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Risk Management Newsletter - September 10, 2008:
AGC's Advanced Safety Management Training Course
in Charlotte November 10-12, 2008!
Join AGC in Charlotte as participants receive training on comprehensive
safety management systems. Participants will be trained on field safety,
training, insurance issues, legal and liability issues.
Other topics that will be covered:
• Supervisory Safety Training,
• Legal Aspects of Safety in Construction,
• Risk Management and Insurance,
• Professional Development,
• Crisis Management and more!
Participants will receive a course manual, CD-ROM with presentation material
and other reference material.
Prerequisite:
ASMTC requires attendees to have AGC's Safety Management Training Course
(SMTC) or equivalent training. This course is tailored to safety professionals
with a solid background in construction safety and OSHA Construction Standard.
Register now, deadline is October 31! Click
here for more details and registration.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
New OSHA Guidance Document on Working with Portland
Cement
Portland cement is a generic term used to describe a variety of building
materials valued for their strong adhesive properties when mixed with
water. Employees who work with portland cement are at risk of developing
skin problems, ranging from mild and brief to severe and chronic. OSHA
recently released a new guidance document, Preventing
Skin Problems from Working with Portland Cement, aimed at helping
employers and employees understand the hazards associated with portland
cement and the applicable OSHA regulations.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
OSHA clarifies parking lot issue for recordkeeping:
Vehicle must be moving for exception to apply
In a recently posted Letter of Interpretation, OSHA says that two injuries
that occurred in a company's parking lot must be recorded. The cases involve
two instances where employees commute from home to work and park their
personally-owned vehicles in the company-controlled parking lot. The first
employee opened the driver side door and started to exit his car when
he caught his right foot on the raised door threshold. The employee subsequently
fell onto the parking lot surface and sustained a right knee cap injury.
The second employee was in the process of exiting his pick-up truck when
he slipped on a rail used to enter and exit the vehicle. The employee
fell onto the parking lot surface and sustained a twisted right knee.
OSHA said that, while both employees' sustained injuries in the company
parking lot, neither case involved a motor vehicle accident (which OSHA
explains in the letter must involve a moving vehicle, among other things).
Instead, the two employees were injured when they fell out of their parked
vehicle and struck the parking lot surface (work environment). As a result,
OSHA found that neither case meets the exception in Section 1904.5(b)(2)(vii),
and, therefore, must be recorded on the establishment's log, if they meet
the other recording criteria listed in the recordkeeping regulation (e.g.,
medical treatment, days away from work, etc.)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Fluorescent bulb violations cost company nearly
$50,000
EPA and a national retailer agreed to a settlement over hazardous waste
management violations at two store locations in New York state. EPA alleged
in 2007 that the store failed to properly identify and handle spent fluorescent
and other types of light bulbs at the two stores.
The retailer has agreed to pay a $49,725 penalty and to voluntarily ensure
that its approximately 75 stores throughout New York, New Jersey and Puerto
Rico remain in compliance with the requirements for the handling of spent
light bulbs.
“The proper management of hazardous wastes, especially mercury in
fluorescent light bulbs, is a serious issue,” said EPA Regional
Administrator Alan Steinberg. “EPA is pleased that [the retailer]
will take major steps to improve its hazardous waste management in the
region.”
EPA issued a complaint to the retailer in December 2007, citing the company
for violations of authorized New York State hazardous waste regulations
at the two New York stores. EPA’s complaint had been initiated pursuant
to Section 3008 of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (or RCRA),
42 U.S.C. Section 6928.
The level of mercury in spent lamps can lead to their classification as
a hazardous waste. Mercury can lead to a variety of health problems in
children and adults alike.
For more information on safely handling fluorescent light bulbs, visit:
http://www.epa.gov/region02/mercury/mercurylamps.html.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Cordless screwdrivers recalled for burn hazard
Menards, of Eau Claire, Wisc., is recalling about 42,000 MasterForce 3.6-volt
Cordless Screwdrivers manufactured by Great Star Industry Co. of China.
The battery can overheat and ignite during charging, posing a fire and
burn hazard to consumers. There is no protective device on the lithium
battery to prevent overheating.
The firm and CPSC have received three reports of fires. One consumer suffered
burns to the hand, and another experienced temporary hearing loss.
The recalled cordless screwdrivers are green and gray in color. “MASTERFORCE”
is printed on the top of the tool. “LITHIUM-ION TECHNOLOGY”
and “241-0717” are printed on the handle.
The equipment was sold at Menards stores from April 2007 through May 2008
for about $30.
Consumers should immediately stop using the screwdrivers and return them
to any Menards store for a free replacement or refund.
For additional information, call toll-free at (866) 458-2472 or visit
http://www.menards.com.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Falls still a major workplace safety issue
According to data released recently by the Bureau of Labor Statistics
(BLS), the number of fatal on-the-job falls in 2007 rose to a series high
of 835 — a 39 percent increase since 1992 when the Census of Fatal
Occupational Injuries program was first conducted. The increase for falls
overall in 2007 was driven primarily by increases in falls on the same
level (up 21 percent from 2006) and falls from nonmoving vehicles (up
17 percent).
Falls from roofs, however, were down 13 percent from the number in 2006.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"QuickTips" from QuickTakes
Each year in American workplaces, powered portable and stationary mechanical
saws are responsible for thousands of injuries serious enough to require
medical attention. Most of these injuries occur because the saw operator
is not adequately trained, or the saw blade is insufficiently protected.
Using properly guarded blades and appropriate protective equipment, such
as safety goggles, will greatly reduce the risk of safety and health hazards
when working with saws. Here are a few recommendations from OSHA:
• Keep hands and other body parts away from the line along which
the saw will cut.
• When using a table saw, always guard the portion of the blade
below the table.
• Keep saw blades in good condition to prevent the saw from throwing
wood chips, splinters and broken saw teeth.
• Always guard the saw's power transmission apparatus.
OSHA's Guide
for Protecting Workers from Woodworking Hazards is a resource detailing
the proper precautions to take when using mechanical saws.
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Master Builders' Association
phone 412.922.3912
fax 412.922.3729
safety email contact
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