Before OSHA was enacted in the 1970’s, to say worker safety was an afterthought, would be an understatement. If you’ve ever seen old, turn of the century pictures of industrial employees, then you’d undoubtedly believe in that statement. Fortunately, the government agency enforced regulations that reduced the perception that employees are disposable, and that their …
A machine operator was killed while servicing a high-speed conveyor belt at a Clearwater Paper mill in Ladysmith, Wis. His death, OSHA says, was “preventable.” The 46-year-old-man was killed in October 2015 because his employer did not ensure that the equipment on which he was working was powered down and locked out, OSHA said. “Workers …
The following infographic breaks down the OSHA top 10 most cited violations. Year after year they continue to show little change. The top 10 cited OSHA violations are: 1926.501 – Fall Protection- This section sets forth requirements for employers to provide fall protection systems. All fall protection required by this section shall conform to the …
Kevin Miranda’s death could have been prevented if his employer, Skyline Contracting and Roofing Corp. of Taunton, had followed industry and federal safety standards, an inspection by OSHA has found. Miranda was operating an aerial lift near Taunton’s Morton Hospital on Aug. 18, 2015. The lift’s boom was extended to a height of 45 feet …
U.S. Department of Labor | August 20, 2015 23-year-old worker loses part of finger in machine Painesville, Ohio-based Dyson Corp. failed to use machine safety proceduresPAINESVILLE, Ohio – A 23-year-old machine operator making nuts and bolts suffered a partial amputation of his right middle finger when it was caught in a machine at a Painesville …
Normally, you assess an organization’s safety culture by observing how employees translate the company’s principles, values, attitudes, and goals into their behavior and decision-making. This seems like a pretty straightforward method, but beware of drawing conclusions based only on observations—you’ll fall into the assumptions trap. I’ve fallen into this myself by relying on direct observations …
U.S. Department of Labor | July 24, 2015 BOS 2015-139 Employee’s death at International Paper’s Ticonderoga plant ‘preventable’ OSHA cites paper manufacturer for willful, repeated, serious safety violations ALBANY, N.Y. – The death of an employee at International Paper Co.’s Ticonderoga plant could have been prevented if his employer provided proper safeguards and training, an …
May 12, 2015 U.S. Aqua Vac cited in death of diver in New Albany, Ohio, pond Similar company failures led to death of diver in 2009NEW ALBANY, Ohio – When a 23-year-old diver descended to the bottom of a New Albany pond in November 2014, he thought his air supply would last during underwater work. …
In Fiscal Year 2014, the U.S. Department of Labor referred or assisted with the criminal prosecution of 27 cases involving worker deaths – the highest number in DOL’s history. However, since there were more than 4,000 worker deaths during the same period, criminal prosecution in such cases is still very rare. These statistics were highlighted …
