Is the Texas explosion OSHA’s fault?
Just two days after the terrifying Boston Marathon bombings, an explosion at the West Fertilizer Company in Texas jolted the country and swamped the news world. Taking 14 lives and injuring...
View ArticleU.S. nuclear plants’ evacuation plans found insufficient
For over three decades, evacuation plans for Indian Point (located in New York) and other nuclear plants have been based on the assumption that evacuation planning beyond 10 miles is not required. The...
View ArticleThe West Texas tragedy: Can oversights lead to an overhaul?
All too often, safety oversights are brought to light because of a tragedy. In the case of the deadly explosion at the West Fertilizer Co. in Texas last month, early investigations have revealed a...
View ArticleSafety violations abounded in post-Hurricane Sandy cleanup
OSHA urged cleanup and recovery workers to be wary of hazards amid the post-hurricane Sandy debris. Still, many workers suffered chemical exposure, falls, and electrical shocks, in part due to the lack...
View ArticleADA pool lift regulations prove difficult for Ephrata’s curved pool design
Ephrata (Pennsylvania) city officials are trying to figure out the best way to meet changes in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) concerning accessibility requirements in pools. According to the...
View ArticleDrop in honeybee population worries U.S. farmers
Bees, besides producing honey, pollinate a full 30 percent of the food we eat, like cherries, almonds, and raspberries. They’re a necessary part of our food chain and ecosystem, and they are in danger....
View ArticleDoes “maritime” compensation extend inland?
What does “adjoining” mean to you? Next-door? Less than a football field away? A court’s translation of the word has muddied the waters on the extent of coverage that longshoremen can expect when...
View ArticleOSHA cites Maine sawmill for repeat safety violations
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited a sawmill in Jefferson, Maine for three alleged repeat safety violations and seven serious violations imposing a fine of $79,310. The...
View ArticleCould silica protection finally enter the 21st century?
Since February 2011, a proposal that would better protect workers from crystalline silica dust – a known carcinogen – has sat in the White House’s Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Although...
View ArticleName brands with hazardous conditions: Big-box retailers linked to workplace...
When it comes to unobstructed access to fire exits, protection from hazardous chemicals, and proper safety training, what responsibility do retailers have in monitoring their suppliers? Specifically,...
View ArticleSafety awards: a high-five program that changed a company
Not all safety incentive programs need to be expensive or complicated. At Rocky Mountain Masonry, a daily high-five routine has helped educate and inspire workers, earning the company the 2013 Charles...
View ArticleWorking the night shift may cause cancer
Of all the potential hazards in the workplace, artificial light could be one of the most frightening for those working the night shift. Alongside other environmental factors like diesel exhaust...
View ArticleWill new OSHA standards on safety signs save more lives?
In September, the OSHA standards on safety signs are scheduled to change. The ANSI Z535 sign design, the committee’s most recent (and detailed) version, will be a sanctioned alternative to OSHA’s...
View ArticleWhy the health care industry has the most on-the-job injuries
Fatal falls in the construction industry and manufacturing injuries due to falling objects can cause dramatic on-the-job injuries that grab headlines and incite safety campaigns and stricter...
View ArticleNew web app: should you wear sunscreen today?
Sunscreen often gets a bad rap. It’s a greasy substance that needs frequent re-application. On top of that, it’s unclear when you do and don’t really need it. Maybe that’s why so many people don’t use...
View ArticleUSPS will improve electrical safety under settlement with OSHA
Initially cited by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) with $3 million in fines for electrical hazards, the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) authorities have now managed to reduce the...
View ArticlePPE on a near-atomic level: are workers safe from nanomaterials?
Advancements in science allow us to see more of the world around us, but often raise more questions than answers. Such is the case with engineered nanoparticles, and the dilemma of how “standard...
View ArticleOSHA v. SeaWorld: the saga continues
Last week, the Associated Press reported on the latest development in a long battle between SeaWorld Orlando and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), stemming from the 2010 death...
View ArticleOSHA fines Spectrum Machine $188,300 for exposing workers to lead hazards
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has cited Spectrum Machine Inc. for 13 health violations. After an inspection at the firm’s Ravenna plant in January, OSHA found that the...
View ArticleWho is protected? OSHA exemptions to coverage and record keeping
I was recently catching up with some old episodes of The West Wing. One episode addressed OSHA exemptions by featuring an amusing sideplot where Josh Lyman, the Deputy Chief of Staff to this fictional...
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