OSHA November 2021 News

OSHA News for Newsletter November 2021 Hello, Where did the month go? The training was in demand and every day was training or audits. The months of November are booked out, and January is 50% booked. In January 2021, six workers died in the poultry plant freezer area. The freezer has liquid nitrogen to flash free the chickens. Foundation Foods citation for nitrogen is a gamechanger. Here are the elements of the citation. a - On or about January 28, 2021, at Plant 4, Employees were exposed to thermal and asphyxiation injuries or death caused by hazards resulting from the uncontrolled release of liquid nitrogen and nitrogen vapor from the liquid nitrogen system, including but not limited to the Line 2 freezer equipment, the Line 4 freezer equipment, and the storage tanks, that was not operated in a manner that would protect employees from serious injuries and death. Among other methods, feasible and acceptable means of abatement include: a - Ensure oxygen deficiency monitoring and alarm system, with both audible and visual notification, is installed within enclosed areas and use of personal oxygen monitors, where the liquid nitrogen (LN2) process equipment operates. b - Ensure the process enclosure ventilation system design provides adequate air movement (i.e., air changes per hour) across all portions of the room or area to prevent the accumulation of nitrogen vapors. c - Ensure the liquid nitrogen process equipment including the Line 4 liquid nitrogen Immersion/Spiral freezer has signage identifying the source isolation valves. d - Develop and implement operations procedures for both normal startup, shutdown, and emergency shutdown conditions, as well as equipment maintenance procedures for cryogenic systems at the facility including the Line 2 liquid nitrogen Spiral freezer and the Line 4 liquid nitrogen Immersion/Spiral freezer. e - Ensure respiratory protection is provided for employees needing to enter a space where the quality of the air in that space is uncertain. f - Ensure the liquid nitrogen receiving/supply vessels are inspected and certified for operation. g - Ensure the liquid nitrogen offloading/fill connection is located at least 10 ft. away from building exits. h - Secure liquid nitrogen bulk handling and process equipment from physical damage or tampering. No industry standard was mentioned, but it shows what OSHA may use in the future. This month ppt is Fall Protection in Industry. It is a topic I teach 1-3 times a month so it is important for industrial companies. Every worker exposed to a fall over 4 feet must have training to avoid falls. Will OSHA penalties go to $70,000 for serious and $700,000 for willful. Many are watching the legislation. See OSHA #1. OSHA News. 1) Latest proposal is a deal between President Joe Biden and Senate moderates for a $1.75 trillion social spending package maintains the previously announced proposal to raise statutory penalties for OSH Act violations by a factor of 10, along with $707 million in funding for OSHA itself. H.R. 5376 , unveiled by the House Rules Committee the afternoon of Oct. 28 soon after Biden announced a new “framework” for his signature social spending and climate.. 2) Doug Parker passed confirmation by the U.S. Senate as head of OSHA 3) Ron DeSantis asked for Florida to be a state plan. Florida should remove itself from the direct federal oversight of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, they said. The proposal was a reaction to President Joe Biden’s administration announcing a rule, to be enforced by that agency, that says private businesses with 100 or more employees must require their workers to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or undergo weekly testing. 4) OSHA is Hiring in Naperville Illinois An announcement to fill a vacant Safety and Occupational Health Specialist in the Naperville, IL, Area Office opened today, October 22, 2021, and will close on November 4th. There are two announcements, one has a language requirement. Links to both announcements are below. The job is open to the public. DE-22-BOS-OSHA-33: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/618087700 DE-22-BOS-OSHA-34: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/618088600 5) The Vaccine mandate and the Second option. I have had many in the classes where the adults want to talk about Vaccinate or be fired policy. Many said that they had covid. None of the 30+ had an antibody test. None of the employers who fire the worker are accepting a positive antibody test. This will cost the employers millions in wrongful discharge. The vaccine is given to produce virus antibodies. I paid for a friend to get an antibody test last week., She had a strong level of antibodies from Covid in August. Why would you fire this person? This person has scientific proof that she has antibodies. The failure to consider this test is a flaw in the mandate. Most of the 30+ said this would take a $75 test. 6) The federal government is threatening to take away approval of South Carolina’s workplace safety plan because the state hasn’t adopted federal safety standards for health care settings put in to protect against the spread of COVID-19. Gov. Henry McMaster is vowing to fight the proposed takeover in court; he tweeted Wednesday. South Carolina, along with Utah and Arizona, have not adopted temporary health care settings standards. Those standards include requirements to provide some employees with N95 respirators or other personal protective equipment, and ensure 6 feet between workers. If 6 feet is not possible, employees should have barriers between workers. TOP VIDEOS × The Occupational Safety and Health Administration standard also requires providing workers with paid time off to get vaccinated for COVID-19 and to recover from any side effects. Those standards were established by OSHA in June, and have to be included in the state’s work safety plan. 7) JEFFERSON COUNTY, Texas — The US Department of Labor’s investigation into an April 2021 crane collapse that killed two men on Interstate 10 west of Beaumont revealed Thursday that a Lufkin contracting company will face penalties for failing to assemble the crane properly. The investigation is blaming the crane operator for the crane collapse. The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Hemphill WBE Pile Driving Co. Inc. for three willful and two serious violations. The violations include operating a crane beyond its rated load capacity and failing to assemble the boom properly, according to a news release. The company faces $212,599 in proposed penalties. The investigation determined Hemphill WBE Pile Driving Co. Inc. was installing supports for an elevated section of the highway on April 22, 2021. OSHA found the operator failed to determine the correct weight of the load while using the crane to retrieve a helmet box and hammer driven 3 feet into the ground. The incorrectly assembled boom buckled and landed on the vehicle, the release says. The driver of an I-10 westbound Toyota pickup, Sarfaraz Karowadia, 37, and his passenger, Altaf Kasowadia, 42, both of Friendswood, were killed when the boom landed on top of the truck near Smith Road, according to a news release from the Texas Department of Public Safety. “Two people died senselessly because Hemphill Pile Driving failed to follow assembly instructions and federal regulations," said OSHA Area Director Mark Briggs in Houston. "They endangered their employees and every person driving on this section of Interstate 10. Employers are responsible for ensuring they follow safety and health rules and conduct operations in a manner that keeps workers and others safe.” 8) Hard Rock was a collapse waiting to happen. https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/investigations/david-hammer/hard-rock-smoking-gun-thin-beams-taller-building/289-cc434910-e2e3-4634-9375-5f06d7001a4e?fbclid=IwAR3xmH4xO0oUhOPfPyD-iwJgdxnnGiWY_KMz6NRl7Es56Sg9ti-LvGyXCfg 9) Onsite silica inspections dropped by OSHA. https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/21776-osha-drastically-cut-silica-based-inspections-in-fy-2018-2019-dol-oig-report?fbclid=IwAR0qlpMTkJ8pLDsrT6BAwMJ4BcFjDwWvXCN_AwLQjjrXVvRqJvmbtvf-xMw#.YV7uUz6RtmI.facebook 10) OSHA Region V is recruiting to fill several Investigator vacancies in the Regional Whistleblower Protection Program. Two announcements opened today, October 6, 2021, closing on October 19, one requiring Spanish fluency and the other with no language requirement. Links to both announcements are below, and can be shared with anyone who may be interested in the positions. These are not remote positions, and the vacancy locations are listed on the announcements. Please let me know if you have any questions about this. Thank you. DE-22-BOS-OSHA-10, Spanish required: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/616461100 DE-21-BOS-OSHA-398, no language requirement: https://www.usajobs.gov/GetJob/ViewDetails/616463700 Other Major News Stories. 1) Worker sucked into a wood chipper in MI. https://nypost.com/2021/10/20/worker-killed-after-being-sucked-into-wood-chipper-at-michigan-home/?fbclid=IwAR0Kct2se22odr1nxgd2MIwNCm3N5Kg1aWt2zBGVUGsqHJHHFWDzJswC2B0 2) COVID update Monday, Oct 11 2021 697,134 deaths, 23,025 new cases, 7 day 99.770 cases 216 million have one shot, 187 Million fully vaccinated. 4.3 million infected. Idaho - Since the start of the pandemic, 12,052 health care workers have been infected with COVID-19, 11,620 people have been hospitalized, and 1,927 people have entered an intensive care unit. There have been 267,663 recorded cases. Read more at: https://www.idahostatesman.com/.../article254874162.html... Idaho – 90.3% were not vaccinated, 88 deaths not vaccinated Saturday July 31,2021 596,237 deaths, 34,948,534 cases, one dose 189,954,907, fully vaccinated 163,868,916 3) Chicago worker was killed by an excavator west of Chicago Ridge Mall. https://www.southwestregionalpublishing.com/2021/09/10/mwrd-worker-killed-at-melvina-ditch-worksite/?fbclid=IwAR1KIojrst7o8SaeQX5yy1pvaQjtUPRbGGdXHaEpq5x6CcY98hqcTTXVFv4 Recent OSHA Citations State Inspection Number Employer City Issuance Date Initial Penalty AR 1542188.015 Jerry Rodriguez Inc. MAUMELLE 10/01/2021 $45,416.00 MI 1536100.015 Brembo North America Inc. HOMER 10/01/2021 $46,600.00 MO 1525776.015 BCP Ingredients, Inc. VERONA 10/01/2021 $191,142.00 MO 1526237.015 BCP Ingredients, Inc. VERONA 10/01/2021 $109,617.00 OH 1531297.015 Duke Energy MONROE 10/01/2021 $42,164.00 TX 1529953.015 Marathon Galveston Bay Refinery TEXAS CITY 10/04/2021 $56,563.00 VA 1530853.015 Griffin Pipe Products Co., LLC LYNCHBURG 10/04/2021 $79,662.00 AR 1537290.015 Chris Duff SHERWOOD 10/05/2021 $49,559.00 OK 1524052.015 Valmont Industries, Inc. CLAREMORE 10/05/2021 $202,847.00 TX 1549101.015 Elliott Construction, LLC HUNTSVILLE 10/05/2021 $88,744.00 IL 1544665.015 West Suburban Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, LLC BLOOMINGDALE 10/06/2021 $83,675.00 CA 1554245.015 U.S. Postal Service - Walnut Creek WALNUT CREEK 10/07/2021 $128,722.00 GU 1538905.015 CABRAS MARINE CORPORATION PITI 10/07/2021 $45,642.00 IA 1537317.015 Okoboji Barz Incorporated OKOBOJI 10/07/2021 $40,919.00 IA 1539532.015 Parks Marina Inc. OKOBOJI 10/07/2021 $87,795.00 NJ 1545720.015 American Strip Steel Inc. DELANCO 10/07/2021 $42,056.00 AL 1524961.015 Leehan America, Inc. CUSSETA 10/08/2021 $205,384.00 MA 1542918.015 Lineage Logistics PFS, LLC EVERETT 10/08/2021 $50,712.00 MA 1533515.015 Monogram Gourmet Foods, LLC WILMINGTON 10/08/2021 $93,628.00 WA 1527680.015 WESTROCK SERVICES LLC LONGVIEW 10/08/2021 $139,832.00 WI 1545848.015 Nova Coil, Inc. FRANKLIN 10/08/2021 $42,052.00 CA 1535112.015 Mission Linen Supply LANCASTER 10/11/2021 $63,420.00 TN 1525440.015 Mississippi Limestone Corporation DRUMMONDS 10/12/2021 $118,200.00 WI 1532866.015 Great Lakes Cheese, Inc. WAUSAU 10/12/2021 $99,473.00 CO 1525674.015 Dunaway Excavating, Inc. JOHNSTOWN 10/13/2021 $203,628.00 IL 1525494.015 Emerald Inc. ELK GROVE VILLAGE 10/13/2021 $229,792.00 KS 1539951.015 Underground Specialists Inc. GARDEN CITY 10/13/2021 $47,785.00 PA 1532295.015 Vitro Architectural Glass Incorporated CARLISLE 10/13/2021 $48,761.00 TX 1527057.015 Hemphill WBE Pile Driving Co., Inc. BEAUMONT 10/13/2021 $212,599.00 TX 1527867.015 BILCO CORPORATION DBA BILCO BRICK LANCASTER 10/13/2021 $215,525.00 CA 1527268.015 Sharp Memorial Hospital SAN DIEGO 10/14/2021 $52,275.00 IL 1549905.015 AMITA Health Alexian Brothers Medical Center ELK GROVE VILLAGE 10/14/2021 $60,465.00 SC 1534737.015 In - Out Welders Inc. FLOYD DALE 10/14/2021 $42,000.00 WA 1526345.015 RED DIAMOND CONSTRUCTION INC. SPOKANE VALLEY 10/14/2021 $56,000.00 WY 1526603.015 Wasatch Railroad Contractors Inc. SHOSHONI 10/15/2021 $61,375.00 CA 1544014.015 U. S. Postal Service - SFNDC, Richmond RICHMOND 10/19/2021 $51,493.00 TX 1526527.015 MooreCo Inc. TEMPLE 10/20/2021 $238,929.00 Safety Training at Non-Profits (Check Sites for Starting Dates) OSHA 7210 Panflu Nov 9 CHST Prep Global OSHA Nov 8-12 ASP CSP Prep Global OSHA Nov 15-19 OSHA 7400 CSC Nov 19 OSHA 511 online Nov 1-4 OSHA 7300 online Nov 16 Free Harwood Grant Training at https://www.nsec.niu.edu/nsec/osha-outreach-training-program/covid-19.shtml 90 Minutes for General Industry Date: 12/15/21 Time: 10am 90 minutes for industry sectors covered by the OSHA COVID-19 Healthcare ETS Date: 12/16/21 Time: 1pm 4 hour for general industry and industry sectors covered by the OSHA COVID-19 Healthcare ETS Date: 11/30/21 and 12/17/21 Time: 10am 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.