12 ways to reform OSHA
The current regulatory approach toward safety and health in the workplace needs improvement, according to the American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE).
NIOSH
19-year-old killed when he was pulled into wood chipper
The North Carolina Department of Labor is investigating the death of a 19-year-old worker who was killed after being pulled into a wood chipper his first day on the job.
2 dead, 17 injured in building collapse and fire
A fatal building collapse and fire in Omaha, NE, poses a safety question: What would your workers do during an emergency if the lights went out, sending them into pitch darkness? Would they be able to escape?
2 die in cesspit trying to retrieve cell phone
Here’s a lesson for workers: No piece of equipment (including a cell phone) is worth entering a hazardous confined space and endangering your life.
21-year-old employee crushed to death by forklift
A 21-year-old employee, part of a team loading equipment into railroad cars, was crushed to death when a forklift pinned him against a flatbed car.
3 die in confined space; OSHA fines employer $119K
This tragic story provides an important reminder to workers about confined spaces: If they don’t have the proper equipment and training to perform a rescue, they’re risking their own lives by going in to help a co-worker.
3 drown in olive mulch
It’s a message that can’t be repeated too often to employees who work anywhere near a confined space: Don’t try to be a hero if you’re not trained to be an emergency rescuer.
6 proposed OSHA reforms: Do you agree or disagree?
For the first time in 14 years, Democrats will have a President in the White House and significant majorities in both the House and Senate. While many newspapers have been calling on the Democrats to make major changes in monetary and foreign policies, one has chosen to target the nation’s workplace safety and health regulations.
Add another solvent to list with potential hazards
Recently, industry has increased the use of the solvent 1-bromopropane (1-BP) as a substitute for other banned substances. Now, scientists are looking into potential problems with 1-BP.
Allergic to floor wax: Can she get ongoing workers’ comp?
No one is questioning that this worker developed occupational asthma from exposure to a chemical in floor wax. The question is how long her workers’ comp benefits should last.
Are we about to see a flood of new OSHA rules?
The federal government has released its revised regulatory agenda. It lists 10 new or revised OSHA rules for 2013, with more to come in future years.
Bizarre accident: Worker dies after being trapped in grain bin
A 17-year-old worker at a grain elevator in Haswell, CO, was killed after being buried alive in a grain bin.
Cause of chlorine leak: Worker couldn’t read English according to feds
A federal agency says a chlorine leak inside a poultry processing facility that sent 195 employees to hospitals was caused in part because a worker couldn’t read English. In fact, English was the primary language of only 17% of workers there.
Company agrees to restrict use of chemical that causes fatal lung disease
A multi-year fight between government safety agencies and a manufacturer of food flavorings comes to the end with a settlement that lowers a fine but also restricts use of a dangerous chemical.
Company president sentenced to year in jail after worker fatalities
The former president of a Texas company that produced and sold caustic materials to paper mills will go to prison in connection with the deaths of two employees who weren’t properly protected from hazardous chemicals.
Crane crashes into house; OSHA investigates
OSHA policy says it will investigate an incident when there is a fatality or multiple serious injuries. The agency can also use its discretion to look into situations in which there was no bodily harm, but there was significant structural damage.
SAFETY TRAINING KITS
Get up to date with our Safety Training Kits.
