Sea World trainer killed by killer whale

On Wednesday, a trainer at the Shamu Stadium in Sea World was killed by a killer whale in front of a crowd for a live performance. Audience members were immediately shuffled out of the stadium and the park was closed down. Dawn Brancheau, the trainer, was said to be be one of the park's most experienced trainers. Brancheau was "snatched by the whale in front of a stadium of horrified onlookers, thrashed and ultimately held under water to drown."

The park will undergo investigations by two federal agencies. Sea World has states that it will review its safety policies and determine whether Tillikum, the 12,000-pound bull killer whale, will be used in shows and publicly displayed (abc.com). Sea World has currently stopped all Shamu shows at the Orlando location and at sister parks in San Antinio and San Diego.

This particular whale, Tillikum, has been involved in two previous incidents. Tilikum was part of a group of three whales that were blamed for killing a trainer who lost her balance and fell in the pool with them in 1991 at Sealand of the Pacific in Victoria, British Columbia. CBS 4 states that "Tilikum was also involved in a 1999 death, when the body of a man who had sneaked by Orlando Sea World security was found draped over him. The man either jumped, fell or was pulled into the frigid water and died of hypothermia, though he was also bruised and scratched by Tilikum." Since the incidents, Sea World had banned trainers to swim with Tillikum. The whale was only given commands from trainers from the sides of the tank during public shows.

Steve McCulloch, founder and program manager at the Marine Mammal Research and Conservation Program at Harbor Branch/Florida Atlantic University, said the whale may have been playing, but it is too early to tell (CBS 4). "I wouldn't jump to conclusions," he said. "These are very large powerful marine mammals. They exhibit this type of behavior in the wild.



Sources:
Goldman, Russell. "SeaWorld Won't Euthanize Whale, Feds Investigate Trainer Death." ABC World News. 25 Feb. 2010. Web.
"Official: SeaWorld Killer Whale Had Killed Before." CBS 4. 24 Feb. 2010. Web.

Recommended Read: Construction worker survives crocodile attack after accident

Swaziland, Southern Africa- Nine construction workers were involved in a near fatal accident on Sunday when their truck plunged into an over flooded and crocodile infested Usuthu River at Mndobandoba bridge in Big Bend.

Eight managed to escape with minor injuries, but 28-year-old Bheki Magagula is lucky to be alive after a crocodile pounced on him as he fell into the river. He was bitten on the shoulder but lived. “When we saw the crocodile attacking him, we thought it was the last time we were seeing him alive. But after a few seconds, the crocodile suddenly let go after Bheki put up a brave fight. Luckily, something seemed to distract the crocodile and it eventually let go of Bheki. I will always remember this a miracle,” said Dlamini. At the time the crocodile let go of Bheki who was bleeding profusely after it had sunk its jaws into him.

“I’ll never forget that horrific scene where my friend fought with the crocodile but I could not help him because I was also swimming for my life. I too feared there were more crocodiles, whilst I fought hard to avoid drowning”.

Despite the trauma, all nine were back at work yesterday and their first assignment was to get the truck out of the river where it had been submerged since the accident.

To read the full article click here: http://bit.ly/cvR2Hw

OSHA cites contractors following fatal fall from water tower

OSHA has cited two contractors responsible for the rehabilitation and painting of a municipal water tower in Epping, N.H., for alleged violations of safety standards following the Aug. 7, 2009, death of a worker who fell 90 feet from the tower.

OSHA's inspection found that the deceased worker's employer, Bullins Painting Inc., the Eden, N.C., subcontractor performing the tower work, failed to provide him with fall protection. Both Bullins Painting and the project's general contractor, Utility Services Inc. of Perry, Ga., failed to inspect fall protection equipment before each use, protect vertical lifelines against cuts and abrasions, and provide a ladder cage or equivalent safeguard for tower access ladders.

"This case is a clear and grave example of the human cost incurred when required fall protection safeguards are absent, ignored or inadequate," said Rosemarie Ohar, OSHA's New Hampshire area director. "The loss of a worker's life could have been prevented if these protective measures had been in place and in use."

OSHA identified additional safety and health hazards for Bullins employees, including improper anchorage points for the lifelines, an uninspected suspended scaffold, respirator protection deficiencies, overexposure to respirable dust, fumes and solvents, improper transfer of flammable liquids, smoking while mixing flammable liquids, electrical hazards and failing to appropriately monitor the inside of the water tank for oxygen-deficient atmospheres before workers entered it. Both employers also were cited for recordkeeping violations.

All told, Bullins Painting has been issued three willful, 16 serious and one other-than-serious citations, with $187,800 in proposed fines while Utility Services Co. was issued one willful, two serious and three other-than-serious citations, with $93,000 in fines. The companies have 15 business days from receipt of its citations and proposed penalties to comply, meet with OSHA or contest the findings before the independent OSHA Commission.

For more information on fall protection, visit our website http://www.hysafe.com/ or give us a call 1-800-642-0775 info@hysafe.com

Source:
Directly from osha.gov

International Roofing Expo

We're at the show! Are you?

Come meet our president and CEO at booth #1455!

How expensive was Kleen Energy's explosion in Middletown?

Although it might take OSHA up to six months to complete their investigation for Kleen Energy's explosion, the incident has already left its mark in Middletown. The extent of the damage has not only claimed five lives but it has also left a hole in Middletown's budget. Mayor Sebastian Giuliano, R-Middletown, said the city has spent about $700,000 since the Feb.7 blast, responding to it and providing emergency crews for investigators working at the site. "We're disastered out," he said. "Middletown should be quiet for the next millenium."

Middletown South District Fire Chief Edward Badamo said his department spent half of its annual overtime budget during the week of the explosion. The city is said to be possibly looking for some help from the federal government. Mayor Giuliano said investigators have figured that the blast was of the largest in its kind in history.

Sources:
Greene, Doug. "Middletown's Spent $700,000 Over Explosion." NBC Connecticut. 18 Feb. 2010. Web. 22 Feb. 2010.

Video: Keeping Workers Save- Trenching and Excavation

Source:
www.kfour.com

OSHA cites C.A. Franc $539,000 for willful fall hazard violations following worker's death

OSHA has fined the C.A. Franc construction company $539,000 following the investigation of a roofing worker who fell 40 feet to his death at a Washington work site. The Valencia, Pa.-based roof installer - whose owner is Christopher A. Franc - was cited for 10 per instance willful citations for failing to protect workers from falls.

"Mr. Franc knowingly and willfully failed to protect his workers from falling to their death," said Assistant Secretary of Labor for OSHA Dr. David Michaels. "We will not tolerate this type of blatant and egregious disregard for the health and safety of workers."

OSHA began its investigation immediately following the worker's death on Aug. 15, 2009, and found the C.A. Franc company had failed to provide any fall protection to its employees working on a pitched roof 40 feet off the ground. In addition, Mr. Franc failed to train a newly hired college student in hazards and the necessary safety measures for roofing work. As a result of the investigation, the company has been cited for 10 alleged per-instance willful violations, one for each employee working unprotected on the roof, with a proposed penalty of $490,000, and one additional alleged willful violation for failing to train the new employee, with a penalty of $49,000.

General contractor Hospitality Builders Inc. also has been cited with one willful violation and a proposed penalty of $70,000 for failing to ensure that C.A. Franc workers had fall protection.

"This fall fatality was one of five that occurred during a 15-day span in the Pittsburgh area," said John M. Hermanson, OSHA's regional administrator in Philadelphia, Pa. "Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry. Failure to provide employees with fall protection is unconscionable. We urge construction companies to take the necessary action to ensure their workers are protected."

OSHA also states that in a related criminal charge, Christopher A. Franc today entered a guilty plea in federal court to a violation of 29 U. S. C. Section 666(e). Sentencing is scheduled for June 18.

Source:
Directly from osha.gov
For fall protection equipment, visit our site http://www.hysafe.com/ Email: info@hysafe.com

Should you call in sick to work?

For some, staying home from work may seem like a breeze; for others staying home when sick isn't an easy option. A limited number of personal or sick days or a big project usually tends to make the decision to stay home a difficult one. About one-third of companies offer no sick leave pay at all, according to a 2006 study by the Society for Human Resource Management. “People are concerned about calling in sick, but if you’re really feeling unwell and especially if you have a fever, you need to stay home,” says Catherine Cummins, MD, MSN, a health sciences assistant clinical professor at the University of California-Irvine School of Medicine. “A little bit of common sense goes a long way.”

There are a number of questions that you should ask yourself when feeling sick. Can you truly perform your duties without negatively impacting your coworkers? Michael Bagner, MD, attending physician at St. Luke's/Roosevelt Hospital and Medical Director of Roosevelt Hospital Doctors Offices in New York states "if you work in close quarters with your co-workers - or you work with elderly or small children or people with cancer or chronic conditions -those are the most vulnerable people in our society," says Bagner. "A minor nuisance of an illness to you could be fatal to them." If you have a viral or a bacterial illness, you’ll expose your coworkers and they in turn will infect others. An entire sick staff is worse than one or two sick co-workers.

Will you be productive at work?
The Harvard Business Review reported, in October 2004, that being on the job but not functioning to the best of your ability can cut your productivity by a third or more -and can actually cost an employer much more than absenteeism. Companies could lose more in lost productivity than they spend directly on medical treatment and drugs. Going to work sick can make your health worse- your symptoms can worsen if your body doesn't take the rest to fight off your sickness/infection. Another factor to consider is: is your medication causing you to be drowsy? Not only should you not be driving, but if you work with machines it's critical that you stay home.

A recent study concluded that employees who often go to work despite feeling sick have higher rates of future work absences due to illness (Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine). "Sickness presenteeism," going to work despite illness, could affect future sickness absenteeism. It is estimated that presenteeism costs the American economy up to $150 billion US a year, as ill workers perform well below their usual levels while they pass on their ailments to their co-workers. A Cornell University study found that presenteeism could account for as much as 61 per cent of the total cost of worker illness — or as little as 18 per cent. In the study, workers with more days going to work sick also had more days absent because of illness. The results raise concerns that efforts to decrease sickness absence could wind up having the opposite effect (EHS).


Sources:
"Going to work when sick may lead to future absences." EHS Today July 2009: 16. Print.
Kam, Katherine. "Too Sick to Work?" Web MD. 23 Feb. 2009. Web.
"When to call in sick." CBC News. 12 Jan. 2009. Web.

Video: Embrace Life - always wear your seat belt

We ran across this seat belt video on Twitter from one of our followers (Twitter User Name: @Emilcott). This video was done very creatively and sends a strong message. Let us not forget that safety is important in every aspect of our life both personal and at work.



Are you following us on Twitter? Username: FallNoMore www.twitter.com/FallNoMore

Governor assembles panel of experts to review Middletown blast

Earlier this week, Governor M. Jodi Rell announced she is assembling a panel of state agencies – to be chaired by Senior U.S. District Judge Alan H. Nevas – to identify the cause and origin of the Kleen Energy power plant explosion in Middletown on Sunday, including any potential contributing factors such as construction problems, worker safety issues and licensing or permitting matters.

“The explosion in Middletown not only shattered the peace of a quiet Sunday morning, it led to the tragic loss of five valuable lives and devastated their families,” Governor Rell said. “There are so many unanswered questions: What led to this disaster? What were the contributing factors? Could anything have been done to prevent it? These are the questions that we must answer now, not only for the sake of the victims and their families but to avoid tragedies like this in the future.

“Our response to the Middletown explosion must follow two distinct but critical paths,” the Governor said. “We must first identify what went wrong and then determine every measure we can take to prevent future catastrophes. The reviews must be thorough, impartial and swift. And if there are concrete steps we can take in the meantime, we must be equally swift in putting those new measures into place.”

"Like safety on the job site, these reviews must be a group effort," Governor Rell said. "All of us must share a single goal: To avoid a repeat of Sunday's terrible explosion and the resulting loss of life, injuries and property damage."

Governor Rell said the Nevas panel will include representatives from the Department of Environmental Protection, the Department of Labor, the Connecticut State Police (including the Office of the State Fire Marshal and the Office of the State Building Inspector), the Department of Consumer Protection and the Department of Public Utility Control. This group of experts will examine issues such as whether all necessary permits were obtained, whether there was sufficient on-site supervision at the time of the explosion, whether all applicable labor laws were followed, whether all safety measures were followed, whether all employees were properly licensed and trained and whether fire and building code provisions were followed.

The second panel is to be chaired by James "Skip" Thomas, recently retired Commissioner of the state Department of Emergency Management and Homeland Security and former Glastonbury police chief. State agencies to be represented on the panel include the Department of Public Utility Control, the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Office of the State Building Inspector and the Department of Public Works. Representatives from engineering and architectural firms, as well as municipal engineering and fire officials, will also be asked to participate in the review. The Thomas panel will review state and local permitting processes, building codes and construction oversight methods as they relate to the construction of power plants and large industrial facilities with on-site generating facilities, as well as training and safety protocols for testing power systems - including maintaining accurate lists of personnel who are present during such tests.

Whistleblower Protection Act passes House by vote 67-1

Just yesterday, Tuesday, the Whistleblower Protection Act, House Bill 165, passed the House by a vote of 67-1.

The legislation would allow government employees to sue their employers if they’re retaliated against for reporting government corruption, testifying before a public body or refusing to participate in unlawful activity.

The bipartisan amendment, sponsored by Reps. Todd Platts, R-Pa., and Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., ensures that federal whistleblowers will be protected from retaliation. Current whistleblower laws on the books fail to protect federal whistleblowers from being fired, demoted or harassed. Since 1994, federal workers who were retaliated against have won less than 1 percent of their cases, noted the Government Accountability Project, an organization dedicated to whistleblower protection. (makitsafecampaign.org)

“The overwhelming support for the Whistleblower Protection Act reflects our commitment to protect public employees who come forward and disclose unlawful conduct in state government, or who refuse to join that unlawful activity,” Cervantes said in a news release. “These reforms prohibit retaliation against those who report government corruption and protect those who see government service as a public trust.”

As stated in an article, under the legislation, a public employer is prohibited from taking retaliatory action against a public employee who:
• Discloses or threatens to disclose activity, policy or practice of the public employer that is unlawful or improper, or that the public employee believes is unlawful or improper.
• Provides information or testifies as part of an investigation, hearing or inquiry into an unlawful or improper act.
• Objects or refuses to participate in an activity, policy or practice that is unlawful or improper.

The bill provides that a public employer is liable to the public employee for:
• Actual damages.
• Reinstatement with same seniority.
• Two times the amount of back pay, with interest.
• Special damages.
• Litigation costs and attorney fees.

The bill now heads to the Senate for consideration.

Sources:
Haussamen, Heath. "House passes Whistleblower Protection Act." The New Mexico Independent. 09 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.
"House passes stimulus bill with protections for federal whistleblowers." Make It Safe News. 2 Feb. 2010. Web. 10 Feb. 2010.

OSHA gets a website makeover

OSHA has now merged their website with the Department of Labor. It is now consistent with DOL's look and theme layout.

What do you think of the new look? http://www.osha.gov/

Explosion at Kleen Energy Plant, Middletown, Conn.- The ground shook for miles

The ground shook for miles when a massive explosion occurred at the Kleen Energy Plant in Middletown, Conn. The plant was currently under construction when the natural gas line exploded Sunday morning. News outlets are reporting that at least five workers were killed and 12 injured. As of Sunday evening, crews and dogs were still searching for survivors. Emergency crews were expected to work through the night up into Monday.

The mayor of Middletown said at the news conference it was difficult to tell how many people were at the plant because multiple contractors were working on it with their own employee lists (Yahoo News). Giuliano said the plant workers had been very proud of their spotless safety record. "Before today, not so much as a hangnail occurred on this," he said.

The 620-megawatt plant, that begin construction in February of 2008, was being built to produce energy primarily using natural gas. Deputy Fire Marshal Al Santostefano said workers for the construction company, O&G Industries, were purging the gas lines, a procedure he called a "blow-down," when the explosion occurred.

"I saw the guys below me just got flattened. There was a group of them. I don't know how many," Nick, a worker from Norwich, Conn., told the New York Daily News. "I went over to people who were injured. It was horrible. I saw a man without a head. Some of them are real bad."

The New York Daily News reported that "the huge blast shattered the windows of area homes and cars, shook pictures off the walls of living rooms 20 miles away and flung workers 30 or 40 feet into the air." Homes nearby reported the explosion being the equivalent of a small earthquake. Witnesses saw a giant fireball shoot into the sky. As many as 1,000 workers are working during the week, fortunately Sunday shifts are composed of less workers. The Super Bowl kept many more workers at home.

Secretary Hilda Solis stated that OSHA is on their way to investigate the explosion.



Sources:
Bernhard, Kent. "Daily Brief: Plant Blast Kills At Least Five." Portfolio.com. 08 Feb. 2010. Web
Eaton-Robb, Pat, and John Christofferson. "Gas blast at Conn. power plant kills at least 5." Yahoo News. Associated Press, 7 Feb. 2010. Web.
Lysiak, Matthew L., Kevin Deutsch, and Helen Kennedy. "'Guys below me just got flattened' says worker of Kleen Energy Plant explosion in Connecticut." NY Daily News. 7 Feb. 2010. Web.

Worker killed in fall from cell phone tower

LITTLE ROCK — A man with more than three decades experience working on towers died this morning when he fell about 100 feet from a cell phone tower in Saline County.

Terry Thompson, 51, of Lucedale, Miss., was pronounced dead at the scene, a tower on Old 88 Road near Highway 70. Officials say he died on impact about 10:30 a.m.

Deputies with the Saline County sheriff's office and officials with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration are investigating how the fall occurred. Foul play is not suspected.

To read the full article click here: http://bit.ly/cTau3U

Crane Safety- 20 pictures of crane accidents

There are significant safety issues that need to be considered when operating a crane. It is important that crane operators be fully train. Every crane is different and requires it's own unique training. Crane operators should be aware of safety issues such as load capacity, electrocution, crane maintenance, and much more. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2006 there were 72 crane-related fatalities, down from an average of 78 fatalities per year from 2003 to 2005. OSHA has various standards and federal regulations that must be followed to avoid crane accidents.

We came across this blog posting that shows 20 various crane accidents. The post states that "These accidents not only slowed down construction projects, but also added cost to the project."





To view the pictures click here: http://bit.ly/9H6bdt

DOL 2011 Budge Announced- Allows for increased OSHA enforcement and inspectors

Yesterday Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis announced the Department of Labor's budget request for 2011. The Department of Labor website states, "The budget launches innovative ways to prepare workers for 21st century jobs, and makes new investments in programs that protect workers' rights, safety and health in the new economy. It reaches out to diverse audiences to ensure that all people from all communities are included in the jobs of the future." The budget is being built around the vision of "good jobs for everyone" (dol.gov).

In the national online discussion, Secretary Solis noted that the budget reflects the department's "commitment to investing in what works and carefully evaluating programs to make sure that they obtain results that will produce good jobs." During the online session, Secretary Solis answered questions on the budget to stakeholder groups, the general public, and the media.

The majority of the requested $117 billion will be used for unemployment insurance benefits for displaced workers and federal workers' compensation. The department's discretionary request of $14.0 billion overall includes $1.7 billion for worker protection programs, a four percent increase over the prior year's budget. Through the budget, the department will hire 350 new employees, including 177 investigators and other enforcement staff, many of whom will be bilingual to better communicate with employees in the changing workplace (dol.gov).

The requested budget includes $573 million for OSHA, which is $14 million more than what they received in 2010. Concerning enforcement, Secretary Solis stated, “Today's budget affirms this administration's strong commitment to vigorous enforcement.” “With the largest fine in OSHA’s history and more egregious cases, we are sending a strong message throughout industry that we will not tolerate the endangerment of workers. We will continue those efforts with a number of new and innovative enforcement initiatives in the coming year.”

OSHA's increase in enforcement will join the 192 personnel expected to be added by the end of the 2010 fiscal year. Together the investigators will assist in conducting an expected 42,000 federal inspections (employmentlawpost.com). OSHA administrator David Michaels stated that with the budget increase, "OSHA will hire 25 additional inspectors, and shift 35 who are presently doing compliance assistance to enforcement activities." This brings the total of new inspectors to 60; with additional staff OSHA expects more targeted inspections.

Souces:
www.dol.gov
"Solis’ Proposed Budget Opens Door for 358 More DOL Inspectors, Staff." Employment Law Post. HR Hero Alerts, 1 Feb. 2010. Web.
Walter, Laura. "DOL 2011 Budget Request Includes OSHA Increase, Focus on Enforcement." EHS Today. 1 Feb. 2010. Web.

Video: 80 feet of the ground with no fall protection

This video was recently posted on the Internet. The description of the video states: "Two workers repairing the roof of the water tank, app. 80ft in height with no protection at all. Wrong ladder, etc.."

80 feet off the ground...the consequences of a fall would be devastating. It's possible that the company isn't providing fall protection, which is a clear OSHA violation, or the employees are being provided fall protection and simply aren't wearing it.


OSHA Fall Protection Regulations:

General Industry Standards: 29 CFR 1910
-Working at heights 4 ft. or greater
Construction Industry Standard: 29 CFR 1926
-Construction: working 6 ft. or higher
Rooftop regulations:
-Working within 6 ft. of the leading edge
- Working on equipment within 10 ft. of the leading edge

Are you aware of OSHA's Fall Protection standards? Make sure you're in compliance! For more information on fall protection visit http://www.hysafe.com/ or contact us at 800-642-0775

Sources:

http://www.osha.gov/