Death on a movie set, a nanotechnology research update and prison time for a roofing contractor after an employee’s fatal fall. These were among the top occupational safety and health stories featured on ISHN.com this week.
Trench wall collapses right after OSHA inspector demands workers get out
October 11, 2019
RMS Utilities Inc. is facing $92,819 in penalties after OSHA found that the Colorado company: failed to protect employees from cave-in hazards failed to keep the spoil pile at least two feet back from the edge of the excavation, and f allowed employees to work beneath an excavator bucket...
Two train engineers injured, tested for drugs and alcohol in collision
October 11, 2019
A collision earlier this year involving two trains owned by the same company resulted in minor injuries to both engineers and the derailment of one locomotive and more than two dozen railcars. The National Transportation Safety Board’s (NTSB) preliminary report into the incident reveals that a westbound CSX Transportation (CSX) freight train collided with an eastbound CSX freight train near Carey, Ohio at 5:08 a.m. on August. 12.
Alliance formed to protect solid waste industry workers
October 10, 2019
OSHA has formed a national alliance with the National Waste & Recycling Association (NWRA), and Solid Waste Association of North America (SWANA) to protect the safety and health of workers in the solid waste industry. During the two-year agreement, the Alliance will address transportation hazards, including backovers and distracted driving; slips, trips, and falls; musculoskeletal injuries; heat and cold stress; and needle stick and other hazards.
Should employees fight a small fire? Or evacuate?
October 10, 2019
It’s mid-shift, and your workplace is humming with activity. Suddenly, a fire breaks out. It’s relatively small – at least for the moment. Employee safety is your first priority, of course. Ordering an immediate evacuation is the obvious action to take. Or is it?
Quick guide to selecting workplace PPE for eyes, face
October 10, 2019
Safety professionals in a wide range of industries are well aware of the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE). When it comes to protecting eyes and faces, the employer or safety manager must assess the workplace and determine if there are hazards present that that necessitate the use PPE by workers. [29 CFR 1910.132(d)]
New Emerging Professional Award aims to boost safety careers
October 10, 2019
The American Society of Safety Professionals (ASSP) has created a new opportunity for emerging occupational safety and health professionals to advance their careers while getting involved in the world’s oldest professional safety organization. Applications are now being accepted for the 2020 Emerging Professional Award, which will recognize five next-generation safety leaders and place them into a yearlong professional development program.
OSHA changes inspection system
October 9, 2019
OSHA has implemented an OSHA Weighting System (OWS) for inspections that it says will focus enforcement activities on “critical and strategic areas.” Under the current enforcement weighting system, OSHA weights certain inspections based on the time taken to complete the inspection or, in some cases, the impact of the inspection on workplace safety and health.
A NIOSH Science Blog post
Nanotechnology research at NIOSH
Adrienne Eastlake MS, RS/REH John P. Sadowski
October 9, 2019
Engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) are materials that are intentionally produced to have at least one primary dimension less than 100 nanometers. These materials have new or unique properties different from those of larger forms of the same material, making them desirable for specific product applications.
Enhancing safety training with digital technology
October 9, 2019
About 2.8 million nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses were reported by private industry employers in 2017. That’s over 100,000,000 production days lost due to work-related injuries. Because of this, safety training is a very important part of the onboarding process for a new hire - especially for those working in an environment with many machines or hazardous materials.
Natural gas from Kentucky pipeline rupture ignited, killing one
October 9, 2019
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has released details about a deadly gas pipeline rupture that occurred in August in Lincoln County, Kentucky. The rupture in the 30-inch-diameter natural gas transmission pipeline, which was owned and operated by Enbridge Inc., released about 66 million cubic feet of natural gas - which ignited.
Roofing contractor sentenced to 3 years in prison in employee’s fatal fall
October 8, 2019
An Ohio county court has sentenced Jim Coon – a roofing contractor based in Akron, Ohio – to prison after he pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of a 39-year-old employee who fell from a three-story roof while working without required fall protection in November 2017.
October 8, 2019
A union representing Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) workers in New York is claiming that MTA employees are being endangered by asbestos discovered in a bus depot, while the MTA says tests failed to find the hazardous substance. The Transit Workers Union (TWU) Local 100 is reportedly demanding that employees who work in the Brooklyn building, which was built in 1858, be evaluated for asbestos exposure-related health problems.
National advisory committee on occupational safety and health gets new members
October 8, 2019
The U.S. Department of Labor has selected 12 members to serve on the National Advisory Committee on Occupational Safety and Health (NACOSH). The members, four of whom were designated by the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), represent occupational health, occupational safety, labor, management, and public interests.
Dog ownership associated with longer life, especially among heart attack and stroke survivors
October 8, 2019
Dog ownership may be associated with longer life and better cardiovascular outcomes, especially for heart attack and stroke survivors who live alone, according to a new study and a separate meta-analysis published in Circulation: Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, a journal of the American Heart Association.
Amazon workers stage a(nother) walkout
October 7, 2019
Approximately 60 Amazon warehouse workers in Eagan, Minnesota walked out of their workplace last week mid-shift, to protest working conditions, pay and limits on total weekly hours that prevent them from receiving health care benefits. Among the workers’ demands: weight restrictions on the boxes they must lift, which currently can weigh up to 70 pounds.
Texas manufacturer improves root cause analyses, gets SHARP
October 7, 2019
Like many small businesses starting out, SigmaPro Engineering and Manufacturing, LLC had a safety program in place, but they were unsure if it met all of the state and federal requirements. The small electronic connector manufacturing facility in northern Fort Worth, Texas found the Texas Occupational Safety and Health Consultation Program (OSHCON) on the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) website and set up a consultation with a Texas OSHCON safety consultant in their area.
Report: Movie stuntwoman’s death due to safety violations
October 7, 2019
A stuntwoman’s death on the set of the movie Deadpool 2 was due to her employer’s failure to conduct a risk assessment and other violations, according to WorkSafeBC, the Canadian agency that monitors and enforces workplace safety in the province of British Columbia. In the 2017 incident, stunt double Joi Harris was killed while reportedly riding a motorcycle down a ramp laid atop a set of stairs.
States use training, videos, WaterSense program to improve water conservation efforts
Widespread shortages expected
October 7, 2019
Training landscapers in water efficiency, using “edutainers” to teach water conservation tips to children and encouraging consumers to buy WaterSense products are among the strategies states are using to head off – or at least, minimize - water shortages expected in the years ahead. “Forty states anticipate experiencing fresh water shortages in certain regions within their borders over the next decade,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.
