January 2006 OSHA News

Greater Illinois OSHA News             January 13, 2006

Vol 2. No. 1 

Happy New Year!

Taking down Christmas decorations shouldn’t be a hazard to your health. These city workers are very creative in making their version of a homemade aerial lift. Of course, this is in live downtown traffic. 

(photo by John Newquist)

Would you use this respirator?

OSHA requires all the respirators to be maintained in a clean and sanitary condition. There is leakage at the inhalation valve inside the mask that cannot be seen due to the coating of yellow paint.   coated them. (Photo by Larken Akins)

OSHA at 35 years

On Dec 29, 1970, the OSH Act was signed into law. Before that, workers had very little protection in the work place for safety issues. Some of the major events in OSHA in Illinois.: 

1975 – Illinois turned over enforcement to Federal OSHA under Governor Dan Walker. 

1979 – Rosemont Horizon Collapse. Five Workers Killed

1980 – Whirlpool Decision – Affirmed that workers- Workers can refuse work if they feel reasonable apprehension that death or serious injury or illness might occur as a result of performing the work 

1981 – Five ironworkersIronworkers died when rebar broke on their suspended work platform at the State of Illinois Building in Chicago.

1983 -  Film Recovery – Death of an immigrant workerImmigrant worked in a cyanide tank cleaning incident leads to first criminal prosecution of the OSH Act by Cook County State’s Attorney. 

1984 – Refinery explosion in Lemont IL kills 17 workers

1985 – Special Chemical Emphasis Program initiatedon chemical starts due to Bhopal Disaster

1985 – First egregious citation for recordkeeping at Belvidere autoBelevidere Auto plant. 

1985 – Mobil Oil receives first VPP in Illinois. 

1986 - Hazard communication standard ordered by Congress

1987 – DOT/OSHA stop payment to I-39 bridge Contractor who refused to wear fall protection during Steel Erection

1986 – Swing Scaffold Emphasis Programs started. 

1989 – Lockout tagout becomes law

1989 – OSHA fines ordered raised by Congress

1991 – Felony conviction of an Illinois safety director for coercion during an OSHA trenching inspection

1991 – First DIOSH Safety  Day held

1992 – Confined Space for General Industry becomesIndusty become law. 

1992 – Process Safety Standard for Chemicals is ordered by Congress. 

1995 - Fall Protection Standard for Constructionconstruction is released

1995 – Largest fine issued (over $1 million) to an Illinois employerEmployer at a Blue Island Refinery following deaths of 2 workers. (over one million)

1996 – Criminal Prosecution for falsifying confined space permits at a Winnebago grain fatality. 

1999 – First egregious Silica citation upheld in Rockford. 

1999 – Forklift training standard is released

2002 – Soldier Field Partner established for construction

2003 – Illinois fatality study used to target high hazard areas such as Forklifts and Power lines as Local Emphasis Programs.  

2005 – OSHA wins lockout tagout decision against in power plants in IL

Grain and Feed Association of Illinois 

Alliance Signing Ceremony, December 27, 2005

The Grain and Feed Association of Illinois (GFAI) signed an Alliance with the Illinois Area Offices of OSHA and Onsite Safety and Health Consultation, IL DCEO, on December 27, 2005 in OSHA’sthe Peoria OSHA Area Office.  Present were:  John Newquist, Area Director, Peoria OSHA Area Office; Jeffrey Adkisson, GFAI Executive Vice President and Treasurer; David Kramer, Program Manager, On-site Safety and Health Consultation, IL Dept. of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO); John Lee, GFAI Director of Safety, Health and Environmental Services; and, Peggy Zweber, Compliance Assistance Specialist, Peoria OSHA Area Office.

The Grain and Feed Association of Illinois is the statewide trade association for the agri-business side of the grain and feed industry in Illinois.  The association is made up of 330 companies representing over 1,000 facilities in the state of Illinois and the neighboring states of Wisconsin, Indiana, Missouri and Iowa. Over 92% of the commercial grain storage space in the state of Illinois is represented by members of the Association.  In addition, there are over 200 associate members from across the nation that supply goods and services to the industry.  

GFAI has a long  safety and health working relationship with OSHA, including a 3 year partnership which ended just last year.  As part of this alliance, OSHA will be contributing articles on safety and health issues to newsletters which go out to their membership.  In addition to an article on emergency evacuation plans, exits and fire extinguishers, which has already has been included in a GFAI newsletter, plans are in the works to cover machine guarding, and fall protection, along with other industry related topics.  The alliance is also important because it provides OSHA and Onsite Consultation an opportunity to reach many small businesses throughout the State of Illinois.

Upcoming Z Project Conference

Safety and Health Hazard Control Submissions for 2005 Due by April 7th !!!

As we are nearing the end of another year, this is a reminder to those participants in the Z Project to prepare your 2005 safety and health hazard control submissions for the May, 2006 conference.  Although the due date of April 7th seems far away, it always sneaks up on you, as contributors from past years know.  This is the 4th year of our customer service project and we have received  some excellent examples of hazard controls in the last three years.

For those of you not familiar with the project, throughout the year, companies collect fixes to hazards and share them with us.  OSHA, in turn, shares them at the conference.  Also, we recognize some of the best controls with awards:  Aveoli Award (for a health hazard control); Lifesaver Award (for a control that could have saved a life); Pluto Award (for the most innovative control); and, the Area Director’s Choice Award (the AD’s choice of all submissions).  I will also send reminders to the 150+ employers on my mailing list with the forms for submissions.  Surprisingly, several companies/associations from Iowa and Indiana 

have contacted me, so the word of our program is spreading. If you want to be included in the Z Project mailing and learn more about the program, just email Peggy Zweber, Compliance Assistance Specialist, at zweber.peggy@dol.gov or call me at the Peoria OSHA office, 309/589-7033.  

Also, as a result of our Alliance with Richland Community College, they are assisting us in creating a website for the Z Project participants with information on the past control submissions, past award recipients, current submission forms, past press releases and, hopefully, an interactive page where employers can help each other solve their safety and health challenges.  It should be up and running soon.  It will be announced in our Area Office newsletter and I will email the participants.  

The conference will be held at the Richland Community College, Shilling Center, Decatur, on May 2, 2006 from 8:30 a.m. until noon.  We hope to see you there.  Remember – Safety and Health adds value, to your work, to your life, and to your community.

Peggy Zweber, Compliance Assistance Specialist

Peoria OSHA Area Office

Serving the 81 counties of Central and Southern Illinois

February 2006 OSHA News

Greater Illinois OSHA News             February 21, 2006

Vol. 2. No. 2 

DIOSH Day is coming!

Making and keeping the workplace healthy and safe is the focus of the 15th annual Downstate Illinois Occupational Safety and Health Day (DIOSH Day), slated for March 1, 2006, at the Peoria Civic Center.  

This year’s conference highlights safe approaches to some of industry’s toughest workplace issues, with presentations on workplace cancer prevention, injury and illness trends, safe work practices in confined spaces, and often-cited OSHA workplace violations.  

Breakout sessions on respiratory protection, lock-out/tag-out techniques, forklift safety, the hazards of hot work near petroleum storage tanks and more will provide ways to prevent tragedy.   A mini health fair will offer blood pressure and heart rate screening, glucose level testing, and other valuable health screening services.

The daylong conference opens for registration at 7:00 a.m. CST and continues with workshops and breakout sessions until 4:00 p.m.  It offers safety professionals in downstate Illinois the chance to network with hundreds of their peers and to learn about resources available to businesses and employers.

More than 50 exhibitors will join governmental and nonprofit organizations in demonstrating useful and innovative products and services designed to meet workplace safety and health goals.

Exhibit area hours are from 7:00 a.m. until 3:10 p.m. the day of the conference, which is jointly sponsored by the American Society of Safety Engineers, Central Illinois Chapter; American Industrial Hygiene Association, Prairie Section; Greater Peoria Contractors and Suppliers Association, Inc.; the Illinois Department of Labor; OSHA’s Peoria Area Office; and the Tri-County Construction Labor-Management Council.

Registration and additional information may be obtained by calling 1-877-DIOSH-DAY or by visiting the Web site at www.DIOSHDay.com        

I hope to meet many of you readers at the conference. 

Top 10 violations for General Industry – 2005 National

1. 1910.1200(e)(1)  Subpart Z - Hazard Communication- Failure to develop, implement and maintain a written hazard communication program.  Example: Employers must have a written program on the hazardous chemicals present on the jobsite, and the program must state how employees will be informed of the hazards and what the hazards are.    Total violations-2394

2. 1910.212(a)(1)  Subpart O - Machine Guarding- Failure to provide protection to employees by proper guarding of machines at these areas: point of operation, (where the work takes place), rotating parts (shafts) and areas with flying chips or sparks.  Example:  A physical barrier to prevent employees from coming in contact with the hazard, two hand operating devices to keep hands out of the work zone.   Total violations-1590

3. General Duty Clause- Failure to provide a workplace that is free from recognized hazards that are causing or likely to cause death or serious physical harm to employees.   Example: No magnetic restart on metal cutting machine.  Total violations-1164

4. 1910.1200(h)(1) Subpart Z - Hazard Communication- Failure to provide employees with proper training on chemical hazards in their work area and/or when a new chemical hazard has been introduced about which the employee has not received training.  Example:  Housekeeping employees must be informed of the dangers and hazards of chemicals they will come in contact with.  Total violations-1125

5. 1910.212(a)(3)(ii) Subpart O - Machine Guarding- Failure to provide proper guarding at the point of operation of the machine (area where work is actually performed).   Example:  Power presses, power saws need point of operation guards. Total violations-811

6. 1910.151(c) Subpart K- Medical and First Aid- Failure to provide eye wash and emergency showers.  Example: Eye wash for irrigation to flush dirt, debris, and/or chemicals out of eye(s).   Total violations-787

7. 1910.023(c)(1) Subpart D- Walking-Working Surfaces- Failure to provide railing on open-sided floors, platforms, and runways that are at least 4 feet above a lower level.  Example:  A guardrail system consists of the following elements: top rail, intermediate rail and toe board with posts 6ft apart (if wood) and 8ft apart (if steel or pipe).  Total violations-742

8. 1910.147(c)(1) Subpart J- Hazardous Energy (Lockout/Tagout)- Failure to have a written program to ensure employees safely know how to isolate machines from energy sources before any maintenance or service is performed.  Example:  Employers need a written program to make sure employees know and follow their methods to ensure machines are isolated from power sources before service or maintenance is performed.  Total violations-733

9. 1910.215(b)(9) Subpart O- Abrasive Wheel Machinery- Failure to provide adequate guarding on abrasive wheels.  Example: Tongue guard shall never exceed ¼ inch distance from the wheel to the guard.   Total violations- 723

10.  1910.1200(g)(1) Subpart Z - Hazard Communication- Failure to have material safety data sheets (MSDS).  Example:  Employers must have current MSDS for all hazardous chemicals used in the workplace.  Total violations- 717

(Compiled by Dan Heinen)

Bear Kills Man

OSHA is investigating a fatality where a bear mauled a man to death at a petting zoo in Flora in February.

Man Caught in Skidsteer Arm Dies 

OSHA is investigating a fatality where a man was killed between the arms of a skid steer machine at a construction site in Kewanee.  Normally the arm would be covered with a protective screen. 

Trench Collapse in Godfrey

A worker received broken ribs when a portion of the 8 foot deep trench collapsed on him in January. The trench side had been previously dug and was not of adequate slope for Type B soil. 

30 Ton Precast Beam Falls

We are investigating the case where a 30 ton precast beam fell, just missing 2 workers in it’s path in January. The gear chain on a Mi-jack crane failed, causing the load to be released.

Competent Person, ROADCON and the OSHA 30-hour course 

The OSHA 30-hour course mandatory sections do not cover the requirements for working on road construction jobs. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) is available to be downloaded at the following address.  A competent person should be familiar with the requirements applicable to their work along or in roadways. 

http://www.osha.gov/doc/highway_workzones/mutcd/index.html

Advance Notice

Despite OSHA being 35 years old, people still have an impression that we call companies in advance for many inspections. We might call on an imminent danger or a fatality/catastrophe, but calling in advance of complaint or scheduled inspections are extremely rare. This is from the OSHA Act of 1970: 

Any person who gives advance notice of any inspection to be conducted under this Act, without authority from the Secretary or his designees, shall, upon conviction, be punished by a fine of not more than $1,000 or by imprisonment for not more than six months, or by both.

Pump Jack Scaffold

 

This scaffold had many problems including laying a ladder on the outrigger for a guardrail. 

(Photo by Tony Gilson)

Paint Booths

Paint booths must be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent accumulation of overspray. This booth found recently had one of the thickest accumulations of paint that we have seen. 

(Photo by Sue Ellen DeManche)

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Comments

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Comments on the newsletter should be addressed to John Newquist c/o OSHA, 2918 West Willow Knolls Rd., Peoria, IL 61614 

Peoria office - Phone (309) 589-7033. 

Fairview Heights office - Phone (618) 632-8612