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Showing posts with label Occupational safety and health consulting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Occupational safety and health consulting. Show all posts

Monday, December 06, 2010

OSHA Proposes $51,000 in Fines Against David H. Koch Theater in New York for Asbestos, Fall and Crushing Hazards

Lincoln Center, New York. June 7, 2007.Image via WikipediaThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited the David H. Koch Theater, located at the Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in Manhattan, for alleged repeat and serious violations of workplace health and safety standards. The theater faces a total of $51,000 in proposed fines, chiefly for asbestos, fall and crushing hazards identified during an OSHA inspection prompted by worker complaints.

OSHA's inspection found that employees of the theater and of outside contractors had not been informed of the presence of asbestos-containing and potentially asbestos-containing materials in the theater's promenade area and in nearby electrical closets. The materials had not been labeled and asbestos warning signs had not been posted.
In addition, an exit door was stuck and unable to be used, and a portable fire extinguisher was not mounted. As these conditions were similar to those cited by OSHA during a 2009 inspection of the theater, they resulted in the agency issuing the theater four repeat citations with $45,000 in proposed fines. A repeat violation is issued when an employer previously has been cited for the same or a similar violation of a standard, regulation, rule or order at any other facility in federal enforcement states within the last five years.
"The recurrence of these conditions is disturbing," said Kay Gee, OSHA's Manhattan area director. "For the health and safety of its employees as well as outside contractors, the theater must take effective steps to identify and permanently eliminate these and other hazards identified during this latest OSHA inspection."
OSHA also found that, due to a lack of guarding, theater employees were exposed to falls into the orchestra pit when the stage was raised above the pit, and to being struck or crushed by the stage when it descended into the pit. These conditions, plus the use of temporary wiring in place of permanent lighting in the promenade area, resulted in OSHA also issuing the theater three serious citations with $6,000 in proposed fines. A serious citation is issued when there is substantial probability that death or serious physical harm could result from a hazard about which the employer knew or should have known.
"One means of eliminating hazards such as these is for employers to establish an illness and injury prevention program, in which workers and management jointly work to identify and eliminate hazardous conditions on a continual basis," said Robert Kulick, OSHA's regional administrator in New York.
The theater has 15 business days from receipt of the citations and proposed penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. The inspection was conducted by OSHA's Manhattan Area Office, telephone 212-620-3200. To report workplace accidents, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742).
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Monday, November 15, 2010

Importance of Respiratory Protection at Demolition or Disaster Sites

The Newsday story "Ground Zero settlement tally delayed as deadline hits" had the above image as part of the story.  Based on this image we see workers at the sight wearing two different types of respirators and one worker wearing only a neckerchief (or something similar).  The predominant respirator worn in this picture is the filtering facepiece respirator.  This respirator is primarily meant to handle nuisance dusts and is not intended in handling hazardous materials or chemical vapors.  It has two straps and most have a metal nose clip that is meant to achieve a better seal around the nose.  It seems most are wearing these correctly except the individual in the background which appears to have only one strap on.  For this individual, the respirator is probably not providing the intended protection.  Three individuals have the half-mask air purifying respirators two are wearing them properly while the third is wearing it as jewelry.  The cartridges being worn are high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters.  The HEPA filter is the highest level filter you can get for particulates and will filter out asbestos, lead, and other hazardous dusts.  However, this filter will not filter chemical vapors.  Based on the contaminants previously published from 9/11, the standard respirator should have been a half-mask air purifying respirator with organic vapor, acid gas, and P100 (HEPA) filters.  So all the respirators in the picture were the wrong type to protect them, based on published reports of the contaminants at the 9/11 work sight.  Hopefully, the regulatory and disaster community learned the lessons of 9/11 and in the future we can ensure workers at the sight wear the proper respirator and wear it properly.  Maybe then in the future we will not have to pay these claims on people who got sick for not wearing a respirator or wearing the wrong type.
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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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Wednesday, September 08, 2010

OSHA Publishes Final Rule On Cranes And Derricks In Construction

Crane in Venice, Italy.  FED's training at your convenience will travel to where you need the training.

Some people would say its about time the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised the Cranes and Derricks in Construction standard.  The last standard was issued in 1971 and considering in 2007 a number of crane accidents happened across the country including the two crane accidents that happened in New York City.  It is not surprising that OSHA finally finished the standard.  The rule becomes effective in 90 days after August 9, 2010.  Significant requirements in this new rule include: a pre-erection inspection of tower crane parts; use of synthetic slings in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions during assembly/disassembly work; assessment of ground conditions; qualification or certification of crane operators; and procedures for working in the vicinity of power lines.

Several provisions have been modified from the proposed rule. For example:

  • Employers must comply with local and state operator licensing requirements which meet the minimum criteria specified in § 1926.1427.
  • Employers must pay for certification or qualification of their currently uncertified or unqualified operators.
  • Written certification tests may be administered in any language understood by the operator candidate.
  • When employers with employees qualified for power transmission and distribution are working in accordance with the power transmission and distribution standard (§ 1910.269), that employer will be considered in compliance with this final rule's requirements for working around power lines.
  • Employers must use a qualified rigger for rigging operations during assembly/disassembly.
  • Employers must perform a pre-erection inspection of tower cranes.
The final rule was designed to work with state and local regulations.  Interesting change from what OSHA typically does.

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