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Showing posts with label Health and Safety. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Health and Safety. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

NIOSH Science Blog Discusses Helical CT Scans and Lung Cancer Screening

This is an x-ray image of a chest. Both sides ...Image via WikipediaThe National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health's (NIOSH) Science blog recently discussed the reported findings regarding the use of helical CT scans for lung cancer screening.  The National Cancer Institute (NCI) launched the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) in 2002 to compare the effects of two screening procedures, low-dose helical computerized tomography (CT) and chest x-ray, in reducing lung cancer mortality in current and former heavy smokers aged 55 to 74.   The preliminary results from this study indicated this relatively new form of screening using helical CT demonstrated fewer lung cancer deaths among individuals at high risk of lung cancer who received this screening than among a similar group screened with chest radiography (chest x-rays or CXRs).  NIOSH has great interest in this finding, and there is hope that this might provide new approaches to cancer screening among workers with increased risk for lung cancer because of past occupational exposures.


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Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Carl Potter's Safety Code of Conduct

Scaffolding improperly installed missing mud sills, etc.
Mr. Carl Potter is a safety speaker and his website is an excellant resource for information regarding occupational safety and health.  We have received many of his articles and writings, and have always found them informative.  To emphasize this point, please click on the title above to read his latest post regarding setting up a Safety Code of Conduct and the reason why employees typically don't follow safety rules.  Our experience and discussions with many of you, has led us to the same conclusions.  We agree with Mr. Potter come up with your own Safety Code of Conduct and decide to be safe when performing your work.  
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Thursday, September 16, 2010

Painting and Decorating Inc. Fined Again for Scaffold Violations


Proper scaffold construction starts on the ground in the first bay.  If the first bay is plumb and level, the rest of scaffold will follow. 
Painting & Decorating Inc. was in the news again for scaffold violations. The painting and stucco contractor continues to have problems properly erecting scaffolds and providing fall protection for its workers. The violations stem from two Kings Point, New York job sites.

Painting & Decorating Inc. was issued eight willful citations with $200,000 in fines for not fully planking scaffolds, providing an access ladder, ensuring scaffolds rested on base plates and providing fall protection at both locations.  Six serious citations with $5,200 in fines were issued for missing railings, toeboards and bracing at both job sites.  Painting & Decorating was issued one repeat citation carrying a $20,000 fine for not training workers on scaffold assembly and work.  The citation is a repeat offense for Painting & Decorating who had similar violations in 2007 and 2008.  In 2008, Painting & Decorating received seven citations from OSHA worth $147,000.

OSHA issued Painting & Decorating, Inc a total of 15 citations worth $225,200 in fines for these two jobsites in Kings Point, New York. The contracting firm has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA’s area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.


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Saturday, September 11, 2010

Long Overdue Increase in OSHA Inspections

Construction Sign Postings in Rome, Italy.  Workers are required to  wear gloves, hard hat, work boots, and a full body harness on this work site.

14 deaths per day is the statistics of the day.  How can the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) consider itself successful with a statistic like that?  It is long overdue for OSHA to increase the number of inspections and the number of violations it issues.  There are companies who have never seen an OSHA inspection and they have been in business for over 50 years.  We did a training class where one worker had caustic burns on his hands and three workers were diagnosed with silicosis.  The company had never been inspected by OSHA.  Until OSHA actually gets serious about performing the number of inspections necessary to  prevent injuries, statistics such as 14 deaths per day will continue to be common place.  The link shows a video of a worker for Cintas, handling the clearing of a blockage the way he was taught to clear blockage.  Though the company says it didn't know this was going on, the question is how did they think the blockage was being cleared considering they did not teach the workers a different procedure to clear the blockage.  Again another situation where the accident could have been prevented and the life of a worker saved.
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That Time of Year! Conferences, Posting Requirements, and OSHA Violations Increased!

It's that time of year again. We're between conferences.  February 15-16, 2024 was the Professional Abatement Contractors of New Yor...