A worker was using a hand-held 5-inch angle grinder while working on a wrought iron gate when the abrasive wheel broke and pieces flew off. One piece cut into the worker’s thigh, severing a large artery. The worker collapsed from the blood loss and later died.  The accident investigation found that the abrasive wheel that broke was rated for a maximum of 6,110 rpm but the angle grinder was...

2 DAYS Notify CALL BEFORE-U-DIG (800-922-4455) two full days (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays) prior to anexcavation. Digging cannot commence until all utilities have responded and verified. Public Act 77-350 & 81-146 2 FEET Spoils, surcharge or other material or equipment shall be set back from the excavation by at least 2 feet. 1926.651(j)(2) 2 FEET Excavating no more than 2 feet...

You are the SH manager at a large box retail store.  One morning around 8 am, one of the shopping cart collectors is found lying on the ground under a pick-up truck in the parking lot.  He is incoherent, lying on the ground, and moving, putting his hands behind his head.  The employee lacked any visible evidence of physical trauma at this time. Shortly thereafter, the employee was...

One very popular question we get is where are EW/SS’s required and what factors are considered in their placement.  We always tell clients and friends that they should utilize ANSI Z358.1 – 2004.  Who has $75 to spend on an ANSI standard these days????  So what can we do…turn to another GREAT and FREE resource…OR-OSHA.  Yes, I know, it is a state plan; however,...

This new tool was designed for oil spill responders, but should be useful to many others.  The NOAA Unit Converter for Oil Spills (NUCOS) is a simple desktop tool that converts basic units of velocity, mass, length, etc., but more specifically, converts units that are unique to oil spill response. NUCOS includes some of the lesser known units used in managing oil and chemical spills. For...

  When we do our many third party S&H audits around the country, there are a few findings we could just leave on our spreadsheet as they are so common from business to business. One of these common findings is the lack of annual training for employees on their rights to access, view, copy, etc. their own personal medical records, exposure monitoring for chemicals, noise, radiation, etc. and...

Ethanol, what is the worry? On May 14, 2007, a tanker carrying 8,000 gallons of ethanol overturned and burst into flames on an interstate in Baltimore, Maryland, killing the driver and sending a burning stream of ethanol into the street below, igniting a row of parked vehicles. On October 22, 2006, an eighty-six-car train carrying ethanol derailed, sending some of the tank cars into a river while...

Assigned Protection Factors (APF), a new guidance document published by OSHA, provides employers with vital information for selecting respirators for employees exposed to contaminants in the air.  OSHA revised its existing Respiratory Protection standard in 2006 to add APFs and Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) provisions. APF means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator...

Assigned Protection Factors (APF), a new guidance document published by OSHA provides employers with vital information for selecting respirators for employees exposed to contaminants in the air.  OSHA revised its Respiratory Protection standard in 2006 to add APFs and Maximum Use Concentration (MUC) provisions. APF means the workplace level of respiratory protection that a respirator or...

Although this decision was really about when OSHA can cite an employer for exposure to a hazard.  The company claimed there was none or very little exposure to these unguarded lathe chucks because only one worker used these lathes only once or twice a year; however, OSHA cited for the unguarded equipment based on this level of exposure and the OSHRC affirmed the citation.  During the inspection...

An often overlooked requirement in the HCP standard (1910.95) requires each hearing protector provided by the employer be evaluated using 1910.95 Appendix B to ensure that each one will attenuate the noise level down to a prescribed exposure limit; either 90 dBA or 85 dBA if the user has suffered a standard threshold shift (STS).  This logic is similar to our analysis of our respiratory protection...

On Dec. 24, 2008, the Ohio Court of Appeals for the Fifth District, 2008 Ohio 6898, 2008 Ohio App. LEXIS 5758. affirmed (3 to 0) the decision of a trial judge in Stark County Court of Common Pleas, granting summary judgment to the employer. The employee breached the “Last Chance Agreement” entered into between the company, the employee and the labor union, Metalworkers Alliance, Inc. Worker was hired...