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Improperly opening a storage tank hatch can be deadly for oil and gas workers. In a new report, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlight nine sudden deaths caused by inhalation of hydrocarbon gases and vapors and oxygen deficiency among oil and gas extraction workers from January 2010 to March 2015. Four of […]
Yesterday we talked about some hefty fines that OSHA recently imposed on companies for exposing their workers to asbestos during a building renovation project. Today we will review required training for employees who must work with asbestos-containing material (ACM) in construction activities. In addition to the basic asbestos training requirements for general industry, OSHA has […]
By Bridget Miller While OSHA is practically a household word, not everyone knows how the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is administered or what powers it has. Let’s take a look.
Exposure to an unexpected electrical energy release that could result in electric shock or burns or in an explosion caused by an electric arc is covered by OSHA’s standard for Electrical Safety-Related Work Practices, 29 CFR 1910.333. Sometimes, workers cannot de-energize equipment that they will be working on or near. When that happens, it’s important […]
In November 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the Pesticide Worker Protection Standard (WPS). Yesterday we covered a number of key changes to the WPS—age limits, hazard communication, notification, entry restrictions, application suspension, PPE, and decontamination supplies. Today we will review the new training requirements for workers and handlers—what some people in the […]
In November 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) amended the Pesticide Worker Protection Standard (WPS). There are staggered compliance deadlines and a dizzying array of issues with which those affected by the amendments must contend. What are the critical changes in the amended standard and when are the deadlines for compliance? The final rule […]
Laboratories are dangerous places, and university laboratories have proved deadly with disturbing regularity in recent years. In 2008, for example, a lab research assistant at the University of California, Los Angeles, was killed in a flash fire. In January 2010, an explosion at Texas Tech University cost a graduate student three fingers and caused severe […]
Recently, we received the following question from a subscriber:
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) personal protective equipment (PPE) standards for construction require that protective clothing be maintained “in a sanitary and reliable condition.”
In April 2014, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) revised its Power Generation, Transmission, and Distribution rule (29 CFR 1910.269). The revised rule includes new requirements for estimating the heat energy that workers might be exposed to in the event of an electric arc, and how to select appropriate personal protective equipment based on […]