A "lively" roundtable with Excavation Contractors early today. I was asked to cover the "hot" OSHA topics. I definitely pushed some hot buttons.
1. Partnership. Many in the group are unhappy that OSHA Partnerships are not happening much anymore. They feel that they learned from the interchange with OSHA. I would like to see it increase after the sequestration and shutdown are over. But the partnership must produce a tangible result not make everyone warm and fuzzy. One suggested that if OSHA can't travel to do speeches, that they should have the excavator safety meeting in an OSHA conference room.
2. Confined Space Rescue. Many never practice rescue. 911 is the plan which is not acceptable. It doesn't work in many cases and needless people have died. Some felt they shouldn't have to have tripods, respirators and rescue equipment. I pointed out the 1910.146 and the ANSI Confined Space Standard require rescue training. Some contractors bring in the local emergency response to look at the manholes for rescue. Others put the employees through annual rescue training. Another hires contractor services for rescue. Perhaps an NEP on confined space is needed?
3. Employee interviews. Many disagree that the foreman couldn't be the employee's representative. They said that is what the employee wants. That runs counter to my 30 years. Not once did I see an employee ask for a manager to be the rep unless it was their dad. I said employees have a right to a private interview with OSHA. If they want a rep, that is their right, but it should be a labor rep not the company manager or company attorney. There is an ethic issue if an attorney reps the company and the employee under attorney-client privilege. The attorneys that were present were polite and disagreed.
4. Nothing Positive. Some of the negative comments was that nothing positive is coming from OSHA and that is some felt it is a police state. I reminded them that 30 years ago there were hundreds of trenching deaths. Now in the Midwest, it is in the single digit. The trenching rules were put in place because it took hundreds of workers to die before it became a law. I mentioned that 3 IL trenching contractors were cited several thousand dollars for REPEATED violations. We are not talking esoteric nitpicking items. this is basic cave-in protection. I think OSHA does need to put up best practices on the webpage for any NEP or LEP sector like trenching.
5. Swing radius on Excavators. Another salty issue that was a surprise to many. I have investigated death and accidents by the excavators and OSHA cites it. Most cone off the area or have devices put on the excavator prevent entry or serve as warning.
There was much venting also because the shutdown means that no one is answering the general phone lines at OSHA. One of the things they miss is getting an answer fairly quickly to a question that they have. My session went over an hour longer than budgeted, but they were engaged and it showed that are passionate about the issues.
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Sunday, October 6, 2013
September 2013 News
This month powerpoint is on waste water treatment plants. I use it as part of a two day training session on the sector. I find people like reading about accidents in their sector vs. general fatality statistics. Most of these came from news stories and I try to provide the link below.
Thanks to Eric and the Dupage Forest Preserves, Exceeded my 100 people trained in General industry! I am up to 115 trained in the OSHA 10 hour course for General Industry in 2013.
I am noticing the repeat citations constantly, so I will put that designation on the summary violations.
Here is the news for September
1) Congrats to John Bastert for his August 2013 retirement from the IL Consultation program. John did a lot of work with sanitary treatment plants so the ppt is for him.
2) Congrats to Larry John for his promote to the Lansing MI Area office. He was recently a supervisor in the Peoria Area Office.
3) Thanks Matt Stein for “The last MMWR I saw on silica, which was from about 7 years ago, showed rates were reduced by 93% from 1968 to 2002. OSHA, MSHA, and ACGIH are 3 definite reasons reasons for the reduction. Here is the article: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/
4) IPAF is sponsoring a webinar, will be holding a live aerial lift safety event in Chicago on Oct. 21-22. View information on this event athttp://www.ipaf.org/en/
5) Congrats to Anthony Touhy Jr. for being selected as Director of the OSHA Training Institute.
6) Harwood Grantee offer free OSHA training. For Example, the Construction Safety Council has free classes in Spanish Call 1-888-595-5972. Here are the 2013 awards for next year. https://www.osha.gov/pls/
7) I had student on my class mention there are some trainers telling them they can unhitch the fall arrest in an ANSI A92.5 aerial lifts once they are at a stationary location. That is incorrect. Workers must always have fall arrest worn in these lifts. Many lifts have been hit by equipment/lose hydraulic and catapult workers out of the lift.
8) ANSI Z359-2007 requires the snaphooks to have 3600 gate strength. There are many old snaphooks out there and they should replace them if there is any chance the gate could be sideloaded in use.
9) Congrats to all the Fairview OSHA office for being upgraded to an Area Office.
10) Tree-service owner charged with manslaughter of a child after 14-year-old fell to his death
Significant OSHA Enforcement Action
September 2013
Penalty State Major Issues
1) $42,120 GA combustible dust, wood builder
2) $51,800 MO Electrical fatality, Steel mfr
3) $53,000 IL Machine guarding, lockout, hot dog mfr
4) $63,490 OH Machine guarding, lockout, shower-tub mfr
5) $185,560 WI Machine guarding, stairs, hazcom, Packaging co.
6) $262,000 IL PSM, Explosion, paint mfr
7) $42,000 NJ Work zone safety, Traffic control,
8) $61,600 OH Amputation bandsaw, packaging company
9) $62,000 GA BBP FTA, Medical facility
10) $83,415 MS Floor hole fall, Oil Mill
11) $48,510 IL Repeat trenching
12) $53,900 NJ Repeat falls, Decking contractor
13) $45,100 TX Repeat Falls, Roofing
14) $75,000 IL Repeat blocking exits, Shelving Manufacturing
15) $199,500 NY Repeat blocked exits, fire safety, Drugstore
16) $336,200 MA Repeat truss bracing violations. Carpentery
17) $67,760 IL Repeat Trenching,
18) $137,400 MO Finger amputation, lockout, glass mfr
19) $75,460 IL Repeat Trenching
20) 119,000 GA Lockout, explosion, power plant
21) $59,000 GA confined space, respirators Marina
22) $69,200 AL Fall protection, working during storms, Steel Erection
23) $81,000. OH Machine guarding winding machines. Plastics mfr
24) $132,800 NE PSM, cold storage warehouse
25) $45,500 NJ Repeat Blocked exits, conveyor guarding, distribution center
26) $249,920 NY Fall Protection, scaffolds, Hirise construction
27) $58,410 NY Fall, Support beam failure, Construction
28) $83,300 TX Confined Space, Tank Cleaner
29) $166,000 TX Lockout, Extruder
30) $61,600 FL Repeat Lockout, Pallet mfr
31) $41,000 NY Bloodborne, Nursing home,
32) $49,500 NJ Exits, machine guarding, Shirtmaker
33) $128,000 NY Exits, bandsaw guarding, PPE, supermarket
34) $175,000 AR Indoor crane, Nuclear plant
35) $88,200 TX Machine guarding, Tank mfr
36) $49,500 WI Styrene, Fiberglass mfr
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