OSHA fines Guam construction company $135,400 for safety violations
Employer cited for one willful violation, 13 serious violations at two sites
SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited High Rock Construction Corp. for alleged safety violations at two Guam jobsites. Inspectors noted the violations at construction sites in Talofofo and Yona in October 2007 as well as January and February 2008.

“What we’re seeing is a pattern of safety violations by this employer,” said Richard Terrill, acting regional administrator for OSHA in San Francisco. “These violations have the potential to cause death or serious injury to company employees, and we’re taking this matter very seriously.”

OSHA cited for one willful violation, with a proposed penalty of $56,000, for failing to provide and enforce the use of fall protection where employees were exposed to a 20-foot fall hazard. OSHA standards require fall protection when employees are working six feet or more above ground level. A willful violation is one committed with intentional disregard of, or plain indifference to, the requirements of the Occupational Safety and Health Act regulations. Read the rest of this entry »

JJ Keller report:

Urging everyone to drive slowly and carefully through highway work zones as repair crews work along the nation’s highways, Acting Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) head Jim Ray joined state transportation officials in kicking off the ninth annual “National Work Zone Awareness Week” on April 8, 2008.

Ray noted that because motorists are four times more likely to be injured or killed in a work zone than highway workers — often due to other drivers who may be speeding — is why the slogan this year is “Slow for the Cone Zone.” There were 1010 fatalities in 2006, and work zone fatalities nationwide have increased over the last decade by nearly 50 percent. More than 3000 work zones are expected on U.S. highways by mid-summer, the peak of travel season. Read the rest of this entry »

Inspiring quotes from some of history’s greatest leaders set to dramatic music and coupled with classic footage. Let the likes of John F. Kennedy, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Gandhi and Martin Luther King Jr. inspire and motivate you through their own words, pictures and video.

A great way to start any meeting or training session, the Great Minds will put your group in the right frame of mind for success. Read the rest of this entry »

House committee passes combustible dust legislation

The U.S. House Education and Labor Committee recently passed legislation by a voice vote to help prevent combustible dust explosions. The Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act (H.R. 5522) would force OSHA to issue rules regulating combustible industrial dusts that can build up to hazardous levels and explode.

The Combustible Dust Explosion and Fire Prevention Act would address these hazards by: Read the rest of this entry »

Mike “Coach K” Krzyzeswki belives in the power of words - words that can change lives and make individuals, teams and organizations successful.

Mike Krzyzewski grew up in Chicago, where his mother cleaned floors at the Chicago Athletic Club nearly every night from 11pm until 6am, and his father was an elevator operator at Willoubhby Towers, a Chicago skyscraper. When Mike was starting high school, his mom said, “Life is going to change for you tomorrow. Make sure you gent on the right bus.” Mike soon realized that his mother was talking about much more than finding the way to his new school… Read the rest of this entry »

Climbing Mount Everest is hard. Climbing Mount Everest blind is impossible. Or at least that’s what they told Erik Weihenmayer. This incredible true story follows Erik’s quest to reach the summit of the tallest peak in the world - and the amazing team that made it possible.

Erik Weihenmayer has never believed in limitations - even though he is blind. And he’s good at questioning other people’s perceptions of his abilities. That’s why it was easy to ignore the ones who said he was crazy to pursue his dream of climbing Mount Everest. Erik knew that he couldn’t do it alone. And here’s the key - he never wanted to. He knew that his vision could only be achieved through the power of teamwork. Read the rest of this entry »

OSHA proposed a total of $119,500 in fines against a Michigan-based delivery carrier, for alleged willful, repeat, and serious safety violations following an inspection at the company’s New Hampshire service center.The inspection was prompted by an Oct. 3, 2007, accident in which an employee died when he was crushed beneath the forklift he was operating after it went off the edge of a loading dock. OSHA’s inspection found that the employee had not been using the forklift’s seatbelt, and the company had not trained him and other forklift operators to follow the manufacturer’s guideline that seatbelts be used during operation.

For the lack of training, OSHA issued the company one willful citation, with the maximum proposed fine of Read the rest of this entry »