June 2006 OSHA News

Greater Illinois OSHA News  June 30, 2006  Vol. 2. No. 6 

Z Project Conference, May 2, 2006, Pluto Award, for Innovation

In a continuing effort to share the hazard controls from the Z Project Conference, here is the information on the recipient of the Z Project Pluto Award, which recognizes innovative hazard controls.  Graham Packaging in Vandalia, Illinois, came up with a unique solution to a pedestrian protection problem in an industrial truck high traffic area.  They had tried some of the typical ideas for high traffic areas:  sounding horns, flashing lights, curved mirrors in crucial locations, with none of them working effectively.  Then one of their employees said, “how about a railroad crossing?”  So, as you can see below, they installed a motion activated electric eye which lowers a crossing bar to stop the industrial truck and allows enough time to pedestrians to walk to safety.  The bar will only rise again after the truck is stationary for several minutes.  Congrats to Graham Packaging!!

   

High traffic area – industrial trucks and     Motion sensor unit

pedestrians

World of Training in Manteno, IL offers realistic view of trenching and excavation

In conjunction with our all-state Alliance with JULIE, OSHA became part of the World of Training event, June 27 and 28, 2006, in Manteno, Illinois, with our presentation on trenching and excavation.  Over 450 contractors/participants attended the event which also offered competent person training from the Chicago Construction Safety Council.  The event included live demonstrations of trench rescue, confined space entry, pipe bursting, ground penetrating radar and more.  This site is the home of Staking University which is known for its underground utility locator training courses year round.  Ours thanks to Mike Parilac, its founder, for including OSHA.  To find more on the event and Staking University, go to www.underspace.com.   For more on the JULIE underground utility locator service, go to www.illinois1call.com.   

Two VPP STAR Recertifications in June

Landmark Aviation Receives 5 Year Plaque for VPP STAR

Landmark Aviation of Springfield IL successfully passed their OSHA recertification audit. OSHA honored them with a 5 year certification plaque and a new STAR flag. Well done! 

Landmark Aviation teams with their VPP STAR flag – Celebrating 5 years!!!

Monsanto Company, Stonington, IL, Receives 3 Year Plaque for VPP STAR

Monsanto Company of Stonington, IL successfully passed their OSHA recertification audit also.  OSHA honored them with a 3 year certification plaque and a new STAR flag.  Congratulations!

Monsanto Team with their VPP STAR flag – Celebrating 3 Years!!!

Congratulations to Johnston Contractors for a Successful Partnership!

The opening of the Bloomington Multi-Use Center on May 25th in Bloomington, Ill. marked the end of a successful partnership of a type that the U.S. Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been actively pursuing across the country.

The partnership between OSHA and Johnston Contractors, a Bloomington-based company serving as prime contractor on the $37 million civic project, ends with only a single lost time accident over the two and a half year span of construction.

The BLS national construction industry average for 2004 was 3.4 lost time incidents per year per 100 employees.  Johnston’s rate of 1.1 is 67.6% below the national average, and a major achievement for a long term construction project.  We are proud of Johnston’s work in auditing their own worksite to keep hazards under control.  Our thanks goes to project superintendent, Chuck Thomas of Johnston for his proactive approach to conducting safety and health training of over 300 employees in the span of the two and a half years of the partnership, which began in August of 2004.  It was developed with goals such as maintaining the lost work time incidents below the national BLS average for construction, to ensure all serious hazards are controlled, to conduct daily audits to identify and correct hazards, and to provide safety and health training for all of Johnston’s contractors and their employees.

Johnston Contractors will be receiving a certificate of recognition from OSHA for the success of the partnership.  The date of that presentation has not yet been set.  

Peoria Changes

Our prior Area Director, John Newquist, started his new job as Assistant Regional Administrator on June 19th.  While we are waiting to see who the new AD is, a number of Acting Area Directors will be filling in.  Starting June 26th for 30 days, Bill Donovan of our Regional Office will be here in Peoria.  Bill areas of expertise include construction and electrical, but you will find him to be a very versatile and knowledgeable person.  Welcome Bill!

Crane tipping accident

  

Mt. Auburn, IL – A crane was lifting grain bin roof rafters when it tipped over injuring a number of employees.

Review Commission Decision

Smoot Construction Company had petitioned the Review Commission to review a judge’s findings that it seriously violated 3 OSHA standards.  The RC affirmed the citations that involved fully planking a scaffold and including a midrail on the guardrail.  In addition, a citation for not properly sloping or shoring a trench with Type C soil was also affirmed by the Review Commission.   The interesting fact about this case is that Smoot’s employees were not exposed but one of their subcontractors had employees exposed.  The trench, however, was created by Smoot while erecting formwork along one wall of the trench.   You can review the entire decision at www.oshrc.gov. 

News on the New Madrid Fault

There was a recent show on the History Channel regarding the New Madrid Fault which affects the possibility of earthquake activity in a great majority of Illinois.  Apparently, there is a 7-10% chance of an 8-point earthquake will hit within the next 50 years that will produce at least two months of aftershocks.  This quake would impact almost all of southern Illinois, destroying bridges, making rivers flow backwards, destroying masonry buildings in the St. Louis and Memphis areas, causing numerous fires, etc.  The fatality estimates were in the 5 figure ranges.  For more information on the New Madrid Fault and on earthquake protection, here are some websites:  www.historychannel.com/megadisasters/?page=archive and www.state.il.us/iema/disaster/earthquake.htm. 

Safety During Mosquito Season

Here we are in another mosquito season with the Nile Virus still a threat in our part of the country. Americans have more options than ever to use in protecting themselves from mosquito bites. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have released new guidance about effective mosquito repellents available in the United States. The updated guidance includes addition of two active ingredients - picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus - which have been shown to offer long-lasting protection against mosquito bites. Repellents containing DEET continue to be a highly effective repellent option and are also included in the CDC guidelines.

DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus are all registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which regulates these products. Repellents registered with EPA have been evaluated for both safety and efficacy when used according to label instructions.

CDC works with state and local health departments, federal and other government agencies, as well as private industry, to prepare for and prevent new cases of West Nile virus infection. CDC coordinates ArboNet, a nation-wide electronic database that gathers information about West Nile virus in humans and animals, in order to guide prevention and response activities. To learn more, please visit www.cdc.gov/westnile.

Comments – NOTE:  New Information for Peoria Area Office Contact

If you would like to receive this newsletter via e-mail, contact zweber.peggy@dol.gov .   Due to costs, we cannot mail to individual companies. 

Comments on the newsletter should be addressed to Peggy Zweber, Compliance Assistance Specialist, USDOL/OSHA, 2918 West Willow Knolls Rd., Peoria, IL 61614 

Peoria office Phone - (309) 589-7033 

The information contained herein has been compiled and reported with the intent that it is both reliable and up-to-date, and is offered for general guidance only. Additional safety measures may be required by your facility under certain conditions or circumstances.  Please seek professional advice for your specific situations.  The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (IL DCEO) can be contacted at 1-800-972-4216.