Bureau of Labor Statistics Releases 2007 Workplace Fatality Data
A preliminary total of 5,488 fatal work injuries were recorded in the United States in 2007, a decrease of 6 percent from the revised total of 5,840 fatal work injuries reported for 2006. Based on these counts, the rate of fatal injury for U.S. employees last year was 3.7 fatal work injuries per 100,000 employees, down from the final rate of 4.0 recorded for 2006, and the lowest annual fatality rate ever reported by the BLS fatality census. “We are pleased to see both the number and rate of fatal work injuries continue to decline,” said Assistant Secretary of Labor for Occupational Safety and Health Edwin G. Foulke, Jr. “These numbers show that OSHA’s balanced approach to improving safety is working. However, we will continue to work to eliminate all fatalities since one fatality is one fatality too many.” The final results for 2007 will be released in April 2009.
14th Victim of Imperial Sugar Co. Explosion Dies in Hospital
On Aug. 22, the fourteenth victim of a Feb. 7, 2008, explosion at the Imperial Sugar Co. plant in Port Wentworth, Ga.
A Knock At The Door recounts the tragic true story of 20-year-old Phil Cummings, who was killed by an alcohol impaired driver. The story, as told by Phil’s father, presents a powerful reminder about the dangers of drinking and driving. It also reinforces the message that driving brings with it a great deal of responsibility.
NIOSH issues Respiratory protection recommendations for crystalline silica exposure
A new document describes the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) policy for respiratory protection against airborne exposures to crystalline silica.
NIOSH recommends the use of half-facepiece particulate respirators with N95 or better filters for airborne exposures to crystalline silica at concentrations less than or equal to 0.5 mg/m3. OSHA also specifies the use of at least a 95-rated filter efficiency. The recommendation for a 95-rated filter efficiency reflects the improved filter efficiency of N95 filters over the earlier dust and mist (DM) filters. Read the rest of this entry »
CSB Chairman urges OSHA to adopt combustible dust standard
At a recent Senate hearing, John Bresland, chairman and CEO of the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB), called on OSHA to act on a November 2006 CSB recommendation to adopt a comprehensive standard regulating combustible dust in the workplace.
Speaking before the Subcommittee on Employment and Workplace Safety, Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Chairman Bresland said this year’s tragedy which killed 13 workers at a Georgia refinery — caused when sugar dust was ignited and exploded — demonstrates the need for a new OSHA standard that would cover a range of industries exposed to this hazard. Such industries include food, chemicals, plastics, automotive parts, pharmaceuticals, electrical power (where generated by coal), and others.
The chairman noted the CSB’s 2006 Combustible Dust Study identified 281 dust fires and explosions in the U.S. between 1980 and 2005, killing 119 and injuring 718 workers. These included major dust explosion accidents in North Carolina, Kentucky, and Indiana in 2003, killing a total of 14 workers. Read the rest of this entry »
A contractor does work at one of your facilities and, in the course of his work, generates a small amount of hazardous waste. Is your facility responsible for the proper disposal of the hazardous waste or is it the responsibility of the contractor/generator?
According to an EPA interpretation, both the facility and the contractor will be subject to the hazardous waste standards. Read the rest of this entry »
House legislation would stop DOL’s “secret” chemical risk management proposal
The House Education and Labor Committee recently introduced legislation to prevent the Department of Labor (DOL) from finalizing a “last minute” rule that they say could dramatically weaken future workplace health and safety regulations and slow their enactment.
The “Prohibiting the Department of Labor’s Secret Rule Act” (H.R. 6660) will forbid the Department of Labor from issuing, administering, or enforcing any rule, regulation, or requirement derived from the proposal submitted to the Office of Management and Budget entitled “Requirements for DOL Agencies’ Assessment of Occupational Health Risks.” Read the rest of this entry »
OSHA establishes new National Emphasis Program for lead
OSHA recently issued a directive, CPL 03-00-009, that implements a National Emphasis Program (NEP) to reduce occupational exposures to lead. This document supercedes the 2001 OSHA National Emphasis Program on Lead (CPL 02-00-130). The new NEP directive contains a list of industries included to assist OSHA’s field offices in determining industries for targeting.
Under the NEP, OSHA will direct resources towards inspections of industries in which lead exposures occur. Subsequent to an initial inspection, follow-up site visits will be conducted in all establishments where exposures were measured at or above the permissible exposure limit (PEL) Read the rest of this entry »
