Tips & Updates about OSHA & Hazwoper Training Courses | Safety Tips

The United States Food and Drug Administration or FDA has recently been urged to work alongside with OSHA to help establish whether hair smoothening treatments give out unsafe levels of formaldehyde. Following the CIR’s findings on the safety of formaldehyde and methylene glycol in hair smoothening treatments, it has been announced that an understanding of these ingredients and the conditions of use is very important. The panel reached a conclusion that methylene glycol and formaldehyde are safe to be used in cosmetic products when used in the minimal effective concentrations and should not exceed 0.2 percent. This is why FDA is being urged to work with OSHA and other appropriate state as well as local organizations to determine whether salon hair smoothening products emit dangerous levels of formaldehyde gas that could be potentially unsafe for salon workers and customers.

McEntire's Roofing Inc., of Lincoln, Ill., has been issued six citations by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. The company has been cited with violations for failing to provide proper fall protection systems for all the roofers employed for working on residential projects. The sum of the penalties faced by the company is $102,000. OSHA had carried out two investigations under its Local Emphasis Program on Fall Hazards in the month of July and September, last year. The proposed penalties are a result of this inspection that was carried out at jobsites located in Bloomington and Lincoln, Ill. The inspectors observed roofers being allowed to operate without fall protection at the two storey residential projects and issued two wilful citations with $56,000 in the proposed penalties. According to the OSHA's area director in Peoria, Ill., Thomas Bielema, “Falls are a leading cause of injury and death in the workplace. McEntire's Roofing repeatedly has been cited f...

The United States, OSHA Administrator, Mr. David Michaels, MPH, Ph.D., recently appointed Mr. Jim Maddux as the new director of the regulatory agency's Directorate of Construction. Mr. Maddux has also served several years in OSHA's Directorate of Guidance and Standards, as the director of the main office of Physical hazards. He even stepped in as an acting director for the office of Engineering Safety. Simply put, over the years he has held many leadership positions. For instance, he has also been the acting deputy director for the Directorate of Standards and Guidance as well as the director of the office of Maritime. Regarding the new appointment, Mr. Michaels said that, “Jim has been a valuable member of the OSHA team for over 20 years”. He further went on to say that, “I congratulate him on his new position, and I am confident that he will be an effective leader in construction safety working to accomplish the agency's mission of protecting America’s workers.” In 1990, ...

In accordance to a witness testimony this week, the city of Woodburn had asked a certain state enforcement agency not to conduct an investigation into the bank bombing that occurred on the 12th of December 2008. Each and every witness called by Mr. Joshua Turnidge’s defense attorneys, told jurors how the Woodburn city officials sent several e-mails, wrote hundreds of letters and made phone calls, requesting and pleading the Oregon Occupational Safety and Health Administration, not to launch an investigation. Michael Wood, the OSHA Administrator said that, “It became clear that the city of Woodburn had concerns not only about the timing of the opening conference they did not want us to proceed with the inspection.” Although OSHA normally investigates when serious injuries or fatalities occur, this time the agency decided not to pursue the investigation following the meeting. Furthermore, Scott Derickson, the Woodburn City Administrator said that, “The city did not have the capacity to r...

Hyatt housekeepers have filed a repetitive motion and other injury complaints with the federal Occupational Safety & Health Administration. The charges refer to the Hyaat Regency Waikiki as well as eleven other properties in Los Angeles, Chicago and San Francisco and four other mainland cities. An OSHA spokesman said that the agency will be making its own determination and if there is any investigation, it would be conducted without giving prior announcement. Earlier this year, there was a record of high incidence of workplace injury at Hyatt, more so than the other hotel chains. In the record, women in general, particularly Hispanic women are prone to being injured while working. However, Hyatt defended its workplace safety record and according to them, the employees are apparently making some false charges about their work environment. All these accusations, according to them have been aimed to increase union membership and due. Hyatt has also stated that they care deeply about t...

The United States, Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined the Fountainhead Group with a total sum of $83,650. These penalties are a result of nearly, three dozen violations, of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Act. In accordance with the Department of Labor's OSHA, this pest control manufacturing company primarily failed to provide safe access to elevated work locations and to maintain safety devices on heavy machinery. The three dozen safety violations, were ranked serious, which in turn meant that they could cause serious physical harm and even death, if the problems were not immediately remedied. This further meant that the employer was completely aware of the existing conditions. The director of OSHA’s Syracuse office, Christopher Adams, said that, “This inspection identified a broad cross-section of hazards, which – if uncorrected – expose employees to potential falls, electric shock, crushing, burns or machinery injuries”, he went on to say that, “...

From the very beginning the United States, Occupational Safety and Health Administration,has constantly striven to control and eliminate workplace hazards, mishaps and fatalities, by issuing and enforcing certain workplace standards and regulations. Recently, several individuals and advocacy organizations have requested that certain regulations ought to be issued, in order to limit the working hours of resident physicians. Mr. David Michaels, the OSHA Administrator, has acknowledged the fact that, worker fatigue and long working hours are still common safety concerns for not only medical residents, but also for every other employee as well. In accordance to the Occupational Safety and Health Organization, a national advocacy organization named Public Citizen, along with other groups have requested that certain legislative actions be taken, with regards to the above mentioned issue. Mr. David Michaels, had this to say, “We are very concerned about medical residents working extremely lon...

Recently, OSHA announced that it had found the United States Postal Service’s Dayton processing center guilty of serious and willful safety violations involving equipment and electrical hazards. Due to its recklessness, the Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has levied fines of $225,000 against the Main Post Office. An OSHA spokesman, Mr. Scott Allen of Chicago said that in April, three “willful” safety violations were found. They were: Workers weren’t properly trained on electrical equipment usage. They weren’t provided with protective gear for their hands, face and extremities. They were also exposed to live electrical parts. Regarding these violations, Mr. Allen said that a willful violation can be defined as the, “Intentional, knowing or voluntary disregard for the law’s requirement, or plain indifference to employee safety and health.” He went on to say that, “When someone does something willfully, we hammer them pretty good.” Furthermore, OSHA also u...

The U.S OSHA was created by the Congress of the U.S, under the Occupational Safety and Health Act, on 29th December, 1970. Its goal is to prevent work-related injuries and occupational fatalities, by enforcing and issuing certain regulations and standards in order to assure workplace health and safety. Recently, the OSHA administrator, Mr. David Michaels, was once again called upon in light of some new violations against the safety regulations and standards set up by OSHA. This time its been the Wisconsin Polishing and Plating of West Allis, WI, that faces a total sum of $75,400 in OSHA fines. Its been slapped with such a large amount in fines, for the Wisconsin Polishing and Plating had committed nearly 53 health violations that are primarily associated with allowing workers to be overexposed to chromic acid and chromium. This willful citation against the company has mainly been issued for allowing an employee to be exposed to hexavalent chromium above the standard permissible exposur...