Saturday, October 31, 2020

 OSHA news September 2020

OSHA News for September 2020

Hello,

September was of the busiest months for 2020.  The new class on how to do a respirator fit test using bitrex and irritant smoke has been very popular. Contact the Construction Safety Council if interest. I an finding most were just given a respirator. Medical evaluations were also not done. Grainger said global shortage on Bitrex fit testing kits.

10 most frequently cited written OSHA programs for industry?

This my list. 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 Hearing Conservation. I was surprised to see I never passed this out in the years. Hearing loss is trending up each year for adults and there is not much that is said about it.

The colder weather is coming and I hope you got a good set of gloves for the frosty weather.

John

 

OSHA News.

1) VA issues first COVID rules

https://www.manufacturinglawblog.com/2020/07/virginia-issues-first-covid-19-osha-standard/?fbclid=IwAR2lGW-PCD5XYj7SzIEp4ryEAeLU_FpBKe8lFLS_jqeXzFYCD2TL82BypUA

2)  OSHA Silica enforcement directive is out.

https://www.osha.gov/sites/default/files/enforcement/directives/CPL_02-02-080.pdf?fbclid=IwAR1V708BAh1HSN3F6vo6IMLcZvb032OpfsroCRpQqpqjZld7Ry4X2XbpWMA

3)  DOL lawyer assigned to lead OSHA Region. Chicago?

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/federal-litigator-behind-oracle-lawsuit-being-reassigned-by-dol?fbclid=IwAR1AGvzhH2aD2mioqEUjR3zX0A81rePJXcIAXw9UopbXmXjW5GkQmdmTyy8

4) NJ OSHA inspection charged for extortion.

https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/osha-safety-and-health-officer-and-his-brother-charged-conspiring-extort-contractor?fbclid=IwAR1fYMR5cv9_mywlIm_yOdAiXTMf-EGNzeYjdDc33tK0vYLfWz_eP4-Zmww

5) OSHA cited Smithfield for COVIS.

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/safety/smithfield-fined-13-494-by-osha-after-worker-infections-deaths?fbclid=IwAR369bR1tFmPiMSj0vssl7OJInUJieyMFlvO9dvoCdnX1vhje3E_cD03cjs

6)  OSHA announces Harwood training grants.

https://www.osha.gov/news/newsreleases/national/09182020

7) The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) issued a proposed rule Sept. 22 to clarify when a worker is an “employee” covered by the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) versus an independent contractor.

https://www.dol.gov/agencies/whd/flsa/2020-independent-contractor-nprm?fbclid=IwAR2QKk7ca4iHQqZjjCZQwXjQ3_D9rljvcvukgyVIIdDN_QfmSuz4UeYuGfI

8) OSHA is hiring in the midwest.

here is the link to the Peoria Area Office Safety Technician job announcement: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/579545400

It opened today, September 24, 2020, and will close on October 7. The announcement is open to the public with no language requirement. Please feel free to pass this along. Thank you.

Naperville and Cincinnati, open from 9/22/2020 to 10/5/2020:

Open to the public, Spanish required: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/579542900

Open to the public, no language requirement: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/579543600

Chicago South and Columbus, open from 9/23/2020 to 10/6/2020:

Open to the public, no language requirement: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/579544500

9) Iowa OSHA issues $950 penalty to meatpacker for covid.

Iowa Premium Beef has been ordered to pay a $957 fine after hundreds of workers fell ill to COVID-19. The Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued the citation – the first to a meat plant – for a minor record-keeping violation.

The coronavirus outbreak in April at the Iowa Premium Beef plant in Tama, IA, resulted in 338 of its 850 workers testing positive. That’s 80 more than the state had previously reported, according to inspection records released this week.

OSHA’s Iowa division announced in June it had launched inspections at the Tama plant and four other meatpacking plants where COVID-19 outbreaks had occurred. The inspections did not lead to any citations at the other four meat plants - Tyson Foods plants in Waterloo, Columbus Junction and Perry and the JBS plant in Marshalltown.

The agency cited Iowa Premium Beef in August for failing to keep a required log of workplace-related injuries and illnesses, and for failing to provide the document within four hours after inspectors requested it. Both violations were labeled “other-than-serious.”

In a settlement approved on Sept. 2, OSHA reduced the proposed fine from $1,914 to $957 and the company also agreed to correct the violations.

 

10)  A Texas oilfield services company is suing the Labor Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration for allegedly withholding recordings and documents of worker interviews from an OSHA investigation of a workplace accident that occurred in Galveston, Texas.

https://www.bloomberglaw.com/public/desktop/document/SchlumbergerTechnologyCoporationvUnitedStatesDepartmentofLaborOcc?1601417185

11) OSHA's withholding of the details of the violation could damage law enforcement

https://news.bloomberglaw.com/coronavirus/osha-withholding-of-violation-details-likely-to-hurt-enforcement-1?fbclid=IwAR2lGW-PCD5XYj7SzIEp4ryEAeLU_FpBKe8lFLS_jqeXzFYCD2TL82BypUA

12) Oregon OSHA new covid rule for workplaces

https://osha.oregon.gov/news/2020/Pages/nr2020-30.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1pgbbXLaLcrJ_-ElGj3RkX44kP288RjFW_Rhbb3NUgAyFz6Xzt5Iq1RWs

 

Other Major News Stories.

1)  COVID-19 deaths ( I did not count the presumptive cases.

Presumptive cases not counted

Friday September 25, 2020 – 190338 deaths, 6,980,351 infectied

Friday September 18, 2020 - 185002 deaths, 6,670,496 infected

Friday September 11, 2020, - 180080 deaths,  6,397,547

Friday, September 4 2020 – 175656 deaths, 6,183,405

 

2) The Role of leading and lagging indicators

https://www.onepetro.org/journal-paper/ASSE-20-08-29

3) Global harmonization of safety regulations for the use of industrial robots

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4667039/

4)  Two cases of Legionnaire’s disease at Pontiac prison.

https://www.wjbc.com/2020/09/11/2-cases-of-legionnaires-disease-reported-at-pontiac-correctional-center/?fbclid=IwAR10I8d558W_HfsD2guRRC2CWU4H4LOvZRedrsZF1M9TjKgB2_X1_Wn2HQI

5) Sexual Harassment Prevention Training Law: Public Act 101-0221 amended the Illinois Human Rights Act ("IHRA") requiring: Illinois employers to provide annual sexual harassment prevention training by December 31, 2020 and annually thereafter;

https://www2.illinois.gov/dhr/Training/Pages/FAQ%20for%20Sexual%20Harassment%20Prevention%20Training.aspx?fbclid=IwAR1Wr3tW3oFCTFNz6ku8I-6UOeJgigKfzvh_SVNB1cZL-RB4fi5buvqQuc4

6) Two managers charged in nursing home’s 76 deaths.

 https://skillednursingnews.com/2020/09/two-former-nursing-home-leaders-charged-with-criminal-neglect-in-wake-of-76-covid-19-deaths/?fbclid=IwAR1AGvzhH2aD2mioqEUjR3zX0A81rePJXcIAXw9UopbXmXjW5GkQmdmTyy8

OSHA Citations for September

ZERO!!!! Over $40 K – Two months in a row.

 

Safety Training at Non-Profits (Check Sites for Starting Dates)

OSHA 510 CSC                                                                   Oct 5-8

NIU 7300 Confined Space                                             Oct 8

OSHA 511                                                                             Oct 19-22 NIU Rockford

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 2142 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/noise-and-hearing-conservation-2020

I use your feedback to make changes to make corrections.

 


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