March 2019 OSHA news

OSHA News for March 2019

It was good to see many friends at the Construction Safety Conference. I was teaching respirators and glad to show some of the different ones and how they interact with other OSHA standards.

This month’s powerpoint is the 2018 most cited industry standard. It was great to get a copy.  I found the electrical interesting as homemade boxes is commonly found by OSHA.  I like putting the most cited in my 10 and 30 Hour classes.

I am not teaching the CHST Prep class this year. Two more people have passed in with my free study guides. I just to help people get certification as it changes their life and  makes Chicago the best for the construction safety.

I will slow the training down after teaching over 1000 in the first three months.  Ideally I would teach three days a week, audit one day and do everything else on the fifth day. 

I have seen many electrical issues. April would be a good month to focus on that. 

John

OSHA News. 

1) The Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission affirmed a citation against a social services employer whose employee was fatally assaulted in another test of the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s use of the general duty clause.

https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20190305/NEWS08/912327081/OSHRC-Integra-citation-affirmed-against-social-services-employer-in-stabbing-fat?utm_campaign=BI20190305

2) Data provided by OSHA, a federal agency under the purview of the U.S. Department of Labor, shows that the number of whistleblower complaints filed has increased by 29 percent over the last five years, from 7,408 complaints in 2014 to 9,566 complaints in 2018. In 2018, OSHA opened full investigations into 3,007 of those complaints. While the number of complaints has gone up, the number of OSHA investigators has declined. OSHA had 76 investigators at the end of 2018, down from 100 in 2014.

https://www.natlawreview.com/article/osha-whistleblower-claims-are-are-employers-prepared

3) Three lung disease cases and a general duty citation for metal working fluid.

https://www.sheboyganpress.com/story/news/2019/03/12/sheboygan-manufacturer-nemak-faces-osha-fines-after-lung-disease-cases/3135032002/

4) Jim Washam passed away.  I worked with Jim on several lockout and machine guarding cases. He was always calm and dug to find the solutions.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/cincinnati/obituary.aspx?n=james-washam&pid=191893870&fhid=39846

5) First OSHA LOI for 2019 addresses silica standard (for construction) questions. https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2019-03-04

6) 12th citation for Valley Fever by Cal-OSHA.

https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/west/2019/03/29/522305.htm?fbclid=IwAR2rGMhXA3VnusC9vPhBb04_k9naR2F85x5097U20L33GnjnuSRDf629Aes

7) Refinery loses all 12 OSHA violations in court.

At a hearing, an administrative law judge affirmed all 12 violations as serious — but not all repeat, as cited — and assessed a total penalty of $58,000 for them.

https://www.businessinsurance.com/article/20190329/NEWS08/912327607/Citations-for-deadly-oil-refinery-explosion-affirmed-OSHRC-OSHA-?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter&fbclid=IwAR2VN0eRRhvQptqKYRhxA3nCdDXhW2Dj9K8f753vRu9K1rQwcEHQ8FupjMM

 8) OSHA Safety Day training conference, to be held June 20, 2019 at Joliet Junior College, in Joliet, Illinois. More details next months.

9) There will be an OSHA Safety Conference in July at Prairie State College.

10)  There were 875 OSHA inspectors on board as of Jan. 1, according to the NELP report. That’s down from 952 in 2016. There were more than 1,000 on staff in 2010.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/osha-attrition-under-trump-is-leading-to-lax-enforcement-analysis-finds_n_5c8964a0e4b0450ddae6e8dc?fbclid=IwAR34vh5iq4sm0BQmnviSL11JNeyTpHieWVP4ydDE77yAvD6t-zXXBBz2Dvg

Other Major News Stories.

1) Third IL State Trooper killed in 3 months on the highway.

 https://www.nbcchicago.com/news/local/Illinois-state-trooper-involved-in-crash-near-Libertyville-507877471.html?_osource=SocialFlowFB_CHBrand&fbclid=IwAR3k-L5zyAPBlqjg2fTnbvv5DDezVF1ETyqv46VzeuDBqS3WrCnQKpUS6TE

2) UCLA links some pesticides to autism.

https://www.genengnews.com/news/pesticide-exposure-linked-with-autism-in-epidemiological-study/?fbclid=IwAR2hOUkpCar95b10W6Ja-6GnaZfWki3bA-SpbKjC5WHgIrhkYiuzbcSwjvk

Safety Training at Non-Profits

OSHA  7205 Health Hazards CSC                                            Apr 12

OSHA 510 CSC                                                                           Apr 8

OSHA 10 Industry NIU                                                              Apr 17-18

OSHA 511 Chicago                                                                    Apr 22-25

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

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 1066 people this year. I teach evenings, weekends, early mornings too. I teach in Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana.   

All presentations are put on slideshare.net for free downloading. I put this presentation at this link. https://www.slideshare.net/JohnNewquist/mfc-general-industry-fy18-dte-serious-violations

I use your feedback to make changes to make corrections.

OSHA Citations this month

Next month.

Feb 2019 OSHA news

John

OSHA News. 

1) $200 for selling fake OSHA cards. Facing charges.

The count to which Dropala pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 2, 2019.

https://www.stl.news/new-jersey-news-trenton-mark-dropala-training-agent-admits-selling-false-osha-training-cards/256890/

An Attorney’s view on it.

https://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=b7b29b31-33b8-4219-9440-2d8a48797248

2) Matt Stein passed away from caner last month. He was an OSHA compliance officer and became a Certified Industrial Hygienist. I worked with Matt on training projects and will missed him.

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/matthew-stein-obituary?pid=191594798

3) OSHA loses yet another heat case. This in OH.

https://www.oshrc.gov/assets/1/18/A.H._Sturgill_Roofing_Inc.%5E13-0224%5EComplete_Decision_signed%5E022819%5EFINAL.pdf?8324

4) Former OSHA Deputy Assistant Secretary Jordan Barab is Appointed to Congressional Committee to Provide OSHA Oversight

5) New 2019 Outreach Instructor changes.

Trainer Responsibilities

• Clarifies that Trainers cannot serve or allow alcohol to be served at, during, or in conjunction with training activities.

• Clarifies that Trainers must refrain from discriminatory or defamatory remarks towards or

regarding OSHA, an ATO, or any other individual or group of individuals.

• Clarifies that Trainers (primary, assistant, or guest) are not considered students.

• Requires the primary trainer’s first and last names and signatures on the student sign-in sheets, attesting to the accuracy of the data listed.

• Unobscured or fully legible depictions of student course completion cards may not be posted on

trainer or training organization websites, or otherwise incorporated into advertising or marketing

materials.

Exception Requests

• OSHA does not consider cost saving, trainer availability, program or worktime limits, or missing

work to be extenuating circumstances.

Revisions to Specific Industry Procedures

• All Industries:

 Upon expiration of a Trainer’s card, there is no longer a grace period, as described in Section

III.A. of the OSHA Outreach Training Program Requirements and the relevant Industry Procedures.

 If a trainer’s authorization has expired, they will be unable to conduct OSHA Outreach

Training Program classes and receive student course completion cards.

More at:

https://osha.washington.edu/sites/default/files/documents/Outreach_Training_Program_Changes_20190101.pdf

6) OSHA issues lithium battery guidelines.

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/18041-osha-issues-safety-bulletin-on-hazards-of-lithium-batteries-lithium-powered-devices

7) DON’T FORGET this Saturday, March 2nd was the DEADLINE for employers to electronically submit data from OSHA Form 300A. OSHA Form 300A is a summary of work-related injuries & illnesses & is required for covered establishments.

8) Between 2006 and 2017, 111 combustible dust incidents resulted in 66 worker deaths and 337 injuries in the United States, according to data from the Chemical Safety Board.

https://www.safetyandhealthmagazine.com/articles/17860-combustible-dust-explosions-dont-ignore-the-hazard?fbclid=IwAR33NUCNov-V5p8Q7ZcV8spznPzxNiOe5H4cFww5S4oHjzjnzDqxoc4_ujU

Other Major News Stories.

1) Luke Park, owner of the Park Family Farm in Cortland County, was sentenced on Thursday for child labor violations that resulted in the death of a 14 year-old boy in July 2015.

Park was sentenced today to 60 days in jail, three years of probation and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $10,500 for his convictions ofendangering the welfare of a child, employment of a minor, and failure to pay a contribution to the unemployment insurance fund.

The Attorney General had originally indicted Park in November of 2016 after the July 2015 incident.

Park admitted that Alex Smith, 14, was killed while working on the dairy farm.

Smith was operating a hydraulic fork-lift, a violation of child labor laws, moving bales of hay.

Park admitted that he found the boy's body underneath the lift and a bale of hay with the machine still running.

https://www.localsyr.com/news/local-news/cortland-farmer-sentenced-years-after-14-year-old-employee-s-death/1708237146?fbclid=IwAR3VAfa_91Fxo1cJSeScjdtBhSbiaMllQGtoMqBkT9DwRGU2a8Holz6E5kQ

2) OSHA has an ammonium nitrate emphasis program. The video stars Brian Bothast from the Peoria office.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a_6jx2Nwm68&feature=youtu.be

3) Bernardsville contractor charged with lying to OSHA about construction mishaps

https://www.mycentraljersey.com/story/news/crime/2019/02/14/rsr-construction-owner-charged-lying-osha-mishaps/2873624002/

https://www.environmentalsafetyupdate.com/osha-compliance/former-osha-deputy-assistant-secretary-jordan-barab-is-appointed-to-congressional-education-and-labor-committee-to-provide-osha-oversight/?fbclid=IwAR2EAyZ1OYa5wFuDaRs13JUpNydhbJ3Cm4UQGQUXOJ5_34YIkrkPiMBFjWs

4) Grand Canyon had uranium ore in plastic buckets.

https://www.cnn.com/2019/02/20/health/grand-canyon-radiation-museum-trnd/index.html

5) Prosecutors have charged a former high-ranking coal company manager in Kentucky with conspiring to defraud government regulators as they tried to protect miners from black lung disease.

The Labor Department announced the grand jury indictment Wednesday of Glendal “Buddy” Hardison, who managed all the western Kentucky mines for the now-defunct Armstrong Coal Co. Officials made public eight other indictments in the same case last year, though none of those charged were as senior as Hardison.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/kentucky-coal-executive-indicted-for-defrauding-regulators-in-black-lung-case_n_5c7805a3e4b0d3a48b578fd9?03s&fbclid=IwAR1XxgI7yDCtWfpAbAbNuYodQMFxrEjbS9H0ldSf__SiDvdug-pvwN_h9hM

Safety Training at Non-Profits

OSHA  7845 Recordkeeping Hoffman Estate                       Mar 8

OSHA 511 NSC                                                                           Mar 4-7

OSHA 7500 Safety Management Naperville                        Mar 12

OSHA 7115 CSC                                                                         Mar 22

OSHA 7205 Hoffman Estates Health                       Mar 27

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

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, and Indiana.   

All presentations are put on slideshare.net for free downloading. I put this presentation at this link. https://www.slideshare.net/JohnNewquist/struck-by-hazards-2019

I use your feedback to make changes to make corrections.

OSHA Citations this month

IL           1338722.015      Snak-King Corp. FREEPORT          02/13/2019              $95,283.00         Exit routes, Machine guarding, Electrical safety training, Electrical protective equipment, Fall protection, PPE

IA           1370220.015      O'Neal Manufacturing Services  CEDAR FALLS              02/11/2019        $64,670.00 [no violations linked]

CA         1350138.015      2K Games, Inc.  PETALUMA         02/08/2019              $42,310.00         [no violations linked]

CA         1351326.015      TransPak, Inc.    SAN DIEGO        02/08/2019              $47,250.00         [no violations linked]

FL           1367955.015      Turnkey Construction Planners, Inc.        PALM COAST              02/08/2019        $51,198.00         Ladders, Fall protection

MS         1355222.015      Pearl Steel Erectors, Inc.              VICKSBURG              02/08/2019        $40,424.00         Rigging equipment for material handling, Fall protection

FL           1337525.015      Crown Roofing, LLC         PORT SAINT LUCIE              02/07/2019        $132,598.00Fall protection

FL           1354150.015      Crown Roofing, LLC         NAPLES 02/07/2019              $132,598.00       Fall protection

OH         1362672.015      Composite Technologies Co., LLC             DAYTON              02/07/2019        $40,840.00         Walking-working surfaces, Lockout/Tagout, Machine guarding

TX          1361478.015      Don Miguel Mexican Foods, Inc. DALLAS 02/07/2019              $56,829.00         Lockout/Tagout, Machine guarding

CA         1350991.015      Bodega Latina Corporation         SAN BERNARDINO              02/06/2019        $65,195.00         [no violations linked]

GA         1339367.015      Dixon Investments, Inc. ORCHARD HILL  02/06/2019              $52,933.00         Flammable and combustible liquids, Respiratory protection, Hand protection, Hazardous chemical training, Portable fire extinguishers

GA         1353277.015      FCS Automotive International-GA              LAWRENCEVILLE             02/06/2019        $43,176.00         Personal fall protection systems, Fall protection training, Exit routes, PPE, Written hazard communication program

OH         1371323.015      Tigerpoly Manufacturing, Inc.     GROVE CITY              02/06/2019        $50,168.00         Fall protection, PPE, Eye and face protection, Lockout/Tagout

OH         1338474.015      Conn-Selmer, Inc.           EASTLAKE           02/06/2019              $78,616.00 Respiratory protection, Air contaminants, Hazard communication

OH         1345036.015      Conn-Selmer, Inc.           EASTLAKE           02/06/2019              $121,614.00       Walking-working surfaces, Machine guarding

IL           1351402.015      SET Enterprises, Inc.       SAUK VILLAGE   02/05/2019              $69,258.00         Walking-working surfaces, Lockout/Tagout, Scaffolding

VA         1344204.015      Wolverine Advanced Materials, LLC         BLACKSBURG              02/04/2019        $174,284.00       [no violations linked]

CA         1371294.015      KPRS Construction Services, Inc. SAN BERNARDINO              02/04/2019        $45,000.00         [no violations linked]

CA         1340705.015      Cosco Fire Protection, Inc.           SAN FRANCISCO              02/01/2019        $54,800.00         [no violations linked]

OH         1336891.015      Sumitomo Backlite North America           KENTON              02/01/2019        $71,609.00         Highly hazardous chemicals, Emergency response plan for hazardous substance releases