Daily Roundup, Friday, Feb. 26

• SeaWorld: Trainer’s Ponytail Triggered Killer Whale Attack

Officials at SeaWorld Orlando said they are confident they have discovered what led to the death of a killer whale trainer Wednesday: a brush with the trainer’s ponytail.

• New OSHA initiative targets under-reporting of workplace injuries

The U.S. Occupational Safety & Health Administration (“OSHA”) recently launched an enforcement initiative focused on identifying employers who underreport workplace injuries and illnesses.

• Flight Attendant Leaders Push for Progress on FAA Reauthorization

Flight attendant leaders from the Association of Flight Attendants-CWA (AFA-CWA) and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants (APFA) met this week with the offices of several influential Senators to promote moving forward with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Reauthorization bill, which includes many key provisions for flight attendants.

• Worker’s comp costly to state employers

Montana has the highest on-the-job injury and death rate per capita in the United States. This year businesses in Montana will lose an estimated $145 million because of workplace injuries.

• CSB says gas venting practices ‘inherently unsafe’

The U.S. Chemical Safety Board’s lead investigator at the Kleen Energy disaster in Middletown, Conn., said this morning that the “gas blow” practice being used at the plant at the time of the Feb. 7 explosion was “inherently unsafe.”

• Man killed at welding company died of suffocation

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office released the cause of death of a 28-year-old man who was killed Tuesday while operating a forklift at a welding company.

• Feds penalize companies in MT for $71K

Federal workplace regulators have penalized two companies for a combined $71,000 for allowing unsafe working conditions in trenches at job sites in Montana.

• Michigan firm cited, fined for 2 local violations

An inspection that found that a 10-foot deep trench containing employees had no ladder, stairs, or ramp to ensure a safe exit, and no adequate protection was in place to protect employees from cave-ins.

• Case Closed On Oak Ridge Mold, For Now

The five-year environmental mystery at Oak Ridge Elementary School came to what Guilford County Schools hopes is a close on Monday, Feb. 22, when the school system returned 700 students to the school after seven months in temporary quarters.

• Senators want answers from DJS after teacher killed

A Maryland Senate panel will ask the Department of Juvenile Services secretary to brief them on the death of a teacher last week at a state juvenile facility in prince George’s County, as other agencies and the union that represents employees said they have been blocked from making inquiries.

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Daily Roundup, Thursday, Feb. 25

• SeaWorld trainer Dawn Brancheau dies in killer-whale attack

A veteran animal trainer whose dream was to work at SeaWorld’s Shamu Stadium was killed Wednesday when one of the show’s killer whales dragged her underwater and she drowned.

• Despite health risks, casino dealers still exposed to cigarette smoke

The danger of secondhand smoke is no longer an issue in most workplaces thanks to state and local smoking bans. But Nevada has protected its casinos from smoking bans — the reason why chronic obstructive pulmonary disease kills at a higher rate in this state than others, according to the American Lung Association.

• Employers Pay Attention to Distracted Driving

A survey by the Network of Employers for Traffic Safety (NETS) of 24 leading companies that operate fleets shows that 74 percent either have policies in place or are planning to implement policies that ban the use of all mobile devices while driving company vehicles.

• State is assessing workplace violence risks

“While we cannot discuss MOSH’s ongoing investigation of the homicide that occurred on the grounds of the Cheltenham youth detention center, we are fully aware of the significant risk of job-related violence faced by health care and social service workers,” wrote the commissioner of labor and industry in the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

• Plaintiffs in La. suit say Exxon ‘reckless’ with worker safety

Exxon Mobil Corp., the largest U.S. energy company, showed “reckless and reprehensible” behavior by failing to protect workers from dangerous radioactive material in used oil-drilling pipes, a lawyer for 16 men told a Louisiana jury.

• Internal OSHA docs show hectic moments preceded Disney monorail crash

Investigators with the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration determined, according to an internal memo summarizing the accident, that the unidentified electrician was “over tasked” that night, though it is unclear whether the agency thought Disney had assigned him too many responsibilities or whether the electrician himself tried to do too much at once.

• OSHA Clears GE Transportation In Worker’s Death

After nvestigating the death of a crane operator last month, Theresa Naim, OSHA’s area director, said the Erie, Penn., company’s equipment, workplace safety, training and emergency response were all fine.

• Pages Creek Marine procedures share blame for employee’s death

Unsafe hoisting operations and inappropriate procedures for lifting boats at Pages Creek Marine likely contributed to the death of an employee there last October, according to a citation report issued last month.

• Colleagues free man buried in trench collapse

An excavation crew scrambled Tuesday morning to save the life of one of their co-workers who became buried in a 10-foot deep hole when a trench in Loyalsock Township, Penn., suddenly collapsed.

• Austin, Texas, Drilling rig topples over, traps worker near I-35

A worker was injured Tuesday morning, February 23, 2010 when a drilling rig fell on top of a worker who was operating the heavy piece of machinery.

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Daily Roundup, Wednesday, Feb. 24

• Bill to up workplace safety fines in Wyo. Advances

A bill to increase penalties for workplace safety violations in Wyoming for the first time in more than 25 years is moving through the Wyoming Legislature.

• With new safety measures in place, demolition of Green plant could resume next week

After being stalled for nearly three months amid worker-safety violations, the dismantling of the downtown Thomas C. Green Water Treatment Plant could resume as soon as next week.

• Backlog of Mine Operator Appeals of Safety Violations Undermine Worker Safety, Witnesses Tell House Committee

A flood of mine owner appeals of health and safety violations are delaying tougher penalties for the country’s most dangerous mines and undermining efforts to protect miners, witnesses told the House Education and Labor Committee today.

• More than 70 percent of congressional offices violate OSHA safety standards

While the majority of all lawmaker offices on Capitol Hill have at least one health or safety hazard violation, this year’s inspection data from the Office of Compliance inspections is an improvement over last year’s.

• Metro officials called on carpet to explain fatal accidents

Metrorail representatives said at a public hearing Tuesday that despite budget constraints they are making changes to prevent future collisions like the June Red Line accident that killed nine people.

• State water agency hit with violations in Oroville Dam accident

Safety violations by the state Department of Water Resources caused an accident last year at Oroville Dam that injured five workers, according to an investigation by workplace safety officials.

• Perry company cited by OSHA for violations in worker’s fatal fall in N.H.

A Perry company was one of two cited by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration for safety violations in an August incident where a worker fell to his death in New Hampshire.

• Billings company cited for OSHA violations, agency proposes fine

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Safety and Health Administration has proposed a fine of $92,000 against Agri Systems Inc. of Billings, Mont., for eight alleged safety violations last year.

• Blue Island workplace accident killed La Grange man

A work-related accident left a 48-year-old La Grange, Ill., man dead after being pinned by a truck Monday.

• Landfill worker dies from injuries

Travis Bryan Kidd, 24, of Mooresboro, N.C., died Monday afternoon on the way to the hospital after a 40-ton rolling compactor crushed his legs and pelvis.

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Daily Roundup, Tuesday, Feb. 23

• Proposed Recordkeeping Change Would Restore Column for MSDs

OSHA is proposing to revise its Occupational Injury and Illness Recording and Reporting regulation by restoring a column on the OSHA Form 300 to identify work-related musculoskeletal disorders, or MSDs.

• BREAKING: Worker killed at welding company

New Hanover County, N.C., Sheriff’s Deputies are on the scene of a workplace fatality at Watson Portable Welding.

• Two Oklahoma construction workers buried alive

Two construction workers were killed on Tuesday, Feb. 16, 2010 after a trench that they were working in collapsed on top of them.

• OSHA fines Cranesville Block Co. for dangerous work environment

OSHA decided to fine the company for repeated health and safety inspections prompted by employee complaints and concerns.

• Feds cite contractors in fatal NH water tower fall

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration has cited two contractors for alleged violations of safety standards involving the death last August of a worker who fell from a New Hampshire water tower.

• Report faults DWR in ’09 dam accident

An investigation of a July 2009 accident at the Oroville, Calif., Dam power plant found that the Department of Water Resources knowingly put its employees in harm’s way by instructing them to perform a task amid dangerous conditions.

• Cheltenham death is workplace violence

Compared to those in other occupations, social services workers, including teachers of troubled youth and with those who work in professions such as mental health and health care, are disproportionately hurt by violence and assault from their students or patients. Furthermore, being a public sector employee dramatically increases that risk.

• Van Wert man dies in industrial accident

A 58-year-old Van Wert, Ohio, resident died in an industrial accident at Celina Aluminum Precision Technology on Sunday, Feb. 21.

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Daily Roundup, Monday, Feb. 22

• Industries tell OSHA officials that regulating dust can be complex, expensive

Representatives from a variety of industries told federal safety officials today that regulating the danger of combustible dust can be complicated and expensive for businesses.

• Now hear this: Protect your hearing while rocking out

Anyone who’s ever been to a similar concert, or worked at a construction site or blared the car radio with the windows up, has probably experienced a whirring, swishing, buzzing, ringing sound that originates in the ear or head.

• A serious adult swim

It may sound like an extreme way to learn. But most companies that operate in the Gulf of Mexico require offshore workers to go through HUET, or Helicopter Underwater Egress Training.

• Silent Danger: 93 Percent of Organizations Are at Risk of Avoidable Workplace Accidents

A new study released today by VitalSmarts found that five threats to workers’ safety are commonly left undiscussed and lead to avoidable injury or fatalities.

• Get more knowledgeable about OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogens Standard

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires that you protect your employees from the risk of bloodborne pathogens (BBP). Workers in many different occupations may be exposed to a variety of BBPs, including Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV.

• OSHA and Scaffold Industry Association Launch Transport Platform Safety Tips

Through the OSHA and Scaffold Industry Association Alliance, SIA has developed “Transport Platform Safety Tips,” which are designed to educate users on the correct way to perform their work on transport platform equipment.

• Judge sets stage for trials over 9/11 illnesses

A federal judge has picked 12 ground zero responders whose cases will be the first to go to trial over illnesses caused by ash and dust from the World Trade Center following the terrorist attack.

• Agency dispute delayed review of contaminant tests at Bannister complex

An investigation into possible environmental contamination at a day care center and another building at the Bannister Federal Complex was delayed almost two years because of quibbling over a few thousand dollars.

• Head injury, broken bones reported in scaffolding collapse

Two air ambulances were rushed to the scene where two construction workers fell from scaffolding that collapsed outside a shopping center on Tuesday, Feb. 16.

• Worker killed by falling ice at W.Va. plant

A 54-year-old West Virginia worker was killed by a falling icicle Saturday as he walked by a coal conveyor system at the Mountain State Carbon coke plant in Follansbee.

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Daily Roundup, Friday, Feb. 19

• Violence Prevention in the Workplace

Recent news headlines underscore the serious concern of workplace violence today. Establishing a positive workplace environment and knowing what warning clues to look for goes a long way in workplace violence prevention.

• Disneyland Hotel Workers Fast For Safer Work

Disneyland hotel workers began a water-only fast Tuesday to protest what they describe as life-threatening safety issues on the job.

• Vt. Yankee Update: Leak Continues, Source Still a Mystery

Investigators still have not found the source of a radioactive leak that has contaminated groundwater around the Vermont Yankee nuclear plant, nor have they been able to determine the extent of the contamination.

• Conn. governor calls for safety review after blast

Connecticut’s governor is calling for a review of state safety codes following a deadly explosion at a power plant in Middletown.

• Fatal Conn. Gas Blast Followed Worker’s Frantic Last-Minute Evacuation Call

A worker put out a frantic last-minute radio call to evacuate the Kleen Energy Systems plant just before a massive explosion tore through the facility on February 7, killing 5 workers and injuring 27 others.

• Contractor calls fatal roof collapse ‘freak accident’

A day after one of his workers died, a contractor said he has no idea what caused a roof under construction at a Sampson County, N.C., church to collapse.

• Safety issues keep nuclear processing work on hold at NFS

A probe by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) prompted Nuclear Fuel Services to shut down nuclear processing work indefinitely until the NRC finishes its investigation.

• Worker killed in Wilson packaging plant accident

A worker at a Wilson, N.C., packaging plant died Thursday afternoon after falling into a machine, authorities said.

• Effect of accidents hammered home by construction worker

The devastating effect a work-related accident can have on a person’s life was hit home last week in a special conference.

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Daily Roundup, Thursday, Feb. 18

• House panel approves Wyo workplace safety bill

A bill boosting fines and civil penalties for workplace safety violations will be considered by the full House.

• Advice from the Field: Workplace safety offers many business benefits

How many business owners and employees keep accident prevention as top-of-the-mind awareness? Not the vast majority.

• Ashland restaurateurs learn fire safety

Ashland restaurant owners and employees are building their fire-prevention skills and knowledge with help from trainers from Ashland Fire & Rescue.

• Vulnerable Workers Face Higher Risk, Research Reveals

Low-wage, low skilled, and immigrant workers face disproportionately high risks for job-related injuries and illnesses compared with other U.S. workers.

• Work injuries ease but labor still pushing passage of safety laws

The number of non-farm employees injured while on duty declined by a fifth in 2007, latest data from the Bureau of Labor and Employment Statistics (BLES) showed.

• OSHA backs off proposed regulation of ski areas’ explosives

The ski industry has fought off a new round of regulations governing its use of explosives to control avalanches.

• NY questions health claims of some 9/11 responders

Lawyers defending New York City against thousands of lawsuits filed by Sept. 11 emergency responders say many of the claims are baseless and have asked a judge to dismiss some of the first cases headed toward trial.

• Armored truck driver shot during robbery outside Houston Kroger

An armored truck guard was shot during a robbery outside a Southeast Houston Kroger Wednesday morning.

• Head injury, broken bones reported in scaffolding collapse

A scaffolding collapse resulted in a potential traumatic brain injury and broken bones.

• Worker hurt after fall from downtown Madison building

A worker was hurt Wednesday morning after falling several stories from a building in downtown Madison.

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Daily Roundup, Wednesday, Feb. 17

• Hospitals protect employees while caring for patients

From hand washing to trash handling, local health systems have a lot going on visibly and behind the scenes to ensure the health and safety of their employees as well as patients.

• Lack of Paid Sick Leave Sped Swine Flu Spread

In 2009, nearly 26 million workers were likely infected with the H1N1 (swine flu) virus. The spread of the virus may have been aided by lack of paid sick leave, which prompted more than 8 million of those workers to take no time off from work, according to a new study.

• Disney cleared of safety violations in death

Walt Disney World has been cleared of any workplace safety violations related the death last summer of a stunt performer who was rehearsing for a show.

• Explosion Panel Begins Work

A special state panel looking into the cause of the fatal Middletown, Conn., power plant explosion will use the state police investigation as a springboard to consider whether workplace safety, licensing, training and supervision were adequate at the site, the group’s chairman said Tuesday.

• Court: Missouri Employer in Contempt for Ignoring Safety Citations

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has issued contempt orders against a St. Louis, Mo.-area company and individuals for failing to comply with court orders enforcing citations of the federal Occupational Safety and Health Review Commission (OSHRC).

• Mueller appeals OSHA fine

Mueller Industries has appealed a $683,000 fine levied by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration for alleged safety violations after a fire and explosion killed one worker and injured two others on July 29 in Mississippi.

• OSHA investigates hole collapse

The Oklahoma division of Occupational Safety and Health Administration is investigating after two men die in an excavation hole on a construction site in McCloud.

• Worker dies after sheet metal falls on top of him

A 57-year-old worker at a West Milwaukee manufacturer is dead after a piece of sheet metal fell on top of him.

• Scaffolding collapses; two seriously injured

Two construction workers were seriously injured when the scaffolding they were working on collapsed outside a shopping center in Texas Tuesday afternoon.

• Construction worker dies in accident

A construction worker died while working on a project for the East Baton Rouge, La., Parish School Board Tuesday afternoon.

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Daily Roundup, Tuesday, Feb. 16

• Farmworker pay, safety changes set

The U.S. Department of Labor has announced a rule change to the H-2A guestworker program intended to increase wages and provide job safety protections for both U.S. and foreign workers.

• Benzene exposure linked to sperm abnormalities that cause birth defects.

Men exposed to benzene, a common industrial chemical that can be found in gasoline, paints, marking pens, rubber products and solvents, at levels close to the U.S. permissible limit are more likely to have an abnormal number of chromosomes in their sperm, researchers report in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.

• Rapid City Construction Company works to protect employee safety

As some companies let these regulations slide, one Rapid City construction company makes it crucial to keep all employees safe and healthy while building commercial construction projects and custom homes in the Black Hills of South Dakota.

• Worker Awarded $1.7 Million in Crane Accident

A 64-year-old Texas construction worker has been awarded a $1.7 million settlement by a jury, in his workplace safety lawsuit against Maxim Crane Works LP.

• Temp worker injured at Stonewall Kitchen

On Feb. 11, production worker Adam Wilson, 20, of Rochester, N.H., received severe burns and lacerations to his left forearm and wrist when his arm was caught in the blade of a 150-gallon mixer.

• Company Appeals Ocracoke Explosion Fines

A fireworks company that lost four workers last summer on Ocracoke Island is appealing a $44,800 state fine.

• Update: Schofield chemical explosion victim died

On Wednesday, Feb.10, the Quality Surface Processing employee who was severely burned in a chemical explosion tragically passed away.

• Thomson manufacturer disputes OSHA combustible dust fines

OSHA has stepped up efforts to penalize violators after the same combustible dust caused an Imperial Sugar plant explosion last year that killed 14 people.

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Daily Roundup, Monday, Feb. 15

• Officials fight over workplace injury rule

As the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the White House are trying to minimize their differences, a brewing battle at OSHA over a workplace injury reporting rule illustrates how tough that could become, given the administration’s pro-labor leanings.

• New farmworker regulations approved

The Obama administration moved Thursday to increase wages and job safety protections for temporary farmworkers, reversing a Bush era policy that unions said fostered cheap labor and undercut domestic hiring.

• Certain Safety Codes Didn’t Apply To Middletown Kleen Energy Systems Plant

Three days before the deadly explosion at a Connecticut natural gas power plant, a federal agency that investigates chemical accidents recommended urgent changes to national safety standards for clearing gas from pipes.

• No Safety Officials Present During Gas Purge At Middletown Blast Site

No local or state fire-safety official was present at the purging of the natural-gas pipeline that preceded Sunday’s deadly blast at the Kleen Energy power plant in Middletown, Conn.

• Coroner: Construction worker drowned

A construction worker from Colorado drowned when the excavator he was operating fell into a retaining pond in West Laramie, Wyo., on Wednesday morning, the county coroner has determined.

• OSHA proposes $70K fine in Pittsburgh fatal fall

A Pennsylvania construction company has been cited by federal investigators after a worker fell 225 feet to his death.

• Safety Violations Net Fines for Firms

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has fined three Polk County, Fla., companies for violating federal safety guidelines in separate incidents that led to the deaths of two workers and elevated carbon monoxide exposure to several others in 2009.

Owner of firm admits safety violation in roofer’s death

The owner of a Butler County, Penn., construction firm pleaded guilty today in federal court to violating safety rules on a job site where one of his employees died in a fall from a roof.

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