Some employers are not reporting severe work-related injuries according to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Over 50% or more are not being reported.
Showing posts with label Occupational Safety and Health Act. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Occupational Safety and Health Act. Show all posts
Monday, March 21, 2016
Friday, July 25, 2014
OSHA issues new directive to keep communication tower workers safe
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has updated its Communications Tower directive regarding the use of hoist systems used to move workers to and from workstations on communication towers. This follows an alarming increase in preventable injuries and fatalities at communication tower work sites.
More fatalities occurred in this industry in 2013 than in the previous two years combined. This disturbing trend appears to be continuing, with nine worker deaths occurring so far in 2014.
"This directive ensures that communication tower workers are protected regardless of the type of the work they are doing on communication towers," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health. "Employers and cell tower owners and operators must make sure workers are properly trained and protected."
The directive outlines the proper use of hoist and other fall arrest systems and includes detailed information on how to hoist people safely. The directive updates a 2002 enforcement policy, which only covered the hoisting of workers to workstations during new tower erection activities. The updated policy covers any work on a communication tower - including both maintenance and new construction - that involves the use of a hoist to lift workers from one elevated workstation to another.
The release of the new directive is the latest in a series of actions OSHA has taken to improve cell tower safety. The agency is collaborating with the National Association of Tower Erectors and other industry stakeholders to ensure that every communication tower employer understands how to protect workers performing this high-hazard work.
OSHA sent a letter to communication tower employers urging compliance and strict adherence to safety standards and common-sense practices. OSHA has also created a new Web page targeting the issues surrounding communication tower work. This outreach follows a November 2013 memo to OSHA's compliance officers and regional administrators mandating increased attention, education and data collection on the industry. OSHA continues to investigate past incidents and will issue the results as they become available. Communication towers are on the agency's regulatory agenda and OSHA expects to issue a Request for Information later this year.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit www.osha.gov.
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Jon L. Gelman of Wayne NJ is the author of NJ Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters) and co-author of the national treatise, Modern Workers’ Compensation Law (West-Thompson-Reuters). For over 4 decades the Law Offices of Jon L Gelman 1.973.696.7900 jon@gelmans.com have been representing injured workers and their families who have suffered occupational accidents and illnesses.
Friday, July 4, 2014
NLRB gets an earful on its “joint employer” definition
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| English: Color logo of the National Labor Relations Board, an independent agency of the United States federal government. (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
| A coalition of occupational health and safety experts submitted an amicus brief to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) last Thursday, urging the Board to reconsider its restrictive definition of “joint employer” for purposes of collective bargaining. It’s a critical issue for workers as more and more are getting jobs through temp firms, staffing agencies, and other complex employment relationships. The workers who got your last-minute Father’s Day gift from the Amazon warehouse to your front door, for instance, don’t all get paychecks from Amazon, but they all operate at “Prime” speed because Amazon demands it. From a health and safety perspective, it’s important that laws like the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA) and the Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSH Act) are interpreted broadly because the remedial purposes of those statutes – to ensure all workers can collectively bargain for better working conditions and to ensure that all workers are provided safe jobs – are best achieved when all of the employers with a connection to the job are at the table. As the amici describe very well, the labor market is evolving to exploit loopholes in the laws that were meant to keep workers safe on the job. In industries like waste management, manufacturing, and food production, companies are contracting out some of the most dangerous jobs. Through those contracts, the host employers seek to... |
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Midwest Center for Occupational Health and Safety
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Friday, November 1, 2013
OSHA releases new resources to better protect workers from hazardous chemicals
Each year in the United States, tens of thousands of workers are made sick or die from occupational exposures to the thousands of hazardous chemicals that are used in workplaces every day. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration today launched two new web resources to assist companies with keeping their workers safe.
While many chemicals are suspected of being harmful, OSHA's exposure standards are out-of-date and inadequately protective for the small number of chemicals that are regulated in the workplace. The first resource OSHA has created is a toolkit to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones. This toolkit walks employers and workers step-by-step through information, methods,
tools and guidance to either eliminate hazardous chemicals or make informed substitution decisions in the workplace by finding a safer chemical, material, product or process. The toolkit is available at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/safer_chemicals/index.html.
"We know that the most efficient and effective way to protect workers from hazardous chemicals is by eliminating or replacing those chemicals with safer alternatives whenever possible," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.
While many chemicals are suspected of being harmful, OSHA's exposure standards are out-of-date and inadequately protective for the small number of chemicals that are regulated in the workplace. The first resource OSHA has created is a toolkit to identify safer chemicals that can be used in place of more hazardous ones. This toolkit walks employers and workers step-by-step through information, methods,
tools and guidance to either eliminate hazardous chemicals or make informed substitution decisions in the workplace by finding a safer chemical, material, product or process. The toolkit is available at http://www.osha.gov/dsg/safer_chemicals/index.html.
"We know that the most efficient and effective way to protect workers from hazardous chemicals is by eliminating or replacing those chemicals with safer alternatives whenever possible," said Dr. David Michaels, assistant secretary of labor for occupational safety and health.
SeaWorld Appeal Could Force Taming Of Its Popular Shows
(Reuters) - A killer whale, the lawyer-son of a Supreme Court justice and the grisly death of wildlife trainer will play roles in a U.S. appeals court case next month that could forever change marine park operator SeaWorld's marquee entertainment.
The signature attraction for the company's three U.S. theme parks has been shows featuring the black-and-white killer whales or orcas, including several named Shamu, performing flips and other stunts under the direction of trainers who historically have been in close contact with them. But that changed after the February 2010 death of Dawn Brancheau, a 40-year-old trainer. She drowned after being pulled into a pool by Tilikum, a 12,000-pound bull orca, at SeaWorld's site in Orlando, Florida. In August 2010, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) fined SeaWorld $75,000 for three safety violations, saying it had exposed its trainers to a hazardous environment and violated a part of the Occupational Safety and Health Act known as the general duty clause. OSHA, a part of the Labor Department, demanded SeaWorld make certain changes, notably, physically separating the killer whale trainers from the orcas during show performances. SeaWorld is appealing the broad application of a federal safety law meant to protect workers in unusual circumstances. The case will come before a three-judge panel of the U.S Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit on Nov. 12. With animal... |
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
OSHA cites Clara Construction in Jersey City, NJ, for exposing workers to fall hazards
Image via WikipediaThe U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited Clara Construction LLC for one repeat and 10 serious safety violations at a Jersey City work site. These carry total proposed penalties of $46,200. OSHA initiated an inspection as part of a local emphasis program for fall hazards.
"Falls remain one of the leading causes of fatalities on construction sites," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "Employers are responsible for providing workers with basic fall protection to prevent potential injuries."
The repeat violation, with a $9,240 penalty, is failing to protect workers from fall hazards. 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. The company was cited for the same violation in 2010.
The serious violations, with $36,960 in penalties, include failing to protect workers from fall and impalement hazards, ensure scaffold platforms were laid correctly, provide proper ladder rung construction, make sure guardrails were at sufficient heights and makeshift devices were not created to increase platform height, inspect scaffolds, provide proper scaffold training, provide guardrails near wall holes and provide protection around surface holes. 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.
For detailed information on fall protection standards, visit OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html.
Clara Construction LLC, which employs 14 workers, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Parsippany office at 973-263-1003.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
"Falls remain one of the leading causes of fatalities on construction sites," said Kris Hoffman, director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office. "Employers are responsible for providing workers with basic fall protection to prevent potential injuries."
The repeat violation, with a $9,240 penalty, is failing to protect workers from fall hazards. 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. The company was cited for the same violation in 2010.
The serious violations, with $36,960 in penalties, include failing to protect workers from fall and impalement hazards, ensure scaffold platforms were laid correctly, provide proper ladder rung construction, make sure guardrails were at sufficient heights and makeshift devices were not created to increase platform height, inspect scaffolds, provide proper scaffold training, provide guardrails near wall holes and provide protection around surface holes. 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.
For detailed information on fall protection standards, visit OSHA's website at http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/fallprotection/index.html.
Clara Construction LLC, which employs 14 workers, has 15 business days from receipt of the citations to comply, ask for an informal conference with OSHA's area director or contest the citations and proposed penalties before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission.
To ask questions, obtain compliance assistance, file a complaint or report workplace hospitalizations, fatalities or situations posing imminent danger to workers, the public should call OSHA's toll-free hotline at 800-321-OSHA (6742) or the agency's Parsippany office at 973-263-1003.
Under the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, employers are responsible for providing safe and healthful workplaces for their employees. OSHA's role is to ensure these conditions for America's working men and women by setting and enforcing standards, and providing training, education and assistance. For more information, visit http://www.osha.gov.
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