Posted:
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
Electrocution is a powerful deterrent against carelessness in the workplace or elsewhere. But electrical accidents still happen chiefly because the basic lessons from OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 training are taken for granted or, worse, ignored. Just this November, the U.S. Department of Labor’s OSHA cited yet another company, Ringo Drilling I LP this time, with safety violations after one of its employees in Ozona was electrocuted while repairing an oil drilling rig.
The accident merited four serious citations: failure to provide training on the hazards of electrical equipment; failure to properly guard electrical junction boxes; failure to provide guardrails to prevent workers from falling into a hole over four feet deep near the well head; and failure to ensure proper use of stepladders. OSHA defines a serious safety violation as a violation that’s likely to result in physical harm or death which the employer knew of or should have known about.
“Exposing workers to electrocution hazards without proper safeguards and training is inexcusable,” stated Jeff Funke, OSHA’s area director in San Antonio. “This is not the first time the same employer has jeopardized the safety of its workers by failing to follow OSHA standards.”
OSHA proposed penalties totaling $130,200.
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Posted:
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is not just about violation citations and penalties, or absent OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training. It’s also about promoting workplace safety through strategic alliances.
Recently, OSHA allied with the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United (ROC-United) to further the cause of safety in the restaurant environment. The alliance hopes to mitigate or prevent slip, trip and fall, and cut and burn hazards. It also aims to address workplace safety issues related to young workers and small businesses. The ROC-United is a national restaurant workers organization with some 7,500 members.
“Restaurants and other eating and drinking businesses employ 11.6 million people in the United States. Nearly 30 percent of these workers are under 20 years of age,” said David Michaels, assistant secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health. “Many teens’ first work experience is in the restaurant industry, so this alliance is a great opportunity to reach these and other restaurant workers and employers to raise awareness of ways to promote safer, more healthful workplaces.”
OSHA explained that the alliance plans to develop fact sheets and a safety and health booklet on cuts and burns, and slips, trips and falls. Also on the alliance’s immediate agenda are case studies on lessons learned, and programs to provide workers and employers with training on hazards and best practices in the restaurant industry.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 makes employers responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHAcampus.com, a top resource for online OSHA training programs, provides the coursework that employers can use to accomplish this: OSHA 10 training for entry-level workers, and OSHA 30 training for safety directors, foremen, and field supervisors.
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Posted:
Friday, January 20th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
Now that the cold months are setting in, the old dangers of extreme cold weather are rearing up again. OSHA and agencies such as CDC have again issued their guidelines to head off cold-weather-related problems, especially from the traditionally vulnerable sectors of the workforce: construction, commercial fishing, maritime, and agriculture.
OSHA is reminding employers and workers to take precautions—such as those listed on the OSHA Cold Stress Card or those covered in OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 course programs—to prevent, combat, and treat cold-related health problems.
Some tips from OSHA to protect workers:
- Recognize the environmental and workplace conditions that may be dangerous.
- Learn the signs and symptoms of cold-induced illnesses and injuries and what to do to help workers.
- Train workers about cold-induced illnesses and injuries.
- Encourage workers to wear proper clothing for cold, wet and windy conditions, including layers that can be adjusted to changing conditions.
- Be sure workers in extreme conditions take a frequent short break in warm dry shelters to allow their bodies to warm up.
- Try to schedule work for the warmest part of the day.
OSHA 10 and OSHA 30 training are course programs that responsible employers now require of and provide to its employees to ensure a safe and healthful workplace for them. OSHAcampus.com, a top resource for online OSHA training programs, provides OSHA 10 training for entry-level workers, and OSHA 30 training for safety directors, foremen, and field supervisors.
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Posted:
Friday, January 20th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
Cave-in during excavation. It’s been said many times in many different forums—including at OSHA 10 or OSHA 30 training—that it’s easily preventable. But tragically it remains the leading cause of worker deaths in the United States.
At a Wisconsin excavation site no deaths occurred, but serious violations were committed by a Manitowoc utility contractor to merit citations from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The contractor, the Vinton Construction Co., was cited for one willful and four serious safety violations for failing to protect workers from possible cave-ins while installing water main lines. OSHA has proposed penalties of $95,040. Vinton Construction Co. had been inspected at other times before by OSHA and had been found in violation of trenching and excavation standards.
“Safety should be paramount on every job site,” said George Yoksas, OSHA area director in Milwaukee. “And OSHA is committed to protecting workers, especially when employers fail to do so.”
OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 course program are major focuses at OSHAcampus.com, a top provider of online OSHA training programs. OSHA 10 teaches entry-level workers about their rights, employer responsibilities, and how to file a complaint; it also teaches them how to identify, lessen, avoid, and prevent hazards in construction. OSHA 30, on the hand, introduces and explains to safety directors, foremen, and field supervisors all OSHA compliance issues.
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Posted:
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
And now some good news. Most stories related to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) involves safety and health violations by employers at worksites. OSHA, however, is not all about citing violations; it has a program that identifies and acknowledges companies that consistently make health and safety for their employees one of their priorities.
OSHA recently recognized the employees and management of Papetti’s Hygrade Egg Products Inc., PA, for the company’s exemplary safety and health record. Papetti’s Klingerstown plant received the “star” site designation, the highest honor OSHA bestows on companies under its Voluntary Protection Programs.
Under OSHA’s stern encouragement most employers today require their workers to undergo OSHA 30 certification (for supervisors) and OSHA 10 hour training (for workers), courses that prepare them to identify and eliminate onsite safety and health hazards.
“This company’s dedication to ensuring a safe workplace for its employees makes it most deserving of this honor,” enthused Mark Stelmack, OSHA area director, who was at the recognition ceremony to present the company with a plaque and a flag.
OSHA’s Voluntary Protection Programs recognize private and federal work sites that are able to maintain effective safety and health management systems and have managed to keep injury and illness rates below national Bureau of Labor Statistics averages.
OSHACampus.com, a leading provider of online OSHA training, offers 10 Hour OSHA Training and 30 Hour OSHA Training for workers, supervisors, and contractors.
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Posted:
Monday, January 16th, 2012
Category:
Cosmetology, OSHA and Safety
Formaldehyde is used for preserving dead things. So what is it doing in shampoos and conditioners? Apparently, it is used in hair products to prevent nitrosamine, a known carcinogenic, from forming. The problem is that formaldehyde itself can cause cancer.
From salon workers taking Kentucky cosmetology CE to get up to speed on the latest to those taking Texas cosmetology CE to renew their cosmetology license, each one is taught in cosmetology class or in cosmetology CE (continuing education) about the dangers of the chemicals found in salons. Unfortunately, some have chosen to ignore their lessons.
For that, two Florida manufacturers and two Florida-based distributors of hair products are in trouble with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). The workplace-safety watchdog recently issued citations to them for failing to protect their workers from possible formaldehyde exposure as well as for neglecting to communicate the dangers of formaldehyde exposure to salons, salon workers, and end users.
OSHA discovered in three separate salons that workers had been exposed beyond the 15-minute short-term exposure limit for formaldehyde levels above 2.0 parts of formaldehyde per million parts of air. In one instance, OSHA tests revealed that a hairstylist had been exposed to over five times the OSHA allowable limit.
“The best way to control exposure to formaldehyde is to use products that do not contain formaldehyde. Salons should check the label or product information to make sure it does not list formaldehyde, formalin, methylene glycol or any of the other names for formaldehyde,” said Dr. David Michaels, the assistant secretary of Labor for OSHA. “If salon owners decide to use products that contain or release formaldehyde, then they must follow a number of protective practices—including air monitoring, worker training and, if levels are over OSHA limits, good ventilation or respirators.”
Cosmetologycampus.com, a top issuer of online training for cosmetologists, provides not just a convenient online cosmetology CE program for cosmetologists who need to renew their cosmetology license, but also critical information on chemicals used in salons that can affect the health and safety of workers and clients.
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Posted:
Monday, January 16th, 2012
Category:
Cosmetology, OSHA and Safety
It may surprise many who associate OSHA with safety in construction and in general industry, but the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration is very much a part of the cosmetology scene—as two salons found out the hard way recently.
Salon workers across the U.S.—from those taking Kentucky cosmetology CE to those taking Texas cosmetology CE—are taught in cosmetology class or in cosmetology CE (continuing education) about the dangers of the chemicals found in salons. Unfortunately, some have apparently chosen to ignore their lessons.
Last November, OSHA cited and fined two salons for failing to implement the proper precautions to protect workers from formaldehyde exposure when using hair-smoothing products that contain the chemical. Formaldehyde, said OSHA, can precipitate allergic reactions of the skin, eyes, and lungs, can irritate the eyes and nose, can weaken the immune system, and can cause cancer in susceptible individuals. OSHA implements formaldehyde-and-hazard-communication standards to keep salon workers such as beauticians and hairdressers safe.
“We want to make sure that salon owners are aware that if they use these products, they have to implement protective measures such as air monitoring and training,” explained Dr. David Michaels, the assistant secretary of Labor for OSHA. “What is very troubling to the agency is that some of these products clearly expose workers to formaldehyde even when the label states they are ‘formaldehyde free.’”
For 2011, in fact, OSHA has cited 23 salon owners and beauty schools in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Florida, Illinois, New York, New Jersey and Ohio. Fines (one as high as $17,500) were imposed on the owners who failed to protect their workers from overexposure and potential exposure to formaldehyde.
Cosmetologycampus.com, a top provider of online training for cosmetologists, provides not just a convenient, fully online cosmetology CE program towards a cosmetology license but also vital information on chemicals usually found in salons that can impact health and safety.
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Posted:
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
The winter cold may be here but OSHA is warming up the cockles of workers’ hearts by putting up a web page to help protect workers from the dangers during winter storm response and recovery operations.
This in addition to OSHA 30 certification (for supervisors) and OSHA 10 hour training (for workers) that most employers today require of their workers so they can identify and eliminate onsite safety and health hazards.
Specifically, the web page shows employers and workers in cleanup and recovery work how to recognize snow storm-related hazards and provides the steps employers should take to keep workers safe under these conditions. The page includes a how-to for workers under various circumstances, including clearing heavy snow, encountering downed power lines, and restoring power after winter storms. The Winter Storms web page is at http://s.dol.gov/L1.
According to OSHA, ways to address winter storm hazards include:
- Assuming all power lines are energized and stay well clear of them.
- Ensuring that all powered equipment is guarded and disconnected from power sources before performing any maintenance.
- Exercising caution around surfaces bearing a heavy load of snow or ice.
- Clearing all walking surfaces of snow and ice and applying salt or substitute where needed.
- Providing (in the employer’s case) and ensuring the use of fall protection.
- Establishing and clearly marking work zones.
- Ensuring the use of engineering controls, personal protective equipment, and safe work practices to reduce exposure to winter conditions.
OSHACampus.com, a leading provider of online OSHA training, offers 10 Hour OSHA Training and 30 Hour OSHA Training for workers, supervisors, and contractors.
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Posted:
Friday, January 13th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
Because many states and most general contractors now require an OSHA 10 hour or an OSHA 30 hour card as an employment requirement, bogus cards have swamped the employment lines and have either been sold or given to workers or to their employers. To help reverse the situation, OSHA has revised the OSHA 10 and 30 hour wallet cards issued by trainers to students upon completing the OSHA Outreach training courses, either the OSHA 10 Hour Training or the OSHA 30 Certification.
The new wallet-sized cards retain the size and colors of the original (medium-blue for the general industry courses, gold for the construction courses), but have the OSHA logo in the upper left-hand corner, with the “O” of OSHA in blue. A watermark “10” or “30” in large font now occupies the front center of the OSHA cards.
The format of serial numbers has also been changed to add a layer of security to the cards. The new cards now have a two-digit reference number, followed by a hyphen, then a nine-digit main number (e.g.: 21-987654321), in contrast to the old ones, which only had the nine-digit number. The OSHA-authorized trainers who issue cards are now required by OSHA to maintain on file a list of the student names and their corresponding serial numbers.
OSHA hopes that the new features will make the cards more difficult to counterfeit.
OSHACampus.com, a leading provider of online OSHA training, offers 30 Hour OSHA Training for workers, supervisors, and contractors.
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Posted:
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
Category:
OSHA and Safety
Overexposure to carbon monoxide can be fatal and a powered saw can be its source. This the general contractor Trans Florida Development Corp. of Miami found the hard way when OSHA cited it for allowing a worker to be exposed to the hazardous gas while operating a powered saw at a work site in Miami. The worker was brought to a hospital; the contractor was slapped with a $61,600 penalty for willful health violation, and a $5,390 penalty for serious safety violation.
The willful health violation was due to the contractor’s failure to evaluate the site and carry out procedures to prevent exposing its workers to toxic substances while in a confined space–a basic responsibility taught in OSHA 30 certification (for contractors) and even in OSHA 10 hour training (for workers).
“This employer knew the proper safety precautions and procedures associated with working in confined spaces, yet chose to ignore those requirements and ultimately failed to protect the workers,” stated OSHA Fort Lauderdale area director Darlene Fossum.
Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, according to OSHA, makes employers responsible for ensuring safe and healthful workplaces for their employees.
OSHA 10 training and OSHA 30 course program are major focuses at OSHAcampus.com, a top provider of online OSHA and HAWOPER training programs.
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