osha news for march 2021

OSHA News for March 2021 Hello, March was record busy with training. Construction companies want training specific to their trade vs general hazards such as falls. This month’s powerpoint is circular saw safety. This old time saw seems to have a steady stream of amputations and hospitalization. Every company should have the saw manual and provide some training to workers that will use it I got the Pfizer vaccine two Fridays ago. It went smooth at Northwestern hospital. In and out in under 30 minutes. There were no side effects for me. Wish me luck April 9 for the second shot. A record three criminal cases were announced in March. Managers need to realize that they could be held accountable if they do anything illegal. OSHA issued a Coronavirus National Emphasis Program. Every employer should have a Coivd prevention program, prevention measures in place and documented employee training. April is a good time to check and update the PPE hazard assessment for your company. John OSHA News. 1) Anthony Towey passed away this month. He was at the OSHA Training Institute in many roles. https://www.tributearchive.com/obituaries/20084463/Anthony-J-Towey/wall 2) NY supervisor pleads guilty to illegal asbestos removal https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/abatement-supervisor-pleads-guilty-illegally-removing-asbestos?fbclid=IwAR11DO9plZjgTw4rjuAxPSxVXE_rZuYs0hRSX1Vb4h8i3cxQWjGY4JHBJcs 3) The 24 hour rule for welding cylinders. The Agency has determined that, under §1926.350(a)(10), failure to comply with the storage requirements with respect to a single acetylene and a single oxygen cylinder on a cylinder cart would be considered a de minimis violation where all of the following parameters are met: (1) No more than a single acetylene cylinder and a single oxygen cylinder are on a cylinder cart. The cylinder cart must be specifically designed to hold/carry oxygen and acetylene cylinders in the upright position. The cylinders must be securely held to the cart (such as by straps, chains or other securing device). (2) The cart is on a firm, level surface. (3) The cart is not in an area where there is a reasonably foreseeable risk of being struck by vehicles, equipment, or materials (such as in a pathway for vehicles on a construction site). (4) Both cylinders either have valves closed with protection caps on or are connected to a properly functioning regulator. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2006-05-08?fbclid=IwAR28DsAKzu8SwjaYO3XHI_c7Nn7UH2xaljqRFS7TYVSlsuSL-PUJtua3CnQ 4) Brett Morrow died from Styrene exposure in a confined space. Questions linger. https://undark.org/2021/03/24/pipe-repair-workers-death-questions-of-safety/?fbclid=IwAR11DO9plZjgTw4rjuAxPSxVXE_rZuYs0hRSX1Vb4h8i3cxQWjGY4JHBJcs 5) OSHA and falls into trenches. (ii) Each employee at the edge of a well, pit, shaft, and similar excavation 6 feet (1.8m) or more in depth shall be protected from falling by guardrail systems, fences, barricades, or covers. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2002-06-24-2?fbclid=IwAR2Y8M9EqRzfUP6LVtfPHd5L1w9zAdKPf-iGoapXjhiEQlalNtnsG6K7zfY 6) The dark side of skyscrapers https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2021/03/deaths-construction-sites/618125/?fbclid=IwAR2uzWWN7sytMeOOc_XOcZVF78BQqcRD3vYpSJfge5BRpihOK5f50SJLkW4 7) Contractor Pleads Guilty to Lying to OSHA Investigator https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/pr/contractor-pleads-guilty-lying-osha-investigators?fbclid=IwAR2uiyndolFp2N6ER87U3t143SoULze0wEOMZaa_iMamlXFymGI5yT21wDM 8) Former Oilfield Manager Pleads Guilty in Connection with OSHA Worker Fatality Investigation https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/former-oilfield-manager-pleads-guilty-connection-osha-worker-fatality-investigation?fbclid=IwAR2Y8M9EqRzfUP6LVtfPHd5L1w9zAdKPf-iGoapXjhiEQlalNtnsG6K7zfY 9) Dr. Michaels on the Covid and 6 foot distance. https://www.politico.com/news/agenda/2021/03/08/covid-distance-workers-ventilation-474017?fbclid=IwAR2ignwCEQm-CBh-X_6CVsCjA-LrkdAMPWfxQ8DbaNFjhKUr5nZo6_UsWKc 10) The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued worker safety guidance for coronavirus protection programs on Jan. 29, requiring greater input from employees and enhanced mask protections. "Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace" provides updated guidance and recommendations and outlines existing safety and health standards. https://www.shrm.org/resourcesandtools/legal-and-compliance/employment-law/pages/coronavirus-osha-worker-safety-guidance.aspx?fbclid=IwAR2uGFclvrUABEh8mYVlqqINA1HKQrtz3696B5ttIOxCQzktAVgouNUFpuM Other Major News Stories. 1) COVID-19 deaths. I did not count the presumptive cases. Friday March 26 2021 – 529,201 deaths, 30,021,447 infected, 130.4 million vaccinated Friday, March 19, 2021 – 525738 deaths, 29,725,919 infected, 115,73 million vaccinated. Friday, March 12, 2021 – 517696 deaths, 29,286,720 infected, 98.20 million vaccinated Friday March 5, 2021 – 494679 Deaths, 28,827,140 infected, 82.57 million vaccinated 2) Lead-laced dust cascades inside Gopher Resource in Tampa, the only lead smelter in the state of Florida. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/workers-florida-lead-smelter-exposed-dangerous-levels-neurotoxin/?utm_campaign=frontline&utm_content=1616596083&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter&fbclid=IwAR0OI-m88NIVvZYOy8qOsI-wFRCfoTyXeSp38rIlGPNHvnIJKvEw7imHi28 3) Meade Electric worked killed when vehicle hits the aerial lift. https://abc7chicago.com/traffic/electrician-dies-after-truck-strikes-work-lift-stretched-over-the-kennedy-expy/10450542/?fbclid=IwAR11DO9plZjgTw4rjuAxPSxVXE_rZuYs0hRSX1Vb4h8i3cxQWjGY4JHBJcs 4) We need backup cameras in equipment. Over 1000 people have died in the last 20 years. https://www.wsmv.com/news/construction-flagger-dies-after-dump-truck-accident/article_cb01b752-8c14-11eb-9dc9-b79044b17af3.html?fbclid=IwAR0MCatVLb1YsBCoD0AFGJaTEL9DNxvNuAWWikqEoeek0zuVlVAUvtVMDpU Recent OSHA Citations State Inspection Number Employer City Issuance Date Initial Penalty CA 1493422.015 Sierra Pacific Industries LINCOLN 03/17/2021 $108,300.00 NC 1494098.015 Industrial Services Group, Inc. CANTON 03/16/2021 $112,000.00 CA 1493806.015 Palp, Inc. FOUNTAIN VALLEY 03/11/2021 $54,620.00 AK 1500339.015 Alaska Railroad Corporation ANCHORAGE 03/05/2021 $67,469.00 IL 1509595.015 Wertheimer Box & Paper Corp. MC COOK 03/04/2021 $43,888.00 KS 1511577.015 Valmont Utility EL DORADO 03/04/2021 $72,946.00 KS 1512078.015 Voestalpine Nortrak, Inc. NEWTON 03/04/2021 $68,265.00 KY 1226862.015 Reynolds Consumer Products, LLC LOUISVILLE 03/03/2021 $114,500.00 NM 1493176.015 SitelogIQ- C & I Division LAS CRUCES 03/03/2021 $47,472.00 TX 1502066.015 HD Weaver Ditching Service, Inc. LUBBOCK 03/03/2021 $53,247.00 GA 1491290.015 Tyson Farms, Inc. VIENNA 03/02/2021 $81,918.00 Safety Training at Non-Profits (Check Sites for Starting Dates) OSHA 7200 Bloodborne Online April 20 OSHA 2055 Cranes April 26-28 at CSC Machine Guarding NIU Online Four dates in April. 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/ Global OSHA is https://www.globalosha.org/ 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 545 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/johnanewquist/circular-saw-safety-2021 I use your feedback to make change