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

OSHA has updated its Federal Agency Targeting Inspection Program directive recently for the year 2011. This directive aims to direct programmed inspections of federal agency establishments, which experienced high level of lost time injuries. This directive outlines the procedures of how the programmed inspections can be carried out at some of the most hazardous work sites. All establishments who reports 100 or more lost times cases during the year 2010 will be inspected by OSHA. Again 50% of those establishment who reports 50 to 99 lost time cases and 10% of those with 20 to 40 lost time cases. Some of the changes that you will see in this directives are definition of “lost time case” to mean an employee who loses time from work far beyond the date of the injury. Other changes seen are updated OSHA recordkeeping violation policy and direction for the inspection of federal work site with various operations. The Federal Agency Targeting Inspection Program began to operate in 2008 while r...

Last week, Oregon OSHA had warned hair stylists against the use of a hair product called Brazilian Blowout. This and other hair straighteners were found to contain very high levels of a carcinogen. Now, the hair straightening company, Brazilian Blowout, says that it has already started legal proceedings against Oregon's Safety and Health Division. Their product allegedly contains high levels of formaldehyde, which is a cancer causing agent. The company is going to sue the agency for punitive damages. The Health and Safety Division had issued this warning statement after testing almost all the hair straightening products used in salons. These products included Brazilian Blowout which is the most popular hair straightener that is frequently asked in salons. According to Brazilian Blowout, Oregon OSHA has failed to note the difference between methylene glycol and formaldehyde after testing. The director of Oregon OSHA, Michael Wood, shared his opinion before any legal action was annou...

The regulatory agency of the United States, OSHA, has penalized Simsmetal East, for exposing several workers and employees to lead hazards, at its Claremont Terminal site, which is located in Jersey City. These proposed penalties have mounted up to a total sum of $188,500. The director of OSHA's Parsippany Area Office in New Jersey, Kris Hoffman, said that, "Simsmetal East knowingly put its workers at risk by failing to protect them from overexposure to lead, which can cause brain damage, paralysis, kidney disease and even death," he went on to say that, "OSHA is fully committed to holding this company legally accountable for its blatant disregard of federal law." The company has been penalized for 3 willful violations and 10 other serious safety violations. Willful violations can be defined as violations that are committed with an intentional or a voluntary disregard, for all legal requirements. The three willful violations are: 1.Failing to fit-test workers an...

The United States, Department of Labor's, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), has penalized the Heartland Refinery in Columbus, Ohio, for allegedly committing one serious safety violation, that is failing to control the release of vapors and flammable liquids, that in turn resulted in the July 17, 2010, fire at the facility. Furthermore, the refinery has also been penalized for two repeat safety violations, that were not corrected. These penalties, have mounted up to a total sum of $68,900. Deborah Zubaty, the OSHA Director of Columbus, said that,"Failing to follow proper procedures to prevent the unintentional release of flammable vapors and liquids in an area where a known ignition source exists creates a serious safety risk to workers, and as this case shows, a high risk of fire in the workplace," she further went on to say that,"There is no excuse for this type of complacency, and OSHA will do all it can to protect employees in the workplace....

There are many reasons why safety environment is important in a work site. Most of all, when you get hurt on a job, you might risk your health, job, income and even your life. Looking at these facts, OSHA has mandated that every workers should be well trained under the OSHA safety training program and qualified to fit the kind of work they are handling. Even the employers should know that, work related injuries or death can get them a big fine from OSHA. OSHA has recently released an annual list of work related injury and illness rate, which are higher than the national average. Fortunately for most companies, there are still no fines given in the survey program. However, one third of the companies on the list will be possibly given an inspection anytime. For the worst violators, the the fines may raise and higher penalties and more aggressive enforcement will be focused now to encourage employers to provide safety and healthy workplaces for their employees. Although, we see a new fa...

A subcontractor is facing the axe after workers felt from the roof of the Dallas Cowboys’ stadium. The accident resulted in injuring two workers seriously. OSHA has cited Birdair, Inc., of Amherst, NY, for the accident where two workers slide 260 ft down the domed roof side. According to OSHA, the workers were not wearing the required safety fall protection equipment and not trained for hazards related with falls. OSHA has the penalties for about $45,000, which one is for willful violation where employees were not wearing the required fall protection equipment and one for serious workers for employees not trained in hazards associated with falls. The company has said that they will contest the citations. The safety of the workers lies at the hand of the employers. It is the responsible of the employers to provide OSHA safety training programs to ensure the safety of the workers. The OSHA training courses are available both online and on-site for the worker’s training.

You need not be an accountant or statistician to know that safety is essential for business. The sampling of the annual cost incurred as a direct result of accidents clearly provides a business case – if not an ethical mandate – that safety should be the first thing for every company. Approximately six million workers suffer from non-fatal workplace injuries at an annual cost to U.S. businesses of more than $125 billion. (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) Lost productivity from the workplace injuries and illnesses costs companies about $60 billion annually. (OSHA) The median days away from work because of injuries and illnesses for goods-producing industries is nine days each year, with more than a quarter of days-away-from-work cases at 31 days or more away from work. (Bureau of Labor Statistics) The total annual economic cost of occupational injuries and death is estimated to exceed $142.2 billion, with a total of about 120 million days lost due to occupational deaths an...

OSHA's Federal Agency Targeting Inspection Program 2010 (FEDTARG10) is targeting hazardous federal work sites lately. The OSHA safety program emphasizes work site safety for federal workers and contractors as supervised by federal personal. The FEDTARG10 focuses on the most dangerous federal agency work sites that has experienced a high number of lost time injuries during 2009 fiscal. Some high hazard federal work sites was inspected by field inspectors and from that found out 336 OSHA safety and health standard violations. The top three OSHA standards were respiratory protection, electrical and hazard communications. The number of violations cited were doubled the number cited in 2008 that indicates the necessity for the FEDERATE program. David Michaela, Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA, said that the right to safe and healthful working environment is not limited to private industry employees only but those people working for the federal government as well. Targeting the fede...

The Directorate of Cooperative and State Programs recently hosted an informational session for small occupations titled as the “Green Jobs: Safety and Health Outlook for Workers and Small Employers” at the Department of Labor. The session was conducted with a purpose to describe OSHA’s Green job efforts, to discuss the work site hazards that associate with green jobs, challenges posed by green jobs as well as the opportunities, review the best work practices and the strategies for small scale businesses to reduce safety and health hazards in green jobs. However, the session was that up to the mark. What OSHA can do when it comes to Green Jobs? They can frame the issue within the social, economical,and environmental or occupational health context. They can define the tern Green Industry or Job and Green Manufacturing in terms of the environmental health and safety,workers health and safety, economic drivers, politics and policy, social well-being for workers,quality of life for consume...

The effects of the hazardous chemicals in human body is horrible and the workers who expose to hazardous chemicals, many times they have to suffer badly, they lose their body parts like e yes, nose, hands and many more. They remain unable to work farther and their life faces difficulties to live a normal life. For the safety and health of the workers, OSHA has now started with an inspection of the chemical industries so that the industries maintain a protective chemical manufacturing process. This is seem to be the first cause of the accidents that occur at working place while exposing to the chemicals for various purposes. According to Richard E. Fairfax, the director of OSHA enforcement programs, beginning this year, chemical companies will receive a battery of complex 'process safety management' (PSM) inspections conducted by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration.” OSHA will conduct this PSM inspection more frequently than ever before and the inspections will...

Welding is not very easy as per as the safety matter concerns. There are larger chances of getting injury in welding than any other works of general and construction company. OSHA has improved the condition of the workers who work in the field of welding. Now, in 1990, OSHA has revised the standard that was made for the safety of the welding workers. The new OSHA standard requires many things that must be complied with by the employees and the employers regarding fire protection, personnel protection, and health protection. According to the fire prevention: At the working place, all the movable fire hazards should be removed in the case of the welded object that is not removable so that no danger can occur. If these two IE. the fire hazards and the welded object are not possible to remove, then the guards should be used to separate them. Welding must be stopped, if this is not possible. To prevent workers life from danger, fire extinguishers must be placed immediately at the working pl...

Construction workers cover about 6% of the country’s workforce but it accounts for more than 20% of all job related fatalities each year. Construction is considered to be one of the most hazardous industries in America. Each year there has been increase in the number of construction workers who lose their lives and are injured. The Focus Four Hazards continue to account for the greatest number of preventable fatalities that occur in the construction industry. More important is the information in the causes of these accidents than the total number of construction fatalities. These fatalities and injuries which are associated with the Focus Four hazards are preventable. It occurs when the guidance for the standards are not followed. It is essential that additional safety emphasis is to be placed on the Focus Four hazards in construction. It is of importance that safety and health programs contain provisions to protect the workers from the Focus Four hazards on the job. OSHA Focus Four an...