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Nanoscale applications are rapidly moving from the research lab to industrial and commercial settings. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), examples of workplaces that may use nanoscale materials (nanomaterials) include chemical or pharmaceutical laboratories or plants, manufacturing facilities, medical offices or hospitals, and construction sites. Yesterday we explored nanomaterials hazards and ways […]
There are many chemicals in use in modern workplaces—and there are a lot of ways workers can be exposed to them. Three employers that were cited within a 1-month period earlier this year provide instructive examples of the kinds of mistakes that lead to overexposures.
Are all companies required to have first responders? If so, how many, and what training is required for them?
At Lake Compounce Family Theme Park in Bristol, Connecticut, visitors can ride the Boulder Dash – a wooden coaster that reaches speeds above 60 mph – or the brand-new Phobia – a steel coaster that flips riders through a cobra inversion 150 feet in the air. But behind the thrills and chills were some working […]
A driver miscommunicates critical information to facility personnel during delivery of corrosive material that was then unloaded into the wrong storage tank containing incompatible materials. Adding to the confusion, it’s the driver’s first delivery to this location. The comingling of incompatible materials emits a vapor affecting the breathing of the driver and facility employee resulting […]
Improperly opening a storage tank hatch can be deadly for oil and gas workers. In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight nine sudden deaths caused by inhalation of hydrocarbon gases and vapors and oxygen deficiency among oil and gas extraction workers from January 2010 to March 2015. Four of […]
Yesterday we talked about some hefty fines that OSHA recently imposed on companies for exposing their workers to asbestos during a building renovation project. Today we will review required training for employees who must work with asbestos-containing material (ACM) in construction activities. In addition to the basic asbestos training requirements for general industry, OSHA has […]
By Bridget Miller While OSHA is practically a household word, not everyone knows how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is administered or what powers it has. Let’s take a look.
Exposure to an unexpected electrical energy release that could result in electric shock or burns or in an explosion caused by an electric arc is covered by OSHA’s standard for Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices, 29 CFR 1910.333. Sometimes, workers cannot de-energize equipment that they will be working on or near. When that happens, it’s important […]
In November 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the Pesticide Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Yesterday we covered a number of key changes to the WPS—age limits, hazard communication, notification, entry restrictions, application suspension, PPE, and decontamination supplies. Today we will review the new training requirements for workers and handlers—what some people in the […]