February 2020 OSHA News

OSHA News for February 2020

Hello,

February was all work. Legal work and training were much of the month. I have trained 751 people in two months this year.  I forget how long a 10 hour deposition can be.

The Coronavirus or Covid-19 has one US death and 60 infected. I hope to teach a session at Hillside or Dekalb on March 27.

This month presentation is on GHS. I have not posted one in a  long time.

I hope to see some you at CSC annual conference. Next week!

John

OSHA News.

1)  Framing Contractor gets 30 days in jail for violating OSHA rules.

https://www.naplesnews.com/story/money/business/local/2020/02/04/osha-violation-leads-former-naples-contractor-prison-sentence-death-employee-who-fell-off-roof/4653341002/?fbclid=IwAR2StjZSeO7OvJ2SbpNwTRm9wpsKem77buRWgC8h78_GkWESgv_u-67IAwI

2)  Silica Emphasis program coming.

https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/safety/silica-worker-federal-exposure-inspection-program-takes-effect?fbclid=IwAR2oX9imzVxZCCD0Pq3khGW6Vwvyrdxa0HLc_9tY_HDtU1FkXY30myxzQX4

3) OSHA boss Sweatt hopes for a second term.

https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/safety/osha-boss-sweatt-hopes-to-stay-for-second-trump-term?fbclid=IwAR2MWEOW0JD85GqEK_eLcb5dr-wZJdxfvD87N-vTq3yO8gKr_R_3BhmTDwk

4) Contractor pleads guilty to mail fraud for fake osha training.

https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/safety/osha-boss-sweatt-hopes-to-stay-for-second-trump-term?fbclid=IwAR2MWEOW0JD85GqEK_eLcb5dr-wZJdxfvD87N-vTq3yO8gKr_R_3BhmTDwk

5) OHIO BWC offering trench grants of $2 million.

 https://www.rfdtv.com/story/41700455/illinois-farm-worker-dies-in-grain-bin-accident?fbclid=IwAR3sYwR2gUXkQPLoIYfxR7SLnmCGYX0167ZmZDL6R5CUvkekWFKIfXMQ58k

Other Major News Stories.

1) The Annual Construction Safety Conference in March 2-3, 2020< There several interesting topics including, Suspension Trauma, Task Based PPE, Underground Utilities, VR and AI for Safety training, Aerial Lift Operator qualifications, 2021 NFPA 70E, and Cyber Liability.  I will speak on “What Doesn’t Kill You, Hurts. Preventing the Top 10 Most Common Construction Hospitalizations”

https://chicagoconstructionexpo.com/

2) Something is rotten with the incident rate for oil and gas.

Incident rate is 0.8. Well below manufacturing and other sectors. Yet the worker die 5x more that average per article below.

So I spoke with two large companies about the disparity. Both said the industry lies on injuries. One said many pay the injured worker to stay at home avoid having a worker compensation claim. They pay the medical out of pocket. Another said they encourage employees not report by giving bonuses for not getting hurt.

https://www.texastribune.org/…/death-oilfields-fossil-fuel…/

3) Three Dead in oil blowout in TX.

https://cbsaustin.com/news/local/3rd-worker-dies-of-injuries-from-central-texas-oil-well-blowout?fbclid=IwAR2Vx5mKqZxL11XQ9tGC5gC2O0hXp6yP8ZY9NcLzHjbdBHClRc1npRefmPw

4) An Illinois farm worker has died in a grain bin accident after being buried in corn.

David Lowis, 61, was pronounced dead at the scene.

According to the county coroner, first responders had to cut into the grain bin to get Lowis out. An autopsy revealed he died from suffocation.

https://www.rfdtv.com/story/41700455/illinois-farm-worker-dies-in-grain-bin-accident?fbclid=IwAR3sYwR2gUXkQPLoIYfxR7SLnmCGYX0167ZmZDL6R5CUvkekWFKIfXMQ58k

5)  1 dead in nursing home in Lake County IL from Legionella.

https://patch.com/illinois/vernonhills/1-death-among-3-legionnaires-cases-vernon-hills-senior-home?fbclid=IwAR1tjkyzMg6h8zaHD7GZa8Xg3E7MI1Jxy0AltQ4roPssrCWrSlox7ahOOZM

6) Double fatality in Cleveland in tanker confined space.

https://www.cleveland.com/metro/2020/02/second-employee-of-cleveland-trucking-company-dies-after-trying-to-rescue-collapsed-co-worker.html?utm_campaign=clevelanddotcom_sf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook&fbclid=IwAR1Rv7otZFUG1NwbwjkpzZRYHDDrdqW7rPpg5PlNohT_OKL3yijUOPzf00M

7)  Less OSHA inspections in 2020.

https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/safety/federal-safety-inspections-may-decline-in-2020-osha-warns?fbclid=IwAR3z48M5S6ZoXSna2Wza29gNa9s6X5jH1qPYGEspig7Wpf-McinFKHV0G-o

8) FL roofer ignores $2.2 million in OSHA fines.

https://news.bloombergenvironment.com/safety/federal-safety-inspections-may-decline-in-2020-osha-warns?fbclid=IwAR3z48M5S6ZoXSna2Wza29gNa9s6X5jH1qPYGEspig7Wpf-McinFKHV0G-o

9) A pair of OSHA Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health workgroups are schedule to host public teleconferences March 5.

According to a notice published in the Feb. 25 Federal Register, the Education, Training and Outreach workgroup’s meeting on fall prevention and trench safety is set for 10 a.m. Eastern. The Emerging and Current Issues workgroup’s meeting on opioids and suicides in construction is slated for 1 p.m. Eastern.

Comments and requests to speak must be submitted by Feb. 28.

ACCSH advises the Department of Labor and OSHA on upcoming standards affecting the construction industry and “the administration of safety and health provisions” in the Construction Safety Act. Advisory Committee on Construction Safety and Health workgroups are scheduled to host public teleconferences March 5.

10) What standards require annual training?

https://work.chron.com/osha-standards-require-annual-training-17529.html?fbclid=IwAR0BC528Nk4dyQm170ry0OvYVsw7aUtZ6HEW97dBPfoFsRmCzi3Atxk8S9Y

Safety Training at Non-Profits

NIU Machine guarding Free                                                                         March 5, March 16

OSHA 500 CSC                                                                                                   Mar 9-12

OSHA 7115 CSC Lockout with new book                                                 Mar 13

OSHA 511 Rockford                                                                                         Mar 23-26

Panflu                                                                                                                   Mar 27

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

FREE machine Guarding https://www.nsec.niu.edu/nsec/course-schedules/free-courses/free-machinery-courses/index.shtml

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

TRMA is Three Rivers Manufacturers Association   www.trma.org

NSC is National Safety Council http://www.nsec.niu.edu/nsec/

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 751 people this year. I teach evenings, weekends, early mornings too. I teach in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and Indiana.   

All presentations are put on slideshare.net for free downloading. I put this presentation at this link. https://www.slideshare.net/JohnNewquist/ghs-2020-one-hour

I use your feedback to make changes to make corrections.

OSHA Citations February – next month