One mine operator cited 35 times in two years for same hazard
January 28, 2013
December impact inspections by the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) found one of the lowest number of violations to date, but Joseph A. Main, assistant secretary of labor for mine safety and health said: "We still see some mines that fail to address recurring problems that put miners at risk."
Everyone these days is talking about performance indicators for workplace safety. It’s widely understood that if you only measure injuries and follow OSHA injury/illness recordkeeping requirements you have a large blindspot in truly assessing how you safety processes are working, or not working. OSHA has its own set of measures.
Fired for failing to inspect a broken chair; temp workers to get equal training; roofers exposed to 30' falls and a diesel hazard alert were among the OSHA news items this week.
DVD-based training programs include comprehensive tools to educate employees
January 17, 2013
Brady has released DVD –based training programs for the Globally Harmonized System (GHS) and OSHA’s Hazard Communication regulations that train and inform employees on the updated regulations and standards. The new training programs include videos and literature that will help employees understand the changes to OSHA’s Hazard Communication regulation and its updates to align with GHS.
Two papers published in the January issue of Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene (JOEH) address noise hazards in a work environment not usually studied for noise hazards: sports venues. Noise controls are often enforced only when workers have been exposed to noise levels beyond recognized standards, and only in workplaces and industries known for frequent noise exposure, such as manufacturing and construction.
From Hilda Solis' resignation as Secretary of Labor to a new study on workplace wellness programs and the savings they can produce in health costs to the way Americans are continuing to endanger our health, here are the week's top EHS-related stories as featured on ISHN.com:
OSHA has issued its annual inspection plan under the Site-Specific Targeting 2012 program to direct enforcement resources to workplaces where the highest rates of injuries and illnesses occur.
Five out of the six safety violations issued by OSHA recently to a NJ contractor were repeat ones involving fall and scaffolding hazards while employees were applying stucco to a commercial building in Westwood, N.J.
As part of its ongoing efforts to educate workers and employers about hazards associated with cleanup work in the aftermath of weather calamities, OSHA has issued a new fact sheet highlighting the need for employers to provide their workers with appropriate personal protective equipment and the training to properly use that equipment.