Showing posts with label OSHA consulting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OSHA consulting. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
OSHA New Heat Illness Web Page
Though the weather hasn't been too hot this year, so far, and the first official day of summer was Jun 21, OSHA's new Heat Illness Campaign Web page was designed to assist employers and their employees. The Heat Illness Web page provides educational materials in English and Spanish, as well as a curriculum to be used for workplace training. Multiple copies of publications can be ordered from OSHA's Web site. OSHA is also partnering with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on weather service alerts to incorporate worker safety precautions when heat alerts are issued across the United States. NOAA is also including pertinent worker safety information on its Heat Watch Web page.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
OSHA Announces Three-month Enforcement Phase-in for Residential Construction Fall Protection
OSHA announced June 9 a three-month enforcement phase-in period to allow residential construction employers to come into compliance with the agency's new directive to provide residential construction workers with fall protection. During the phase-in period June 16-September 15, if an employer is in full compliance with the old directive (STD 03-00-001), OSHA will not issue citations, but will instead issue a hazard alert letter informing the employer of the feasible methods that can be used to comply with OSHA's fall protection standard or implement a written fall protection plan. If the employer's practices do not meet the requirements set in the old directive, OSHA will issue appropriate citations. If an employer fails to implement the fall protection measures outlined in a hazard alert letter, and OSHA finds violations involving the same hazards during a subsequent inspection of one of the employer's workplaces, the Area Office will issue appropriate citations.
OSHA's Residential Fall Protection Web page has many guidance products, including a fall protection slide show*, to help employers comply with the new directive. See the news release for more information.
Friday, June 17, 2011
OSHA's Tornado Preparedness & Response
First the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) create a website (click here for the CDC site) to help with preparedness for hurricanes and storms, now the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has a website for Tornado Preparedness and Response. The tornado preparedness and response site focuses on being prepared by developing an emergency plan and creating checklists (the checklist link brings you to the Red Cross website). While on the response side it discusses employer responsibilities and potential hazards such as:
- Hazardous driving conditions due to slippery and/or blocked roadways
- Slips and falls due to slippery walkways
- Falling and flying objects such as tree limbs and utility poles
- Sharp objects including nails and broken glass
- Electrical hazards from downed power lines or downed objects in contact with power lines
- Falls from heights
- Burns from fires caused by energized line contact or equipment failure
- Exhaustion from working extended shifts
- Heat and Dehydration.
A pretty good website to help you in dealing with the numerous tornados we are encountering this year.
Monday, May 16, 2011
OSHA at 40
Image via WikipediaOn April 28, 1971 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) was created by the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 that was signed by President Richard Nixon on December 29, 1970. Last month, OSHA celebrated it's 40th anniversary/birthday by creating a webpage with a timeline documenting OSHA's 40 years, a video discussing OSHA successes over 40 years, and Assistant Secretary David Michael's presentation to mark its anniversary at the public forum hosted by the Center for American Progress. From this presentation came the following quote: "OSHA doesn't kill jobs, it stops jobs from killing workers." It is an important quote and their are enough statistics that support this statement. If employers get serious about safety, productivity increases, workmen's compensation costs decrease, and employers become more competitive.
Thursday, April 14, 2011
NIOSH Study Designates Bisphenol A as a Skin Sensitizer
Image via Wikipedia
On April 12, 2011, the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published a skin notation profile for Bisphenol A (BPA). This profile found enough evidence to classify BPA as causing skin sensitization. Sensitization is a specific immune-mediated response (responses mediated by the immune system, including allergic responses) that develops following exposure to a chemical, which, upon re-exposure, can lead to allergic contact dermatitis (ACD) or other immune-mediated diseases such as asthma, depending on the site and route of re-exposure. BPA is a high-production-volume (HPV) chemical used in the manufacturing of epoxy resins, plastics, and flame retardants. NIOSH evaluated several case reports and predictive animal studies that indicated BPA as being a skin sensitizer and can cause photoallergy. Hence, NIOSH has assigned a SK:SEN notation (skin:sensitizer) for BPA. With BPA used as a flame retardant avoiding coming into skin contact with it could be very difficult.
Related articles
Friday, March 25, 2011
Engineering News Record of New York Interviews William Rapetti
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| Tower Crane in Venice, Italy |
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Successful PACNY Conference Gets Even Better The Second Day - Part 2
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| Roundtable Participants - Mr. Alonge, Mr. Yehl, Mr. Garcia, & Mr. Hart |
Unfortunately, due to the need to check-out of the hotel before 11 AM, we missed Paul Watson's, of ATC Associates, "A Discussion about Mercury." That brought the conference to the main event, Christopher Alonge, PE, of New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) discussing "Code Rule 56 Update." As in previous presentations, Mr. Alonge was nice enough to provide his presentation to the attendees at this link: http://www.pacny.org/docs/2011-ICR-56-Changes.pdf. The attached presentation includes changes made by NY Department of State regarding the Fire/Life Safety proposed changes we have seen in Mr. Alonge's previous presentations. Examples include changing the requirement of a code compliance technician to a code compliance officer for notification/variance sign-off, requirements for required exists, emergency lighting, and portable fire extinguishers. NYSDOL will also be creating a code compliance course for code enforcement officials that will be 4-hours of in-service training. Mr. Alonge is anticipating a schedule of June 2011 for publishing and October 2011 for finalizing. Still not sure if there will be a adoption period. The biggest uproar and most questions during the Q&A period was regarding the proposed NYSDOL change that all asbestos has to be removed before any demolition, renovation, or remodel. This change brought about the most questions and concerns from the audience. After Mr Alonge's presentation an industry roundtable Q&A was moderated by Mr. Sean Hart, of AECOM Environment, and consisted of Mr. Alonge; Mr. Joe Cantone, of Colden Corporation; Mr. Peter DeLucia, of AAC Contracting; Mr. Darren Yehl, of LeChase Construction Services; and Angelo Garcia, III, of FED.
I was honored to be selected on the panel again this year. I enjoyed meeting people that I've met year after year and unfortunately only get to meet at this conference. It seems to me the PACNY organization seems to be getting better and better each year, and I look forward to seeing it continue its growth well into the future.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Long Island OSHA Rep Speaks to the Association of Facilities Engineers
Image via WikipediaOn Tuesday, March 8, 2011, Mr. Anthony Ciuffo, CSP, the Long Island Area Director of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) gave an overview of OSHA's function in the workplace and what OSHA currently doing in the area. His presentation was to the Long Island Chapter of the Association of Facilities Engineers (AFE) which held this meeting at the Hofstra University Club. The event was sponsored by Hofstra University Continuing Education.The presentation covered the typical taglines we've come to hear from other OSHA representatives - strong enforcement; partnering for a purpose; emergency preparedness; rule making in requiring an injury illness prevention program (I2P2); and safety and health management systems. Top ten inspection targets for the Long Island area are:
- Fall hazards in construction
- Heavy highway and bridge construction
- Gut rehab and demolition
- Amputations
- Warehousing
- Construction
- Landscaping & Horticultural
- High Hazard 50
- Isocyanate
- Lead
Dinner was included in the meeting and the organization several future meetings and a golf outing planed in the future. For more information on AFE visit their website at: http://www.afechapter4.org/
Tuesday, March 08, 2011
15th Annual PACNY Environmental Conference
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| Turning Stone Resort & Casino does a great job of clearing snow when it occurs. |
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
NIOSH Science Blog Discusses Law Enforcement Injury Causes
Image via WikipediaLast week on Long Island many mourned the death of Nassau County Police Officer Michael J. Califano. Officer Califano was killed when a flatbed truck slammed into his car during a routine traffic stop on the Long Island Expressway last Friday night (February 4, 2011). Though his death was outside his vehicle, it is interesting that the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) science blog posting on February 9, 2011 was a discussion on "Cops and Cars". The blog points out that, the occupational injury fatality rate for police officers was 4 times higher than the U.S. average [BLS, 2009] in 2009. The blog also discussses a new report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, line-of-duty deaths have dramatically increased – 40% – from 2009 to 2010 (NLEOMF, 2010). Possible reasons for this significant increase include budget cuts, the expiration of semi-automatic weapon bans, and a diminishing respect for police officers; but these are, at best, speculations.The blog then points out that, traffic-related incidents are actually the leading cause of death among our nation's law enforcement officers and have been for the past 13 years (NLEOMF, 2010). In fact, over the past 5 decades, overall line-of-duty deaths have steadily declined and traffic-related fatalities have increased (2010). More recently, traffic-related fatalities increased 43% between 2009 and 2010 (2010). This increase includes officers involved in motor-vehicle crashes and those struck while outside their vehicles.
It is interesting that statistics indicate that law enforcement use of seat belts may be a factor. Two studies showed that seat bealt use by law enforccement was between 38%-42%. However, law enforcement have good reasons for not wearing seat belts, including the design of the seat belts can catch their gun holster as they quickly get out of their cars. Because of this NIOSH is undertaking the first state-wide study of attitudes and beliefs of seatbelt usage among law enforcement officers. This study will survey a random sample of Iowa law enforcement officers through their agency leadership. The study will include officers in municipal departments, the state patrol, and sheriff's offices. As NIOSH begins this research, they are requesting (through the NIOSH Science Blog) to hear from police officers, police administration, law enforcement unions, training academies, and motor-vehicle researchers about their experiences with motor-vehicle crashes and the usage of seatbelts while in patrol cars. For more information visit the NIOSH Science Blog at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/blog/.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
NYC Schools In The News Again for PCBs.
Yesterday's Wall Street Journal reported that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) found three more schools in New York City with leaking polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) lighting ballasts. The agency took 14 samples from light fixtures at an East Harlem School complex consisting of P.S. 206, P.S. 37 and P.S. 112 and found that 12 were above the regulatory limit. The three schools are located at 508 E. 120th St, Manhattan. This is the fifth school site testing positive for PCBs, other sites included Brooklyn, Staten Island, and Bronx. According to Metro, New York City Department of Education spokeswoman Marge Feinberg said they’ve replaced all the toxic lights found by the EPA thus far, but the estimated cost for checking and/or replacing all the lights in public schools throughout the five boroughs is $1 billion, which NYC does not have. EPA has been studying this problem for years and has produced a website covering the "Proper Maintenance, Removal, and Disposal of PCB-Containing Fluorescent Light Ballasts". The purpose of this website is to provide information to school administrators and maintenance personnel on the risks posed by PCBs in light ballasts, how to properly handle and dispose of these items, and how to properly retrofit the lighting fixtures in your school to remove the potential PCB hazards. The website covers the following areas:
- Why Should I Be Concerned about PCBs in My School?
- What Are the Health Effects of PCBs?
- Do My Fluorescent Light Ballasts Contain PCBs?
- Should the Light Ballasts in My School Be Removed?
- What Should I Do if My Fluorescent Light Ballasts Contain PCBs?
- Is It Really Necessary to Retrofit the PCB-Containing Fluorescent Light Ballasts in My School?
- What Are the Risks and Potential Costs of Not Replacing the PCB-Containing Fluorescent Light Ballasts in My School?
- Are Students and Teachers in Danger if There are Leaking PCB-Containing Light Ballasts in Their School?
- What Are the Special Procedures for Cleanup and Decontamination after a Ballast Leak or Fire?
- How Do I Retrofit the PCB-Containing Fluorescent Light Ballasts in My School?
- What Type of Waste Will Be Associated with a Retrofit and How Do I Handle It?
- What Are the Cost Savings Associated with a Retrofit?
- What if a Retrofit Is Not Feasible in My Current Budget?
Related articles
Thursday, February 03, 2011
OSHA Respirator Safety Video
This Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Respirator Safety Video is a very good introductory video on respirator donning and doffing. Probably will add this to our training classes since it is a very good entry level and refresher video. The video is available in spanish, too.
Wednesday, February 02, 2011
NIOSH Seeking Comments On The Draft Recommendations For Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance
Image via WikipediaThe National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) today invited public comment on a draft document titled, "Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance." This document was developed by a consortium of federal agencies, state health departments, and volunteer organizations, headed by the NIOSH with the goal of proposing a more comprehensive and systematic approach to worker safety and health for all emergency responders.The set of guidelines and recommendations described in the document is the result of the collaborative efforts of the workgroup. When final, it is expected that this document will serve as an interagency resource that is intended for review and possible publication by the National Response Team.
"The gaps in our ability to ensure the safety and health of all workers involved in large scale and complex emergency responses have been documented through our responses to the World Trade Center disaster, Hurricane Katrina, and most recently, the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill," said NIOSH Director John Howard, M.D. "This document is the result of our shared learning from these events and our combined commitment to protect those workers who respond in times of need."
This draft document proposes a new framework for ensuring responder safety and health by monitoring and conducting surveillance of their health and safety during the entire cycle of emergency response, including the pre-deployment, deployment, and post-deployment phases of a response. The proposed system is referred to as the "Emergency Responder Health Monitoring and Surveillance (ERHMS)" system, and includes a guidance section describing the principles involved in ensuring optimal responder safety and health, as well as tools which can be utilized to help facilitate the execution of these principles during an actual response. The draft document is available at http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/docket/review/docket223/ for written public comment until April 4, 2011.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Big Businesses Causing More Problems For The Economy.
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| Like water flows, a business' cash must also flow steady & strong |
The New York Times article "Big-Business Deadbeats" highlights one of the biggest problems with the economy that, as far as I am concerned, is not reported about enough.
The article discusses how Cisco Systems announced..."effective March 31, 2010, Cisco announced to its small business suppliers that as a rule Cisco would wait sixty days after receipt of an invoice — or net 60, in business jargon — before cutting a check. The reason Cisco gave for this new policy was not that it was hard up: the company has nearly $39 billion of cash on its balance sheet, and in the third quarter of 2010 alone it spent $2.7 billion to repurchase its own shares. Rather, the corporation explained that it had been “benchmarking against our technology peers” and found a precedent for “new payment terms.” In other words: Everyone is doing it, so we are too."
As a small business owner myself, the issue of payment terms and how it efffects our cash flow cannot be emphasized enough. In the consulting business the time it takes to get paid is the hardest part of being in business. You perform a service and then have to wait 45 to 60 to 120 days to be paid for that service. During that period of time you had to pay your employees, if you got good terms you may have had to pay your suppliers and the overhead (phones, office space, etc.) is owed every month on the dot. How do you pay for all of these things without payment from the client? Which brings me to the second biggest problem with the economy - the lack of small business loans to handle this cash flow crunch. The big banks got a bail-out but they were not forced to maintain the credit lines to the small business owners that were running their business on these credit lines. Many of these credit lines were closed and shut down forcing businesses to use non-traditional sources as their credit lines (credit cards with high interest rates, etc.). I am not an economist, but in running my business if I don't have the flexibility to smoothen out the cash flow problems I face, then I can not hire someone even if I need to hire someone. If the government wants small businesses to start hiring again, then they need to address the lack of small business loans that are available for small businesses. They need to force banks to reduce the standards they are setting to get a loan. In addition, the government wherever possible should reduce the time period it takes to pay their suppliers, consultants, providers, etc. Reducing this time period would increase the cash flow to small businesses helping these businesses better handle the current economy and possibly allow them to start hiring.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
OSHA Website Focuses On Green Job Hazards
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| Wind Farm in California |
The Occupational Safety and Health Adminisitration (OSHA) standards cover many of the hazards in green industries and employers must use the necessary controls to protect workers. The green industry is being defined broadly as an industry that helps to improve the environment. The jobs created by this green industry (typically called green jobs) also create opportunities to help revitalize the economy and get people back to work. Examples of the different green industries include:
- Wind Energy
- Solar Energy
- Geo-thermal
- Biofuels
- Recycling
- Green Roofs
- Hydrogen Fuels
- Weather Insulating/Sealing
Green jobs do not necessarily mean that they are safe jobs. Workers in the green industries may face hazards that are commonly known in workplaces -- such as falls, confined spaces, electrical, fire, and other similar hazards. These hazards may be new to many workers who are moving into the fast-growing green industries. Additionally, workers may be exposed to new hazards which may not have been previously identified. An example of this are workers in the solar energy industry may be exposed to Cadmium Telluride, a known carcinogen, if adequate controls are not implemented. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) requires employers to comply with safety and health regulations promulgated by OSHA. In addition, the OSH Act’s General Duty Clause, Section 5(a)(1), requires employers to provide their employees with a workplace free from recognized hazards likely to cause death or serious physical harm. In the absence of an OSHA standard, OSHA can enforce the General Duty Clause.
One of the key concept for all industries, but especially those that are just beginning to grow, is "Prevention through Design (PtD)" – designing the process/equipment in a way that eliminates hazards to the workers who use them. The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has a web page discussing this concept, visit it at: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/PTD/. The basic premise of this is to address occupational safety and health needs in the design process (having occupational safety and health professionals working with design engineers) to prevent or minimize the work-related hazards and risks associated with the construction, manufacture, use, maintenance, and disposal of facilities, materials, and equipment. If the design eliminates the hazard before what is being designed is built, then the hazards may never be created. Visit OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/dep/greenjobs/index.html to better understand the job hazards in each of the different green industries.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
OSHA Log Form 300A Posting Due February 1, 2011.
Section 1904 of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations require certain employers to comply with the OSHA recordkeeping guidelines (this includes most employers, see http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/ppt1/RK1exempttable.html for a list of partially exempt industries). This regulation requires OSHA form 301 to be completed for each work related injury/illness. The information from the 301 form is logged onto the OSHA 300 form. At the end of calendar year 2010, the totals from OSHA 300 form is entered onto the OSHA 300A form. The 300A form is the total number of cases (injuries/illnesses), total number of work days lost (due to injuries/illnesses), and total number of injury/illness types from the calendar year 2010 for each facility/work site/employer. The OSHA 300A form must be posted from February 1, 2011 thru April 30, 2011. The 300A form should be posted in a conspicuous place where you normally post employee information. Failure to post can result in citations and penalties. You are required to maintain the OSHA 300 and 300A forms for 5 years following the year they pertain and make them available to employees upon request. To get the forms mentioned above and instructions on how to complete then visit OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/new-osha300form1-1-04.pdf. For more information on recordkeeping requirements visit OSHA's website on recordkeeping at http://www.osha.gov/recordkeeping/index.html. If you need assistance or training on completing these forms you can also contact us at angelo3@futureenv.com.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
OSHA Reminds Employers Of The Hazards Associated With Ice And Snow Cleanup
Image via WikipediaThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in Region 4 (Georgia) is warning employers of the hazards associated with ice and snow removal. However, with the Northeast being hit by more snow just this week it is important to remember these hazards ourselves.Common hazards can include:
- Electric shock from contact with downed power lines or the use of ungrounded electrical equipment.
- Falls from clearing ice jams in gutters, snow removal on roofs or while working in aerial lifts or on ladders.
- Being struck or crushed by trees, branches or structures that collapse under the weight of accumulated ice.
- Carbon monoxide poisoning from gasoline-powered generators in inadequately ventilated areas or idling vehicles.
- Lacerations or amputations from unguarded or improperly operated chain saws and power tools, and improperly attempting to clear jams in snow blowers.
- Slips or falls on icy or snow-covered walking surfaces.
- Being struck by motor vehicles while working in roadways.
- Hypothermia or frostbite from exposure to cold temperatures.
- Assuming all power lines are energized, keeping a distance and coordinating with utility companies.
- Making certain that all electrically powered equipment is grounded.
- Providing and ensuring the use of effective fall protection.
- Properly using and maintaining ladders.
- Using caution around surfaces weighed down by large amounts of ice.
- Making certain all powered equipment is properly guarded and disconnected from power sources before cleaning or performing maintenance.
- Using and wearing eye, face and body protection.
- Clearing walking surfaces of snow and ice, and using salt or its equivalent where appropriate.
- Establishing and clearly marking work zones.
- Wearing reflective clothing.
- Using engineering controls, personal protective equipment and safe work practices to reduce the length and severity of exposure to the cold.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
OSHA Acts To Protect Residential Roofing Workers
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| Fall Protection established for this roof project. |
"Fatalities from falls are the number one cause of workplace deaths in construction. We cannot tolerate workers getting killed in residential construction when effective means are readily available to prevent those deaths," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Dr. David Michaels. "Almost every week, we see a worker killed from falling off a residential roof. We can stop these fatalities, and we must."
The National Association of Home Builders recommended rescinding the 1995 directive, as did OSHA's labor-management Advisory Committee for Construction Safety and Health; the AFL-CIO; and the Occupational Safety and Health State Plan Association, which represents the 27 states and territories that run their own occupational safety and health programs.
According to data from the department's Bureau of Labor Statistics, an average of 40 workers are killed each year as a result of falls from residential roofs. One-third of those deaths represent Latino workers, who often lack sufficient access to safety information and protections. Latino workers comprise more than one-third of all construction employees.
OSHA's action rescinds the Interim Fall Protection Compliance Guidelines for Residential Construction, Standard 03-00-001. Prior to the issuance of this new directive, Standard 03-00-001 allowed employers engaged in certain residential construction activities to use specified alternative methods of fall protection rather than the conventional fall protection required by the residential construction fall protection standard. With the issuance of today's new directive, all residential construction employers must comply with 29 Code of Federal Regulations 1926.501(b)(13). Where residential builders find that traditional fall protection is not feasible in residential environments, 29 CFR 1926.501(b)(13) still allows for alternative means of providing protection.
Construction and roofing companies will have up to six months to comply with the new directive. OSHA has developed training and compliance assistance materials for small employers and will host a webinar for parties interested in learning more about complying with the standard. To view the directive and for more information, visit http://www.osha.gov/doc/residential_fall_protection.html.
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