Tag Archives: violations

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection

HOW SAFE ARE SUPERMARKET EMPLOYEES?

In a recent report from the U.S. Department of Labor, Wayne’s Supermarket in West Virginia has been cited for safety hazards in its grocery store in Mullens.  A September investigation began as the result of a complaint, and resulted in $32,200 in proposed fines.

The serious violations, (ten in all), were:

  • Electrical hazards;
  • Failure to mark exit routes appropriately,
  • Ensure workers’ wore cut-resistant gloves when cutting meat;
  • Conduct a hazard assessment to determine the need for personal protective equipment;  furnish training on use of P.P.E.;
  • Proper training on operating powered industrial trucks;
  • Provide material safety data for each hazardous material onsite;
  • Provide an eyewash station or ensure workers usage of eye protection when handling corrosive materials;
  • Train workers exposed to hazardous materials onsite, and complete a written hazard communication program;
  • Ensure guarding on the unused portion of the blade on the meat cutting bandsaw;
  • Ensure proper usage of hand tools during meat cutting operations.

Five other-than-serious violations, with a $1,400 penalty, include failing to maintain OSHA 300 injury and illness logs as well as guard overhead lights from physical damage. 

OSHA states that grocery store employers are well aware of potential safety hazards facing workers while conducting day-to-day operations.  Employers that fail to identify and correct hazards that could jeopardize worker safety will be held legally responsible.

When citations are handed out, it serves as a reminder to all of us; to be sure our place of employment is a safe one.  Because of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees.  To obtain compliance assistance, ask questions, file a complaint, or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations that pose imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA’s toll-free hotline at 800-321-6742 (OSHA).  For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.

General Safety Issues, Respiratory Safety

OSHA RECORDS AN AVERAGE OF SEVENTY CONFINED SPACE FATALITIES PER YEAR (GUEST POST)

1 Comment

By Jack Rubinger – Graphic Products responds with a Free Confined Spaces Best Practices Guide 

Portland, OR – About a million employees enter confined spaces every day, according to OSHA. In most cases, those workers complete their task without incident, but despite the many precautions in place, 70 workers per year never make it back out alive. Besides the ultimate price paid by workers, hefty fines arise if employers are found to be in noncompliance with OSHA regulations. In February of this year, a Texas-based energy company was fined more than $70,000 for confined space violations with hydraulic fracking tanks. 

Graphic Products, Inc., has made a business out of keeping workers safe worldwide. Determined to decrease this high count of confined space deaths, Graphic Products has released a free Confined Spaces Best Practices Guide to help workers, industrial hygienists and environmental health & safety coordinators deal with the very real dangers present in confined spaces. 

Confined spaces — which include storage tanks, ship compartments, pits, silos, wells, sewers, boilers, tunnels and pipelines — have limited or restricted means for entry or exit and it is not designed for continuous occupancy. Workers get trapped cleaning or doing repairs and maintenance in these spaces. Lacking a means of escape, their cries for help may go unheard. 

These spaces often have limited oxygen, or the air is toxic or combustible. This puts a ticking clock on the job and is the main reason workers don’t make it back out alive. Confined spaces that contain or have the potential to contain a serious atmospheric hazard should be classified as permit-required confined spaces and should be tested prior to entry and continually monitored, according to OSHA guidelines. 

Fully illustrated with photographs, diagrams, sample permits and signs and labels, this 18-page guide addresses: 

  • Identifying confined space locations
  • Sign and labeling materials for harsh industrial environments
  • Confined space permitting
  • Training programs
  • Supervisor and coordinator responsibilities
  • Entry and evacuation operations and procedures
  • Testing and monitoring equipment
  • The benefits of using industrial printers to create large format signs and labels that are more likely to be seen 

The new Confined Spaces Best Practices Guide is the most current resource in a growing collection which now includes the following free guides: 

  • Warehouse Safety Guide
  • Safety Inspection Workbook
  • Phosphorescent Marking Guide
  • Required PPE Guide
  • HCS/Hazcom 2012 Best Practices
  • Arc Flash Best Practices Guide
  • Medical Pipe Marking Guide
  • Marine Pipe Marking Guide 

Graphic Products, Inc. manufactures mobile and wide-format labeling systems used by sea shipping lines, distribution centers, mining operations and oil refineries worldwide. Customers include Amazon.com, Boeing, Intel and Toyota. With more than 50 types of labeling supplies, Graphic Products, Inc. helps companies solve communication problems in the toughest industrial environments. For more information, visit www.DuraLabel.com.

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Hearing Protection

WHEN IT COMES TO SAFETY, WHY NOT JUST GO BY THE RULES?

1 Comment

Not long ago, we talked about keeping protective guards around machinery to keep employees from amputations or other injuries.  In OSHA’s “Quicktakes” for the month of July, it is amazing the amount of money that companies pay for severe violations.  It seems money spent on safety would be more cost-effective, as well as keeping employees safe. 

OSHA fined a stamping products company $426,100, and cited the company for 27 safety and health violations, including one willful violation for failing to report two amputation injuries that occurred at the company’s metal stamping plant in Cleveland.  While operating mechanical power presses in the plant before OSHA’s January inspection, two employees had fingers severed and crushed.  The company was cited for a total of nine willful safety violations, which included failing to train press operators in safe work methods and failing to ensure the flywheel on the mechanical power presses were adequately guarded.  

A willful health violation is one that is committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.  The above company received one willful health violation for the lack of proper chemical hazard communication and training, in addition to twelve serious safety violations.  Those include failing to perform a required workplace hazard assessment, ensure employees had appropriate eye protection, train employees in the use of portable fire extinguishers, conduct performance evaluations for employees who operate powered industrial trucks (fork lifts), complete annual crane inspections, ensure proper machine guarding on the shear, spot welding machines, and mechanical press, and establish die-setting procedures.  They also had four serious safety violations including exposing employees to excessive noise, having improperly stored compressed gas cylinders and allowing various electrical safety hazards.  They have been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program.  This mandates targeted follow-up evaluations to ensure compliance with the law. 

A second company was fined $214,830 by OSHA, and cited the company with four safety violations, after two workers suffered amputation injuries at the company’s metal stamping facility.  The company willfully disregarded the law’s requirements by failing to lock out/tag out hazardous energy sources prior to performing maintenance operations and to have point-of-operation guarding on two press brakes that caused the worker amputations in two separate incidents.  They were also cited with a serious violation for failing to use safety blocks when dies were being adjusted and repaired.  Before this inspection, the company had been cited by OSHA for 47 violations since 1988.  They have also been placed in OSHA’s Severe Violator Enforcement Program. 

Workers have the right to go to work and expect to return home intact.  When companies show a blatant disregard for the safety of their workers, they are shirking their responsibility to those who come to perform a job without being in danger.  Hopefully, by being placed in this enforcement program with regular inspections, they will wake up and start paying attention to safety, rather than fines.

OSHA “Quicktakes”

 

General Safety Issues

BIG RIGS, BE READY FOR ROADCHECK, 2011!

Beginning today, June 7 , through June 9,  the Commercial Vehicle Safety Alliance (CVSA) – a not-for-profit organization behind the annual Roadcheck 2011 CMV Safety Blitz, will be conducting vehicle inspections throughout North America – Canada, the U.S., and Mexico.  Many truck drivers will undergo a North American Standard Level I Inspection.  This 37-step inspection takes about an hour to complete and focuses on a variety of factors, including alcohol and drug use, driver logs, vehicle brakes, lights, and cargo securement factors. 

The most frequent citations include brake issues and lighting issues.  For drivers that travel many miles, the most frequent violation is going over their hours of service.  Any truck used in business with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 lbs., or a truck and trailer combination with a gross vehicle weight rating over 10,000 lbs. is subject to this inspection. 

This year’s Roadcheck will also include the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) focus on motorcoach safety.  Passenger carriers should be ready for the increased likelihood of a comprehensive inspection during June 7-9.  Another target will be unscrupulous trucking companies that are suspected of moving household goods without the necessary authority. 

The result of Roadcheck 2010 in Texas was that of the 6,906 commercial vehicles inspected by the DPS, 25 per cent were taken out of service due to serious safety violations.  Troopers placed 160 of the drivers out of service for violations such as improper log books or having suspended, expired, or canceled licenses.  

Truck drivers experience roadside safety inspections at other times of the year; however, “Roadcheck is a good exercise for industry and law enforcement,”says John Conley, president of National Tank Truck Carriers.  “Hazardous materials carriers always score well, but improvement is the goal.  For a new wrinkle this year, I suggest that enforcement personnel focus on inspecting carriers with whom they are totally unfamiliar.  Pull over a carrier you have never heard of and make a new friend.  CSA requires quality inspections that will help get subpar carriers off the roads.” 

Last year, during Roadcheck 2010, 97.5% of hazmat drivers passed inspection, with 2.5% placed out of service.  Across the entire trucking industry, 95.6% of drivers passed the inspections, with 4.4% placed out of service.  Almost 84% of hazmat vehicles passed the Roadcheck inspections, with 16.3% placed out of service.  Eighty percent of all commercial vehicles passed the inspections, with 20% placed out of service.

Commercial carriers have a five-month notice prior to this exercise, allowing them time to fix the problems that they have either with the trucks or drivers.  One attorney surmises that many trucks are taken off the roads during this time frame, or certain drivers may be given time off during those days.  It has also been questioned whether some trucks find a back road to avoid inspections.  

Keeping vehicles in good condition is expensive, but it’s much better than having an accident and injuring someone.  Drivers of large vehicles know the skills that are needed to maneuver those big rigs, and understand the importance of keeping accurate records.  Every vehicle that is on the road owes it  to others to drive safe cars, trucks, pickups, buses, etc.  If these Roadchecks save lives, it is well worth the time and effort put forth.

General Safety Issues

UNVEILING #8 AND #10 ON TOP TEN OSHA VIOLATIONS – 2010

We have been talking about the Top Ten OSHA violations for fiscal year 2010, and the only two left to cover are #8 – Powered Industrial Trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178), and #10 – Machines, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.212).  On the OSHA website, violations are listed, along with the amounts that companies paid.  Many of them pay for repeat violations.  It seems that it would be better to fix the problem than to keep paying fines.  After all, human lives are at stake, and employers are not supposed to put their employees at risk. 

Powered industrial trucks, (forklifts or lift trucks), are used primarily to move materials.  They can be used to move, lift, lower, or remove large objects or a number of smaller objects onto pallets or in boxes, containers, or crates.  The operator of a powered industrial truck may be moving steel around the job site, and must be trained in its safe operation in order to avoid exposing employees to being struck or crushed by the vehicle.  An example of an expensive violation was OSHA’s determination that a certain manufacturer had twenty (count ‘em) violations for failing to properly train workers who operated powered industrial trucks.   Also, for failing to protect workers from other workplace hazards, the company was fined a total of $274,500.  OSHA states that failing to train, monitor and evaluate employees’ skills puts workers at unnecessary risk. 

Both formal and practical training for operators must be provided.  Formal may be by lecture or video.  Practical includes demonstration and practical exercises.  Employers must also certify that each operator has received the training and evaluate each operator at least once every three years.  The employer must evaluate the operator’s performance prior to operating the truck, and determine the operator to be competent to operate a powered industrial truck safely.  If an operator demonstrates a deficiency in the safe operation of the truck, refresher training is needed.  

Last, but not least, coming in at #10 on the list is Machines, general requirements, general industry (29 CFR 1910.2120.  Oddly enough, the same company that had fines for failing to properly train powered industrial truck operators, also received citations for alleged willful violations to fail to ensure machinery guards were in place at points of operation.  A willful violation is one that is committed with intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or plain indifference to employee safety and health. 

Another company was cited for alleged willful, repeat and serious violations of workplace safety and health standards following the death of a worker who was pulled into a machine.  The company failed to guard various moving parts on the machine against employee contact.  Not guarding moving machine parts has the potential to cause severe workplace injuries, such as crushed fingers or hands, amputations, burns, or blindness.  Safeguards are necessary to protect workers from these preventable injuries.  The point of operation of a machine whose function exposes an employee to injury, shall be guarded.  The guarding device shall be in conformity with any appropriate standards, therefore, or, in the absence of applicable specific standards, shall be so designed and constructed as to prevent the operator from having any part of his body in the danger zone during the operating cycle. 

This same standard violation (machine guarding), was also listed as #5 on the highest penalties assessed by OSHA in 2010.  Anyone who runs a machine that is not properly guarded should not take the chance on being injured.  He/she should go to their supervisor and the supervisor should take action to remedy the situation. 

This concludes our review of the Top Ten OSHA Violations for 2010.  We will complete the list of Highest Penalties assessed for 2010 in tomorrow’s article.  Again, it is costly to pay fines; but why not correct something that is a known violation of OSHA standards, rather than risk someone’s life?

Source: OSHA

General Safety Issues

COUNT THE VIOLATIONS!

For the past few weeks, we have been covering the Top Ten OSHA violations and penalties assessed for fiscal year 2010.  Violation of (29 CFR 1910.272), Grain Handling Facilities, was listed as #9 on the top ten highest penalties assessed list.  The following is an article released by OSHA, March 16, 2011, regarding the death of a young worker who lost his life working in a grain bin.  Please note the numerous other violations (in italics) the company received.  These are many of the violations that have been mentioned as we have counted down the list. 

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited a grain company in Morral, Ohio, following the September 2010 death of a 20-year-old worker who was caught in a discharge auger while cleaning out a grain bin.  “This tragic death could have been prevented had the grain bin owner and operators followed occupational safety standards and learned from the tragedies that have occurred at other grain bins,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. “Grain elevator owners and operators must implement well-known safety practices to prevent workers from being hurt or killed in a grain bin.”   At least 25 U.S. workers were killed in grain entrapments last year, and the numbers of entrapments are increasing, according to researchers at Purdue University. There were more grain entrapments in 2010 than in any year since the university started collecting data on entrapments in 1978.

Following inspections at the company’s three bin facilities, 46 safety and health violations have been cited, with penalties totaling $465,500.  One location was issued a total of eight safety citations with proposed penalties of $175,000, including two willful citations for failing to lock out the discharge and sweep auger, and to provide an appropriate grain bin entry permit to perform work. A willful violation is one committed with intentional knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirements, or with plain indifference to worker safety and health.

Five serious citations were issued for failing to train employees in safety precautions and bin entry procedures, not having an observer during bin entry, failing to have rescue equipment, failing to test the atmosphere in the space to be entered and failing to have deflagration controls for combustible dust. A serious violation occurs 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 other-than-serious citation (one that has a direct relationship to job safety and health, but probably wouldn’t cause death or serious harm) was issued for not having combustible dust warning signs in place.

As a result of violations discovered at the first facility, OSHA initiated inspections at the company’s two other facilities.  One facility was fined $171,000 and cited with a total of 22 health and safety violations, including two repeat safety violations for allowing employees to walk working surfaces without proper guarding in place and failing to safeguard employees from electrical hazards such as broken electrical conduits. A repeat violation exists 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.

Thirteen serious safety citations were issued for allowing employees to walk working surfaces without ladderway gates and mid-rails, and exposing workers to electrical and machine guarding hazards. Four serious health citations were issued for a lack of safe grain handling and electrical procedures. Three other-than-serious health citations were issued for lack of signage and hazard communication procedures.

The company’s third facility was fined $119,500 and cited with a total of 16 safety violations, including one willful violation for failing to evaluate work spaces to determine if any required confined space entry permits. Fourteen serious citations were issued for failing to implement a confined space program, not having a non-entry retrieval system, a lack of personal protective equipment for employees, a lack of electrical training, a lack of combustible dust controls and failing to train employees in combustible grain dust hazards. One other-than-serious citation was issued for a lack of combustible dust warning signs.

Since 2009, OSHA has fined grain operators in Illinois, Colorado, South Dakota and Wisconsin following similar preventable fatalities and injuries.  In addition to enforcement actions and training, OSHA sent a notification letter in August, 2010 to grain elevator operators warning them not to allow workers to enter grain storage facilities without proper equipment.    OSHA’s Region V, which includes Illinois, Ohio and Wisconsin, initiated a Grain Safety Local Emphasis Program in August 2010, and has since conducted 61 inspections and issued 163 citations to grain operators/facilities. The violations cover hazards associated with grain engulfment, machine guarding, lockout/tagout of dangerous equipment to prevent accidental energization start-up, electricity, falls, employee training and combustible dust hazards.

OSHA’s Severe Violators Enforcement Program began in the spring of 2010, and is meant to focus on employers that endanger workers by committing willful, repeat, or failure-to-abate violations in one or more of the following circumstances: a fatality or catastrophe; industry operations or processes that expose workers to severe occupational hazards; exposure to hazards related to the potential releases of highly hazardous chemicals; and all per-instance citation enforcement actions. 

If companies do not mind paying fines, it seems they would be disturbed by the loss of life of an employee, and the fact that they are not providing for the safety of their workers.  This is an example of the various violations we have been describing.

Source: OSHA

Fall Safety, General Safety Issues

WE’RE NOT THROUGH COUNTING OSHA VIOLATIONS!

It seems that the Top Ten List of Violations on OSHA’s Top Ten for 2009, were still on their Top Ten List for 2010, many of them just in different places.  The third highest on the penalties assessed list for 2010 was violation of (29CFR 1910.21), Safety Training and Education, Construction, Walking and Working Surfaces.  Serious, willful, or repeat violations can result in harm or death from hazards, and it seems that employers would do everything in their power to protect their employees from such hazards, rather than pay stiff penalties. 

Slips, trips, and falls constitute the majority of general industry accidents; fifteen per cent of all accidental deaths are caused by slips, trips, or falls – second only to motor vehicles as a cause of fatalities.  OSHA standards for walking/working surfaces apply to all permanent places of employment, except where only domestic, mining, or agricultural work is performed.  Annually, about 20 workplace fatalities happen, with another 3,700 injuries resulting  in lost workdays.   

As in any job, on-the-job training is first and foremost, with the accent on safety.  Employees who could be exposed to specific hazards related to walking and working surfaces, scaffolding, mobile elevated work platforms, and portable and fixed ladders, should have full knowledge of the safeguards and precautions to prevent injuries.  Retraining is imperative for affected employees whenever there is a change in the appropriate area, or when an employee is seen deviating from the prescribed safe work practices.  Training should be done by experienced and qualified persons.  Training should be certified with written training records, and actual work observations should verify the effectiveness of such training. 

  • Proper guarding should be provided for open pits, ditches, floor openings, and other open areas by covering or guarding with a standard railing.  If not guarded or covered, it must be protected by a temporary barrier on all exposed sides or attended by an assigned person.
  • Appropriate railings for stairways that are 30” – 34” to tread should be provided. 
  • A standard railing on all open sides should guard all open-sided platforms that measure four feet or more above the adjacent floor of ground level.
  • Six foot controlled access zones along pits, floors, and flat roof edges where fall protection is not feasible should be set up.  A controlled access zone must use control lines or other barriers to restrict employee access to fall hazards.  Warning signs must be posted at controlled access zones.
  • Employees working on steep slope roofs (greater than four inches of run per twelve inches of rise) that are four feet or more above a lower level must be protected from falls by a guard rail system, personal fall arrest system, or safety net system; and
  • Employees working on low slope roofs (less than or equal to four inches of run per twelve inches of rise) with unprotected sides and edges that are four feet or more above a lower level are protected by one of the following methods:

(1) A guard railing system; (2) personal fall arrest system; (3) safety net system; (4) combination of a “warning line” and any other of the above; or  (5) a combination of a “warning line” and a safety monitor. 

Walking and working surfaces should have the strength and integrity to support employees safely.  Floors should not be overloaded with materials and/or equipment over the approved load limits.  Elevated storage and other platforms should be marked with the load bearing weight.  Aisles and passageways should be clearly visible and allow space for both moving equipment and employees.  There should also be safe clearance room at all turns, doors, and passageways, and the areas should not be obstructed by physical barriers or stored materials.  Work environments should be kept neat and orderly, waste properly discarded, and floors kept clean.  Mats and grating could be used when appropriate. 

Hopefully, this year will bring fewer violations of this standard, as well as many others.  Training employees, protecting them from workplace injuries by better planning and housekeeping, and giving them the right PPE for each particular job will pay dividends for companies, along with the reward of a safe workday every day for each person.  That would be the best reward for everyone involved!

Eye Protection, General Safety Issues, Hand Protection, Head Protection, Protective Clothing

SOME “SHOCKING” FACTS ABOUT OSHA VIOLATIONS

We all understand that working with electricity can be dangerous, and only persons that have been trained in this field should attempt tasks that deal with it.  Engineers, electricians, and other professionals work with electricity directly, including overhead lines, cable harnesses, and circuit assemblies.  Others, such as office workers and sales people, work indirectly with electricity and may also be exposed to electrical hazards.  Therefore, it is surprising that there were so many violations and citations leveled against companies that ignored electrical standards, risking injury or even death to their employees. 

Because electricity has long been recognized as a serious workplace hazard, OSHA’s electrical standards are designed to protect those employees exposed to dangers such as electric shock, electrocution, fires, and explosions.  Two of the Top Ten Most Frequently Cited OSHA Standards violations for 2010 were #7 – Electric, Wiring Methods (CFR 1910.305), and #9 – Electric, General (CFR 1910.303).  On the Top Ten Highest Penalties assessed by OSHA for 2010, was another standard, Electric, General Requirements (CFR 1926.403), which was listed as #2 on that list. 

Electrical wiring in general refers to insulated conductors used to carry electricity, and associated devices.  This is in reference to providing power in buildings and structures.  Wiring safety codes are intended to protect people and buildings from electrical shock and fire hazards.  Regulations may be established by city, county, provincial/state or national legislation, sometimes by adopting in amended form a model code produced by a technical standards-setting organization (OSHA), or by a national standard electrical code. 

Companies should do their utmost to be in compliance with federal safety regulations.  There should be a safety program with defined responsibilities and training for workers.  Equipment should be marked with electrical safety labels.  Workers should realize what happens when there is an arc flash.  This is a short circuit through the air that can happen when conductors can’t support the voltage.  An arc flash can be as hot as 5,000 degrees Farenheit, and creates a brilliant flash of light and loud noise.  As radiant energy explodes out of the electrical equipment, hot gases and melted metal can endanger human life.  This is why there are four separate industry standards or electrical safety requirements in place to protect workers against arc flashes and electrical accidents. 

When working around electricity, the biggest hazard is always electric shock.  Although disconnecting the equipment from power sources and using non-conductive tools is important, there is still one last defense against shock: protective clothing.  Listed below are types of personal protective equipment (PPE),that should be worn:

  • Long, flame-resistant pants;
  • Safety goggles with side shields, or wraparound goggles;
  • Long sleeve, flame resistant shirt (synthetic materials can be flammable or melt into skin), or;
  • Hardhat with flame-resistant liner;
  • Hair fasteners (for those with long hair);
  • Leather work boots;
  • Leather work gloves. 

Everyone should treat electricity with respect, at home or work.  It’s important to follow manufacturers’ instructions (read them thoroughly),  read labels, and never overload circuits.  For those in the workplace, check and double-check safety regulations.

Respiratory Safety

BREATHE EASIER WITH RESPIRATORY PROTECTION

Number 5 on our  “Hit Parade” countdown of OSHA’s Top Ten violations for 2010 is Standard 29 CFR 1910.134,  Respiratory Protection, General Industry.  According to the Centers for Disease Control, respirators protect the user in two basic ways. The first is by the removal of contaminants from the air. Respirators of this type include particulate respirators, which filter out airborne particles; and “gas masks” which filter out chemicals and gases. Other respirators protect by supplying clean respirable air from another source. Respirators that fall into this category include airline respirators, which use compressed air from a remote source; and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA), which include their own air supply.  Respirators should only be used when engineering control systems are not feasible. Engineering control systems, such as adequate ventilation or scrubbing of contaminants are the preferred control methods for reducing worker exposures. 

If you work where there is dust, heat, humidity, or mist around you, respirators are needed.  Respiratory protection is regulated by OSHA, which determines which type of respiratory protection is appropriate for each kind of hazard.  NIOSH regulates the manufacture and testing of face masks/respirators, labels them for the appropriate type of use, and OSHA is responsible for their use.  Employers are in charge of establishing and implementing a written respiratory protection program with worksite-specific procedures and elements for required respirator use.  The provisions of the program include selecting the correct protection, medical evaluation, fit testing, training, use and care of respirators.  Persons with mustaches or beards may not be able to get a secure fit.  OSHA requires fit-testing, to be sure there are no leaks.  Respirators Fit-testing kits must be used to ensure their compliance to safety requirements. 

N95 filtering respirators, “air purifying respirators” cover the nose and mouth.  A respirator classified as N95 means that 95% of most penetrating particulates will be filtered out. This type of respirator protects the wearer against breathing in small particles that contain viruses, such as in a healthcare setting.  For other occupational exposures, the respirators filter out dust, mist, heat and vapors that can be harmful to your health.  To be fully effective, N95 respirators must fit closely to form a light seal over the mouth and nose.   Manufacturers make several different sizes of respirators to accommodate smaller faces.  The use of powered air-purifying respirators may be chosen as a suitable type in some cases. 

Workers must have received comprehensive and understandable training at least annually, and more often if necessary.  This training should include, at a minimum:

  • Limitations and capabilities of the respirator;
  • Effective use in emergencies;
  • Why it is necessary and how improper fit, use and maintenance can compromise its protective effect;
  • Recognition of medical signs and symptoms that may limit or prevent effective use;
  • How to inspect, put on and remove, use and check the seals;
  • Maintenance and storage.

Listed among the top five violations by companies in the United States is an indicator that employees are being exposed to hazards that can be very harmful to their health.  We hope by this time next year,  most of the serious violations will be corrected, and that respiratory protection will be taken off the list.  We’ll all breathe easier when this happens, especially our workers!

 

Sources: OSHA, CDC

General Safety Issues, Health Issues, Respiratory Safety

NUMBER 3 ON OSHA’S TOP TEN VIOLATIONS LIST FOR 2010

3 Comments

OSHA estimates that there are more than 650,000 hazardous chemical products in use in the United States.  This means that approximately 3 million American workplaces and over 30 million workers could be potentially exposed to some sort of chemical product.  OSHA’s #29CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication Standard, General Industry, was listed as Number 3 on their Top Ten Violations List for 2010.  

This occupational safety and health standard is for the purpose of evaluating potential hazards of chemicals, and communicating information concerning hazards and appropriate protective measures to employees.  There should be a written hazard communication program for the workplace, which includes lists of hazardous chemicals present, labeling of containers of chemicals in the workplace, as well as of containers of chemicals being shipped to other workplaces, and preparation and distribution of material safety data sheets to employees and downstream employers.  It also includes development and implementation of employee training programs regarding hazards of chemicals and protective measures. 

The HCS is a generic standard covering all hazardous chemicals as well as all workplaces where they are used.  By providing information to employers and employees, steps can be taken to ensure protection at the workplace.  Illnesses and injuries are reduced when both employers and employees modify their behavior as a result of receiving information about the hazards.  Training of workers is necessary to ensure they understand the information provided, where they can get more information, and how they can use the information to protect themselves.  Training is the means an employer can use to address risks related to the situation involved. 

Material Safety Data Sheets are reference documents.  They are a one-stop shopping source for everything you might need or want to know about a chemical.  They must be useful to the safety and health professionals who decide what controls to use, first aid or medical treatment to provide, and the precautionary measures to follow.  The information on MSDSs is usually technical, since it is generally written for health professionals.  MSDSs must provide the specific chemical identity of the material, physical and chemical characteristics, and the physical hazards. Other information contained in the MSDSs  are health hazards, including signs and symptoms of exposure, and medical conditions generally recognized as being aggravated by exposure to the chemical.  Also to be included in the Material Safety Data Sheets are a list of the primary means of exposure: inhalation, ingestion, or absorption and whether the chemical is a known carcinogen.  Other useful information should be listed, such as generally applicable precautions for safe handling and use of the chemical, emergency and first aid procedures, date of preparation or latest revision, and the name, address, and phone number of a person who can provide additional information and appropriate emergency procedures if needed. 

The most important way that this standard works today to reduce chemical source illnesses and injuries is to ensure that workers and those who provide protections for workers – physicians, nurses, industrial hygienists, safety engineers, and other professionals – have the information they need about the chemical to devise protections.  Then they must choose the appropriate engineering controls, personal protective equipment and controls such as substitution, by knowing what chemicals are present, and what their physical and chemical effects are.  Under the requirements of the Hazard Communications Standard, employees have a right-to-know the identities of the chemicals they are exposed to and what hazards are present. 

Source: OSHA