Have you ever wondered just how busy is OSHA? How many inspections does OSHA do in a single month? What are they working on? Who are they visiting? Why are they visiting certain workplaces and not others? Are they “picking on anyone”? etc. Well, have a look into a month of inspection history from 4/20/16 to…...
Last week OSHA published their “spring agenda” and this gives us a very good idea as to which standards OSHA has on their radar screen. Here is their agenda…… Membership Required You must be a member to access this content.View Membership LevelsAlready a member? Log in here...
The changes in NH3’s flammability ratings in NFPA’s 704 ratings comes down to the difference between ammonia’s inherent chemical properties and specific regulatory overrides designed for enclosed refrigeration systems. Strictly speaking, the base chemical rating for pure anhydrous ammonia is a “1”. However, the International Mechanical Code (IMC) and the International Institute of Ammonia Refrigeration (IIAR)…...
I came across this citation at an Ethanol plant (May 2016) regarding their combustible dusts hazards and the lack of WARNING signs… Citation 2 Item 1 Type of Violation: Other-than-Serious; $0.00 29 CFR 1910.145(c)(2)(i): Caution signs shall be used only to warn against potential hazards or to caution against unsafe practices:… Membership Required You must...
We have all seen the videos and pics of the storage racks collapsing and most of us are amazed at how violent these incidents are; yet how many of us can walk through our storage areas and not find missing anchor bolts, corroded and damaged structural components, no posted load ratings, or out-of-straight support columns? In a recent OSHA…...
At approximately 11:20 a.m. on May 28, 2012 Employee #1, a 50-year-old male was working in the vicinity of the mill air receiver tank when it exploded. The State Fire Marshal report stated in their report that not enough cool water was reaching the air compressor, which failed to shut down when it overheated. The…...
This memorandum provides updated internal guidance and procedures for the Area Offices to enforce the reporting requirements. Among other things, this memo updates the procedures for the intake of reports from employers, data collection and sorting; and entry of data in the OIS system. Revised flow charts are provided to help understand the intake process…....
Under a requirement that took effect Jan. 1, 2015, employers must report to OSHA within 24 hours any work-related amputation, in-patient hospitalization, or loss of eye. (The requirement to report a fatality within 8 hours was unchanged.) Injuries may be reported directly to an OSHA field office, to the OSHA toll-free number, or via an online…...
Here is another recent citation from OSHA on a standard that gets very little attention, 1910.169 Air ReceiversAir Receivers. 1910.169(b)(3)(iv) All safety valves shall be tested frequently and at regular intervals to determine whether they are in good operating condition. Least…...
A question that seems to be asked more and more is “do my harnesses and lanyards fall under the same requirements as those used on construction sites?”. This is another one of the questions that I have no idea where it came from or how the myth that the Personal Fall Arrest System (PFAS) used…...
In 2012, OSHA revised the standard, 29 CFR 1910.1200, Hazard Communication (HCS 2012). [Reference, 77 Fed. Reg. 17574 (Mar. 26, 2012)]. This rulemaking also made minor changes to several other OSHA standards related to hazardous chemical communication, such as revising the legend used on the warning sign to a regulated work area specified in OSHA’s…...
Most safety professionals know there is an actual rationale as to when use DANGER, CAUTION, and WARNING signs and how these signs are color-coded; however, there are a lot facilities who may not have a safety professional who can offer this guidance as to when to use signs, how to use them and which one…...
