September 2018 OSHA News

OSHA News for September  2018

September was more a balanced month. I got back from a research trip in Japan. No one wear bicycle helmets. The 150-mph bullet train was amazing. Safety was equal to the USA for work places. Their Labour department is poor on statistics of worker injuries.

The ASSE rigging session was more people than I expected. I could have done four hours with all the hands on and questions. Many at the ASSE conference were new to safety. It is good to see many new people joining the field.

I am seeing cancer causing chemicals come back in chemicals. The SDS lists them, but the company and workers are not aware of it. Benzene, Methylene Chloride and formaldehyde will require sampling to determine exposures.

This is my list for the 10 most frequently cited written OSHA programs for industry.

What would be yours?

1) Hazard communication program

2) Lockout and Energy Control Procedures

3) Respirators

4) Bloodborne pathogen exposure program

5) OSHA Recordkeeping

6) Confined space

7) Written PPE hazardous assessment

8) Electrical safety-related work practices program

9) Emergency action plan

10) Hearing Conservation Program

This month’s powerpoint is fire extinguishers. It is a popular training topic for small companies.  I hope to present a 4 hour competent fire watch class in 2019. I would be willing to do a free test run if interested.

John

OSHA News. 

1)  For those construction trainers needing to take the OSHA 502, do not miss the 502 dates. Those missing would have to take the OSHA 500 class as the there is no more grace period.

https://www.nsec.niu.edu/nsec/osha_courses/osha_502.shtml

2) Condolence to Nick Kerkenbush who passed away in September. He was a CSHO in the Madison office.

https://schneidermichaelisfuneralhome.com/tribute/details/108515/Nicholas-Kerkenbush/obituary.html#tribute-start

3) OIG Report on OSHA: "OSHA Needs to Improve the Guidance for its Fatality and Severe Injury Reporting Program to Better Protect Workers"

I would like to see every amputation and hospitalization incident written up so we can learn.

Link to summary: https://www.oig.dol.gov/…/rep…/oa/2018/02-18-203-10-105b.pdf

4) The family of two men who watched their brother die at Beaumont's Exxon Mobil refinery two years ago should get $44 million, a Jefferson County jury decided this week

https://www.beaumontenterprise.com/news/article/Jury-awards-44M-for-Beaumont-refinery-death-13235026.php

5) Osha in line for $5 million in crease for budget or 0.9%. OSHA’s federal compliance assistance efforts are scheduled for a $2.5 million increase to $73.5 million, and at least $3.5 million is going to the Voluntary Protection Programs. OSHA’s enforcement budget is slated for a $1 million boost to $209 million.

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17465-osha-in-line-for-funding-boost-after-house-and-senate-conference-committee-agrees-on-appropriations-minibus

6) Congrats to Vilma Cantu for selection as Assistant Area Director in Aurora. She has over 20 years of experience in IH and PSM.

7) Congrats to Trish Ranken for getting AAD in Peoria. She have over 20 years in construction safety experiences.

8) Construction advisory committee for OSHA is seeking nominations.

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17540-osha-seeks-nominations-for-construction-advisory-committee#.W65UNpIVoV8.facebook

9) Labor Secretary Alexander Acosta confirmed OSHA's new approach. He assured workplace safety experts that OSHA is "not interested in playing a game of gotcha …. [T]he goal is to help the individual or the company that is trying in good faith to comply."

https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/osha-officials-listen-to-construction-industry-leaders.aspx?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

10) Cal-OSHA cited garage company for not wearing seat belt restraints.

The worker who died was making a turn while operating the truck from the right-hand side when he fell out and was run over,

https://ohsonline.com/articles/2018/09/27/cal-osha-cites-waste-collection-company.aspx

11) Tales from the front: "We are global company and we use 25 mcg for TLV on silica. We can't have a weaker US standard just because it is OSHA."

12) The contractors who designed and built the disastrous Florida International University bridge have been cited by federal authorities for several “serious” worker-safety violations and face tens of thousands of dollars in fines. OSHA cited five companies for seven worker-safety violations, fining them a total of $86,658 in proposed penalties.

https://www.bradenton.com/news/state/florida/article218594530.html

13) There are currently six open OSHA inspections into Tesla's Fremont factory and one into its store in Rocklin.

https://www.businessinsider.com/tesla-hit-with-new-osha-investigations-for-safety-conditions-2018-9

14) NFPA has a good online hot works course.

www.nfpa.org

Other Major News Stories.

1) An ironworker was killed while working on a construction site at Centralia Junior High School in southern Illinois.

Marion County Coroner Troy Cannon said Friday that 32-year-old Matthew Smith of Tilden appeared to have been electrocuted

https://newschannel20.com/news/local/ironworker-killed-at-southern-illinois-construction-site

2) Legionella at Chicago hotel.

 https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/embassy-suites-chicago-legionnaires-493988971.html

3) I never heard of using solid dry ice as abrasive blasting medium to clean an ethanol dryer. I would love to see that JSA. The black beauty blasting would seem to have a dust explosion hazard. "due to the high level of dust..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eg44eY_cVMc

4)  Roxanna IL refinery sends 4 to hospital.

https://www.thetelegraph.com/news/article/Refinery-incident-sends-four-workers-to-hospital-13236103.php

5)  Construction worker hit by car on I294 tollway.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-worker-killed-tollway-crash-20180915-story.html

OSHA Citations this month

1) $46,270 CA No seat belt Fatal fall garbage ttuck. Refuse company.

2) $86,658 FL bridge collapse. 5 contractors

3) $85,362 AL combustible dust, conveyors, Woodworking company.

4) $199,183 MO amputation, lockout, Wood working company.

5) $309,505 GA confined space. Peanut processor.

6) $146,554 CT roof falls, skylights, ladder. General contractor.

7) $225,046 CO fatal forge, Lockout, machine guarding. Forging company.

8) $265,147 TX confined space, combustible dust. Railcar Maintenance.

9) $221,726 WI machine injury. Lockout, machine guarding. Meatpacker.

Safety Training at Non-Profits

Crane signal, rigging TRMA                                                     Oct 3

OSHA 510 CSC                                                                           Oct 1-4

OSHA 511 NSC                                                                           Oct 16-19

OSHA 511 NIU Dekalb                                                              Oct 22-25

OSHA 7510 NIU Dekalb                                                           Oct 30

NIU is Northern Illinois University OSHA Education Center http://www.nsec.niu.edu/nsec/

CSC is the Construction Safety Council in Hillside. Www.Buildsafe.org

WDCC is the Western Dupage Chamber of Commerce http://www.westerndupagechamber.com/

TRMA is Three Rivers Manufacturers Association   www.trma.org

 NSC is National Safety Council https://www.greatlakesosha.org/sites/national-safety-council/

I usually teach only part of the 30 hour and the 500 series. I have been teaching many 10.30 hour class for private companies.  I have taught 1980 people this year. I teach evenings, weekends, early mornings too. I teach in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.   

All presentations are put on slideshare.net for free downloading. I put this presentation at this link. https://www.slideshare.net/JohnNewquist/gi-2018-fire-safety-10-hour

I use your feedback to make changes to make corrections.