the lowest annual fatality rate ever reported by the fatality census. Profile of fatal work injuries by industry Overall, 90 percent of the fatal work injuries involved workers in private industry. Service-providing industries in the private sector recorded 48 percent of all fatal work injuries in 2007, while goods-producing industries recorded 42 percent. Another 10 percent of the fatal work injury cases in 2007 involved government workers. The number of fatal work injuries in the private sector decreased 7 percent in 2007, while fatalities among government workers, including resident military personnel, increased 2 percent. Fatalities declined in the construction industry, but construction continued to incur the most fatalities of any industry in the private sector, as it has for the five years since the CFOI program began using the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) to categorize industry. The percentage decrease in fatalities from 2006 (1,239 to 1,178, a 5 percent drop) was about the same as the decrease for all fatal work injuries in 2007. Of the three major subsectors within construction, fatalities among workers in construction of buildings actually rose 11 percent from 2006, with most of the increase in non-residential construction industries. The largest construction subsector, specialty trade contractors, had 6 percent fewer fatalities in 2007 as compared to 2006. Read entire article