Category Archives: Uncategorized

OSHA, North Texas National Utility Contractors Assoc. to co-host event on trench, excavation safety amid alarming rise in workplace fatalities

September 12, 2022 OSHA, North Texas National Utility Contractors Assoc. to co-host event on trench, excavation safety amid alarming rise in workplace fatalities Educational opportunities, live demonstrations planned on Sept. 16, 2022, in Southlake WHO: Occupational Safety and Health AdministrationNorth Texas National Utility Contractors Assoc. WHAT: Trench training event WHEN: Sept. 16, 20227 a.m. to noon CDT WHERE: Bob Jones Park3901 North White Chapel Blvd.Southlake, TX 76092 BACKGROUND: OSHA and NUCA North Texas – an OSHA strategic alliance partner since 2015 – will co-host a training event focused on trench and excavation safety amid a troubling increase in trenching fatalities in Texas, and around the nation. Since early 2021, nine trenching-related fatalities have been reported in Texas, and in just the first six months of 2022, 22 U.S. workers have died in trenching and excavation-related incidents. To raise awareness and understanding of the potential lethal hazards present in the trenching and excavation industry, the event will provide training, discussions and demonstrations focused on recognizing and addressing hazards, and on employer and worker rights during an OSHA investigation. The event will include more than 500 participants, including 118 students from the Keller Center for Advanced Learning in Keller, Texas. Area firefighters will demonstrate trench rescue and recovery, and NUCA representatives will show an example of a confined space entry. An illustration of how to safely bench and slope a trench will also be offered. Safety experts estimate that one cubic yard of soil can weigh more than 3,000 pounds, making it difficult, if not impossible, to escape or survive a trench collapse. # # # Media Contacts: Chauntra Rideaux, 972-850-4710, [email protected] J. Rodríguez, 972-850-4709, [email protected] Number: 22-1858-DAL U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay). Adblock test (Why?)

US Department of Labor proposes $303K in penalties for Middletown foundry for willfully exposing employees to workplace hazards

September 9, 2022 US Department of Labor proposes $303K in penalties for Middletown foundry for willfully exposing employees to workplace hazards Engineered Precision Casting Co. cited for 14 safety, health violations MIDDLETOWN, NJ – An investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that a Middletown foundry willfully exposed workers to numerous safety and health hazards, citing the company for 14 violations with proposed penalties of $303,106. OSHA opened an inspection on March 9, 2022, at the Engineered Precision Casting Co. – a steel and aluminum foundry – in response to a complaint. Inspectors determined the company did not provide employees with required personal protective equipment, and failed to provide hazard communication training on the chemicals in use and on energy control procedures – known as lockout/tagout – to prevent sudden machine starts or parts movement while machines are serviced or maintained.  The agency also found the company had not established an inspection program for overhead cranes or implemented a written respiratory protection program. They also failed to provide suitable facilities in the work area for employees to quickly drench or flush their eyes and body in an emergency. In all, OSHA cited Engineered Precision Casting Co. for two willful, 10 serious and two other-than-serious violations. “The violations we identified at the Engineered Precision Casting Co. exposed their employees to serious risks of injury or worse,” explained OSHA Area Director Paula Dixon-Roderick in Marlton, New Jersey. “Employers have a legal responsibility to ensure a safe and healthful workplace. This company must immediately address the hazards our inspectors found and take actions to prevent workers from suffering harm needlessly.” The Engineered Precision Casting Co. is a foundry making steel and aluminum parts for the aircraft and aerospace, military and defense, oil and gas, and other industries. The company has 15 business days from receipt of its citations and penalties to comply, request an informal conference with OSHA’s area director, or contest the findings before the independent Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission. Learn more about OSHA. # # # Media Contacts: Leni Fortson, 215-861-5102, [email protected] Hawkins, 215-861-5101, [email protected] Release Number:  22-1833-NEW U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).Adblock test (Why?)

US Department of Labor allies with Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation to protect warehousing, storage workers

September 9, 2022 US Department of Labor allies with Lehigh Career and Technical Institute, Pennsylvania OSHA Consultation to protect warehousing, storage workers Two-year alliance aims to reduce, prevent exposure to workplace hazards Alliance Participants: Alliance Description: The alliance seeks to provide employers in the warehouse and material logistics industries and the public at-large with information, guidance and access to training resources to help reduce and prevent workers' exposure to safety and health hazards. Typical industry hazards include overexertion, contact with objects and falls from elevation. The alliance also addresses laws enforced by the Department of Labor including employment of temporary workers, and seeks to help industry workers understand their rights and their employers' responsibilities under the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Learn more about the alliance. Background: In 2020, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that the warehousing and storage industry's injury rate of 4.8 per 100 workers is higher than the U.S. average of 2.7 per 100 rate among all private industries. In addition, BLS reported 93 work-related fatalities nationally in the industry from 2017 to 2020. In August 2022, OSHA launched a five-year regional initiative in three Mid-Atlantic states and the District of Columbia to protect workers and reduce injuries and illnesses in the warehousing, storage and distribution yards industries. Duration: The alliance will remain in effect for two years. Quote: "With the rapid growth of e-commerce, the warehousing industry has expanded significantly. We look forward to partnering with our alliance members to provide information, resources and training to reduce and prevent the hazardous conditions that warehousing and storage workers continuously face every day," said OSHA Area Director Jean Kulp, in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Through the Alliance Program, OSHA works with organizations such as trade and professional associations, labor unions, educational institutions, community and faith-based groups, and government agencies to share information about OSHA's initiatives and compliance assistance resources with workers and employers, and educate workers and employers about their rights and responsibilities. # # # Media Contacts: Leni Fortson, 215-861-5102, [email protected] Hawkins, 215-861-5101, [email protected] Number: 22-1845-PHI U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department's Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay).Adblock test (Why?)

US Department of Labor awards $1.9M to 14 organizations nationwide to provide workplace safety, health training; recognize infectious diseases

September 8, 2022 US Department of Labor awards $1.9M to 14 organizations nationwide to provide workplace safety, health training; recognize infectious diseases Susan Harwood grants focus on training programs, worker rights WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Labor today awarded approximately $1.9 million in grants to 14 nonprofits nationwide to fund education and training programs to help workers and employers recognize infectious disease hazards – including coronavirus – and identify preventive measures for a safe workplace. Administered by the department’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Susan Harwood Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases training grants also include education on worker rights and employer responsibilities detailed in the Occupational Safety and Health Act. Funded by the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the grants derive from the Susan Harwood Workplace Safety and Health Training program. As part of the $10 million funding availability supported by ARPA for Workplace Safety and Health Training on Infectious Diseases, including the coronavirus grants, the department awarded more than $6.7 million in grants in 2021. The program’s namesake was a former director of OSHA’s Office of Risk Assessment. In her 17 years with OSHA, the late Dr. Harwood helped develop federal standards to protect workers from bloodborne pathogens, cotton dust, benzene, formaldehyde, asbestos and lead in construction. OSHA awards grants to nonprofit organizations, including community and faith-based groups, employer associations, labor unions, joint labor-management associations, Native American tribes, and local and state-sponsored colleges and universities. Target trainees include small-business employers and underserved, vulnerable workers in high-hazard industries. A list of the recipients of fiscal year 2022 Susan Harwood grants follows this release. # # # Recipient City State Amount Regents of the University of California at San Diego La Jolla CA $159,584 Community Partners Los Angeles CA $75,000 National Day Laborer Organizing Network Pasadena CA $160,000 Georgia Southern University Research and Service Foundation Statesboro GA $159,721 Building Industry Association of Hawaii Waipahu HI $117,703 American Society of Safety Professionals Foundation Park Ridge IL $159,967 International Sanitary Supply Assoc. Rosemont IL $158,957 Melwood Horticultural Training Center Inc. Upper Marlboro MD $112,402 University Central Missouri Warrensburg MO $85,000 Western North Carolina Workers’ Center Hendersonville NC $119,695 FTI of District Council 88 Houston TX $160,000 The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston Houston TX $160,000 American Public Power Assoc. Arlington VA $160,000 American Traffic Safety Services Assoc. Inc. Fredericksburg VA $158,884 Total     $1,946,913 Media Contacts: Mandy McClure, 202-693-4675, [email protected]  Suzy Bohnert, 202-693-4665, [email protected] Release Number:  22-1787-NAT U.S. Department of Labor news materials are accessible at http://www.dol.gov. The department’s Reasonable Accommodation Resource Center converts departmental information and documents into alternative formats, which include Braille and large print. For alternative format requests, please contact the department at (202) 693-7828 (voice) or (800) 877-8339 (federal relay). Adblock test (Why?)