A case study developed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and The Dow Chemical Company Alliance shows how Dow’s contractors reduced their recordable injury rate by more than 90 percent at Dow’s Freeport, Texas facility.
The case study, titled “Contractor Safety Case Study: Texas Operations Contractor Alliance for Safety at Dow Facility in Freeport, Texas,” describes how Dow and 15 contractor companies formed the Texas Operations Contractor Alliance for Safety (TOCAS). The organization consisted of senior managers from Dow’s Texas Operations and from its on-site contractors who could authorize implementing safety and health management systems within their own companies.
The Beverage Company based out of Pennsauken, NJ was recently given a hefty fine totaling in $195,000.
OSHA initiated its investigation on April 1 in response to a complaint alleging that employees were exposed to hazards when clearing jams on the machine used to stack and transport pallets. As a result of the investigation, OSHA issued three willful citations.
The willful violations include the company’s failure to provide training on lockout/tagout procedures, which prevent the inadvertent start-up of machinery or the release of hazardous energy, failure to apply lockout/tagout procedures when machines were being serviced and failure to properly guard machinery. OSHA issues a willful violation when an employer exhibits plain indifference to or intentional disregard for the law.
“The machine hazards identified at this facility pose a serious safety threat to employees if left unabated,” said Gary Roskoski, director of OSHA’s Marlton, N.J., area office. “A proven way of ensuring future abatement of all serious hazards, compliance with OSHA regulations and the prevention of employee injury, illness and death is for Pepsi-Cola and National Brand Beverage Ltd. in Pennsauken to establish an effective safety and health management system.”
For more information on preventing similar fines in your own companies, see :
NEW YORK — The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) issued citations to three contractors with proposed penalties totaling $313,500 for alleged violations of safety standards after investigating the catastrophic March 15 collapse of a tower crane in New York City that killed seven people. The accident took place at 303 E. 51st St. in midtown Manhattan.
Cited were Rapetti Rigging Services Inc., the crane’s erector; Reliance Construction Group, the project’s general contractor; and Joy Contractors Inc., the project’s concrete and superstructure contractor. Rapetti was cited for alleged problems associated with rigging the crane and lack of fall protection, while Reliance and Joy were cited for lack of fall protection, fire protection and other hazards unrelated to the crane collapse. Continue Reading »
The LexisNexis Workers’ Compensation Law Center Powered by Larson’s recently announced the 2008 honorees for the LexisNexis Top 25 Blogs for Workers’ Compensation.
“These blogsites contain some of the best writing out there on workers’ compensation and workplace issues in general,” says the LexisNexis Workers’ Compensation Law Center. Continue Reading »
The International Civil Aviation Organization released it’s audit of United States Aviations including Airports, Personnel, Licensing and Aviation Legislation. ICAO granted the U.S. a hefty 91 out of 100 score.
What is the I.C.A.O.?
I.C.A.O. stands for International Civil Aviation Organization, a department created under pressure from the United States in 1995
The ICAO codifies the principles and techniques of international air navigation and fosters the planning and development of international air transport to ensure safe and orderly growth. Its headquarters are located in the Quartier International of Montreal, Canada. The ICAO Council adopts standards and recommended practices concerning air navigation, prevention of unlawful interference, and facilitation of border-crossing procedures for international civil aviation. In addition, the ICAO defines the protocols for air accident investigation followed by transport safety authorities in countries signatory to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, commonly known as the Chicago Convention.
The Safety Oversight Audit Section (SOA) is responsible for the management of the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme (USOAP) that was launched by ICAO in 1999. The SOA Section establishes and schedules teams to conduct USOAP audits according to an annual plan based on a six-year cycle involving all ICAO Contracting States and other oversight entities. The audit teams rely to some extent on approved auditors seconded by Contracting States.
ICAO Strategic Objectives
Safety - Enhance global civil aviation safety
Security - Enhance global civil aviation security
Environmental Protection - Minimize the adverse effect of global civil aviation on the environment
Efficiency - Enhance the efficiency of aviation operations
Continuity - Maintain the continuity of aviation operations
Rule of Law - Strengthen law governing international civil aviation
The Safety Oversight Audit
The SOA is divided into 7 sections, listed as follows, you can read more on the requirements of each section by clicking the links :
Safety Services Company is proud to announce that we’ve been included among the 5000 fastest growing private companies in America. On Wednesday, August 20th 2008, Inc.com announced it’s latest “Inc. 5000″ list, Safety Services Company was ranked 1,316.
Our growth has been a result of great employees, hard work, and complete dedication to providing a quality thorough, yet affordable array of products for construction and manufacturing companies. Along with the Inc. 5000 award, Safety Services Company also passed the threshold of 100,000 clients throughout the United States and Canada. A goal nearly 6 years in the making.
Some basic information about our company:
Safety Services Company was founded in 2003 by President/CEO Devon Dickinson, operating out of Yuma, Arizona. Devon continues to hold an active role and provides the driving force behind our immense success.
“When we started in 2003, we had only 5 employees. Our annual revenue in 2004 was $1.4 Million, growing 278% in just 3 years, finishing out the 2007 year with a Gross Revenue of $5.3 Million. Our company has continued to see success even throughout an economic recession, which has hit the construction and manufacturing industries particularly hard.”
In the 2007/2008 years Safety Services Company managed to launch 3 new products, our Mine Safety Program, our Petroleum Safety Manuals, and our Safety Training Kits.
Weekly construction safety meetings which are printed and mailed out to you on a monthly basis. Clients choose from over 800 topics to customize their own safety program. Employees sign on the dotted line and you keep a copy on hand for records.
Mine safety standards are among the strictest in the business. Our weekly mine safety meetings are geared specifically toward the mining industry and MSHA standards.
The custom safety manuals are the written safety policies and procedures specific to each company. The safety manual is comprised of 26 general topics, with over 20 specialized appendixes available at no extra charge.
An all inclusive program of safety meetings, coupled with live incident reporting makes our fleet safety program the best in the business. Choose from 400 topics to create a custom program, and use our online center for incident reporting and monitoring.
7. Online Safety Training
Online Safety Training allows clients to log on remotely and receive training on the most requested and relevant safety training topic
Other Services:
In addition to our complete array of safety products, Safety Services Company is committed to the community at large by providing the Safety Services Company blog which provides free articles, tips, and how-to’s related to occupational health and safety. You can use it to catch up on the latest OSH news, search a specific topic or question you may have, or make valuable contacts within the safety industry. You can view our blog, at www.safetyservicescompany.com/blog
Through a commitment to a safe workplace, progressive safety culture, and some hard work - we believe that every company can be not only 100% compliant, but 100% safe.
Devon Dickinson - President/CEO
Safety Services Company
Yesterday OSHA responded to the many highly publicized crane accidents by implementing a Regional Emphasis Program on Crane Safety Standards. Under this program, construction sites who use cranes are subject to inspection with regards to :
Being struck by objects
Electrocution
Crane tip-over
Being caught in or between machinery
Falls.
According to Regional Administrator Dean McDaniel,
“Past inspection evidence indicates these hazards are the leading causes of accidents where cranes are used in the construction industry. This Regional Emphasis Program (REP) was established as an enforcement initiative for the inspection of cranes used in construction, with the goal of preventing serious and fatal injuries to employees working on and around cranes,”
OSHA’s General Crane Safety requirements (29 C.F.R. 1926.550) dictate that cranes must be inspected prior to each and every use, as well as many other requirements ranging from strict adherence to manufacturer specifications, to wire safety, to pre-operation safety meetings.
The Regional Emphasis Program applies to construction sites with cranes in Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and select sites in New Mexico.
So it’s time to sound off! What do you think about the measures OSHA has taken to combat Crane Accidents? Use the poll below to give your opinion. Please note all responses are taken anonymously and we will post the results after we get enough responses. If you want to leave additional comments, you can leave a comment by using the form at the bottom of the article.
Also note : We have many resources to guide you in Crane Safety.
If you have more questions about Crane Safety, or would like information regarding a complete and customized, OSHA compliant safety program, please feel free to contact us. You can read more about our Safety Program by clicking Here.
Today comes a question regarding Sarcoidosis, I particularly like this question because, as you may have read in news recently, it is becoming more and more of an issue. TV and Movie Start Bernie Mac recently died as a result of struggling with Sarcoidosis. Wikipedia defines Sarcoidosis as: “an immune system disorder characterized by non-caseatinggranulomas (small inflammatory nodules) that most commonly arises in young adults.”
In respect to his anonymity request, we will refer to the questioner as Martin. Here is his question :
I work for a small food processing company. In 2007, I became Ill. I was partially diagnosed with Sarcoidosis. The worst being lung and breathing problems. However, I missed 6 months of work and the problems arising from my illness were wide spread and evidently impossible to diagnose completely. To this day I have many ailments remaining from my episode. Luckily, for me, my company gave me a new position to accommodate my return to work. Before this, I worked in the processing plant for over twenty years. Two or three times I inhaled direct vapor from washing compounds. These range from caustic soda, phosphoric acid, Iodine and nitric acid compounds. Every day, these chemicals are used with extremely hot water to clean the machinery in our establishment. This process creates steam, the steam is filled with chemical breathed in in excess of 15 times a day for 10 to 15 minutes per session. I reported this to my respirologist and after reading all of the MSDS sheets on all of our chemicals, I was laughed at and basically told they (the chemicals) couldn’t have caused breathing or any other problems. How do you go about addressing Doctors like this when trying to explain absences from work to your superiors?
Martin,
Doctors have become very reluctant to answer direct questions. If you ask them for a prescription though, they will respond immediately. (They have become the promoters of pharmaceutical companies’ profits.)
True story: My father had been feeling run down for the last couple of years. He was losing his balance and walking was difficult. Doctors ran tests on him every few months. He saw specialists. Finally, one day he passed out in a restaurant while paying his bill. The hospital found a tumor the size of a grapefruit in his colon. It took two years to find a tumor!
Addressing doctors who do not show professionalism is a challenge. First, you need to do some research on your own. Gather documents. Look up the most current information on your sickness. Put together everything you did from the time you began working for the company until you were diagnosed. Put all the treatments you have received into this file. Write down all your current symptoms and problems. Do this daily for two weeks. Present them to the doctor. Paperwork speaks volumes over speech.
Now, one problem I see is that if you are made to go to a company doctor, you are going to have to know more about what is going on with you physically than he does. He may be outdated and not have the research you do.
After you have presented your information break out your pen and paper and write down his response. This will get his attention. Doctors are not used to inquisitive patients who are intelligent and know what their body is telling them. Tell him you need a written diagnosis to present to your supervisor.
Present this information to your boss. Do not to forget to address the mental agony of your sickness. Far too often we forget about the pain and suffering the brain goes through when the body is working overtime to heal.
Good luck and let me know how everything turns out. Remember, positive thinking turns obstacles into opportunities! Also remember that Federal Law is on your side, with regards to Workplace Safety Concerns, you can learn more about the Federal Whistleblower Protection Program by clicking Here.
To learn more about Sarcoidosis and how you can have a safer workplace, contact a safety consultant at Safety Services Company by clicking Here.
The deadline for the 2008 Robert W. Campbell award applications to be submitted has been passed and are currently under review. You can expect the recipient to be announced at the National Safety Council’s 96th annual Congress & Expo in Anaheim, Ca.
Back in March we did a post outlining the specifics of the award, you can read the Robert Campbell Award Feature, or you can learn more about the award and the strict review process by going to the R.C. Award Website.
We will of course be doing another feature honoring the company chosen to receive the award on September 22nd, if you would like to receive this update be sure and subscribe to our RSS feed to receive our updates via E-mail.
