Tag: OSHA

Last week, OSHA announced that BP Products North America Inc. will pay a full penalty of $50.6 million stemming from the 2005 refinery explosion that killed 15 workers and injured 170 others.

Workers who “blow the whistle” on prohibited or unlawful practices in the workplace as well as safety and health discrimination play an important role in assuring compliance with federal laws.

The MOU provides the means for OSHA to notify the FOSC when it intends to take enforcement action against BP, BP’s contractors, or any other employer engaged in response activities.

How high are tensions running in the energy industry down in Louisiana? At one company, the president makes the link between improper swivel chair usage and the BP oil spill.

The proposed rulemaking would require improved worker protection from tripping, slipping, and falling hazards on walking and working surfaces.

Development of the safety guides and fact sheets has grown out of a partnership between OSHA and the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences to promote protective measures for Gulf Coast oil spill responders.

Cleanup workers can face potential hazards from oil byproducts, dispersants, detergents, and degreasers. Drowning, heat illness, and falls also pose hazards, as can encounters with wild species native to the impacted areas. OSHA is consulting with BP and others to ensure that workers receive appropriate training and protective equipment.

In the aftermath of the recent fatal incidents this month, Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis issued the following statement on Workers Memorial Day, April 28, 2010.

Numerous groups will convene during NAOSH Week from May 2-8, 2010 and Occupational Safety and Health Professional (OSHP) Day on May 5 to raise awareness of the importance of being safe at work.

A whistleblower investigation by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration found that New Jersey Transit violated the Federal Railroad Safety Act when it retaliated against an employee for reporting a work-related illness.

In response to complaints, OSHA inspectors will ensure that healthcare employers implement a hierarchy of controls and encourage vaccination and other work practices recommended by the CDC.

Enjoy this humorous retro look at dangers in the common workplace, courtesy of the Safetycare channel on YouTube.

The Hazard Communication proposed rule seeks to ensure that the hazards of all chemicals produced or imported are evaluated and communicated to employers and employees. Modifying OSHA’s existing HCS could harmonize chemical hazard communications worldwide, help U.S. employers compete in the international marketplace, and increase work safety.

The work is part of the Obama Administration’s continued commitment to improved accountability, transparency, and service to the American public.

OSHA issued a compliance directive on 11/20/09 to ensure uniform procedures when conducting inspections to identify and minimize or eliminate high to very high risk occupational exposures for healthcare workers to the 2009 H1N1 influenza A virus.

New report from the GAO confirms that Occupational Safety and Health Administration OSHA statistics do not reflect the real risk employees face from workplace hazards.

The number of top 10 violations has increased almost 30% over the same time period in 2008.

OSHA is initiating a national emphasis program on recordkeeping to assess the accuracy of injury and illness data recorded by employers.

The states with an OSHA law already in effect are Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, New York, and most recently, Missouri. The state of Nevada OSHA training law becomes effective January 1, 2010.

OSHA is updating the references in its regulations to reflect more recent editions of the applicable national consensus standards that incorporate advances in technology.