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A maintenance supervisor at a Wisconsin iron foundry was severely burned by an electrical arc flash in June 2013. The supervisor was injured while servicing a 480-volt circuit breaker without proper electrical protective equipment. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) cited the employer for a willful violation of electrical standards, alleging that the employer […]
The EPA recently issued an updated request for information (RFI) seeking public comment on updating its Risk Management Program regulations, and a notice of proposed rulemaking is being prepared. In the original RFI, the Agency noted that it is looking for specific feedback on whether the list of Risk Management Program (RMP)-regulated substances should be […]
On July 9, 2015, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) announced a 60-day temporary enforcement policy for its Confined Spaces in Construction standard, which became effective on August 3, 2015. The administration is postponing full enforcement of the new standard to October 2, 2015, in response to requests for additional time to train employees […]
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has released new instructions for its inspectors to ensure the consistent enforcement of its revised Hazard Communication Standard (HCS). So what will inspectors be looking for in your hazard communication (HazCom) program if your facility is inspected? Keep reading to find out. OSHA revised the HCS in March 2012 to […]
The average penalty for failing to prevent a hand injury among your workers is around $8,000. The average workers’ compensation claim for hand injuries is over $6,000 and climbing. Lawsuits can be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars or more. You should ask yourself, why not buy a really good pair of gloves instead? […]
A 25-yearold social service coordinator for a Maryland-based health company was worried about one of her clients. He had a history of violence and severe mental illness. She recorded her misgivings in her work journal, noting that being alone with this particular client made her uncomfortable. But it was part of her job to transport […]
OSHA is taking a close look at workplace violence in high-risk industries like healthcare and social services. Two employers that were inspected—and cited—for violence hazards agreed to implement changes to protect their employees from workplace violence hazards. Keep reading to learn what these employers have agreed to change and what Occupational Safety and Health Administration […]
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), nearly one third of the world’s population is infected with tuberculosis (TB), which kills almost 1.5 million people per year. In 2013, 9,582 TB cases were reported in the United States, and 383 of those cases were among healthcare workers. On July 13, OSHA updated […]
On just his second day on the job, a 28-year-old man working on a machine to forge parts lost a fingertip in a November 2014 incident. Investigators said it could have been prevented if his employer had trained the man to properly operate the upsetter machine and if the machine had proper safety mechanisms. The […]
On July 9, OSHA announced a 60-day temporary enforcement policy for its Confined Spaces in Construction standard, which became effective August 3, 2015. The agency is postponing full enforcement of the new standard to October 2, 2015, in response to requests for additional time to train and acquire the equipment necessary to comply with the […]