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Failure by employers to develop and use hazardous energy control procedures as required by OSHA’s lockout/tagout standard (29 CFR 1910.147) is one of the Agency’s annual top 10 most frequently cited workplace safety violations. Perhaps the most demanding compliance obligation is establishment of a written energy control program.
Pneumatic nail guns (PNGs) are formidable machines powered by air compressors that with a single trigger activation enable nails to be completely driven into hardwood floors, framing lumber, plywood sheathing, and roof substrates. When used properly, PNGs boost productivity, particularly in home construction. However, the power and speed inherent in these tools have led to […]
Does your safety program effectively protect workers when they are exposed to moving machine parts and hazardous energy? The machine guarding and lockout/tagout (LOTO) standards are consistently on the list of the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards—read on for a Q&A on the basics, as well as an opportunity to join our live […]
Question: Does OSHA require that we train aerial lift operators on a specific frequency?
OSHA recently cited an Ohio tool manufacturer for not providing adequate protection to an employee who suffered a partial finger amputation when he was caught in the pinch point of a conveyor belt. The employer faces a $213,411 penalty. The company was cited for a similar violation in 2016, says OSHA, which has placed the […]
Yesterday we took a look at what OSHA’s doing to protect tree care workers as well as some of their general procedural recommendations to keep employees safe on the job. Today, we look at some of the more specific hazards surrounding tree care work, from traffic control to aerial lifts, and best practices for controlling […]
OSHA’s recent proposal to add a permanent requirement that employers ensure the competency of crane operators through evaluation is intended to correct a prior requirement—which is not yet in effect—that certification alone of crane operators is sufficient to demonstrate operator competency. Compliance with the certification-only standard, which was issued in 2010, is currently required by […]
OSHA’s proposed amendments to its Cranes and Derricks in Construction: Operator Qualification standard (May 21, 2018, Federal Register (FR)) contains what some employers seem to be interpreting as two contradictory positions. The proposal adds a requirement that employers must conduct evaluations to ensure that the equipment operator possesses “the skills, knowledge, and judgment necessary to […]
Nearly 8 years after the Association of American Railroads (AAR) challenged provisions of OSHA’s Cranes and Derricks in Construction rule (August 9, 2010, Federal Register (FR)), the Agency has issued a formal proposal to address the AAR’s concerns. (The AAR’s petition remains with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, but the two […]
Carbon monoxide (CO) in quantities that exceed OSHA’s permissible exposure limit (PEL) of 50 parts per million (ppm) as an 8-hour time-weighted average (29 CFR 1910.1000 Table Z-1) can occur in indoor work areas where fuel with a carbon content (e.g., natural gas, gasoline, kerosene, oil, propane, coal, wood, or plastic) is incompletely combusted. One […]