OSHA watch
2023 injury, illness data released
The published data collected under the revised Improve Tracking of Workplace Injuries and Illnesses regulation for 2023 includes Form 300A information from more than 375,000 establishments. Partial data also is available from more than 850,000 submissions of Forms 300 and 301. Effective Jan. 1, establishments with 100 or more employees in some high-hazard industries were required to submit data from Forms 300 and 301, in addition to Form 300A. The data from this group is limited now and more data will be available soon, following a review to identify and delete personally identifiable information.
Comment period extended for emergency response standard update
Initially scheduled to conclude on May 6, the public comment period for the emergency response standard update has been extended to June 21, 2024. The proposed rule would replace the existing Fire Brigades standard, 29 CFR 1910.156, originally promulgated in 1980, and cover a broad set of present-day emergency responders beyond firefighters, including small private sector emergency responders, small public fire and rescue entities, and volunteer fire departments. The proposed update is complex and would impose several new requirements, which has raised concern among the emergency response community. To submit comments.
Safety and Health Information Bulletin on Safety Helmets
The new bulletin, Head Protection: Safety Helmets in the Workplace, explains employers must conduct a hazard assessment at their job site and determine whether head protection is necessary and if so, the most appropriate type. The two types (impact) and three classes (electrical) of head protection are explained and instructions for properly inspecting and storing head protection are provided.
Hazard alert on fall protection lanyards
Prompted by the death of a worker whose fall protection lanyard was severed by an exposed edge as he fell, a new hazard alert lists safe work practices for employers.
Fact sheet
Shipyard Fall Protection Fact Sheet
MSHA - Final mine safety rule on silica dust hazards
The Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) has issued a final rule designed to better protect miners from hazards associated with exposure to respirable crystalline silica, a known carcinogen. The final rule lowers permissible exposure limits of respirable crystalline silica, also known as silica dust and quartz dust, to 50 micrograms per cubic meter of air.
MSHA new safety alert - electric arc flashes
DOL issues final farmworker protection rule
Effective June 28, 2024, the DOL is amending its regulations governing the certification of temporary employment of nonimmigrant workers employed in temporary or seasonal agricultural employment and the enforcement of the contractual obligations applicable to employers of these nonimmigrant workers.
State Plans
Cal/OSHA
Indoor heat rule being revived
The indoor heat rule, which was in limbo because the Department of Finance considered it too expensive for the state's correctional facilities, is being revived. The plan is to include all workers, except in correctional facilities, and later issue a separate rule for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. The proposed standards would require work sites to be cooled below 87 degrees Fahrenheit when employees are present and below 82 degrees in places where workers wear protective clothing or are exposed to radiant heat, such as furnaces. Given the process required, it's unclear if it will be finished in time for the summer. The process for the revised rule requires a 15-day public comment period, legal review, and a new vote.
Strengthening enforcement
The Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) is hiring enforcement staff for Cal/OSHA and the Labor Commissioner's Office (LCO) with a statewide campaign.
MIOSHA
Reminds agricultural industry to protect workers
As the second largest industry in Michigan, the agricultural community is reminded to protect workers from injuries during the busy planting season. For resources.
Rule amendment - Ionizing Radiation Rules Governing the Use of Radiation Machines, Part 5 Operator Qualifications
With an effective date of March 13, 2024, these rules are intended to address the improper performance of medical x-radiation technology and ensure that individuals and patients are not exposed to unnecessary radiation.
Coffee with MIOSHA
Members of the American Society of Safety Professionals Mid-Michigan Chapter will be available to answer questions and discuss opportunities to become involved. May 14, 2024, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m., Jackson District Library-Meijer Branch (Community Room) Register online.
Education and training calendar
MNOSHA
April 2024 Safety Lines available
Safety Lines is a quarterly publication designed to inform readers of the purpose, plans, and progress of Minnesota OSHA. The April issue provides information on ergonomics safety grants, upcoming events and educational offerings, an analysis of emergency room visits and hospitalizations by worker age, safety tips for young workers, and more.
Recent fines and awards
California
- San Francisco-based D'Arcy & Harty Construction Inc. received eight "willful" and "serious" safety violations following a worker's death in a trench collapse. The construction company was fined $371,100.
Florida
- Palatka-based St. John's Ship Building Inc. was cited for four confined space and struck-by and crushing hazards violations after a welder suffocated while working inside a ship's hull. The company is contesting the proposed $55,539 in fines.
- Belle Glade-based McNeill Labor Management Inc. was cited for one "serious" violation after the heat-related death of a sugar cane farm worker. Proposed penalties are $27,655.
- Tampa-based Concrete Impressions of Florida Inc. and Plant City-based Adcock Cranes face proposed penalties of $4,839 and $16,131, respectively, following the death of a worker who was struck by a boom as a crane tipped over during work on an Orlando highway ramp.
Georgia
- SK Battery America Inc., a global electric vehicle battery manufacturer, was cited for five serious violations after workers suffered potentially permanent respiratory damage in a lithium battery fire. The proposed penalties are $77,200.
Massachusetts
- Following the collapse of a 200-foot section of pier in New Bedford, MA, Mohawk Northeast Inc. of Plantsville, CT faces one willful citation for failing to assess the strength and structural integrity of the pier's working and walking surfaces with a fine of $161,323. It also faces an additional $53,004 in penalties for four serious violations related to potential fall, drowning, and struck-by hazards.
Missouri
- HR Vasquez Construction LLC, a St. Louis-based roofing contractor was cited for 13 violations after inspectors observed workers exposed to fall hazards at five residential work sites. These included nine repeat, three serious, and one other-than-serious, and proposed $267,332 in penalties.
New York
- A New York limestone quarry manager who managed the RJ Valente Grafton Quarry in Grafton pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter, a Class C felony, after a worker was fatally struck by a crane. The manager overrode safety features and failed to take the damaged crane out of service. He was given a six-month jail sentence and five years of probation.
Pennsylvania
- Centre Hall-based Hanover Foods Corp. was cited for nine repeat, 51 serious, and 11 other-than-serious violations and proposed $761,876 in penalties for numerous process safety management failures, including failing to properly train workers, not correcting equipment deficiencies, and failing to establish an emergency plan for the entire plant.