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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 […]
Bulldozers, front-end loaders, haul trucks, and other large mobile equipment at surface mines have been involved in the deaths of 61 miners since 2007. Unfortunately, an argument can be made that conditions that cause these fatalities are not improving with time. For example, the Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) notes that in 2017, nearly […]
OSHA and the Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors’ National Association Kansas City Chapter (SMACNA-KC) have signed an alliance to protect sheet metal and air conditioning employees from industry-specific hazards.
Motorized forklifts are an essential tool for unloading and loading trucks and otherwise moving heavy inventory. But forklifts—also called powered industrial trucks—can be highly hazardous for a wide range of reasons. National Forklift Safety Day, an observance sponsored by the Industrial Truck Association, took place this week.
April 9–13, 2018, was Stand-Up for Grain Engulfment Prevention Week, a joint effort by the agricultural sector, the states, and OSHA to eliminate one of the most dangerous hazards for farmworkers.
An OSHA-funded presentation on boiler safety given by Western Iowa Tech Community College (WITCC) states that there are “four major categories of catastrophic failure that exist in the boiler itself.”
March is National Ladder Safety Month, an observance organized by the American Ladder Institute (ALI) to raise awareness about ladder hazards and provide resources to prevent ladder-related injuries. Yesterday, we covered some key safe work practices for employees who use ladders. Today, we’ll review the basics of OSHA’s compliance requirements for ladders.
An agency of the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has rejected a petition by the National Chicken Council to waive speed limits at U.S. poultry plants.