OSHA issued a final rule Nov. 17 updating its 44-year old general industry Walking-Working Surfaces standard to protect workers from slip, trip, and fall hazards. The rule also increases consistency in safety and health standards for people working in both general and construction industries. OSHA estimates the final rule will prevent more than 5,800 injuries a year. The rule takes effect Jan. 17, 2017.
“The final rule will increase workplace protection from those hazards, especially fall hazards, which are a leading cause of worker deaths and injuries,” said OSHA Assistant Secretary Dr. David Michaels. The rule’s most significant update is allowing employers to select the fall protection system that works best for them, choosing from a range of accepted options. For more information, read the news release.
Ohio Worker’s Death Highlights Doubling of Trench Collapse Fatalities Nationwide In 2016
Twenty-three workers have been killed and 12 others injured in trench collapses so far in 2016 – an alarming increase from the previous year. “There is no excuse,” said Dr. David Michaels, OSHA assistant secretary. “These fatalities are completely preventable by complying with OSHA standards that every construction contractor should know.”
Among the victims was a 33-year-old employee, crushed to death this summer as he dug a 12-foot trench for KRW Plumbing LLC of Ohio. An OSHA investigation found that KRW failed to protect its workers from the dangers of trench collapses. The company was issued two willful and two serious violations, with proposed penalties of $274,359.
OSHA’s trenching standards require protective systems on trenches deeper than 5 feet, with soil and other materials kept at least two feet from the edge of trench. OSHA has a national emphasis program on trenching and excavations with the goal of increasing hazard awareness and employer compliance with safety standards. For more information, read the news release.
OSHA Issues Recommended Practices to Promote Workplace Safety And Health Programs In Construction
As a complement to its recommended practices to help employers in general industry establish safety and health programs in their workplaces, OSHA has released Recommended Practices for Safety and Health Programs in Construction. The recommendations may be particularly helpful to small- and medium-sized contractors who may not have safety and health specialists on staff. The goal of safety and health programs is to prevent work-related injuries, illnesses and deaths as well as the financial difficulties these events can cause for workers, their families and their employers. For more information, see the news release.
New York Tree Service Cited for Failing to Provide Training That Could Have Prevented Worker’s Death
A tree service worker died on his first day on the job after he was pulled into a wood chipper. OSHA cited Countryside Tree Service in Albany, N.Y., for: exposing workers to amputation hazards while using chain saws; failing to train workers on the safe operation of wood chippers; and failing to ensure that workers wear personal protective equipment. Proposed penalties total $141,811. For more information, read the news release.
Ohio Auto Glass Plant Racks Up $227K In Penalties Following Eight Complaint Inspections This Year
Workers for Fuyao America Glass Inc. filed numerous complaints to OSHA of unsafe working conditions at the automotive glass supplier’s Moraine, Ohio, plant. OSHA has inspected the facility eight times since its opening in October 2015. The most recent inspection found workers exposed to machines without adequate machine guarding, electrical safety violations and unmarked exits. The company was cited for 11 serious violations and issued proposed penalties of $131,836. Fuyao is contesting some of the 24 safety violations issued this year to its Moraine facility, and a portion of the $226,937 in total proposed penalties. Read the news release for more information.
Roofing Company Fined More Than $300K for Exposing Workers to Falls at Pittsburgh Worksite
OSHA recently cited A&W Roofing of Middlefield, Ohio, after an inspection of a Pittsburgh worksite found the company had failed to provide fall protection to employees working 35 to 40 feet above the ground on a steeply sloped roof. OSHA also found that the employer failed to ensure that workers on the ground wore hardhats as required to prevent head injuries, and failed to ensure that ladders were properly extended to prevent falls that could injure workers. In addition, A&W did not have an effective safety and health program in place and did not provide workers with fall protection training. A&W Roofing was cited in 2014, 2015 and 2016 for similar violations at worksites in Ohio. For more information, read the news release.
Nebraska Feed Company Fined More Than $500K Following Worker’s Fatal Engulfment in Grain Bin
A 52-year-old maintenance employee in West Point, Neb., was buried in hundreds of pounds of grain after a wall of corn collapsed inside a grain storage bin. He was rescued by emergency crews but died of his injuries two days later. Investigators found multiple violations of OSHA standards for grain handling at Prinz Grain & Feed’s facility including failure to issue confined space permits for grain bin entry, test atmospheric conditions in grain bins and pits, and provide training to employees on confined space entry. OSHA cited the animal feed facility for three willful, 15 serious and two other-than-serious violations. The agency has placed Prinz in its Severe Violator Enforcement Program, which focuses on employers that repeatedly endanger workers. OSHA has proposed penalties of $526,633.
In 2015, the industry reported 22 grain-entrapment cases nationwide. The majority occurred on farms exempt from OSHA compliance. For more information, see the news release.
For more information or assistance with your Environmental and Health & Safety regulatory compliance needs, contact Ralph Carito at Total Environmental & Safety, LLC (Total) at rcarito@TotalEnviron.com or 908-442-8599.